Early the next morning, Xia Fan called He Dong, the person in charge of the Navy General Armament Department, according to the phone number on the business card.
On the other end of the video call was a bespectacled old soldier who looked like an engineer. He seemed to have known that Xia Fan would contact him and was not surprised. Moreover, he already knew the relationship between Xia Fan and Fu You, as well as the things they had done together in the Scorching Star Sector.
"Are you guys free today?" He Dong asked.
"Yes, Fu You and I just came back from the outer space. The bureau gave us a week off."
"I see. I may have to go to the research institute in two days. Why don't you two come over today? Try to be quick. I have a meeting to attend in the afternoon."
"No problem, we'll be there right away!" Xia Fan promised.
After hanging up, Xia Fan dragged Fu You, who was sleeping in, out of bed. He then asked the hotel to contact a taxi company and booked an atmospheric shuttle.
Fu You knew that he could not escape from Xia Fan's clutches. This guy had three hobbies: solving cases, spaceships, and the war that led to the destruction of Cang Long Yue Yin 40,000 years ago. As long as these three things were involved, Xia Fan would become very serious.
Therefore, Fu You washed his face and followed Xia Fan to the top floor of the hotel listlessly.
The reserved vehicle was already waiting in the parking lot on the top floor. It was a shuttle.
Shuttles were divided into two types: atmospheric and extra-atmospheric. As the name suggested, atmospheric shuttles were unable to pass through the atmosphere to reach outer space, while extra-atmospheric shuttles were capable of short-distance interstellar travel. Since they were lightweight vehicles, the speed of shuttles was generally faster than spaceships, and they were also more fuel efficient.
The Navy General Armament Department in the Delong Star Sector and the Special Task Force branch in the Delong Star Sector were both on the same planet, but in different cities. Therefore, the atmospheric shuttle was enough.
Calamity was severely damaged and was not suitable for travel in its current state. Xia Fan parked it in the airport warehouse. The next step was to modify it and eventually use it as his backup spaceship.
* Swoosh *
The shuttle left the city and went deep into the vast desert inland.
After flying for about 45 minutes, Xia Fan finally saw the General Armament Department.
This was a typical military restricted area. The military had surrounded a large area of barren desert with alloy nets. Inside the area was a huge warehouse.
Flying was prohibited above the military zone, so the shuttle stopped at the entrance. Xia Fan asked the pilot to go back first and call him if he needed anything. Then, he and Fu You went to the sentry post outside the military zone and explained their purpose to the heavily armed soldiers.
"Oh, you must be Xia Fan and Mr. Fo You, right?"
"That's us."
"The general has informed us that the two of you have returned for a visit today. Please follow me."
The warrior invited Fu You and Xia Fan to board a military-grade light armored hovercar, and then drove it to the main building of the General Armament Department.
He Dong's secretary, a young lady wearing a camouflage beret, was already waiting at the door. She led Xia Fan and Fu You through the security check and arrived at He Dong's office on the top floor of the main building.
Along the way, the heavy security and repeated security checks made Fu You a little impatient. On the other hand, Xia Fan was looking forward to meeting General He Dong. From the looks of it, he might really be able to get a good ship from He Dong.
Finally, Xia Fan met He Dong in the office. He was a civilian general. He looked a little shorter and slightly chubby in real life than he did in the video call.
After sitting down on the sofa, He Dong smiled and chatted with the two of them. Xia Fan naturally answered all his questions about the outer space.
After hearing that Xia Fan and Fu You had met Lieutenant General Parker, the captain of the Third Task Force, He Dong said emotionally, "Parker is my junior in the military training camp. I was studying engineering and he was studying commanding. I just treated him to a drink not long ago and sent him to the warship."
"The task force's mission is really tough. After he leaves this time, it will be another two years before we can see him again."
After lamenting for a while, He Dong finally got down to business.
"The Empress Dowager has already spoken to me. She said that it is really unacceptable for you and Fu You to get a frigate produced by the Sacred Alliance. Does the Nebula Alliance not have any good ships of the highest grade?"
Xia Fan laughed. "The Empress Dowager actually thinks so? Interesting. "
He Dong adjusted his glasses. "After all, she is a member of the Deity and Buddha Clan, the pillar of the Nebula Alliance. Everyone knows that the Empress Dowager loves the Alliance."
"This time, she asked you to come to me so that you can pick a ship you like. Of course, it must be within the scope of my authority. According to your current level, it can only be a destroyer. If you want a more powerful cruiser or a battlecruiser, I can't help you."
Xia Fan hurriedly said, "I understand. But yesterday, the Chief told us that the Special Task Force will be further dispatched to the outer space. If everything goes well, the two of us will often go to more dangerous places in the outer space. Therefore, we need a warship with higher performance."
He Dong laughed. "I know that. It's not just the Special Task Force. The Alliance Navy, Army, Intelligence Bureau, Strategy Bureau, and all the main forces of the Alliance are now required to expand to the outer space."
"Speaking of which, I have a question. Do you know what the Navy General Armament Department does?"
Xia Fan said, "I checked the website of the Department of Defense before coming here. It says that the General Armament Department provides equipment to the Alliance Navy."
He Dong smiled and shook his head. "While what you said is correct, it's not accurate."
"To be honest, the General Armament Department does not only provide equipment, but also high-quality, specialized equipment for the Navy."
"From the size of a mothership to the size of a screw, we purchase them from the manufacturers. Due to the high requirements of the Navy, the quality of military equipment far exceeds what you can buy in the market."
"Take the most common Hung-class frigate in the Alliance for example. If the Navy buys the same frigate, the price will usually be twice as high, and its performance will be at least three times better than the civilian version."
"Not only that, but the Navy-class Hound is also compatible with the latest version of the star map and navigation system. It can be equipped with military scanners and military grade cannons."
"In any case, anything, even a nail, as long as it has anything to do with the Navy, its performance will be far better than the civilian version. After all, it is a nail specially produced for the Navy."
"What's even more amazing is that because the Navy purchases a lot of equipment, they can get the lowest price."
"Let's take a Navy-class Hound frigate for example. If you order a warship with the same performance as the Navy-class Hound through civilian channels, you won't be able to buy it no matter how much money you spend. This is because the Alliance's law states that the performance of civilian ships must be lower than the Navy's."
"Even if you really manage to buy a Navy-class warship, the amount of money you will need to spend is not just a problem of twice the price. It will be seven or eight times, or even more than ten times!"
"Now you should understand, right? Navy-class equipment and warships are the best choice you can buy with money. They are the cheapest and have the best performance! "
Xia Fan was slightly taken aback. He asked excitedly, "Are you saying that the Admiral will provide us with Navy-class warships?"
He Dong stood up and patted Xia Fan on the shoulder. "Of course. Otherwise, Her Majesty's call would have been for nothing."
"But then again, this is not a 'provide'. It's a purchase. You will have to pay for the warship and equipment you choose. It can be points or Alliance dollars. After all, the General Armament Department is an organization of the Alliance. If I don't take your money, the account will be empty."
"But …" Xia Fan found the proposal unbelievable. He Dong was actually planning to sell him a Navy-class warship. He asked in confusion, "Does the Alliance allow private purchases of Navy-class warships?"
He Dong looked at Xia Fan. "Of course not. What are the civilians going to do with a powerful Navy-class warship? Are they going to rebel? "
"However …" He then changed the topic and said, "There are always exceptions to everything. I still have the right to decide how to deal with the second-hand military battleships. For example, if I sell you a military hound class battleship, it can only be an empty ship. The combat parts and fire-control radars will all be removed."
"But if I sell you a dismantled military battleship and some equipment at the same time, and you install the equipment in the battleship after you go back, then it's none of my business. After all, when I sell you the battleship, it's an unarmed, empty battleship."
"Do you understand now? Sign your name on the contract for the hull and Fo You's name on the equipment. I will sell the ship and the equipment to both of you. But you two are close and willing to work together. What can I do about that? "
Xia Fan finally understood that He Dong's proposal was a loophole in the Alliance's laws.
The law stipulated that second-hand military warships could be sold, but they had to be dismantled.
The law also stipulated that military equipment and ships could not be sold to the same buyer to prevent the buyer from privately assembling the warship.
The third law stipulated that the purchase of advanced military equipment had to pass a qualification review.
Given Fo You's status, qualification was not a problem at all. Who would stop Little Empress Dowager from buying some military radars or cannons?
Even if the entire universe rebelled, the descendants of the gods and Buddhas would never rebel.
Based on the above three conditions, the empress dowager and He Dong had come up with a perfect plan that would allow Xia Fan to easily obtain an elite naval warship!
After the explanation, He Dong raised his hand to check the time. He said to Xia Fan and Fo You, "I have an important meeting this afternoon. Let's call it a day.
"My secretary, Lina, will arrange for you to pick out the ships and equipment you need from the warehouse. If you have any other questions, just ask her."
.....
Xia Fan and Fo You left He Dong's office and went to the General Armament Department's warehouse with his secretary, Lina.
The warehouse was filled with destroyers, which looked at least ninety percent new.
From the air, the warehouse didn't look particularly large, but only those who walked in would realize that there was actually an underground section. Thousands of different types of destroyers were docked in the underground section, many of which Xia Fan had never seen before. Xia Fan was dazzled by the sight of them.
As Lina showed Xia Fan and Fo You around the warehouse, she said, "Although they're second-hand ships, the Equipment Department decides the depreciation rate.
"Most of the warships here are test models. Because we're close to the outer space, the latest products from all the shipyards will be sent here for performance testing. The General Armament Department of the Delong Sector is one of the three major testing centers for the navy.
"Most of the warships you see here are prototypes. Due to various reasons, they haven't been mass-produced.
"Some of them can't meet the military's requirements, while others are too expensive or difficult to mass-produce. After all, the military needs to make at least ten thousand of a single type of destroyer.
"If the cost is too high, the military's budget won't be able to support it. No matter how good the performance is, they can only reluctantly give it up. Even if it's difficult to mass-produce, military warships must be mass-produced. If a type of ship is only produced a few dozen or a hundred a year, the military still can't accept it."
Xia Fan nodded repeatedly. After he arrived at the General Armament Department, he realized that there were so many prototypes that hadn't been mass-produced in the world. Many of the models here couldn't even be found on the Alliance's network.
Lina said, "I suggest you choose the prototypes that are expensive or difficult to mass-produce. Those are excellent warships that the navy can't afford or even build. They're even more powerful than the ships currently in service."
As they spoke, they toured the thousands of destroyers. Each warship was accompanied with a description, including the manufacturer, the year, the warship's performance, and so on.
"Aha!"
Fo You felt bored and began to laugh. As a woman, Lina didn't like to study warships. She had no choice but to accompany Xia Fan to the warehouse.
Xia Fan smiled brightly at Lina and said, "How about this? I'm a Speed Superhuman, so I can move faster. You don't have to accompany me. I'll quickly look through these warships myself."
Speed Superhuman?
The way Lina looked at Xia Fan was obviously different. As a soldier, Lina certainly knew that Speed Superhumans were rare and difficult to level up. Looking at Xia Fan's badge, he was already an Intermediate Investigator at such a young age. No wonder he was a rare Speed Superhuman.
"Okay, we'll wait for you in the rest area on the first floor," Lina said.
.....
So, Fo You and Lina went to the rest area.
Fu You took out his favorite tea set and made Lina a top-grade tea that she had never tasted before. Xia Fan, on the other hand, quickly shuttled through the large warehouse area and carefully browsed through the data of each battleship.
It didn't take long for Xia Fan to return. Fu You and Lina saw him at the same time. His face was filled with excitement and confusion.
"Have you found the warship you like?" Lina asked with a smile.
Xia Fan sat down and frowned slightly. He handed a list of the functions of a destroyer to Lina. At the same time, he said in a tone of disbelief, "Miss Lina, there must be something wrong with this list. If it's true, then the performance of this destroyer is really amazing. "
Lina took the list and muttered, "Impossible. How could we make a mistake? Which ship are you looking at?"
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