Chapter 437 Taking the Suez Canal

"Mr. Mamish, I'm very sorry to disturb you." Qin Tao took Vitalia to a certain place and met his old friend.

When Mamish saw the guest in front of him, he certainly knew what he was here for. A warm smile appeared on his face: "Mr. Qin, you are very welcome. Is there anything you need my help with?"

"Your Excellency Mamish, you should have heard that our Mingzhou Group recently received a ship modification business and helped transport it. It wants to pass through the Suez Canal, but the management of the canal has always refused." Qin Thao said: "For us, if we take a detour, it will waste a lot of time and money, so if possible, we hope to use the Suez Canal."

"Of course I've heard about this." Mamish said: "You made a fool of the Turkish people in the Turkey Strait, and the person in charge of the channel even lost his job. You are really amazing."

"Your Excellency Mamish, what you said is not appropriate. It is obviously the other party who is deliberately making things difficult." Qin Tao said: "After all, it is an international waterway, which is different from here. The canal area here belongs to you, so your The party has the right to decide whether to let us pass. We hope that you can provide us with this convenience."

"Your floating dock is too huge, and the Dongfang Sea City Wall is mounted on it. It's too huge, so it's really not easy to pass." Mamish said, "This is not because we don't provide convenience. , if something goes wrong and the route is blocked, it will be a big trouble."

Qin Tao nodded: "Yes, it is too huge, but even hundreds of thousands of tons of oil tankers can pass through. Our ship is much easier to control than those oil tankers."

Tankers, container ships, etc. can all pass through the canal, so why can’t our Shenzhou floating dock? It was also a tanker and frequently used the Suez Canal.

 Hearing Qin Tao's words, Mamish shook his head helplessly: "I'm sorry, there's really nothing I can do about this."

 What to do next? Leave directly? How can that work? For Qin Tao, there is still a glimmer of hope, so he must work harder.

 Use the diesel-electric submarine ordered by the other party to make a fuss? Of course this is not appropriate, after all, one size is one size.

 After all, the situation here is different from that of Tuji. It is really passing through other people’s territory.

Vitalia looked at Qin Tao expectantly. Sure enough, Qin Tao lived up to his expectations. He had an idea and suddenly thought of something.

"Well, since you have difficulties, we won't force you. We can't make it difficult for you." Qin Tao said: "Let's stop this matter. By the way, have you heard that there is no Arctic shipping route? "

Mamish hasn’t realized anything yet: “Arctic route? Are you talking about the American route?”

Starting from the Bering Strait, heading east along the offshore waters of northern Alaska in the United States, passing through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and reaching the Davis Strait, we can complete an east-west transportation mission in the Americas. This route is closer than detouring through Panama. Much, so popular in the United States and Canada, there are already ships going this way during the northern hemisphere summer.

Qin Tao shook his head: "Of course not, I'm talking about the Northeast Passage. Go directly to the north of Damao, so that we can have the shortest route, directly connecting the two continents of Europe and Asia."

 Mamish's expression suddenly changed.

The reason why the Suez Canal has a steady stream of profits is that it is nearby the main oil-producing areas. To transport oil to Europe, it is most convenient to use the Suez Canal. On the other hand, there is a large demand for transportation from Asia to Europe.

There are four little dragons in the East, with huge markets and products. They have very frequent exchanges with Europe. If we can use the Suez Canal, this route is by far the most economical.

However, there are certainly routes that are closer than this route, such as taking the North Pole!

You can’t look at that flat map. It looks like Lao Maozi’s northern border is quite long. The map is distorted. The North Pole is clearly a point, but on that map it is stretched a lot.

You can tell by looking at a globe how close it is to Da Mao from the north.

For example, from the island country to Germany, the Eurasian waterway via the Suez Canal is about 12,500 miles long, while the Arctic waterway is only about 9,300 miles long. The latter saves about ten days in transportation time than the former.

 So, the advantages of this route are evident.

However, there are also disadvantages to this route.

"Mr. Qin, the route you mentioned was still feasible during the Red Empire era, but after the collapse of the Red Empire, they lacked sufficient funds to maintain the operation of the route. Now, this route is almost abandoned."

For Lao Maozi, this sea route is very important, so Lao Maozi has always maintained it. Since 1935, even if the sea route has been opened up, Lao Maozi's cargo ships often use it when traveling between the east and the west. this route.

 However, there are also problems.

 There is no problem with a cargo ship sailing normally, but what if it encounters an accident? A port must be found nearby to anchor, so ports must be set up along the way, and at least there must be rescue points to provide supplies and the like.

In other words, there must be a number of guaranteed bases in the frozen soil at high latitudes.

Secondly, it is very cold there, and even in summer, the shipping route will often freeze. Therefore, if you want to be able to navigate, the ship needs to have a certain ability to withstand glaciers, and if it is frozen, it will need the help of an icebreaker.

 During the Red Empire era, Lao Maozi built a lot of icebreakers, and even nuclear-powered icebreakers. There were four icebreakers with a displacement of more than 30,000 tons. However, with the collapse of the Red Empire, these icebreakers became fewer and fewer.

Mamish doesn’t believe that this route can work.

“It depends on who will be in charge.” Qin Tao said: “We attach great importance to the Eurasian route, so our Mingzhou Group hopes to develop this route in the future, and we also have unique advantages.”

Beside Qin Tao, sitting next to Vitalia, there is no need to hide her identity, many people know it.

 The two of them can really succeed if they join forces to develop this route.

"In the future, when our Mingzhou Group builds ships, we will also build ships with ice resistance to increase navigation capabilities in the Arctic. After all, the transportation of this route can greatly save costs. We believe that there is no road in the world. , when there are more people walking on it, it becomes a road. Whether it is on land or on the sea."

 What Qin Tao means is very clear.

We have already suffered a lot of grievances at Tuji, and we have suppressed a lot of anger. If you are still here to push back and forth, we will take a detour. However, even if this bridge is closed, in the future, we will still We will look for new shipping routes. Our Mingzhou Group is strong and can work with Damao to develop the Arctic shipping routes.

 When the time comes, do you still want to sit on the ground and collect money? Your profits will also be greatly reduced!

You must know that one of the incomes of the pyramid country is tourism and the other is the canal!

 If there are fewer ships passing through the canal, their income will be greatly reduced.

"Everyone in the world can see that the canal, which is only 300 meters wide, is a choke point for shipping. Once there is a problem here, there will be a big problem. Therefore, there will definitely be people who want to find alternative roads. "Qin Tao said: "Moreover, as the global climate continues to warm, the ice there will gradually disappear. It will become easier and easier to travel in the future, but someone needs to open it up first."

"Mr. Qin, your idea is very important. I will convey your idea to the canal management agency." Mamish said: "Please be patient."

“We only have one day to decide which route to take.” Qin Tao said, “I hope we can receive good news from you tomorrow morning.”

After finishing speaking, Qin Tao stood up: "We are very sincere in treating our friends. We were all once the four ancient civilizations, and we are all countries of etiquette."

They are also the four major ancient civilizations. Look at Xiguo, they come to offer help. Look at you, you are just passing by. How can you be so uninteresting? Can we all still be friends in the future?

Vitalia didn't speak during the whole process, she just kept smiling. Now, after coming out, Vitalia said: "Qin, you are so talented, using the Arctic route to threaten them is the best. This When words come out of your mouth, they have to believe them even if they don’t believe them.”

　　If it were someone else who came to the Pyramid Country to show off, I am going to open up an Arctic shipping route. In the future, fewer and fewer ships will pass through your place. Are you afraid? He will definitely be dismissed as a lunatic.

 However, Qin Tao is different.

Mingzhou Group, led by Qin Tao, is now famous all over the world. Qin Tao said that it is really possible to succeed in opening up an Arctic shipping route.

If this route is really opened up, there is no doubt that the one they least want to see is the Pyramid Country. Therefore, they must make some friendly gestures now. Otherwise, they can do anything if they **** off Qin Tao. come out.

"I really want to open up this sea route. For us, this sea route is too important." Qin Tao said: "Even if there is no such thing, we will still design a number of ships capable of sailing in the Arctic in the future. .”

Qin Tao is making a lot of plans. He proposes to build railways and oil pipelines directly to Gwadar Port, so that when needed, land transportation can be used to avoid the Strait of Malacca, the choke point. This is because oil must be transported from oil areas and there is no There is another way.

For the motherland, it will become a major manufacturing country in the future, and its contacts with Europe will be very frequent. If we always use the Suez Canal, we will also have to use Malacca.

To avoid Malacca, the only way is to open up the Arctic route. Therefore, this road will have to be taken in the future. Since it has to be taken, of course, it must be planned in advance.

Hearing Qin Tao's words, Vitalia was a little curious. She didn't know what Qin Tao's purpose was. She thought for a while and then said: "Then even if the Pyramid Country agrees to us taking the canal, can we still open up a navigation route?"



Qin Tao smiled: "If they agree, then we can be a few years later."

 Any commitment is time-sensitive. Qin Tao's promise to be a few years late, of course, doesn't count. After all, the world is changing rapidly, and there are too many things that can change in a few years.

Vitalia smiled. When it comes to deceiving people, Qin Tao is definitely a good one. She continued: "I don't know if the people from the Pyramid Country will agree."

"Who knows, if you agree, it will be an unexpected surprise." Qin Tao was very open-minded.

 Unexpectedly, an unexpected surprise really came.

The next day, the person in charge of the canal management department personally called them and told them that the Shenzhou floating dock could pass through the canal, but it needed to sign a commitment letter. If it ran aground and the waterway was accidentally blocked, all losses would be incurred. Compensated by Green Venture Company.

This is of course the right thing to do. If you block the waterway, you will lose a lot of money in one day. You have to pay the compensation. In later generations, the unlucky container ship got stuck in the middle of the canal, causing the canal to be blocked for three months. Hundreds of ships nearby The wait to cross the river became a spectacle that later cost the shipowner hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

Of course, that was just carelessness.

 The current Shenzhou will certainly not make such a mistake.

A few days later, the huge group finally moved to the Suez Canal.

The tugboat Nikolai Chikel finally changed its towing direction for the first time and came to the rear of this combination.

This time, we really have to provide braking capability when needed. After all, even if we pass slowly at a speed of a few knots, once the ship goes sideways, it is still difficult to have time to react. You know, this is the narrowest part of the canal. , only about three hundred meters!

 That container ship in later generations would be blocked immediately if it were all turned sideways.

At this time, on the Shenzhou, Yang Xin looked at the scenes on both sides and felt very emotional: "This is the first time we have walked through the Suez Canal since the refit."

Although I have been to Lao Maozi to transport submarines before, since the destination is St. Petersburg, taking the Suez Canal will not save much distance, and it will also attract attention, so I simply took a detour and took the Atlantic Ocean.

This time I originally planned to take the Atlantic route, but I didn't expect to take a shortcut.

The people on the Dongfang Haiqi City above were even more emotional. Looking out from the ship island, they could see everything around them, and it felt like climbing up to see far away.

“Our perspective is absolutely unprecedented and unprecedented.” Zhang Zhen said with emotion.

Even if the US aircraft carrier passes by, it is not that high. After all, their Dongfang Sea Blockade is sitting directly on the floating dock, which is eight or nine meters higher than it is sailing!

 In addition, the ship's island is already tall.

Although the rusty surface looks very rough, once you drive to the Mingzhou Shipyard, it will definitely become brand new.

 Everyone was very excited thinking that the ship was getting closer and closer to home.

There are countless people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait watching, and their views are very complicated.

“Damn it, no matter how hard we try, we still can’t stop this ship from sailing to the east.” From a window, someone looked here and clenched his fists.

"Yes, we have only one way left. As long as we place mines under the water and blow them up, we can block it and make them bankrupt with high compensation." Another person said.

　　咣!

At this moment, the door outside was suddenly kicked open, and then a group of uniformed men rushed in, each holding a fire stick: "You are suspected of damaging the canal, and we are arresting you now!"

 “We didn’t do anything!”

"Your accomplices who went to lay mines have been found by us. You guys deserve to go to hell!"

 Such things were carried out quietly. A group tried to sabotage the canal and prevent this group from passing through. The relevant departments of the Pyramid State also took action. After receiving the mysterious news, they quickly dispatched, and as expected, something was achieved.

 I don’t know how many people are working silently for the safe return of the Oriental Sea Blockade to China.

After crossing the narrowest Suez Canal, entering the Red Sea, crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and entering the trumpet-like Gulf of Aden.

 Then it will be a smooth journey.

The tugboat Nikolai Chikel moved to the front and was still towing ahead. The sailors on the ship knew that the road ahead would be smooth and they were very happy.

 They don’t know that danger is slowly approaching.

 In the southern part of the Gulf of Aden, there is an endless desert area as far as the eye can see.

 The waves lapped at the beach, and then slowly receded. A mottled fishing boat docked there. In the shadow of the fishing boat, several people squatted there, smoking cigarettes.

"Didi" The sound of a car horn came from the distance. They raised their heads and saw a Toyota pickup truck driving through the gravel, with countless yellow sand rolled up behind it.

"I'm coming!"

 They stood up excitedly and threw away the cigarette butts in their hands.

“Abbas, have they really brought us good things?”

"Yes, Hassan, if they dare to lie, we will kill them and eat their flesh!" The young man named Abbas was very arrogant.

 The pickup truck drove up and two bodyguards in black suits got out of the car, protecting a middle-aged man with a big belly. The middle-aged man smoked a cigar and looked very high-end.

“Mr. Nicholas, have you brought your things?”

“Yes, I brought it, five AKs, three hundred rounds of ammunition, and two RPGs. These things are enough for you. I wish you success.” Nicholas said, winking at the people around him.

So the bodyguard went to the pickup truck behind him and took out the things.

Abbas excitedly picked up the AK, made a clatter, and pulled the bolt.

 The bodyguard's expression suddenly changed, he protected Nicholas behind him, and at the same time reached into his arms to draw his gun.

Then he saw Abbas pointing his gun at the sky and pulling the trigger.

Chuch tug tug!

The mouth of the AK was flaming, the sound carried far across the empty beach, and bullet casings were constantly thrown out from the side.

 A magazine was emptied like this!

These guys are really good at everything they do and enjoy first place! There were only three hundred rounds of ammunition in total, and thirty rounds were used up in one go!

After finishing the fight, Abbas was very excited and looked at Nicholas: "It's very good. We are very satisfied with these things."

At this time, Hassan had also received an RPG. However, he did not immediately put it on his shoulders. Instead, he poked the thing in the sand, knelt down and kowtowed to it, and still spoke plausibly. What are you saying.

 Nicholas's eyes were full of contempt. Do these guys think that praying can make this thing hit the target?

However, he quickly put away his contempt. He came here for important things.

“Abbas, an AK costs 20 US dollars, an RPG costs 30 US dollars, a total of 160 US dollars, and the bullets are free.” Nicholas said.

 Hearing this, Abbas's expression became complicated. Where does he have money? It is impossible to buy these things for a few dozen dollars abroad, but here, everything is possible.

 There is a cheaper way, of course it is free.

Just when he was about to make a move, another person got out of the pickup truck and placed a machine gun on the cargo box of the pickup truck as if nothing had happened. Therefore, Abbas immediately gave up his unrealistic fantasy. If you want to take advantage of others, you will be eaten up by the opponent in one bite, leaving no trace behind.

"If you don't have money, I can provide a way to make money." Nicholas continued.

"Really? What method?" Abbas asked quickly.

"The sea." Nicholas said: "Behind you is the sea. Your ancestors have been here for generations, but in recent decades, trawlers from all over the world have come here to fish and catch everything in the sea. You fishermen who have been working for generations have not had any harvest, this is unfair!”

"Yes, that's right!" After hearing this, Hassan stood up after praying, with anger on his face.

In recent decades, large foreign fishing boats have been passing by, taking away all the sea fish. If they could still fish, they would not be in this situation!

“This place originally belonged to you, but it was robbed by others. Do you want to take back what you lost?”

 “Think! But, what are we going to do?”

"Robbery those ships!" Nicholas said: "The waterways near here belong to you, but no one has paid the tolls. You should take the initiative to get them. You only need to take the small boat, step on those ships, and control those ships. With enough profit, a normal cargo ship can pay at least several million dollars in tolls, or even tens of millions!"

 Hearing this, Abbas opened his eyes wide.

 That’s right, why didn’t I think of this way of making money? There was a flame of hope in his eyes.

"You are here to safeguard national interests. Your actions will inevitably be admired by more people. In the future, you will also need more weapons. You are welcome to continue to come to me. This first batch of weapons will wait until you succeed. It's not too late to give me money." Nicholas was very generous.

"Okay, let's go now, but we don't know which ship to start with!"

"If you want to succeed, you have to attack slow-moving targets." Nicholas said: "Now, there is a floating dock, with the help of tugboats, coming from the Red Sea. If you attack it, you will definitely succeed. Moreover, The owner of the ship is very rich, and that ship is worth at least 20 million US dollars. Think about it, you can get 20 million US dollars with one move!"

Abbas swallowed and said: "Okay, then we will attack this ship!"

Nicholas had a smile on his face. These things were nothing to him. What he wanted was to hinder the navigation of the ship!

For this reason, even if it opens a Pandora's box, I won't hesitate!

 (End of this chapter)