Chapter 1301
Welding Master Li Aiguo, Building Warships, Dieter Plans to Attack Jiangnan Shipyard
On the beach of Changxing Island on the weekend.
Under a large umbrella, a man was lounging leisurely on a bench—who else could it be but Li Aiguo?!
I have been at Jiangnan Shipyard for several months now.
During this period, he practically lived in the workshop, spending every day on the slipway with Zhao Qingyang and his group of experts.
It's rare to have such a sunny day, and it's also a day off, so we finally got a chance to bring the kids out for some fun.
Not far away, the beach was bustling with activity.
"Dad, look! I caught a little crab!"
Xiao Hongsheng, Xiao Dongfang, Xiao Mingwei, and Zhao Miaomiao played on the beach.
The occasional giggles added a touch of tranquility.
Li Aiguo casually picked up a newspaper from the folding table next to him, glanced at it, and then shook his head with a smile.
The front page of the newspaper featured the situation in Southeast Asia.
It follows the same historical trajectory as before.
Xiao Mei's family finally couldn't hold back any longer and started to get violent towards the elephant's family.
Southeast Asia has now become a huge arena for power struggles.
Xiao Mei's family and Lao Maozi were there, going back and forth, testing their strength.
Actually, it started several years ago.
While Xiao Mei's family was dealing with the monkeys in the north, they also had Langley's gang secretly plotting and finding a puppet.
This is a trick that Xiaomei's family has always used.
Unfortunately, that puppet was utterly useless; it was hopeless.
In addition, with the support of the Russians, the monkeys in the north began to support the elephants' Bat Ridge, which made the American family extremely uneasy.
Xiao Mei's family decided to take matters into their own hands and officially launch the menu operation, deploying fighter jets to bombard the area.
Li Aiguo knew that it wouldn't be long before that infamous "Agent Orange" would appear in the jungles of the elephants' home.
Once that stuff is spilled, the pollution will be impossible to remove even decades later; it's a true cause of extinction.
"Time is running out."
Li Aiguo knew that once the US and Russia had decided who was better, they would turn their attention to them first.
Large aircraft carriers and large aircraft need to be developed as soon as possible.
"What are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed."
Sitting next to Li Aiguo, the young woman, Ms. Chen, whispered, "We should go back now. Expert Zhao and the others must be getting impatient."
"Okay, let's go back."
Seeing that it was almost noon and considering his work in the afternoon, Li Aiguo stood up and walked towards the large off-road vehicle.
At this moment, the atmosphere inside the No. 2 dock of Jiangnan Shipyard was completely different from the leisurely atmosphere by the sea.
The air was filled with the smell of burning flux.
"Chief Engineer Li is right, narrow gap submerged arc welding is the most suitable welding method."
On the slipway, Lao Chen, an eighth-level welder, held a fine-wire automatic welding gun and began to explain.
"This welding method is specifically designed for welding thick plates on warship decks."
It can precisely protect the electric arc through the flux layer, avoiding the influence of air and impurities during the welding process.
This is much better than the submerged arc welding I learned from my older brother back then.
The others watched from the sidelines.
Old Chen precisely positioned the two plates at the joint, leaving an extremely narrow welding gap, and then applied the special flux.
There was no loud noise, only the sound of the welding machine running, and a small amount of smoke and dust produced by the melting flux slowly rose.
After welding is completed and the flux has cooled.
Old Chen cleaned away the welding slag on the surface, and the two plates were firmly joined together. The weld was smooth and even, without any pores or cracks.
"We've really seen something new today; we've never seen welding done like this before."
Zhao Qingyang stood aside. When he learned that Li Aiguo had come up with this new welding method, he was still a little apprehensive and even had some doubts.
But now, seeing the finished product with his own eyes, he was filled with admiration.
Li Aiguo is simply a welding genius!
The bow hull of the Type 65 corvette has been roughly welded into shape.
The two side panels have been welded together, and the central hull has been manufactured and is ready for welding.
At this moment, they had put down their work and were watching this scene with great interest.
"If we use this welding technique, can we consider making the deck a little longer?"
"Just use the steel plate underneath to hold the stress points... and then, build an airplane runway?"
Upon thinking of this, Zhao Qingyang chuckled to himself.
Ever since Li Aiguo proposed building a large aircraft carrier, he felt like he was bewitched, wanting to associate everything with aircraft carriers.
"It's definitely not that simple. There also needs to be an interceptor cable. I heard that the US's aircraft carrier deck is specially designed." Chief Engineer Chen from Institute 701 was also present.
"Let's put the aircraft carrier issue aside for now; the hull will be finished soon."
Next, the engine and missile launcher will be installed.
It's time for Comrade Li Aiguo to take the stage again.
Chief Engineer Qin looked around and asked, "Where is Comrade Li Aiguo?"
“He took his wife and child to the beach, and he’ll probably be back soon,” Zhao Qingyang explained.
"He's been working really hard lately, he should get some rest."
Chief Engineer Qin nodded and instructed someone to place the newly welded deck onto the testing rack.
Theory is theory, practice determines everything.
Whether the new welding technology is effective depends on the sturdiness of the deck.
As for the testing methods?
Simple and brutal, just fire a shot at the deck!
At this moment, the Great Wall SUV was speeding along the road to Jiangnan Shipyard.
Li Aiguo and Chen Xueru were inside the car.
The children have been sent back to the shipyard's internal guesthouse in advance, where they are being looked after by dedicated staff.
Chen Xueru came back to the factory mainly to borrow the factory's secure phone to make a long-distance call to Chen Fangxuan.
After all, due to the security restrictions, the telephones in the guesthouse could only receive calls, not make them.
"Brother Aiguo, actually the scenery on this island is quite nice. Feeling the sea breeze is much more comfortable than being cooped up in the courtyard house."
Chen Xueru sat in the passenger seat, watching the reeds recede outside the window, in a rather pleasant mood.
Li Aiguo held the steering wheel with his left hand and reached out with his right to touch the young woman's hair.
"Of course. After we finish dinner tonight and get those kids to sleep, how about we take a stroll on the beach by ourselves?"
"It would be best to find a place where it's just the two of us..."
Chen Xueru casually replied, then immediately realized the ambiguity in her words.
Two blushes instantly rose on her fair cheeks as she said coquettishly.
"Alright, stop talking, it's so embarrassing in broad daylight."
boom.
Just then, an explosion rang out from the distant shipyard.
Li Aiguo immediately knew that it was a test using artillery shells.
He pressed the accelerator pedal even harder.
but.
Just then, he saw what appeared to be two figures moving about in the reeds by the roadside.
Those two people were supposed to be lying in the reeds, observing from the shadows.
Startled by the sudden cannon blast, he instinctively stood up and tried to run away.
But one of them reacted very quickly, turning his head to look in the direction of Dock No. 2.
They immediately grabbed their companion, and the two quickly ducked down and hid back in the reeds.
"Xue Ru, hold on tight!" Li Aiguo shouted in a low voice.
Chen Xueru was taken aback: "Brother Aiguo, what are you going to do?"
Before he could finish speaking, the SUV suddenly swerved, and the vehicle shook violently.
Li Aiguo actually drove the car off the dirt road.
They rushed towards the patch of wasteland by the roadside, which was full of stones and potholes!
Thankfully, it has extremely strong off-road capabilities; otherwise, a regular Jeep would have been completely stranded.
Chen Xueru gripped the car door handle, her body swaying, unsure of what Li Aiguo was going to do.
They were just saying they wanted to go somewhere secluded to whisper their secrets, is this man in such a hurry to go now?
So, you just relieve yourself on the spot in this desolate wilderness?
Of course not.
The moment this absurd thought crossed her mind, Chen Xueru nipped it in the bud.
Because through the windshield, she could clearly see the two panicked figures in the bushes ahead.
In the grass.
The two men stood up, their faces filled with horror.
They never imagined that a car would suddenly appear on this deserted road, which was usually deserted, and that it would run them over!
"Quick, run!"
The two men, one young and one middle-aged, both sported slicked-back side-parted haircuts and looked like they weren't good people.
Li Aiguo pressed the accelerator without slowing down and drove directly toward the two people.
Drop drop!
Chen Xueru stared wide-eyed at everything.
The engine of the large off-road vehicle roared as it rushed toward the two men, getting closer and closer.
"Run separately!" the middle-aged man suddenly shouted, and then the two separated, one on the left and one on the right!
Unfortunately, the next second, both of them stopped in their tracks.
Because the off-road vehicle came to a stop.
Li Aiguo had already jumped out of the car, pulled out a pistol, and pointed it at them.
"If anyone dares to move again, I'll break their legs!"
The voice just fell.
"Bang! Bang!"
Li Aiguo fired two shots, hitting the two men directly in front of them.
How can we run now!
This completely terrified the two men with side-parted hair. Their legs went weak, and they knelt on the ground, raising their hands high above their heads.
"Comrade, you've misunderstood. We're from a nearby village. We're just using the restroom here; we're not bad people."
But you, you've been running people over with your car and shooting them.
Are your comrades in the army really this unreasonable?
The young man spoke up.
It would have been better if this guy hadn't said anything, because once he did, Li Aiguo almost laughed out of anger.
He speaks with an authentic Northern accent that's as genuine as can be!
You're from the north, why are you coming to Changxing Island to pretend to be a fisherman from a nearby village?
They traveled all that way to stake out outside a military restricted area; nobody would believe they didn't have some ulterior motive!
"Unreasonable? Let me ask you, this is a military restricted area, what are you doing barging in here?" Li Aiguo said, raising his pistol and slowly walking over.
"Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!" The two men grew increasingly nervous as Li Aiguo approached.
"Judging from your suspicious behavior, you're here to steal something, aren't you?"
But you guys don't seem very skilled at this job. You haven't been in this business for very long, have you?
"You didn't even bring a kitchen knife for self-defense?"
Li Aiguo was still holding his pistol, but he did not approach any further.
"Ah? Yes, yes, yes! Sir, you have a keen eye!"
We are thieves!
But sir, we've only just arrived and haven't stolen anything yet.
"You're so magnanimous, just ignore us like we're nothing!"
The middle-aged man was overjoyed; it seemed he had encountered a fool.
As soon as they finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through the back of their heads, and both of them rolled their eyes back and fainted.
Chen Xueru had somehow gotten behind the two of them, and with a rock in each hand, she delivered a violent blow to them.
"Not bad, honey. Your technique for hitting someone with a club is getting more and more precise."
Li Aiguo looked at Chen Xueru with satisfaction.
When Li Aiguo got out of the car, Chen Xueru also crouched down and got out of the passenger seat.
Li Aiguo fired two shots, drawing all of the enemy's attention so much that they didn't even notice Chen Xueru.
Even if the other party discovers it, they won't be on guard; Chen Xueru is just a woman.
Of course, it was this woman who used two stones to hit the other person hard, knocking him to the ground.
Chen Xueru smiled and said, "Don't forget, back in Beijing, we caught Dieter together. What's this little incident?"
Chen Xueru was now certain that these two were there to do something bad; they spoke with accents from other places and had even trespassed into a military restricted area.
Since they are bad people, we can't show them any mercy.
Moreover, she felt a great sense of accomplishment doing this with Li Aiguo.
At this time.
Section Chief Zhang from the shipyard's security department, accompanied by several heavily armed security officers, rushed over, panting heavily.
Someone just reported that there were gunshots over here.
When he rushed closer and saw Li Aiguo standing next to the SUV, Section Chief Zhang's heart skipped a beat.
This is a top expert from Beijing!
Upon closer inspection, Li Aiguo and Chen Xueru were unharmed, while two seemingly lifeless individuals lay on the ground. Only then did Section Chief Zhang breathe a long sigh of relief.
"Oh dear Chief Engineer Li! What happened? Are you alright?"
"Old Zhang, you've come at the right time. These two guys, speaking with a northern accent, are sneaking around in the bushes outside Dock No. 2."
When the cannon fired just now, they were clearly observing the direction of the dock.
There's probably something wrong.
Li Aiguo pointed at the two of them.
Section Chief Zhang's expression immediately turned serious. This was a crucial period for the Jiangnan Shipyard in manufacturing the Type 65 frigates, and the appearance of these two men was highly suspicious.
"Men! Tie these two bastards up tight and take them back to the security office!"
"I'm going to pry their mouths open today and see who dares to cause trouble at our Jiangnan Shipyard!"
The security department of Jiangnan Shipyard is quite large, occupying an entire three-story building.
This is understandable, as Jiangnan Shipyard is the largest and leading shipyard in China, directly under the jurisdiction of the State Administration of Shipbuilding Industry, which is a very high-level authority.
Moreover, this place is also responsible for top-secret tasks such as manufacturing warships, so security is of paramount importance.
At this moment, the lights were dim in an interrogation room on the ground floor of the security office.
The two unlucky guys who were taken down by Li Aiguo and Chen Xueru were handcuffed to heavy iron benches.
As for the stone that hit their foreheads, although it swelled up into a large bump, it obviously didn't cause any serious injury, and both of them have now woken up.
The young man was very dissatisfied.
"What kind of hero only knows how to hide behind and launch sneak attacks! If you're so tough, let's go outside and fight one-on-one! You son of a bitch!"
"A one-on-one fight?"
Li Aiguo glanced at him and said, "Fine. You can take on our entire security team by yourself."
"Come on, Lao Zhang, unlock his handcuffs. The guys outside haven't had enough of a beating yet! Just leave him alive."
The guy immediately chickened out.
"Hmph, you don't dare? You wanted a one-on-one fight, but you chickened out again?" Li Aiguo gave him a disdainful look.
The young man's face flushed red with anger, and he immediately flew into a rage.
"What kind of skill is that on land! If you're so capable, let's have a go on the ship!"
"Ah……"
Li Aiguo narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly spoke, "If I'm not mistaken, you're a boatman, aren't you?"
The young man suddenly realized he had misspoke, his face changed instantly, and his eyes darted around: "You... what did you say? I don't know, I'm just a farmer."
"Really? You're not that old, but you have thick calluses on the back of your hands and marks from years of pulling on cables."
Plus, your skin is rough, your body is tanned dark and shiny, and you have a lingering fishy smell that you can't wash off...
These are all characteristics of boatmen who make a living on the water year-round.
Tell me, which fishing commune are you from?
Li Aiguo lit a cigarette.
Section Chief Zhang had been curious about this.
Why would Li Aiguo, a renowned expert, argue and bicker with a mere young man? Now it all makes sense.
It turns out that Chief Engineer Li was trying to get information out of the other party!
"Tell me the truth! Where did you come from?" Section Chief Zhang slammed his hand on the table and shouted sternly.
The young man was startled.
He subconsciously turned his head to look at the slightly older middle-aged man next to him, then lowered his head guiltily and kept his mouth tightly shut.
"What, he's threatening you? Don't worry, as long as he doesn't leave here today, he won't be able to threaten you anymore."
Li Aiguo stood up and patted the young man on the shoulder.
"You only get one chance, so you have to make the most of it."
The young man was suddenly jolted, feeling as if the man in front of him could see right through him, inside and out.
At this moment, their psychological defenses began to crumble.
"I...I was forced! If I didn't listen to him, he would kill my whole family!" The young man finally broke down, shouting with a sob in his voice.
At this moment, the middle-aged man who had remained silent and seemingly calm finally couldn't hold back and started cursing.
"Zhao Monkey, you're fucking asking for it!"
If the special envoy found out, he'd definitely tear you to pieces and throw you into the Huangpu River to feed the fish... *burp*
His harsh words were cut short as he spoke.
Because a cold, hard gun barrel had already been shoved into his mouth, silencing him completely.
I could smell the faint scent of gunpowder coming from the muzzle of the gun.
The middle-aged man's arrogance vanished instantly, leaving him wide-eyed with fright and his forehead beaded with cold sweat.
"A defeated soldier dares to speak so arrogantly in front of me? You've got some nerve!"
Li Aiguo's finger was on the trigger. With the sound of the spring, the middle-aged man's face turned from red to green, and he shuddered.
The interrogation room reeked of urine.
"With such little courage, you dare to try being a spy..."
Li Aiguo disgustedly pulled out the gun barrel, wiped it on the other person's clothes, and shook his head with a smile.
Li Aiguo then looked at the young man: "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
If the young man was merely somewhat wavering just now...
Seeing that the usually fierce-looking middle-aged man was so easily frightened by Li Aiguo that he wet his pants, he was completely stunned by Li Aiguo's thunderous methods.
"I... my name is Zhao Hou, but everyone calls me Zhao Monkey. I'm actually a fisherman from Qinhuangdao in Northeast China..."
Zhao Houzi was so frightened that his voice trembled, and he spoke incoherently and incoherently.
However, Li Aiguo and Section Chief Zhang quickly understood the whole story.
This person was originally a member of a fishing commune near Qinhuangdao.
Because of his family's bad class background and his own lack of education, he developed a gambling addiction and lost a large sum of money in underground casinos.
With nowhere else to turn, he thought of running away.
The middle-aged man in front of him, who was so terrified he wet himself, was Zhao Houzi's creditor, named Lao Tu.
"Old Tu said he could help me make a lot of money to pay off my debts, so he took me to the south."
During this period, the two of us have been active in the Wusongkou area..."
Upon hearing this, Old Tu, who was slumped in his chair, somehow mustered the strength to struggle and sit up straight.
"Zhao the Monkey! Are you out of your mind! If you tell anyone about these things, we'll both be shot!"
"You're the one who'll get shot! I'm just a boatman, I've never killed anyone, I'm just reporting someone for good deeds!"
Zhao Houzi pointed at Lao Tu and said, "Boss! Lao Tu forced me to do everything!"
If I didn't do it, he would send people to my hometown and kill my mother and sister!
He's really capable of doing something like that.
Although I, Zhao Houzi, am a worthless scoundrel and have brought shame to my family, I am still a human being!
I can't just stand by and watch them die!
Looking at Zhao Houzi, who was crying bitterly and emotionally broken down.
Li Aiguo patted him on the shoulder again, his tone softening.
"You know our policy: leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist."
If you confess everything you know, you'll be considered to have done a good deed.
"Tell me, what exactly are you doing, lurking in Wusongkou?"
"They did a lot of things. They would disguise themselves as fishermen to secretly transport supplies and also act as lookouts for others."
"Stalking?"
Li Aiguo's eyes sharpened, and he pressed, "Who are you watching?"
"It's about keeping an eye on the fishing boats of the nearby fishing community to determine their routes of movement."
Old Tu would report the route to the outsiders, and then the fishing boats would be captured.
Upon hearing this, Section Chief Zhang, who had been taking notes the whole time, was startled.
In the past two years, there have indeed been several cases of fishing boats being hijacked in the Wusongkou area.
According to reports from fishermen who managed to escape, the hijackers all spoke with the accent of the island and were armed with American-made equipment, including guns and cannons.
After hijacking the ship and landing, the group did not rush to kill and rob.
Instead, they immediately split up to buy rice, meat, salt, and vegetables.
The quantity purchased far exceeded what was intended for personal use; it was clearly intended for a large number of people.
Afterwards, they took a boat from Wusongkou and went out to sea, disappearing into the vast ocean.
At that time, there were still many small islands nearby that had not been liberated.
The island has the remaining members of the micro-management master, but supplies are extremely scarce.
According to the weather station's analysis, these supplies are likely intended to support the military needs of those islands.
This group of robbers was not an ordinary bandit group; rather, they resembled a well-trained Dieter squad.
The weather station had also considered setting up an ambush.
But this squad was elusive and extremely alert; they would vanish without a trace at the slightest sign of trouble.
Looking back now, it was Zhao Houzi and Lao Tu, these two "spies," who were secretly tipping us off.
Later, with the return of the Zhoushan Islands and Dachen Island, Wusongkou gradually returned to its former tranquility.
Back then, Section Chief Zhang was working in the local public security bureau, where he was responsible for liaising with the meteorological station. He had always been resentful about not being able to catch this group of people.
Unexpectedly, years later, this clue came to me by chance!
Section Chief Zhang suddenly stood up and grabbed Lao Tu by the collar: "Tell me the truth, where exactly are those people?"
Old Tu never expected that such an ordinary infiltration operation would end in such a complete failure.
To his surprise, Zhao Houzi confessed everything in front of him, which is why Li Aiguo interrogated him directly in front of him.
"On Dongyin Island."
Upon hearing this name, the atmosphere in the interrogation room instantly became tense.
Dongyin Island is located in a very important position, only 30 to 40 kilometers away from the reconstruction site. Although it is small in area, it is home to three to four thousand troops, which are known as the Dongyin Garrison Area.
It is said that the mountain is filled with tunnels and fortifications, serving as a springboard for the return of the micro-management master.
Over the years, many of those who come here to cause trouble have started from Dongyin Island.
"What exactly is your purpose in coming here?" This time, it was Li Aiguo who asked the question.
"I don't know either. I'm just a gofer, following orders from my superiors. If they tell me to send grain to the interior, I do it; if they tell me to keep an eye on the fishing boats, I do it."
"So what are the specific orders this time?"
"The commander has ordered us to infiltrate Changxing Island to investigate whether the Jiangnan Shipyard is building new warships, and if possible, to draw up detailed blueprints and bring them back..."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the interrogation room gasped in shock.
Li Aiguo looked at Section Chief Zhang and said, "Old Zhang, this meat is too big for you to eat. You'll need to find someone to help you."
Section Chief Zhang nodded: "I'll contact the Public Security Bureau immediately."
"What's the use of the Public Security Bureau? Just contact the weather station and the navy directly and ask them to send out troops. I suspect those guys on Dongyin Island have already set their sights on the Type 65 corvette."
Li Aiguo had probably already guessed the other party's true purpose.
Li Aiguo needed to let the other side know what the consequences would be if they thought of causing trouble here!
After all, Jiangnan Shipyard bears a heavy responsibility.
If we don't give them a taste of their own medicine and let them off so easily, will we ever be able to build large warships again?
Those guys on Dongyin Island think they're so great.
With the support of Xiaomei's family, we can get some missile boats and run rampant here.
They will learn how to write the word "death".
Section Chief Zhang also realized the seriousness of the problem.
Contacting the weather station was simple. At that time, Jiangnan Shipyard was a classified unit with an internal security department and a dedicated telephone line.
The weather station received the report in the early evening.
The farmer, holding the report, smiled and said, "I really didn't expect the train driver to be so lucky; he actually found clues about that gang of robbers."
Even the old cat was somewhat helpless.
He went to Wusongkou at that time and spent half a year investigating, but he didn't find a single clue.
"It seems the train driver was very lucky."
"Luck is also a part of ability."
The farmer had barely uttered those words when he realized that this was something Li Aiguo often said, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Old Cat, you immediately take a team to the Jiangnan Shipyard to cooperate with the train driver and thwart the enemy's plot."
"Yes!"
The old cat saluted.
It's quite simple for the security department of Jiangnan Shipyard to contact the Navy.
Because there are naval representatives stationed at the shipyard.
They were furious when they learned that the enemy might come to cause trouble.
So there's not much to say, just report it immediately.
"Comrade Aiguo, you are truly amazing. You knew there was something wrong with these two guys just by glancing at them," a naval leader said upon meeting Li Aiguo.
"It was just a lucky accident, a perfect outcome by sheer chance."
Li Aiguo said with some lingering fear, "I originally thought the other party came to the shipyard to scout out and steal things, after all, there is a lot of scrap material here."
Upon hearing Li Aiguo's words, the naval leaders turned to Chen Xueru and said, "Comrade Chen Xueru, you have made a great contribution in capturing two Dieters this time!"
When Miss Chen heard this, her face lit up with joy.
Following these rough-around-the-edges guys here for a trip, and you can even earn some merit – how wonderful!
Night falls.
In the office of a detachment stationed at Wuchang Wharf.
In the captain's office of the Yangtze River, Xiong Meng was greeted by a leader.
"Comrade Xiong Meng! An emergency has occurred at the Jiangnan Shipyard."
"Order from higher command: The Yangtze is to immediately enter Level One combat readiness and set sail to provide support!"
"Yes!"
(End of this chapter)