Mediterranean hegemon

After settling the Far East, Contini talked to old Ciano about the situation of the last Roma.

"How do you sell this ship?"

"We won't sell this ship. We'll play with it ourselves!" Contini smiled. "Besides, no one will buy it. Looking around the world, maybe the three countries of South America, ABC, have some ideas, but they either can't afford it or don't like its quality. It's neither high nor low. Forget it. I'm useful."

As a senior navy officer, Old Ziano is a colonel. It's more than enough for him to manage a Roma. However, even such a professional couldn't figure out how Contini would play, and asked in confusion: "How do you want to toss?"

"The first step is to dismantle the two 305mm naval guns and use them as coastal defense artillery for the United Shipyard, and at the same time provide research for United Steel."

"The second step is to dismantle the naval guns above, and then..." Contini looked at Old Ziano, "Buy a batch of trains from the Ministry of Transportation."

"Train?" Old Ziano was confused, "Who are you going to transport the train to?"

"No, disassemble it and load it onto the train, transform it into a railway gun and sell it back to the army."

Old Ziano stood up in shock, speechless for a long time, and finally said: "Also It's not impossible, but it's very difficult. "

"Difficulty can train people. I have recruited a large number of technicians from Germany, and I am also going to find experts from Ansaldo, Skoda, Krupp and other companies to complete this transformation. Italy lacks experience, and the Germans have enough experience..."

"Cost?"

"In researching this kind of thing, cost is secondary, and improving strength and experience is the most important." Contini smiled, "Twin-link to single-link, single-link on the train, are not small projects, which will greatly improve our technology."

"In addition, there are 24 76mm rapid-fire guns, which are planned to be dismantled and put into the volunteers. Doesn't this mean that there are artillery?" Contini added, "A regiment of 2,500 people has 24 3-inch guns. Their strength should not be underestimated, right?"

"You?" Old Ciano was anxious, "What are you going to do?"

"Train the volunteers..." Contini blinked, "As the party's young guards, we can't just talk without doing anything."

"Okay..." Old Ciano was completely frustrated.

"What else?"

"After removing the guns, we will also remove the bridge... But I can't bear to dismantle it, this hull is still useful." Contini pulled a piece of white paper from the side and drew a rough outline. Although his drawing was horrible, old Ciano could clearly see that it was a bare hull without guns and bridges. "

"I plan to modify it like this." Contini drew a stroke on the ship map, "Erection of the upper deck, building a platform, and setting up a small bridge on the side - now there is no fire control mission, there is no need for a large building, a small one will do. The ammunition warehouse below can be set up as a gasoline and fuel tank, and the overhead floor after the platform is raised can be used to park aircraft..."

Looking at the drawings he drew stroke by stroke, old Ciano was more and more shocked, and finally lost his voice and said: "This... This is clearly an aircraft carrier. The Washington Treaty has restrictions on the tonnage of the Italian Navy. Your construction will cause diplomatic disputes..."

"Father, you must have made a mistake..." Contini said cunningly, "How can the United Group use the waste ship to rebuild something that can be called an aircraft carrier? This is clearly a floating temporary offshore base of United Airlines, mainly used for aircraft transfer and forced landing... Your son is the second author of "Air Power Theory" and a participant in the new era air force theory. This is my personal practice. Whether the theory is right or not depends on practice, not on words... And this airport has no artillery, no bombs, no soldiers, and is not used for combat... Uh, which country's warship is this? "

Old Ciano was speechless. He suddenly remembered that the officers and soldiers operating the warships had all retired and joined the United Group. Although United Airlines was under the Second Air Force banner, they were not soldiers... This level of specious arguments and deception, wow! This is his son's usual style!

"Besides, even if it is a warship, Italy has aircraft carrier tonnage. Why should it be afraid of Britain, the United States, and France? When it is saturated, I will just dismantle it, right?" Contini laughed. "Once this floating airport is built, the relationship between us and the navy will be alive. Doesn't the navy want air force? The Air Force won't give it to them. Well, the Navy can send people to work in the United Group! I will support them! But they have to listen to my discipline here and protect me outside. If there is any benefit, they should think of the United Group. "

This made old Ciano laugh: the United Group is not like a company at present, but more like a second government with a bottom line. It has to suppress the Socialist Party's riots, intervene in the incident in Corfu, take over the navy's warships, and take over the army's aircraft... I don't know how many loss-making businesses I have done, but I have made a lot of money. Now the chief officers of the army, navy, and air force all smile when they see me - it's nothing, just money.

"You have to communicate well with the leader."

"I have talked to him, and he said it's okay. This ship is ours, and we can play with it however we like..." Contini said self-deprecatingly, "After the renovation is completed, we will take it out for a sea cruise and perform a flying circus - this is not an aircraft carrier, right?"

"Okay, I don't care about you, but how will the loss of 200 million liras last year end?"

"You can't just look at my loss of 200 million lire, you have to look at my contribution to the country: we participated in the revolution and supported the government; we innovated products and developed public welfare; we responded to calls and suppressed political opponents; we donated to foreign countries and provided escort... We even pioneered the new workers' village, we ran the radio station, we were the first to popularize the 6-day 8-hour work system in the United Group, we took the lead in paying ordinary social insurance, we resolutely responded to any government call, we went through fire and water for any leader's needs, and we cushioned and supported any difficulties in the country. How can such a full and comprehensive contribution be measured by a mere loss of 200 million lire?"

Contini said: "I created 100,000 direct jobs, drove more than 600 million in infrastructure and created 500,000 jobs, made Italy progress in culture, education, science and technology, improved the relationship between the country and the Pope, and finally solved the historical legacy. The problem is to make the country stand up straight in foreign relations, make the Italian people more united, make the youth more supportive of the leader and the government, and write the important ideas of the three flags into the Fascist Party Constitution and become the guiding direction of the people of the whole country - how can such a great social value be reflected by a mere report?

I have reported to the leader that the United Group is not a selfish family business with profit as its goal, nor is it my personal business. It is a national policy group and a public welfare group. It is a strategic group that serves and contributes to the great rejuvenation of the Italian nation. It is an enterprise temporarily entrusted to me by the party and the leader. If the country needs it in the future, I can hand it over at any time - what do I need so much money for? Serving Italy is the purpose of the group, and a mere report is not worth mentioning! You see, I didn’t care even if the newspaper reported it. This is a fact. "

Old Ziano nodded helplessly: "Well said, you are more capable than me. It seems that you will not lose the election as a member of parliament in the future. I think you can serve until retirement."