I have a debt of 3 trillion, and my creditors are begging me not to die.

According to Yang Chen's plan, the Jianpuzhai Canal starts from Phnom Penh Port in the north and ends at Baima Port in Jianpuzhai in the south, with a total length of about 200 kilometers.

At this point, the canal connects to the Lancang-Mekong River, allowing cargo ships from the Yunnan Guanlei Port to enter the canal via the Lancang-Mekong River section and then proceed through the canal to the Thai Gulf.

At the same time, a canal will be built at the narrowest point of a long and narrow strip of land in Chumphon and Ranong provinces of Thailand to connect the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean.

The narrowest part here is only 56 kilometers long, connecting the Indochina Peninsula to the north and the Malay Archipelago to the south. Just now, Su Mingcha was worried that the opening of the canal would naturally sever the connection between the north and the south, causing the southern part to become integrated with Malaya, and possibly causing Malaya to instigate independence.

Once the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean are connected, cargo ships from China will no longer need to pass through the Strait of Malacca. This will not only save thousands of kilometers of travel time but also prevent them from being controlled by foreign powers. Furthermore, it will open up the sea entrance to southern Yunnan. Goods entering the Guanlei Port in southern Yunnan can then be directly loaded onto trains and transported north, making it safer and faster. Goods from Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and other regions can also be quickly shipped out to sea, revitalizing the economy of the entire southwest region.

If Yang Chen were to actually complete these two canals, he would definitely be remembered in history, leaving a significant mark on the history of the Dragon Kingdom and the local chronicles of relevant provinces and cities.

after all.

This was a momentous event that changed the fate of the nation, a historical achievement no less significant than turning the tide during a time of national crisis.

There are two obstacles to building these two canals.

First, the construction of the Jianpuzhai Canal would cause the Lancang-Mekong River to change its course, reducing the water flow into the downstream southern Vietnamese region. This would affect agriculture and the lives of people along the river to some extent, and the southern Vietnamese would certainly oppose it.

Secondly, the Gulf Peninsula will be divided in two, with the southern part becoming part of the Malay community, while the southern part may seek independence at the instigation of the Malay community.

However, Yang Chen believed that any problem could be solved with force, and as long as one possessed strong martial virtue, one should not fear any objections from others.

Yang Chen planned to support four unmanned combat battalions in Jianpuzhai, distributed from Guanlei Port in southern Yunnan to Baima Port in Jianpuzhai, with the reason being to protect the safety of cargo ships.

At the same time, Yang Chen provided two more unmanned combat battalions to the Thai Kingdom, which were deployed on the north and south banks of the Thai Bay Canal respectively. The north bank was responsible for protecting the canal's security, while the south bank was responsible for ensuring that no unrest occurred in the southern region.

Furthermore, Yang Chen will bear all the investment in building the port. Jianpu Village and Taiguo will not need to contribute a single penny; they only need to provide the two sites.

Yang Chen obtained the management and operation rights of these two canals for 99 years, and the profits will be split 50/50. After 99 years, regardless of whether the investment can be recovered, Yang Chen will return the port operation and management rights to the governments of the two countries.

As a guarantee, both governments must sign an agreement with Yang Chen to permanently allow Dragon Kingdom cargo ships to pass through, and in particular, Jianpu Village must sign a treaty stipulating the permanent right of passage for Dragon Kingdom cargo ships.

After listening to Yang Chen's plan, Hong Kun and Su Mingcha both fell into deep thought, needing to consider whether it was worthwhile.

There's no need to worry about safety, because Yang Chen has the Dragon Kingdom behind him. Once the canal is built, the Dragon Kingdom will definitely protect them.

Their only concern is whether a 99-year management and operation right is too long.

Hong Kun said, "Mr. Yang, your plan is very comprehensive, I think it's excellent. It's just that 99 years of management rights is too long, don't you think?"

Yang Chen smiled and said, "With the management and operation rights in my hands, I can ensure the absolute safety of the two canals and your two countries. If anything happens to you, I can support you in the name of protecting the canal's safety. Although 99 years is a long time, the profits will be split 50/50, the jobs provided along the route will belong to you, and the economic development it drives will also belong to you. On the other hand, I have invested at least hundreds of billions, and all I get is half of the profit after deducting operating costs from the port fees. It's hard to say whether I can even break even."

Although this made a lot of sense, the two generals still did not express their opinion.

The fact that they didn't express their opinion simply meant that the price wasn't high enough, which was too easy for Yang Chen to understand.

Yang Chen continued, “You want a shorter deadline simply because you want to get all the profits to yourself as soon as possible. That’s easy to solve. As long as you two can make this happen, your overseas accounts will immediately have an additional 100 billion Eagle Dollars. In addition, I will personally provide 10 billion Eagle Dollars in aid to each of your two countries, 5 million Eagle Dollars per year, to be paid over 20 years. Furthermore, I can also establish joint ventures with you to mine mineral resources. I will acquire all the resources at prices higher than international market rates. I only need to recoup my investment; all the profits after that are yours. In addition, I can build mobile phone assembly plants in both of your countries, further helping you solve more employment problems and increase your tax revenue. In short, you will receive extremely generous returns for all of this. Land sitting there will never create value; it only creates value when it is developed, and I am the only one who can create so much value for you.”

It's clear that Yang Chen is really going all out this time; he's willing to spend any amount of money as long as he can get things done.

Upon hearing Yang Chen's almost charitable terms for cooperation, the two generals' eyes lit up instantly, and they were overjoyed from the inside out.

Hong Kun smiled and said, "I've thought about it carefully, and Mr. Yang is right. The longer you have the management and operation rights, the longer we will be safe. But we need Mr. Yang to include his support for us at all times in the agreement. If a rebellion occurs in our country in the future, Mr. Yang must help us quell it and ensure that we are the only legitimate government for the next 99 years."

Su Mingcha quickly added, "That's right, I think so too, and I have the same request."

Yang Chen smiled and nodded, saying, "No problem. Your safety is the foundation of the canal's safety. It doesn't matter if I don't live to 99. My successor will continue to uphold the agreement we signed. You should also educate your descendants to maintain good relations with my descendants. At least for the next hundred years, no one can touch you."

Hong Kun and Su Mingcha nodded with smiles, having basically no more questions.

"Then it's settled. I'll make our cooperation happen as soon as possible. I hope Mr. Yang can keep his word and not lie to me," Hong Kun said with a smile.

Su Mingcha chimed in, "That's right! Everything Mr. Yang just said should be written into the cooperation agreement, and the liability for breach of contract should be stipulated."

Yang Chen laughed heartily and said, "No problem. I'm cooperating with you in good faith. Everything I promise is something I can guarantee to do, and of course, it can be written into the cooperation agreement. Then it's settled. I'll wait for your good news."

Hong Kun and Su Mingcha nodded with smiles, then left the video conference room.

Guo Hu asked, "Chairman Yang, from what you just said, I feel like you're going to invest a lot of money this time. Isn't that a bad deal? Even if the Strait of Malacca charges us exorbitant tolls, we still wouldn't be able to spend that much money in a hundred years."

Yang Chen said with a smile, "We can control our maritime lifeline for at least 100 years. It's worth it to buy this control with money. In the future, the economy of southwestern regions such as Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan will develop rapidly. Without the threat of the Strait of Malacca, the country will be more at ease when formulating foreign policy. These are all our benefits. You can't just think about our shipping costs."

This is simply a difference in the level of personal insight; Guo Hu simply didn't have the brainpower to think about what Yang Chen was saying.

Guo Hu smiled and nodded, saying, "I understand! I was too superficial. Oh, by the way, should we bring back the equipment from Singapore?"

"Not for now! I still need to short them, and these equipment will have to stay there for a while longer. To get these two canals sorted out, I'll need at least 400 billion Anglo-Singapore dollars, which I won't pay myself. Let Singapore cover it for me," Yang Chen said.

Yang Chen needs to invest at least 40 billion Eagle Dollars to fulfill these promises: 10 billion Eagle Dollars plus 10 billion Eagle Dollars in free aid, 1 billion Eagle Dollars plus 1 billion Eagle Dollars in kickbacks, the cost of building the canal, the cost of the Taiguo Bay Canal viaduct, the cost of investing in factories, and the cost of six unmanned combat battalions.

He wants to get things done, but he doesn't want to spend the money, so he can only ask Singapore for help. They've made so much money in China and absorbed so many assets from Chinese tycoons. These are all the wealth created by the hard work of the Chinese people. It's perfectly reasonable for Yang Chen to ask them for some of it back, isn't it?

At that moment, the presidents of Wall Street investment banks were having a meeting.

Goldman Sachs President Winterkorn said, "I don't think we need to think too much. Singapore has offended Yang Chen and China this time. China will definitely not protect them. We can confidently and boldly short Singapore. Moreover, we must complete our short-selling strategy before Yang Chen does, so that we can cash out and leave at any time when Yang Chen starts shorting."

JPMorgan Chase President Pinto said, "I'm worried that once Yang Chen discovers we've completed our short-selling strategy, he won't continue shorting. What if China tries to plunder our wealth in return?"

BlackRock President Manny Pacquiao said, "Yang Chen is definitely going to short Singapore this time, so what Mr. Pinto said shouldn't happen. However, we can't be sure when Yang Chen will short it. If we lay in wait now, our funding costs will be very high if it drags on for too long."

Vanguard President Barkley said, "No matter how high the cost is, it can't be higher than our returns. Once Yang Chen shorts, he will have at least a 50% return, and the cost of capital is only a few dollars. Although we can't be sure when Yang Chen will make his move, given his personality, it shouldn't be too long. We can really start making our moves now."

Although the CEOs had differing opinions, their point of contention was not whether to do it or not, but when to do it.

Moreover, they unanimously believed that Yang Chen would definitely short Singapore. If they didn't make preparations in advance, they would be too late to do so once Yang Chen made his move.

Therefore, the CEOs finally reached a consensus to start shorting Singapore now, betting that China will not bail out Singapore this time because of the Straits of Malacca incident.

Sihai Financial was also prepared to short Singapore, waiting only for Yang Chen to sign an agreement with Jianpuzhai and Taiguo to start the canal construction before taking action.

These two canals are of great importance, and there are disagreements within Jianpu Village and Tai Kingdom. It is impossible to make a decision in a short time, and Yang Chen needs to wait patiently.

Wall Street took advantage of this time to quickly set up short positions in the Singapore stock market, just waiting for Yang Chen to make his move so they could profit.

Early in the morning, the Ministry of Commerce called Yang Chen again as soon as he opened his eyes.

"Chairman Yang, good news, good news. I've received orders from the leadership to allow you to reduce car prices in overseas markets by 20%. Of this 20%, 15% will be subsidized by the national treasury, and Xingchen Automotive will cover the remaining 5%," Zheng Kaiyang said with a smile.

Yang Chen asked, "Huh? What kind of good news is this? The money we were supposed to earn is gone."

Zheng Kaiyang said with a smile, "Seeing how well Libra's sales are performing, the leaders have decided to subsidize Xingchen Automotive to lower prices and crush foreign automakers. In other words, the leaders are not satisfied with just 37% of the domestic market; they also want 37% in the overseas market, with us taking 7%, and other countries' automakers combined taking 3%. The automotive industry is the core of the industry. If we can achieve our goal, even if we have to subsidize Xingchen Automotive with 100 trillion, we will tighten our belts and grit our teeth to keep going. By taking over the automotive market, we can completely control the global industrial market."

Ordinary people don't quite understand the importance of the automotive industry in the industrial sector, and therefore cannot understand why the government spends so much money subsidizing the new energy vehicle industry.

Some people online are now bringing up the fact that Yadea has a debt of 6000 billion yuan, which shows a complete lack of understanding of the country's strategic intentions.

To put it simply, even if the debt is 6000 billion, or even 6 trillion or 60 trillion, as long as it can bankrupt foreign car companies, the government is willing to foot the bill for all of its debts.

There are also CEOs of gasoline-powered car companies who spend their days online spouting nonsense about new energy vehicles; they are representatives of companies that completely lack political intelligence.

In the realm of gasoline-powered vehicles, China will never catch up with foreign automakers. However, in the field of new energy vehicles, China holds an absolute leading position. What China needs to do now is cultivate the global mindset of choosing new energy vehicles and accelerate its global market expansion. When most people can accept new energy vehicles in the future, that will be the time for China's automotive industry to reap the rewards.

Previously, the country selected Yadea to undertake this task, and now the country wants Xingchen Motors to undertake the same task.

Xingchen Motors uses ultra-high configurations and ultra-low prices to capture the mid-to-high-end market, while companies like Biyade use ordinary configurations to capture the market under 10 yuan.

As long as foreign car companies are brought to the brink of collapse and the target of 70% domestic car market share is achieved, the government is willing to subsidize these car companies by saving money from other sources.

Yang Chen said, "I think I understand what you're thinking, but the price overseas can't be lowered, otherwise they will ban my cars from entering their market. I had an agreement with them on the price before."

Zheng Kaiyang said with a smile, "Chairman Yang is so smart, he'll definitely come up with a solution. Now we have all the advantages – the right time, the right place, and the right people – Chairman Yang can't possibly let go of such a great opportunity to directly take Xingchen Automotive and Longguo Automotive off the ground, can he? What do you say?"

That's true. There are many ways to benefit consumers. It doesn't necessarily have to be to lower the price. You can also implement a policy of deducting the cost of a deposit, offer discounts for any reason, or provide free battery swapping services.

If you could buy an SUV with space comparable to an X5 and an appearance similar to a Cayenne for 30,000 yuan, with zero down payment and a ten-year loan, paying 250 Eagle Dollars/Euro Dollars per month, plus three years of free battery swaps, and even free insurance and maintenance, which foreigner could resist such temptation?

Even a homeless person would try to get a car to make their own home. 250 euros/Eagle dollars a month is enough to make it work even if you beg.

If this were to happen, foreign car companies would be out of a job.

Yang Chen said with a smile, "Offering discounts is easy; if you want to, you can always find a reason. The key is that, based on my understanding of those foreigners, they will soon accuse us of dumping cars because we are subsidizing them. Don't be fooled by our current harmonious relationship; when it comes to the life or death of their own car industry, they will definitely turn against us."

Zheng Kaiyang said very seriously, "That is indeed very possible... However, as you said, if someone really wants to subsidize you, they can always find a reason. For example, they could forgive Sihai Real Estate's debt. As for how you transfer the money to Xingchen Auto's account internally, that depends on the operational capabilities of your finance staff."

Sihai Real Estate still owes a total of 1.5 trillion yuan to major banks. It would be acceptable if this part of the debt could be forgiven.

As for how the government and banks will resolve this debt, that's not a problem Yang Chen needs to consider.

Yang Chen laughed and said, "I understand what you mean. Let's do it this way and try to wipe them out within three years."

"Oh, no, no, Chairman Yang, you still need to show some leniency and leave them a piece of the pie. We only need 7% of the market, and the remaining 3% can be shared by car companies from other countries. We can't go too far, otherwise it'll easily lead to a falling out," Zheng Kaiyang said with a smile.

Yang Chen laughed and said, "We'll take 7%, and the remaining countries will share 3%. I think we're not far from a complete falling out."

"Hey, that's exactly the tipping point we're looking for. We want them to want to break off relations, but they don't think it's worth it. After all, there are only a handful of countries in the world that can export cars. They have other industries in their own countries, so they won't be allowed to break off relations. And other countries that don't export cars won't allow them to either. We'll just use this threshold. Haha..." Zheng Kaiyang said with a laugh.

"Okay! That's settled then. I'll notify the overseas markets to offer discounts right away," Yang Chen said with a smile.

After hanging up the phone, Yang Chen immediately called over Chen Yihang, the president of Xingchen Motors.

"Mr. Chen, notify the overseas market to offer discounts of 20% off the car price. The selling price cannot be lowered; discounts can only be offered in other ways. Do you understand what that means?" Yang Chen said.

Chen Yihang nodded and replied, "I understand, but I don't quite understand. Our profit margin is only around 20%. If you give it all away at once, what are we supposed to earn? We work so hard to make such a big splash, and then we don't make any money at the end of the year. I don't really understand."

Yang Chen smiled and said, "To seize market share, you naturally need to invest more. Do as I say, and prepare a plan for me to review. If I think it's okay, you can notify the overseas market to implement it. This doesn't require too many people to know the details, understand?"

Chen Yihang quickly replied, "Understood. I'll make it myself and bring it to you when it's done."

Yang Chen nodded and said with a smile, "Okay, go ahead. Get it done and show it to me as soon as possible."

Chen Yihang nodded and hurried back to his office to work on the project plan.

Chen Yihang quickly sent the proposal to Yang Chen. This CEO was indeed the right choice; he understood Yang Chen's thoughts very well, and Yang Chen was very satisfied with the proposal.

"Mr. Chen, the plan is fine. We can send it to the overseas market for immediate implementation."

Foreigners are once again greeted with the benefits of industrial civilization from Southeast University: an SUV with a configuration even higher than the Cayenne for 3 yuan, 0 down payment, 250 yuan a month, three years of basic insurance, three years of free battery swapping service, and 10 free maintenance services. Which foreigner can withstand such a civilizational shock?
Once you enter a 4S store, even someone who just wanted to look around will be persuaded by the salesperson to buy a car.

In just three days since the new offers were launched, Libra's overseas sales have increased by more than 200 million units, while Virgo, which has been on the market for a long time, has also seen an increase of more than 80 units.

Don't be fooled by how exaggerated this figure seems; compared to the billions of foreign people, it's just a drop in the ocean.

As mentioned earlier, with a monthly payment of 250 yuan, you can drive away a car that is even more powerful than a Cayenne. For the next few years, the cost of using the car is almost zero. Even foreigners who are struggling financially, or who did not originally need to buy a car, or people who already have a car, cannot resist the temptation of super low prices and discounts and place an order.

Therefore, this sales figure is not exaggerated at all; it's just barely passing.

but.

This has caused great distress to the factory, as even with three shifts, they are still unable to meet sales demands.

The domestic delivery time is six months, and although there is priority delivery overseas, it still takes four months to get the car, which is obviously not conducive to seizing the market.

If production capacity is insufficient, then build factories to make up for it.

In Europe, following the existing factories in Bolling, Turin, and Budapest, a new factory will be built in Balri.

Even so, it is still not enough to meet the production capacity demand. It is still necessary to transport 20,000 vehicles from China every three days to meet the normal demand.

Dragon Kingdom District needs to build another factory with a monthly production capacity of over 10 vehicles. If the canal project is finalized, this factory can be built near Guanlei Port, allowing vehicles to be directly loaded onto ships and transported away, which is very convenient and saves a lot of inland transportation costs.

Yang Chen called over Chen Yihang, the president of Xingchen Motors, and instructed him: "We need to build two factories, one in Bali and one near Guanlei Port in southern Yunnan, with a monthly output of more than 10 units. Please get this done as soon as possible."

Chen Yihang quickly asked, "I can understand the Bali factory, but what do you mean by the Guanlu Port in southern Yunnan? It's not a suitable place to build a factory at all."

“Just because it’s not suitable now doesn’t mean it won’t be suitable in the future. You should start by acquiring land near Guanluo Port. Whether you can use it all or not, just ask for as much as you can. Three thousand acres isn’t a lot, and five thousand acres is also manageable,” Yang Chen said.

Chen Yihang looked at Yang Chen in shock. Although he didn't understand why Yang Chen did this, the boss's word was an order, and since the boss insisted on doing it, he would just do as he was told.

"Okay! I understand! I'll get on it right away!" Chen Yihang said.

Once the canal opens, land prices and housing prices around Guanlu Port will definitely soar. It's a good choice to stockpile land now before the news leaks out.

Yang Chen called Zhang Jingsong, president of Sihai Real Estate, and instructed him: "President Zhang, acquire land near Guanlei Port in southern Yunnan. Acquire as much land as you can, and do it quickly."

Zhang Jingsong was also completely bewildered. Who would buy the real estate developed in that area?

However, as a veteran president of Yang Chen, Zhang Jingsong knew one thing well: Yang Chen must have his reasons for doing things. It's normal for others not to understand, otherwise others could be as capable as him.

“Okay, I’ll go over there to discuss it personally right away!” Zhang Jingsong said, then added, “There’s something else I should mention to Chairman Yang. With Jiangcheng being hyped up as the fifth municipality, housing prices are skyrocketing. The previous registered prices for our development seem a bit low. Should we re-register and raise the prices?”

Yang Chen immediately said, "No! I'm not short of money, and I won't do something so dishonest and damaging to my reputation. The price registered beforehand is the price; the selling price can only be lower than the registered price, absolutely not higher. That's my rule. It's so hard for ordinary people to buy a house these days. It's already over 30,000 yuan per square meter; to ask for more would be too exploitative. I have many ways to make money; I don't do this. If it weren't for the huge mess Sihai Real Estate is in, I would have shut down this business already."

Zhang Jingsong quickly replied, "Okay, I understand. I'll make preparations now and fly to Yunnan this afternoon to acquire the land."

Yang Chen nodded, and Zhang Jingsong quickly went to do his work.

Speaking of real estate business, Yang Chen was very lucky. Previously, in order to help Sihai Real Estate recover its losses and pay off its debts, the Haicheng Municipal Government forced Sihai Real Estate to acquire 20 plots of land in very good locations.

At that time, Jiangcheng was just a second- or third-tier city, and land prices were quite cheap.

Since the news broke that the government intended to select Jiangcheng as its fifth municipality, land and housing prices in Jiangcheng have skyrocketed.

Once all 20 plots of land are developed, Sihai Real Estate will earn at least 2000 billion yuan.

Although it is still far from the 1.5 trillion debt, it can be paid off quickly at this rate.

These were all opportunities Yang Chen earned through his own abilities; all the money was rightfully his. (End of Chapter)