Chapter 1584: We Must Be Friends
The relationship between Korea, Japan, and the United States is basically like that between two sons and a father: the two sons vie for favor, while the father regularly tries to win over one and pressure the other.
The Americans are very good at this.
Especially when Japan's economy became the second largest in the world, the Americans dealt a heavy blow to Japan, from which it almost couldn't recover.
As the world's most powerful nation, the Americans would always try to bully anyone who was second. They tried to bully the Soviet Union, Germany, Japan, the European Union... They had done it one by one, and each time they were successful. It was only after the rise of Daxia that they realized: Damn, they can't bully anymore!
And the way they used to pressure Japan back then was also very "ruthless": in addition to direct economic sanctions, Goryeo's current rich shipbuilding technology reserves were largely obtained from the United States.
The Americans did this not simply to help Goryeo. On the one hand, they wanted to use the relationship between Goryeo and Japan to curb Japan's development. On the other hand, the Americans transferred low-value-added industrial production to other countries, including the shipbuilding industry to Goryeo.
In the shipbuilding industry, there are three top shipbuilding technologies: LNG carriers, aircraft carriers, and luxury cruise ships. These represent the most challenging shipbuilding technologies. It's no exaggeration to say that a country's shipbuilding industry is incredibly impressive if it can produce any one of these three types of ships.
LNG ships are ships specially designed to transport liquefied natural gas. They are known as the "super freezer trucks on the sea". They have this nickname because liquefied natural gas needs to be transported in a low-temperature environment of minus 162 degrees Celsius. The construction difficulty can be said to be the highest among the three types of ships - higher than that of aircraft carriers!
However, building LNG carriers was a Korean specialty: it was through this production that Korea gained a reputation and became a global shipbuilding power. For a long time, 70% of the world's LNG carriers were manufactured in Korea, while Japan, Europe, and the United States combined accounted for the remaining 30%.
Even Mitsui Shipping Company, although they have the world's largest LNG fleet, many of the ships in their fleet are built in Korea.
What about Daxia's shipbuilding industry? For a long time, it was a "little brother" to these two countries. It could only produce low-tech ships and rely on price wars to win orders. It relied on "volume."
At first, Korea and Japan ignored Daxia, like graduates from Cambridge or Harvard looking down on those with correspondence-based college entrance exam diplomas. However, Daxia's shipbuilding industry, relying on this strategy of small profits but quick turnover, accumulated a vast clientele and experience. When Daxia achieved a technological breakthrough, Korea and Japan were stunned—what does it mean to "make a splash when you don't make a sound"? Daxia's shipbuilding orders have surpassed Korea for two consecutive years, ranking first in the world!
What scares Goryeo the most is that Daxia has developed Invar steel.
Invar steel is a nickel-iron alloy with a low coefficient of expansion, low thermal conductivity, high plasticity and toughness. In fact, the name of Invar steel is a transliteration, and its English name INVAR means constant volume.
Many people think, "Isn't this just steel? What's so great about it?" Actually, it's truly remarkable. Despite being only 0.7mm thick, Invar steel can withstand temperatures as low as -163°C in polar regions without losing its shape. It's a key material for LNG carriers. In other words, Invar steel is essential for LNG carriers.
Since its creation in the 19th century, this type of Invar steel has been a French patent and monopoly. This means that if Korea wants to build LNG ships, it must import Invar steel from France. France has made an astronomical profit from exporting Invar steel! That's a huge profit!
Is it possible for Goryeo not to import Invar steel from France?
It really can't! As long as LNG ships are manufactured, they need Invar steel, and Korea does not have the ability to produce Invar steel!
Alloy formulas are top secrets within a country! Why has Daxia been without an aircraft carrier for so many years? The main reason is that it can't produce the steel used for aircraft carrier decks - there's no such technology!
Currently, there are only two countries on this planet that can produce Invar steel: France and Daxia. Daxia also developed the manufacturing process for Invar steel a few years ago.
Those familiar with Daxia know that it has a nickname: "Profit Terminator." This means that no matter what kind of profiteering technology, once Daxia masters it, the era of that product's exorbitant profits is over. For example, the shield machine, once the pride of Germany and Japan, is an example.
But the price of Invar steel hasn't dropped much. After all, there are only two countries in the world that can produce Invar steel. Wouldn't it be great to make money together? Who knows if there's some kind of PY deal going on between the two countries...
This is not Xiao Peng's blind guess!
Not long after Daxia successfully developed Invar steel, a very interesting thing happened: France commissioned Daxia Shipyard to build a container ship called "Duffy Jacques-Sade".
What are the characteristics of this container ship?
The first characteristic is that it is big!
This is a 23,000TEU container ship. '23,000TEU' means it can hold 23,000 standard containers! It's over 60 meters longer than the world's largest aircraft carrier!
The second feature? This ship is a dual-fuel vessel. It's powered by a dual-fuel main engine independently developed and manufactured by Daxia, capable of running on both natural gas and fuel oil. Given the ship's size, it naturally requires an extra-large fuel tank to ensure sufficient fuel for both. This fuel tank is made of Invar steel.
Being able to manufacture Invar fuel tanks naturally means being able to manufacture LNG ships. Why did France ask Daxia to build such a ship for them at that critical moment? It's hard not to think that this was a "hush money" from them to Daxia - we can make money together, right? Don't lower the price, old man!
What is even more difficult is Goryeo: Daxia has already snatched up a lot of ship orders, and now Daxia has Invar steel. If they want to produce LNG ships, they have to go to France or Daxia to buy Invar steel, and then they have to worry that Daxia's production of LNG ships will further snatch their orders.
Japan was originally feeling quite aggrieved, as it had fallen from second place to third, and there was still such a huge gap between it and Goryeo. But now, France suddenly launched an investigation into Goryeo's shipbuilding industry, and it looks like this will further affect the whole of Europe!
What does France mean by this? After all, Korea is their largest customer for Invar steel. Why is this falling out? Are they losing money? But for Japan, this is an opportunity: Korea's shipbuilding industry is affected, but ours isn't! We can snatch their LNG carrier orders! We can buy Invar steel!
As the largest conglomerate in Japan, the Mitsui family still has some power. Thanks to their connections with France, he has learned that the French military's investigation into the Korean shipbuilding industry is related to Xiao Peng, although the specific details are highly confidential...
But such people must be befriended!
What if something goes wrong for them one day?
It’s scary to think about it!
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