Chapter 11

Besides, building a fishing boat isn't just about attaching an engine to a hull—it's also incredibly complex.

Proper ocean-going fishing vessels must be equipped with sonar for detecting fish schools, fish finders, trawling nets, winches for hauling, satellite communication devices, and refrigeration units to preserve freshness, along with fish-washing machines and more.

A small shipyard in the countryside counts as a fairly excellent quality enterprise, equivalent to a small machinery factory, capable of creating value and supplying many essential goods.

He had no idea Tang Wen was using all this merely to conceal the shipyard's upgrade—he'd already made over sixty thousand yuan selling diesel engines and had recharged a thousand silver coins, enough to reach LV1 with a single thought.

As for hiring workers…

Security guards are definitely necessary, but everything else can be delayed—people would be terrified if they saw a ship being built out of thin air.

Township Chief Yang praised him at length, then asked a crucial question:

"Little Tang, how much are you planning to invest in this shipyard?"

Tang Wen was stunned—how much money does it take to start a shipyard? He hadn't researched this at all.

Tang Wen didn't yet fully understand current prices, especially in an era when industry was underdeveloped; many prices were severely unbalanced and vastly different from what they'd be over twenty years later.

Still, it was a shipyard, so after thinking it over, he raised one finger.

"One hundred thousand? That's really not…"

Before Yang Tai could finish, Tang Wen immediately corrected himself:

"One hundred thousand for Phase One! I've already secured several major orders—I'll produce while expanding. Total investment is projected to be… two hundred thousand!"

"That's more like it."

Two hundred thousand for a small shipyard was tight, but considering Tang Wen wasn't starting from nothing and could profit from selling diesel engines, it was barely sufficient.

"Little Tang, the township approves your project. I trust Yonggui completely—just go ahead and do it."

After Township Chief Yang finished speaking, Tang Wen was still dazed when Chen Yonggui jabbed him hard, his rough fingers slowly rubbing together under the table.

Tang Wen instantly understood and slipped a green hundred-yuan note into his hand.

The village chief felt the bill, then quickly shouted toward the counter behind him, where Guo Panpan was watching the scene:

"Girl, get a pack of Yuxi, and two bottles of Daqu."

Guo Panpan had already spotted the silent transaction under the table and hurried to the warehouse to fetch the cigarettes.

Tang Wen felt his leg pushed again, then heard the village chief shout loudly:

"Chief Yang, how's Uncle Yang doing? My father's always talking about him—I'm going to visit him today."

Seeing what had just happened, Yang Tai quickly said:

"Come eat at my place, but don't bring anything."

"How can I not bring something? Uncle Yang once took me out to sea—he deserves some filial respect."

"Little Tang, you've got things to do—take my little four-wheeler back."

Tang Wen immediately understood and rose to leave, but the village chief grabbed him again:

"What are you naming your shipyard? I'll handle the paperwork for you tomorrow right here."

"Name… how about Gaijin Shipyard?"

"Good. Go on then."

By then, Guo Panpan had brought out the cigarettes. Tang Wen picked up his book from the counter, bid farewell, and climbed back onto the Si Bu Xiang.

He really wanted to get a motorcycle—even a bicycle would be fine.

But Dawan Town was just a small town; you had to go to a larger town or the city to buy one.

And after checking prices, he was shocked: even the worst domestic bicycle cost over two hundred yuan, while a "better" one ran six or seven hundred.

Motorcycles, excluding the 50CC Iron Rooster, started at six or seven thousand yuan and up—and they were all terrible models.

If you wanted reliable quality and decent power, you had to buy imports; Tang Wen knew a little about the Honda CG125, which cost nearly twenty thousand yuan—just hearing that made his vision go dark.

Even so, motorcycles were still in short supply—you bought whatever the shop had.

Purely from practicality, it was better to buy a tractor or a Si Bu Xiang—they handled rough roads better, could carry cargo, were hard to steal, and could even be swapped for a diesel engine.

But Tang Wen's entire focus was on upgrading the shipyard—he'd first see if the upgraded shipyard could produce an entire vehicle.

A LV0 shipyard could only construct items related to shipbuilding, but the definition of "related" had no clear boundaries.

…

The next day, Chen Yonggui returned to the village with good news for Tang Wen.

Thanks to his generous gift of a Yuxi cigarette pack, the township chief agreed to grant Gaijin Shipyard the entire coastal plot in Dawan Village at a special discount: five thousand yuan for the whole thing.

This price was nearly equivalent to giving it away, but the coastal land was terrible—uneven, far from roads, and among the most remote areas in Dawan Village; the total area, including the future shipyard, was over two hundred mu.

If Tang Wen built a larger shipyard, he could have swapped for better land—even gotten it for free—but the township chief worried a small shipyard wouldn't be profitable enough, so he insisted on the five thousand yuan.

The village chief had already agreed on Tang Wen's behalf, and Tang Wen had no objections.

All the paperwork had been entrusted to someone and would be completed in just a few days.

After seeing off the village chief, and knowing no one would come before dusk, Tang Wen opened his panel to prepare for the upgrade.

【Upgrade Shipyard to LV. 1】

【Silver Coins -1000】

【Please select placement point】

As the silver coins were deducted, Tang Wen's mind filled with an aerial view of Dawan Village, and a translucent rectangular shadow appeared—the LV1 shipyard awaiting placement.

The new shipyard wasn't large, rectangular, roughly 150 meters by 100 meters, just big enough to fit one dry dock—significantly larger than the current small workshop.

The shadow clearly showed buildings, gantry cranes, walls, and the dry dock; though small, it was unmistakably laid out like a proper shipyard.

The entire shipyard revolved around a single dry dock—its function was instantly clear.

Seeing this, Tang Wen exhaled in relief—at least it looked like a real shipyard; if it were just a lone dry dock with pure empty-space construction, it would've been ridiculous.

The position and orientation of the new shipyard could be adjusted; the land the village chief secured was vast, and the upgraded shipyard occupied less than one-tenth of it.

The original shipyard's location was already fairly hidden; Tang Wen made slight adjustments, ensuring the entire current area was included, with the gate area nearly overlapping.

As for the dock, it faced the sea directly, making it convenient to draw in seawater.

【Confirm Placement】

【Please Select Construction】

In the instant Tang Wen confirmed it in his mind, his vision was yanked upward, bursting straight through the roof and soaring to a height of over a hundred meters.

From above, the terrain within the selected area flattened at a visible pace, and all structures within it were leveled to the ground.

First, the leveled soil layer cracked open into numerous large and small grooves; within these grooves, dense rebar sprouted, and viscous cement climbed upward along the rebar, adhering to form a solid foundation.

At the same time, concrete appeared on the ground, its color changing visibly before rapidly hardening.

Finally, various buildings—including the dock—had their walls constructed in the same manner, forming from the bottom up.

After an unknown length of time, when the tallest crane had fully materialized, Tang Wen's vision rapidly descended, piercing through layer upon layer of flooring, until he plopped down onto a solid wood chair.