by <unknown>
Chapter 146: Customizing a Ship |
The pirate attack this time had resulted in a total of one hundred and thirty-five crew members and twenty-three passengers who were dead or injured.
After repelling the first onslaught by the pirates, Prince Steele immediately ordered the ship to turn back and they returned to Walvis Bay overnight.
As the host, Chen Chen casually paid for the remaining vacancies in all the hotels of Walvis Bay, so that the passengers who had escaped with their lives had a place to stay.
These poor people would probably never dare to set foot on a ship again.
As for this pirate attack, the Namibian authorities also expressed that they took this matter very seriously, stating that in the near future, combating pirate forces would be one of their basic national policies.
On Chen Chen's side, the heirs of the four financial families had died at his hands. Naturally, what followed next was a whole lot of trouble. Even so, it was a good thing that there were so many witnesses in the casino, so there were no issues that could not be cleared up.
Moreover, since it was their foolish sons who wanted to usurp the throne, those fathers, as long as they were not completely useless, would not be oblivious to what was going on.
Chen Chen was not interested in the subsequent matters and simply handed over the whole shambles for Qian Wenhuan to deal with. He took the company's negotiators with him and flew directly to Germany, Europe.
Germany was a nation under the federal system of the Earth Federation. It had suffered a disastrous defeat after World War II but in 1992, the United Nations' five core members announced that the United Nations would officially transform into the Earth Federation, causing a thorough reshuffle of all the forces in the world. Germany slickly got rid of its image as a defeated country and had gained an opportunity to rise once more.
With Little X making the appointment, Chen Chen headed straight to the Meyer Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, to discuss his order of a cruise ship with the shipyard's boss.
There were only four shipyards in the world capable of building cruise ships of more than 200,000 tons, namely the Aker Shipyard in Finland, the Meyer Shipyard in Germany, the Atlantic Shipyard in France, and the Fincantieri Shipyard in Italy.
Although the Meyer Shipyard was not the most affordable one among these, it had the fastest construction speed among all shipyards.
The Meyer Shipyard was known as the "German Master", being the largest and most modern shipyard in Germany. As soon as Chen Chen got off the plane, the manager of the Meyer Shipyard was there to welcome him.
After a round of greetings, they all got into the car and headed toward the headquarters of the Meyer Shipyard.
After that, Chen Chen toured the dock of the Meyer Shipyard, which was the largest indoor dock in the world up until now.
This dock was 504 meters long, 125 meters wide, and 75 meters tall. Being in it was like standing in the middle of a dragon's nest, in which humans were just tiny bugs.
The person in charge of bringing Chen Chen around the dock was a middle-aged man in his forties, who had a goatee and a calm, steady temperament.
At this moment, the man was saying, "Mr. Chen Chen, that ends our tour. May I ask what sort of cruise ship you're thinking of customizing?'
"Are there many types of cruise ships?" Chen Chen eyed a cruise ship under construction as he asked.
"Not that many, but according to the categories of economic level, cruise ships could be divided into economic and commercial cruise ships. Besides, there's also the luxury cruise ship."
The man with the goatee explained, "For example, the Oasis-class cruise ships, which are the largest in the world, are all luxury cruise ships.
"The main feature of a luxury cruise ship is to emphasize the travel experience of passengers. You should know that the size of the Oasis-class cruise ships can accommodate tens of thousands of passengers.
"However, to provide the passengers with a more superior experience, the cruise ship only designed more than 2,000 suites, which can only accommodate 6,000 people. Most of the space has been turned into public facilities for recreation.
"Moreover, the facilities in these ships are also top-notch."
Mr. Goatee pointed at a ship under construction. "On the macro-scale, the restaurants; on the micro-scale, the furniture within the guest rooms — it's just a ship cabin, but the furnishings within are that of a five-star hotel. This is what characterizes a luxury cruise ship."
Chen Chen nodded as he listened. "What about in terms of the engine's power system?"
"For their power systems, cruise ships have high standards for performance, noise, and other benchmarks. According to our company's statistical analysis of global cruise ships, most luxury cruise ships use 'diesel-electric' propulsion power systems, accounting for more than 70%.
"Only 10 cruise ships are using the 'combined diesel' hybrid power system while 33 cruise ships are using diesel power systems. Only 1 cruise ship uses nuclear power for propulsion."
Before Chen Chen could ask anything, Goatee automatically explained, "This 'diesel-electric' propulsion power employs diesel generators to generate electricity, providing electric power to the motor which drives the propellers. It's extremely suitable for luxury cruise ships, both in terms of cost and performance."
"What about nuclear energy?"
Chen Chen asked right away.
Goatee looked a little puzzled by this but still replied, "Although humans have created nuclear power plants, it must be said that the power in cruise ships is very different from land-based installations. The reactors are expensive and difficult to maintain. On a cruise ship, the investment needed for nuclear power is ten times that of ordinary mechanisms, which is very uneconomical."
"I see." Chen Chen nodded. "In that case, let's use a diesel-electric system for my cruise ship, just like everyone else."
"That would be most sensible."
Goatee approved. "So, are you planning to customize the cruise now? I don't know what your requirements are. We have a large number of ship designers who can help you with this."
"I want my cruise ship to be as big as possible."
Chen Chen thought for a while. "About 500 meters in length and 100 meters in width. The more power, the better. I hear that ships have more than one power system?"
"In most cases, cruise ships have one main power system and another backup system," When Goatee heard the measurements Chen Chen listed out, his eyes bulged a little as he replied reflexively.
"In that case, I'll double the whole thing."
Chen Chen nodded. "I want the cruise ship to be equipped with two main power systems and two backup power systems."
"…"
Goatee was startled and then he smiled drily. "Mr. Chen, I'm afraid there's some misunderstanding. A power system includes diesel generators, electric motors, and other equipment. These devices are massive and extremely heavy. Four sets of power equipment would occupy the entire bottom of the hull. Economically speaking, it's not advantageous..."
"That doesn't matter." Chen Chen shook his head. "I'm not building this cruise for profit, but to build a maritime experimental base."
"A maritime experimental base?" Goatee sounded even more baffled.
Chen Chen nodded. "Yes, I want plenty of recreation facilities on my ship, but I don't need guest suites and the like, just some dorms and laboratories at most. Plus, the laboratories need a lot of power system support."
"I understand."
Goatee finally understood and forced a smile. "In other words, you're not planning to build a cruise ship, but a work ship?"
"Yes, a work ship that can be anchored in 'international waters' for experiments," Chen Chen replied pointedly.
"Very well…"
Goatee wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead. "In that case, how much power are you expecting to use? If your boat needs so much room, we recommend that you choose our company's largest Leroy-Somer LSA62 generat
or. Each generator produces around 20,000 kilowatts."
"Of course, I'll choose the most powerful one then," Chen Chen replied matter-of-factly.
"That's the wisest choice."
Goatee was a little relieved. "We have 12 Leroy-Somer LSA62 generators left here. If you want to install a few extra for backup, how many generators would you like to buy?"
When Chen Chen heard this, he stretched out his hand and clenched it tightly into a fist before Goatee's eyes.
"I want all of them!"
Chapter 147: Renting the Symphony of the Seas |
After establishing the fundamentals, it was time for the designer to design the cruise ship.
To show how highly they regarded Chen Chen, the general manager of the shipyard personally came over and appointed ten designers to listen to Chen Chen's requests.
Like students in a class, the ten designers sat behind their desks, each with a tiny notebook, as they jotted down everything that Chen Chen said.
"I want the hull to be as large as possible. If it's doable, the laboratories should be below the main deck of the hull. They must be sealed and well protected.
"I don't need too many laboratories — just about ten large ones and forty to fifty medium and small ones."
Chen Chen thought for a while, pointed to a diagram of a ship's hull, and continued. "For everything above the deck, it can be similar to the 'Symphony of the Seas'. I want a garden at the stern. It doesn't have to take up a lot of space, just enough for those working on the ship to get a sense of reconnecting with nature.
"On both sides of the garden, there should be two blocks of equal height. The interior of these buildings should feature a duplex structure, best constructed as suites, with two bedrooms, one living room, and a balcony with a view of the sea.
"In this manner, the residents who live here can view the garden on one side and the sea on the other. Wouldn't that be an enjoyable pleasure?
"Plus, there must be recreational venues like theatres, pools, and bars on board, along with restaurants and conference rooms. Besides, there should also be crew dormitories and training grounds."
"The suites you mentioned — those won't be the crew dormitories?" a designer asked in surprise.
"Those suites are for the researchers. The crew and guards working for the ship could be arranged to be on the lowest floor, to make emergency meetings more convenient."
Chen Chen explained, "Also, there's no need to be stingy in terms of space. After all, my ship won't need to carry passengers. The rooms for the crew don't need to be too fancy, but they shouldn't be too small. Just design them as standard rooms."
These designers took down Chen Chen's main points in accordance with his planning, after which they started to design at once.
As for the size of the hull, Chen Chen first hoped that it would be more than five hundred meters in length. After all, a ship's stability increased proportionally along with its volume. Nonetheless, this was discouraged by the Meyer Shipyard because if a ship was too massive, it was prone to more hidden risks in terms of building materials.
Therefore, the final hull was set to be 404 meters long, 80 meters wide, and 60 meters tall. There would be 8 layers above the deck, each 4 meters tall.
The length was not a round number because Chen Chen had particularly favored the number 404. It was just like how Chen Chen selected Dorm 404 back then. In Chinese culture, this number had a special significance…
After this group of designers did the calculations, the weight of this customized cruise ship would exceed three hundred and fifty thousand tons. It was one-and-a-half times heavier than the Symphony of the Seas, but because there were fewer guest rooms with luxurious furniture, the final price proposed by the factory was only one and a half billion USD, which was only two hundred million more than what the Symphony of the Seas had cost.
It would take about three months for the Meyer Shipyard to build the components of the hull. In addition to the time needed for the subsequent assembly and furnishing, it would take half a year in total.
Moreover, this was because they were using the modular construction method, just like building blocks.
If they had used the conventional construction method, such a gigantic cruise ship would take at least two years to be completed.
Finally, Chen Chen had to name this cruise ship.
This was because, according to international practice, when a ship's construction had begun, a piece of steel plate would be cut into the shape of the hull's silhouette or the initials of the ship's name, marking the official beginning of the construction work.
Chen Chen thought it over and decided in the end. "In that case, I'll name it 'Blacklight'."
Thus, a cruise ship named Blacklight began its construction process.
Although Blacklight was not the world's biggest ship, it must be the biggest cruise liner in the world as of now.
As Chen Chen walked out of the Meyer Shipyard, he was suddenly at a loss for words.
Now he had another project under construction.
The earliest one was the Blacklight Biotechnology Namibian Nuclear Power Plant, a project which was planned to be finished in eighteen months. It was approved in March 2022 and by now, there were still 11 months left to completion.
Other than that, there was the Eco Science City, which was under the first phase of construction, along with the underground experimental base that would take four months to complete.
Today, he had another cruise ship in the works that would take half a year.
Even after all this, he still did not have any charging facilities he could use…
Chen Chen was rather speechless. In the next second, his phone started ringing.
He turned on the phone, only to see that it was Prince Steele calling.
Chen Chen frowned and wanted to decline the call, but answered it on second thought.
"Dear Chen, where have you been for the last two days?"
Prince Steele's voice sounded a little worn out, but he still laughed out loud. "I want to have a drink with you to properly thank you, but I've been completely frazzled the past two days because of what happened."
"It's fine. When I helped you on the ship, I was also helping myself."
Chen Chen said lightly, "I wonder if there's a reason Your Highness is calling?"
"It's nothing much. I just wanted to ask you something," Prince Steele said, "back then, how did you know that Leo's group had contacted the pirates and got them to attack the Symphony of the Seas?"
"Naturally, I have my own channels."
Chen Chen raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"
"No, no, please don't get me wrong," Prince Steele hastened to explain on the phone, "then, why did you still board the ship?"
"To be honest, if I had received the news earlier, I wouldn't have boarded."
Chen Chen replied, "But unfortunately, I only learned about that when I was on the ship, and by that point, the ship had already left the shore."
The voice on the other end of the phone could not help laughing heartily. "That's truly a shame, Mr. Chen Chen. Still, I want to thank you. If you need my help in any way, please let me know."
When Chen Chen heard this, his heart leaped. "Since you've said that, there's actually something you can help me with."
"Oh?"
Prince Steele sounded a little startled.
"Is the Symphony of the Seas still parked at Walvis Bay?" Chen Chen asked.
"Yes. The Symphony of the Seas belongs to the European Continent, which has sent over investigators to find out what happened."
Prince Steele said helplessly, "I've been asked not to leave Walvis Bay. And they're looking for you, too."
"Looking for me?"
Chen Chen nodded. "I got it. In that case, can you pass a message to the company that owns the Symphony of the Seas — tell them I'm willing to rent the Symphony of the Seas for half a year at the same price you did. I wonder if you can help me with this?"
"This…"
At this, Prince Steele sounded a little embarrassed. "Mr. Chen Chen, you may not know this. Although I rented the Symphony of the Seas at twenty million USD a month, surely you've seen the multitude of shops on board, which are rented by other business partners. Apart from the rent, I also had to pay a sum to these partners."
"That's fine, I can do that too." Chen Chen was unconcerned.
"Since you've said that, things will be easier." Prince Steele sighed in relief. "I believe that I still have a little influence in these matters."
"In that case, I thank you, Your Highness."
After exchanging a few more lines, Chen Chen hung up.
Chapter 148: Federal Bureau of Investigation |
A few days later, Chen Chen arrived at Walvis Bay once again.
This time, besides him and Cheng Cao, they were also accompanied by the local Namibian police chief, Maddaloni, and the captain of the Symphony of the Seas.
Chen Chen and his group got off the car on the dock and walked toward the large, mountainous ship that was not far away.
Under the cloudless clear sky, the huge cruise ship was still quietly moored by the dock. What was startling were the black burn marks from the explosions that were like scars on the body of the ship.
On the surface of the exquisite hull, they seemed exceptionally prominent.
"Mr. Chen Chen, this ship doesn't belong to me personally, but since the day she went out to sea, I've been her father. To me, she's just like my daughter…"
The white-bearded captain pleaded earnestly. "The Symphony of the Seas is now covered in scars. I hope that when you rent it, you can do a little light maintenance on these scars. You don't need to spend too much time or money, a simple treatment is fine. For example, applying a little waterproof glue on the blemishes and…"
"No problem, Captain Bernard."
Chen Chen was so amused that he could only nod. "Believe me, I'll treat her well."