Chapter 271 - 264 Growth_1

Xiven·Samarkand arrived in Russia on the same day that King Hamand of Abe made his first visit to China after his accession.

As the official representative of Abe, the lavishness of Crown Prince Hamand’s visiting delegation was stunning: it took several days for a total of 56 luxury VIP jets, including large aircraft like Boeing 787s and 747s, to completely land in the Capital.

The king’s exclusive gold-plated luxury boarding stairs were even airfreighted to the site in advance so that they could be used when Hamand’s private plane landed, truly an eye-opener for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The welcoming party stood at the airport, and as far as the eye could see, there were special planes from the Abe visiting fleet, dazzling to the point of being blinding.

The cost of parking the fleet of over 50 planes for just one day had to be calculated in terms of hundreds of millions; I was too soft-hearted when I carried Abe before. The fee should have been doubled to match the status of His Highness from Saudi Arabia.

When Hamand descended from his private boarding elevator, the second person to shake hands with him was the highest leader of the Aerospace Development Committee in Beijing.

"Where are Academician She and Lin Ju? And why haven’t I seen many others?"

"Your Excellency, the H2M aerospace plane has just come off the production line; they’re very busy at the moment and have delegated me to convey to you, inviting you to board the Glory at New Yuan."

Hamand was quite satisfied with the answer and went on to shake hands with the other personnel there to greet him.

Before the fleet of visiting planes from Abe took off, the Mecca had completed its fourth launch mission at the Mukala Aerospace Launch Site, sending astronauts from two countries outside the International Space Station into space.

Abe, with its grasp on space power, was stirring up a storm in the desert and attracting followers left and right; its relations with China were also becoming increasingly close.

Before taking off, Hamand had added multiple cooperation agreements to his itinerary, such as the purchase of 3 C919 planes for Abe Airlines, making them the first international customer of the C919.

At the same time, they also had a package of cooperation agreements in space, energy, and technology sectors. It’s said His Royal Highness had prepared orders worth up to 40 billion US Dollars from various industries, with the possibility to add more if it was not enough.

Since taking the reins of power from the old king, Hamand’s approach to diplomacy was very simple: spend money.

He placed orders with any country he needed to maintain good relations with, throwing out US Dollars as if they cost nothing, and the resulting goodwill was continually rising.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was no exception; everyone thought about scraping oil from the Saudi patron, and all the major enterprises were starving for it.

To think that with Abe leading, the remaining three countries would follow suit. It’s possible that the value of the contracts signed with them could surpass 100 billion US Dollars this year!

...

On the 12th, official news from America confirmed that John George had gained the upper hand in the 45th election, becoming the next boss, with his tenure officially starting on January 20th of the next year.

Xiaohei conveyed congratulations, and Diana... Diana also extended her congratulations.

"Haha, look at that old lady who always looks like she stepped in dog shit, her face! Me, I am the one who can lead America to rise!"

"Mr. John, I’ve always known that you are the hero to save America, let... "

Sitting in the bulletproof limousine, John and Pio freely expressed their pride, a stark contrast to their caution from a couple of days earlier.

Until the official news was confirmed, John had some trouble believing that he had really won the election, feeling somewhat out of his element.

Unlike Diana, who had a winning hand and numerous plans in place, John had not thought about specific policies for after his inauguration, and neither had his staff, most of their policies being just bragging and bluster.

For instance, after touring several major aerospace companies, fired by the heat of the space race, he impetuously declared his intention to colonize Mars—something no serious candidate would ever propose.

When Kennedy said, "we choose to go to the moon," the F1 engine’s single combustion chamber thrust of 680 tons—still the world’s highest to date—had already entered prototype testing, and the presence of the great Von Braun gave them confidence.

John... had read the novel "Mars Rescue" and the movie with the same name in detail.

But bragging comes with responsibilities. These days, aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Rockdain had been visiting one after another, showing incredible enthusiasm.

Their visits essentially meant: Did the boss really mean what he said during the election? Are we seriously doing the God of War Ares project?

The underlying message was they hoped the Mars mission would be implemented soon, so that these giants could feast on another massive project for 20 years after the Artemis program. If agreed upon, they would offer powerful support.

The implications from so many corporate giants and their backing families made John feel somewhat elated, but he did not dare forget what Claire had said to him that night.

The faction supporting John also timely adjusted their strategy, striving to groom John into a competent boss, allowing him to understand more and more about the current situation and some truths.

If Mars Rescue plan was pushed forward forcibly, America would probably have the technical capability, but the investment would be extremely terrifying. If they failed to achieve the final victory, the consequences of the backlash would be dire.

If no increase in space programs occurred, then the military-industrial complex would be very unsatisfied, which would also have severe consequences.

Realizing the hidden worries, John decided to forego making a choice for now and planned to learn more about the situation instead.

The car stopped, and John saw the society members coming out to greet him. It was clear they were excited too, though it was uncertain if it was because of the future boss’s arrival or the upcoming Mars project.

...

"Major cities such as Modu City, Capital, and Goat City are preparing to raise the minimum wage standards. Modu City will break through 3,000 RMB for the first time, setting a historic record."

"A new round of social security standards will be implemented next year, with an anticipated increase of over 25% from the existing baseline."

"Experts estimate that our country’s GDP for 2016 will reach 80 trillion, growing by 8.3 percentage points from last year and continuing to grow rapidly."

"The devaluation of the RMB against the US Dollar has slowed, stabilizing at 6.7, with a favorable export trend."

"Population Statistics Department: The number of newborns this year may break through 20 million."

"Exports to Russia increased by 17%, with the China-Europe Railway Express promoting the Silk Road."

"Island Country’s economic experts have proposed the concept of an Asian economic circle to create an inner circulation within Asia."

"..."

In November, various statistical data for the third quarter of the domestic market were successively released.

Lin Ju opened the finance category and clearly felt the changes compared to the original world line.

The year of 2016 was already a period of rapid development, and with the stimulus of the space race, both the domestic and international situations had seen significant differences. But now, they all seemed positive.

The new ternary semiconductor technology involved an additional capital increase of at least ten trillion, serving as another economic explosion point aside from aerospace, almost mobilizing the strength of the entire nation.

Compared to the original world line where GDP might have increased by about 6%, the space race stabilized the RMB exchange rate without falling to 7, meaning the actual growth was even more substantial.

A massive influx of hot money was certain to lead to increased monetary easing, further accelerating economic development.

The minimum wage levels in major cities had also been adjusted to varying degrees; although the minimum wage was not very meaningful, it was still evident that more money was flowing into the lower middle class and below.

Lin Ju finally breathed a sigh of relief. The development was positive, giving him more confidence to continue stimulating the entire world in the aerospace sector.