Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 134

The tunnel in Penang started to be dug three years ago. During the process, shield machines were rented from Japan, the United States, Europe and other places. Although the efficiency of shield machines before World War II was only so-so, they have still dug a very impressive amount of tunnel.

"Mr. Toyota, please take a look. We plan to dig three main tunnels throughout the city to build a subway in the future."

"The entire tunnel is 18 meters wide, with a 4-meter high ceiling. It's well-ventilated, with ventilation equipment every 10 meters. The ground beneath our feet is hardened, and the walls are tiled. Steel beams are reinforced with steel bars and metal plates are laid on top.

Overall, this tunnel is located 20 meters below the ground. Even if shells rain down from the sky, people in the tunnel will hardly feel it, let alone worry about it collapsing.

As he spoke, Zheng Yi took Toyota Risaburo and smoked cigars while chatting as they walked deeper into the tunnel.

Toyota Risaburo actually didn't quite understand why Zheng Yi wanted to meet him in the tunnel, and why he wanted to say all this to him.

Seeing Zheng Yi bring up this topic, he could only follow the topic and continue: "I have always heard that Mr. Zheng attaches great importance to the Penang subway project.

I personally inspect the construction every month, and any slackness in the construction will be severely punished. I think the people of Penang will be able to use the subway soon."

Zheng Yi said, "This tunnel is not meant for a subway."

Toyota Risaburo: "Huh?"

Zheng Yi: "I dug this tunnel for use in war. Otherwise, I wouldn't have installed so many steel bars on the top beams, and even laid metal plates. Look at the tunnel I dug. It can easily accommodate traffic in both directions."

"Not only that, I also specially built many large basements, each of which can accommodate tens of thousands of people to take shelter and sleep together."

"Of course, if the war is over, these tunnels will indeed be used to build the subway, and they are indeed planned according to the subway route."

Toyoda Risaburo: "Fight? Who is Mr. Zheng going to fight?"

Zheng Yi: "Japan, of course, to be more precise, it's the Japanese right-wing and extreme right-wing militarism."

After the 226 Mutiny, Japan turned sharply to the right, and both the military and political circles were frantically stepping on the accelerator on the road of militarist expansion.

He used to say that he dug tunnels to guard against the Japanese, and everyone except himself thought it was a joke. But now, for many smart people, it has become an option that must be considered.

For example, Risaburo Toyota.

He and Toyota Boshoku originally ran away to escape Japanese militarism.

Of course, it can also be understood as betting on both sides. If Japan wins the war, Toyota Motor will be the hero of the war, and Toyota Boshoku's defection will be just a trivial stain.

Even if Japan lost the war, at least it would have left behind the spark of Toyota Textiles, which was enough to ensure that the Toyota Group would make a comeback after the war and remain a world-class large industrial group.

However, no matter what, Toyota Risaburo's current interests are completely contrary to Japan's national interests, and he has become a traitor to the country. On the contrary, he can understand Zheng Yi better.

Of course, it is also because they have almost finished digging the main tunnel and it is time to dig the auxiliary tunnel and tunnel branch line. It is not justifiable to use the subway as an excuse. It would be better to be a whistleblower in World War II.

Toyoda Risaburo: "Mr. Zheng, do you think that militarism will not only attack China, but will even attack Penang?

If he fought all the way to Penang... while invading China, would he also declare war on Britain, the United States, the Netherlands and France?
Mr. Zheng, the victors of the 226 Mutiny were the Control Faction, not those pure lunatics of the Imperial Way Faction.

For a moment, Toyota Risaburo couldn't help but sweat profusely. Although he was the one who bet on Japan's defeat among the two brothers, he was still a little confused when he suddenly heard such a horrifying thing.

It would be a miracle if they could win.

Zheng Yi simply deduced, "Japan's invasion of China was inevitable. This was the world order after it openly tore up and challenged the Treaty of Versailles. The US, UK, and France couldn't just sit back and watch. The Netherlands would definitely follow their lead. Do you admit this?"

Toyota Risaburo nodded.

Having achieved such a big success in business, it is impossible for them not to understand politics, even international politics. They may even understand it better than most politicians in the world.

"Japan is challenging the world order dominated by Britain and the United States. Even if Britain and the United States do not take direct action, they will definitely impose sanctions on Japan."

After a pause, Zheng Yi added, "I now have a certain influence on British and American politics. As you can see, the companies that came to Penang to cooperate with me are all super-large multinational groups. If the UK and the US hesitate when imposing sanctions, I can also add fuel to the fire."

Toyota Risaburo nodded, agreeing with Zheng Yi's statement.

If he didn't recognize them, Toyota wouldn't split up, and he wouldn't commit treason.

Zheng Yi: "Under sanctions from the UK and the US, Japan will have no steel and oil, but China will get a batch of arms and weapons. I will definitely provide some support to China."

"Steel is fine. Recycling scrap steel, or even melting civilian steel to make guns and weapons, can sustain the economy for a while. But without oil, modern warfare is impossible."

"Warships need oil, tanks need oil, and even gunpowder needs oil."

Zheng Yi added, "Although Penang doesn't have oil, all the oil refining in Southeast Asia is here. Since 226, you Japanese can't buy a drop of oil from me."

Toyoda Risaburo: "Well, I've thought of that too. If we can buy oil from Russia, the war can go on. If not..."

Zheng Yi: "If not, Japan will have only two options: one is to admit defeat and surrender and accept international mediation, the other is to rob."

"If we want to grab oil, we can either go west and grab the Russians, or go south and grab the Southeast Asians."

"Seizing the Russians would mean going to war with both China and Russia simultaneously. China and Russia could easily join forces. Not only would the chances of victory be slim, but the Japanese Navy would also be completely reduced to a supporting role. I suspect the Navy would not allow the Cabinet to approve this strategy."

"If we don't take Russia's oil, then we can only take Southeast Asia's oil. If Japan conquers all of Indonesia and seizes the oil, then the British and American coalition forces will definitely be defeated.

The Philippines must have been taken, so why wouldn't they attack Penang as well?

Upon hearing this, Toyota Risaburo frowned and thought about it for a long time.

I was surprised to find that all of this is really very likely to happen.

In fact, whether it was fighting Russia and seizing oil from Russia, or fighting Southeast Asia and seizing oil from Europe and the United States, Toyoda Risaburo believed that Japan had little chance of winning.

Either face the Sino-Russian coalition forces, or face the Chinese, American and British coalition forces.

This is a fucking joke from hell.

"Ah~, I understand, Mr. Zheng. Your concerns are indeed... not without reason."

"Mr. Toyota, among the major Japanese chaebols, Toyota is not the only one that wants to split up and place bets.

Apart from anything else, I don't believe that no one in the Yasuda family wants to escape Japanese militarism. I have no interest in Yasuda Bank, but I am quite interested in Nissei and Nissan. "

"As far as I know, when Mr. Zenjiro Yasuda was alive, he also served as the president of the Japan Textile Association, which also has a large number of textile industries under its umbrella. I believe you two must be very familiar with it, right?"

Toyota Risaburo: "Mr. Zenjiro is a benefactor to Toyota. He has mentored me and is a highly respected senior who is both my mentor and friend."

Zheng Yi: "In that case, you certainly don't want his family and the company he founded to be buried with Japanese militarism, right?"

Toyota Risaburo: "I understand. I will help persuade them to move to Nanyang as much as possible. But, Mr. Zheng, you really have a big appetite."

Zheng Yi: "Big deal? It's okay. I'm just trying to save people. During this period, every entrepreneur who remains in Japan will be tied to the train of militarism and eventually destroyed together."

Toyoda Risaburo: “However, Penang does not seem to have a large enough population to support so many excellent companies.”

Look at him, he brings it up again.

As a textile worker, he was extremely sensitive to population trends. Although Zheng Yi was unsure, he still had to brag about it as much as possible to Toyota Risaburo in advance.

"Don't worry, I have a foolproof plan for the population problem. Don't forget, China is behind me.
China has a population of 400 million, and we share the same culture and ethnicity as Penang. As long as there are enough good businesses in Penang, how can there not be enough people?

"The population problem isn't a big issue for Penang. It's just that the pace of urban development hasn't kept pace. There are less than four million people in Penang right now, and there are still so many people who have nowhere to live and have to sleep in dormitories."

"Whether it's the textile industry or the industrial population, as long as urban development keeps up, people won't be a problem at all. Penang's main problem right now is urban development."

Zheng Yi felt guilty when he said this.

Zheng Yi now has the mentality of a miser who wants everything and wants to take all the treasures home. These world-renowned companies are treasures in his eyes, and Penang and even Penang Island are his home.

No matter whether it can be digested and absorbed after it is obtained, just get it and then talk about it.

If there are not enough people, we can find another way.

If there is not enough fresh water, we can find another way.

If there is not enough land, we can find another way.

If there are not enough ports, we can find another way.

Let the meat rot in the pot first, then think about how to eat it.

He is also a celebrity in Europe and the United States, a great entrepreneur, a great scientist, and a Nobel Prize winner.

Permanent magnet motors and chemical fibers are both Nobel Prize-level applied inventions, and he is sure to win them. However, the Nobel Prize cannot be awarded to the same person twice in a short period of time, so it is likely that Zheng Yi will be awarded one of these two inventions.

As such a famous person, the articles he published must have attracted great attention from British and American society.

Of course, after receiving attention, British and American societies regarded it as a joke.

Although Zheng Yi's war situation simulation process is actually very rigorous and credible, unfortunately the British and American people do not believe him. They just think that he, as a scientist, does not understand war or international politics.

Of course, some people think that Professor Zheng is just patriotic. After all, he is Chinese. It sounds funny that Japan declared war on Britain, the United States, the Netherlands and France, but if it was just an invasion of China, even the upper class elites in Europe and the United States would have seen it.

Zheng Yi didn't care. He blew the whistle a few years in advance for two purposes. One was to blow the whistle on Europe and the United States. At the very least, it would earn him a reputation for foresight after World War II.

If Britain and the United States could put aside their arrogance a little, pay a little more attention to Japan, and prepare for war in advance, perhaps the history of the Pacific War would be rewritten?

Strictly speaking, the reason why Britain and the United States suffered heavy defeats in the early stages of the Pacific War, which almost completely destroyed their Asian military forces and led to the occupation of the entire Southeast Asia by Japan, was not because of how brilliant Japan's tactics were or how excellent its soldiers were.

It was almost entirely due to the fact that Britain and the United States were negligent in guarding against Japan, and they underestimated the enemy, were arrogant, and conceited.

British soldiers still didn't believe that Asians could fly planes until they saw Japanese fighter planes with their own eyes.

If it weren't for this extreme arrogance that was completely unreasonable, how could Japan have successfully swept across Southeast Asia?

Zheng Yi thought to himself that he had been blowing this whistle for 36 years, a few times every year. If his whistle-blowing and reminder could make Britain and the United States pay more attention to the threat from Japan before the war started, they could prepare in advance.

Then maybe Japan would not be able to conquer the Philippines or Singapore.

Then Penang won't have to fight.

Although his tunnel would be dug in vain in this case, he was more than happy to do so.

As a big international capitalist, he is actually the same as those Japanese chaebols. He can make money by doing business. Who is crazy enough to be willing to go to war?

On the other hand, it was to blow the whistle on Japan.

Whether it is digging tunnels or publishing articles, the purpose is to tell those relatively normal people in Japanese society, especially the chaebols, that your militarist government is far crazier than you can imagine.

They will attack Penang.

There are British Navy and American Air Force over Penang, but I am still so cautious. It is obvious that I have determined that these Japanese militarist entities will declare war on Britain, the United States, the Netherlands and France.

You can judge for yourself whether you can win after declaring war.

If you are afraid of post-war liquidation, you are welcome to learn from your famous Japanese company Toyota.

And the effect seemed to be very good. Just two days later, Zheng Yi contacted the Yasuda family through Toyota Risaburo.

The Yasuda family plans to completely withdraw from all businesses in the Yasuda Group, taking only some cash and the relocation of Seiko to Penang.

Because the main business of the Yasuda Group is banking and insurance, this kind of financial business is difficult to move here, and moving it here is just a matter of money. Zheng Yi doesn't care about money at all. He is not short of money, but of industry.

Their family should be the one with the least real industry among the four major conglomerates. It is precisely because of this that the Japanese right wing dared to assassinate its founder, Zenjiro Yasuda.
Moreover, after the murder, they easily squeezed the Yasuda family out of the corporate group.

Yasuda is also the only one among the four major chaebols whose founding family has no connection with the chaebol at all.

So, industry is always king. No matter how rich you are in finance, they can kill you at will without even affecting the normal operation of the enterprise.

Of course, compared with other chaebols, Yasuda is relatively less involved in industry. Through investment and mergers and acquisitions, Yasuda still has several industrial enterprises. The most famous ones are naturally Nissan and Nissei.

Zheng Yi wanted Nissan, but like Toyota, the military was also keeping a close eye on the automotive industry, and Yasuda's relationship with Nissan was just an investment of money, the so-called financial sponsor.

Now that Zenjiro Yasuda has been assassinated and the Yasuda Group and the Japanese military have completely fallen out, what can you do if your crappy financial backer no longer recognizes you?
Making money from finance is very illusory. You are the boss only in peacetime. No one will take you seriously if there is any turmoil.

Nissei will be in a much better situation. After all, Nissei’s main business is making watches, especially wristwatches.

The military itself didn't take it seriously. Furthermore, Nissan could manufacture cars during the war, but what could Nissei do during the war? Could it just manufacture instruments and meters to keep the company afloat?
You have to know that watches were still a luxury item in the 20th century. A man who could wear a watch was at least middle class in that era.

Once a war breaks out, especially a total war under militarism, watchmaking is finished.

Therefore, Nissin chose to relocate. If Japan simply attacked China, it could at least use Penang's special status as an "international free" port to introduce its own brand into the European and American markets, become an international brand, and reduce the impact of the war on itself.

If Japan really went crazy, it would attack Southeast Asia or even Penang.

At least he could avoid the fate of defeat and reckoning.

Anyone with a little bit of common sense knows that Japan was seeking death by declaring war on the five countries of Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, France and China at the same time.

The Japanese military, which had just experienced the 36 coup in 226, had not yet had time to control all industries in Japan and did not realize the importance of Nissei.

Taiyou Machinery mastered unique small motor technology. Nissin used the excuse of cooperating with Taiyou Machinery to develop motor watches, juicers, shavers and other similar small household appliances, and actually successfully escaped more than half of Japan's essence.

Zheng Yi of course also expressed a warm welcome to them. After all, Taiyou Machinery has always been engaged in large-scale industrial machinery processing. The arrival of Nissin has made up for Penang’s shortcomings in the field of precision machining.

In the era without CNC machine tools, the most valuable people in the precision manufacturing industry were the master craftsmen. Each of them was a treasure, and assets did not matter.

This Nissin Company actually brought in more than 400 skilled workers specializing in the field of precision engineering, completely filling the gaps in Penang's industrial production.

Of course, Zheng Yi also knew that his population crisis, the problem of insufficient labor, and the food problem which was closely related to the population problem, made things even more tense.

(End of this chapter)