Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

"Sorry to bother you, Chief."

Comrade Wei Hongjun, please take a seat."

Zhou Bin asked Wei Hongjun to sit down.

Very polite.

Wei Hongjun was curious about Zhou Bin, and Zhou Bin was equally curious about Wei Hongjun. Wei Hongjun, a battalion-level cadre in the Red Army, had risen to the position of a member of the Standing Committee of the Jin-Cha-Yi Central Committee during the eight years of the War of Resistance Against Japan. Furthermore, Wei Hongjun now handled the daily work of the Jin-Cha-Yi Field Army Headquarters.

It's really a miracle.

While Gao Gang's ascension to the Politburo at the Seventh National Congress was often described as miraculous, Wei Hongjun's rise within the Party was no less rapid than Gao Gang's, perhaps even more legendary. This was because, despite his youth, Gao Gang was one of the founders of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Base Area. Simply because the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Base Area provided a base for the Central Red Army, the cadres there possessed a foundation for their rise. Numerous high-ranking cadres, both within the military and the Party, emerged from the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Base Area. This was inseparable from the fact that they provided a base for the Central Red Army and made significant contributions to the Chinese revolution.

Compared with them, Wei Hongjun's achievements were entirely achieved during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Before this, Wei Hongjun had always demonstrated his achievements in political work.

But at this critical moment, Wei Hongjun served as the commander and political commissar of the Third Field Army of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Region. As a result, he won a great victory in Zhuozi and directly beat back the arrogant Zuo Yi.

Wei Hongjun further consolidated his position in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Army.

Of course, Zhou Bin was more interested in Wei Hongjun's achievements in base construction and his policies regarding industry and commerce after entering Zhangjiakou. After arriving in Jin-Cha-Ji, Zhou Bin had become familiar with some of Wei Hongjun's policies in Zhangjiakou.

There were no drastic reforms, but Zhangjiakou's industry and commerce quickly recovered through gentle measures.

So Zhou Bin looked at Wei Hongjun and said, "I've heard of your Eighth Column's great name throughout Xinjiang. Since we came to Jin-Cha-Ji to take up our posts, we've both been very busy with our work and haven't had the opportunity to chat alone like this.

"Yes."

"What's going on today?"

"I want to know something from the chief."

"You said."

Zhou Bin was very surprised.

Wei Hongjun currently holds many positions, including member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, deputy political commissar of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, deputy commander and deputy political commissar of the Jin-Cha-Ji Field Army, commander and political commissar of the Ji-Re-Cha Military Region, commander and political commissar of the Jin-Cha-Ji Third Field Army, and secretary of the Ji-Re-Cha Border Region Party Committee.

In comparison, although Zhou Bin is the deputy secretary of the Jin-Cha-Ji Central Bureau, he is currently mainly in charge of the economy of Jin-Cha-Ji and its financial system. Overall, there is not much overlap with the work currently in charge of Wei Hongjun.

Wei Hongjun said: "I talked with some Japanese prisoners. I heard from them that Japan is a country short of food.

"Correct."

Zhou Bin nodded and said, "Japan is an island country with low grain production. Japan has always needed to import grain.

"Commander, I was just thinking about this. Since Japan is a country with low food production, what is Japan's current situation? Japan has been expanding its military since last year. I heard that Japan wants to fight a decisive battle on its home soil and has recruited millions of people to fight in Japan. In addition, the Americans have been bombing Japan on a large scale. So Japan's food production will definitely decline further in the past two years. In the past, the Japanese could plunder food from Northeast my country and the Korean Peninsula. But now that Japan has been defeated, it is impossible to plunder food from other places, and the Americans are unlikely to be so kind as to support the Japanese. So Japan must be extremely short of food now? And this food shortage situation is unlikely to end in a short time. It may last for several years."

Zhou Bin didn't understand why Wei Hongjun was thinking about these things.

But Zhou Bin still agreed with Wei Hongjun's statement.

"That should be the case. We are all people who have experienced war, and we should understand that war has always been the most devastating devastation to production. If Japan were the victor, perhaps what you are talking about would not be a problem. But since Japan is the defeated country, these problems are extremely serious. As you said, Japan should have to endure famine for several years. Japan's food shortage is unlikely to end in the short term.

"Chief, during a famine, is grain more valuable than gold?"

Zhou Bin's expression turned serious.

He somewhat understood what Wei Hongjun meant, but there were also some things he didn't understand.

So he didn't interrupt Wei Hongjun.

Wei Hongjun continued, "Commander, my idea is that since Japan is going to experience famine, food will definitely be extremely expensive in Japan. There is probably nothing more important than food in Japan. So I wonder if we can use food to exchange for something in Japan. In the short term, Japan must have produced a large amount of military supplies in order to fight the war. There must be a lot of things among them that we need. Some military supplies should be able to be converted into civilian materials. Now that Japan has been defeated, the military supplies it produced are garbage to Japan. We use food to exchange for some of their military supplies. As long as it is not direct weapons and ammunition, I think there should still be some Japanese businessmen willing to do so. Moreover, the price of food is high, and their military supplies are almost garbage to food-scarce Japan. But once they are pulled back to the country and converted into civilian supplies, I think the profit will be very high.

"Of course, this is only for short-term gain. If we consider the long term, we can use some food to exchange for machinery and equipment in Japan. Those large equipment may be controlled by the Americans, and we have no chance of getting them. But the Americans can't possibly hold all the equipment for some small factories. If all else fails, we can exchange them for some different types of machine tools. Even if the quality is a little lower, it is still a good thing for us. Our Jinchayi arsenal has been able to develop so rapidly because we seized more than 1000 machine tools from Baoding, Xuanhua and other places. If we can use some food to exchange for a large number of machine tools from Japan, it will not only be beneficial to the development of our army's arsenal, but also to the development of our country's industry after the victory of the revolution. Now that food is expensive in Japan, these machines are cheap. This is a good opportunity for us to take action.

Zhou Bin didn't speak immediately.

Instead, he was thinking about what Wei Hongjun said.

After thinking for a while, he said, "Go on. How do we do it specifically?"

"We should set up a trading company to specialize in this business."

"What made you want to start a business?"

"Commander, we in Jin-Cha-Ji were poor before. During the Anti-Japanese War, if we had relied solely on the development of the base area, we would not have been able to sustain the needs of the army or the people in the base area. So we established the Jin-Cha-Ji General Trading Company, and each military sub-district and even each regiment had its own trading company. Our 8th Column's trading company flourished during the Anti-Japanese War. At that time, we did business with the Japanese, the puppet army, the Kuomintang troops, and even traded between our base areas. I often communicate with Comrade Gao Weinong, who is in charge of our 8th Column's trading company. I have learned a lot from him in this area."

"Ah."

What Wei Hongjun said was just a guess.

Zhou Bin thought it was possible. However, it required further investigation and a final decision from the central government. It would then have to go through numerous departments before it could be finalized. So Zhou Bin said, "Write a report, I'll sign it, and then submit it to the central government."

"Yes."

Wei Hongjun thanked Zhou Bin for his support.

Therefore, he continued, "Chief, I think we should establish our own trading companies in special areas such as Hong Kong and Macao. If possible, we should also negotiate with the Soviets to set up a trading company in Dalian. Now that World War II is over, Britain and the United States must have a large amount of military supplies produced during the war that need to be processed. There must be things we need in them. Too much military supplies were produced during the war, and after the war, many of them became garbage, and the prices will be very low. We should make preparations early and buy these things at low prices. Or our cadres should contact the British and American militaries early to see if we can buy some of what they think is garbage, but is very good to us.

“You dare to think of anything.

Zhou Bin smiled.

Zhou Bin was still deeply impressed, and at the same time, he admired Wei Hongjun even more. Wei Hongjun, a military cadre from a humble background, had grown to this point. So much could be inferred from such small details.

Military supplies produced by the British and American militaries?

It was not easy for Wei Hongjun to even get all these supplies. Zhou Bin originally thought it was a bit unrealistic, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible to do it.

In order to fight wars, the British and American militaries must produce huge amounts of military supplies.

If nothing else, just look at the Japanese. The Japanese were already on the brink of collapse, but their arsenals were working tirelessly to produce military supplies for the war effort. The industrial strength of Britain and the United States was far greater than that of Japan.

How much will they produce to sustain the consumption of millions of troops on the front line?

But the war is over, what should we do with these supplies?

It's impossible for the British and American militaries to pull stuff back from Asia. These things are war materials, and when the war is over, they will be garbage. The British and American countries are not China.

They are developed industrial countries.

They don't value those military supplies. Being able to sell them at a low price is a good thing for them. But it's different for China. For a long time, the things they see in China are considered good things.

Let’s talk about the military uniforms, military caps and military shoes they produced during the war.

If given to Chinese people, they can wear it for several years. For the poor Chinese people, such things are treasures.

Britain and the United States must have handled these supplies in Asia. Thinking about this, Wei Hongjun's idea was very practical.

Besides, the central government can use this method to move back and establish connections with Britain and the United States.

So Zhou Bin said, "Your ideas are very forward-looking. So, write down all your ideas. Let's discuss and refine the plan. Then report it to the central government for a decision. Even if a trading company is really established, it will be a matter for coastal cities and has little to do with us in Jin-Cha-Ji."

"Yes."

Chapter 641 Ministry of Foreign Trade

Zhou Bin was very interested in Wei Hongjun's ideas.

So for some time afterwards, Wei Hongjun and Zhou Bin kept discussing this matter.

The two people have many similar ideas on foreign trade.

Wei Hongjun also appreciated the abilities of Zhou Bin, the revolutionary financier. He was a natural-born economics expert, possessing a profound understanding and insight into economic issues. While he might not possess the extensive theoretical knowledge of those who studied economics abroad, he was able to get to the heart of many issues. During his time in the Soviet Area, Zhou Bin single-handedly developed the tungsten ore trade there. He used tungsten revenue to boost the Soviet Area's finances and stabilize its financial system. It can be said that the early development of the Central Soviet Area was not only due to the military's victories, but also to the rural land reforms supported by Chairman Mao, and the economic development of Deng Zihui and Zhou Bin.

It can be said that Zhou Bin has very rich experience in this area.

The two men had originally thought of using the postwar period to make some money to support the central government's finances. Zhou Bin had been in business before and after joining the revolution.

So the two began to discuss how to make money using those military supplies.

But as the conversation went on, both of them became more interested, and it was a real shame that they had met too late. They then began to discuss the economic and industrial development of New China after the victory of the revolution, and of course, trade issues.

The two people discussed China's advantages and disadvantages.

China's advantages are its large population and vast territory, resulting in an abundance of agricultural products. It also possesses the resources necessary for industrial development. However, its disadvantage is its status as a poor agricultural nation. Lack of capital, backward technology, poor education, and a lack of experience make industrial development in China fraught with difficulties.

To say that New China's industry was completely poor and blank is a bit of an exaggeration. But overall, New China's industrial development foundation was indeed nearly bare. However, New China certainly could not be satisfied with the status quo and must vigorously develop its industry.

During the Seventh National Congress, the Chairman spoke several times about the importance of industry.

This is the will of the central government.

However, for New China to develop its industry, it would have to import a large amount of machinery and equipment. Furthermore, before China's industry could develop, it would need to import a large amount of industrial products needed for national construction. Besides these industrial products, China, currently an oil-poor country, still had to import large quantities of oil each year.

But where would New China get its foreign exchange from if it imported so many things?

The only way is to export and exchange foreign currency.

But what should we export? The things we need to export vary depending on the country we trade with.

So the two of them kept discussing how the new China should export, where to export, and what to export. Furthermore, the new China would definitely need some channels to export. Starting now, they decided to set up their own trading company and establish import and export channels.

Thinking about it this way, the two of them had all kinds of ideas coming to their mind.

When writing the report, I really wrote as if I were inspired by God.

They even began discussing what the trading company they were going to establish should look like and how to conduct business. As they began writing, they even developed a detailed plan for how to set up and run the trading company. Although Wei Hongjun had never been involved in business in his previous life, he had seen pigs run even if he had never eaten pork. Zhou Bin was even more adept at this.

After the two of them worked together, they came up with a complete trading company plan.

Then the two people submitted the report to the central government.

Chairman Mao returned to Yan'an after concluding the Chongqing negotiations, while Comrade Wu Hao remained in Chongqing. Wu Hao's task was to verify and negotiate the contents of the agreement signed by Chairman Mao and Chiang Kai-shek.

"Comrade Zhou Bin and Comrade Wei Hongjun's report is interesting.

The Commander-in-Chief smiled and said, "They're planning to target the military supplies produced during the war between Britain, the United States, and Japan. They believe that once the war is over, the price of these war supplies will drop rapidly. So they want to buy low and sell high to make a profit. But I think their idea is quite reasonable. If the two of them became capitalists, they would definitely be able to make a lot of money."

"Hahaha."

Everyone smiled.

So the two men laid it all out, explaining everything clearly. War supplies were a burden, garbage, to the British and American militaries. But if they could acquire them cheaply and with a little effort, they could convert these military supplies into civilian goods.

You can make money from the price difference.

Ren Peiguo said: "I heard that the cadres in Jin-Cha-Ji are all good at doing business."

Jin-Cha-Ji is good at doing business.

This was well-known even within the Eighth Route Army. Those trading companies in Jin-Cha-Ji were open to doing business with anyone. Throughout the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, these trading companies made Jin-Cha-Ji a fortune, often even supporting central government funding.

The great development of the Jin-Cha-Ji region during the Anti-Japanese War was due not only to the successful operation of the base area but also to the significant contribution of the trading company.

After joking, the commander-in-chief said seriously, "I think there are three very reasonable points in this report. One is the analysis of post-war Japan. Japan will inevitably suffer from food shortages, and severe food shortages. Japan's large factories are controlled by the Americans, and a lot of factory machinery will need to pay compensation to China. But this is aimed at Chiang Kai-shek's group and has little to do with us at the moment. But Japan has many factories, and large military factories are restricted, but some other factories may not be. If we can really exchange some of our domestic grain for Japanese machinery and equipment, and military supplies, it will be a good idea both from an economic and long-term development perspective. Japan has hundreds of thousands of various machine tools. If we can exchange grain for one or two thousand machine tools, or four or five thousand or even more, then it will be a very good thing for us."