Chapter 1030: Let's All Divide the Government's Funds
Chapter 1030: Let's All Divide the Government's Funds
The faces of every British official present, both military and civilian, darkened instantly without exception.
The Avenger carried the Empire's hopes of reclaiming control of the Mediterranean; there was no room for even the slightest error. Yet, it had broken down on its very first voyage.
Admiral Jervis threw out a curt "Submit a report to me" before turning and disappearing into the cabin.
Sandel, who was attending the maiden voyage ceremony on behalf of the Boulton-Watt Company, was also extremely nervous. He feared that the "backdoor" components, such as the steam pressure gauges or safety valves, might have malfunctioned prematurely.
Currently, Britain had only completed the construction of seventeen light steam warships. If the ruse was exposed now, the impact on the British Navy would be quite limited.
At the same time, he himself might face an investigation by British intelligence agencies.
He quickly feigned concern for the warship and followed several investigators from the Navy Board onto the Avenger.
Half an hour later, Sandel stepped into the Avenger's engine room, pushing through the lingering smoke and soot. He immediately saw the snapped crankshaft of the steam engine and the piston rods twisted like pretzels. It was a miserable sight.
At dinner, Sandel chatted with his partner, Frank, about the morning's ceremony. "You should have seen it. The expressions on Jervis and Middleton's faces... it was as if they had just swallowed a piece of dog shit, haha!"
"That's right, I confirmed it wasn't a failure of the steam engine itself. Judging by the displacement of the transmission gears, the ship's axle most likely snapped..."
Frank's fork, which was reaching for a piece of fried fish, suddenly stopped in mid-air. He frowned and asked, "Are you sure the axle broke?"
"Most likely."
As a technician, Sandel didn't know that the French Security Bureau had also tampered with the ship's axles, but Frank, an intelligence officer, knew some of the inside story.
It seemed this sea trial failure was likely because the tampering with the Lignum Vitae had been a bit too heavy-handed.
"You must not mention this to anyone else," Frank quickly urged Sandel. That same night, he reported the matter to his superiors via an encrypted letter.
The next day.
In a small bookstore in the northern suburbs of London, the "manager," Portier, was dusting the bookshelves. Suddenly, he saw a man of medium build wearing a long black coat push open the door. The man closed his umbrella and raised a hand in greeting. "Mr. Payne, I heard that I could purchase 'The Religious Significance of Partial Differential Equations' here."
"Payne" was the name Portier used in Britain.
Three months ago, he had arrived in London as the Security Bureau's liaison for the Irish independence movement. This bookstore was the "office" provided to him by the Irish.
Portier motioned for the old Scotsman nearby to mind the shop while he led the man in black up to the second floor. "The book you're looking for is over here."
Once they entered the room on the left side of the second floor, Portier closed the door. The man in black immediately spoke. "Please contact Mr. Maynard as soon as possible. We need General Sykes to do us a favor."
Portier quickly stood at attention. "Yes, Mr. Hart. But who is this General Sykes?"
"The head of logistics for the British Navy Board. He has some connections with the Irish."
Portier asked instinctively, "What happened?"
"Hart" was the overall head of the Security Bureau in London. For him to deliver an order personally meant it was certainly no small matter.
Following his habit, "Hart" walked to the window and peered down through a crack in the curtains. "Well, you'll find out sooner or later. There's been a problem with the ship axles we sold to the British. We must cover it up..."
This batch of Lignum Vitae was one of the "double insurances" against the British steam warships; it wouldn't be ideal to expose it too early.
Meanwhile, the business with the British shipyards was still ongoing in Jamaica. Although the price of a single Lignum Vitae axle had been discounted to 3,000 pounds sterling, it was still highly profitable.
Moreover, as long as they continued to supply the British, it would prevent them from looking for Lignum Vitae elsewhere. According to the Crown Prince, this plant also grew on other islands in the Caribbean, just not as densely as in Jamaica.
After his superior finished, Portier nodded. "So, we just need to prevent the Navy Board from investigating the cause of the accident?"
"Exactly."
The recently recruited agent considered his words. "Perhaps we don't need to ask the Irish for help. That would cost a lot of money and carry the risk of a leak. You know, the Irish aren't exactly known for being tight-lipped."
"Oh? What do you suggest?"
"Are you aware that the British government has established a 'Government Investment Fund'?"
"Hart" nodded. "Yes, a shameless copy of our Industrial Development Fund."
"This fund holds a massive sum of over four million pounds sterling, and they are currently planning its investment direction. Everyone is eyeing it greedily, including the British Navy Board. If we do this..."
By the time Portier finished explaining, "Hart" was nodding repeatedly. "I think it's worth a try. You have a very flexible mind. If this succeeds, I will personally apply for your promotion."
That afternoon, Frank arrived at the office of Sir Hope, the director of the Chatham Dockyard.
"You cannot allow the Navy Board to continue this investigation," Frank said, getting straight to the point. "The investigation might last a month or two. During this time, people will suspect that our company's steam engine failure caused the accident. This will severely impact the company's stock price."
"And as the dockyard director and the designer of the Avenger, you will bear the primary responsibility regardless of which part is found to be at fault."
"What can I do?" Hope said with a gloomy expression. "I have no influence over the Navy Board's decisions."
"No, you do," Frank said, looking at him. "First, have your people quickly draw up a plan for the mass production of steam paddleboats, and then use it to apply for investment from the Government Investment Fund."
"What? What use is that?"
Frank waved his hand dismissively. "Increasing the number of steamships built can significantly drive down costs, including those of steam warships. That's how the French shipyards do it."
"This will help the Navy Board save a large amount of money."
"Furthermore, the more they build, the more mature the technology becomes, and the lower the likelihood of failure."
"But if the Navy Board announces at this time that our new steam warship suffered a major accident on its maiden voyage, it will inevitably cause the Government Investment Fund to reject the steam paddleboat project."
"At the very least, it would significantly reduce the investment amount."
"If the Navy Board wants to procure cheap warships, they will have to halt the investigation into this incident."
He leaned in closer. "If that still doesn't sway the Navy Board, you can also tell Sir Middleton that the funds the shipyard receives from the investment fund can be used to subsidize the construction of warships in certain ways—"
"For example, the steam paddleboat project could purchase high-grade timber, while the warships purchase ordinary timber, and then they can be swapped during the production process."
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