inspire-indiana Chapter 703 Your submarine and engine technology is excellent; they're mine now.
Chapter 703 Your submarine and engine technology is excellent; they're mine now.
The reception room was changed to a smaller one.
The visitors were two Han Chinese men, dressed in neat but plain dark suits, with haggard faces and deep worries in their eyes.
They were informal representatives from industry and academia in the western occupied territories of Hans, approved by the Allied Control Council for Hans. They included Dr. Hans Müller, a former Krupp engineer, and Professor Fritz Wagner, a former fluid mechanics expert from the Technical University of Berlin.
At this point in time, in November of 1945.
The smoke of war in Europe has just cleared, but this winter in Hans is exceptionally cold.
The Nuremberg Trials are underway, and the fate of the Nazi leadership is about to be decided.
For ordinary Hans, the more pressing issue is survival. Food is in dire need, fuel is scarce, infrastructure is crippled, and the entire country is in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis.
Gaul was particularly hardline, determined to weaken Hans as much as possible and prevent his resurgence.
Zhang Chi didn't exchange many pleasantries. He gestured for them to sit down and asked directly, "Gentlemen, you've come all this way, surely not just to admire the scenery of Yangon."
"Just tell me, what can you provide, and what do you need?"
Dr. Muller and Professor Wagner exchanged a glance. The older Dr. Muller spoke, his voice hoarse: "Your Excellency, we...we represent some of the remaining Han Chinese industrial and technical groups. We understand that the United States of Southeast Asia is developing rapidly and has a need for advanced technology."
He paused, then said with difficulty:
“We…we have some technology that might be useful to your country.”
For example, the snorkel technology for submarines, the streamlined design of the Type XXI submarine, experience in high underwater speeds, and Dr. Walter's research data on the hydrogen peroxide closed-cycle propulsion system...
Also, there are some research findings from Daimler-Benz and BMW in aircraft engines, especially jet engines, and simplified, efficient internal combustion engine technology related to Volkswagen… uh, People's Automobile.”
These technologies, in the eyes of the Western world, may only be part of the spoils of war, or may be unwilling to be developed in depth for political reasons, but for Southeast Asia, which has a relatively weak industrial base, they are real treasures.
Zhang Chi was well aware that quiet submarine technology, which combines snorkel and battery technology to enable long-duration underwater navigation, is the key to the future development of submarines.
Advanced internal combustion engine technology is the cornerstone of the automotive industry, small ships, and power generation equipment.
Professor Wagner's eyes were now filled with longing; he knew that if the negotiations failed, many of his compatriots would go hungry.
“We don’t need much…we just need food, medicine, winter clothes…even your rice, canned food, anything that can keep people alive.”
The Han Chinese, especially the children, are starving.
What he said was cruel and true. At that time, for Hans, a bag of potatoes, a pack of Camel cigarettes, and a Hershey's chocolate bar might be enough to exchange for many things, including human dignity.
Countless Han Chinese women became pregnant, but the children they carried might actually be of the White Eagle people's bloodline.
Faced with the pitiful two, Zhang Chi remained silent for a moment.
He certainly knew the value of these technologies and was also aware of the Hans's predicament.
Now is a good time. The Hans can get almost anything they want, and at a very low cost, they can acquire a large amount of cutting-edge technology. Such a good deal is rare.
Even if there is another chance, it may have to wait until the Soviet Union disintegrates. At that time, a train carload of canned goods might be enough to exchange for several tons of blueprints from the MiG design bureau.
"Technical data, drawings, samples or imitation permits for key equipment, immigration or short-term work permits for relevant core engineers and technicians... that's all."
We can exchange goods such as grain, medicine, and light industrial products. We can agree on a long-term barter agreement based on their value.
Zhang Chi directly offered a preliminary plan: "But we must ensure the completeness and authenticity of the information, and the personnel must also undergo strict review."
The two Hans representatives finally regained some color in their faces and nodded repeatedly.
Technology is important, but right now, feeding our stomachs is more important.
For them, it was already a stroke of luck that they could use this knowledge, which could no longer be monetized in a short time, to obtain life-saving supplies.
The initial agreement was reached quickly.
The details will be further coordinated between Nanyang's technical officials and the Hans side.
After seeing off Hans's representative, it was nearly dusk.
Zhang Chi stood alone in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window of his office, overlooking the city of Yangon as its lights began to twinkle. This city, once steeped in colonial history, was rapidly transforming into the vibrant heart of Southeast Asia.
His mind was racing.
The scrap steel from John's warships will become the keel and raw material for the blast furnace at the Nanyang Shipyard;
During the ship dismantling process, the "Sharingan" (a term referring to the ability to see through the illusions of the ship) will naturally play a role. How much they can learn depends on the engineers.
Hans' submarine and engine technology will also be incorporated into the shipbuilding and automotive industries in Southeast Asia.
The more important game unfolds at a deeper level.
He recalled the top-secret report he had received a few days earlier.
In a secret laboratory in the mountainous northwest of Southeast Asia, teams of scientists from Southeast Asia and Gaul are sharing data and overcoming difficulties. Research on controllable nuclear reactors has entered a critical stage, and theoretical verification of nuclear propulsion systems based on reactors has also begun.
If all goes well, combined with the advanced submarine quieting and streamlined design technology acquired from the Hans…
Nuclear submarine.
The blueprint for yet another powerful weapon for the nation has clearly emerged in his mind.
It will no longer be a steel behemoth floating on the water, but a ghost lurking in the deep sea, silent and ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
Together with the atomic bomb, it will form the true cornerstone of security in Southeast Asia for decades to come.
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It's night time soon.
Yangon under the cover of night sheds the hustle and bustle of the day, but dons a different, dazzling cloak.
Zhang Chi's office has a huge floor-to-ceiling window offering a wide view.
Near and far, high and low, countless lights converge into an ocean of light.
Thanks to the hydroelectric and thermal power plants built during and after the war, the lights were no longer the dim, flickering gas lamps of the colonial era, but bright and stable electric lights.
Neon signs were a new sight, colorful and flashing with the words "Nanhua Department Store", "Guanghua Theatre", "Victory Cafe" and "Nanyang United Bank", outlining the street's contours.
A long line of people waited to enter the movie theater, while the night market stalls were bustling with activity, filled with the faint sounds of vendors calling out their wares and the aroma of food.
The trams, leaving long trails of light, clanged and rattled as they passed through the streets.
As far as the eye can see, although there is no dazzling forest of skyscrapers like in Manhattan, New York, three- or four-story reinforced concrete buildings have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.
With their clean lines, large windows, and distinct modernist style, they replaced the original low, cluttered wooden houses and colonial-style old buildings.
These buildings house government offices, businesses, department stores, cinemas, hospitals, and schools, forming the solid and vibrant framework of this newly established national capital.
The streets are wide and flat, lined with rows of streetlights, and palm trees sway gently in the night breeze.
Looking at all this, an indescribable warmth and pride surged in Zhang Chi's heart.
pride.
Is this his achievement?
No, it is the result of the joint efforts of millions of overseas Chinese compatriots, natives, and all those who identify with this land, through their sweat, wisdom, and even blood.
But he was indeed the one who, at the most crucial moment, guided the direction, rallied the forces, and overcame obstacles.
From a life of displacement and hardship to the establishment of a sovereign, economically prosperous, and militarily powerful nation, millions of Chinese people now truly own a paradise on this tropical land where they can hold their heads high.
He pushed open the door and walked out onto the spacious balcony.
The night breeze, carrying the fresh scent of tropical plants and a hint of the sea, swept over us, dispelling the stuffiness of the room.
He looked up at the deep night sky.
The night is clear, and the Milky Way is faintly visible.
A bright moon hangs high in the sky, as clear as a silver plate, its gentle light spilling across the earth and giving this emerging city a soft, silvery edge.
“The moon…” Zhang Chi murmured to himself.
Gazing at the unchanging moon, his thoughts drifted to the distant future, to the profound universe that humanity has yet to truly explore.
If the upcoming "Cold War" confrontation, which will last for decades, has any "contribution" to the development of human civilization besides bringing enormous military pressure, ideological confrontation, and the danger of localized hot wars, Zhang Chi believes that the space race is the most important.