"History's inertia and its ability to rectify itself are indeed formidable! I never expected the 'Nassau-class' battleships to materialize after all this time. However, my design for the 'Nassau-class' battleship is undoubtedly far superior to the historical German Navy's version!" After emerging from Wilhelm II's office and returning to his room, Qin Tian lay on his bed, somewhat exasperated.
Under the sagacious decision of Wilhelm II, the four battleships to be constructed at Qin Tian's shipyard were named the 'Nassau-class', with the lead ship being the 'Nassau', followed by the 'Westphalia', the 'Rhineland', and the 'Posen'.
Of course, these four battleships would be utilized to repay Qin Tian's debts to the Crown. As for his promise to donate the next-generation battleship to the Navy, that would have to be postponed. This meant he would incur greater costs, but by that time, Qin Tian's wealth would have significantly increased, rendering the expense negligible.
After Christmas, Qin Tian became increasingly busy. Wilhelm II formally transferred the Royal Ship Repair Yard to Qin Tian, and upon signing the transfer documents, he became the owner of the shipyard. Additionally, a loan of 120 million marks was credited to Qin Tian's account. However, Wilhelm II imposed stringent conditions, stipulating that the funds must exclusively be used for the shipyard's expansion, with no other expenditures permitted. Qin Tian had no objections to this.
Regarding the management of the shipyard, Wilhelm II advised Qin Tian to consult Essen von Jonalett, who recommended a candidate named Brute. At 42, he was formerly the deputy director of the Germania Shipyard but had resigned due to certain issues. Nonetheless, his capabilities in managing a shipyard were undeniable.
After being introduced by Essen, Qin Tian met Brute and promptly decided to hire him as the director of his newly acquired German Shipyard. To Qin Tian's delight, Essen did not leave the Germania Shipyard alone; he brought along a group of essential management and technical personnel, which undoubtedly saved Qin Tian considerable effort.
Given the Royal Ship Repair Yard's history of losses, he would retain none of the original management team. Initially troubled by how to address these shortcomings, the arrival of Brute resolved these concerns.
When the ownership change occurred, Qin Tian also renamed the Royal Ship Repair Yard to the German Shipyard, mirroring the name of the Deutsche Lottery Company. In the future, Qin Tian planned to establish more enterprises, such as Deutsche Automobile Manufacturing and Deutsche Aircraft Manufacturing, creating an industrial conglomerate under the banner of "German."
Shortly after New Year's Day, Qin Tian and Brute boarded a train to Danzig, marking the official takeover of the now-renamed German Shipyard.
"Your Highness, I have thoroughly examined your design blueprints for the 'Nassau-class' battleship. I must admit, it is a groundbreaking design. However, realizing the new technologies you propose will likely be quite challenging," Brute expressed with concern.
The 'Nassau-class' battleship designed by Qin Tian featured triple-barreled main guns, oil-fired boilers, steam turbines, and an arrangement of heavy artillery—all innovative technologies. Even the largest shipyards would find it difficult to implement these technologies immediately, let alone a medium-sized yard like the German Shipyard, which, even after expansion, would still face limitations.
Qin Tian nodded, "I understand, but we have ample time. The shipyard's expansion will commence immediately, allowing us to begin construction by mid-year. Insufficient technical capabilities are not a problem; we can slow our construction pace and aim for service before 1908. Necessary technologies can be purchased or developed in-house. We can also recruit talented individuals from other shipyards. As long as they are truly skilled, we can offer attractive salaries."
"Your Highness, that might further alienate other shipyards," Brute frowned.
"Rest assured, they will soon have little energy left to target us. The Navy will also recognize our capabilities. Before long, we will receive a steady stream of orders from them, while the others can only watch," Qin Tian replied with a confident smile.
He believed that if their 'Nassau-class' battleship succeeded, many would be taken aback, particularly those from the Navy Technical Committee. Consequently, the Navy would likely favor placing orders with their shipyard. Other shipyards, in pursuit of contracts, would have no choice but to seek their favor.
"Very well, Your Highness," Brute nodded. With Qin Tian's decision made, he simply needed to comply.
The Friedrich Royal Ship Repair Yard was located on the left bank of the Vistula River, facing the Schichau Shipyard across the water. Both shipyards had histories exceeding a century; initially, they were royal properties of the Prussian crown. Over time, Schichau was sold off, expanding into its current scale through two major renovations, while the Friedrich Shipyard, despite undergoing two expansions, failed to keep pace with modern operational concepts and remained a medium-sized yard with just over three hundred workers.
Upon arriving, Qin Tian immediately convened a meeting with the shipyard's management. The lackluster management team had been almost entirely replaced, retaining only a select few capable individuals. As for the ordinary workers, only a handful of troublemakers were dismissed, allowing the majority to stay. This eased their concerns about job security following the shipyard's transfer, as the new owner, Prince Oscar of the German Empire, did not appear to be a tyrant.
After spending two days at the shipyard and entrusting its future development to Brute, Qin Tian departed for Berlin, as he had other matters to attend to.
"Though the German Shipyard is still a money pit, soon all of Europe will be astonished. The fate of the German Empire may very well be transformed as a result," Qin Tian pondered during his return journey. The shipyard was poised to begin producing modern battleships, and possibly aircraft carriers and submarines, thereby altering the balance of power for Germany.