King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

The small tonnage of the Type 056 decided its importance wasn't high, as long as it could bypass restrictions, trade could be conducted.

If Boss Qiao himself was willing to commit to refitting his Hamilton-class ship, that 3,250-tonne vessel would be more intimidating than the 1,300 tonne Type 056.

But in the Mediterranean region, no one felt anything amiss!

If the Hamilton-class 'Princess' could do it, why couldn't the Type 056?

As long as that thing isn't equipped with missile systems, it's just a coastguard ship – a couple of those could only scare pirates, and even intimidating smaller Southeast Asian nations would be difficult, let alone the navies of major countries.

In the Mediterranean, any random navy, such as Italy's, would have ships stronger than the Type 056.

China Shipbuilding was still trying multiple approaches; the Type 056 wasn't even their main focus for export models, the Type 052D Destroyer was.

With the completion of the Type 055, the aged Type 052D could now be put on the market to make money.

But right now, their options were not many.

Only a few staunch allies were willing to buy, yet due to the outrageous prices, only older ships like the Type 054 were being exported.

The way Boss Qiao brought his own clients to seek representation was a godsend for China Shipbuilding.

In principle, China Shipbuilding should not care about anything else and fully support Boss Qiao's sales plan.

Unfortunately, Boss Qiao was now too important; the head of China Shipbuilding merely reported upwards, and his colleagues doused his heated brain with cool water to sober him up.

Boss Qiao simply couldn't have problems – if he did, those export orders worth tens of billions would vanish, and the trade department would be in uproar.

The Energy Group couldn't agree more – if Boss Qiao had issues, their days in Iraq and Tubruq would turn treacherous.

If they needed to adjust later, it would take an immense amount of time and effort, which the potential losses were not something a couple of 'small ships' sales from China Shipbuilding could recuperate.

The so-called Director Zhang of China Shipbuilding didn't fail to show up; he was stopped by President Jin of the northern industry, who led the opposition. Together, they sought a high-level discussion with the leaders of China Shipbuilding, unanimously feeling that selling ships was unnecessary.

It wasn't until Chen Xiaodong presented two plans that the interest group led by President Jin relented, and they joined him in finding Qiao Liang.

But what President Jin mainly discussed was the Congo business – he intended to distract Boss Qiao with the major developments in Congo, almost directly implying there was no need to fuss over selling a few small ships...

The profit was negligible...

The intrigue in this is quite fascinating – Boss Qiao's stance determined his importance and the level of protection he received.

Liang knew his older brother was quite capable, but he didn't yet realize just how many interest groups his brother had moved, nor the extent to which he himself was protected.

The Russian bodyguards could even carry guns...

A new security post was set up around their residence and the school where they lived, with several robust policemen stationed there long-term, all to ensure his safety.

Many so-called impressive second-generation businessmen didn't enjoy the same treatment as Qiao Liang.

The current status of the Qiao brothers decided that others cared about their safety more than they did themselves.

Liang might not feel it, but Joe Ga definitely felt tremendous care from the 'methods' of 'China Shipbuilding Defense'.

How much profit could building a casing really bring?

To let French companies take the lion's share with the 'electronic systems' and 'weapons systems', simply to reduce Boss Qiao's political risk, was akin to coddling Boss Qiao.

You want to sell ships, no problem, we'll find a way for you to resell them legitimately.

I don't mind earning less as long as you're out of harm's way!

This is nanny-level care!

Boss Qiao had to accept this favor because China Shipbuilding was helping him bypass restrictions and even lowering its status to cooperate with the French. As long as the UAE agreed, Boss Qiao could make a fortune.

This wasn't something Joe Ga had thought of at first, but it was a blessing – it could simplify the ship-selling business by many times.

However, without the challenges, Boss Qiao lost some of the excitement, which is why he was so interested in the second plan.

Ah, the Type 055 Destroyer, though not actually for sale, but China Shipbuilding's plans all revolved around it...

Domestically, there are currently only four such ships in service!

It's no exaggeration to say that the whole world, NATO included, is watching this 'Renhai-class' 10,000-ton ship, even the Americans are no exception.

And American spies have been acting for years around this large ship.

Don't think the Americans are invincible. They too want, and fear, such ships!

They're not even afraid of China owning aircraft carriers because they redefined the carrier-centric naval combat mode since World War II, relegating traditional battleships to the dustbin of history.

If you're following in their footsteps, surpassing them is an incredibly difficult task.

The attention the Type 055 Destroyer is garnering lies in its potential to break the American naval blockade and redefine naval warfare.

The 10,000-ton ship paired with Eagle Strike hypersonic anti-ship missiles, which can hardly be intercepted, only needs to overcome its shortcoming in far sea reconnaissance. It could then circumvent an aircraft carrier battle group's air defense system from a great distance and hit the carrier's Achilles' heel.

This ship poses a greater threat to an aircraft carrier battle group than a straightforward carrier confrontation.

The advent of the Type 055 signifies a decrease in the deterrent force of the American aircraft carrier battle groups.