Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 502: The profound heritage of the Chu State

The patient wait finally paid off hugely. European investors are now like frightened rabbits, unwilling to fall into the deep pit of the Panama Canal a second time.

The fundraising for the new French company was not going smoothly. As the construction date agreed in the contract was getting closer, it was no longer possible to complete the project on schedule.

At this moment

The Paris government also backed down. Due to their extreme dissatisfaction with the United States taking advantage of the situation, they first contacted the Chu State and asked whether they could change the contract terms to extend the contract completion period and reduce the amount of the fine.

Whether the former or the latter, it is a shot in the arm for the struggling new company, enough to prompt European investors to pay attention to this project of the century again.

However, the French are just daydreaming.

The King of Chu has been patiently waiting for this project for more than ten years. Now that the time is ripe and it is about to fall on the plate, how can he let it go?

The Chu government's refusal was gentle but firm, and it simply said, "The Chu government highly respects the spirit of contract, which is the foundation of mutual trust between countries." This silenced the French.

In desperation, the Paris government made a second choice and privately asked Chu if it was interested in taking over. The two sides could then start formal negotiations on this matter.

The Panama Project could certainly not be implemented in Europe because the stock market crash caused dozens of French usurers to jump from high-rise buildings, ending their miserable lives of heavy debt and no hope.

The scandal of corruption and bribery involving more than 150 government officials and parliamentarians in Paris directly led to the fall of the former Paris government and more than lawsuits, and the entire project was stinking for miles.

To restart it, there must be a fool to invest money in it, which is obviously impossible in reality.

The State of Chu had a strong enough economic foundation to take over. The Panama Canal was located on its own territory, and it would never sit idly by and watch the project fail.

The two sides hit it off immediately, quickly started secret negotiations, and soon reached an agreement.

After the State of Chu took over this messy project, it immediately rehired 71 white engineers from the original Interoceanic Canal Engineering Company. These were all experts who had devoted a lot of energy to the Panama Canal project, and the longest of them had been following the project for more than ten years.

They all have rich experience. We cannot completely deny the abilities of these foreign engineers just because of Mr. Sereb's ridiculous operation. That would be unfair to them.

The newly established Pacific Engineering Company of Chu State impressed these foreign engineers with just one sentence.

The original words were, "Gentlemen, you need a chance to prove that all your hard work over the years has not been in vain. This is the best chance to prove yourself."

After the French-led Interoceanic Canal Engineering Company collapsed, Mr. Sereb and many engineers involved in the project were in trouble.

Not only did their reputation suffer, but they were also often subjected to various malicious slanders, and many engineers couldn't even find decent jobs.

The vast majority of foreign engineers responded readily to this call, including many famous French engineers.

They need this opportunity to redeem their terrible reputation.

The technical team, consisting of 71 foreign engineers and 216 Chinese engineers, walked along the entire project line several times and developed thirteen versions of the sluice-lift canal construction plan, devoting great enthusiasm to this end.

After selecting the best from the best, the most practical and feasible engineering plan was finally selected.

September 2th, 2025

Pacific Engineering Company, jointly invested by the Chu royal family and the Chu government, put up 35% of its shares for listing to raise funds, with a total amount of 8400 million silver dollars.

Once issued, it was enthusiastically welcomed by Chinese investors in the Manila Stock Exchange, and the share price continued to rise. Ultimately, it raised 1.13 million silver dollars, providing sufficient financial support for the Panama Canal project.

The Pacific Engineering Company's construction methods were even more brutal. They directly set fire to the mountains where the construction site was about to be excavated, turning the lush tropical forest into a sea of ​​fire.

No matter what, just burn it first.

On one side of the route, there is the Panama Railway belonging to the Pacific Engineering Company (Note: originally purchased from the American railway, it is an asset of the French Interoceanic Canal Engineering Company and now belongs to the new company) as a buffer zone. On the other side, there is a 200-meter-wide isolation channel opened by convicts, which is more than 50 kilometers long and can prevent the disorderly spread of forest fires.

This forest burning lasted for two and a half months, burning almost the entire remaining construction section of the canal, and killing all the poisonous snakes, poisonous insects and all kinds of annoying mosquitoes and flies that spread diseases.

After the cleanup, a large area of ​​charred land was exposed.

In order to complete this century-long project as soon as possible, the Chu State invested a total of 6.2 laborers, including 5.1 Colombian convicts, more than 7700 Chinese workers, and more than 3100 black slaves. Five new cement plants were built and 22 quarries were expanded.

There are countless newly built brick kilns and lime kilns, and more than 330 internal combustion engine-driven conveyor belts are used to throw the excavated mud and sand upward from the bottom of the ditch.

More than 1100 hand tractors, 67 steam plows and a large number of other machines were used to assist in the excavation of the canal project and promote its progress.

The steam plow is a relatively advanced agricultural machine in today's era. One end is fixed to the ground, and the heavy plow head is dragged by an iron chain. It is used for turning over large areas of soil and digging ditches.

This also plays a very important role in canal projects. It can plow and loosen the originally solid land, making excavation much easier.

With the support of various technological means, the Panama Canal project made gratifying progress. Two years later, by the beginning of 1895, the excavated volume had accounted for 77.2% of the total planned volume, and it was expected to be completed and open to navigation by the end of the century.

The lifting gates used in the Panama Canal project are made up of super-large steel components. The smallest one weighs 27.5 tons, and the largest one weighs 1206 tons. All of them were ordered from the United States.

Compared to shipping it from the Chu state, ordering it locally in the United States can save more than half of the cost, and the price is low, the quality is also very reliable.

The Americans were unwilling to damage their reputation, not to mention that Pacific Engineering Company had a strict quality inspection system. If it failed to meet the standards stipulated in the bidding documents, it would have to bear huge fines.

Even the powerful American steel industry cannot afford such serious consequences.

Almost all of the 430 million tons of steel needed for the Panama Canal project came from the United States and was supplied in stages during the six-year construction period.

An average of 72 tons of steel was used annually. In the last two years in particular, the construction of the super-large sea locks on the Pacific and Atlantic sides required a peak annual steel consumption of 145 million tons.

At the bottom of the super-large sea lock, an astonishing amount of finger-thick rebar is used. The concrete bottom plate, which is tied and poured, is 3.55 meters thick and is almost entirely composed of densely packed steel bars.

When the concrete was being poured, the cement barrels piled up on both sides of the construction site were opened one by one, 81 concrete mixing barrels were operating at the same time, and tens of thousands of people worked together.

Workers responsible for transporting concrete raw materials, workers responsible for unpacking and pouring concrete into concrete mixing barrels, workers adding gravel, sand and glutinous rice water, workers boiling glutinous rice water in large pots, workers pushing concrete back and forth with carts, those in charge of command, medical staff, logistics personnel, etc., all gathered together to form a scene of intense labor.

The cement plant's accumulated production of nearly half a year was used up in just a few days due to the non-stop pouring day and night.

The casting of the super-large ship lock bottom plate must be formed in one go, which places strict demands on the construction. Once it starts, it cannot be stopped, which is a great test of organizational ability.

The Panama Canal is called the project of the century, and that is no less impressive.

According to the current progress of the project

By the end of 1898, the main waterway and lift locks of the Panama Canal will be completed. The subsequent equipment installation and commissioning will take about a year and a half.

Thinking of this, King Zheng Guohui of Chu became cheerful and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

This will be another key maritime chokepoint under the absolute control of the Chu State, greatly enhancing the Chu State's geostrategic influence and bringing in hundreds of years of consistent and stable income. It is definitely a good deal.

The subsequent engineering investment of the entire Panama Canal, minus the transfer fee of 7200 million silver dollars paid in the early stage, the total subsequent additional investment is about 2.25 million silver dollars, which is the largest engineering investment to date.

The Chu royal family held 42% of the shares, and the government held 23% of the shares. The two together held 65% of the shares, giving them absolute control.

The remaining 35% stake is issued on the Manila Stock Exchange and is held by domestic and overseas investors, mainly Chinese. Although the current returns are not high, it is stable and long-term, showing a continuously rising curve.

With the Pacific Engineering Company as the operating entity, the Chu government signed regulations on the free passage of civilian and military ships at the "Panama Canal" international conference held in Manila with European and American countries such as Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Spain, Russia, Italy, the Netherlands, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

This kind of good thing of giving money to your door must not be pushed away.

As for whether we can pass through the Panama locks freely and unimpeded when a real war comes, that is still a matter for Chu to decide. Even if Chu really tears up the treaty, what can we do?
The powerful nations were so confident. The large population was the confidence of the Chu State. As of the end of 1864:

The total population of the United States is 7121 million, the population of the United Kingdom is 3864 million, the population of France is 3489 million, the population of Germany is 5227 million, and the total population of Tsarist Russia is over 10600 million.

How many is the state of Chu?

The total population of the Chu State reached 9377.53 million, second only to Tsarist Russia, and it had strong population resources.

The proportion of Chinese is as high as 93.79%. The rest are natives of the East Indies, Hawaii, white indigenous people of Central America and a small number of white immigrants from Europe and the United States, businessmen and scholars. They are a social group with a high degree of assimilation.

Most people can speak some Mandarin Chinese and can cope with daily communication. Many second- and third-generation Jianghuai Mandarin are very fluent, and their diet, beliefs and living habits are no different from those of the Chinese.

This is what King Zheng Guohui of Chu is most proud of. The assimilation of overseas colonies was very thorough. Kalimantan, Hawaii, Central America, East Africa and Patagonia have basically completed this historical process, and the total local Chinese population is all over 90%.

In the Chu State, conquered indigenous peoples were not allowed to have independent identities or own fixed assets such as land and houses. They could only be vassals of Chinese farms and plantations, or work in mines, earning a meager income just enough to make a living.

On the five mainland islands

There are not many enslaved natives of the East Indies left, only a few hundred thousand in total. They are basically concentrated in mines and some remote road construction teams, and are generally older.

The final destination is not far away.

Under the Congo River Governorate, there are approximately 270 to 300 million black indigenous people who are not included in the population statistics. More than % of them are black women, and there are very few older black men left.

This is because male black indigenous people are assigned more arduous and tiring work in a harsher environment, so their average life expectancy is naturally not long.

Those who have survived more than 20 years of slavery and are still alive today are basically old black slaves over years old, and there are many in their s.

In about ten years, only one or two out of ten people will still be alive.

Until then

Only then can we say that the problem of the indigenous black population in the Congo River Basin has been truly solved, and that we have achieved "emptying the cage and replacing the bird" with relatively gentle means, and become the true masters of this vast world.

Nine consecutive years of high-intensity immigration came to an end in 1893, ending the large-scale immigration program one year ahead of schedule.

During this period, the average annual total number of immigrants exceeded 40, and the total number of immigrants in nine years was 416.65 million, which is a brilliant achievement worthy of being recorded in history.

By the beginning of 1895, the total population under the Congo River Governorate was 988.27 million, of which about half were second-generation Chinese immigrants aged seven or above, and the population was just one step away from breaking through the 7 million mark.

From the end of 1893

The preferential land grant program for immigrants to the Congo River was officially cancelled. This was the last frontier colony of the Great Chu Kingdom to cancel the preferential land grant program, and it also meant that the kingdom entered a period of long-term stable development.

As soon as the plan was cancelled, the number of Chinese immigrants heading to the Congo River dropped sharply, from an average of 3.5 per month to 1894 in January 2471.

By February, there were only 2 people left, a significant drop in immigration numbers.

With such a small immigrant population, not even one immigrant ship can be sent out every month, which has led to the cancellation of regular immigration flights to West Africa and the transfer of operations to the Pacific route.

Throughout 1894

In the first year after the preferential land grant program was cancelled, the total number of Chinese immigrants to the Congo River Basin throughout the year was only 1.298, less than half of the average monthly immigration in the previous year.

From this point alone, we can see that Chinese immigrants are extremely realistic. Without the temptation of huge benefits, they would definitely not go to a colony as far away as West Africa.

Fortunately, after more than 20 years of development, the baby boom in the Congo River Governorate has been growing one after another, with the number of new births reaching hundreds of thousands every year, and the growth rate is quite astonishing.

Local Chinese immigrants are very willing to have children. Whether they are ranchers, plantation owners or farmers, managing their own businesses mainly depends on their children.

Many local children in their teens can drive cattle migration on horseback with great skill.

They can drive tractors to transport goods, plow the fields, harrow the fields, harvest grass, and store green fodder and hay. They are capable of doing all kinds of farm work and have become the main force in farm and ranch production.

There is a large rancher named Mo Xingli in Dahaiwan City. He owns a vast pasture of 11 acres and raises tens of thousands of cattle and sheep. His ranch is entirely managed by his own children.

This man married 12 wives and had 74 children, big and small. When his daughters grew up, they only married into other families and would not marry out. Together with his grandchildren, the whole family had a total of to people.

The Mojia Ranch was forcibly developed into the Mojia Town. This situation is not uncommon in the Congo River. Although many Chinese families do not have that many children, it is common to have ten or twenty children.

In time
Even without a large influx of Chinese immigrants, it is almost certain that the population growth in the Congo River Basin will see an explosion.

The Governor-General of the Congo River will be the first frontier governor-general to have a population exceeding 10 million, and the preferential land grant policy will be ended one year ahead of schedule. This is based on population control considerations.

Today, the northern highway of the Congo River Governor's Office, the northern railway and numerous inland river ports have been completed. There are dense Chinese towns, and the farthest east reaches Moonlight Lake City.

It is the dividing line with German East Africa. Along the shores of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika, there are more than a hundred villages and towns with a total population of nearly 30.

This effectively guarded the border line, prohibited black indigenous tribal populations from crossing the border, and maintained the purity of colonial bloodlines.

Due to the late start
The naturalization of immigrants in the Governor-General's Office of Madagascar has lagged behind. Over the past decade, nearly one million Chinese have immigrated to the island, bringing its total population back to 179 million, 99% of whom are Chinese.

Therefore, three years ago, the island's preferential authorization program was stopped, and the influx of foreign immigrants came to a halt.

Fortunately, the second generation of immigrants on the island have grown up, with an average annual population increase of about 80,000 to 90,000, and the island has entered a period of relatively stable growth.

There are more than 50 indigenous convicts on the island of Madagascar, who are mainly engaged in heavy physical labor in mining, road, reservoir, bridge, dock and urban construction, as well as agricultural production.

According to the internal report of the Correctional Service

The number of natural deaths among the indigenous people of Madagascar has continued to rise each year, from 1893 in 3.65 to 1894 in 4.02, showing a steady increase.

The local indigenous tribes have no new population reinforcements, and their population shrinks significantly every year.

There is no need to resort to drastic repressive measures. In a decade or so, the indigenous groups will be on the verge of natural extinction.

The original territory of the Great Chu Kingdom was 755 million square kilometers. Eleven years ago, it acquired a small amount of 11 square kilometers (Note: During the London demarcation negotiations, a large amount of land was obtained on the northern border, concentrated in the Cameroon region). In addition, there is a 17 square kilometer colony on Madagascar, the sixth largest island in the world, for a total of 59.2 million square kilometers of vast territory (Note: The statistics do not include the northwest of Sumatra Island centered on Aceh).

The current territorial scope has not changed for 11 years.

Chamberlain entered the new British cabinet as Secretary of State for the Colonies, which was exactly the same as the original historical trajectory and foreshadowed the imminent outbreak of war in South Africa.

Chamberlain was a close friend of Rhodes, the manager of a South African mining company. Both of them were active advocates of foreign colonial expansion and had similar political views. Unfortunately, they were born at the wrong time.

In 1895
It was already the late period of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's reign, and the enterprising spirit of the early and middle periods had long since disappeared, becoming conservative and kind.

Over the past ten years

Apart from the invasion of Burma in 1885, Britain did not make any major moves in the colonial field, leading people to mistakenly believe that Britain had become vegetarian.

Actually

An unprecedentedly brutal war that is destined to lead the British Empire from prosperity to decline is quietly approaching, and the countdown clock is turning steadily.

Time was running out for the British Empire, and the countless golden treasures of South Africa captivated the greedy British. This seemed destined for war.

(End of this chapter)