Chapter 34: Take Everything on the List

The two characters "Chen Feng" made the argument stop. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, his gaze shifting from one face to another.

"I've gathered everyone today not to hear you complain about lacking money." His voice was calm, but carried an unquestionable authority, "I'm here to hear solutions. Zhou Nian, you said railway construction costs are high—if we don't use imported steel rails and instead use those we produce ourselves, how much can we save?"

Zhou Nian paused, then calculated quickly: "Our current rolling mill can produce medium‑size steel rails; the quality isn't as good as Deguo's, but they're usable. If we produce everything domestically… we could save a third, roughly eighty thousand pounds."

"Then we'll use the domestically produced ones." Chen Feng turned to Liu Yongfu, "Factory Director Liu, can the steel plant supply the required steel rails on schedule?"

"Yes!" Liu Yongfu straightened his back, "As long as ore supplies keep coming, I guarantee delivery of all steel rails within three months!"

"Good." Chen Feng made a note in his notebook, then looked at Li Mingyuan, "If the power plant's design is simplified, how much will output drop?"

"If we replace part of the turbine units with steam turbines, output will drop by twenty percent, but construction time shortens by four months and cost reduces by forty thousand pounds."

"That's acceptable." Chen Feng nodded, "The refinery's Scale will stay as originally designed, but we'll build it in two phases. Phase one will first meet the shipyard and power plant's needs; phase two will wait for the next tranche of funds."

He made decisions rapidly, one question after another, each answer precise and decisive. In the conference room only Chen Feng's questions and the ministers' replies remained, occasionally the rustle of pen tips across paper.

After twenty minutes, Chen Feng set down his pen and lifted his head.

"Revised plan: industrial expansion 1,100,000, infrastructure 700,000, agriculture 500,000, education 300,000, procurement 1,000,000 energy. Total expenditure 3,600,000, just right."

He paused, scanning the room:

"But I must stress one point: this money isn't for slow development. Every penny must yield tangible results within six months. For the steel plant expansion, I want monthly output to rise from 10,000 tons to 35,000 tons. For phase one of the railway, I want thirty kilometers operational. For phase one of the refinery, I want daily crude processing of 500 tons. Can you achieve that?"

Brief silence.

Then Liu Yongfu was the first to stand: "President, the steel plant guarantees task completion! If we fail, I, Liu Yongfu, will jump into the steel furnace!"

Zhou Nian followed suit: "The Infrastructure Department guarantees thirty kilometers of railway operational within six months! We can run three shifts, people never stop while machines keep running!"

One after another, everyone stood up.

Chen Feng also rose, both hands braced on the table:

"Gentlemen, this isn't an ordinary construction project. This is Lanfang's life‑or‑death battle. Deguo people buy our ships with gold—not out of charity, but to use us to check Yingguo. Faguo people are arriving soon, seeking weapons from us to counter Deguo. Yingguo is already wary of us, and the Japanese may be watching us from the shadows."

His voice rose slightly:

"If we cannot become powerful in the shortest time, cannot build more and better ships, cannot establish a complete industrial system, then when the great powers discover we are merely a paper tiger—"

Chen Feng paused, letting each word hammer into the listeners' hearts:

"The land of the Persian Gulf will become a colony of the great powers. And our three hundred thousand Chinese will either be exiled again or become second‑class citizens. Lanfang's restoration will forever remain a dream."

The conference room was so quiet you could hear breathing.

"Therefore," Chen Feng sat down slowly, "after adjournment, I want each of you to submit a detailed implementation plan and schedule. I need to know what to do each day, what to finish each week, what targets to hit each month. Wang Bo will form a supervision team and report progress to me weekly."

"Yes!" the tidy response.

"Finally," Chen Feng's tone softened a bit, "let me tell you all, these six months will be hard. But after six months, when the railway is operational, when the new steel plant is commissioned, when the 'Leopard' is launched… we will have genuine capital to negotiate with the great powers. Then we won't just be able to sell ships to them—"

He stood, walked to the South Ocean map on the wall, and pointed at Borneo:

"We can still return home."

Applause rose. It wasn't enthusiastic; it was a heavy, forceful clapping, like war drums, like a heartbeat.

After adjournment, Chen Feng stayed behind alone with Wang Bo.

"Young Master, by pressuring them like this, won't the stress be too great?" Wang Bo asked, somewhat concerned.

"Great pressure is needed to produce miracles." Chen Feng walked to the window, looking at the bustling port outside, "Wang Bo, do you know? I've been pondering a question lately."

"What question?"

"If those Chinese states in history—Lanfang, Dai Yan, Shun Ta—had possessed the industrial capability we have now, would they have perished?"

Wang Bo was silent for a long time, then slowly shook his head: "No. Back then the Dutch gunboats only had a few small cannons. If we had a steel plant and could make our own guns… even ten Dutch East India Companies would not be enough."

"So technology is fundamental." Chen Feng turned, his gaze firm, "Every thing we do now—building steel plants, constructing railways, building warships… isn't just for profit; it's to make up for a lesson Chinese have missed for centuries: in this survival‑of‑the‑fittest world, without industrial power there is no right to survive."

Outside the window a train whistle sounded as another cargo ship entered the harbor. On board were iron ore from Australia, copper ingots from Chile, and machine tools from Deguo.

Each shipment was a cornerstone of Lanfang's future.

"By the way," Chen Feng recalled, "any new news from Wang Wenwu's side?"

"Just received a telegram." Wang Bo pulled a sheet from the folder, "The French envoy General Dubois has left Djibouti, aboard a British‑registered cargo ship 'Seagull', heading for the Persian Gulf. Expected arrival in seven days. Six people are traveling with him, all experts."

"Tell the port to receive them according to A‑class business delegation standards." Chen Feng thought, "Accommodate them in the newly built foreign guest house, assign the best translators, and provide meals at European standards. But restrict their activities—they may only tour civilian factories and public port areas."

"Understood." Wang Bo noted, "Also, the list for the Deguo technology exchange delegation has arrived. Thirty people: eight naval engineers, five marine engine experts, four artillery designers, plus specialists in metallurgy, optical, and radio fields. The lineup is formidable."

Chen Feng smiled, "Emperor William is really laying it on thick. He wants to probe our details and also bind us with technology."

"Then we…"

"We'll take everything on the list." Chen Feng said decisively, "Whatever they want to learn, as long as it isn't core secret, we can teach. But we have even more to learn—especially Optical Rangefinder, special alloys, radio, those technologies they might be hoarding.