Chapter 944: Sword Pointing to Australia

Latest website: "Your Highness."

Governor's Mansion.

Qu Sheng bowed to Zhao Xu, his face full of smiles.

Zhao Xu laughed, "The appeal of this rubber forest is truly extraordinary; I didn't expect you to come in person."

Qu Sheng felt a bit helpless and said: "Originally, it wouldn't have come to this. Although I was happy, I didn't intend to make the trip. However, Wang Chong was even happier than I was and urged me to come over to transport a batch of rubber back as soon as possible, saying that the time for the thermal power plant to be put into use must not be delayed."

Zhao Xu nodded.

During the time he was fighting the war, various plans were not affected and had been executed step by step.

Liu Fu, the Prime Minister, was responsible for supervising this matter.

If things were not done properly, he would be scolded upon returning.

"That is fine, this rubber involves the production of goods in many industries," Zhao Xu said. "After you return, refine this batch of raw rubber into vulcanized rubber."

Before the war in the Southern Region broke out, he had already instructed Qu Sheng to establish a Rubber Workshop.

The process of turning raw rubber into vulcanized rubber is very simple: it is just mixing sulfur with raw rubber and heating it.

For Qu Sheng, a top talent in chemistry, this process was familiar territory.

"Yes, Your Highness," Qu Sheng replied.

After chatting briefly, Zhao Xu asked Qu Sheng some more questions about the chemical industry.

Upon learning that under the guidance of trainees from the Research Institute's Chemical Laboratory and with the assistance of trainees from the Electricity Laboratory, a small-scale Electrolysis Workshop was currently under construction, Zhao Xu revealed a gratified smile.

The pure hydrogen and oxygen, as well as elemental metals like magnesium and aluminum obtained from the last electrolysis experiment, were but a tiny fraction of the products of the electrolysis industry.

In fact, almost all elemental metals and gases, as well as a large portion of chemical compounds, can be obtained through electrolysis.

For example, by electrolyzing salt water, one can obtain not only hydrogen and chlorine gas but also caustic soda.

In the future, the way the Soap Workshop obtains caustic soda will no longer need to be as complex and inefficient as before, and they will be able to obtain large quantities of cheap caustic soda.

And this is the difference between the Second Industrial Revolution and the first.

It can be said to be a world-shaking change.

Relying on the goods manufactured through the second revolution, Da Song can crush the Western Lands even in fair competition of goods.

"Very good. The takeoff of Da Song's industry is left to you and Wang Chong, while I am responsible for escorting you and providing all the raw materials you want," Zhao Xu laughed.

Qu Sheng revealed a shy smile, "We will certainly not fail Your Highness's expectations."

Having said that, Qu Sheng took his leave and went to the plantation.

He would collect the raw rubber from the plantation and transport it back to Yancheng.

During this time, order in Manila had basically been restored.

The workers at the plantation had also returned, which would be beneficial to Qu Sheng's work.

Three days later, Qu Sheng returned on a commercial steamship fully loaded with raw rubber.

Another ten days passed, and with the help of the Marine Corps, Bate'er controlled Manila and all the cities in the North Territory.

Cebu Island and Mian Island were also brought under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate, and the entire territory of Luzon basically entered the right track.

At this time, Zhao Xu cast his gaze toward Australia, two thousand kilometers away from Luzon.

"More than two thousand kilometers; this is basically the distance from Luzon to Yanzhou, so this general ordered the navy to establish three supply points from north to south."

Governor General's Office.

Zhao Xu and Zhou Yi compared the sea charts and finalized the next course of action.

To the south of Luzon is a fragmented group of islands.

This island group is the contemporary Indonesia region, spanning over three thousand kilometers from east to west.

Da Song calls it the Java Kingdom.

Now, this place is controlled by the Stedan people.

However, during this period, the main area controlled by the Stedan people is Western Indonesia, near Malacca.

Because that is where the population is largest.

The current Eastern Indonesia region is very desolate, and the Stedan military presence is very weak.

It can be said that it can be taken easily.

The only thing they need to do is to take the three supply points from north to south and then stockpile some supplies at the supply points.

Afterward, they can use the southernmost supply point as a springboard to land on the soil of Australia.

And this matter, after they took Manila, the navy had already been doing.

Over the past month or so, the navy had already punched through a line from north to south in Eastern Indonesia.

Three supply points had been established along this route.

Among them, the southernmost point is contemporary East Timor.

From here, it is only five hundred kilometers to the Australian continent.

The naval fleet can cross it in just one day.

The Marine Corps can then rest here and easily step onto the soil of the Australian continent.

"Hmm, besides this line in southern Luzon, it is necessary to open up a shipping route to the east." Zhao Xu's finger wandered from Luzon on the map to the east, reaching the area directly north of the Australian continent.

There is also a large group of islands here, which the British call the Solomon Islands.

Now, since the Westerners have chosen to retreat strategically and hold Malacca at all costs,

then he will not yield; he can only eat up all the areas east of Malacca first.

Afterward, using the east of the Southern Region as a base, he will compete with the Western Lands Allied Forces in Malacca.

"Yes, Your Highness," Zhou Yi said. "This general will immediately send an order to Gong Ying, telling him to take Moro Island to the east and then control the Solomon Islands."

With the Western navy shrinking back to Malacca, the warships remaining in the north no longer need to continue guarding the island chain.

They can fully coordinate their movements with the warships heading south.

They only need to monitor Malacca and adjust their strategy according to the situation.

At the same time, the Marine Corps has a full strength of sixty thousand men; excluding the ten thousand stationed in Dongying and Ryukyu, and the thirty thousand in Luzon, Gong Ying can still mobilize twenty thousand Marines.

He is capable of undertaking the mission of opening up a shipping route.

When the time comes, one force will land on the west of the Australia continent and punch through the west coast, while the other lands on the east of the Australia continent and punches through the east coast, then they will circle around to meet on the south coast of Australia.

With a pincer attack from both sides, they will be able to take the entire Australia continent at the fastest speed.

"Hmm, there is no time to lose, have Gong Ying act immediately," Zhao Xu said.

He was somewhat impatient to take the Australia continent.

Because he knew clearly that the focus of this attack by the Western Lands Allied Forces was Jiaozhi, Piaoman, Tibet, and the entire northern border direction.

As for the Southern Region, it was an accident for them.

Originally, they thought their navy could defeat the Great Song Navy, or at the very least fight to a draw, but they never expected to be defeated so suddenly, which led to them falling into a passive position in the Southern Region.

But the more this is the case, the more they will likely be eager to open up another battlefield, to besiege Wei to rescue Zhao, and alleviate the crisis in the Southern Region.

And this battlefield would be to launch a full-scale invasion of Great Song along the C-shaped Encirclement.

Therefore, he hoped to take the Australia continent as quickly as possible.

In this way, if a war breaks out on the second battlefield, he will be able to return to Great Song in time to resolve this siege together with Chang Wei, and finish off the forces besieging Great Song one by one.

During this period, the navy in the Southern Region can move westward to establish supply points.

To prepare for the final Eastern Great Decisive Battle.