The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 115: Your Ironworks is Good, It’s Mine Now (Please Recommend Books and Gifts)

"General Zhang is so busy with military duties, yet he's come all the way to visit a businessman like me. He must have something important to tell you. But, let me make it clear in advance: if you want to beg for alms, I won't entertain you!"

Yu Yichun was sitting in the main seat with a smile on his face and wearing a well-fitting suit.

His words were direct and clear, showing the style of a big industrialist in Shanghai.

Yu Yichun, a once famous industrialist in Shanghai, still has a substantial family fortune even in the rear of the southwest.

There was an endless stream of military leaders, both big and small, coming to ask for money. At this moment, he was full of speculations about the purpose of Zhang Chi, who had recently become famous.

As a member of the Zhang family in Guangzhou, this young general is definitely not short of money. This time he came...

"Mr. Yu, you founded a cement factory, a woolen mill, and a match factory in Shanghai. You can be regarded as a well-known industrial tycoon. It is really extraordinary to meet you in person today." Zhang Chi praised him right from the start, his eyes showing sincerity and admiration.

Yu Yichun smiled slightly, as if he didn't care about Zhang Chi's praise.

Zhang Chi wasted no time and stated his purpose directly: "Now that the whole country is fighting against the Japanese invaders, my troops are isolated outside the country and it is difficult to supply weapons. We want to produce weapons ourselves, and this requires an ironworks to produce raw materials."

"Oh? Are you setting your sights on my Zhenhua Iron and Steel Plant?" Yu Yichun's eyes changed, as if he had understood Zhang Chi's intention.

Speaking of the Zhenhua Iron Works, Yu Yichun initially worked as a comprador in Shanghai for ten years, accumulating sufficient capital to build light industries such as a cement plant, a woolen mill, and a match factory. When his capital was even stronger, he invested heavily in heavy industry, planning to open the Zhenhua Iron Works to compete with the then-Japanese-owned Nichia Steel Works.

This was supposed to be a legendary business story of sleeping on straw and eating bitter food for ten years, conquering Wu with only 3,000 Vietnamese soldiers, defeating Japanese companies in one fell swoop, and driving them out of Shanghai.

However, before Yu Yichun could build and install the White Eagle steel smelting equipment that he had imported at great expense, the Japanese directly invaded Shanghai.

The commercial struggle turned into a battle of guns and cannons. After the outbreak of the full-scale war of resistance, Yu Yichun actively responded to the call and dismantled the factory and relocated it to major rear provinces such as Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi and Shaanxi.

As a result, various factories such as match factories, cement factories, battery factories, wool textile factories, wool washing factories, potassium chlorate factories, and phosphorus factories were rebuilt in the rear areas of the War of Resistance Against Japan.

Only the Zhenhua Iron Works had a large number of expensive machinery and equipment left on an open space outside Chuncheng, exposed to the wind and sun, and useless.

There was a hint of amusement in his tone: "You know, I spent a full 400 million dollars to build it. Do you have that much money now?"

Zhang Chi thought of the goods worth tens of millions of dollars stored in the warehouse area and nodded immediately. "Senior Yu, just tell me the amount. We'll sign the contract. When the time comes, I'll pay you and you'll deliver the goods. There's absolutely no problem."

Seeing Zhang Chi, a major general and division commander, taking out millions of dollars without blinking an eye, Yu Yichun raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Then he remembered that Zhang Chi's father was a famous wealthy businessman in Cantonese, and he felt relieved.

"But I don't want to sell it!" Yu Yichun picked up the teacup and shook his head slightly, his tone calm but firm. "It's really ironic. Other generals come to me to ask for cash, but you, General Zhang, are the only ones who are interested in these useless pieces of iron. But I don't care about those few tens of thousands of dollars, I only care about these precious mechanical equipment."

Starting with the Hanyang Ironworks, every industrialist in the Qian Kingdom had made ironworks their greatest goal in life. However, the steel industry required investment tens or hundreds of times greater than light industry, with slow returns. Furthermore, the foreign imports from Europe, America, and Japan were a major concern, so the steel industry struggled.

But everyone knows that if one wants to build a powerful Qian country, it is useless to build more cement plants and textile factories. Only heavy industry and steel production of millions of tons can save China.

Therefore, even though many of the equipment in Zhenhua Iron and Steel Plant were lost during the relocation, Yu Yichun still treasured this set of equipment.

"I'm going to say something unpleasant, but the full-scale war of resistance has already begun in its sixth year, and your Zhenhua Ironworks is still standing there, exposed to the elements. As someone who worked as a comprador for a foreign company for ten years, I believe you understand the reasons better than I do."

When Yu Yichun heard this, his face turned gloomy.

Although imported steel is expensive, the White Party officials can all get a share of the profits, so they naturally obstructed his attempt to build his own ironworks.

Zhang Chi continued, striking while the iron was hot. "Unlike those corrupt bureaucrats, I'm single-mindedly committed to building a powerful coal, iron, and specialty steel complex. I've already explored the coal, iron, nickel, and cobalt mines on my territory; all I need is the equipment for this ironworks."

After a moment of silence, Yu Yichun finally raised his head, his eyes firm: "As long as you agree to my two conditions, I will give you the equipment from Zhenhua Iron Works for free without asking for any money."

Zhang Chi was slightly stunned, and a surge of anticipation surged in his heart: "Please speak."

"First, the various skilled craftsmen and engineers needed to open the ironworks also moved to Spring City with me. If the ironworks couldn't be opened, they would have no food to eat. Now that you want to open an ironworks, you must hire these old brothers."

This is like someone offering a pillow just when you're about to fall asleep. Zhang Chi didn't expect Yu Yichun to even prepare the skilled workers and engineers needed by the ironworks for him, so he quickly agreed:

"No problem, I will definitely hire them, and the salary will be based on the original Shanghai standards."

"Secondly, the original design for this Zhenhua Ironworks was to produce one million tons of crude iron and 5 tons of refined steel annually. After we defeat the Japanese, I'm going to open an ironworks in Shanghai. By then, you'll have to return me a set of ironworks equipment with a much higher output than this."

Zhang Chi thought about this condition for a moment.

After the Japanese surrendered, the White Eagle United States, which had exceeded its production capacity, started a tearful sale, and then the Russian Bear, who loved to be a father, provided billions of subsidies. By then, let alone one iron factory, as long as you have the money, you can easily get ten.

So he assured me without hesitation: "It's my word!"

Yu Yichun smiled and replied, "It's hard to catch up!"

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Next, we will start arranging the relocation of these equipment to ensure that they are put into use as soon as possible.

Relocating an entire integrated production line for smelting pig iron, refining steel, and forging steel plates is by no means simple, and many factors need to be considered, including safety, transportation, and manpower deployment.

However, as the leader of a faction, Zhang Chi only needs to discuss the most important part, and there will naturally be countless people to perfect and carry out the details afterwards.

Now that we have an ironworks, we also need various chemical plants, cotton textile plants, and machinery plants to support them.

Especially the three acids and two alkalis. These chemicals are not only needed for various military explosives, but also for various fertilizer plants. They can also be formed into joint ventures with iron plants. In addition to steel plants, they are the most important part of the revised three-year plan.

However, the famous Hou brothers are currently in Shancheng. Zhang Chi does not have the courage to go to Shancheng, the headquarters of the Military Control Commission, so he can only ask his father to send someone to talk to them.

As for Zhang Chi himself, he had one last thing to do before returning to Pegu - to secretly meet with the king's uncle to discuss a big business.