Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 305 The Way Out for Dongtu

On August 15th, 2109 of the Han calendar, two days after the results were announced, Xuan Chong, having confirmed his success and calmed down, sorted out the cause and effect and went to pay his respects to the emperor.

The Xiucai (秀才) and Juren (举人) are two different levels. Although passing the Xiucai exam is only the lowest rank, a Juren selected through the regular imperial examinations (甲场正科) has a legitimate official title. Achieving this is related to the subsequent review of the policy essays, and only the Emperor can have these essays reviewed. This time, regardless of how much he had previously been associated with the Southern faction, he now truly owes the Emperor a favor.

Xuan Chong: Using the concept of past lives, a man's knees are worth gold, but if you can help me pass the exam, my knees are yours. Godfather, please accept my bow.

Upon hearing that Liu Haoxing had arrived in the inner palace, the emperor immediately ordered the eunuchs to invite him inside.

After meeting, Xuan Chong and the emperor did not directly discuss the changes in the policy essay scores, as if none of it had happened.

After all, the pursuit of fame and fortune is what most easily stirs up the emotions of many candidates. Xuan Chong was well aware that "special bonus points" would make many unsuccessful candidates resentful. Therefore, he "knew what was going on but kept quiet about it."

This is normal social etiquette, but some privileged young masters just don't understand it. For example, there was once a male actor who saw everyone discussing how to "go ashore" (a euphemism for leaving government service), so he announced that he was granted special permission to do so, trying to gain everyone's approval.

People who have been praised since childhood do not know how to care about the feelings of others, nor do they understand the principle that "one should not sing joyfully in a place where others have shed tears and blood".

In the palace, Xuan Chong kowtowed: If it weren't for the emperor providing me with renowned teachers and a place to study, with my meager talent, I would never have achieved what I have today.

The emperor smiled and said to the prince beside him, "Study for a day, and you will gain something; study for a hundred days, and you will gain something in a hundred days." (The emperor was like a fisherman who had finally caught Xuan Chong, the carp from the Eastern Lands.)
The crown prince looked at Xuan Chong and, taking advantage of his father's inattention, made a face at Xuan Chong.

After passing the imperial examination, one receives a permit to enter officialdom; the next step is "choice."

The emperor asked, seemingly with concern, "What are your plans next?"

Xuan Chong knew he had received such a great favor, and naturally he couldn't just leave and run back to the south. That would be too unethical. However, staying in Yandu to participate in a possible north-south conflict was not in his best interest. Therefore, he had already thought it through before he came.

Xuan Chong said, "I haven't seen my father for a long time. Now that I've achieved something, I want to go home and tell my elders."

The emperor nodded, but remained noncommittal, clearly expecting Xuan Chong to provide further answers.

Xuan Chong said, "My hometown is bitterly cold, with a large amount of frozen land that cannot be cultivated. Since I was a child, I have thought that if we had heavy-duty land reclamation vehicles (tractors), we could benefit the people of my hometown." (This indicates that even if he were to be appointed as an official in another region, he would stay in the north and would not run off to the south after obtaining his official title.)
Upon hearing this, the Emperor smiled slightly: "Indeed, your family also has a steel mill, capable of shipbuilding and car manufacturing. You should study and figure it out carefully." — This statement was quite meaningful. It was a signal for Xuan Chong to return to his hometown and decide whether to tie the steel industry chain to Jiangnan Shipyard's northern branch or to strengthen connections with the northern automotive industry.

Xuan Chong: "While it is good that steel mills can help with shipping, the nation's well-being should be the priority. I believe that our household should manufacture more tractors and other similar equipment."

The emperor clapped his hands and said, "Good, good indeed, putting the nation first."

…If the temple is to the north, there's no escaping it…

The next day, Xuan Chong arrived at the automobile factory in Yanshan, Han Dynasty, which was managed by a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations in Han Dynasty.

Upon arrival, Xuan Chong addressed the factory owner as "Brother" and began to inquire about "cart manufacturing." The scholar, Wang Jigang, also bowed to Xuan Chong, who had just passed the imperial examination. The two sat down and began reviewing materials.

In the current Han Dynasty, everyone involved in the "national strategic equipment" technology circle holds official titles or honors. A mere scholar (秀才) would likely be unable to engage in equal dialogue with a scholar who had passed the provincial examinations (举人). Let alone importing production technology. In the current Han Dynasty, this type of technology cannot be acquired simply by having money.

The factory displays ten types of agricultural machinery and heavy-duty trucks needed for road transport.

Wang, the scholar, pointed to the production chain and said, "There has been a lot of fighting in the west recently, and these are all needed in the west."

Xuan Chong looked at the line of "steel torrents," each consisting of armored vehicles weighing approximately fifteen tons, and pondered for a moment. He then inquired whether the current Han Dynasty's armored vehicles lacked the technological reserves for use in the icy and permafrost regions of the north.
Wang Juren then gave Xuan Chong a thorough explanation of the development strategies for armored vehicles over the past twenty years: "Currently, armored vehicles are divided into four types: troop transport (armored vehicles), assault (tanks), long-range (self-propelled artillery), and air defense (air defense vehicles)."

Xuan Chong looked at the sets of blueprints and asked in confusion, "I also served in the army, but I've never seen these before."

Wang Juren was slightly taken aback. After inquiring carefully, he learned about Liu Haoxing's interesting military experience in the west and exclaimed, "So he is both a scholar and a warrior!"

Xuan Chong quickly declined, but continued to ask the question.

Wang Juren sighed, "Brother, while these armored chariots are indeed impressive, they are not like the iron-hoofed warhorses of the past that could gallop thousands of miles. The roads and bridges along the way will restrict their movement."

Xuan Chong understood: the poor infrastructure in the inland areas was limiting the development of tanks weighing over twenty tons. He immediately deleted the sketch of a round-headed, five-wheeled vehicle from his mind.

However, Xuan Chong also asked, "Doesn't the navy need it?"

Wang Juren: "The Navy has its own tank factory, and they all manufacture 'ship-shaped tanks'."

Xuan Chong didn't understand what a ship-shaped tank was, because he had seen it in the Southern Naval Battle, but he had never seen this kind of equipment.

Upon hearing this, Wang Juren chuckled and said, "For your age, you have quite a broad perspective. As for the navy's chariots, they are all deployed further south."

After saying that, he rummaged through the cabinet and found a sketch that was obviously hand-drawn by him among the thick old papers. It was a square tank, but when Xuan Chong looked at the scale below, good heavens, it was 15 meters long and 6 meters wide. Was this a tank or a speedboat?

Wang Juren: "You can see it now, right? This thing is more like a combined land and water warship than a war chariot. These are all deployed along the South China Sea front, and they were reportedly used in the Battle of Dongzhu Island. I think this thing will be useless five or six kilometers away from the sea. At most, it can only charge into the coastal defense positions. The entire mechanical structure is complex, and the total weight is 800 shi (nearly 100 tons), so the failure rate is extremely high."

Wang Juren confidently asserted that the new cars manufactured in the southeast were substandard and would have no future market.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Chong couldn't help but think to himself, "Hard to say"—because he could tell at a glance that the equipment was a design that the Lin Group had taken from a "parallel universe".

The 05 amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, a real-world version of the "tsunami tank," saw its usefulness greatly diminish after the recapture of the southeastern rebel provinces, leading to its large-scale export to the Red Sea, Mediterranean, and Baltic regions. This directly forced various powers in the Mediterranean region to fortify their coastlines with walls, much like they would defend against nomadic tribes.

Here, the conversation between Xuan Chong and Wang Juren quickly reached a crucial point. Xuan Chong asked, "May I ask how much money is needed to build a heavy machinery factory in my hometown?"

Scholar Wang pondered, "If you were to purchase parts and assemble them at Dongtu Port, it would only cost 200,000 silver dollars; however, to complete the production of bearings and gears, it would cost a million. And if you were to secure the alloy material formula, that would require at least five million."

Xuan Chong was prepared for this price and did not agree immediately. Instead, he said, "I will discuss the relevant matters with my family and give you an answer within three days."

Scholar Wang cupped his hands in greeting: "Then I will await good news."

…Though the autumn wind is chilly, I feel quite pleased with myself today…

Xuanchong is ready to produce its own trucks. In the long run, once they have trucks, they can get the necessary equipment for oil refining, and then they can connect with the local oil business.

In the short term, it is imperative to establish a production plant for internal combustion engine vehicles, even if it initially involves assembling supplied parts. With warehouses overflowing with components, there's no need to worry about external supply disruptions. Furthermore, assembly will generate skilled workers. Building is never as reliable as buying, because if a purchased vehicle breaks down, it's truly broken; whereas if a manufactured vehicle, even an assembly-based one, breaks down, it's highly likely to be repairable.

Xuan Chong had already foreseen that the war in the north would be protracted, so he wanted to industrialize his hometown. This was similar to how Japan seized a 50-year opportunity in his previous life to become a bridgehead in the conflict.

Leaving aside the future trajectory of the Han Dynasty, and whether it will lead to conflict throughout the Arctic Circle, just look at the novel "The Fierce Soldier" itself, and how it depicts all the events within it.

Xuan Chong secretly wondered if his journey through the modern world would end and he would return to school, and if his entire time-traveling experience would become a novel.
When I travel to the next world, will I be able to simply draw a line in the "novel" where I am now, and summon the industrial factory directly?
Therefore, Xuan Chong must seriously participate in the "plot line" of advancing the industrialization of Dongtu at this time. So Xuan Chong doesn't care whether the Orks are likely to become stronger when facing stronger opponents. For the sake of the prosperity of his hometown, Xuan Chong is prepared to fight them to the bitter end.

From Xuan Chong's perspective, Dongtu Island has industrial development potential no less than that of Tokyo Bay. First, the southern area can be used to build docks, and the northwest coastline is almost touching the mouth of the Heiqiu River. As for the north, it is the "North Sea" (which, like the South China Sea in English, includes "China"), and has a developed fishing industry.

A super industrial manufacturing cluster must meet three conditions.

First, it must be near the sea; second, it must be near the mouth of a major river; and third, the area near the major river must be a traditional agricultural region with an industrial base.

A prime example is Pudong, a city that encompasses the vast "urban-rural fringe" of the entire Jiangnan region. When a large number of laborers from this fringe region rushed here along the main artery of the Zhangjiang River to see the world, Pudong achieved its super prosperity.
Therefore, Xuan Chong believes that, theoretically, there is a possibility of a "Pudong" existing at the mouth of the Heiqiu River. In the past, the Heiqiu River basin was like a "Jiangnan District" without Pudong.

The estuary on the Liaoning side is not good enough to compete with the ports in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The best estuary is one that flows "downstream" from the river, which crosses many places and passes through densely populated areas, and its water transport capacity is unmatched by rail transport.

For the people of an entire region, "seeing the world" begins with having a sufficiently large bedroom to maintain their sense of self. Then, they need to be able to easily peek out the window; the world won't simply deliver everything to them. A good house must have a balcony connected to the bedroom. A good balcony can even change the character of a person (or region).

In its previous life, Japan wanted to enter the bedroom, but it was too far away from the bedroom. Moreover, it had committed some sins when it broke into the bedroom. Therefore, after this "detached platform" exhausted the potential of the island, its economic development stagnated decades later.

Xuan Chong now feels that there is an "opportunity" here, and that if he succeeds, it will leave benefits for his descendants.

…to build a foundation for generations to come…

Xuan Chong returned to his hometown and was welcomed. He saw the entire commune decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, but this was not a welcome to him.

Because Su Ming, who had settled here, had also passed the high school entrance exam and ranked third in the Liaodong region, he was expected to participate in the provincial examination. When Xuan Chong saw this, he was stunned and couldn't help but feel a little "jealous." He had worked himself to the bone, but he was just not as smart as others!

Although Xuan Chong had also passed the high school entrance exam, he pulled Su Ming to the seat of honor.

Xuan Chong silently recited to himself, "Pride comes before a fall, humility brings benefit." If he wanted to attract the phoenix, he had to let the phoenix stand on the branch. Therefore, Xuan Chong had to let him steal the spotlight, so he did not reveal the news of his passing the imperial examination and let him be the protagonist today.

Su Ming was stunned as he watched the local young prince walk over.

This feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze made him involuntarily connect it with the ruler of the Kingdom of Zhen in his previous life.

Xuan Chong did not intend to let Su Ming engage in rudimentary industrialization; instead, he planned to assign him the task of "overall industrialization" deployment and adjustment, which was essentially the position of Prime Minister of Dongtu Kingdom.

As a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), the next step to take the Jinshi (the highest level of the imperial examination) required local political achievements. — The Juren's essays were filled with examples from various sources, while the Jinshi's arguments needed to be original and self-constructed.

Xuan Chong and Su Ming talked all night under the oil lamp, and the two sides put forward the "Longzhong Plan" of "I will mobilize", "you will plan", and "both sides will use their personal connections to attract investment in light and heavy industries".

…The perspective shifts to the other side…

The New Yin Federation in northern Longzhou, after watching the current Han, the strongest nation, suffer a year of misery under the alien invasion, has itself fallen into the "Orc Disaster".

Of course, this was all caused by the greed of the Longzhou Chamber of Commerce. In the northern granite shield region, the orcs were turned into "leeks" and harvested in batches. The mining industry, which originally could not develop due to "devouring people," became more and more prosperous day by day.

Railways began to expand across the icy plains of the Shield region, and the large-wheeled land cruisers joined the ranks of those transporting materials. Batch after batch of modified Ork people eventually became skin and bones due to malnutrition.

To avoid environmental pollution, the emaciated orcs were sent to incinerators for burning. Even so, pollution continued to spread. Orc spores, carried by the "coolies" expanding the railway, spread throughout the northern part of Dragon State. —The orc slaves modified by Xie Ming had glands implanted, but the problem of wild orc spore spread remained unresolved.

These Orks emerged as wild tribes in the western Rocky Mountains and the eastern Appalachian Mountains.

In the year 2109 of the Han calendar, trains passing through the Appalachian Mountains were frequently robbed by Ooks "riding monsters." These monsters, imitating cowboys, used some kind of lubricant to coat the entire train track, rendering the train immobile. Then, in the fear of the train crew, they swarmed the train, killing all the men, and herding the women and children into a carriage. They threw a bizarre monster named Skull into the carriage and used its reins to tie the survivors back to human settlements.

Oh, this is an unspoken rule among the bandits of Longzhou. Although the Orks don't understand the reason, they feel that bullying women and children isn't "waaagh!" enough, so they imitate it.

However, these major robberies shocked the people of Longzhou. In particular, when the monsters pulled carts full of human male heads that had died tragically, the Yin people of Longzhou immediately recalled their ancient headhunting customs.

(End of this chapter)