The military assistance treaty signed this time is different from the previous naval cooperation program. The most important feature is that the naval cooperation plan was signed with the help of the Bethlehem Company, which in principle was a commercial contract between the Bethlehem Company and the Fujian Military and Political Axe, while the subsequent military assistance treaty was a formal commercial treaty signed by the United States and the Fujian Military and Political Axe. Of course, there is also a common denominator, that is, both contracts cannot be officially announced for various reasons, and even use the method of secret agreement.

Combined, the U.S. side needs to provide about $55 million in loans, of which $25 million is unsecured and $30 million is mortgaged, and the interest and discount and repayment period are uniform. For example, the unsecured loan in the Naval Cooperation Program must be used entirely for naval reconstruction, while the 15 million in the military aid program must be used to purchase American products, and the remaining 15 million dollars can be used for Chen Jingyun's free transfer.

Although the amount that can be obtained is only about 30 million silver dollars, Chen Jingyun is very satisfied with this result.

Now that the Americans have invested more than $50 million in themselves, it means that the follow-up Americans will continue to invest in themselves, and this is a long-term cooperation plan, and when they occupy the south of the Yangtze River or even unify China, then they will have greater capital in exchange for funds and technical assistance from the United States, and as long as the United States wants China's huge market and wants to relieve the huge pressure brought about by the British-Chinese alliance, then the United States must continue to assist.

After the two sides formally signed a military aid plan, Chen Jingyun immediately ordered all departments under the Fuzhou Arsenal to prepare to expand the scale, listing all kinds of machinery and equipment needed, all kinds of technologies that need to be introduced, and so on, among which the artillery factory, Mawei shipyard, chemical plant, and iron and steel plant are the most important places.

These equipment and technical matters are mainly in charge of the Fuzhou Arsenal, how to say this, because at present, the heavy industry in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces is basically only the Fuzhou Arsenal, and the others are light industries such as silk reeling factories. After successive expansions and Chen Jingyun's heavy investment in expansion, the Fuzhou Arsenal has become an incomparably large arms industry group, in which its subordinate light weapons factories, artillery factories, chemical plants, iron and steel factories and other affiliated factories can be said to form a complete heavy industry system, so basically the affairs of heavy industry have to be handed over to the Fuzhou Arsenal.

Tang Huikang is the general manager of the Fuzhou Arsenal, Tang Huikang's position in the system of the National Army has always been a little ambiguous, first of all, he does not belong to the civil servants of the military and political axes, strictly speaking, he is only the manager of the Fuzhou Arsenal, a government-business joint enterprise, but his position in the National Army is not weaker than that of the Minister of Equipment Ouyang Tian, and even he learned about the existence of the US [***] military aid plan from Chen Jingyun earlier than Ouyang Tian.

"Governor, according to our plan, if the machinery and equipment can be successfully completed, the production capacity of our arsenal can be completely doubled by then." Tang Huikang held the plan in his hand and handed it to Chen Jingyun.

Chen Jingyun didn't have any intuitive concept of technical issues and the normal operation or planning of the arsenal, and he didn't care too much, he just needed to know how much output the arsenal would be and what its technical capabilities would be.

Chen Jingyun looked at it slightly and closed it again: "The output of guns and bullets is enough, but the output of this machine gun and mortar needs to continue to increase!" ”

Tang Huikang said: "This has been noticed, we have not been able to solve some technical problems in machine guns, resulting in low production, and I have proposed to introduce relevant technologies." As for mortars, we have already placed additional orders for seamless steel pipes in the United States, and we have begun trial production of larger caliber mortars. ”

"Oh?" Chen Jingyun has always been concerned about mortars, when the arsenal developed mortars, it launched three calibers, namely 60 mm, 80 mm and 100 mm, at that time, it was thought that the status of 100 mm mortars was embarrassing, and the surname price ratio was not suitable, so he gave up, but based on the urgent demand of the national army for large-caliber artillery, the arsenal was ready to develop a larger caliber mortar.

Tang Huikang said: "We have developed a 120mm mortar, which is currently undergoing relevant tests, and if it goes well, a small number of mass production will begin at the end of the year." ”

Chen Jingyun nodded: "How is the artillery?" ”

Hearing Chen Jingyun ask about artillery, Tang Huikang had an embarrassed look on his face: "Dudu, there is no progress in artillery yet!" ”

Hearing this, Chen Jingyun frowned slightly: "Why hasn't there been any progress yet, the imitation was started last year, didn't you say that you had already made a sample cannon in May?" Now, after a few months, is it still the same? ”

Tang Huikang explained: "After the explosion accident of the prototype gun in May, we tried to produce several prototype guns, but because the problem of the barrel has not been solved, the gun is ......."

Chen Jingyun tapped on the table: "It seems that it is still a matter of steel!" Didn't we introduce the technology of medium-caliber artillery this time, and there is also the technology of the relevant steel plant, so you can wait first, but if you can't get it out by then, don't make other excuses! ”

"Humble duty understands!" Tang Huikang.

Chen Jingyun only asked a little about the arsenal, it was impossible to check all of them carefully, Tang Huikang left after the report, but as soon as Tang Huikang left, Sa Zhenbing and Yu Wentao from the Navy Department entered together.

"Commander!" The current Sa Zhenbing, like other soldiers in the National Army, has called Chen Jingyun as the commander.

Chen Jingyun didn't plan to hold up in front of a navy veteran like Sa Zhenbing, so he got up and said, "Oh, Sa Lao is here!" ”

Chen Jingyun was polite, but Sa Zhenbing did not rely on the old and sell the old, but took two steps forward very politely.

"Are you still used to it over there?" Chen Jingyun asked after taking a sip of tea.

Sa Zhenbing said: "Very good, although our Navy Department is smaller, it has few people but is strong, and Yu Wentao was also organized before." ”

After saying this, Sa Zhenbing took out a telegram and handed it to Chen Jingyun: "This is a telegram from Shanghai, commander, please take a look!" ”

Chen Jingyun unfolded the telegram and looked at it, but after seeing the contents inside, he showed doubts: "The Admiralty is really poor and can't even send out the salary?" ”

Sa Zhenbing sighed: "Although Liu Guanxiong in the north is clamoring for money every day, the navy is really having a hard time now!" ”

The telegram in Chen Jingyun's hand was sent by Wen Tinghe, captain of the First Fleet Haiqi, and of course, this telegram was not sent to Chen Jingyun, nor was it publicly sent to the Navy Department of the Nationalist Army, but to Sa Zhenbing in a private name. In addition to congratulating Sa Zhenbing on his promotion to vice admiral and taking up his post as chief of the Navy Division of the National Army, the telegram also complained to Sa Zhenbing that he had not received a military salary since the Haiqi traveled around the world and returned to China in May this year, and that the officers and men of the ship had not been paid for nearly three months, and asked Sa Zhenbing to help find a way.

Haiqi is one of the two cruisers ordered from Britain when the Qing court rebuilt the navy after the First Sino-Japanese Naval War, with a displacement of more than 4,300 tons, and it is also the largest warship after China's Dingyuan and Zhenyuan, originally there were two of the same class, but after the Haitian hit the reef and sank in 1904, there was only such a one, when the Xinhai Revolution broke out, the Haiqi was led by Cheng Biguang to the United Kingdom to attend the coronation of George V, and then visited the United States, Cuba and other countries, until he returned to China in May this year. After returning to China, the Haiqi was assigned to the First Fleet, and Cheng Biguang was also dismissed and assigned to Shanghai.

However, after returning to China, due to the shortage of funds of the Admiralty and Cheng Biguang's factor, the Haiqi received the salaries of the officers and soldiers in the first month after it returned, but after three months, it did not take a penny, and the Haiqi was in urgent need of overhaul and maintenance after the round-the-world cruise, but the Admiralty could not even guarantee the salaries of the personnel of the navy ships, and there was no money to do major repairs and maintenance for this big guy of more than 4,000 tons.

If there were no accidents, the officers and men on the Haiqi could only endure it, but after Sa Zhenbing unexpectedly served as the head of the Navy Division of the National Army and made a high-profile comeback to the military circles, not only the people in the Yanjing Admiralty paid attention, but even the officers and men of the ships under the Navy also paid attention. As soon as Sa Zhenbing became the head of the naval department, he announced that the Fuzhou fleet would pay the follow-up balance of the Feihong and buy the Feihong back to China, which was almost obvious to tell others that the Nationalist Army was not short of money. In addition, Wen Tinghe, the current captain of the Haiqi, has a close relationship with Sa Zhenbing, and he used to be commensurate with teachers and students, so it was natural to put his mind on Sa Zhenbing's side.

Chen Jingyun was a little emotional when he saw the content of such a telegram, in order to compete for the loyalty of the navy, Yuan Shikai not only used the formation of the Feihong to attack his prestige some time ago, but then he did not hesitate to use millions of national debts to pay off the final payment of the ships built by Britain and Germany, but he only cared about these major events and forgot about the ordinary naval officers and men below.

And Wen Tinghe even sent a telegram to Sa Zhenbing asking for help, saying that he asked the teacher to intercede with Chen Jingyun to see if he could give a batch of expenses to the Haiqi to solve the urgent need.

Sa Zhenbing saw Chen Jingyun close the telegram and said: "Commander, this Wen Ting and I know, and they are also my students, if it weren't for the fact that there was no way, they wouldn't have sent me such a telegram!" ”

Chen Jingyun hesitated in his heart, this directly sent money to others to help the Admiralty raise the army, Chen Jingyun was naturally unwilling, so he thought about it and said: "Sa Lao, in this way, you send them a message, saying that as long as they come to Fuzhou, I, Chen Jingyun, will support them, not only to give enough cash salary, but also not enough to owe the military salary!" ”