Father of France

Chapter 141 Marine Exploration
“Really? This flexible attitude is very much in line with my understanding of you,” Koeman replied with a smile. “Traditionally, Chinese people have been pragmatists, a trait that leads to you not being trusted in various countries. How can I believe what you say is true?”

“Absolutely not, we Chinese have always been law-abiding citizens,” Gu Qing answered as if making a vow. “We have always supported the government’s policies.”

The primary goal of Chinese families in the Cholon district is to protect their business interests and family safety, rather than ideology. This has led them to generally adopt a pragmatic, "different politics" fence-sitting attitude.

“Very good. Paris sent us here this time for a purpose. If the Chinese can play a helpful role, it will be of great benefit to you.” Koman looked at Gu Qing with a smile and said, “As for how much benefit you will receive, that depends on your performance.”

It is too early to begin arming the Chinese clans along the dike; Koman also needs to address the timber shortage for urban construction in Algeria.

The timber shortage for this round of urban construction in Algeria, including doors, windows, and furniture, is estimated to exceed 1.5 million cubic meters. Even at its peak in the 1990s, Koman's hometown would have needed three years to meet the demand.

Saigon happened to be the export center for wood products in French Indochina, so it can be said that the foundation was very good. French Indochina also had no problem with natural reserves. Although after the Vietnam War, in the joke of hell, there was not a single tree over a hundred years old in the whole country of Vietnam, the forest coverage rate of French Indochina is still quite optimistic.

If the Chinese on the embankment can help Koman quickly complete the urban construction gap in Algeria, he can, as a reward, appropriately provide some initial armament to the Chinese.

The Chinese community in Cholon is the largest Chinese community in Southeast Asia today, with an estimated population of around 500,000 according to the Governor's Office. To put that into perspective, it's almost the same as the local Vietnamese population in Saigon. To give a comparison, consider Shanghai, the largest city in the Eastern superpower, where half of its 24 million inhabitants are citizens of another country.

Which nation-state would allow such a thing to happen? So it was perfectly normal for Le Duan to expel the Chinese from Cholon after he destroyed South Vietnam. He wouldn't allow half the population of the largest city to be non-citizens.

Vietnam's resource distribution is similar to that of the major Eastern powers, namely, that in this era, the population of the south had surpassed that of the north, and the population of Saigon had surpassed that of Hanoi.

However, the south only has larger plains, and Vietnam's mineral resources are mainly distributed in the north.

Vietnam's oil and gas resources are relatively balanced, with some distribution off the coast of Saigon, but they have not been discovered at this time, at least not by the French. The oil off the coast of Saigon should have been discovered by the United States after the French withdrew, and it is no longer the United States' turn.

Koeman had to find a way to reduce France's financial pressure in Vietnam. Transporting timber from French Indochina to Algeria also had costs, so he had to find ways to increase revenue and find oil off the coast of Saigon as soon as possible.

The waters southeast of Saigon belong to the southern continental shelf of Vietnam, especially the Con Lun Basin, which is one of Vietnam's richest oil and gas producing areas.

Algeria certainly has even greater oil and gas resources, but it's not the right time to expose them. Koeman essentially wants to use French Indochina as a shield for Algeria, and he plans to hold out until Algeria's three overseas provinces are fully developed, at which point he will have completed his historical mission.

Things need to be done step by step. We can find oil and gas resources slowly, but we can't afford to waste time on the timber shortage. Judging from the size of this hotel, Coman knows that Gu Qing is definitely a member of the Chinese clan. "Tell the local families on the embankment that I'm going to have a good talk with you. We'll set the time for a week from now."

If the dialogue is successful, Koman can help the Chinese community have more room to live. The current five major Chinese clan gangs are no different from the Chinese in other Southeast Asian countries.

Not to mention armed forces, even corrupt Chinese police officers have to bow and scrape. Corman could easily get rid of the corrupt police on the embankment and establish a protective umbrella directly under the French military.

"Sir, are these Chinese people trustworthy?" Lefevere had also come to French Indochina with Coman, and he had limited trust in an unfamiliar ethnic group.

"This is also a question that the local Vietnamese want to know," Koman replied with a smile. "The way Vietnamese people see Chinese people is no different from how we see them. Tell the major newspapers in Cholon that from now on, their reports must emphasize the principle that the existence of the Viet Minh is a threat to the existence of Cholon. Newspapers that do not cooperate will be shut down."

After a hearty meal, Coman and his companions were unlucky and were caught in a sudden downpour. They had to return to the hotel to wait for the rain to stop, standing on the French-only floor watching the crowds seeking shelter from the rain.

Many Chinese built their houses on the dike, separating them from their gardens to protect them from poisonous snakes, mosquitoes, red ants, Mekong River floods, and monsoon-induced floods.

Because the house is situated on higher ground, large buckets of water can be used for thorough cleaning, completely submerging the house like a garden. The water flows down the steps, into the yard, and into the kitchen.

French oil and gas development is generally handled by Total, but for the Saigon offshore oil and gas area, Corman knew without even assessing it that the risks were immense. Considering the French withdrawal in 1954, there were less than ten years left; and if we factor in Thang Kong's complete defeat, the safe period was even less than four years. Why was Thang Kong so closely linked to French rule in Vietnam? First and foremost, it was because Thang Kong's reliability was worthy of Corman's respect.

Even if Chiang Kai-shek's level was better than Syngman Rhee and Ngo Dinh Diem, the difference was still very limited.

The country is generally peaceful, although there are conflicts in some areas, but no major fighting has broken out. US President Truman sent special envoy General George Marshall to China to mediate the conflicts. The Double Ten Agreement has not been in effect for long, and everyone is still united.

In fact, this generally peaceful state of affairs was to be maintained until the middle of the year. In the end, Chiang Kai-shek felt that the preparations were good and that the advantage should be in his hands. In the middle of 1946, he launched a full-scale offensive.

Then, in just over three years, the situation shifted from a full-scale offensive to a focused offensive, then a full-scale defense, and finally a focused defense, turning the island into a fortified stronghold.

Chiang Kai-shek would never admit his own incompetence; he would only believe that the Americans were incompetent. To Chiang Kai-shek, Marshall was like a second Stilwell.

Marshall even left his name in the famous diary of Chiang Kai-shek.

In his diary, Chiang Kai-shek wrote, "Marshall is selfish, cold-blooded, and ruthless. He doesn't listen to anyone's opinions. This American scoundrel thinks he's the emperor, issuing orders arbitrarily and ruining our situation. He's truly hateful."

Marshall also didn't have a good impression of Chiang Kai-shek. Unlike Stilwell's time, Marshall came to the East after making great contributions after World War II. How could he possibly listen to Chiang Kai-shek's self-deceptive view of his own strength?
Marshall's impression of Chiang Kai-shek came during the later stages of the War of Resistance against Japan. Due to the frequent ineffectiveness of the Kuomintang in the war, the evaluation of Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang by the U.S. Army Department, military personnel in China, embassy staff, and even some newspapers was more negative than positive.

Koeman knew, of course, that Chiang Kai-shek's criticism of Marshall was not without merit. In essence, Marshall believed that the United States could not fully control the great Eastern power. Since it could not control the great Eastern power, it did not matter who the final victor was, because even if Chiang Kai-shek's opponent won, the Soviet Union, like the United States, would still be unable to control the great Eastern power.

Marshall, on the other hand, had a completely different attitude toward European countries, giving them the support that Chiang Kai-shek believed he should receive. Aside from religious and racial factors, the reason was that European countries were small in size, and the United States was confident that it could control them while providing support.

Marshall's prediction proved correct: although France broke free from American control, the countries surrounding France were trapped.

In the Corman residence on Rue Hugo in Paris, where Eva Gardner is currently the only female owner, a soldier knocked on the door. When the door opened, he couldn't help but show a look of surprise, before straightening up and saying, "Ms. Eva, General Dragon invites you to come over tonight. A telegram has arrived from the Far East."

"Thank you," Ava Gardner said, her wariness easing slightly after hearing this.

A few hours later, Eva Gardner received a telegram in plain text. France certainly had the capability to extract oil, but at the moment, France was very busy with reconstruction efforts.

In the telegram, Coleman hoped that Eva Gardner could help him recruit a team of oil exploration experts without going through Total.

In reality, there are only a few countries to choose from, and only the United States has the capacity to do so. Which other country isn't engaged in post-war reconstruction? Only the United States is sitting idly by.

Moreover, if France were to become unable to hold out in French Indochina in the future, even if these oils were extracted, they would not be able to be protected. In that case, the next adversary would need to be considered, and the United States could then openly launch a second war, taking over the fight in Southeast Asia from France.

Quite by chance, Koeman only knew one American contact, Ava Gardner. Although she was a weekly-paid actress before she was abducted, she had no choice now. Compared to other Americans, Ava Gardner was still very trustworthy. It didn't matter if he didn't understand her, nor did he need to.

As for the initial investment, Martin can be contacted directly for it; Coman had arranged everything clearly in the telegram.

“General…” After reading the telegram, Ava Gardner was somewhat unsure about this cross-industry venture. “I have absolutely no similar experience.”

“Everyone starts from scratch,” Admiral Dragon replied calmly. “We military personnel cannot directly run businesses, and as Coman said, the United States is the most professional in offshore oil extraction.”

(End of this chapter)