Chapter 548

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

For Chen Yi, dredging a deep-water wharf on land was also an extremely challenging job.

Besides the resources he himself controlled, building a wharf also required state-level power support. Otherwise, just the tens of thousands of tons of explosives needed for blasting would be a major difficulty.

Mo Shaoqiu had the ability to buy tanks, planes, and missiles, but there was no way he could get his hands on that much contraband explosive. The East German arms dealers were even more out of the question.

Furthermore, wharf construction is a job with quite high technical content, a bit like renovating a house; just dragging in some random person can indeed muddle through a rough job, but if you want it to be convenient and efficient later on, even leaving room for improvement, that requires considerable experience and cleverness.

Jiangbei Wharf was precisely because Chen Yi couldn't build it himself that he dug a trap for Mitsubishi Group to jump into. Now, building the West Continent would consume no less energy and time, and he still needed helpers. Therefore, after the West Continent's detention period ended, Chen Yi flew from Jiangning to Xijing. Grandpa Chen Zhongguo returning to the political circle naturally meant exerting leadership in the most core place.

After passing through three sentry posts, Chen Yi finally saw Chen Zhongguo working at his desk.

His office was in front of a pool of emerald green water, a standalone imitation antique building, or perhaps simply an actual ancient building.

The bamboo-wood double windows were all wide open; in front of the old-style writing desk, a brush holder, teacups, and a clock were neatly arranged. Chen Zhongguo looked a bit fatigued, but his whole person's spirit was even better.

Chen Yi went around via the corridor over the pond, and before he could get close, he was stopped again by someone.

"Young Master Chen?" This one seemed to have seen photos.

Chen Yi didn't speak, just heard Chen Zhongguo ask from inside: "You're here?"

"Yes." Chen Yi replied loudly, smiled friendly at the bodyguard, and walked in.

The standalone small house seemingly suspended in the center of the pond was cool and pleasant; it looked ordinary from the outside, but inside it was spacious and grand, very much having the feel of an official residence.

Chen Zhongguo twisted his neck, put down the pen in his hand, and said: "Heard you only got back this morning, why the rush to come to Xijing?"

"I want to expand the Xijiang Wharf all the way down to below Yun Village." Chen Yi took out a map from his ring and unfolded it to explain in person.

Chen Zhongguo's vision was who knew how many levels higher than the Iyar High Priest's; one glance and he had a calculation in his heart, musing: "The project is huge, the question is building the port, right?"

"Mm, I can't find that kind of person." Chen Yi answered admiringly.

Actually, a canal 10 kilometers long and passable by giant ships isn't anything much. The best analogies are the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal; the former completed in 1914, total length 65 kilometers, the latter completed in 1863, total length 191 kilometers; after late 20th century expansions, they can both accommodate cargo ships of 100,000 tons and above. The waterway Chen Yi hoped for was merely 10 kilometers long, and built with 21st century engineering standards; the main help he needed was not the billions of tons of earthwork that plagued the builders of those years, but reasonable technology and sufficient construction personnel.

Additionally, it had to be fast enough and economical enough.

"Finding a design institute is simple, how many people do you want?"

"5,000, preferably 10,000." Chen Yi finished speaking, paused, then added: "There's plenty of engineering machinery, but specialized equipment can't be lacking either."

The best for digging canals are the electric shovels and draglines used in mining machinery; late 19th century British, when digging the Manchester Ship Canal, once used steam shovels on a large scale; after the Panama Canal was handed to the Americans, the main tools used were also explosives and steam shovels; their most common construction method was to lay iron tracks beside the steam shovel's rails for transporting earth, the slag cars on the tracks pulled by human, animal, or steam locomotive power.

The West River City-State has a massive 9750-type walking dragline, this monster 110 meters long, weighing 5,300 tons, is far more high-end and luxurious than a destroyer. Since its installation completed, it replaced tens of thousands of slaves in that mining area, turning it into a solo performance on the mechanical stage.

However, compared to transferring it to the wharf area, better to send a brand new domestic set over, also saving the mining area from having to rebuild.

Chen Zhongguo didn't understand technology, but agreed outright, then asked: "After it's built, what kind of target do you expect to achieve?"

"Single passage of 5 or more ships, at least 150,000 tons each, four times a month means 600,000 tons, then slowly increase from there." Chen Yi was calculating based on the number of Divine Art Knights; 10,000-ton cargo ships required that kind of non-human power to drive.

"Is that channel stable?"

"As of now, it's still stable." Chen Yi would occasionally consider the Magic Subway's stability issue, but besides believing in it, all other worries were just borrowing trouble. Crossing that issue, he explained further: "Wharves and canals are still different; docking berths and passing ship locks are two concepts. These also need specialized personnel allocation."

Chen Zhongguo agreed: "I'll arrange for the heads of relevant institutions to inquire."

Chen Yi "mm'd", hesitated slightly, then told Zhang Jing's probing.

Chen Zhongguo laughed halfway through listening, saying: "Old Zhang has already explained this matter to me, let's leave it be for now..."

After official business, talking family matters, Grandpa finally relaxed.

His body had no problems whatsoever, but after all, he'd been away from the core for three or four years; not only had the times changed, the people doing things had changed too, adaptation inevitably takes a period of time.

Chen Yi couldn't help much, took out a 1 cubic meter storage ring left by the Poison Dragon God Temple, explained the usage to Grandpa, saying: "I put Energy Recovery Potions and Divine Oil in it. Recovery potions can be used casually, Divine Oil must be combined with Body Technique cultivation."

Chen Zhongguo laughed heartily, saying: "My old waist and legs, how could they bend down; doing Tai Chi is about the limit."

"Just treat yourself as a forty or fifty-year-old." Chen Yi had used the Divine Art "Bestowal" three times, the health index improvement was undeniable.

"If free tomorrow morning, I'll try." Chen Zhongguo curiously put on the space storage ring, fiddling with it while taking out several bottles of Energy Recovery Potion to drink.

When leaving, Chen Yi still felt a pang of heartache. Although returning to Xijing was what Grandpa had long hoped for, working in the political center was extremely difficult even for young people, let alone an elderly man of Chen Zhongguo's advanced age. Seeing his fatigued appearance, one knew the Chen Family's smooth sailing wasn't a pie fallen from the sky.

In view of this, he also didn't take out the Intelligence Scroll; the Magic Scroll's burden on the body was undeniable, Chen Zhongguo already had sufficient political wisdom, his need for Intelligence itself wasn't great.

Evening.

In the Chen Family's Xiao Lou in Xijing, guests came and went like a weave. Those visiting Chen Zhongguo were mostly old friends and old subordinates, occasionally a few young people, also juniors with quite deep connections.

Meeting meant talking, talking meant drinking tea, Chen Yi accompanied Chen Ye busily shuttling between several rooms, before long he was annoyed to death, seeing Grandpa still calm and breezy, Chen Ye even revealing a hearty smile from time to time, couldn't help thinking: Does politics really get more enjoyable the more you do it? Ptooey ptooey ptooey!

Another thought: Zheng Zhi is really pitiful, just don't be born in a country that likes politics!

Around 20:20, suddenly no officials entered the main gate, like a school of sardines that had changed course; the officials who had arrived earlier also bid farewell one after another.

Chen Ye wearily put down the teapot, smiling: "Alright, today's work is considered done."

"Clock in and out on time?" Chen Yi teased.

"Naturally on time." Chen Ye pointed at his watch: "The old man rests at 9 every night."

"Only half an hour left?"

"Not bad." Chen Ye said enviously: "If I had such a day, I'd rather not sleep."

Xiong Lu standing on the porch heard his words, just kept grinning foolishly.

Chen Ye said embarrassedly annoyed: "Xiong Lu, you think I can't enter the core?"

"Young Master Ye, how could that be!" Xiong Lu made it worse the more he explained, hurriedly saying: "I just recalled a joke."

"Speak." Chen Ye glared at him ruthlessly.

Xiong Lu's voice was tiny, saying: "About the Sunflower Manual. They say, what's formidable isn't the Sunflower Manual, it's the person who cultivates the Sunflower Manual; whoever has the guts to castrate themselves, idle at night with nothing to do, will definitely cultivate hard, because besides cultivating there's nothing else to do."

Chen Ye's face instantly turned red.

Naked Bear felt he had misspoken, and tried to remedy it again: "I think, if Young Master Ye doesn't sleep at night every night and works hard, he will definitely be able to enter the Central Hub..."

Chen Yi couldn't help but say: "I'm going to see Grandpa."

Leaving Chen Ye glaring angrily at Naked Bear.

The latter was bewildered, thinking to himself: My last sentence should have been quite good, right?

He used "Grace" once more, and only after Grandpa slept well did Chen Yi return to his room. He had plenty of work every day, especially signing and reviewing documents involving "Order" and several other Faiths; he could not relax for a moment.

As the sky went from dark to bright, the documents beside Chen Yi's desk piled up more and more.

Light bird calls came from outside the window, followed by Naked Bear's rough knocking on the door.

"Come in. What a fine morning; next time, knock more quietly." Chen Yi said, pouting his lips to signal him to take the documents away.

"The old man has gone to work; he told you to go to the Ministry/Commission when you have time to make it happen, make it happen..." Naked Bear clumsily set down a glass of milk, desperately trying to recall Chen Zhongguo's original words. At the same time, he deeply missed when Jin Douna or Liu Xinyu were around. A life without using one's brain was truly a good life.

"Regarding the matter of the Wharf construction?"

"Yes, that's it, Construction Ministry." Naked Bear slapped his thigh, scaring the birds outside into flying away.

"Go prepare the vehicle." Chen Yi put the unfinished documents back into his Space Storage Ring and set off.

Naked Bear anxiously packed the documents into a box and shouted: "The government office hasn't opened yet."

"I've given the instructions; naturally, it will open."

Naked Bear looked at the sky; it was only the light of six or seven in the morning. He hurriedly called in a Martial Arts Hall Student to help seal the documents and deliver them respectively, while using a communicator to call a vehicle and rushing out.

By the time Chen Yi reached the door, his Vehicle/Mount had just stopped steadily.

Inside the Construction Ministry, the officials on duty had indeed heard about the Wharf construction matter; they enthusiastically received Chen Yi and had him wait outside the Minister's office, flattering him: "The Minister will be back shortly and will definitely see you at the first opportunity."

This wait lasted two hours.

... (Unfinished. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian. com) to cast Recommendation Tickets and Monthly Tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)