Reborn in America, I am a legendary short seller on Wall Street.

Chapter 292 Has this stirred up trouble with an aircraft carrier?

That evening, on the way back from Kennedy Estate, Larry sat in the carriage with a very gloomy expression.

His fingers were outside his pocket, tapping incessantly on the stack of undelivered ten thousand dollars in cash through his trousers.

Larry stared at the top of the carriage, frowning as he recalled what had just happened at Kennedy Estate.

Kennedy's reaction just now greatly surprised Larry.

Larry had previously thought that as long as he opened his mouth to make a request, Kennedy, who always listened to him, would agree immediately.

But I really oversimplified things.

Kennedy refused his request without any room for negotiation.

“Larry, you need to understand, I am the leader of the Irish community. I cannot allow anyone to get away with harming the lives and reputation of the Irish! Not even Huang, and even if you personally request it, I regret that I cannot comply!”

Kennedy's expression was very solemn, and his words carried an unwavering resolve that brooked no compromise.

Larry felt a chill run down his spine when he recalled the coldness in Kennedy's eyes earlier. It wasn't because of Huang Meitang, but because he suddenly realized that, despite their close relationship, Kennedy was fundamentally a politician.

He is willing to sacrifice anyone for his own political interests.

Let alone Huang Meitang, even if it were himself... if the weight on one side of the scale was heavy enough, Kennedy would not hesitate to make the choice.

Upon realizing this, Larry's heart pounded, but he remained outwardly calm.

Fortunately, Kennedy did not believe that he had any special relationship with Huang Meitang, but only that he was entrusted by the Chinese people... and it was even possible that he had received benefits from the Chinese people to come here to persuade him.

Kennedy's resolute and harsh approach was actually intended to discourage the Chinese community behind Larry from pursuing the idea.

Now, for Kennedy, the politician who claims to be the protector of the Irish, Huang Meitang's greatest value is being sent to the gallows.

This demonstrates the Senator's "boundless love" for the Irish people.

Kennedy's resolute attitude put Larry in a very difficult position, and he didn't want to appear too enthusiastic, otherwise such fawning would seem too deliberate to a white man who was not involved...

Larry then smoothly changed the subject, saying he was just curious about what had happened.

In front of Kennedy, Larry turned to the Irishman to learn the specifics of the situation.

The Irishman also spoke frankly about what happened at the time.

After listening to his account, Larry nodded thoughtfully.

The good news was that the situation was better than Larry had imagined. The young man said that Huang Meitang had indeed not laid a hand on the deceased; it was all an accident. The deceased had accidentally bumped into the corner of the table and died by accident.

The bad news is that the senator, who was supposed to be Huang Meitang's savior, is now trying to kill his most trusted employee in order to gain political capital.

This made things very difficult. If Kennedy didn't intervene, no one else would be likely to help a Chinese person who had nothing to do with the matter.

Besides, the court wouldn't accept the evidence from the Chinese community. As for the Irish witnesses, judging from that young man's attitude towards Kennedy, Larry had no doubt they wouldn't say anything that would help Huang Meitang escape punishment…

As Larry recalled the events of the incident, he pondered what he should do. Ultimately, he made a temporary but crucial decision.

“Senator, you must understand that Huang Meitang is, after all, my friend… Of course, I am not trying to exonerate him; I believe in the fairness and justice of the American courts. But I do have a small request: please take care of the police and make sure he doesn’t suffer in prison.”

Larry's request was direct and simple.

Kennedy readily agreed.

For the rest of the time, the two talked non-stop about business. When Larry heard that Ford Motor Company had sold its tenth car, he looked surprised.

"Have 10 units already been shipped?" Larry asked.

"Yes...but rally, I don't think this car project is very profitable." Kennedy gave a wry smile.

"Of the 10 cars sold, 6 were returned within the first month. Ford cars often have this or that quality problem. I had a very serious talk with him about this... Henry Ford agreed on the surface, but I don't think this will not happen again."

Larry knew perfectly well that newly sold cars would naturally have many quality issues. Furthermore, the cars of that era weren't adapted to the current roads, especially the extremely bumpy dirt roads, which greatly increased the likelihood of various problems.

This was unavoidable in the early days of automobiles.

But Larry couldn’t be so clear-cut when facing Kennedy, so he frowned and said that he would also go to Henry Ford’s house to question him directly if he had the chance.

Larry spent the entire afternoon at Kennedy's ranch, his mind filled with hesitation and calculation, yet his face wore a smile and an air of composure—a truly twisted performance.

He didn't leave until 5 p.m. and went home. Kennedy generously had his own private carriage personally take Larry home.

Sitting in the carriage, Larry kept thinking, but he couldn't come up with a solution.

Gradually, a light, cold spring rain began to fall outside the window, the raindrops hitting the carriage and making a pitter-patter sound.

Pedestrians on the road began to run anxiously, and soon, the ruts of vehicles pressed into the puddles, creating a crisp sound of wading through the water.

The carriage moved forward in silence, and Larry remained silent as well, gazing at the blurry scenery through the rain outside the window.

Fortunately, it was still early before the court hearing. At this point, the legal process was very complicated, and it might take one to two months before Huang Meitang appeared in court.

I'll have to think of other ways...

Thinking about the boast he had made to Mr. Yung Wing that morning, Larry didn't know how to face him tomorrow.

At this point, Larry was genuinely hoping that Professor Yung Wing could bring in reinforcements from Harvard University...

Back at his apartment in the Back Bay, Larry tipped the coachman $2, opened the door, jumped through the rain, and quickly slipped into the apartment building.

As soon as Larry entered the apartment building, he heard a noisy conversation coming from the banquet hall on the first floor, as if someone was having a dinner party.

Larry instinctively pulled out his Colt gold-cased pocket watch, checked the time, and saw that it was 6:15 p.m., just in time for dinner.

The banquet hall was open-plan, and Larry was seen by people inside as he passed by and was about to go upstairs.

“Larry Livingston! Great, you’re back?!” Mr. Winthrop stood up from one end of the square table and greeted Larry with a smile.

This time, we can't pretend we didn't see it!
Larry turned around and greeted him, “Sir, I just got back to Boston this morning. What a coincidence that we’re running into each other again tonight.”

There were two strangers sitting at Winthrop's table. Larry didn't recognize them, but the other two were very easy to spot.

One of them wore a well-tailored grey wool coat with a silver gear brooch at the collar. He had large eyes and a tall, upright posture. He looked to be about 45 years old, with graying hair at his temples.

The other was a slightly younger man, in his early thirties, dressed rather simply. What impressed Larry most was the man's very calm gaze, as if he were an observer of the world.

Mr. Winthrop smiled and waved to Larry, saying, "Since we've run into each other, why don't we have a meal together? We've just been seated at the table and haven't really started eating yet."

As he spoke, Winthrop turned to the two gentlemen at the table and introduced them with a smile, "This is the young man I just told you about. He's intelligent, ambitious, and has unique insights into industry and technology. He's the one who invented the automobile..."

Both men were surprised and turned to look at Larry.

Larry quickly explained, "I didn't invent the car... I invented the word 'car.' Oh, Mr. Winthrop, you flatter me."

Having said that, Larry felt too embarrassed to make any more excuses to refuse, so he walked to the table and greeted the two men, saying, "Sir, your guests must all be very distinguished gentlemen. My name is Larry Livingston, and I am Mr. Winthrop's tenant."

The two men also stood up from their chairs, shook hands with Larry, and introduced themselves. The 45-year-old middle-aged man was named William Baker, the East Coast Sales Director of Babcock Wilcox Company;

The young and composed man was John Hayes, the assistant chief engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding. He was in Boston on behalf of his boss, Huntington, to discuss boiler procurement.

Larry's eye twitched slightly. He thought to himself, "Oh dear, I've stirred up a hornet's nest. How did I end up running into both the company that makes steam catapults and the company that builds aircraft carriers?"

Of course, steam catapults or aircraft carriers are completely out of the question at this moment...

Winslop smiled as he looked at the three of them. After they finished introducing themselves, he gestured for Larry to sit down and asked the maid, Carmel, to prepare a set of tableware for Larry as well.

“There’s no better tenant than Mr. Livingston!” Winthrop joked. “This gentleman paid three months’ rent, but has only been here for a little over a week… He’s too busy to go back to Boston, so he’s a good deal for me, the landlord.”

Everyone laughed.

It was already dark when Carmel lit the gas lamp and began serving the dishes he had carefully prepared.

The main course was roasted veal with cranberry sauce. A large, pale pink piece of veal lay in the center of a silver plate, its surface slightly charred, and amber-colored juices seeping out. Beside it was a spoonful of bright red cranberry sauce, the sweet and sour aroma of the fruit mingling with the meaty fragrance, making it especially tempting on this chilly, rainy night.

The second main course was creamy cod, a classic New England dish. The snow-white cod fillets were cut into large pieces and soaked in a thick, white cream sauce, topped with finely chopped parsley and a few slices of crispy fried bacon.

The side dishes are green peas and almonds, and creamed Brussels sprouts.

Crisp, vibrant green beans are stir-fried, drizzled with melted butter, and sprinkled with golden-brown, crunchy whole almonds. The fresh vegetable flavor, infused with the aroma of roasted nuts, brings a refreshing touch to the oily main course.

The creamy baked cabbage dish consisted of layers of shredded cabbage, onions, and breadcrumbs, topped with a white sauce made from cream and butter, sprinkled with cheese, and baked until golden brown and bubbly. This dish had a rich flavor with a slightly fermented, tangy aroma, and was a common home-cooked meal at that time of year.

Larry leaned over and looked at the cooking oil, thinking to himself, "Americans used to know how to cook! How come 100 years later, they're eating hamburgers or canned food every day?"

It's hard to learn good things, but it's easy to learn bad things!
When a people are unwilling to worry about their food, they inevitably lose the core of the Puritan spirit.

Then, Carmel brought out today's main course: warm whole-wheat bread rolls. The freshly baked rolls smelled of malt, were slightly crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. A small dish of salted butter was also placed next to the bread basket.

The soup was clam chowder... Larry has no comment on this dish.

"Cheers, everyone!" Mr. Winslop raised his glass.

The wine was simply Bordeaux red wine, poured into a crystal glass and reflecting the light of the gas lamp.

The three men clinked their glasses together, wished each other good health, and each took a sip.

After dinner began, Mr. Baker started talking. He showed Hais a mimeographed sheet with blueprints of complex piping.
“Mr. Hayes, Newport News Shipbuilding should choose the **** boiler. Our C-type boiler is 30% more efficient than the old cylindrical boiler. Ten pounds more pressure per square inch means that the same amount of fuel can allow warships to travel five more nautical miles. This is what the future needs.”

Larry continued eating his meat, while Mr. Winslop watched the two conversing with great interest.

The young Mr. Hayes put on his monocle, carefully examined the blueprint handed to him, and after a moment, said...
“Mr. Baker, efficiency is important, but shipyards are concerned with the overall picture. Even if your boilers are highly efficient, if they are bulky, they will take up space in the ammunition compartments or the engine room. We just received an order from the Navy for the Bainbridge-class destroyers, and we have to be very careful with every inch of space.”

“Mr. Hayes, if your hull design has taken into account the space required for a high-efficiency boiler, we are willing to cooperate and customize the dimensions,” the boiler manufacturer said.

“It’s truly a great pity, Mr. Baker. The navy’s blueprints are fixed. We build ships according to the blueprints, we’re not tailors. This is really not something we can decide…” the shipbuilder said.

The two were discussing the ship's boiler. Watching their heated debate, Larry couldn't help but imagine the ethereal scene on the aircraft carrier deck after a steam catapult launch, thinking to himself that our President Trump would love that scene the most... It's a pity that this won't be realized for decades to come.

The two men's discussion soon reached a stalemate.

Larry listened quietly, his fork piercing a small potato on his plate. He glanced at the two somewhat silent men, then chuckled and interjected.
"Gentlemen, I'm wondering if we need to be overly concerned about the efficiency of these steam boilers?"

The two of them turned to look at Larry, their eyes showing strange expressions.

“However, the efficiency of the steam boiler will determine the ship’s speed. Every half knot increase in speed is a huge improvement for the ship,” Mr. Baker couldn’t help but say.

Larry thought for a moment and concluded that the mainstay of the navy should still be ironclad warships. These were standard ironclad behemoths, but also a transitional product between sailing warships and destroyers.

In real history, these cumbersome ironclad ships would soon be replaced by faster destroyers.

Hayes from the shipyard added, "We just received an order for destroyers at Newport News Shipbuilding, which are intended to hunt down those small, agile torpedo boats in the future. Therefore, the power requirements are very important."

Larry laughed and commented directly.
"This is a problem with the Navy. They want a cumbersome ironclad ship to also serve as a destroyer, which is unrealistic. Once you build that destroyer, you'll find that what you're building now is like trying to make a boxer an assassin, but its frame is too big and simply not suitable."

Hais frowned at Larry, and after a moment asked, "We're just following the blueprints, but I partially agree with what you're saying... Could you continue?"

"The role of a destroyer is not to engage in head-on confrontations, but to control the pace of the battlefield. It should use speed to divide the enemy formation and use precise firepower to defeat fast targets such as torpedo boats."

Therefore, shipyards and the navy should prepare a more powerful and responsive propulsion system for him. Power is not the most important factor; the most important factor is the instantaneous burst capability!

"Instantaneous burst of power?" This time it was Mr. Baker's turn to be surprised. "How could a boiler possess such a capability?"

Larry turned around and smiled at the boiler company man. “Your high-pressure steam boilers can’t burn steadily. You have to use pressurization equipment to store the high-pressure steam. When you need to turn it sharply or sprint, you can release it instantly so that the turbine can run under overload for a few seconds. It’s like a person taking a deep breath before a sprint.”

After listening to Larry's words, both of them fell into deep thought.

Mr. Winthrop looked at Larry with surprise, "...What? You know about shipbuilding too?"

Larry smiled without saying a word. How could he possibly know anything about shipbuilding? But for a former half-baked military enthusiast, he did know that Babcock Wilcox was a leading manufacturer of high-pressure boilers.

High-pressure air tanks were already used in mine ventilation and pneumatic tools. Furthermore, early air-propelled torpedoes also used compressed air propulsion, proving that high-pressure gas storage and instantaneous release technology was mature. However, it wasn't used on warships at the time.

The reason was that the shipbuilding industry and navy at the time were still deeply entrenched in the traditional mindset of ironclad behemoths. They believed that warships only needed to pursue continuous endurance and armor protection, rather than tactical maneuverability.

The purpose of high-pressure steam tanks is actually to enhance the warship's instantaneous burst capability. Of course, Larry wouldn't normally think of that, but B&W is the manufacturer of the US military's steam catapults.

Steam catapults and high-pressure steam accumulators work on similar principles, much like nitrogen is added to cars.

After a while, Baker suddenly seemed to realize something and said, "Instantaneous explosion of steam tanks. What you're talking about... our technology should be able to achieve it."

Hayes of Newport News Shipbuilding nodded in agreement, saying, "If such an enhancement can be made without altering the ship's fundamental structure, I think the Navy would certainly be willing to pay more for the new equipment and place other orders with our shipyard..."

Baker nodded to himself, "Technically it's really feasible, and Mr. Livingston is right, this is the warship's tactical deep breath..."

“This is a new approach to shipbuilding…” Hayes stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then said, “Very good, I will convey your idea to Mr. Huntington.”

The two had been arguing rather heatedly about selling the boiler, but after Larry's reminder, they both suddenly found something new...

What's going on in this guy's head at such a young age?!

Both men turned to Larry, giving him a deep look. Finally, Hayes pulled a business card from his pocket.
“Newport News Shipbuilding welcomes you. If Mr. Huntington agrees with your idea for improvement, he will be happy to meet with you.”

Baker looked at Larry and also took out his business card.

Larry smiled and accepted the two business cards, respectfully putting them in his pocket.

Winthrop chuckled and asked, "Oh, young man, did you enlighten my two friends tonight? And perhaps even define the soul of a warship?"

Larry waved his hand and said politely, "What kind of soul is this for the next generation of warships? When they stop using coal and start using heavy oil to burn boilers, that's what a next generation of warships will be..."

Upon hearing this, the three of them assumed it was a joke and didn't react much...

Larry knew, however, that sooner or later, the seeds he had planted in their hearts would sprout. When they realized they needed a fuel-fired boiler, they would all remember what he had said here that evening.

And Babcock Wilcox Boiler Company and Newport News Shipbuilding have only just officially come into their sights today...

(End of this chapter)