Chapter 2957
I'm a soft-hearted person; I can't bear to see my comrades suffer.
Chapter 2957 I'm a soft-hearted person; I can't bear to see my comrades suffer.
At the dinner table, Liu Bin's words calmed everyone down.
Then Liu Bin asked a question, and Yang Xiaotao was stunned for three seconds.
Chief Designer Huang turned around quickly and said seriously, "Liu Bin, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Then he turned back to Yang Xiaotao and smiled, "Well, Director Yang, he was just joking."
What does this have to do with the Nine Departments?
Even if there were, it wouldn't be about money.
If there is a shortage of funds, it is still necessary to report to the superiors according to regulations, and then the logistics department will allocate funds.
Why does this seem like the Ninth Department is asking for money?
They were just being polite.
Yang Xiaotao snapped out of his daze, then looked at Liu Bin, and then at Chief Designer Huang's apologetic expression, before asking, "How much do you expect?"
After this question was asked, everyone at the table was taken aback. Then, Dean Qu and Zhang Wu looked at each other and both felt that the matter seemed to be on the verge of being settled.
Old Qin then gave Chief Designer Huang a meaningful look, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Chief Designer Huang shook his head again, "Director Yang, you've already helped a lot before, we can handle this."
"Furthermore, we have already reported to our superiors and prepared a budget..."
Liu Bin scratched his head, Qin Lao slapped his forehead, Wang Lao laughed, Liu Lao rubbed his wine glass, and Qian Lao and his companion looked at each other in silence.
Yang Xiaotao glanced at the three men's faces, then looked back at Old Qin, who gave an awkward smile. Yang Xiaotao knew what was going on. "Since there are difficulties, let's solve them."
"Since our Ninth Division has encountered this matter, we can't pretend we don't know about it!"
"In that case, no matter how much research funding your leaders provide, we'll contribute 200 million yuan to upgrade the Jiaolong submersible and, incidentally, build a new one!"
"That way, there will be a rotation!"
Yang Xiaotao made a joke, and everyone laughed.
At this moment, both Elder Wang and Elder Qin looked at the three of them.
Especially Qin Lao, they have recently focused their attention on aircraft design and development, and now the engine of the Ninth Division is about to be completed, which is a critical time for their experiments.
Having learned their lesson from the J-8, they dared not be careless.
Under such circumstances, it would be difficult to allocate funds to the research institute to design new submarines or produce a second submarine.
Now that the Ninth Department is offering money, Old Qin is eager to agree on behalf of the three of them.
Zhang Wu and Dean Qu were just as excited as Elder Qin.
Zhang Wu was fantasizing about the magnificent scene of having two nuclear submarines under his command, using one, using one…
The Jiaolong submersible crew members at the next table had their eyes shining, eagerly hoping for a quick agreement!
Dean Qu was thinking about maintaining a good relationship with the Ninth Division in the future. Two hundred million! He took it out without batting an eye. No one would be so easy to do that without a hundred million!
"Okay, thank you very much."
Chief Designer Huang took a deep breath and did not refuse Yang Xiaotao's offer.
However, he didn't say whether it was enough or not; as long as the Nine Departments had this intention, they should be grateful.
Yang Xiaotao waved his hand again, "With one more submarine, we can have one more escort for our cargo at sea, which is also a good thing for us."
As he spoke, he raised his glass, and the three of them quickly raised their hands, then clinked their glasses together and drank it all in one gulp.
"Thank you, Minister Yang."
The three turned to leave, with Liu Bin walking at the back, chuckling. Yang Xiaotao immediately punched him in the chest, saying, "You're really being too polite."
Then, as if remembering something, he leaned close to Liu Bin's ear and said, "I meant US dollars!"
"Ah~"
"Don't be so alarmed. We'll talk to Mr. Huang about it when we get back."
"I know, I know!"
Liu Bin left happily, and then a gasp of surprise came from not far away.
Yang Xiaotao sat back down in his chair.
Then I felt that everyone at the table became even more enthusiastic.
Old Wang pulled his master, Old Qian, to offer Yang Xiaotao a drink, but Yang Xiaotao dared not let Old Qian raise his glass first and hurriedly stepped forward to offer a toast.
Then the conversation turned to the Xizhou Launch Center. After a brief discussion, Yang Xiaotao was forced to agree to provide financial support for the subsequent construction work.
After saying this, Elder Qin and Elder Zhang smiled at Yang Xiaotao, raised their glasses again, and promised to resolve the engine issue as soon as possible.
As for providing CNC machine tools, we'll have to go back and discuss that.
Seeing this, the two knew that they could forget about CNC machine tools, but making the aircraft engine was equally important to them.
Finally, Uncle Zhang Wu smiled at Yang Xiaotao.
"Uncle, you don't need to."
Yang Xiaotao drank several glasses in a row, and seeing Zhang Wu holding a glass of wine, he said helplessly.
Zhang Wu's expression remained unchanged. He was a straightforward person and asked directly, "Xiao Tao, we already have two nuclear submarines, so shouldn't we get another aircraft carrier?"
Yang Xiaotao shuddered in fright, then quickly waved his hand, "Uncle, don't rush, let's finish building this ship first, and then we'll talk about it."
Zhang Wu agreed that it was indeed a bit early. "Alright then, you can't not help when it comes to the second ship."
Yang Xiaotao readily agreed, but as for when the second ship would be built, who knows?
After finishing our meal, it was already 3 PM when we returned to the Ninth Division.
Yang Xiaotao had originally planned to go home and rest early, but as soon as he returned to the Ninth Department, Director Hu from the Second Ministry of Machine Building came to his door.
It's clear that the other party is really anxious.
"Minister Yang, I've come to inquire about the zirconium alloy and will also take some back for research."
Director Hu said happily that after the morning meeting, he felt relieved.
Moreover, with the zirconium alloy provided by the Ninth Department, the problems at the nuclear power plant can also be solved.
“That’s easy to arrange. I’ll have the old Taoist priest take you to the steel mill in a bit, and you can discuss it with him.”
Yang Xiaotao picked up the mug and drank some water, then asked, "I've been so busy lately, I haven't had a chance to check! What's the situation at the nuclear power plant?"
Director Hu immediately said, "We were originally worried that increasing the power generation capacity would cause problems with the reactor, but now that the biggest problem has been solved, things will be much easier from here on out!"
"High-voltage power grids are being laid, and transformers are arriving one after another!"
"According to the plan, trial runs will begin next year, but if things go smoothly, it could be completed by the end of this year..."
Director Hu spoke optimistically, and Yang Xiaotao was pleased to hear it.
Just then, the phone on the table rang, and Liu Lixue hurriedly went to answer it.
"Director Yang, it's a call from the foreign trade department!"
Yang Xiaotao smiled at Director Hu, then picked up the phone and heard Li Rong's voice coming from the other end.
"Aunt Rong, you're so right on time! I just got back!"
Li Rong's laughter came through the phone, "I only called because you got back!"
"I heard about what happened at the Second Ministry of Machine Building. Well done!"
"Those bastards even tracked me down here. If I don't teach them a lesson, they'll really think I'm a pushover!"
"Well done, that's satisfying!"
Hearing Li Rong complaining on the phone, Yang Xiaotao quickly said, "Aunt Rong, please don't say that. It has nothing to do with me, really nothing!"
"Alright, alright, I know!"
"Aunt Rong, if you're alright, we can talk later. I'm here..."
"Who said nothing's wrong? Something's wrong with me!"
Yang Xiaotao smiled apologetically at Director Hu and could only continue, "Please go ahead, I'm listening!"
"Heh, young people just don't like listening to old people nagging..."
Then Yang Xiaotao listened to another five minutes of rambling.
"That guy named Dawson has been trying to contact you, wanting to buy your oil!"
"Huh? What does he need oil for?"
Yang Xiaotao was somewhat surprised, then heard Li Rong explain, "What else could we do? Of course, we'll sell it to the Japanese islands!" Only then did Yang Xiaotao understand what had happened.
Since the commotion in the desert began, unlike in history, this time Persia has been stirring things up. A large number of Persian scimitars and Kui bull armored vehicles were sold there. Although Persia made a small profit, the biggest beneficiary was still the Pharaoh's Kingdom.
With their superior weaponry and the support and encouragement from both domestic and international sources, the fighting has now largely resulted in the recovery of the territory that was previously seized.
It was only thanks to the United States taking sides and providing the other side with three hundred million US dollars in support that the front line was stabilized.
Thus, the two sides engaged in a protracted tug-of-war on the battlefield, entering the most arduous period of attrition warfare.
While the two sides are locked in fierce fighting and arms dealers are making a fortune, the extraction and embargo of oil are exacerbating the economic woes of many countries.
Especially for island nations like Japan, more than 95% of their oil energy comes from imports.
With this embargo imposed by the other side, the domestic energy supply is in dire straits.
During this period, we were still using the old reserves, but the attack on the other side of the desert was too sudden and there was no warning at all. As a result, the Japanese islands had not done any overall planning beforehand.
By the time they realized what was happening, not only had the price of oil increased, but even the price of oil tankers had gone up.
Other countries, fearing the impact of oil on their domestic economies, have also restricted oil exports.
Japan had originally planned to buy some oil from the United States, but the United States was also internally damaged in this oil rush, so it had no oil left to sell to Japan!
As a result, the Japanese islands sought to buy oil everywhere, even at high prices, but they couldn't acquire much.
And so, the Japanese islands met a tragic end!
The domestic economy began to decline sharply, and cargo ships, running out of fuel, had to reduce the number of voyages, resulting in a rapid decrease in import and export goods.
If you can't sell your goods, you won't make any money.
If people don't make money, they won't be able to spend it, companies will go bankrupt, workers will be laid off, and there will be another wave of economic recession.
The Japanese government has taken various measures, including lowering bank loan interest rates, stimulating home purchases, and boosting domestic demand.
But the effect was minimal.
This only addresses the impact on people's livelihoods. Without petrochemicals, these businesses cannot operate, which has a significant impact as well.
The shortage of chemical materials, in particular, directly restricts industrial development.
In short, Japan desperately needs oil right now.
"So, Dawson wants to buy our oil and then resell it to Japan?"
"Yes, and he also said that the price will be higher than the international price, so we won't lose out!"
Li Rong reiterated that the price of oil per barrel has now risen to $22, and considering the price Yang Xiaotao and his group paid, $1.50, they've made a profit of $20 per barrel in the blink of an eye.
She felt like it wasn't real.
This is much faster than robbing money.
Of course, according to her business sense, she didn't need to sell it all at once. She would take out half of the 600 million yuan worth of oil to make a big profit first, and then keep the rest in her hands until the price was higher before selling it.
This way, interest can be maximized, and more foreign exchange can be earned domestically.
Just when Li Rong thought Yang Xiaotao would readily agree, she heard Yang Xiaotao ask, "Aunt Rong, don't rush to agree."
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Li Rong was surprised, and Yang Xiaotao immediately asked, "The oil will definitely be sold, but it can't be sold casually!"
"We need to carefully consider who to sell to!"
Li Rong was confused; wasn't this the best option right now?
Then Yang Xiaotao continued, "Could you please inquire about the situation on the Japanese islands? Is it really true that they can't buy oil?"
"Although some countries have imposed embargoes, the desert is still selling oil. I don't think it's necessary for this oil to be ours alone!"
"The other party is actually willing to pay a high price to buy our oil. I suspect there's something fishy going on behind the scenes."
Li Rong was silent for a moment, then realized that Yang Xiaotao's words made some sense. "Okay, I'll go investigate. But you should also consider this, there's so much oil involved."
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; don't miss out!"
Yang Xiaotao hummed in agreement and then hung up the phone.
While pondering their situation on the Japanese islands, the phone on the table rang again.
Yang Xiaotao thought it was Li Rong calling, but he found that it was Old Chen's voice coming from the other end.
"Boss, what brings you to make a phone call?!"
"Shouldn't we be in a meeting right now?"
Yang Xiaotao smiled and said that their presence at the Second Ministry of Machine Building was only part of the story; the main part was still handled by Uncle Chen and his group.
Based on past experience, this kind of thing usually takes three to five days of wrangling.
"Hehe, I am busy, but even if I'm busy, I still have to ask Minister Yang what's going on with the two hundred million US dollars!"
Instantly, Yang Xiaotao's face stiffened, then he turned away so that Liu Lixue and Director Hu wouldn't see his expression, and whispered, "Leader, it's because I see how hard our comrades are working, and how they're devoting themselves to the revolution and construction!"
"You know, I'm a soft-hearted person and can't stand seeing my comrades suffer. It just so happens that I have a little extra money, so..."
"I agreed, it's a contribution to the revolution, isn't it!"
Yang Xiaotao spoke softly, his tone somewhat humble.
"You're soft-hearted, huh?"
Yang Xiaotao also chuckled twice.
In the office, Liu Lixue and Director Hu exchanged strange smiles.
Is this guy soft-hearted?
That depends on what it is!
"Alright, you've played the good guy this time, so it's no big deal if I play the bad guy!"
"But let me remind you, get the West-East Gas Pipeline project started right now. They actually said it was a waste of manpower and money. You better make me proud, understand?"
"Yes, sir! We will complete the mission without hesitation!"
Yang Xiaotao hung up the phone, a smile on his face, and then looked at Director Hu and joked, "See!"
"They're all begging for money!"
Upon hearing this, Director Hu merely pursed his lips; he dared not utter a word about the affairs of his superiors.
Liu Lixue, who was standing nearby, had also heard about what had happened at the Second Ministry of Machine Building, and when she heard Director Hu say that the Logistics Department had been given 200 million yuan to build submarines, her eyes gleamed with excitement.
That's a clever tactic.
First, you get the other party to come out on their own, then you interrupt the rhythm at a crucial moment. The most impressive thing is the appearance of the "victim," which directly makes the other party lose their footing.
And finally…
"Everything's fine now. I'll go to the steel mill with you and we can take care of the follow-up arrangements."
Yang Xiaotao spoke to Director Hu, then said to Liu Lixue, "Xiaoxue!"
"Xiaoxue?"
Liu Lixue quickly snapped out of her daze and looked at Yang Xiaotao apologetically.
Yang Xiaotao was also helpless about this, and said again, "Xiaoxue, go and tell the logistics department to bring the prepared rewards and distribute them to them."
Liu Lixue nodded quickly and then went out to prepare.
Yang Xiaotao walked out with Director Hu, chatting about the nuclear power plant.
"Our demand for electricity is increasing, especially for CNC machine tools, which require a lot of electricity to operate."
"If we have enough electricity, we can install three more..."
Director Hu listened from the side, feeling quite puzzled.
The Ninth Division has now left the other divisions far behind, but what will happen to the Ninth Division if the electricity problem is solved?
The two waited by the jeep for a while, and then they saw a truck drive up from the logistics department.
The two got into the car and headed towards the steel plant.
On the way, Director Hu inquired about the so-called reward, and Yang Xiaotao casually replied, "Fifty yuan per person, plus an electric pressure cooker!"
Then, Director Hu smiled and said nothing more, feeling that he shouldn't have asked any more questions.