Chapter 114: The Star of the East

Since the Chinese army completely occupied the East Indies, this vast group of islands has been blockaded for more than a year! Therefore, almost all the South Sea maritime merchants are curious about what kind of changes have taken place in these islands! Therefore, at the same time as receiving the invitation, almost none of them planned to let go of this opportunity, and all of them began to sail their cargo ships towards East Manlaw on the west coast of Borneo!

"Boss, we're almost there!"

Listening to the sailor's shout, Henry climbed out of the cabin! Dressed up in his suit, stood on the deck of the cargo ship, and looked at the black shadow that had been exposed to the sea level and was getting thicker and thicker, Henry's face couldn't help but show anticipation!

Although in the past year or so, he has made a lot of money on the trade routes from the Qing Dynasty by transporting tea, silk, porcelain, and other traditional oriental commodities back to Europe, and then transporting various industrial manufactured goods back to the Far East!

"I hope this time it's good news!" Henry muttered expectantly as the island became clearer and clearer in the distance.

As cargo ships got closer to Deborneo, so did the number of ships sailing on the seas! Almost half of the ships were flying the flags of European countries!

"Oh, my God! This is the East Castle Harbor?!" Listening to the exclamation in his ears, Henry also looked at the huge harbor in front of him in disbelief! In his impression, although the wharf of the East Paradise is not small, it is all wooden, far less than the Nanyang Palemport in front of him, which is made of reinforced concrete and looks to have a throughput of nearly 150,000 tons, which is magnificent, neat and advanced!

Although there are a lot of sea ships coming this time, Dong Wanlu is like a sea monster, swallowing them, but still can't feel how crowded it is!

At the beginning of the first five-year plan of the Huo Jiajun, all the seaports and wharves and the standards of urban construction were planned according to the speed of economic development in the next 50 years, so the throughput of many Nanyang seaports under the control of the Huo Jiajun was almost none less than 100,000 tons! Although this caused some criticism in the Huojia Military and Government Affairs Yuan, Huo Shan still insisted on carrying out this construction plan with his own prestige!

In addition to taking into account the economic development of the Nanyang islands, Huo Shan also wanted to make use of the large number of Nanyang indigenous labor force that is now under his control, and strive to complete the construction of all the infrastructure facilities in the entire Nanyang and Pacific provinces and cities currently controlled by Huo Jiajun in the first five-year plan! Otherwise, without these indigenous labor forces that do not cost money, all kinds of construction in Nanyang will cost even more and require more funds to complete in the future! Although the capture of the Huo family army is very rich now, it is obviously impossible for Huo Shan to use all this gold and silver for the development of Nanyang, after all, his goal is always to focus on the Qing Dynasty!

With a huge land area of more than 10 million square kilometers, 40,000 domestic people, and infrastructure that is basically equal to zero, plus a huge illiterate population of more than 95 percent and sporadic industry, we want to develop this land into an industrialized and modern country without hunger and poverty! Even if Huo Jiajun has no money to fill it now! Therefore, the only way to do a good job of building Nanyang and the Pacific provinces and cities once and for all while there is time and funds is available now, and when the country is liberated, the huge demand for construction and industrial development, and the huge amount of funds needed will swallow up Huo Jiajun's current treasury! At that time, the development funds of the Nanyang provinces will be in short supply! Moreover, if we first build Nanyang well and develop its economy, we will also be able to increase Huo Jiajun's financial income and provide financial support for domestic construction in the future!

It is with these considerations that Huoshan will build these seaports and a series of cities in a way that exceeds the current economic and population development needs of the islands!

As an ocean-going merchant who spent at least half of the time adrift at sea for 365 days a year, Henry had visited the seaports of various countries in the world! But there were still very few seaports in front of him, even the port of Portsmouth, the largest in the British Empire, was not as clean and tidy as this seaport!

Under the command of the Oriental Navigator, Henry's ocean-going freighter 'Whale', which was more than 5,000 tons, docked at the sturdy cement wharf of East Wanlaw!

"Sir, are you going to the scene of the agricultural products trade fair?" Just as Henry had just stepped down from the dock and was about to enter the city along the flow of people, a neatly dressed oriental young man with short hair of jīng looked like a god stepped forward politely and asked in proficient English!

"Oh, I'm going to that place!" he was so impressed by the confident, polite young man in front of him that he quickly took out the invitation in his pocket!

"Okay, please come with me!" said the young man, smiling, and led him to the neatly arranged carriage not far away!

Following the Oriental man, Henry found many young men dressed in the same costume as him on the wharf, and were receiving the Europeans who had come to the harbour for the same purpose as he had reported! Moreover, he also found that the people here were dressed simply, but there was no obvious dish on their faces, and there were no beggars and vagrants on the wharf as were common in the ports and cities of the Oriental countries!

"Sir, please get in the car, it will take you to your destination!" said the young man with a smile as he pulled the car door.

"Thank you, you're the most polite Oriental I've ever met!" said Henry with a smile.

"Thank you for the compliment, but now I have to serve the other guests who have come here, and I am missing!"

"Okay, goodbye!"

"Goodbye!"

Looking at the back of the young man in the East, Henry suddenly became more and more interested in the city!

Dong Wanlu is located at the confluence of the Capuas River and the Landa River, the original old city was mostly built on the water, but after the Huo Jiajun occupied here, in order to promote the local economic development, but also to protect the city's cultural environment from destruction!

Moreover, the Agricultural Products Trade Fair held in East Wanlu, Borneo Province is also a tall and gorgeous expo venue with the atmosphere of industrial civilization in the new urban area, which covers an area of hundreds of acres, is built of steel components and high-strength glass, and is designed and built by Huoshan in accordance with the standards of modern venues!

"Oh, God, it's even more gorgeous than the Crystal Palace in England!" Henry, who had just gotten off the carriage, was stunned to look at the streamlined building in front of him, which was nearly twenty meters high and radiated dazzling brilliance in the scorching sun! He couldn't believe how a building like this could appear in the Far East, a poor and backward place where the problem of food and clothing for the people under his rule had not even been solved!

"Sir, welcome to the 'Oriental Star' expo grounds, we will provide you with the most dedicated service!" At this moment, a young man wearing the same costume as the receptionist on the dock walked over with a smile on his face.

――――――

"Lao Yang, look at the surprised look of these foreign devils, I want to laugh!" Huo Jianguang, who was standing on the second floor of the venue and looking down, said with a smile on his face. Today he is here to participate in this 'Nanyang Agricultural Products Trade Expo' held completely in accordance with the young master's requirements!

"Hehe, I spent so much money to build this venue, and now I finally use it!" When he remembered that the young master gave him this task, he was dumbfounded, and he had worked hard for this venue! Seeing these foreigners now look incredulous and call God directly, he couldn't help but feel infinite pride and pride in his heart!

"Why do you have time to come to me today, aren't you ready for war with the Netherlands and Portugal?" Retracting his gaze from a distance, Yang Yong suddenly turned his head and asked!

"Hehe, everything that should be prepared has already been prepared, and the main thing to fight with these two countries this time is the navy, and the mission of our army this time is mainly to assist!" Yang Yong is also the governor of a province in Huo's army, and telling him that these are not a violation of secrecy discipline!

"Jianguang, I heard that the tonnage of warships of the two countries together this time far surpasses ours, is the navy led by Huo Feng sure of winning the war?" Yang Yong asked with some concern, he had left the military circle to become the governor of Borneo Province for more than a year, and he was not too familiar with the navy!

He smiled faintly and glanced at the busy scene below, "Old Yang, have you ever seen when the young master's strategy has failed? Since the task has been handed over to Huo Feng's navy this time, the navy will definitely win! Let's wait and see!"

Listening to the strong confidence revealed in the tone of his old friend, Yang Yong also nodded in agreement! Since the establishment of Huo Jiajun, the young master has no last resort, as if he can penetrate the future with a long-term vision, and has always guided the continuous development and growth of Huo Jiajun's team, and there has never been any mistakes, I believe this time is the same!

"I am now the governor of Borneo Province, and the success of this agricultural exchange meeting is my biggest task at present! As for the rest, don't think too much!" After Yang Yong calmed down, he secretly thought in his heart!