North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 121 Who's sitting here? (Begging for monthly votes!)
"The position of interim governor has become vacant. Who should take it?"

Faced with Ah Zu's question, everyone present looked at each other, none of them knowing how to answer.

Finally, Edgar Allan Poe couldn't help but say, "Boss, I think that now that the Foreign Workers' Equal Rights Act has been passed, your path to officially stepping into the limelight has been completely cleared!"

"The position of interim governor is rightfully yours!"

"Yes! Boss, only you can be the governor!"

"Yes, yes! If you're not governor, who is qualified?"

Faced with the cacophony of voices, Azu shook his head with a smile: "The affirmative action bill has just been passed, and I can't wait to take the position of interim governor. My intentions are all too obvious!"

"Moreover, the vast majority of white people in California are certainly not ready to welcome a Chinese governor! If I rashly take the seat, it will only cause a backlash from the public."

"The backlash in public opinion during the state elections at the end of this year will actually be very detrimental to our campaigns for governor and legislator seats!"

Azu continued, "We must take things one step at a time, and eat one bite at a time! With the Chinese population still relatively small, we cannot rush to put Chinese people at the forefront!"

"So, BOSS, you mean...?"

Azu's gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally landing on his father-in-law, Peter Parker!

"Mr. Parker, would you mind being the interim governor?"

“Me…?” Parker Parker was utterly shocked!
He never dreamed that he would become the interim governor!
“No, no, no!” Parker Parker hurriedly waved his hands: “The pharmaceutical factory is busy enough for me! Now I need to increase production capacity as soon as possible and deal with the covetousness from all sides... I really don’t have the time and energy to be the interim governor!”

"Hehe!" Azu smiled and said, "Among so many of us, in terms of seniority and ability, only Mr. Parker and Edgar Allan Poe are qualified to hold the position of interim governor!"

"Allen is currently the state senator and city council president, two positions that have already kept him extremely busy, so he is clearly not fit to serve as interim governor."

“Then it’s just you, Mr. Parker!” Azu said calmly. “I know that the pharmaceutical factory is already very busy and cannot do without Mr. Parker. There is no time or energy left for you to serve as the interim governor.”

"However, you could appoint an assistant governor!"

“Assistant Governor…?” Parker Parker blinked. “Azu, do you mean…?”

“That’s right!” Azu pointed to his nose: “You’re the interim governor, and then you’ve appointed me as assistant governor! I’m busy too, but I’m young, and I think I should be able to squeeze out the time and energy to take on most of the work of the interim governor.”

“Phew…!” Parker Parker breathed a sigh of relief: “Let me be a nominal governor, this arrangement is more like it! In Chinese terms, it’s like using me as a sheep’s head to sell dog meat, right?”

"Haha!" Azu laughed: "Mr. Parker is indeed very knowledgeable; he has even learned Chinese proverbs."

Ah Zu continued, "Hua Mei Industrial's operations are expanding rapidly, and with the added burden of state government affairs, I definitely can't handle it all by myself."

"Therefore, I plan to establish a secretariat!"

"Secretariat?"

“Yes!” Azu nodded and said, “This secretariat will coordinate the affairs of Huamei Industrial, the militia and the government, as well as all matters related to the Native Americans, and will report directly to me.”

"The secretariat members include: Vivian, Daisy, Victoria, Monica, and Yuma!"

Old Jason blinked and chuckled, "The secretariat, it turns out, is all girls!"

"Ahem!" Azu said seriously, "Don't get the wrong idea, there are men too! Feng Zicai, and... Little Carnegie!"

"Secretariat, well, there are seven people. How should their tasks be divided?" Edgar Allan Poe asked.

"The Secretariat will be headed by Vivian in charge of all personnel, Daisy in charge of all finances, Victoria in charge of external intelligence, Monica in charge of internal intelligence, and Yuma in charge of liaison with the Native Americans!"

"Feng Zicai will be in charge of internal security and defense. And Carnegie Jr. will be in charge of message passing and relaying orders!"

Feng Zicai, who had been teaching martial arts to the Blackfoot tribe for some time, had returned with the ship escorting the prisoners.

After a period of arduous training, Feng Zicai's marksmanship has become quite good. Coupled with his martial arts skills and abilities, he is the perfect person to be in charge of security and defense.

As for the other members of the secretariat, they were already doing related work, but after being transferred to the secretariat, their respective responsibilities became clearer.

After hearing Ah Zu's work arrangements, Vivian, Daisy, Victoria, Monica, and Yuma, who were present, all showed their delight.

Now, she had more time to spend with this man, and it was all perfectly legitimate, so no one could find fault with it.

Azu continued, "And there are just too many eyesores in the state legislature! We need to gradually replace those who disagree with us with our own people."

“Victoria and Monica, during this time, you two should keep an eye on those disobedient councilors. If there’s dirt on them, seize it; if not, create dirt on them. Only by getting something on them will they become obedient.”

"If there is really no evidence against them, or if they are disobedient even if there is evidence against them, then we need to find a way to replace them."

"After we take over the state government and the state legislature, we should also take over the state police, the state court, the state tax bureau, and those two state militia groups as soon as possible."

"Jason, you're the San Francisco police chief. You should be able to get promoted to state police chief, right?"

"Hiss...!" Old Jason took a deep drag on his cherry wood pipe: "Boss, you know me. I'm barely qualified to be a city police chief, let alone a state police chief...!"

Ah Zu interrupted him, saying, "You have to do it even if you can't. Learn carefully and do it well!"

"Uh, shall I give it a try...?"

Azu continued, "We'll draw some key personnel from our two existing militia regiments to build the framework of the two state-run militia regiments. As for the two regimental commanders, Feng Zicai is one. As for the other, we haven't chosen one yet, so let old Martinez take on the role for now."

Old Martinez at least had experience in the Spanish Navy, so temporarily holding the position of regimental commander is somewhat appropriate. However, as the state prosecutor, it's not suitable for him to concurrently serve as a militia regimental commander; they'll have to wait until a more suitable candidate is found.

Of the three permanent militia regiments in the state, apart from the one under Azu's command, the other two are practically just empty shells.

The interim state government had three problems: it lacked funds and manpower, and it was afraid that even if it were built, it would be seized by Azu, so it simply decided not to build it.

Now that Azu has taken control of the state government, the vacancies for these two militia groups need to be filled as soon as possible.

Ah Zu added, "The main personnel for the two newly established permanent militia regiments will be selected from among the Chinese laborers."

“As for the State Taxation Bureau, this department is the main source of revenue for the state government, and it is very crucial!” Azu pondered, “I plan to reserve this position for Wu Qingfeng. He comes from a merchant family, speaks excellent English, and is familiar with the American system. Once he returns from Guangzhou, I will give him a try.”

"There's only one state court left. Sigh, we still have too few people who understand the law! I can't imagine who could become the chief judge of this state...!"

“Ahem!” Edgar Allan Poe suddenly coughed twice and said, “Boss, if we can’t find a candidate for Chief Justice of the State, I do have someone here.”

“Who…?” Azu asked curiously.

Edgar Allan Poe laughed and said, "Boss, have you forgotten our former interim governor?"

“Burnette…?”

"Yes! It's our Mr. Peter Hardman Burnett!"

Edgar Allan Poe smiled and said, "Ever since this fellow resigned as interim governor, he has become much more low-key and is no longer as arrogant and self-important as before!"

“A few days ago, Mr. Burnett approached me, hoping I would support his candidacy for Congress and give him a chance to return to politics. The Burnett of today is not the Burnett of last year; his attitude is very sincere, and he's very humble!” “So, will you support his candidacy for Congress?” Azu asked.

Edgar Allan Poe shook his head: "Of course not! That guy has absolutely no political wisdom or experience in political struggle. Even if he becomes a member of parliament, he will only humiliate himself again!"

“However…!” Edgar Allan Poe changed the subject: “However, Mr. Burnett is a seasoned lawyer, and it would be appropriate for him to serve as the state chief judge, a position that does not require much political wisdom or experience in struggle.”

"Of course, it depends on Mr. Burnett's attitude! If he's willing to become one of us, I think you could talk to him first, Boss!"

After thinking it over, Azu realized that he really didn't have anyone more suitable than Burnett to serve as the state's chief judge!

Unlike other civil servants, the position of state chief judge requires a high level of professional expertise; it's not a job anyone can fill. Appointing someone unfamiliar with the law as chief judge would likely lead to numerous farcical situations and wrongful convictions!

“Okay!” Azu nodded. “Pick a time and have that guy come and talk to me.”

"Okay, BOSS!"

During this time, Ah Zu has gained many more men under his command, and controlling the entire San Francisco is no longer a problem.

But now, taking control of all of California is a different matter altogether; there are still not enough men under one's command!

At times like these, Ah Zu is especially eager to bring talented people from across the ocean to this side of the ocean.

Rather than letting them remain in the Qing Dynasty, fighting amongst themselves, it's better to let them come to this new continent and create a new world for themselves!

After a moment of reflection, Azu continued, "The pharmaceutical factory and the arsenal must be expanded as soon as possible! We should design and manufacture as much machinery as possible in our own machinery factories."

"If there are any small parts of equipment that we cannot design and manufacture in our factory, please place your orders as soon as possible!"

"We aim to increase the current production capacity of the pharmaceutical plant to more than three times its current level within two months, with a daily output of 10,000 vials of penicillin."

"And the production capacity requirements for the arsenal are even higher, at least six times the current level!"

Azu continued, "The arsenal on Devil's Island will remain in operation to continue producing the most secret and core heavy weapons!"

"But Alcatraz is too small to be expanded further. So, a brand new arsenal will be built on Angel Island."

"Angel Island has an area of ​​four or five hundred acres, which is more than 2,800 mu. It is enough for us to build a large arsenal."

"I estimate that we will receive a military order from the U.S. Army within a month. The exact number is uncertain, but it will be at least tens of thousands of rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition."

"In addition to producing for the army, our own militia, which already has four regiments and will reach a size of at least 6,000 people, also requires us to expand the production capacity of the arsenal."

"And our Indian brothers, we still need the production capacity of the arsenal to equip them with HM50 rifles and new grenades!"

"Therefore, the arsenal's production capacity must reach at least 3,000 HM49 and HM50 rifles per month! The monthly ammunition production must reach at least 300,000 rounds! The production of hand grenades must also reach at least 10,000!"

"As for the types and production quantities of heavy weapons, these are top secrets of Huamei Industrial! No one is allowed to disclose them!"

After scanning the faces of everyone in the study and confirming that they were all trustworthy comrades, Azu continued, "Currently, only five Maxim water-cooled machine guns can be produced per month! And the production of 81mm mortars is only four per month! The production of shells is also limited to about one hundred rounds per month."

"Such low production is not even enough to equip our own militia! Once the rifle and grenade production lines are moved to Angel Island, the production of machine guns, mortars, and shells will have to increase at least sixfold!"

"That means the monthly production of machine guns should reach thirty, the monthly production of mortars should reach twenty-five, and the monthly production of artillery shells should exceed five hundred rounds!"

Azu continued, "According to my initial idea, machine guns should be equipped to platoons, and mortars should be equipped to companies!"

"Furthermore, the regimental headquarters must have a directly subordinate mortar company and heavy machine gun company!"

"Based on this calculation, a militia regiment would need to be equipped with at least sixty machine guns and more than thirty mortars!"

"It will take more than half a year to produce enough heavy firepower to equip four militia regiments, based on the expanded arsenal's capacity!"

Upon hearing Azu's plan, Edgar Allan Poe, a West Point graduate, couldn't help but swallow hard: "Boss, the militia you're planning is absolutely more powerful than any regular army in the world! With such overwhelming firepower, I can't imagine any enemy that can't be defeated!"

Azu replied, "We can't produce heavy artillery right now, so we can only use these so-called heavy weapons to try our best to enhance our combat power!"

"If our militia encounters a regular army equipped with long-range heavy artillery, they will be in great danger!"

“Heh, heavy artillery!” Edgar Allan Poe shook his head: “The United States Army only has four artillery regiments, and most of them are equipped with 12-pound and 8-pound light howitzers, with a range that basically does not exceed two thousand yards!”

"As for the heavier howitzers, they are basically only used for fortress defense! Those bulky machines are too difficult to transport and deploy in the field."

"At a range of 2,000 yards, our 81mm mortars are far superior to light howitzers in both rate of fire and power."

"So, Boss, once your envisioned militia is fully equipped and trained, we will be invincible under equal circumstances!"

Azu smiled slightly: "Perhaps! We'll have to wait and see in the war to find out!"

Azu knew perfectly well that in this era of smoothbore cannons, both heavy and light cannons had very limited power and range.

The cannon truly became the god of war only after rifled cannons and breech-loading cannons became widespread!

In 1846, the breech-loading rifled cannon had already been invented by the Italians. However, due to problems such as airtightness and barrel pressure, it was not widely adopted by the army.

In the Civil War that followed, rifled cannons gradually became the mainstream equipment. It wasn't until the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War that the Krupp rifled breech-loading cannon truly demonstrated its power.

Currently, Azu can gain a certain advantage by relying on mortars, but it is only a matter of time before he develops rifled breech-loading guns.

After discussing the arsenal, Azu continued, "Besides the pharmaceutical factory and the arsenal, these two key facilities, with our growing number of Chinese laborers and a relatively stable workforce, our mines, smelters, and machinery plants also need to significantly increase their production capacity!"

Ah Zu said, "The steel, copper, and coal produced by the mines and smelters are mainly used by Huamei Industrial itself. We don't need to rely on selling these raw materials to make money."

"However, the compound impulse steam turbine of the machine factory is now mature and can be mass-produced. It is a leading technology in the world, and we can sell it to foreign companies."

"Our machinery plant, after its expansion, can mass-produce steam-powered water pumps, crushers, and cranes, and sell them to external customers to make a profit!"

"Our technology for these machines is world-leading; we have no competitors, and our profit margin is at least 50%!"

"Wow... 50% profit! Doesn't that mean we have another way to make money?"

Azu nodded: "This is definitely a very profitable channel! And it's not as flashy or attention-grabbing as gold mining or penicillin."

“I think that young engineer, Malone, has done a great job in the past six months! Let him serve as the assistant factory manager of the machinery plant, in charge of the production and sales of the machinery plant.”

Old Jason nodded: "I think it's a good idea! That young man seems honest, I feel safe using him!"

In fact, Ah Zu had an even more suitable candidate for the factory director in mind, namely Zou Boqi, who was good at "ingenious skills and ingenuity"!
However, Zou Boqi is currently studying preparatory courses at a church school, and plans to enter university to study mechanical engineering after he has a certain foundation and has mastered English.

Even if Zou Boqi is to be given a great responsibility, it will have to wait until he has completed his studies.
-
While Azu was planning for the future, a thrilling power struggle was taking place in Washington, D.C., in the far east of the United States!

"Abraham, it is with great regret that I may not be able to join forces with you to strive for that supreme throne!"

(End of this chapter)