Luckily, our earlier collaboration with Wang Yue on speedboats and underwater sightseeing boats had significantly improved domestic engine technology. But those were still small-vessel technologies. No one knew whether they would work on large ships.
Just then, the blueprints for Wang Yue's cargo ship—which could serve as a light aircraft carrier—arrived. Factory Director Li finally had a chance to see the real thing, so he quickly got to work building it.
Since the project was also meant for study and research, Jiangnan Shipyard not only gave it everything they had but also gathered a number of experts and technicians. As a result, the Future cargo ship was completed in just eight months.
After a brief sea trial confirmed that the ship was running properly, it was handed over to Boss Xie. He was very pleased with the cargo ship, and Factory Director Li was even more satisfied.
After all, with the experience they'd gained from this project, Factory Director Li and the others had great confidence in their plans to refit the Varyag. The Future was nearly as heavy as the Varyag.
The Future could achieve its design specifications at sea, which meant they could transfer its propulsion system to the Varyag. They could even transplant its electrical and control systems, greatly shortening the aircraft carrier's development timeline.
And as long as the experts and professors upgraded the Future's deck according to the blueprints, they'd have a complete, mature aircraft-carrier design system ready to produce ships in quantity.
That was why Factory Director Li was so pleased with the cargo ship's delivery. As usual, he took the technology in exchange for payment to Wang Yue. But because seagoing ships were so expensive, Jiangnan Shipyard couldn't simply give him a dozen or more ships as they had last time. That left