Munitions Empire

"The chamber pressure of this kind of cannon is more than twice as high as that of our own cannons; they must have new materials... otherwise, it would definitely explode," said a Shireck engineer as he removed his glasses, speaking to a colleague beside him while looking at the blueprint of the 305mm caliber ship cannon.

"If it weren't for seeing this complete set of blueprints, who would have thought that the main gun turret armor of the battleships from the Great Tang Group exceeded 300 millimeters in thickness? So thick... How did they make their warships float?" another expert exclaimed in awe.

These individuals had come directly from the mythical nation, therefore they arrived in Tang Country ahead of others and saw the blueprints for the Dongwan-class battleships that the Great Tang Group was selling.

To be allowed to see these blueprints, they had paid a deposit of 30,000 Gold Coins, and they were only entitled to leave Tang Country after the purchase project was completed.

Now gathered in this small room, they marveled at the exquisite design of each blueprint before them. They really had not expected that the battleships designed by themselves at Shireck would be so much inferior to those designed by the Great Tang Group. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

"The person who came up with this solution must be a genius," the expert looking at the cabin designs said, slapping his thigh, moved nearly to tears by the meticulous design.

The technician sitting next to him disagreed, feeling that if he were provided with the sophisticated propulsion system from the Great Tang Group, he too could be more daring, installing more armor on his own warships.

You should know, at that time, he had also come up with a scheme for heavy armor, which now seems not too far off from the protective level of the Dongwan-class battleships from the Great Tang Group.

But, regrettably, that scheme was ultimately rejected because the limitations of the power system meant that Shireck's battleships could not utilize so much heavy armor.

If that much steel plate were installed, Shireck's battleships simply wouldn't be able to move: their speed would probably only be a pitiful few kilometers per hour, to say nothing of chasing down an enemy, they might be set adrift as soon as they hit the water.

Only by using the propulsion system from the Great Tang Group could the new battleships be fast enough and worthy of being used as main battleships.

Over the years, Shireck had also designed some rather bizarre warships, some of which truly bore the remnants of the warships from the era of the Beiyang Fleet.

Unfortunately, most of these warships were limited by their power systems and could not be mass-produced. They could only serve as prototypes, left to be eroded and destroyed by nature by the seaside.

Now, the problem seemed to be solved; after paying a lot of Gold Coins, Shireck appeared to have obtained a more powerful engine that could support those previously impractical fantasies.

"There's actually another variant design that emphasizes speed, with one fewer gun turret, focusing on high-speed performance... It's more suitable for oceanic operations, allowing the warships to arrive at the scene faster, enabling the Navy to deploy the maximum force where it's most needed at the greatest speed," said a Tang Group designer as he walked in, holding other warship design blueprints and thoughtfully introducing them: "You might want to take a look; it could open up some new ideas."

The Shireck side had already confirmed the purchase of the Dongwan-class battleship as well as several designs for improved, extended-type warships from the Great Tang Group.

The Great Tang Group even promised to engage in technical exchanges with Shireck's engineers, to discuss the development and design of battleships and to guide those clueless fools.

Of course, all of this came with a cost!

For this, Shireck had to pay a staggering price of 170 million Gold Coins, and the cost for one Dongwan-class battleship would be extra!

They now had the privilege to see these things, which was entirely about helping Shireck verify the authenticity of the blueprints, to decide whether to proceed to the next phase of cooperation.

After all, aircraft technology was the main event, the true prize that Shireck—or other countries for that matter—sought to acquire.

After watching the person from the Great Tang Group leave with the blueprints and the door being closed again, Shireck's engineers once again lowered their heads and started to examine the new blueprints.

Actually, the room was already cluttered with many boxes topped with blueprints. There was no helping the disarray—a single battleship's blueprints alone numbered in the tens of thousands and were quite a sight when all laid out.

Of course, this did not even include the technical blueprints for materials and metallurgy; if those were added, there would be even more.

Bowing their heads over the blueprints, Shireck's engineers began to converse again: "They've lengthened the warship somewhat, which increases the speed... The buoyancy is relatively higher as well. It's marvelous."

"And they can carry more fresh water; how did they think of that?" someone immediately nodded in agreement, deeming it a stroke of genius.

The more they looked, the more excited they became, as if they were opening the door to a new world. The technology of the Great Tang Group astonished them while also propelling them forward at breakneck speed.

They were so engrossed that they almost missed the dinner hour and, after being reminded twice, everyone put down the blueprints they were holding and left the room, led by the waiters, except for one person who didn't leave.

By the time the waiter checked the room for the third time, he immediately greeted him and said, "I want to see your boss."

"Sir, I don't know what you are talking about," the waiter replied politely.

"I want to see your boss! I've been a senior engineer at Shireck since I was 21! I want to see your boss, please... take me to him." The middle-aged man spoke, almost breaking into a sob.

A few seconds later, the waiter he was staring at sighed helplessly and then opened the door, leading him in the opposite direction.

Soon, another room's door was pushed open, and the waiter led the middle-aged man into a luxurious room where a man was sitting.

"Someone came so quickly?" asked the man seated in the room, glancing at the Shireck engineer who followed the waiter in.

"Yes, sir! He insisted on seeing you." After the waiter replied, he left the room.

"So... you are ready to betray Shireck?" The intelligence officer from the Tang Country's security department asked with a smile, posing a very heart-piercing question.

"I have never felt that this is a betrayal. If I must say there's betrayal, it's Shireck who has betrayed technology, betrayed me," replied the middle-aged man. "They can't give me what I desire. I've been at the forefront of the whole world my entire life. But Shireck's backwardness has stopped me from progressing."

"You're an interesting person. Would you like something to drink?" The security department officer gestured, and it was only then that the Shireck engineer noticed a cabinet full of fine wines behind him.

"No, no need, thank you," the engineer waved his hand and said, "Keep me, I am willing to serve you!"

"Then you will need to show us your talent," the security department officer said with a smile, standing up to pour himself a drink and another one for the man: "As long as your skills are solid, we can shelter you."

"Give me a few assistants, and I will prove my capability," the Shireck engineer said firmly.

"No, you don't need assistants for now. You have to go back and continue working for Shireck for a year. After a year, you will be qualified to come back, bringing honor and achievements with you." The man extended the glass, signaling him to take it: "Here's the deal, you send us the intelligence we need, and we will arrange the position you want for you."

"I understand," the Shireck engineer's hands shook slightly, having never imagined that one day he would become a spy.

"You don't need to be afraid; we don't need much from you! You just work as usual, and wait for our people to activate you," the intelligence officer swirled the wine in his glass: "We'll only use you once and will arrange a way out for you. Trust me, there's no better deal than this."

"I will cooperate," the engineer swallowed, then raised his glass and drained it, as if he had made a significant decision.

"Go on, the banquet is quite nice. Eat plenty of good food; you probably won't be able to enjoy such delicacies after you go back," the intelligence officer gave the dismissal order.

The next second, as if he'd just remembered something, he added: "Oh, remember this phrase 'Li Bai, Du Fu.'"

"Hm?" The Shireck engineer paused and turned back to look at the officer.

The officer smiled and said, "It's the password for when someone comes to you. You ask if he is Li Bai, and he should reply that he is Du Fu... If the person admits to being Li Bai, then he is not one of ours. Understand?"

"Understood, understood..." The Shireck engineer nodded and then left the room. As the door closed behind him, the intelligence officer also downed the wine in his glass.

"He won't be the last one," the door on the other side opened and the bartender from the intelligence department, a tall and muscular man, walked in.

"Yes, he won't be the last one. Based on our estimates, we think we can plant about three more 'nails' within this group," the officer nodded and said, "However, people who actively come to us like this will probably be rare."

"No worries! Even having one such person this time would be enough," the bartender smiled and looked towards the door: "Having too many would actually be problematic."

"Indeed, if they all come to us, I'd be concerned someone might be planting sand in our rice," the officer chuckled, pouring a drink for the bartender.

"You know, someone will always be checking them. As long as they are alive, they will be under scrutiny..." the bartender looked down at his glass and said, "One of us wouldn't slip up, right?"

"You're right," the officer smiled, agreeing with the bartender's remarks.