Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

On September 20, the Corn Emperor set off back to Beijing.

On the train, Zhao Ping'an sat with him for a while.

The Corn Emperor looked out the window and suddenly spoke.

"My dear comrade, what you showed me was all very good."

Zhao Ping'an waited for him to continue.

The Corn Emperor, however, said no more.

He simply stared at the fields flashing past the window, remaining silent for a long time.

Zhao Ping'an didn't say anything more.

He knew that the corn emperor had seen everything.

Seeds, fertilizers, drip irrigation, canned goods, radios, plastic pipes… all of these will become his “brilliant measures” after taking office, allowing him to firmly establish himself. He'd probably be quite happy to sacrifice some of his own interests for this!

Although the Corn Emperor didn't say anything, Zhao Ping'an understood. This was the information advantage brought about by the "information gap" between ordinary people downstream in time and the "influential" figures of this era. The secret in the Corn Emperor's heart had been analyzed dozens of times by later generations. Zhao Ping'an was merely drawing on the wisdom of his predecessors.

"But that's enough, isn't it?" Zhao Ping'an encouraged himself mentally. "The plan must succeed!"

September 21, Beijing.

After the Corn Emperor's formal meeting with the leaders concluded, the remaining members of the Red Empire delegation began to go their separate ways.

Those in the agricultural, industrial, and trade sectors should each find their respective contact departments.

Many people also came to Zhao Ping'an's side. To be precise, several departments would eventually have to come to see Zhao Ping'an once.

First, there was the Minister of Agriculture. This time, he brought a translator, a secretary, and a stack of documents.

"Minister Zhao, we apologize for bothering you these past few days." The minister sat down and placed the documents on the table. "We're here today to formally discuss the matters we discussed before."

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

The minister opened the first document.

"Regarding maize seeds, we investigated the planting situation in North and Northeast China and were very impressed. If possible, we would like to import a batch for trial planting. In terms of quantity, we will first meet the experimental needs of several farms in Central Asia."

Zhao Ping'an said, "The seeds are fine. Have you considered the accompanying fertilizers and pesticides?"

The minister paused for a moment to think.

"For fertilizers, we can purchase a small batch first and observe the effects. As for pesticides, there are significant differences in pests and diseases in different regions of my country, so we need to conduct adaptability tests first."

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

"What about the drip irrigation system?"

The minister turned to the second document.

"We are also very interested in drip irrigation systems, especially the plastic pipes, which our experts believe have great potential for application in arid regions of Central Asia."

The minister paused.

"However, we are aware that this type of pipe only has a lifespan of one or two years."

Zhao Pingan said, "That's the nature of plastic products. They're not expensive, and replacing them isn't difficult."

The minister jotted down a few notes in his notebook but didn't ask any further questions.

After discussing agriculture, the minister opened a third document.

"Minister Zhao, we have noticed that your country has achieved considerable success in light industry. Canned goods, fresh vegetables, radios, daily necessities—if possible, we would also like to explore some cooperation on these items," a man standing next to the Minister of Agriculture suddenly spoke up; his nameplate read "Minister of Commerce."

"Especially canned and fresh vegetables, I mean processed canned fresh vegetables."

During the winters in the Red Empire, supplies in this area were always tight.

Zhao Ping'an said, "These are all open to discussion. The light industry base in Northeast China is relatively strong, and there's still room for production capacity. If you have stable demand, expanding production is not a problem."

The Minister of Commerce made a few notes in his notebook.

He didn't ask about the price in detail. He also didn't discuss the quantity in detail.

We simply listed the categories one by one to confirm that they all fell within the "discussion scope".

Zhao Pingan confirmed each one.

Turn to the last page of the document.

The Minister of Industry, standing to the other side of the Minister of Agriculture, looked up.

"Minister Zhao, regarding the issue you raised last time—about skilled workers—we take this very seriously."

Zhao Ping'an waited for him to continue.

The Minister of Industry carefully considered his words.

"Over the past twenty years of industrialization, my country has indeed accumulated a group of experienced workers and technicians."

If you wish to engage in exchanges in this regard, we are willing to consider it.

The specific methods, scale, and conditions can all be further explored.

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

"Our basic idea is to complement each other's resources through cooperation."

We can provide agricultural technology and light industrial products.

Regarding skilled workers, you can provide them. We can discuss the specifics of the process later.

After listening, the minister remained silent for a few seconds.

"We can take this idea back and study it."

He didn't ask about the number of people, the conditions, or any other details.

It was simply a matter of confirming "there is this direction" and then closing the document. Since everyone was working within the framework of the leadership, the initial intention to cooperate was reached, and subsequent discussions would naturally be handled by professionals. It was clearly inappropriate for both sides, who were both ministers, to haggle over the terms.

As a result, the talks were quickly concluded and the ministers stood up.

"Minister Zhao, we will compile the contents of today's communication into a formal text and continue to advance the discussion through diplomatic channels."

Zhao Pingan also stood up.

"Okay. We will also be prepared."

The Minister of Agriculture walked to the door, then stopped.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing."

Zhao Ping'an looked at him.

"During our visit, we noticed that your country also has numerous construction projects in the Xinjiang region, including railways, factories, and agricultural bases. Are there any possibilities for future cooperation in these areas?"

Zhao Pingan thought for a moment.

"The development of Xinjiang is an internal affair of our country."

However, if there are suitable areas for cooperation between the two parties in the future, we will not rule out the possibility of exploring them.

Of course, I think we should actually discuss cooperation in Central Asia. I heard from your comrades that the "Corn Emperor" is considering designating that region as an agricultural experimental zone?

The ministers nodded and asked no further questions. They then took their leave.

After seeing everyone off, Zhao Ping'an returned to his office.

The documents on the table were piled up, waiting for him to process them. But instead of sitting down immediately, he walked to the window and stood there for a while.

The people from the Corn Emperor came today to test the waters.

They asked many questions and took many notes. But they didn't reach any conclusions or make any promises. They only reached an agreement on cooperation.

This is normal.

This is how things are between nations: first explore the direction, then discuss the details; first establish the principles, then negotiate the conditions.

The other party will take these conversations back and study them.

After a while, someone else will come. That's when we'll really start talking.

Zhao Pingan turned back to the table, picked up a pen, and made a note on the calendar:

On September 21, the Red Empire expressed interest in exchanges regarding seeds, fertilizers, drip irrigation, light industrial products, and skilled workers. Further developments are pending, and future cooperation plans in the Far East, Central Asia, and Mongolia can be proposed and implemented as appropriate.

Zhao Ping'an's plan was never about selling things, but about what he could gain by selling them!