Chapter 97 Strong Sale

"The British reacted so fast!"

As soon as Master Li stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth, Lord Leckel, who was in the wrong place, circled from the left to the right, like a fly buzzing around his head!

"The young master didn't wipe his head oil!" Li Mo glanced at the small one next to him: "Small, is there a fly slap at home?"

"Fly slam?!" Xiao Mei'er turned around a few times to the British minister who came to find the young master early in the morning, covered the corners of his mouth and retreated, and escaped.

Lecker blinked and didn't understand what this meant. Did the new duke flirt with the maid just now? It's too [***] to flirt with me!" Leckel went around to the left again.

Master Li wants to cry without tears. Whoever is scratched by a sheep all morning and his head around his head for a long time, he will feel dizzy and twitch all over his body! Master Li finally put down the cake in his hand and said sadly, "Dear Lord Lecle, didn't I give you all the boiler drawings? Don't bother me anymore. I really don't have any money!"

"Li, oh. No, it's Your Highness. As far as I know, you have got a lot of benefits from those American sugar merchants. Leckel narrowed his eyes, as if he were not smiling. Li Mo was flustered and puzzled, "That bastard leaked the young master's secret?"

"I remember that there should be tens of millions of dollars!" Seeing that Li Mo didn't say anything for a long time, Laker smiled and continued, "You see, your Pacific Fleet doesn't have a main battleship. I don't think it's better. How about you order seven or eight ships? I can give you a discount!"

"Seven or eight ships!"

The specific number of extortion was not known by the other party. Master Li breathed a sigh of relief, but when he heard the number of warships behind him, he almost jumped up! Seven or eight ships? Even if you can afford it, you can't afford it!

Besides, why does the young master want so many battleships now? Even if you give me a dreadnought now, it is impossible to buy seven or eight ships at a time! What's more, the young master plans to build his own ship!

Master Li covered his wallet and shook his head: "No, there is no money!"

"There is no money!"

Seeing Master Li covering the money bag with his hand, a posture that he would rather die than pull out his hair, Leckel was furious! You don't have money, who believes it? I just signed a contract with the Germans, and I immediately paid half of the contract payment. Is this called no money?

Besides, in the past few days, American sugar merchants have been crying at the U.S. minister every day about your blackmailing other people's money. Is this called no money?! " No, I won't pull out a few hairs from you today. I'm sorry for the cultivation of the country!"

Leckel narrowed his eyes and turned the cigar around his fingertips: "Duke, you have offended the Americans. I believe that the American political axe will not give up! For the friendly relations between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Hawaii, we don't want you to go to war, which will damage the interests of the empire here, so I think it is necessary to arrange for our Pacific Squadron to be stationed, which can also better protect your property!"

"What do you think?" Leckel's eyes flashed and the corners of his mouth hooked: "Of course, you only need to pay 100,000 pounds a year for maintenance!"

"Let the Pacific Squadron be stationed in Hawaii!"

The lines at the corners of Li Mo's mouth suddenly stiffened. Looking at Leckel, who was standing in front of him with a smiling face, he couldn't wait to shoot this guy immediately! What is a friendly relationship, bullshit!

Although the Pacific Squadron stationed in San Francisco and Australia and cruising between the two places is not as large as half of the Far East Fleet stationed in Hong Kong, even if a British cruiser is stationed in Hawaii, it means that everything in the future depends on the face of the British!

Isn't this an obvious threat to the young master!

The dog said!

Li Mo looked at Lecker quietly, and there was an impulse to lift the table suddenly in his heart! The fist clenched behind the back turned white in an instant, and the finger bones were green!

Leckel still smiled and turned a blind eye to the sharp eyes under the thick eyebrows in front of him, although he also knew that it was a little aggrieved for the new Duke to station the British fleet! But what does it matter? Behind me is the British Empire, the most powerful country in this era! Have the most powerful fleet in the world!

"Or promise to buy a warship! Or let the fleet be stationed!" The smile at the corners of Leker's mouth is even stronger. No matter what, today he must win a big contract for Britain that is not inferior to Germany! Otherwise, your future will be unguaranteed!

In the room, the air suddenly froze, and even Yue'er, who was just about to bring tea, stopped. When the corners of her eyes swept the fists on Li Mo's back, the corners of her mouth suddenly collapsed. Big pervert, are you in trouble?"

The afterglow swept over the girl who was about to enter the room, and the lines at the corners of Master Li's mouth began to become soft. Although this breath was difficult to swallow, it was finally impossible to choose!

After handing over all the contracts to Germany, he was ready for Britain, France and other countries to blackmail him and take this opportunity to buy something good, but it was not expensive and destined to become a waste iron battleship in a few years! And he didn't expect that Lecker would be shameless enough to use the conditions for the fleet to be stationed to threaten himself!

Although he wanted to kill the guy in front of him immediately and stuff him and the British Pacific Squadron into the sewer, he must bear it anyway!

"I'm still weak!"

Li Mo squeezed his suddenly thirsty lips, raised his sword eyebrows slightly, and then said, "Dear Your Excellency, I think I have the ability to defend this country. I don't need the help of your Pacific Squadron at all."

"Of course." Li Mo deliberately paused for a moment, looked at Leker's face, and continued, "I also think it is necessary to buy two capital ships."

"Two ships, that's great!" Leckel didn't care whether Li Mo was angry or not. The task he got this time was to sell the warship and fight for the contract! Helping the British businessman win the benefits he deserved, he quickly took out a warship design from his briefcase and handed it to Li Mo.

"This is the latest export battleship in China, with full displacement..." Lechle explained while unfolding the drawing.

"Fuck you! It's all ready!" Li Mo took over the drawings and almost laughed when he opened them. Isn't this the Arctic star he ordered by Chile? Damn Englishman, he even used it to sell it without even changing it.

At the same time, Li Mo couldn't help but have a trace of doubt. This picture suddenly appeared here. Did it mean that the British knew the secret agreement between them and Chile and deliberately tested themselves? If they wanted to refuse to expose a little bit just now, would they have noticed that the two battleships in Chile were actually their own?

Thinking of this, Li Mo suddenly felt a chill on his back. He couldn't help looking up at Leckel, who was explaining his surname Neng, and secretly said that he was lucky. After pretending to look at the drawings, he soon shouted dissatisfiedly, "Your Majesty, did you take it wrong? Isn't this a battleship made by Chile?

"Oh?" Lecker was indeed ordered to take the drawings to test Li Mo. The main reason was that Chile's plan to sell warships was too sudden, so it was hard to believe that they had not contacted before. At this time, when he heard Li Mo's words, he couldn't help thinking, "Are those two battleships really these guys?"

But then Li Mo's words dispelled Laker's suspicion. Your Excellency, although I don't know much about warships, you don't have to fool me with this! If I need this kind of warship, I can buy it from Chile. Do you think they will refuse to transfer at a high price? And the two ships they ordered have been launched. I'm going to buy them now, which can also help my navy form combat effectiveness as soon as possible. I don't have to wait for a few more years.

Lecker wondered, are those battleships really the Chilean Navy's own? However, according to the intelligence of the Imperial Navy, the Chileans have no need to build three battleships at all. Is it someone else?

Regardless, the order I received was to spy on and persuade this wrongdoer to order warships. Even if all three Chilean battleships are given to him, it is impossible to threaten the interests of the empire in the Far East. Let's grab the order first!

Thinking of this, Lecker quickly said, "Dear Li, this is the best battleship in the empire's current external sales! The Chilean navy has ordered three ships, two of which have been tested in the sea. According to the performance, it is very perfect, so I personally think this should be the most suitable battleship for you at present!"

"No! It's too small!" Li Mo shook his head like a rattle drum.

"This is still small! It's 13,000 tons!" Leckel bluffed his face and sniffed his nose.

"I heard that your country's majesty level will be launched next year. Why don't you build two for me?!" Li Moyu smiled and stared at Leckel's big cake face.

"Dignified!" Leckel's heart is pounding. What is this girl going to do? That's a big guy of 16,000 tons! He shook his head quickly: "Dear Li, why do you want such a big battleship? You should know that even if the Americans are still in the Iowa class on the design, the full load displacement will not exceed 14,000 tons!"

"Big ship! It looks great!"

"It looks cool..." Lecle has a black line.

"Yes!" After Li Mo was happy, he pretended to be helpless: "Oh! Your Excellency, since you also know that I have a feud with the Americans, I will tell you the truth! Now that Hawaii has become a thorn in their side, the new Iowa class has laid its keel, and the surname is four at a time. Coupled with the three Indiana-class battleships that are about to be in service, how many of them do you think I need to resist the U.S. Navy?

Li Mo pointed to the drawing and sighed: "This kind of battleship is only equivalent to the Iowa class. In three years, they will have seven battleships! If I want to protect myself, I need at least three ships, but if I add the shipbuilding capacity of the United States, do you think I can win?

"Hawaii is too small, so I can't compete with Americans, and I can't afford to compete! To tell you the truth, I still extorted the two million yuan of construction expenses from American businessmen and borrowed some money from the queen to collect the project expenses. I really don't have much money to expand the army.

"So you want to win with quality." Leckel frowned. He didn't believe that Li Mo would have no money. Those American sugar merchants were not rich. As long as they dug down a little, they would buy several battleships.

"Yes, what I need is a battleship that comprehensively surpasses the American Iowa class, which can maintain an advantage for at least five years, and has good quality and strong firepower, so I think the majesty class is good."

"It's not bad, and it's also the best warship in the empire at present!" Leker is proud, but it's good. He didn't say it was sold abroad! Therefore, in the face of Li Mo's request, Leckel had no choice but to say, "Dear Li, I must report this matter to the Admiralty and let the empire make a decision."

"Okay." Li Mo also knew that the majesty level would be the decisive force to maintain the maritime advantage of the British Empire. It was indeed a little troublesome to sell to the outside world, but he did not need it urgently now. If it was not for the sake of equalization, he would not want to buy a battleship at all, so he pretended to be helpless and nodded.

Obviously, Li Mo underestimated the British's desire to make money. Just ten days later, Lecquer was authorized by Parliament and the Admiralty Department to help Li Mo build two improved majestic-class battleships.

"Yan!" Li Mo looked up to the sky and drew his middle finger. He thought that this would make the British retreat in the face of difficulties. By the way, he comforted the shrilling wallet. Unexpectedly, the British agreed to build two majestic upgrades.

Then buy it! Compared with the entry of the British Pacific Squadron, buying two battleships is just a small matter! So Li Mo made his own modifications to the majesty level in front of Laker.

The hull and hull still adopt the design of the majestic class. The first change is to use the new boiler provided by itself to improve the power output, requiring a speed of 18 knots.

In terms of main gun, in addition to requiring full turret protection, it must also be consistent with the majesty class to use the newly developed two new double-loaded L40/305mm guns in the United Kingdom, instead of the old 35L/305mm main gun of the Arctic star.

The secondary gun has also been greatly modified. Due to the increase of 3,000 tons of displacement compared with the Arctic star, Master Li requested that four double 45L/203mm secondary main guns be installed on both sides of the front and rear bridge, plus 12 single 45-caliber 152mm sideboard guns. At the same time, the design of Polaris was adopted to add four double guns. The 37mm rapid-fire cannon was installed together, and the torpedo launch tube was removed.

Looking at the completely different drawings tampered with by Li Mo, Lecle didn't know whether to laugh or cry, especially this guy actually wanted to install an 8-inch second-class main gun, and it was a four-door double connection! God, is this a battleship or a mobile battery? Why do you need so many large-caliber artillery?

Of course, Lecker did not know that the naval battle that began more than a year later would directly prove Li Mo's "foresight", that is, in the decisive battle of the fleet, due to the few main guns and the slow rate of fire, it could not hit the high-speed and flexible ships, so in order to pursue the destruction of the opponent, it is necessary to strengthen the firepower output to ensure the density of projectiles. At the same time, it is also necessary to ensure enough lethality. Countries have begun to build steel monsters equipped with the so-called second-class main gun. It was not until the dreadnaught unified the main gun caliber that the problem was completely solved. If it hadn't been for the immature technology at this time, Li Mo estimated that he would have directly drawn the dreadnought, and there was no need to use this kind of second-class main gun. It's a weird design.

"1.5 million pounds!" After Li Mo was done, Leckel gritted his teeth and raised a finger: "One!"

"Fuck you! 1.5 million! The dreadnaught is only 1.8 million pounds. You dare to open your mouth like the young master!" Li Mo turned his head directly and said, "I don't have money. I won't buy it!"

In the end, in Lecle's good words and coercion, Master Li had no choice but to grit his teeth and cut down for a penny. In the end, the two warships were sold at a price of 1.1 million pounds each! The pain made Master Li almost shock directly.

"Packing! You must give a package price! Help me train 3,000 shipbuilders and 300 naval officers. In addition, I will sell the new L40/305mm naval gun technology to help me build a complete set of naval gun production technology!" Li Mo had a final showdown.

"Packing?" Leckel's eyes are red, and it's okay to train people. After all, countries will require the training of officers and shipbuilders when buying warships. But if you only build two warships, you need the Empire to provide a full set of new 305mm naval gun production technology. This is not robbery! Besides, even if you give it to you, do you think an industrial zone can imitate such an advanced naval gun?!

Lecker directly rejected Li Mo's request. Finally, under the bargaining between the two sides, Lecker finally agreed to provide all five naval gun technologies below 203 mm (including 203 mm), and was supported by the British Admiralty to build a naval gun production plant.

Li Mo did get a package price in the end, two improved battleships from the majestic class, and the castrated 203mm naval gun technology, as well as the training of relevant personnel.

Total price, 2.5 million pounds!

"Woo-woo..., they are mere! The British! You wait for the young master! Sooner or later, let you spit it all out!" Li Mo stood on the roof of the villa, pointing his middle finger to the sky and scolding!

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George Dewey sighed while holding the telegram sent by the country to send him back to San Francisco.

Obviously, the president and Congress are not ready to expand abroad. Although Roosevelt and Mahan and others try their best to shout the important surnames of Hawaii, they are still too weak compared with the huge voice that only develops the economy and gives priority to solving domestic contradictions.

When will the United States learn to pull out its sheath and use warships and cannons to fight for its own interests? Looking at the warship flying the Hawaiian flag in the harbor in the distance, George Dewey sighed again.

"Notify them that we are going home!"

Two days later, at the farewell of the U.S. Minister in Hawaii, George Dewey led two cruisers and slowly used the narrow waterway of Pearl Harbor under the escort of the Sky Survey and the Sea Survey.

At the same time, hundreds of American immigrant estate owners who lost a large number of plantations and were almost extorted! Their large-scale withdrawal indicates the complete dissipation of American power in Hawaii!

Looking at the U.S. fleet slowly leaving under the "escort" of the Pacific Fleet, the whole Hawaii breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, the Minister of the Kingdom of Hawaii of the United Kingdom, Germany, Chile and other countries issued a joint declaration, recognizing the surname of the Kingdom of Hawaii and saying that they had no intention of interfering in the domestic affairs of Hawaii.

When everyone thought that the one-month-month-old Hawaii incident had ended, on January 15, 1893, the U.S. political axe, which had not made a statement, suddenly announced that Brigadier General George Dewey would take over the position of commander of the Pacific Squadron of the U.S. Navy Fleet, and would be supplemented again. Two cruisers expanded the Pacific Squadron and built the San Diego Naval Base as the new home port of the Pacific Squadron.

As the news came, Li Mo saw in a trance that the wheels of history began to speed up, and the predecessor of the American Pacific Fleet, which brought nightmares to all Pacific coastal countries, began to emerge.

But at this moment, he has no time to think about this. When the repaired large iron gate was opened, the luxurious Yollani Palace also ushered in a new owner, announcing that Hawaii has entered a new era.

In the corner, someone burst into tears under the light, quietly opened his private notes, looked at the words "Hawaii coup in 1893" on the notebook, and gently ticked it next to it before turning to the next page.

Two large characters suddenly jumped into sight.

"Jiwu!"

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