King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

Joe Ga handed Igor over to Nis, directing her to head to the temporary base built by P·B in Djibouti along with everyone else, while he took Dorian, Ronnie, and the medical officer Bird to the port of Djibouti.

What Joe Ga asked Old Zhu to prepare wasn't anything extraordinary; it was an 80,000-ton semi-invalid cargo ship dragged over from Greece.

Entering the pier, Joe Ga, led by Old Zhu, walked into an enclosed dock...

Calling it a dock, it was actually a giant pool capable of accommodating a large ship; drag the ship in and pump out the water, then you can start work.

Standing at the edge of the dock, watching a large number of workers busying themselves on a rust-covered giant ship, Joe Ga measured the ship's dimensions with his feet from end to end, nodding in satisfaction.

The ship had been stripped down to just a shell, with hundreds of workers working in the cargo hold...

Inside the giant ship's hold, the forward part filled with ballast concrete had already set, and some workers were reinforcing the hull with steel beams, preparing to install a sturdy deck on top.

The aft section was being filled with concrete, and it would soon be reinforced and decked similar to the front.

All machinery compartments at the ship's rear had been dismantled, leaving only the original three-level control room.

This thing was essentially a 370-meter long, 48-meter wide giant bathtub.

Dorian looked at the wrecked ship in the dock and said incredulously, "Boss, what on earth do you plan to use this piece of junk for?"

Joe Ga grinned at the workers busy at the construction site and said, "I'm going to outfit it with twelve 155mm caliber cannons, along with Avenger air defense systems, close-in weapon systems, and Javelin missiles for oversea defense.

Ultimately, this will be not only our sea command center but also a field for blimp takeoffs and landings.

Do you think having such a ship drifting off the coast of Mukalla would make the terrorists inside anxious?"

Looking at the giant ship, which was as sizable as an aircraft carrier, Dorian chuckled and said, "If I were a terrorist, I'd damn well be scared to death.

But, boss, how do you plan to get this thing operational?

By the time it's modified, Yemen's terrorists might be dead of old age..."

Joe Ga wasn't angered by Dorian's tease; he gestured a middle finger at him and said, "Damn it, I'm not letting it move by itself; by then, our fleet will tow it along.

As long as the deck is solid, the dimensions here are absolutely ample!

By then, we'll directly bring in the Nora Grenade Cannon, Avenger air defense and close-in systems are vehicular, and we'll all bring them onboard and fix them up and it's all set.

From then on, this will be our sea command center.

The new blimps will launch from here and hover over, fully substituting radar functions.

Once we eliminate Al-Qaeda's air defenses, I can get a few more blimps to fly in and establish a data network.

Then, when the Yemeni want to phone or go online, they'll have to look at my face!"

At this moment, not just Dorian, but also Ronnie and the medical officer Bird were dumbstruck...

They've seen makeshift setups, but never one this makeshift!

Fitting Avenger air defense systems, which are basically Humvees equipped with Stinger launchers onto naval vessels, had only ever been done by Egypt, and they were laughed at by their peers afterwards.

Now Joe! Boss! Even the naval guns are temporary setups.

Radar and communications entirely rely on unmanned blimps, while command and liaison systems rely on Talus.

Should this thing head out to sea and encounter an enemy, any regular warship could beat it.

However...

Seemingly, maybe, possibly, the ship could indeed use firepower to control the surroundings of Mukalla without much issue.

Unless Al-Qaeda gets hold of submarines or anti-ship missiles, they truly wouldn't have any means against this maritime bathtub.

Even if they attempted suicide attacks, they'd be blocked by the Princess Fleet.

This kind of ship, even during World War II, would only be considered a beggar's version of battleships; given unmanned blimps and advanced electronic systems support, it really seems formidable.

The Yemen nation's width is merely around 500 kilometers, and should this ship close in on the coastline, the forty-some-kilometer range could directly munch off a large chunk.

If they spare no expense on deploying top-tier shell fired missiles, or even more potent vehicular rocket artillery, the range could reach 100~300 kilometers, essentially covering all of Mukalla's depth.

Can you believe it?

With artillery on land, Al-Qaeda could find ways to counter, whether trying to assault supply lines or orchestrating immediate raids to destroy it.

But with artillery floating at sea, how could they manage?

Dorian stared at his boss, filled with creative ideas, and astonished, said, "Boss, how much do you plan to spend to modify this ship?"

Joe Ga spread his hands and said, "The shell costs $3 million, interior modifications estimated at $10 million, as I plan to electrify and install AC in every room and cargo hold.

Interior modifications were designed by people from China Shipbuilding, they made it complex, but I don't mind about that, once the framework is erected, as long as the structural integrity is sound, I'll have Old Zhu find someone to outfit it, just like decorating a house.

Time is quite tight, forget engines and such; 'Professor' acquired numerous high-power generators, so by then, those will be installed in the original engine positions.

If this thing could move independently, many would worry, but this way is just about perfect.

If we load it up with ammunition and supplies, everything combined, hmm, about 50 million..."

Dorian gave a thumbs up in admiration, then looking at the bustling construction of the ship's cabin, he stroked his chin and said, "Boss, when the time comes, could you open a window on the side of my room? I have a bit of claustrophobia, and I get nervous if I can't see outside..."

Joe Ga was amused by Dorian and flipped him off, laughing and cursing, "How about I also get you a busty secretary?"

Saying this, Joe Ga turned to find Old Zhu to confirm the construction timeline...

There were only two months left until Boss Qiao's scheduled time, the time was indeed tight, but Old Zhu seemed very confident.

Honestly, Boss Qiao's requirements weren't very high...

The crew's resting area on this ship was already ready-made, and after canceling the engine room, there was a large space for modification, enough to accommodate a thousand people living here.

The rest is just being able to float, be powered up, and if conditions permit, it's best to install a few modified mining conveyors or elevators.

This kind of approach, which pushes the make-do spirit to its extreme, poses no difficulty at all for the highly efficient Chinese workers.

Though there will definitely be many problems in the future, who cares when Boss Qiao has the Omnipotent Toolbox?

If it weren't for the toolbox being upgraded during this ship's renovation, Boss Qiao would have preferred to transplant the advanced gun launching system from the Zumwalt to this ship.

But even now it's not bad, after the firing, they can take the weapons off the ship, and selling the hull as scrap metal can recoup a big chunk of the cost.

Watching the front half of the ship's framework almost take shape, Joe Ga nodded in satisfaction, smiled, and walked out of the dock to stand by the sea, looking at the distant ocean, he said, "I want to conquer this sea, anyone who wants to fish here in the future has to ask for my permission first..."

Dorian didn't know what had gotten into his boss, but he thought that, as a dutiful bodyguard wishing for a long life, he should occasionally remind the boss not to get carried away...

So he pointed to a military port north of the coastline and said, "Boss, that's America's military port, and to the south is France's military port, they also have an airbase..."

Joe Ga squinted at Dorian displeasedly and said, "Do warships manage fishermen?

I want to take Mukalla, reopen Yemen's coastal fisheries...

Do those fishermen not need to get my permission to fish?"

Dorian was a bit taken aback, scratching his head he said, "Ah? Boss, is that what you meant?"

Having his good mood spoiled, Joe Ga replied displeasedly, "What else would I mean?

Mukalla has a population of 150,000, the surrounding area adds up to a few million, and with Al-Qaeda driven out, more people will surely gather in Mukalla, the United Mining Management Company can't absorb that much labor force.

That barren place can't even grow grass, if I take over Mukalla and don't drive them to the sea to fish, am I supposed to pay out of my pocket to support them?"

At this point, Dorian finally understood, his boss has always been that far-sighted Lion King!

Wherever he goes, the ultimate goal is always construction, not destruction!

The distinctness in the ultimate goal makes P.B. stand out so much.

It also ensures that those making a living under P.B. do not lose their way even after leaving the military.

Anyone with this mindset is a born King.

Whether the final outcome is victory or failure does not matter at all, what matters is how a person with this aura earns the belief and following of others.

Dorian felt his boss suddenly seemed much taller, so he jokingly said, "Boss, has anyone ever told you that you're quite great?"

Joe Ga flipped him off and laughed while cursing, "Your flattery is a bit late, I was just fantasizing about being the King of the Arabian Sea, and you totally killed my buzz."

Then Joe Ga looked at Surgeon Bird and said, "Surgeon Bird, toss this guy into the sea, you'll become the number one bodyguard for the King of the Arabian Sea..."

Upon hearing this, Surgeon Bird exchanged a glance with Ronnie, then chuckled and rubbed his hands together, picking up Dorian amidst his cries of protest...

"Don't do this, don't do this; my suit was custom-made by my mom in Milan...

It's very expensive, don't do this, ah, I'm going to kill you..."

Joe Ga watched as a few big men made a scene on the beach, then laughed, sat down on the sand, and took out his phone to call Qiao Liang, who had already returned to the country.

"Xiao Liang, how are the preparations going?"

"Bro, the food and living supplies are ready, they can be shipped in three days."

"No rush, as long as the cargo ship can reach the Arabian Sea within a month, that's fine.

How's the new airship I asked you to prepare?"

"Bro, the new airships are finished, as per your request, the size of the airships has been increased by a third, leaving enough space for subsequent equipment upgrades.

Six airships will be packed by tomorrow and sent along with the cargo ship to you.

Bro, the shipyard people have been waiting for me to sign the contract, are you serious about the 500 fishing boats?"

Joe Ga looked at the sea in the distance, smiled, and said, "Of course, sign the order!

Yemen is in a terrible state, if we have the capability, we ought to give people a bit of hope..."