Patton didn’t know how much the electromagnetic gun cost, but Rock knew it very well.
In his previous life, Rock could see reports about electromagnetic guns every now and then, but until Rock traveled through time, he never saw a real electromagnetic gun.
Of course, it cannot be ruled out that relevant countries have already successfully researched it but kept it secret. This kind of thing is not impossible. The military strength of some countries is like Schrödinger's cat. No one knows whether it is black or white.
"So you promised to invest in Nikola Tesla. Do you know why he came to find you?" Rock looked at Barton with pity. He looked like he was being taken advantage of.
"Why?" Barton was just like Little Red Riding Hood.
"Because he came to me and I didn't agree." Rock is not stingy, but he is worried about creating another bottomless pit like a long-range intelligent unmanned bomber project.
The long-range intelligent unmanned bomber is not bad. To be honest, although Rock invested a lot of money, relying on the continuous peripheral achievements of the Nikola Research Institute, he actually did not lose much in calculation.
The key point is that it is only 1932. Even if the long-range intelligent unmanned bomber fails, there is some hope, what about the electromagnetic gun?
I guess this is a lifetime series.
"You think this is a no-brainer?" Barton was frightened.
Rock suddenly had a bad feeling: "Tell me, how much did you get deceived?"
Barton's face turned white and red for a while, then he said coquettishly: "Actually, it's not more than 15 million."
Luo Ke raised his forehead and sighed. The military generals in Southern Africa have something to say, but let's not talk about whether they are strong or not. There is no need to talk about courage.
"I only agreed verbally and haven't paid yet." Barton wanted to deny the payment.
Rock looked at Patton with pity. If Nikola Tesla dared to rely on his money, would the Navy need new equipment in the future?
"This is all your navy's funds for the second half of the year, right?" Roque said with a sullen expression. That's 15 million rand, which can be used to build three "Island" class aircraft carriers, all equipped with carrier-based aircraft.
"There's still a little left." Patton was dejected. The dignified Navy Minister was deceived by an engineer. He could only blame the electromagnetic gun for being too fragrant.
The key point is that given Nikola Tesla's character, 15 million rand is obviously not enough to complete the research on electromagnetic guns. It will be gone in a few months after burning up. Do you want to continue investing at that time?
If you continue to invest, it will probably be a bottomless pit.
If you don’t invest, the 15 million will be wasted.
"Forget it, use this money for research on the long-range intelligent unmanned bomber project." Rock took a different approach. The promised money must be given, so he might as well add fuel to the long-range intelligent unmanned bomber project. Let's see.
Are there any surprises?
In fact, there are already a lot of surprises. The latest results of the Nikolai Research Institute are actually similar to the famous "Osprey" from another time and space.
The "Osprey" is indeed not qualified as a bomber, but it is perfect as a transport aircraft. It is fast, has a long range, and has low fuel consumption. As a transport aircraft, it can also be used as a bomber. It is also of great commercial value for civilian transportation.
Transportation costs are much lower than helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
The only worry now is reliability. Materials are the biggest constraint on the development of science and technology in Southern Africa. Southern African researchers have countless fantastic ideas, but most of them are stuck on material limitations. This problem cannot be solved overnight and requires a long period of accumulation.
and a lot of investment.
When Southern Africa was digging deep into technology, the U.S. Marine Corps finally evacuated from Victoria. Nearly 40,000 military government troops laid down their weapons and surrendered after the withdrawal of the U.S. military. They needed to undergo a long period of labor reform before they could regain their freedom.
There is no way. With the withdrawal of US troops, the Brazilian Civil War has come to an end. The military government entrenched in St. Louis will be unable to launch a counterattack against Rio for a while. The new government will also be unable to launch an attack on St. Louis. Vargas has shifted the focus of his work to New Mexico.
In terms of the integration of government-controlled areas, reconstruction and economic recovery are also gradually underway.
Only then did Vargas discover the benefits of hugging the thighs of southern Africa.
A long time ago, southern African capital has been eyeing South American resources.
As mentioned earlier, the economies of Southern Africa and Brazil are highly complementary. Brazil has resources but no technology or capital, while Southern African companies have strength but lack markets. The two sides hit it off. As reconstruction and resource development work unfolds, capital from Southern Africa is pouring in.
The first ones were still the Nyasaland Company and the Rhodesia Company.
Similar to southern Africa, Nyasaland Company's investment in Brazil focuses on infrastructure and mineral resource development, Rhodesian Company focuses on timber and food, Christian Human Resources Company is the most active, and Southern African companies need more in Brazil.
Most of the human resources are obtained through Christian Human Resources Company. For a time, countless work groups frequently appeared in the Amazon rainforest. Christian Company was like a catfish, stirring up the whole of Brazil.
Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, is the most important port city on the northeastern coast of Brazil.
Natal means Christmas in Portuguese. This city is also called the City of Sunshine. During World War II in another time and space, Natal was an important air transport transit station. In 2019, Natal ranked first in the world
Ranked 444th among the top 500 cities.
Natal in 1932 was far from reaching the heights of another time and space. Today, Natal has a population of only about 40,000. It is 3,058 kilometers from Dakar in the African country Senegal to the east, 1,000 kilometers from St. Louis to the west, and 1,700 kilometers from Victoria to the south.
Kilometers and geographical location are very important.
As the governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Dos Santos has been in a difficult situation these days. Not long ago, San Luis and Rio de Janeiro sent telegrams to Natal respectively, hoping to gain the allegiance of Rio Grande do Norte. This made Dos Santos
Even a little panicked, Dos Santos was caught in a dilemma, caught between southern Africa and the United States.
Yes, although it was the military government and the new government that sent the telegram, Dos Santos knew the background of the military government and the new government very well. If it were just the military government and the new government, Dos Santos could still play both sides.
But the United States and southern Africa hidden behind the military junta and the new government made Dos Santos afraid to act rashly.
"Although the military government failed in the previous stage of the battle, it has the support of the Americans after all. The Southern Africans sank the American Lexington. The Americans will definitely come back. If we support the new government,
Then you may become cannon fodder for the new government." Dos Santos was depressed, and the sugar cane wine in his hand no longer tasted good.
Sugar cane, cotton, and sea salt were Natal's specialties during the colonial era and are still Natal's pillar industries today.
Like many areas in Brazil, the development of science and technology has not brought about rapid changes. Brazil seems to have been forgotten by the whole world and has remained unchanged for decades.
"But if we choose the military government, we will also offend southern Africa, which is something we cannot afford." Dos Santos' eldest son Santos Jr. is the mayor of Natal. This is the case in Brazilian politics. Nepotism in family politics abounds.
, the Santos family is no exception.
"Can't we just play both sides as before?" Santos' youngest son, Jose, has also entered politics and is a congressman for the state of Rio Grande do Norte.
"It's impossible. The conflict between Americans and southern Africa has completely intensified. We must make a choice." Dos Santos has turned gray with worry these days and is ready to resign.
But he was unwilling to do so.
After all, the Santos family has been deeply involved in Rio Grande do Norte for decades. If they want to resign now, neither the military government nor the new government will easily let go of the Santos family, which has huge influence in Rio Grande do Norte.
Unless the Santos family leaves Rio Grande do Norte completely.
However, leaving the Santos family in Rio Grande do Norte is equivalent to becoming a tree without roots. Losing power is more uncomfortable for Dos Santos than killing Dos Santos.
"Sir, Mr. Patrick from Christian Company has arrived." The butler hurriedly reported.
"Christian Company?" Dos Santos doesn't know enough about Southern Africa's capital.
"A southern African enterprise usually appears as a sentinel of southern African capital. The owner of the company, Christian, is notorious. He is the world's largest slave trader and a loyal servant of the Marquis of Nyasaland." Little Santos has great ambitions and is committed to the south.
African capital knows far better than Dos Santos.
In fact, "vanguard" is more appropriate to describe Christian Company, and "sentinel" should be used to describe the umbrella.
As for "slave traders", this is just like the Umbrella Company mercenaries being called "war hyenas". It is just a derogatory name for Christian Company in some people's mouth, but this does not deny the power of Christian Company.
To put it bluntly, most white Brazilians are descendants of slave traders, so no one has the right to discriminate against anyone.
"Invite him in." Dos Santos did not dare to neglect. The so-called "loyal servant" is also an adjective, but it also represents Christian Company, and to a certain extent it can indeed represent the will of the Marquis of Nyasaland.
What Dos Santos didn't expect was that Patrick was actually an African.
Of course, if you just look at it from appearance, you can never tell it. If you ignore the color of Patrick's skin, Patrick, who is well-dressed, pays more attention to etiquette than many white people.
"Good day, Your Excellency" Patrick was very polite and carried a gift for Dos Santos with him.
"Why are you looking for me? I don't remember any cooperation between us." Dos Santos knew Patrick's purpose and had no time to wait for Patrick to propose a price.
"It will come soon. No one in the world can refuse the kindness of Mr. Christian and the Marquis of Nyasaland." Patrick spoke in a tone as relaxed and comfortable as if he were sitting in his own living room.
Dos Santos' expression changed several times, but he finally endured it.
