The sun never sets

Mr. Hoover, who had gained weight, was full of energy and vigor after becoming president. At a reception after his inauguration speech, he declared to the most powerful and wealthy people in the United States that the United States had found a way to prosper forever, "........America will continue to prosper until the day of judgment."

After becoming the President of the United States, Hoover's attitude became arrogant and he was no longer friendly to his old friends. He was now the President and had so many ways to make money. How could he still stick to the alliance like before?

Of course, money still needs to be made, but it is the people below who are involved, and it has nothing to do with the President.

President Hoover gave a public speech on television, calling this era the "Hoover Prosperity." It is undeniable that when Hoover came to power, the United States of America was indeed full of an atmosphere of decadence and extravagance, but did all Americans fully enjoy the prosperity of this era?

This question is not difficult to answer. In another world in the 21st century, a certain Eastern country has become the world's largest industrial manufacturer and the world's second largest economy. Its per capita car ownership is almost catching up with that of the United States at that time. But if you ask the Chinese whether they have fully enjoyed the prosperity of the times, it is actually questionable.

I am afraid that many people will think that their lives are not good enough and they are still poor, although they are much better than people in many other underdeveloped countries. Similarly, the development of the United States in 1929 was insufficient and uneven. Although the general public lived much better than other underdeveloped countries, there were still reports with ulterior motives pointing out that by 1929, more than one-third of Americans lived at the level of "minimum comfort" described in the report, and half of them hovered at or below the level of "survival" or "poverty".

Of course, the "poverty" level in the United States is definitely higher than that in other countries.

Chapter 823 Investigation

From Dzerzhinsky to Stalin, the scope of authority of the Cheka was greatly reduced. Its main work now is internal, while external tasks are handled by the General Staff and several departments that will not appear in the public eye.

Zhdanov wanted to get the assistance of the General Staff, which was a big deal. The communication and connection between the two intelligence departments inevitably led to some associations.

Any department naturally has the instinct to expand, especially the powerful departments. The Counter-Revolution Committee was once the largest intelligence department of the People's Revolutionary League, but now it is suppressed by the intelligence department of the General Staff. Did Zhdanov come to ask for the assistance of the General Staff at the instruction of Comrade Stalin, and wanted to take this opportunity to control the intelligence personnel and intelligence network of the General Staff?

Even if it is just to assist the work of brother units, it is possible that the internal secrets of the General Staff will be leaked. If something happens in the future, who will be held responsible?

Zhdanov had thought about these things, but he still asked for the assistance of the General Staff. He stayed in Chang'an for a few days and was then received by Vice Chairman Wang.

"This is Major Zhdanov, and this is Lieutenant Huang Siqi."

Wang Hu introduced the two to each other in the office, "Lieutenant Huang Siqi is the assistant assigned to you by the General Staff. He will assist you in investigating the Dragon Slayer incident."

Huang Siqi was younger than Zhdanov, and had a strong and tough vibe. Zhdanov only took a glance at her, and from her straight back, cold eyes, sturdy build, and other features, he could tell that Lieutenant Huang Siqi was a soldier who fought on the battlefield, not an intelligence agent.

"Hello, Comrade Huang Siqi."

The young man saluted Zhdanov, his eyes fixed on his neck, left chest and other vital parts, causing a chill on his back. Zhdanov was familiar with this feeling, as some people in the Purge Committee's action group could give him a similar sense of substantive oppression.

Zhdanov knew that the General Staff sent such a person here not only to assist him in investigating the Dragon Slayer incident, but also to monitor and protect him. The diplomatic system was a high-incidence area for espionage cases, and betrayers often appeared on the intelligence front. Some betrayed for money, some for women, and some for hatred. More often, they fell into the hands of the enemy and could not stand the torture, thus becoming traitors.

Wang Hu said from the side: "Comrade Zhdanov, just go ahead and do it. If you find anything, remember to report it to your superiors in time."

Zhdanov looked at Lieutenant Huang Siqi beside him and asked, "Who do you report to?"

"If it's related to the Chinese region, then report to me; if it's related to the Japanese region, then report to Comrade Daijuewu Shizhen."

Wang Hu did not mention the Russian side, which was Comrade Stalin's private territory. Zhdanov understood what he meant, so he nodded and said, "If I find anything, I will report it to the higher authorities."

The territory of the Human Innovation Alliance is too large. From the South Pole to the North Pole, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, the flag of the Alliance can be seen everywhere. Such a large area cannot be completely integrated into one piece. The lifestyle of the Siberian people must be different from that of the Southeast Asian countries. Even if the policy of "same writing system and same track system" is enforced, the differences between regions cannot be eliminated.

Zhdanov took Huang Siqi to Chang'an to check the files for a while, and then

I took a ship to Tokyo, had friendly exchanges with comrades on the Japanese intelligence front, and then went to the Philippines, Malaysia and Australia.

Whenever he arrived at a new place, Zhdanov would write and draw in the notebook he carried with him after a while of busy work. Sometimes Lieutenant Huang Siqi was beside him, and he did not shy away, but Lieutenant Huang was trained not to look at what he wrote in the notebook, nor would he ask what he was doing.

On the surface, Zhdanov's behavior looked like he was traveling on public funds, and in fact... it looked like that. With a large sum of money in his hands, Zhdanov traveled all over the vast land of the Union, sometimes by plane, sometimes by ship, train, or car. This was understandable, but Zhdanov sometimes stopped a bullock cart on the side of the road and rode on the bus of his fellow villagers to stroll along the country roads, which was a bit incomprehensible.

Now it was even stranger. Zhdanov took Huang Siqi with him in the rain, dragging his body in the mud and struggling to walk in the rain. Lieutenant Huang Siqi stayed by his side all the time, doing whatever he was told to do, and remained silent unless Zhdanov asked him questions.

"I don't think you need to be so cold," Zhdanov shook off the mud on his body, "a soldier doesn't have to have a stern face."

Huang Siqi didn't say anything, but just moved his legs and followed behind Zhdanov. His body was much stronger than Zhdanov's, and although he was covered in mud, he didn't look that tired.

"You must be curious about what I have been doing these days."

Lieutenant Huang Siqi remained silent, and Zhdanov did not care and continued talking. He did not need an answer, he just needed an audience.

"Crash!"

After the sound of the bolt being pulled, someone shouted sharply, "Who is it?"

Zhdanov immediately answered loudly: "I am an investigator from the Cheka. Here are my credentials. This is an officer from the General Staff!"

The guards at the outpost were shocked when they heard that they were from the Anti-Counterrevolutionary Committee and the General Staff, but they still did not lay down their weapons. Australia is not peaceful at all. The hatred caused by the war has not been eliminated for decades, and bloody vendettas often occur. In the wilderness, anything can happen.

After checking the two men's IDs, the sentry remained alert. "Stand over there and don't move! Inoue, watch them. I'll call the higher-ups."

Soon, a call was made to the relevant department. The sentry received a reply that there were indeed two people active in Australia. "Comrades, please wait here for a while. A truck will come to pick you up."

Australia is still under construction, with high investment and low output. Apart from iron ore, the export of beef and mutton is very small, and local grain and meat and dairy products are needed to feed local residents and immigrants. However, thanks to iron ore, the finances of the Northern Australian government are very abundant, and the income of local residents is also very good. Many families not only raise horses, but also have cars for transportation.

Nanyang has oil and refineries, and is very close to Australia, so there is no shortage of gasoline and diesel in Australia, and families with a little money are willing to buy a car. As the number of cars increases, gas stations, car repair shops and other supporting facilities are also built.

Two hours later, the lights of the truck pierced the rain curtain and the sound of the engine came from afar.

Chapter 824 God Bless

The truck is a standard truck. The so-called standard means that except for the necessary functions, it does not have other messy functions. Therefore, it is cheaper and more reliable and will not break down due to muddy roads.

The road from the outpost to Sancha River is paved with gravel, but there are still potholes on rainy days, and the truck will bump up and down from time to time when driving past.

The weapons of Zhdanov and Huang Siqi were confiscated. Although their identities were temporarily recognized by the higher-ups, they still had to go through the next step of authentication.

There were eight people sitting in the back of the truck, including Zhdanov, Huang Siqi, and six soldiers from the Northern Australia Autonomous Government. Zhdanov stripped down to his underwear, wiping the liquid off his body with a towel while chatting with several soldiers.

"Didn't they say Australia is short of water? Why is it raining?"

A soldier with a round face smiled naively and said, "Many places are short of water, but it's not that there's no rain. If there's no rain at all, even grass won't grow."

Zhdanov had this ability, he could chat with people wherever he went. But he did run into obstacles, for example, Lieutenant Huang Siqi never responded to his words.

After arriving at the Sanchahe military camp, Zhdanov and Huang Siqi took a hot bath and changed into clean underwear and military uniforms. Zhdanov stopped giggling and looked a bit like a soldier again.

As for Huang Siqi, he was very methodical no matter what he did, and he looked like a soldier. Even though he was wearing ragged clothes, he still had an imposing aura.

The two of them had a good meal in the Sanchahe military camp, and then fell asleep on a real bed. When Zhdanov woke up again, it was already early in the morning of the next day. The sound of the military bugle woke him up from his sleep. Zhdanov got dressed and came out to find Lieutenant Huang Siqi enjoying breakfast.

"Up so early?"

Zhdanov did not need Huang Siqi to answer, he just asked casually.

Then he ordered a bowl of porridge and two cakes and ate them heartily.

Just after they finished eating, a soldier came over and returned the documents to the two of them. "Colonel Mei ordered you to be sent to Pingnan. Please follow me."

Pingnan City was the original Yeburg, which was occupied by Australian troops during the Australian War, and then, like other occupied Australian towns, it was given a new name.

Huang Siqi climbed onto the truck again and headed to another place in the bumpy ride. This time, there were only two soldiers escorting them, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed than yesterday. One of the soldiers gave them some dried meat so they could chew it all the time on the road.

After arriving in Pingnan, Zhdanov and Huang Siqi went to report to Colonel Mei. As soon as they walked into the gate of the office building, they suddenly heard someone shouting something loudly, and then many officers raised their arms and shouted, "Get on board!"

"Onboard!"

"Onboard!"

Zhdanov's heart tightened. What was going on? Were the Japanese going to play a trick again? As a senior member of the intelligence department, Zhdanov knew a lot of things. For example, "Colonel Mei" was actually a Japanese, whose original name was Meijin Mijiro, and now he changed his name to a Chinese name; for another example, since Japan was incorporated into the People's Revolutionary League, there have been several rebellions, but they were quickly suppressed.

The last rebellion in Japan was more than ten years ago. How come it happened again in Australia?

But soon, Zhdanov realized that he was overthinking. The officers shouted "Get on board" not to start a rebellion, but because the US stock market collapsed today. In one day, the New York stock market price fell by more than 12%, which was the most serious plunge in US history.

The biggest enemy of the Northern Australia Autonomous Government is the Australian government in the southeast of Australia. The two sides fought a bloody battle for a year and a half, and they were almost blood-thirsty with each other.

The Australian government lost a large number of people and land in the war. Its strength is less than half of what it was before the war, and it does not have much heavy industry. It can still barely hold on now because it has the support of the Americans. It was the Americans who provided the Australian government with a large number of guns and cannons, which enabled the Australian colonists to keep the last piece of prime territory.

The United States is currently experiencing a major economic crisis and should be unable to care about the Australian government. Can the troops stationed in Australia take this opportunity to seize...liberate the entire Australian territory?

In order to put pressure on the Australian government, the Northern Australia Autonomous Government still retained 60,000 troops after the war, more than two-thirds of which were deployed on the border with the Australian government.

If the whole of Australia could be liberated, there would be no need to maintain so many standing armies. Maintaining an army costs a lot of money, including weapons and equipment, food and ammunition, as well as soldiers' salaries and training expenses.

Saving money for the country and the government was the obvious reason, but the unspoken reason was that officers needed to fight in order to rise. The Japanese were an important part of the People's Revolutionary League, with Japanese naval generals and naval officers accounting for almost 50% of the alliance's navy.

In Australia, the number of Japanese in the army, navy and air force exceeds 70%, and these people are always thinking about making achievements. Promotion and advancement in the People's Army mainly depends on military merit. With enough merit, not only can they be promoted and rewarded, but they can also be recommended to study at the NCO school, the military academy or the Army University.

Officers no longer need to attend the NCO school, but if they can be recommended to enter the Army University, it is equivalent to stepping into the threshold of general officers. You can also get into the Army University with real ability, but it is too difficult to pass and the admission rate is too low.

In addition to wanting to achieve success, the Australian troops also wanted revenge. When the Australian colonists were in a bad situation, they sent guerrillas to burn and kill immigrants from the Alliance. Coupled with the previous massacre of people of color, the Australian troops were full of hatred for those Europeans.

Zhdanov could not help but frown. He knew that the troops stationed in Australia were keen on fighting, but he did not know that the enthusiasm of these Japanese would be so high. It is a principle that the party commands the gun, and the gun must never command the party. The Central Committee of the Alliance has invested a lot in Australia, but it does not have enough control over it!

"That's enough! Have you finished your work?"

Someone shouted loudly: "You are soldiers, not potato vendors in the vegetable market!"

Zhdanov looked over and saw a man in a colonel's uniform arguing with them. "Major Zhdanov?"

"Yes, I am Zhdanov."

"I am Colonel Meijin Meijiro of the Australian Army. You can also call me Mei Niansheng."

While Umezu Mijiro was talking to Zhdanov, he was looking at Lieutenant Huang Siqi beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Chapter 825: Excess

Zhdanov saw Meijin Mijiro's little move, but he didn't show it. He had long discovered the unusualness of Lieutenant Huang Siqi. The guys in the anti-counterrevolutionary committee's action group had the strength and endurance of big animals, but Lieutenant Huang was stronger than those big animals in the action group.

There were several times when Zhdanov was exhausted, but Lieutenant Huang was still able to handle things with ease. This cannot be explained away by saying that he was well-trained. Human physical strength has its limits, and it is impossible to rely on "nature" to overcome all difficulties.

But no matter what

No matter how Nof tried to hint at it, Lieutenant Huang Siqi remained silent as long as it was not related to the mission.

Now the colonel of the Australian army showed some unusual concern for Lieutenant Huang, and the Japanese coward immediately had a lot of ideas in his mind. Meijin Mijiro glanced at Huang Siqi several times, and then said to Zhdanov with a serious expression: "There is a telegram from Chang'an for your Excellency, please follow me."

Zhdanov looked at Lieutenant Huang next to him and replied, "Yes."

As he followed Meijin Mijiro out, Zhinedanov heard someone talking to Lieutenant Huang Siqi. He tried to listen, but all he heard was "General Kamio..."

Admiral Kamio Mitsuomi was once the commander-in-chief of the Australian Army. He retired from the military at the age of 65 and is now an advisor to the Northern Australia Autonomous Government. How could such a big shot be related to a lieutenant?

Well, to be able to work in the General Staff, most people must have a background or have exceptional abilities. Zhdanov thought of Lieutenant Huang Siqi's endurance, which was even more abnormal than that of a large animal, and felt that it must be a combination of both.

As Zhdanov walked out of the door, he thought to himself: Could it be that Lieutenant Huang is a genius in intelligence? Even I have misjudged him?

After Umezu Mijiro left, the people in the building began to discuss the collapse of the US stock market. This was a major event that shocked the entire world and might affect the direction of the entire world. The officers stationed in Australia could not remain calm about it.

Although there were labor unions in the United States during this era, and there were capitalists who feared labor unions and thus increased the income of workers, in general, the growth rate of workers' wages was far lower than the growth rate of products and profits, especially for unskilled workers, whose wage growth was negligible. Between 1920 and 1926, the total industrial output value of the United States increased by 2%, but the wage growth rate of most workers was only slightly higher than %.

This means that purchasing power is unevenly distributed, which leads to a weakening of consumer demand. Only a small part of the profits are distributed to farmers, workers and other potential consumers, but these consumers do not have enough money to support a consumer market that is large enough to accommodate a large number of goods, and the market demand is far behind the supply.

This is overcapacity. Overcapacity is relative, not absolute. It is not that too many things are produced and no one wants them, but that many people actually want them but don’t have the money. Who doesn’t want to drive a nice car? Who doesn’t want to live a better life? It’s all because of lack of money.

Various financial innovations such as "installment payments" and "naked loans" have fueled the US economy, allowing people without money to enjoy themselves first. Buy early and enjoy early, isn't that the case in the capitalist world?

This false fire has been burning for several years, and it has created the United States, which has the highest per capita output value in the world. However, financial innovation is not a panacea. The false fire has been burning for so long that it has almost burned out.

There is a saying that goes, "Ordinary people are like peanuts; the more you squeeze them, the more oil they produce." However, the American people are already burdened with heavy debts, and all the oil that can be squeezed out has been squeezed out. Where can they continue to produce oil?

Sometimes, when technological progress is applied to the production process, if workers are not protected, it will exacerbate the inequality of distribution and further lead to excess capacity. Advanced technology can increase production, but it can also make more people unemployed. And the more advanced the technology, the greater the excess capacity.

For example, the agricultural sector has adopted more new technologies. The number of tractors on American farms increased threefold in the 20s, helping to open up 3500 million acres of new land. The application of hybrid technology, fertilizers, and pesticides has promoted the increase of agricultural production.

However, the agricultural products people need are limited. The overproduction of agricultural products has led to a drop in food prices. Farmers' income has also decreased in the early 20s. More than 300 million people have left agriculture in the past 10 years. There are still some farmers who stay, but most of them have lost their land and have to borrow money and rent land from banks and other landlords.

At the end of last year, the economic crisis had already shown its signs. The automobile industry has directly or indirectly driven many industries and created many jobs, but the new story of the automobile industry will gradually come to an end. In the last quarter before 1928, automobile sales fell by more than one-third.

But the United States is still immersed in a prosperous year, in which optimism about the future overwhelms concerns, turns a blind eye to overcapacity, and continues to expand investment in production.

Many companies continued to increase fixed asset investment, which was correct in the past, but by 1929, capital investment had created too much capacity that could not be effectively used, and factories had produced too many goods that consumers could not afford. Once people began to save, industries with declining demand for goods began to lay off employees. After layoffs, the purchasing power of those who lost their jobs was further weakened, which in turn caused demand for goods to fall, entering a vicious cycle.

When the situation is good, leverage can help people use forward funds effectively, and people who are more confident in the future will naturally not refuse it. However, after the crisis accumulates, leverage becomes a death warrant.

Installment payments cannot be postponed indefinitely. The time for receiving bills is fixed, but people may not receive their expected income in full and on time.

If someone is pessimistic about the future economic situation, he or she will hesitate before buying expensive goods, thinking whether there will be enough income in the future and whether to increase leverage.

If consumers simply suspend purchases, it will reduce demand and aggravate overcapacity.

Innovative financial products like installment payments became popular, but safety nets, such as unemployment insurance and food stamps, were not popular in the United States in 1929. Not only in the United States, but also in any country in the world.

The Alliance has a tradition of disaster relief, but that was set up for various natural disasters. During disaster relief, the food distributed was just enough to keep people from starving to death, but it was impossible to fill them up. In addition, all young and middle-aged people would be organized to work, and the more they worked, the more food they would receive.

The alliance has almost endless infrastructure needs, whether it is building railways, roads, digging canals, or reservoirs, it requires a huge amount of labor. After a natural disaster, recruiting young and middle-aged people to work on the construction site is the alliance's bottom-line guarantee.

This is what is meant by “using work instead of relief, the dilemma will be resolved by itself”.

Chapter 826 Friendship

Every time an economic crisis occurs, humans will conduct in-depth research on it and continuously improve the economic system to enhance its ability to resist risks.

However, people are born in adversity and die in comfort. The next time young people have not experienced a crisis, they will forget the lesson. Speculation will not change, human nature will not change. If you don't do it, others will do it. If you do too much, the risk will be greater.