Jiangsu. Pukou Iron and Steel Plant. This is now the largest steel industry base in China, located in Pukou, the terminus of the Tianjin-Pudong Railway, and only one river away from Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China. It is also an important industrial base that Chang Ruiqing has invested in since its rise in the southeast. The first phase of investment and construction was basically completed by the end of 1919, and the first furnace of molten iron was released in October 1919. At present, the Pukou plant has formed an annual output capacity of 100,000 tons of molten iron and 50,000 tons of billets. In addition, a profile (which can produce rails) and a wire rod (rebar) production line have been installed and are being commissioned, and it is expected to be ready for production in the first half of this year. The second phase of the Pukou plant also started construction in 1920, and the total investment of the second phase of Pukou was as high as 200 million yuan, and the construction period was as long as five years.

The second phase of the project covers an area of tens of thousands of acres, and a team of engineers and technicians from Russia, the United States and Germany is responsible for the overall design. Most of the equipment required is second-hand goods purchased from France and Germany. The huge investment of 200 million Chinese yuan came from the Bank of China, which is controlled by the Changrui Qingtong Guò Iron and Blood Comrades Association, which lost the right to issue notes in the reform of the Chinese yuan, but with its stake in the central bank (which was replaced by the banknote issuance business) and its long-term cooperative relationship with the Nationalist Government, it still firmly holds the position of China's largest financial company, and has also invested a large amount of capital in heavy industry and military industry, and controls China's largest iron and steel and military industrial enterprises. China Iron and Steel Corporation (Pukou Iron Works) and China ** Industry Group.

According to the plan, after the second phase of Pukou is fully operational. Pukou Iron and Steel Plant will reach an annual output of 1.2 million tons of molten iron and 1 million tons of steel, making China's steel output exceed one million tons in one fell swoop! Basically, before the First Five-Year Plan, it was the most important heavy industry project in the entire Republic of China!

As for the future economic benefits of this investment plan, which is almost a Great Leap Forward, we are optimistic. In a country that has achieved national unified tariff autonomy and embarked on the road of a national socialist power, there is naturally no need to worry about steel not being sold at a good price! At present, even the Hanyang Iron Works managed by the Ministry of Heavy Industry, which lost money from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, made a profit in 1919! The 25% steel import tax and the 17% import VAT are no joke. So now China's steel operators are not worried about the price and sales of steel after it is produced, but about where to recruit the skilled workers and technicians needed by the steel industry. Therefore, there are vocational schools that train technicians for the steel industry, as well as vocational schools that train skilled workers. It has been jointly funded by the China Iron and Steel Corporation and the Ministry of Heavy Industry in the Pukou Iron and Steel Plant. A large number of Belarusian engineers and skilled workers are employed as teachers, and tens of thousands of people are expected to be trained in the two mega-schools in the coming years.

Next to the construction site of the second phase of the Pukou Iron and Steel Plant is the Central No. 1 Aircraft Factory under construction. This aircraft factory also has a large number of stalls, not only an aircraft assembly plant, an engine factory, a wood processing plant, a design and development center, an airport for test flights, but also a car and motorcycle manufacturing plant, a plywood factory...... The entire area is not much smaller than that of Pukou Iron and Steel Plant, and the funds required for the first phase of the investment plan are as high as nearly 100 million yuan! In addition, dozens of engineering and technical experts from the former Bavarian aircraft factory and Mercedes-Benz Motor Company had to be hired at high salaries. There is a lot of greed for perfection, if it weren't for the fact that the entire investment plan came from the hands of that mysterious Luo Yaoguo. Chang Ruiqing probably dismissed it unceremoniously without thinking about it! There would be no such thing as today's meeting on the promotion of heavy industry construction.

Looking out of the window of the newly built office building of the Pukou Iron and Steel Plant, you can see all of the heavy industry factories that were born out of Chang Ruiqing. It was a large factory that was normal in that plane. In Chang Ruiqing's eyes at this time, there was suddenly a shocking force representing industrial civilization. If you are backward, you will be beaten, these big words have also appeared in the minds of our great revolutionaries. Maybe Luo Yaoguo also wants to make a trust. Packaged the aircraft industry, the automobile industry and the plywood industry together, right?

“…… At present, the international aviation manufacturing industry is just starting, the technology is very immature, although China started later, but because it is a one-time complete set of the introduction of Germany's most advanced aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturing technology, so it is very promising for the latecomer to come first, become the leading country in the aviation industry. There are two main points restricting the development of China's aviation industry: one is the manufacture and research and development of aero engines; The second is the manufacturing and research and development of special aviation new materials. And the latter is the key to the technological progress of the former, and the aviation industry has always had a generation of materials. A generation of engines, a generation of new models. New materials are the key to the engine, the engine is the key to the aircraft, and the key to the new materials is the technological progress in non-ferrous and rare metals......

Therefore, China should now focus on strengthening the strength of the entire non-ferrous metal industry, first of all, it should find out the distribution and reserves of various important non-ferrous metals and rare metals in China, and at the same time formulate a scientific mining and processing reserves and import and export management system.

Secondly, in view of the current weakness of China's basic industry, China should strengthen the tracking and learning of the latest technological achievements of non-ferrous metals and rare metals in the world, and at the same time lack non-ferrous metal deposits. However, Germany, which is technologically advanced, has reached out to reach a cooperation agreement on exchanging resources for technology.

While focusing on the development of the non-ferrous metal industry. China should also promote the civilianization of aviation industry technology as much as possible. In the next ten to twenty years, most likely, there will be no major wars in the world, so the aviation industry cannot gain a foothold in the military. Instead, we should vigorously expand the civilian sphere. At present, the civil field of aviation industry technology is mainly two major industries: passenger aircraft and transport aircraft manufacturing, automobile and motorcycle manufacturing. At present, the automobile industry has also started in a relatively short time, and various technologies are also in the initial stage, so it is also conducive to China catching up with the world's advanced level. Moreover, the gap between the current aircraft engine manufacturing technology and the automobile engine manufacturing technology is not too large, and many technologies can be shared. Therefore. In the short term, the two can grow together, as evidenced by the fact that many of the world's largest car companies now have aircraft manufacturing divisions.

As for the wood processing industry, it will also be associated with the development of the aviation industry for at least the next two decades. Due to the immaturity of metal shell technology, wooden aircraft shell will continue to be the mainstream of aircraft shell for a long time, and the research on this cannot be relaxed. Of course, there are also oil development and processing, special steel, chemical industry, electrolytic aluminum, glass. Electronic equipment, weapons and equipment and many other categories are more or less related to the aviation industry. If China wants to achieve a leading position in the aviation industry, it must pay attention to it and continue to invest in it......"

The mysterious man Luo Yaoguo frowned and talked eloquently, what he said was also the Tao, it seems that his understanding of the industrial system is far greater than Chang Ruiqing's. It's just that this guy who looks like he has a Chinese face and can speak fluent Chinese always makes people feel a strange and alienated feeling -- he has no pride in China's current rejuvenation and construction. It doesn't seem to be a bit of a blood boiling.

Chang Ruiqing was also there frowning and did not speak, but Chen Duxiu, who was attending the meeting, was a little confused. Looking at Luo Yaoguo, he asked: "How big is the scale of our aircraft factory after it is completed?" How many aircraft can be produced in a year? If there is a war, can the air force be relied on to win? ”

Chen Duxiu had never been involved in military affairs, and he knew nothing about the new branch of the Air Force, believing that like the Army, quantity was always the key to victory.

Luo Yaoguo glanced at Chang Ruiqing lightly, as if he had been thinking for a while, before he said thoughtfully: "The equipment that Premier Chen bought us is enough to produce 3,000 aircraft of various types per year. But we don't have enough technicians and skilled workers right now, so it's impossible to drive at full capacity, and there's no need to do that. Because now the planes are phased out extremely quickly. Basically, it is already behind when the development is completed, and it is already a phased product when it is put into production...... Therefore, the capacity of the First Aircraft Factory is really overcapacity, and in order to keep the equipment from being idle, and to train skilled workers and technicians, I think that most of the production capacity can be used for the production of wooden furniture and automobiles. The annual output of aircraft, in the last five years, should not exceed 800 units. However, the output of individual wear and tear parts is much higher than this figure. ”

"Since the phase-out is so fast, is the production of 800 aircraft too much?" Chen Duxiu asked again.

"Mr. Prime Minister, these planes are for training Air Force personnel." Luo Yaoguo said coldly: "The Air Force and Naval Aviation are not infantry divisions of the army, and they can be used together with artillery and cannon fodder." This is a high-tech branch of the military. It is necessary to train a large number of excellent pilots and ground crew, various auxiliary personnel...... Plans for the expansion and readiness of the Air Force and Naval Aviation are still being drawn up. However, it is still necessary to consume and eliminate about 800 aircraft every year. ”

Hearing that 800 aircraft will be consumed and eliminated every year, Chen Duxiu gasped in distress, this Air Force feeling is burning money! The current fiscal situation is very severe, and there is a deficit of more than 100 million yuan in the fiscal year of the Ninth Fiscal Year alone! Fortunately, the Great Navy plan did not pass guò, otherwise the Republic of China would really have no way to go now.

Luo Yaoguo stood up and gave a military salute to Chen Duxiu and Chang Ruiqing: "Prime Minister, Chairman of the National Committee, I will send over the written materials on the construction plan of the Central First Aircraft Factory later." I hope that the Military Council and the government will approve it as much as possible...... Because this is not only the beginning of China's aviation industry, but also the beginning of the automobile industry and the machinery manufacturing industry, all three industries are extremely critical for the future of the country, and China is now lagging behind, so it must catch up. I hope the government will not be stingy with investment, if we don't invest now, we will only need to invest more in the future! ”

Chang Ruiqing nodded slowly: "What Fuwen said is good," he said to Chen Duxiu with a smile: "Prime Minister, I think we can support the plan to focus on investing in the First Aircraft Factory." The aviation industry, the machinery industry and the automobile industry should also be given priority support...... However, investment in these industries does not need to be tied up in the budget, and can be guaranteed by the government to allow the Central First Aircraft Factory to borrow money from the Bank of China. At the same time, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange can allocate sufficient quota for the use of foreign exchange. ”

Chen Duxiu frowned, and said thoughtfully: "For the time being, this can be done, but supporting these key industries is not an overnight thing. Yaoru. Do you think we can start preparing for the first five-year plan? ”

……

Xinjiang has entered the spring scenery of the recovery of all things, over the Tianshan Mountains, along the Ili River all the way to the west, you can see patches of fertile land, where there are the most fertile grasslands, dense forests, but there are not many people, only occasionally see herdsmen driving cattle and sheep to graze, and along the river to the army of the Chinese National Defense Force Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps officers and soldiers. As for the farmland and villages, there is almost no zài, the entire Ili River valley area. It's all an unexplored sight. On the way, you can also see some Soviet Russian officers and soldiers who are evacuating, because it is a territorial exchange according to the agreement, so their attitude towards the Chinese is also very friendly, and there is no damage when evacuating, and the only few Russian-settled towns in the Ili River Valley, including Almaty, have also been taken over by the Chinese intact.

After Mao Zd and Zhou Elai stayed in Dihua for a few days, they also embarked on the road to Almaty with a group of cavalry from the Production and Construction Corps. It was once the seat of the Tsar's Turkestan Governor-General's Palace, the economic and cultural center of Russia and Central Asia – though not a prosperous city – and Almaty's real development came after the opening of the railway in 1930. But the city. It is still the best city in the whole Xinjiang province. Zhou is now considering moving the capital of Xinjiang and the headquarters of the Production and Construction Corps to Almaty, while also focusing on the construction of the Ili River valley region. Along. He excitedly looked at this rich virgin land through the carriage window, as if he was looking forward to the prosperity after development.

Mao Zd, who was sitting next to him, didn't seem to be in such a good mood, and was always frowning and thinking about his own thoughts. It has been almost a month since he and Zhou E arrived in Xinjiang. With the exception of a few days, the two of them were engaged in heated arguments, and there were growing differences between them over how to implement socialism in Xinjiang.

What Zhou Elai wants seems to be a prosperous and rich Xinjiang. And the matter of the real socialist system was thrown out of the clouds. The methods proposed, in Mao Zd's view, are suspected of taking the capitalist road! No, it's not a suspicion, it's simply taking the capitalist road! Maybe there is some bureaucratic element, in short, it is not socialism as he imagined!

What displeased him was the attitude of the central government towards it, and the central government seemed to have some intention of letting it go. Moreover, he kept saying that the work in Xinjiang was entirely the responsibility of the Xinjiang Provincial Government, the Northwest Bureau, and the Production and Construction Corps. In principle, the central government does not ask. The Central Committee just asked, how will this socialist reality unfold? If nothing else, there is no way for Xinjiang to solve the problem of immigration alone, in 2.18 million square kilometers of land. But there were only five or six million inhabitants and an army of a few thousand thousand. With an average of less than 3 people per square kilometer, how to develop Xinjiang and build Xinjiang? Of course, the fertile land of the Ili River valley can attract many immigrants. But those people are here for the land, not for the construction of socialism! Even if there are tens of millions, it is not enough to build Xinjiang into a socialist paradise! What Xinjiang needs are idealistic workers who can work selflessly and selflessly, not small producers with rich peasant ideas! Xinjiang wants to develop intensive state farms or collective farms, not a small-scale peasant economy that divides the land and works alone -- this mode of production is simply a hotbed for capitalism!

It's a pity that on this issue, Mao ZD found that he had no supporters. The cadres of the Production and Construction Corps are now busy with the major matter of grading and evaluating military ranks, and they are all ready to become officials! Most of the grassroots soldiers hope to get a piece of land, and then marry a wife and have children here in Xinjiang to live a happy life with their wives and children. There are also some young people who were once enthusiastic and now bent on going to all kinds of schools, including those that have sprung up in the eastern regions, and they are also ready to enjoy life after the revolution has succeeded. There are also some "bad elements" who have been rectified in the past two years because of various "problems", and now they are busy petitioning and writing letters of appeal to the War Department one after another, hoping that Chang Ruiqing can rehabilitate them...... It seems that he already considers himself a soldier of the Chinese National Defense Forces!

"E, it's not okay to go on like this......" In the carriage, Mao ZD couldn't help but start doing ideological work for Zhou Elai again. However, before he finished his words, Zhou Elai smiled faintly and interrupted: "Runzhi, it's not that I don't listen to you, the chairman, it's just that there are some things that can really only be done like this." How much of the contribution of our party cadres who hold official positions in the Wehrmacht and in the Nationalist Government? How much have the comrades in Xinjiang contributed? Why do comrades in the east eat fragrant and spicy food, while comrades in Xinjiang can only drink the northwest wind? Is that fair? There is also the issue of immigration, if I don't take out the fertile land on both sides of the Ili River, who will come all the way to Xinjiang? No one is willing to come, what socialism is still being built in Xinjiang? Believe me once that socialism in Xinjiang will certainly succeed. ”