Chapter 62: Reliable B2

Tang Wen stood by the shipyard, watching the construction of the Bridge Stand while on the phone with Wu Long.

The 27-day cycle for the Bridge Stand was already over halfway complete, with the main hull 80% finished.

The most critical power units and steam pipelines had also been laid; once the deck was capped and the outer flues and superstructure installed, the Bridge Stand would be essentially complete.

According to the tripartite agreement with the fishing company and the bank, an inspection of progress was due at the end of the first month, by which time the Bridge Stand would already be ready for launch.

However, dragging things out for a month or half a year under the guise of outfitting other equipment and ship debugging was no problem, allowing a chance to try salvaging the Yamato.

Of course, the most important thing was to exit the new player period, and the 10-meter-wide shipyard limit was truly a major constraint, requiring urgent expansion.

As for the diesel engine business Wu Lao Er mentioned, Tang Wen was also pondering whether to continue with it.

The shipyard's current technical capability was capped at the 1940s level; any product manufactured could not break through that boundary.

With 1940s technology, could an engine meeting the requirements be manufactured?

At that time, there was no electronic fuel injection, no ECU, and even more refined in-cylinder combustion control technology had not yet emerged.

Tang Wen did not know the answer for the time being and could only hang up the phone to summon Tang Yi for consultation.

"This... requires new R&D; it would be best to wait until the shipyard upgrades."

Tang Yi first thought about the database for a first-class warship, confirming that no finished product with a similar positioning was found.

The metrics for judging engine technology were not limited to horsepower; there were also durability, economy, applicability, and a host of other parameters, with many breakthrough technologies appearing only after the 1950s alongside electronics.

The jeeps and trucks at the shipyard looked brand new now, but in terms of practicality, they could not compare to the mainstream trucks on the current market; it was just that they were used very little in daily life, otherwise repairs would be inevitable.

Manufacturing a 100-horsepower diesel engine was not difficult, but it would be hard to meet the other needs of the Shannong Agricultural Machinery Factory; it might even be inferior to Yuchai's.

Unlike warship propulsion, which remained state-of-the-art for half a century, vehicle propulsion became obsolete rapidly within four or five years, with technology updates flying by.

Tang Wen was not surprised by this result and could only regretfully abandon this order, deciding to specialize in single-cylinder diesel engines instead.

R&D experience was still quite precious; keeping it for the upgrade would be more useful.

"Meeting again, Boss Tang."

At the entrance of Dawan Village, Wang Hu stood smiling before the iron gate blocking the road, with Chen Ming standing beside him with a stern face.

Chen Yonggui's orders had been faithfully executed; two idle old men had moved their loitering spot to the village entrance and erected a simple barrier.

No matter what Wang Hu said, the old man would not listen until he called Tang Wen, after which he slowly moved the barrier aside.

Looking at the two who should have been enemies, Tang Wen asked in confusion:

"You two are..."

"This Boss Chen has been inconvenient recently, so he transferred the boat to me at the original price."

Wang Hu pointed to four large trailers arriving with two small cars:

"Today I am here to take the boat away; since everyone is present, consider this a witness."

Under Tang Wen's inquiring gaze, Chen Ming nodded resentfully.

Who knew how his superior had lectured him; not only did he fail to get a bargain, but he also saw his own car about to be lost.

Fortunately, Wang Hu also feared his Xiangjiang background and offered a transfer fee of 350,000; all in all, at least he wouldn't lose money.

Chen Ming had pretended to be friendly all the way, but he had firmly memorized Wang Hu and his minions, planning to put them on the Anti-Smuggling Bureau's priority list later.

Currently, 99% of tax-free trade occurred in Xiangjiang; there was no fear of failing to catch a slip-up.

However, just thinking that these four were fast boats capable of over 50 knots, while the Anti-Smuggling Bureau's vessels could barely catch them, made Chen Ming feel very uncomfortable.

If he saw these boats again in the future, he feared his colleagues would mock his incompetence.

Although his teeth were itching with hatred, Chen Ming still declared the transfer "voluntary."

Tang Wen also roughly understood what was happening and waved his hand to let the convoy enter the shipyard to load the speedboats.

Wang Hu was overjoyed, hurriedly saying he wanted to make friends with the two and treat them to a meal in the city, only to regretfully give up after being declined.

However, he also saw the bustling road construction scene in Dawan Village and suddenly thought of something, saying:

"Brother Tang, I have a few good cars; do you have any interest?"

"A Buick brought from Shanghai, a Park Avenue with a V6 engine, and two more that no one has ordered.

Buying them outside costs at least 700,000; I'm offering them at a cost price of 500,000 directly from the auto trading company to make a friend."

Buick Park Avenue!

Tang Wen actually remembered this model; the 1990s Buick was a genuine luxury car brand, with standard American large-boat dimensions often exceeding 5 meters, a 3.8-liter V6 supercharged engine, and at the time featured a series of luxury configurations like electric seats and electric windows.

Even decades later, many classic car enthusiasts still drove these things, with their grandeur undiminished.

Of course, more importantly, this car was far more comfortable to ride in than the Willys Jeep and was relatively less conspicuous than a military vehicle.

Fifty thousand for an imported car was truly not expensive; Tang Wen was immediately tempted.

Fifty thousand posed no pressure on Tang Wen at present and would not interfere with the shipyard's normal operations.

"Do you have the paperwork?"

Tang Wen suddenly blurted out a sentence, and Wang Hu and Chen Ming, who was eavesdropping nearby, immediately understood.

No paperwork meant a water car; although inspections were not strict in these days, Tang Wen's demeanor clearly showed he cared deeply about it.

Wang Hu immediately replied:

"Yes, guaranteed to be legitimate; invoices and paperwork are authentic and include license plate registration. Brother Tang, if you want them, I'll get the paperwork done and deliver them to you in a couple of days."

"Agreed."

Seeing Tang Wen agree, Wang Hu's face was filled with smiles; fifty thousand was indeed a discount price others couldn't get, but it didn't mean he was losing money.

It was just earning a little less; making a friend wasn't a loss.

In the past few days, he had also learned that the Gaijin Shipyard had joined forces with Dawan Village and launched several major projects with the township and town; at least locally, its power was firmly rooted, and by current standards, it was a bona fide local boss.

Although there were some twists and turns, the boats were finally in hand, and he had also sold a car to curry favor with Gaijin; Wang Hu felt he had made a killing, and as soon as the four boats were loaded, he returned to Echeng, eager to find business.

Meanwhile, Chen Ming stayed behind and sought out Tang Wen alone.

Tang Wen was originally reluctant to pay attention, but Chen Ming secretly flashed his Anti-Smuggling Bureau work ID.

Hiss~ Xiangjiang Anti-Smuggling Bureau?

Tang Wen's mind went blank for a moment, and he even suspected the other party was a scammer.

Only after Chen Ming and Song Haoxiang recounted the process of Li Chang's arrest and some details of the interrogation did he believe this fact.

But just thinking that the Anti-Smuggling Bureau had just suffered a loss at the hands of smugglers, his expression became very strange.

Chen Ming felt somewhat ashamed about this and could only awkwardly explain that his identity could not be exposed, which was why he had taken a silent loss.

"Mr. Tang, the Anti-Smuggling Bureau needs your assistance!"

Chen Ming started flattering him the moment he spoke, which was also the result of his discussion with his superiors.

Although they hadn't secured the boat, since Tang Wen was not colluding with tax-free merchants, the Anti-Smuggling Bureau hoped to make deeper contact.

At the very least, the Bureau really needed those cheap high-horsepower boat motors!

They had also figured it out: boats were too big a target, but motors were small and easy to transport back to Xiangjiang.

Buying a few engines to modify their own anti-smuggling boats wouldn't take much effort either.

"We need engines larger than the 250-horsepower motors, with more thrust, faster than theirs!"

"..."

Tang Wen covered his head; he should have driven them all away and not let them enter the village in the first place.

Just sold a batch of "Big Flyers," and now they want to figure out how to catch "Big Flyers"—isn't this left hand fighting right hand?

Moreover, this left-hand-right-hand fight was quite difficult, because the "Tax-Free No. 1" could reach 50 knots, already considered a supercar among boats.

To surpass this speed with a significant advantage, how much horsepower would need to be piled on?

Tang Wen really wanted to say "NO," but thinking about trading with Wang Hu under the Anti-Smuggling Bureau's nose, causing trouble would be troublesome, so he finally found Tang Yi to figure it out.

As a professional, Tang Yi first asked about the size and general hull type of the speedboats currently used by the Anti-Smuggling Bureau, then drew a rough sketch on scrap paper.

After confirming tonnage and other data with Chen Ming, he finally selected a small speedboat weighing about 5 tons and said:

"Hollow out the boat's interior, use an inboard engine, 3000 to 3500 horsepower, final weight around 6 tons, speed can reach 70 knots."

"70 knots?!"

Tang Wen and Chen Ming both widened their eyes; this speed was terrifyingly fast.

And with over 3000 horsepower, wouldn't that be comparable to the thousand-ton Hatakaze?

But how big was the Hatakaze? Could such surging power fit into a 5-ton small boat?

Facing Chen Ming's questioning gaze, Tang Yi explained:

"To chase boats over 50 knots, your speedboats must exceed 70 knots, of course requiring a huge price to be paid."

"The entire middle of the hull needs to be hollowed out to stuff in diesel engines; only then can the center of gravity be maintained at high speeds so the propellers stay submerged instead of jumping out."

"If outboard motors are used, the speedboat will constantly bounce on the water, limiting maximum speed."

Chen Ming nodded vigorously; the defect of outboard motors was exactly that.

"Moreover, outboard motors are small with poor heat dissipation, so maximum speed cannot be sustained for long, but inboard diesel engines are different; they can run at maximum speed continuously for a long time."

"Of course, there is a price for this too; with our capabilities, we can only use four 850-horsepower diesel engines in parallel, which not only has low reliability but is also extremely expensive."

Tang Yi deliberately emphasized the last sentence; he had received Tang Wen's hint to use a high price tag to scare off the Xiangjiang people.

3000-horsepower diesel engine sets were commonly used on torpedo boats, but stuffing them into a 5-ton small speedboat would almost push shipyard capabilities to the limit.

Moreover, the consequence of doing so was that the power system would occupy 90% of the space and weight, making it almost as useless as a racing speedboat.

Why 850 horsepower? Because 1940s technology diesel engines peaked at this level unless volume and weight were increased.

"So how much would it cost to modify a boat like this?"

"This..."

Tang Yi did not answer but said with difficulty:

"850 horsepower requires a V12 layout and a supercharging system."

"Furthermore, paralleling four engines requires additional optimization; I'm afraid you will find it hard to install them yourselves; it would be better to have them manufactured."

"No!"

Chen Ming shook his head and said:

"We cannot alert the snake; we can still quietly transport the engines away, but the boat's volume is too large."

"We can find a cooperating shipyard in Xiangjiang too; as long as we have the engines, everything else is a small matter."

"..."

Tang Yi pondered for a moment, wrote a list of specific engine parameters on paper, and then handed it to Tang Wen.

The latter took it, glanced at it, and immediately saw the system's quote in his mind:

【Design & Development: 850-horsepower V12 Supercharged Marine Diesel Engine, Parameters:...】

【Development Experience: 150】

【Direct Manufacturing: 200 Silver Coins (12 hours)】

【Processing with Provided Materials: 950 kg Steel, 150 kg Aluminum, 15 kg Petroleum, 75 Silver Coins (12 hours)】

150 experience points, not bad.

However, the manufacturing cost was more than six times that of the outboard V8 motors; indeed, they did not belong to the same class of products.

Tang Wen pondered briefly and replied:

"We need to source this type of engine from foreign companies; as for the price... I'm afraid it will require 200,000 per unit."

"The sourcing cycle is one to two months, and full payment must be made in advance; otherwise, we cannot secure an order."

"So expensive!"

Chen Ming did a quick calculation; four engines would cost 800,000, making one engine more expensive than an entire smuggling speedboat!

His surprise was entirely expected; Tang Wen also spoke with a bitter face:

"Yes, but a 850-horsepower diesel engine is hard to buy. I only know that company has them, and the selling price depends entirely on what others set."

"We generally don't order such high-end goods, so if we buy, we must pay in full, and we still have to watch others' expressions."

800,000, plus modifying the boat—won't the cost approach a million?

Chen Ming frowned, but he did not doubt Tang Wen's words.

The Anti-Smuggling Bureau frequently handles various speedboats; in Xiangjiang, a yacht costing a million US dollars is considered cheap, so 800,000 RMB is actually not exaggerated.

If it were three or four hundred thousand, he might have agreed, but he didn't have the courage to nod at funding over a million.

"I need to discuss this with the superiors."

As soon as Chen Ming finished speaking, Tang Wen and Tang Yi nodded repeatedly.

At such a high price, there is no cost-performance ratio left; you might as well look for international merchants.

Some shipyards specialize in racing boats; in terms of speed, they are far more professional than Gaijin, and the technology they use is more advanced.

Before leaving, Chen Ming asked for the model and parameters of this engine, and Tang Yi simply scribbled some nonsense and handed it over.

After Chen Ming left with the rookie, Tang Wen asked Tang Yi:

"Those engine parameters just now looked somewhat familiar; I have a feeling I've seen them somewhere."

Tang Yi scratched his head:

"The prototype of that engine is the power source for the S-series Navy torpedo boats. As for the origin... this engine is also installed on tanks and armored vehicles."

Tang Wen suddenly remembered; wasn't this the famous B2 diesel engine family?

Back then, the Big Brother installed this thing on the T-34 tank. Initially, it only had 500 horsepower; finding it quite useful, they kept improving it. The derivative models were used until the Big Brother dissolved, and by then it had reached an astonishing 780 horsepower!

The B2 series V12 diesel engine is rugged and reliable with huge modification potential; domestically, it was used continuously until the MTU company powerpack was introduced.

It can be seen on well-known domestic armored vehicles like the Type 59, Type 69 medium tanks, and Type 62 light tanks, no wonder I always felt the data was strangely familiar.

This engine has been in service for sixty years, yet it still needs modification to be put on a boat to chase smugglers; that is truly legendary.

Wait.

Tang Wen suddenly thought of something and said to Tang Yi:

"So, just like the original tank engine, does this engine require frequent major overhauls?"

"Of course, but as long as it doesn't run at maximum power continuously, it is acceptable for a boat."

"Then if we want to increase its reliability and reduce fuel consumption, making a huge sacrifice in horsepower, is there any way?"

After thinking for a while, Tang Yi said:

"Remove the supercharger and switch to natural aspiration; additionally, reduce the number of cylinders."

"For example, reducing from V12 to V6 would lower horsepower significantly, probably to around 300... I know what you want now."

Tang Yi recalled the engine requirements from the Shannong Agricultural Machinery Factory earlier, which had been abandoned due to excessive technical difficulty.

Hearing that even after heavy weakening it still had 300 horsepower, Tang Wen's eyes lit up:

"How about it? Cut it down a few more times until it's cheap and reliable enough?"

The 25-horsepower diesel engine technology originated from the village chief's unknown four-legged hybrid; developing from that technical route was too difficult, but what if we worked backward using the mature B2 diesel engine?

"Technically feasible, but economically not so much, Commander. The displacement of the B2 diesel engine is 39 liters."

"Even if cut in half, it is still a huge-displacement engine of 18.5 liters; for a vehicle, it consumes at least 50 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers."

"Moreover, based on the B2 foundation, cylinder displacement cannot be reduced too drastically, and smooth power output must be guaranteed. The final result might be a V-type 6-cylinder engine with about 12 liters of displacement, with horsepower around 150 to 200."

"For a car, the fuel consumption is still too exaggerated."

Tang Wen: "Then it depends on the client's thoughts."