“Damn Russian, you’re screwed!”
Tang Wen hammered hard on the sturdy solid wood table, nearly fracturing his own bones.
He couldn't figure out how he ended up signing a slave contract just by playing a game.
That day, he was playing 《World of Warships》 in his Bedroom when a "Closed Beta Shipbuilding Branch Mission Invitation" suddenly popped up on the game screen, promising all in-game warships for free if he agreed.
Tang Wen confirmed without a second thought, and then a Light Screen reading 【Shipyard Registered】 suddenly appeared in his mind, and he was flung into 1996.
He was inexplicably bound to a Shipyard and had to construct every Warship in the Game before he could return to his original timeline.
Damn Russians! The ships in 《World of Warships》 were all pre-World War II Battleships, Destroyers, and such. In the 90s, Missile Cruisers already dominated the oceans; one "Basalt" heavy Anti-ship Missile could inflict Heavy Damage on a Battleship. Who would build those Antique things?
More critically—the starting conditions were too rudimentary!
The Tang Wen who time-traveled had a legal identity and a Shipyard, but this Shipyard...
Tang Wen surveyed the small room with its 1980s vibe and the Antique Electric Fan, then looked out the window at the semi-open shed.
That’s right, this was a Shipyard built by a villager surnamed Tang in Wan Village, Big Bay Town, occupying less than a thousand square meters, with zero automation, no Dry dock, only tools and Iron Skin raw materials comparable to a car repair shop.
The original "Shipyard" had no name; it was a small shop built by the father of his current identity. Previously, they built wooden Fishing Boats, and later, after a Technology Upgrade, they bought a welding machine and could produce iron Fishing Boats.
They also took on side jobs repairing villagers' Bicycles, Motorcycles, Televisions, Rice Cookers, or simple agricultural machinery.
Then, with the intrusion of the time traveler, the original owner of the repair shop perished at sea, and the shop was handed over to his son, a Junior college dropout, "Tang Wen."
"Junior college dropout my foot! I attended a legitimate undergraduate program!"
Transformed overnight from a slacking University Student into the heir of a rural repair shop—and one who was practically illiterate, not even having graduated from secondary vocational school—Tang Wen nearly fainted.
The so-called "Shipyard" was just the System's designation. In reality, the repair shop had merely dug a pit near the river bend for convenience; did that even count as a Dry dock?
After arriving, Tang Wen inventoried all his assets and found that if he sold everything, he could barely scrape together enough to Go to sea in Shenzhen and try his luck, maybe even run into Little Brother Ma who was using a female account to chat.
Maybe he should quickly earn some money and buy Lenovo Shares early, then just sit back and collect Interest after QQ takes off in five or six years...
It was the perfect time for the Internet boom. This useless System was worthless; he might as well try to catch the Windfall himself.
However, as soon as this Idea popped up, information appeared in his mind:
【Unbinding the Shipyard will be considered a Breach of contract, and punishment according to the Agreement will be an Executed by firing squad with 510mm armor-piercing shell ammunition.
Please complete the prerequisite introductory Mission as soon as possible: Select a Tier I Warship for Construction from the Technology tree Branch.】
“……”
The moment he thought of a 510mm Giant cannon bigger than most people, Tang Wen decisively abandoned the impulse to Go to sea for work and settled down to figure out how to complete the Mission.
There were thirteen Technology trees in the Game, corresponding to the Navies of various countries, ranging from the smallest Gunboat to top-tier Battleships and Cruisers, further divided into Tier I（1） to Tier X（10）, and the ☆ Tier（Super） Warships exceeding Tier X.
Tier I ships were the simplest and weakest Warships, but...
Even the most Garbage Gunboat was still a Warship, which had nothing to do with his small Fishing Boat factory.
Tang Wen casually selected the R-faction Tier I Warship, the "Hashidate" Gunboat. It was an inland Gunboat from the World War II era, with a Standard displacement of over nine hundred tons, equipped with three 120mm Anti-aircraft guns.
In the Game, this was the lowest-tier Gunboat that even beginners tried to skip, but for Tang Wen...
Although Big Bay Town was near the sea, the boat shop had previously only built small Fishing Boats that operated Nearshore and on inland rivers, with a Full load displacement of at most 20 tons—it was completely unfeasible.
At the very least, the Infrastructure required for Shipbuilding—a Dry dock—was missing; how could he build anything without that?
When Tang Wen selected Construction, information immediately popped up in his mind:
【Selected Tier I Warship "Hashidate," Shipyard Selected: Unnamed.
Unnamed Shipyard （LV.0）:
Gold Coins: 0
Silver Coin: 187
Research experience: 0】
【Constructing a Tier I Warship requires a LV.1 or higher Shipyard. Construction cannot proceed. Please Upgrade your Shipyard.】
【Upgrade Cost: 20 Gold Coins, or 1000 Silver Coins.】
Silver Coins can be cashed out or deposited. The System adjusts in real-time based on the international price of silver. The current exchange rate is 46.2 RMB per Silver Coin.
Tang Wen scraped the bottom of the barrel, gathering the easily liquidated Assets and Cash left by the cheap old man, totaling just over 8,000 RMB, which was enough to deposit less than 200 Silver Coins—still far from enough for an Upgrade.
If he relied solely on RMB deposits, there would still be a Shortage of nearly 40,000. This was 40,000 in 1996; Tang Wen couldn't gather that even if he sold himself.
As Tang Wen was racking his brain for a solution, the dilapidated Wooden Boards house was knocked upon.
Before he could Open the door, the wooden door was kicked open with a groan as if it were about to fall apart.
Three large men squeezed inside. The man in the lead looked dark and thin, followed closely by two others acting like his younger brothers.
Tang Wen instinctively leaned back, his hand fumbling under the table for anything he could grab.
The visitors were aggressive, acting like debt collectors.
Wait, did that old man owe a Usury Loan?
Tang Wen wildly guessed the visitors' purpose and tentatively asked:
“Who are you looking for? Tang Wu is no longer here.”
The dark, thin youth sized him up, actually nodding and saying:
“Third Brother Tang is gone, but he didn't send you away.
Let me introduce myself. I am your father's Client. My surname is Zheng, given name Hai. I agreed with him on two boats; can you still make them?”
Tang Wen didn't speak, but as he looked past the men, he saw a red Santana parked not far outside the door.
Twenty years later, a Santana wouldn't sell for five thousand, but driving one now was definitely comparable to a Ferrari.
It represented not just wealth but considerable power.
Tang Wu was just a Village repairman; how could he get a Client like this?
Tang Wen didn't want Trouble, but he still hesitated before saying:
“What kind of boat? Are there requirements for style or size? Do you have a Design?”
“Design?”
Zheng Hai laughed heartily, completely losing his composure, as if he had heard the funniest joke.
“Just like this one, build it according to the picture. It must be sturdy enough.
We’ll supply the Motor ourselves; we just need the Hull. Five thousand each. Can you do it?”
He pulled a Photos out of his pocket and slapped it onto the table. Tang Wen couldn't help but stare.
It was a relatively clear color photo showing a semi-enclosed Speedboat docked at a Port. At the stern... one, two, three, four—a full four outboard marine Engines!
The small Speedboat, which looked only three or four meters wide and a dozen meters long, was packed tightly with marine Motors at the back, displaying a visible aesthetic of Violence.
Usually, installing one Motor is enough to easily reach speeds of twenty or thirty knots. Four Motors—was this thing going to Takeoff?
Moreover, marine Motors aren't cheap; the low end costs tens of thousands, and the expensive ones even over a hundred thousand. Such abundant Power was excessively Luxurious for a small Speedboat.
Considering the geographical location of Big Bay Town and the fact that these men drove a Santana, one word popped into Tang Wen's mind:
International Duty-free trade Commissioner!