Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 307 Asking for help
As Xuanchong opened his shop, the investment group in Jiangnan was very happy, but then they handed Xuanchong a bill.

Xuan Chong quickly realized that this was a lending system similar to "medical insurance." Items covered by "medical insurance" were cheap, while items not covered were very expensive.

All necessary industrial production projects recognized by the Jiangnan Ticket Association can quickly apply for interest-free loans, because the construction of such steel rolling mills and machinery docks is to serve their products to enter the Heiqiujiang area.

However, for items not covered by the Jiangnan Insurance policy, such as emerging industries like gasoline engines for aviation and radio communication equipment, Dongtu has to "pay extra" for them.

Currently, Jiangnan's support for Dongtu's steel industry development focuses on basic shipbuilding steel, rail steel, and construction steel. However, they are unwilling to build some core specialty steel components, meaning additional funding is now required!
Xuan Chong knew very well that the Jiangnan Group didn't want money. Because they knew Dongtu was broke.

Dongtu is now undergoing urban commune-style reforms, quantifying both the labor force and industrial input standards. This "quantifiable investment" has attracted increased investment from Jiangnan. However, the Jiangnan consortium is not foolish; they know that the "original investment" can be recouped, while increased investment allows them to control the "distributable profits" of Dongtu's industries.

The way that early industrial powers control late industrial powers and seize industrial profits (in the East) is by forcing late industrial powers to expand production through investment. In the process of expanding production, huge costs are invested and a large number of factories are expanded. However, at the final stage of monetization, a certain link is suddenly cut off, blocking consumption and causing the products to lack a market.

For example, a large-scale industrial production plan may suddenly become unusable due to reasons such as "factory fire" or "patent litigation".

At this point, latecomers either need backup plans, or their huge investments in electricity, networks, and base stations will not be profitable in the short term, leading to a sharp drop in asset value, which could be acquired by the capital of early entrants.

Dongtu is now investing too much in basic industrial products such as steel and cement, and some of the clan's capital has even been lured into the textile industry!

Seeing some of Dongtu's own people manipulating the market, Xuan Chong wrote a letter directly cursing: "If Jiangnan rejects investment in related docks and railways, I can stimulate consumption through agricultural and water conservancy infrastructure. But how dare you (those self-proclaimed ambitious second-generation members of the clan) enter the textile industry! If the other side cuts off the Jiangnan market, you'll suffer devastating losses!"

Why are latecomers unable to expand their markets? It's because key components in the industrial chain are blocked. For example, Dongtu has yet to master the development of components for electrified terminal container handling, diesel locomotives for trains, and the processing of ship propulsion bearings.

In terms of production, the progress of this small group of dozens of master craftsmen determines whether the production of thousands of ordinary workers will have any "market return" significance.

Even if late-developing industrial powers expand production of primary industrial products such as rails and cement, and even if they plan their own consumption, they will be unable to proceed due to a lack of key components. Consequently, factories that expand production will immediately face the risk of bankruptcy.

Japan and South Korea were manipulated in this way. Their booming industries suddenly came to an abrupt halt. As international capital abruptly withdrew and controlled the components of the supply chain, the industrial products they could produce became surplus due to the lack of "core components".

For example, South Korea's shipbuilding industry, lacking core technologies like Invar steel, not only earns meager profits but is also at risk of overcapacity due to external manipulation.

Although Xuan Chong did not major in industrial management, his previous life witnessed a history of development where companies caught up from behind. Certain key components, such as German tunnel boring machines and Japanese high-precision lathes, these "industrial crown jewels," sold for astronomical prices.

When Xuan Chong was around ten years old, the country's supporting industries, such as electricity and steel, were experiencing severe "overcapacity." This "overcapacity" was interpreted as the lack of industrial upgrading, unlike in other countries.

At the time, the academic community was also calling for "outside" countries to come in, clearly indicating that "outside" countries wanted to replicate their exploitation of Japan and South Korea. The idea was that after "they" entered the market, they would first relax restrictions on "key industrial components," offering low prices as a kind of incentive; then, once the entire low-end system was in mass production, they would suddenly withdraw, forcefully "disrupting core components," leading to a massive oversupply of low-end products, with 70% of industrial output stuck in warehouses, ultimately forcing the country to compromise with outsiders.

During the period when Xuan Chong's generation had just entered the workforce and grown into the backbone of the workforce, the "core components" were overcome one by one. Projects such as tunnel boring machines, large internal combustion engines, and advanced ship components all obtained "independent intellectual property rights".

In particular, with the complete control of all industrial components for high-speed rail, a large amount of previously "excess" steel production capacity has flowed into infrastructure construction like a flood.

With the subsequent emergence of large-scale industries such as photovoltaics, cruise ships, aircraft carriers, natural gas carriers, large aircraft, and electric vehicles, which can consume massive amounts of low-end industrial materials, a bizarre scenario has emerged where "foreigners think it's excessive, but I don't think it's excessive."

The final, satisfying plot twist is that the foreigners, realizing the industrial behemoths of Japan and South Korea, have lost their nerve and are surprised by their insatiable appetite for all kinds of minerals and agricultural raw materials. They believe that for the sake of "environmental protection," the super-industrial giant needs to be streamlined, so they prematurely play their cards, cutting off the supply of core components like chips and even venturing into trivial matters like cotton. In other words, the trump card played against Japan and South Korea turns into a hastily dealt bad hand.

Having personally experienced the largest-scale "industrial production" battle in human history, I, as an hindsight expert, am very clear about how important it is to have independent intellectual property rights in the industrial chain.

Even if some things can be bought, production must be started even if the price of making them is high and the quality is poor. Modern Han scholars may not be as insidious as the barbarians of the past. The theory of "harmony between heaven and man" and "contradiction between heaven and man" constrains scholars.

Having witnessed the barbarians' various tactics in his past life, Xuan Chong is quite sensitive to the areas where he can be manipulated.

Xuan Chong borrowed some money through private channels to keep several special steel furnaces and the internal combustion locomotive processing plant afloat.

How to deal with rich women?

Xuan Chong called Qin Tianyi and said to her with a smile, "Tianyi, it's been a long time."

Qin Tianyi was slightly taken aback, wondering to herself, "Isn't he supposed to be aloof and arrogant? What's going on?"

After Xuan Chong finished explaining his request for a loan, Qin Tianyi pursed her lips and said, "This? I'll have to think about it."

Xuan Chong remained humble: "Well, I know loans require collateral. By the way, what kind of collateral do you need?"

Qin Tianyi smiled sweetly: "Just kidding. My only request is that you don't give me the cold shoulder anymore."

Xuan Chong was a little embarrassed: "Definitely, definitely."

After hanging up the phone, Qin Tianyi shook her head helplessly. She found Xuan Chong's reaction quite adorable. It reminded her of something she had learned in her modern history class.

The historical evaluation of the entire First Red Dynasty is that it "completed the historical task of making up for deficiencies in science, technology, industry, and military affairs." This "historical task" was completed in three stages: the first stage was the "blood and fire generation," the second stage was the "only-child generation," and the third stage was the "inheritance generation." The "only-child generation" was particularly distinctive, characterized by "humble appearances concealing proud spirits."

"Pride" means keeping your sights firmly on goals that other ethnic groups in the world have already given up on, gritting your teeth and striving to surpass them within forty years. "Humility," on the other hand, means accepting even humiliation with a smile in the pursuit of ambition. Because once the "necessary goal" is identified, everything else is discarded as much as possible.

Of course, due to the characteristics of the only-child generation, teenagers often felt they bore marital responsibilities and, having identified the opposite sex as their target, acted very humbly in the pursuit. This led to the widespread trampling of "humility" at the time, to the point that some even abandoned their predetermined goal.

Qin Tianyi certainly wouldn't trample on someone just because they seem "humble." Seeing their "willingness to take responsibility," she wouldn't immediately raise the price. —This is the kind of approach that involves first showing favor to win them over.

That was the era when female time-travel literature was most popular. They were abstinent from worldly desires, did not overstep the rules, were willing to take responsibility, and even adorably felt ashamed of "not being able to support the family's daily expenses."

Compared to those guys hoarding "AI harems" in the deep sea? These guys adhere to the flawed male value system of "brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes." They can drive conservative mothers crazy. —Note: "Intelligent robot maids" have been banned before, but the dexterity and organization of these perverts in the deep sea renders the bans ineffective.

Qin Tianyi contacted Xu Xi. As one of the key figures in the Guangnan economic circle, Xu Xi nodded in agreement after hearing that Xuan Chong wanted an investment: "He wants to refine special steel, just give him the industrial chain. Didn't he pass the imperial examination?"

Qin Tianyi: "It seems that he wants to cultivate some local scientific research talents first, and does not want to directly adopt foreign methods."

Xu Xi: "Hehe, in terms of grasping technology, he's exactly the same as that person (Xie Ming)."

…The perspective returns to the northeastern coastal area… In the No. 3 factory, after the first batch of high-quality special steel was manufactured, Xuanchong still had to face the costs of industrialization.

At the meeting at Dongtu Steel Plant, the scholars presented these questions to Xuan Chong. Xuan Chong frowned as he looked at these ultimate questions that he could "understand but could not mass-produce."

Many so-called bottlenecks in industrial sectors are not due to a lack of manufacturing capabilities, but rather to cost issues.

Xuan Chong recalled that before his time travel, when he was young, the most basic industrial monitoring equipment and materials experimental furnaces already existed. There were also many papers in the laboratory detailing how materials were generated. The question was, how could the things in the laboratory be industrialized?

When applying technology in industrial production, it is necessary to ensure that the production process is safe enough, the cost is low enough, and it is environmentally friendly.

That's right, we must pay attention to environmental protection. If others use 50 tons of water to produce one ton of product, but you produce 3,000 tons of polluted water to produce one ton of product, and this 3,000 tons of polluted water cannot be treated and can only be discharged into rivers, lakes and seas, causing the surrounding fish and shrimp to die out and the residents of industrial areas to have high rates of illness, such "domestic technology" has huge hidden costs.

Xuan Chong: The development of industry must include the cost of "environmental protection" in the calculation standards.

Xuan Chong's personal rant: Without standards and limits, those who enforce them will act with impunity. Whether it's individuals or countries, all deeply entrenched problems stem from the fact that certain initial intentions were not properly limited in their "degree" from the outset.

In the end, Xuan Chong still had to spend money to purchase mature industrial technology systems from the south in order to quickly put them into production.

Just then, Xuan Chong felt a buzzing sound coming from his pencil case, which reminded him of a cell phone call in his past life.

After hesitating for a moment, Xuan Chong opened the pencil case and saw a folding screen. He quickly looked around, wondering if he had taken the wrong thing.
When Xuan Chong opened the pencil case, he saw an "awkward big face" on the screen. This awkwardness was the "atomic person's" dilemma: someone who doesn't usually come to his door suddenly has something to ask, and he doesn't know how to start the conversation.

Xuan Chong: "Who are you?"

Xie Ming: "Hello, I'm a student from the class of 2040." — As soon as he opened his mouth, Xuan Chong heard a genuine accent with the stiffness of someone working in a government office.

Xuan Chong, the old man, clicked his tongue and looked at him. Three minutes later, Xuan Chong joked, "Brother, it's not enough to just talk, chug a bottle, huh?"

Seeing the silence on the other end, Xuan Chong waved his hand: "Alright, I was just kidding. Let's talk about how to cooperate."

…This year, new buds sprouted, and tender leaves unfurled without any withered spots…

At the beginning of 2110 in the Han calendar, Xuan Chong and Xu Xi in the south reached an "axial alliance," forming a north-south axis between Nangang City and Zhuguang City in the east. The agreement stipulated that technology would be exchanged for energy.

Around the same time, Xuan Chong and Xie Ming, who was far away in North America, reached the "North Pacific Trade Treaty," or "NATO" for short. When the name was uttered, both Xuan Chong and Xie Ming were holding their breath. This trade treaty established a model of exchanging machinery and mining for agriculture, sailing south along the Arctic route.

In order to promote the mining industry and establish a payment system in Xuanchong, Xie Ming gave Xuanchong a "suggestion".

Xuan Chong: "Raising fish?"

Xie Ming: "Of course! In 2090, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, which is the North Sea here, will already be the largest aquaculture-based reclamation area in nearshore waters. Didn't you know that?"

Xuan Chong pondered for a moment, mainly wondering if he would still be alive in 2090. He had no recollection of it; it seemed he hadn't lived to that time, or perhaps if he had, he would have already developed Alzheimer's.

Xuan Chong: "Can it work?"

Xie Ming: "It can be done."

Xuan Chong: "Sing the national anthem and swear an oath."

Xie Ming: "The xxx flag is flying high, the victory song is so loud..."

Xuan Chong seemed a little off, but he looked up and said, "I believe you because we're from the same hometown."

…guidance from classmates…

Therefore, Xuan Chong retrieved geographical data maps from the Northern Surveying and Mapping Office of the Han Dynasty's map bureau, showing that the North Sea continental shelf was 400 kilometers wide, with over 40% being shallow sea areas. Then, based on information provided by Xie Ming, they began constructing a North Sea aquaculture system.

Aquaculture is actually not very difficult. It involves creating artificial ring-shaped reefs in shallow sea areas using cement, and then dumping agricultural waste mixed with iron, phosphorus, and other elements onto these artificial reefs.

At Miaojie, the estuary of the Heiqiu River, merchant ships have been sailing downstream for years, transporting batches of straw to the estuary. After attaching floating iron barrels, the straw is towed north by fishing boats to selected artificial islands and reefs on the continental shelf.

Months later, shellfish and plankton appeared outside these atolls formed by the accumulation of agricultural waste mixed with iron powder! This density would cause an algal bloom in shallow, stagnant waters, but in areas fifty kilometers from the coastline, these plankton are quickly carried by ocean currents to the deeper sea, attracting large schools of fish.

The density of the fish attracted creatures such as seals and whales.

In early 2110 of the Han calendar, when Xuan Chong confirmed that his northern fishing grounds had experienced a major outbreak, he was stunned and couldn't help but say: Is this kind of "extensive grazing at sea" really that easy?

Xie Ming, on the other side of the Pacific making a WeChat call: For us, the technology isn't difficult, the geographical aspect is; for the indigenous people of the north, the difficulty lies in the culture. —The Russians can't even manage the Siberian steppes properly, only knowing how to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides to achieve miracles through brute force, without conducting detailed agricultural and ecological statistics, ultimately creating black sandstorms. Their Far East region is basically just sitting there motionless, essentially abandoned.

Xie Ming advised Xuan Chong: Your hometown has a population of three million, making it the largest agricultural cultural group in the history of northern China. Organize seasonal fishing operations along the coast, with 50,000 to 100,000 people rotating shifts at sea. This is the foundation for fish farming in the "North China Sea."

Xuan Chong blushed a little, because agriculture in his hometown was also becoming increasingly rough and crude. — Of course, now that this "sowing and feeding" model has appeared in the Beihai area, agricultural culture will further develop, and each household will strive to study astronomical calendars based on the outbreak cycles of fish and plankton.

When a region becomes increasingly meticulous about astronomy and calendar systems due to its production, it aligns with the correct approach of "harmony between man and nature."

Xie Ming Group pre-ordered a large number of fish fry and then provided a loan for machinery. This marked the end of the era of conflict between "manufacturing," "buying," and "renting" in Xuanchong's internal industrial production.

When a region lacks an agricultural base, it can only "buy" or "rent." For example, in the current Arab world, there are always middlemen; even if someone owns a mine, they still seek to rent it. This is because mining is a technology-intensive activity, and it is easily seized by outsiders if there is any instability.

Agriculture, on the other hand, is a stable industry chain that can only be operated by the local population. Its revenue is only a matter of "how much" and will never be taken away by outsiders. Furthermore, agricultural development generates a large number of punctual and orderly people, which is a prerequisite for industrialization.

Xuanchong: With local agricultural output as its foundation, it naturally has the courage to make industrial choices that involve "creation" and "independent research," unlike the Koreans who are in such a predicament of being at the mercy of others.

(End of this chapter)