Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 320 Information Technology

In the present-day Han Dynasty, at the point in time 2113 of the Han calendar, several major industrial areas on the azure planet are shrouded in thick fog.

The military equipment of the armies of industrialized countries around the world has reached the point where they are being completely replaced with automatic rifles.

Furthermore, a few powerful European nations, prioritizing military strength, have begun using small numbers of armored vehicles to cover infantry operations. An internal military newspaper from the Rhine region has already published photos of helmeted soldiers conducting exercises alongside armored vehicles bearing the Iron Cross emblem.

Currently, although countries are undergoing military reforms, horses are still in the establishment, while motorcycles are being actively developed. They are primarily intended as a replacement for cavalry messengers between battlefields.

Currently, no country realizes that "motorized machinery" can serve as a war consumable to replace light cavalry.

This is similar to how, before the Russia-Ukraine war, all countries regarded drones as "individual reconnaissance tools" and never thought of using them as "remote-controlled artillery shells" to drop on each other on the battlefield.

Motorcycles at least received investment and research from various countries under the pretext of "reconnaissance," but wireless equipment lacked even that pretext.

At the Hanbei base, Xuan Chong obtained a report on the current status of military communications from various corps.

The current infantry regimental commanders in the Han Dynasty are still accustomed to the old method of transmitting orders by horseback, which was used in the era of line infantry.

Radio stations, being a novelty, were considered unreliable.

"Since you can see the future, why not worship?" Xuan Chong couldn't help but sigh. But once you see the future, you can't just worship whenever you want!
Xuan Chong calculated the costs of radio research and development, as well as the current level of radio technology.

Currently, the wireless equipment developed by the Han-based team, despite being a top-tier group, is bulky, unreliable, and requires transport using equipment similar to artillery vehicles.

However, the current military budget provided by the Wuhan Army is far from sufficient to advance the equipment's performance to a level of reliability and compactness that allows it to be moved by pack animals. This would require manufacturers of the relevant electrical components to convert laboratory products into factories.

Only with the participation of the civilian market and the availability of funds can the development of radio equipment be pushed forward, and only then will the "conservative" military find the new technology appealing and move forward.

Currently, only human settlements in the vast Hanbei region, which need to strengthen the commonalities of regional production and life, have a strong demand for "information exchange".

The people in this area are willing to set aside ten dollars out of every hundred dollars they earn to improve communication.

In the Jiangnan region, however, things had already progressed to a "developed" state, and the daily schedules of most laborers were already arranged by the upper echelons. The laborers' daily information needs were met by reading newspapers in their spare time.

Only the workers of the Dongtu Commune would gather together in front of the radio after get off work and during their dinner to listen to "opera" and "novels" on the radio.

The habit of people gathering in industrial areas to acquire information is also a fixed social form of industrialization.

Therefore, most people in the Jiangnan region, even if they earn a thousand yuan, are not interested in spending one yuan to upgrade their "information and communication equipment" for the time being. Only when the region is deindustrialized, the working class's time is taken away from production, and most people are unsettled, will a new industrial culture emerge.

At this time, the ethnic groups west of Guanzhong had not yet industrialized, had plenty of time to work, and their social organization needed to be improved by new technologies, so they also had a "demand for improved information." However, each person there only had twenty yuan and faced strategic pressure from westward expansion, so their essential need for these twenty yuan was "railway transportation."

…Xuan Chong: I think it's time for a communications revolution…

Dongtu has introduced some technology from Longzhou to establish a factory that produces wireless equipment.

This factory produces cross-regional broadcasting tower equipment for the Hanbei Protectorate. Of course, the Hanbei market isn't big enough yet. And with war currently raging in Longzhou, Dongtu is just able to sell off its production capacity.

This market exchange was met with criticism from some peers within the company.

The scholars behind some telegraph companies in southern China issued a document demanding that China "master Chinese technology" and that the Eastern Library should not exchange technology with the outside world. Even if it wanted to exchange technology, it should wait for the research and development of the current Chinese side.

"Skilled in Chinese arts and crafts" is a term used in the field of entertainment, similar to how "puppet show" is the counterpart to "animation."

In terms of entertainment development in Hanbei, Xuan Chong tacitly approved the entry of the entertainment system from Jiangnan, but in terms of technology, Xuan Chong did not make concessions to those people from the south!

Xuan Chong was furious: The south was insulting him for not understanding science and technology, treating him like a country bumpkin. And they were using such a lame excuse.

As a shaman in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Xuan Chong was respected but kept at a distance, so he was often regarded as a barbarian, which is a stereotype.

"Why is telegraph technology considered a 'Chinese technology'? Then why isn't radio technology considered a 'Chinese technology'? It's despicable to use such a name to suppress ourselves." Xuan Chong knew very well that both the North and the South had "radio technology" and had invested heavily in it. The companies behind these Southern media outlets were simply eyeing the Northern market, so they resorted to such underhanded tactics.

Of course, this was also because Xuan Chong was easy to talk to before, and he ceded a lot of market benefits to the South, which made the people in the South feel that they could fight for anything.

In the second stage of development for Dongtu and Hanbei, Xuanchong had a clear industrial strategy and prioritized key industries.

Some sectors can be relinquished, such as downstream light industries like soap, matches, and textile dyeing, which can be handed over to businesses in the south. Xuan Chong: Because in these areas, the supply chain and market are beyond our control; we simply can't compete. Maintaining good business relationships is sufficient.

Certain industries, such as communications, transportation, mining and smelting, and heavy chemicals, either involve the essential needs of their own industrial model or have unique advantages that must be controlled.

Take heavy chemical industry for example. Xuanchong: As an oil and gas producing area, it has unique advantages. With vast land, it needs to develop fuel vehicles and fertilizers to develop agriculture, which are its own necessities. So it must make sure that it can make a living in the far north.

The so-called "tools of the trade" refer to the industrial production capacity that enables one to produce goods from the land they control. Russia's deindustrialization, which prevents Siberia from producing anything, means it has lost its "tools of the trade."

In the future, Dongtu will be the "PD zone" of the entire Liaobei Economic Belt, supplying industrial consumption for the more than 6 million square kilometers of temperate monsoon and temperate continental climate.

Maintaining certain strong "resource reprocessing" capabilities is essential to integrating the Heiqiu River and Jinghai.
Developing an industry strategy is very important!

In his previous life, when Xuan Chong was forty, many of his younger generations were born in an era when industry had already flourished, and they believed, "Our industry is invincible; we don't need any special techniques. We can just crush them and win."

Xuan Chong vaguely remembers the tone of the newspaper when he was ten years old: our industry is still in the process of "catching up".

(Emphasis) The overall strategy at the time was not to become a "crusher of developed countries across the entire industrial chain." Moreover, when the US held a dominant position and Japan was still shining second, our side was not as arrogant as the Koreans or as unreliable as the Indians.

At the time, the industrial strategy was only intended to maintain the core competitiveness of key industries amidst the prevailing trend of "global industrial convergence." It assumed that for the next fifty years, most technology industries would still be dominated by traditional manufacturing powerhouses such as the US, Japan, and Europe. The strategy was for everyone to work together to seize some advantageous modules in a few emerging fields, such as electric vehicles and new energy industries.

At the time, the pragmatic approach meant there was no intention to completely break through the technological barriers of these manufacturing powerhouses. The later ambition to compete fully with established industrial giants was, at the time, a delusional, unrealistic dream.

Unfortunately, the outside world is too arrogant, the industrial supply is unstable, and there are frequent "factory fires" that cause price increases or even supply disruptions. This forces us to tackle each problem one by one.

Furthermore, over the past decade or so, these manufacturing powerhouses have underperformed as much as imagined, with various non-professional members of parliament—such as trampoline athletes and film actors—taking charge of industrial policy and recklessly sabotaging their industries. Meanwhile, the "only-child generation" has become excessively strong.

After the iron curtain of competition between the East and West industrial chains finally fell, the East's industrial chain abandoned the concept of "universal harmony" and turned to the path that young people later believed was "I am the world".

Hanbei is not qualified to replicate the "I am the world" approach. Dongtu, which Xuan Chong currently leads, lacks the ambition for a "full industry chain." The positions of the two major manufacturing hubs in Hanjiangnan and Guanghai are unshakeable. If they were to foolishly pursue full industry chain competition, they would be courting disaster.

The size of the East China Library should be based on the examples of "Germany" (positive) and "Korea" (negative) from the past.

South Korea is a prime example of a company aiming for comprehensive dominance, even aspiring to become the undisputed leader in the entertainment industry. Their arrogance and overconfidence have led to an overemphasis on too many priorities and a fragmented talent pool, resulting in them facing competition from rivals with ten times the funding and talent in every strategic area.

Xuan Chong now understands that culturally, South Korea lacks a solid foundation, especially in its written language, which it has self-censored, making it practically disabled. Yet, it stubbornly invests resources in popular culture, a field with no barriers to entry. Given the intense competition its own industries face, neglecting this area is tantamount to destroying the foundation built by the Miracle on the Han River.

The consequence of a small industrial nation's ambition to achieve everything and scale: It fails to master core technologies in any industrial chain. Its profits are siphoned off by foreign companies providing core technologies, leaving no room for research and development; consequently, it lacks high-profit core technologies. It continues to exploit cheap labor and pay fees to external parties.

In particular, South Korea has an inflated sense of self-importance, relying on its connections with foreign powers for a sense of superiority. They believe that the "managers" in the West don't align themselves with the West and lack independent research and development capabilities. As a result, they were taught a lesson by the two major manufacturing circles of "Jiangnan" and "Zhuhai-Guangzhou".

Regarding the question of how much of the Korean Wave has survived in later generations, Xuan Chong asked Qin Tianyi. After a long pause, Qin Tianyi exclaimed, "Silla really did culturally expand back then? I thought it was fake history." (This is a cringeworthy, dark history that will be vehemently denied by adults, and those involved will claim it's unofficial history.)

Qin Tianyi: Ultimately, South Korea lost its "resource processing capacity," which gave it an advantage over its neighbors in the early stages of industrialization. As a result, it had no ability to attract talent, and after internal labor and conquest became excessive, there was no replenishment. In the end, its population became a minority and it was annexed.

Germany serves as a positive example, as it has not developed emerging industries such as "artificial intelligence" and "software," but has instead firmly grasped its traditional key industrial chains.

It preserved a significant portion of its resource processing capabilities, enabling its industrial competitiveness to consistently outpace that of surrounding Eastern European powers, and creating a trend of attracting talent.

Germany, like a powerful neutron star, has drawn in the populations of its numerous "food and mineral" satellite states, painstakingly cultivated by the bloated red giant Russia to the east. Russia is left with only its military to maintain its influence.

Of course, the neutron star in Germany eventually shattered because it collided with the giant black hole in the East.

Originally, the neutron star in Germany and the black hole to the east were both in good condition, maintaining safe orbits.

Many industrial chains in the East retained Germany's share in the high-end component market. However, Germany, like a neutron star, insisted on changing its trajectory and cutting off its supply chain. As a result, its high-end market share was immediately replaced by manufacturers that originally occupied the mid-range market.

Xuan Chong's summary: The most important thing for the person in charge of the overall industrial planning of the regional forces is to have a good grasp of the situation.

First, we must not underestimate ourselves. In the food industry, we must resolutely pursue any projects we can, dare to strive for excellence, and integrate this into the entire supply chain. We must dedicate our utmost effort to building barriers to entry that prevent others from entering the industry. Second, we must respect the best practices elsewhere. This respect is not groveling, but rather understanding the importance of industrial cooperation. We must not stifle our own industrial development potential due to our own foolishness.

Xuan Chong wrote an article saying that if you want to get involved in industry, you must understand industry.

In the science popularization materials of Dongtu, it is essential to first introduce the industrial advantages of other regions within the present-day Wuhan area. This is because only when children know about the "unique advantages" of other regions will they pay special attention to "What about ours?"

The series of controversies stemming from the "radio industry chain" prompted Xuan Chong to adjust the training locations for related industry engineers. He could no longer allow the Jiangnan region to influence his industrial layout.

…factory black smoke, battlefield fumes…

In 2113, in the Beihai region, the newly formed standard Marine Brigade of Hanbei was established, but this Marine Brigade was formed with the principle of "rapid signaling"; the three new Marine Brigades ushered in their first round of combat. The battle took place in the Dalie River basin.

Within the newly formed First Marine Brigade, Xuan Chong heard the long-lost "waaagh!" sound from afar, and felt an inexplicable sense of warmth. It was like a farmer catching eels in the field, or a fisherman collecting fish after releasing water from a reservoir. In short, it seemed that after fighting a battle and annihilating the enemy, he felt as if something had been added to his basket. As for what exactly was added? Xuan Chong: I don't know, but I just feel like something has been added.

Along the Dalie River, at a makeshift airfield in the Beihai Lake area, six hundred electric spark reconnaissance aircraft launched by the Han side arrived in the sky and began to draw lines back and forth.

This exposes all Orks in this area, especially those with more than fifty members, to the observation of the Protectorate's airships currently hovering in the sky.

Once the observers on the airship spot the Orc cluster, they will use the "Electric Spark Transmitter" to send instructions within five minutes. The instructions will be received by the personnel in the vehicles behind and the overall map intelligence will be summarized within half an hour.

Yes, it takes time to integrate the information from each airship into the overall firepower map that the commander can see.

If this data aggregation step is to be omitted from the operational process, the commander needs to be highly professional enough to complete the battle situation summary directly in their mind. However, this would still take about half an hour, and as the commander looks at more and more data charts, the mental strain would become too great, and they would gradually become exhausted.

Therefore, the true way to achieve victory should be to design an "automated data verification system" that uses mechanical assistance to calculate steps such as available troop strength and marching speed, thereby enhancing information processing capabilities.

In the previous world, Xuan Chong, as the commander of the classical legion, felt that the command was stuck on the speed of transmitting flags and drums. Now, the problem is the information processing capability.

At the telegraph station, sixty telegraph operators were densely packed with people processing messages. This human effort was like an old computer running a large-scale game—extremely slow.

Xuan Chong finally understood the military significance of developing computers. Currently, large warships in the Han Dynasty are already experimenting with vacuum tube equipment to assist naval generals in completing the complex information processing required. It's not just about telephone lines replacing megaphones; it's also about electronic fax machines directly printing the coordinates of various combat units onto slips of paper.

However, in the army, a new system had not yet been integrated. The "mechanized infantry regiment" promoted by Lin Sima, the one where Lin Yang was sent to his death, still had its internal information decision-making units composed of officers from the old system. These officers would collect information with binoculars during skirmishes, perform manual calculations on the intelligence, and then make decisions.

Such manual calculations place a heavy burden on the team's professional skills. Furthermore, they test the central command's organizational and execution capabilities, rapidly transmitting dispatch strategies to dozens or even hundreds of units receiving military command.

This sophisticated military system is simply not something that "second-generation nobles" can comprehend. Xuan Chong doesn't know how well Lin Yang has fared in this area, but when Xuan Chong leads his team in training, everyone looks very much like a soldier.

It's worth noting that most of the current telegraph operators are female students. This job doesn't require physical strength but demands meticulous attention, making it a rare profession where women have a distinct advantage. Their slender fingers tap the Morse code flawlessly. This meticulous advantage will likely disappear with the advent of crystal computers. In the new era, we may no longer see these kind-hearted young women.

…the dividing line of radio waves…

At this moment, the people of Yan, the capital of the Han Dynasty, are paying particular attention to this "small battle" in the north. Even Xuan Chong himself did not realize that his "small move of advancing a pawn" was actually an important move by the high-ranking officials in the court.

In the main hall, Wang Situ smiled at the unusually nervous Lin Sima and instructed his men to persuade Sima not to worry too much about the "small war" in the north.

This was standard sarcastic remark, so how could Lin Sima not be "worried"? His management in the south over the past two years had been heavily criticized. There were very few highlights, and the few young talents he appointed all suffered because of their "lack of experience." Meanwhile, the young man in the north was becoming increasingly stable.

Especially now, Xuan Chong himself doesn't think much of it, but he has reorganized the military system in the north, which is actually unorthodox. — The emperor's attitude towards him is, "Let him try; it won't matter if he makes a mistake."

Indeed, for the Ministry of War, it didn't matter that Xuan Chong's new military reforms were "wrong"—it was just a failed innovation, and Xuan Chong himself was an outsider without formal military training. But—what if they succeeded? The Ministry of War was starting to panic. Wouldn't the pressure fall on them?

Many people within the current Han government are quite dissatisfied with the old guard taking charge of the Ministry of War.

Lin Sima took off his reading glasses, rubbed his eyes, and indicated that his eyesight was failing due to old age. He then cleared the view of the northern map hanging high behind him, allowing his subordinates to comment on it.

The four generals beside Lin Sima's faction wore serious expressions, unlike the relaxed demeanor one might show while watching children play house.

These generals concluded from the current level of the Hanbei New Army's movements that Xuan Chong was not an amateur; he had grasped the key points of military strategy.

Lin Sima: What are the key points?
A retired general said, "In military strategy, some people can only memorize the formulas and think that if the formula is correct, then it is correct; while others know why the formula is a formula."

(End of this chapter)