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Even though the Pearl Island Overseas Territory has passed the period of development, the overall appearance of the city is still improving year by year. As Southeast Asia's maritime hub, its commerce, services, shipping and manufacturing industries have shown signs of moving closer to the country's larger towns.

The second phase of the urban expansion project and the renovation of the old city on Pearl Island have been basically completed, and up to now, the registered population has exceeded 26ooo. However, this number includes a whopping 9ooo underage population, and 12ooo newborns are born every year, ranking among the overseas towns with the highest proportion of minors in Huamei.

Almost every day, a merchant ship from all over Asia brings all kinds of goods to Pearl Island. Raw materials or semi-finished products for industry and agriculture are processed into high value-added goods by dozens of local enterprises, large and small, and then sold throughout Asia or shipped to the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. In addition to the long-established local cooperative enterprises of the Oriental Union Group and large domestic groups, with the vigorous investment and support of the Oriental Bank, the number of trade or small production enterprises founded by the residents of Mingzhu City has gradually increased.

In Huamei, goods from the East are no longer limited to raw materials or semi-finished products, and the number of goods with the title of Pearl Island's overseas origin brand is also quietly increasing.

Mingzhu brand finely dyed cotton silk and coconut soap are of higher quality and cheaper, and they stand out in the competition in the domestic market; Handmade embroidery supplies, oriental gold, silver, pearls and jade ornaments, lacquerware, and furniture made of authentic Daming silk are all high-end goods in the gorgeous local wedding goods market; Commercially packaged Daming tea and genuine Daming porcelain are favored by local high-end consumers, and resold in Europe are also highly sought after by the aristocracy.

The first small steam power plant to power the port and major municipal facilities is in the works, making it the fourth overseas town to say goodbye to the windbreak kerosene street lamps after the Alme Concession, Bermuda and Butterfly Island. Although the cost is high, once it is completed and put into use, it will completely establish the name of Pearl City as the first seaport city in Southeast Asia.

From 1639 onwards, the official Manchester City Weekly also appeared in the Pearl Island Overseas Territory. No matter how far the journey is, the editorial department of Manchester City Weekly will specially combine and sort out a monthly magazine to be shipped to Pearl Island, which also contains more oriental information related to the citizens of Pearl Island. Of course, the citizens of Pearl Island saw the time of this special newspaper monthly. It's usually more than two months later.

From 1635 onwards, the policy of free movement of local towns and cities began to be conditionally opened to ordinary families who had obtained the right of permanent settlement for five years. However, in the past six or seven years, there are really not many Chinese families who have really moved to live in the mainland, but because of the work assignment or the retirement of veterans of the Far East garrison, the number of Chinese or European old national families who have moved from the mainland to settle in the overseas territory of Pearl Island has exceeded 5oo, which can be regarded as injecting more local elements into Pearl Island.

The first batch of young people who grew up in the Pearl Island overseas consulates also began to serve in the 6th Army and the Navy of the National Defense Force in 164o, although the number was small, but it was the beginning of the state and the army cultivating the sense of national honor and belonging of the local residents of Pearl Island.

A series of reports and recommendations sent back by the Congressional Far East Study Group have been taken seriously by the two houses of Congress and the Cabinet. The secondary vocational training school in the overseas territory of Pearl Island was upgraded to a higher vocational college in Pearl City. It was included in the national key education construction project of 1643 in advance. In previous years, the situation of graduates of Pearl Island Overseas Consular High School having to travel all the way to local colleges and universities will be greatly improved, and the vocational education with a complete range of vocational skills subjects will provide more stable support for Huamei's industrial layout in the Far East, and there will no longer be a need to work hard to invite technical representatives from local enterprises to be stationed in the Far East.

Such a general measure has finally truly united the national interests of the people and the local country in this distant eastern territory, and its difficulty and energy cost are much higher than those of other overseas territories.

……

Monday, June 16, 1642.

Under the guidance of the Asian Fleet's gunboat Red Fox, the two frigates that had made a long journey from the Atlantic, the Republic and the Pearl, slowly sailed into the harbor of Pearl Island's overseas territory and fired a gun salute to Senator An Shaoqing, who was watching the salute on the light cruiser Kaneshiro Princess, the flagship of the Asian Fleet.

Merchant ships from all over the world anchored in the port of Pearl City raised their flags and saluted the gorgeous warships entering the port. Some of the European businessmen who appeared on the deck also involuntarily took off their hats, which was a new rule "set" by the Chinese and American Asian fleets in recent years. Propagating Huamei's irrefutable regional dominance in Southeast Asian waters is one of the important tasks of the Huamei Asian Fleet in the Far East.

In the crowd by the dock, Zheng Sen couldn't take his eyes off the figure of An Shaoqing, a gorgeous senator standing on the Jincheng Princess. I couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Why is Brother Ming sighing?" In just half a month, Wang Fuzhi has been a little tanned by the sunshine in Southeast Asia, which shows how long he spends walking outdoors every day, but at this time, he is still very fond of tiptoeing to watch the excitement.

"Brother Ming Yan is going to say goodbye to us tomorrow. I'm back in Hong Kong. Gu Jikun understood Zheng Sen's mood at this time, and whispered on the side, "Brother Ming Yan will accompany you and me to watch the half moon of Pearl Island." If we want to meet again, I'm afraid it will be a few years later, if it weren't for the imminent departure of the ship, I wouldn't be drunk tonight! ”

"Brother Ming, why don't you also talk to your father, the chief soldier, and go to Taixi Huamei Haibang with me to study?" Wang Fuzhi involuntarily pinched the gorgeous visa hidden in his sleeve, and the excitement on his face was even worse, "When the three of us can recite poems and wine, and comment on the ancients, wouldn't it be happy?" ”

"And Brother Nong's resignation is going to say such 'sad' words again, Brother Ming Yan is a supervisor of Nanjing Guozi, how can he abandon his studies and swim with me." Gu Jikun interrupted Wang Fuzhi's words, and saluted Zheng Sen apologetically, "Brother and I went to Huamei to study abroad, so I entrusted Brother Ming Yan to tell the family on my behalf." ”

"After the younger brother goes back, he will arrange for his subordinates to bring the matter of the two brothers' trip to the Taiwan Sea to the family in Fuzhong. When the two returned, the younger brother and the two of them had a good time. Zheng Sen pressed down the disappointment in his heart, and showed a sincere gaze to the two friends who had only known each other for two months, "Send you a thousand miles, there will be a farewell, and it is not what my brother wishes, so I will leave!" ”

After saying that, Zheng Sen gritted his teeth and turned around and headed towards a Huamei merchant ship that was preparing, intending to return to Guangzhou via Hong Kong, and then return to Fujian on his own sea ship.

Zheng Sen has been traveling with Wang Fuzhi and Gu Jikun these days. Whether it was Gu Jikun or Wang Fuzhi, they were all impressed by the other party's strict and upright but not pedantic bearing. Now that Zheng Sen has returned to his hometown, it also makes the two have a regret that they are in love but do not act in the same way. For the eldest son of such an official eunuch, Gu Wang and the others had a high private evaluation.

"This place is more beautiful than Hong Kong Island, and you can think of the gorgeous mainland thousands of miles away...... Brother Zhongqing, the two of us went west lightly this time, thinking about it carefully, I am afraid that I am too in a hurry, I don't know whether it is right or wrong......" looked at Zheng Sen's back. Wang Fuzhi's expression darkened slightly, and his previous interest actually became a little nervous.

As he spoke, Wang Fuzhi also took out a letter of recommendation for studying abroad issued by the Oriental Union Group from his sleeve, which was also stamped with the official seal of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Pearl Island Municipal Government. With this official procedure, Gu and Wang were able to join the "Oriental Union Group Bursary Program". In the past, except for some places opened to local residents of Pearl Island, this non-governmental education sponsorship project almost did not have an application record of Ming scholars.

"You and I are quitting home to study, and my husband was born in the world, all over the mountains and rivers. It is also the study of a wide range of knowledge and knowledge, and the study of the right heart, how can it be right or wrong? Gu Jikun's expression was stern, and there was a hint of perseverance in his eyes, "After the former Song Dynasty, he established a country tens of thousands of miles away. The hardships of their ancestors are ten thousand times higher than that of the two of us! I really want to see how my Chinese descent is put to good use, based on Taixi, and Xinglibiao! If it is a place of vanity. Just see what it is, and it's not worth it! ”

"What Brother Zhongqing said is extremely true, and my brother is worried about it......"

Wang Fuzhi saw that some people were strong. Finally regaining their courage, the two of them stood by the dock and continued to admire the arrival of the gorgeous Asian fleet. In the corner of their sight, a beautiful-looking medium-sized merchant ship was refueling the water, which was about to take a passenger ship to the mainland of China in a few days.

……

At a time when the competition in the domestic shipbuilding business is becoming more and more fierce, the lower-cost state-owned Qingcheng shipyard has successfully seized the main market for domestic bulk dry cargo merchant ships, and the Yacheng Shipbuilding Company, which is separated from the Beiyang Shipbuilding Group, has also taken away most of the manufacturing business of civil or military schooners with a business specialization model, and the latter is all a business of European tycoons with a lot of stupid money.

Beiyang Shipbuilding Group now only has the business advantages of military ships and large commercial ships, but no matter how willing the Chinese Navy is willing to spend money, it is impossible to feed all the slipways of Beiyang Shipbuilding Group, and large merchant ships are very few users because of their high prices, so it would be good to start construction of one or two ships a year. In order to reverse the decline, Beiyang Shipbuilding Group decisively adjusted its business and focused on the high commercial ships that the country will inevitably demand in the future.

The prototype of the "Oriental Business Express" is the military's Gray Whale-class ocean-going transport ship, and the new ship has been redesigned with a redesigned hull to serve passengers between the mainland of China and the United States to the overseas territory of the Pearl Island in the Far East. Two sets of 2ooo horsepower steam units that were once used exclusively for the navy provided powerful power for the ship, with a full load displacement of 2o7o tons, and a maximum voyage of 2o knots. The cabins are divided into three classes, first class, and second class, and can carry up to 2oo passengers across the Indian Ocean with an average flight of 17 knots, and theoretically it only takes two weeks to travel from Pearl Island to Nanshan Port. Previously, the average voyage of Chinese merchant ships through the Indian Ocean was only 11 knots, and the same voyage took at least three weeks.

At a time when the slogan of time is life is more important, Beiyang Shipbuilding's high-commercial ship development plan quickly won the praise of the Congress, Science, Technology and Industry Commission and the Cabinet, and once again won the encouragement policy of building high-tech commercial ships to enjoy national tax exemptions and user subsidies, and regained the technological leading edge of the shipbuilding industry.

In order to ensure sufficient endurance under the high voyage, most of the cargo space of the "Oriental Business Express" is designed as a coal bunker, and the maximum commercial cargo capacity is only 3oo tons in addition to passengers, coal and various supplies. Its main passenger transport business is currently only available to the Chinese government or corporate business people on business trips, and a one-way second-class ticket from Nanshan Port to Pearl Island is as high as 8o US dollars.

A few months later, Gu Jikun and Wang Fuzhi realized how lucky they were in the first place. The free ferry tickets they got at that time happened to be the "Oriental Business Express" that they sat on with China-American Senator An Shaoqing, and it was the first high-passenger ship of the Oriental Transportation Company to be put into operation on the Far East route.

However, a large five-masted long-sail merchant ship of the Eastern Union Union was supposed to be on the way, but because of a hurricane in the Indian Ocean on the way, the migrants on board suffered heavy casualties, and the ship had to be repaired at the Haitan Island Naval Base for more than two months. Of course, that's a story for later.

……

Just when Zheng Sen regretfully and sadly ended his study tour and embarked on the way home, on the light cruiser Jincheng Princess at this time, An Jie was obediently holding the arm of his father An Shaoqing, and watched the two naval warships that came from the mainland.

Not far behind, the "guest" Luo Jianzheng looked left and right curiously. When his eyes fell on the twin 12o mm heavy naval guns, Luo Jian subconsciously retracted his head, for fear that he would be seen.

Although it was the first time in his life that he came to Pearl Island alone without his father's presence, Luo Jian was no stranger to this gorgeous town Dagang, which was far more prosperous than Hong Kong, because many corners of this place had been visited by Luo Jian several times.

"Dad, why did the Jincheng Princess return to Pearl Island again, and the mainland sent a new warship?" An Jie, who knew nothing about politics and diplomacy, saw a sailor waving at her on the Republic slowly passing a hundred meters away, and politely raised her little hand and shook it gently.

"The country's diplomatic activities are just that, they are going to the Grand Governor for a visit. But we're going back home in two days. Can't wait for them to come out. ”

From the beginning of the concession of Hong Kong Island, An Shaoqing was accustomed to the national policy after Wu Yuanyi took office, and the real purpose of the Asian Fleet's visit to the officers was only to hint to Yan Sicheng who was in control of the fate of the officers. In addition, it is also a reminder to Zheng Zhilong on the other side of the strait.

"Since it's a diplomatic visit, why do you have to send warships and soldiers, I always feel weird......"

An Jie remembered a Foreign Legion infantry battalion stationed in Hong Kong from the Viceroyalty of South Africa not long ago, and the night before she and her father left Hong Kong, she saw a warship enter the Hong Kong dock, and realized that this was a long-brewing gunboat diplomacy. And his father apparently knew about it for a long time.

"Hehe, this is a necessary gesture for the state to safeguard the commercial and diplomatic interests of the Far East. By the way, this trip, there was no delay in studying, right? An Shaoqing patted her daughter's hand lovingly. also took the opportunity to change the topic.

"No, several seniors are enthusiastic to help me make up for the class, and they also explained to Luo Jian the difference between the professional classification of our school and the national university." An Jie knew that she had overdone it some time ago, so she quickly explained with a red face. It seems that he remembered something. So he quietly turned around and gestured to the "follower" Luo Jianbi, and the latter walked to An Shaoqing's side with understanding.

"Xiao Luo, this time your father agreed to let you study abroad. I am happy. Speaking of which, your father and I are friends, just like you are nephews. When you arrive at Manchester City, if there is anything inconvenient in life, you can come to me at any time. But I hope you can seize the time, study hard, and don't be influenced by society. An Shaoqing looked at the young man of Daming who walked to his side with great satisfaction, and was satisfied that his daughter finally said that he had moved the other party.

"The little nephew deeply feels that An Shibo is wrong in love, and he must devote himself to study, and it is worth the trip." Luo Jian hurriedly bowed and saluted, while showing a complicated expression towards An Jie.

"Well, get off the boat, this afternoon I have to meet with the family members of the Yan Mansion who rushed back to the Far East to mourn. The day after tomorrow, we will set off for China. An Shaoqing didn't pay attention to the eye contact between the two juniors, and walked towards the gangway with a full sense of harvest from this trip.

"Miss An, is it really appropriate to deceive your parents and steal out of the country?" Seeing that the elders were walking away, Luo Jian finally couldn't hold back and whispered.

"Actually, Mr. Luo has wanted to go for a long time, hasn't he? I have asked Uncle Elson to explain to your father when the time comes, and I can help you deliver the letter later. An Jie restored her usual elegance and dignity, and was happy that Luo Jian finally chose to return to her homeland with her.

"Then thank you Miss An......" Seeing the smile that made people's hearts ripple again, Luo Jian hurriedly lowered his head to cover his past.

……

At this moment, in the official residence of the Governor-General of Hong Kong, Luo Huide was holding a letter left by his son a week ago, standing in the center of Elson's office blankly, his face blue and white.

"Mr. Luo, your son is indeed an outstanding young man who pursues scientific truth. How to say, to be recognized by His Excellency Senator Ann and Miss Ann means that he has received the greatest grace in his life, and you should be happy. I bet he's going to be a good engineer. Governor Elson drank fruit tea and smiled at the Ming merchant opposite with a bad face, knowing that this father, who had not been able to find his son for a week, was already furious after learning the truth.

"Abandon your home and go to sea, unfilial piety and rebellion...... Hey, that's the case, what else can I do, there is Governor Law. I only hope that your state can treat the dog well, and return to his hometown as soon as his interest fades. In the next retirement...... "Luo Huide knew that it was useless to say anything now, so he could only bow his hand in frustration. Then exited the governor's office.

"Your Excellency the Governor, Zheng Zhilong, the chief military officer of Fujian Coastal Defense, has sent a representative." At this moment, a clerk walked in and handed Elson a letter.

"If it is to buy arms, it should be Mr. Fan's authority." Elson didn't even bother to open the letter, so he just put it aside.

"It's not about buying arms, it's about hoping we can find his son, Zheng Sen. Zheng Sen has been staying in Hong Kong before, and I heard that he seems to have gone to Pearl Island recently. The clerk smiled a little awkwardly.

"Another father has lost contact with his son, and we are in a lot of trouble. But I'm sure it's none of our business this time. Elson stood up helplessly. I plan to meet the visitors of the Zheng family.

……

Just when Zheng Zhilong's envoy was skeptical about Hong Kong's Governor Elson's disclaimer, the next day, a large fleet of more than a dozen large and small merchant ships from Dayuan docked at the Hong Kong dock.

I don't know if Yan Sicheng knew that Huamei Yan Mansion was about to return to the funeral, or if Huamei's side knock some time ago had an effect, this time the trading fleet that arrived in Hong Kong was full of sincerity, and the goods carried were very valuable.

When the sales personnel of the Oriental Union Group saw some of the contents on the list of goods, they were so frightened that they quickly found the police and the Foreign Legion stationed on Hong Kong Island, and a large number of policemen and a company of officers and men of the Foreign Legion insisted on isolating the port area where the fleet was berthed.

Zhang Jianye, who came to Hong Kong Island to trade on the instructions of Yan Sicheng, not only brought a large amount of industrial and agricultural raw materials this time. He also carried a lot of gold ingots with him, which he was going to use to pay for the first munitions.

Thousands of tons of rice, hundreds of quintals of raw silk, a small amount of tea, nearly 1,000 tons of castor beans, nearly 100 tons of sulfur, dozens of tons of refined copper, and miscellaneous medicinal materials and furs are being disembarked in batches. Then there were 1ooo kilograms of gold ingots, which were packed in fifty boxes. Protected by loaded guns, they were sent directly to the local Oriental Bank vault.

The castor silkworm, which supported India's silk weaving industry as early as the 16th century, was one of the few new agricultural projects imported into the country. The silk properties of castor silkworms are basically similar to those of mulberry silkworms, but their eating habits are much wider than those of mulberry silkworms, and castor leaves and cassava leaves can be eaten. And it is very suitable for growing in large climates.

Large-scale cultivation of castor beans can not only breed castor silkworms to obtain high-value raw silk, but also obtain castor seeds, a by-product. The oil extracted from castor beans is poisonous. It is useless for the common people, but it is a high-grade lubricant that is extremely stable in nature and does not require additional refining and processing. The castor oil industry has a wide range of uses, and it belongs to the industrial raw materials that the Huamei Science and Technology Commission has focused on in recent years, and the domestic demand is almost entirely dependent on imports from the Far East. At the beckoning of the Commission of Science and Technology, the Huamei Cabinet directly mentioned its strategic importance and raw material demand classification to the same grade as lacquer, tung oil, and pine resin.

Vigorously reclaiming wasteland, and then introducing new crops such as castor silkworms, tea and cassava from the outside, has become the core idea of local agriculture in Dayuanzhan. The abundant gold, silver, copper, coal, and sulfur resources in the chicken coop area are one of the incomes that the people have relied on for their survival over the years. Although due to many difficult reasons, the director has not carried out industrial and mining cooperation with Huamei Oriental Union Group for many years, and the ore output has been limited, most of the domestic political achievements since Yan Sicheng took charge are still remarkable.

In addition to collecting the first amount of gold as a payment for munitions, some of the goods in Hong Kong of the Oriental Union Group were not enough to cover the payment, but Zhang Jianye, a freshwater sailor guerrilla who represented the Dayuan, was very low-key and modest.

The temporary reduction of the commodity quota of some Daming maritime merchants will inevitably appear, which naturally caused dissatisfaction among some people, especially the envoy of the Zheng family who was in the Governor's Office of Hong Kong, who had a complicated expression and said nothing.

But what no one knows is that this will be the last time Zhang Jianye will go to sea to run a business on behalf of the big man. Just when a few big and small officials of the fleet were busy making trade deals with the Oriental Union Group, their sailor guerrilla Zhang Jianye had already changed into civilian clothes, and under the escort of several agents of the Huamei Asian Intelligence Department, he entered the Hong Kong Governor's Mansion and quietly disappeared. As for Zhang Jianye's family, they were also secretly arranged by Yan Sicheng to be sent to Zhangzhou as early as possible, and will also move to Hong Kong at the right time. (To be continued......)