Chapter 1277 Huge Gap
"Mr. Liu is very knowledgeable and knows how to draw inferences from one instance."
Yu Xiaobao's voice suddenly came from behind, and Liu Shang was also startled. He quickly bowed and responded: "The villain is just talking nonsense, ignorant and nonsense. I hope Director Yu will not be blamed."
Yu Xiaobao waved his hand and said: "It doesn't matter. Among the new immigrants to Haihan, there are really few people who have your experience. You just said it right. The principle of the steam engine used on this ship is the same as that of the locomotive. They are all the same. They all use coal and water to generate power. This product can be used for many purposes, not just for vehicles and boats. For example, the traditional production methods of human and animal power have been abandoned. Instead, it was driven by a steam engine, and the efficiency was doubled compared to the past, which naturally reduced the production cost. ”
Liu Shang saw that Yu Xiaobao seemed to be having a good conversation, so he asked tentatively: "This thing is indeed very powerful, but the amount of coal it consumes is not a small amount, right? And the villain looks like this thing is made of fine iron, so it must be The cost is also high, and it will take a long time to recover the cost. ”
Yu Xiaobao nodded and said: "You are right to the point. This steam engine is indeed expensive to build, and daily use requires a large amount of coal. It must be operated and maintained by trained personnel. In terms of convenience, it is indeed not as convenient as human power, animal power, Water power and wind power, but things have to be looked at in two directions. Have you ever thought about how much this steam engine can do? A train can transport tens of thousands of pounds at a time. How much does it cost to raise horses? How much time? And this ship, a sailboat of the same size requires at least a dozen sailors on board. Now it only needs less than half of the manpower, and the load is larger and the speed is faster. , it’s not a small expense, the leaders have already figured it out.”
Liu Shang was prompted by Yu Xiaobao, and he immediately realized the blind spot in his thinking. He only saw that the manufacturing and use costs of this steam engine were high, but he ignored the value of manpower, material resources and precious time saved by it. . With the level of savvy of the Haihan people, how could they possibly spend a lot of money on a loss-making business? If this thing was a money-losing product, Haihan would probably have stopped building it long ago, and how could it be used in all aspects of life.
Liu Shang is very clear about Haihan's thirst for manpower. Although Haihan has tightened the standards for nationality, it will not set up too many obstacles for foreigners to enter and stay. To this day, almost every city and town on the southeast coast has propaganda about Haihan recruiting immigrants. Every year, as many as five figures of Ming citizens come across the sea from all over the country, and the vast majority of them end up staying in Haihan. Life. The emergence of the steam engine seems to be able to make up for Haihan's shortcomings in this area. Even though its construction and use costs are very high, as Yu Xiaobao said, a steam engine can do dozens of people and hundreds of people. The significance of this matter to Haihan far exceeds the financial gains and losses.
Thinking of this, Liu Shang couldn't help but ask: "Even if there is a slight loss compared to the traditional method, Haihan has always been short of people, so for the manpower that can be saved, the leaders will definitely insist on using steam engines, right? ”
Yu Xiaobao couldn't help but show a hint of surprise on his face: "Mr. Liu, you have a very thorough understanding of our country's social problems!"
Liu Shang secretly cried out that something was wrong. As a Mingren who had just arrived in Sanya, he knew too much. How could ordinary people realize such a deep-seated reason? In order to compile a book these days, I followed my boss to the municipal library to look up information. After reading many articles, I came up with such immature ideas, which made Director Yu laugh. "
Yu Xiaobao, however, didn't seem to care why he was able to say this, but was more interested in the connection he could think of. Almost everyone knows that Haihan has a gap in manpower, but not everyone has such a vision to connect the use of steam engines with this. When Yu Xiaobao was observing the meeting of the Executive Committee, Tao Donglai and others gave a speech on promoting the use of steam engines, and the general idea was this - the use of steam engines can replace human and animal power in large quantities, making up for Haihan's shortcomings in this area. , even if financial subsidies are needed in the early stage of promotion, this plan must be persisted.
Yu Xiaobao still clearly remembers that Tao Donglai called this "a sign of the advent of the industrial age", and other leaders seemed to be very happy about it, viewing it as a milestone event in the development of Haihan society. Although Yu Xiaobao didn't quite understand the leaders' thoughts at that time, with the gradual promotion and use of steam engines in recent years, he gradually felt the leaders' foresight. The concept of "industrial age" was also linked to various steam-powered mechanical devices in his mind.
Judging from his personal resume, Liu Shang has only been in Sanya for more than a month. He is not engaged in any high-end industry, he just tells stories in a teahouse in the port area. Ordinary people may still worry about things like food, clothing, housing, transportation, and applying for nationality, but Liu Shang can actually have such a vision to pay attention to social issues. This is an extremely rare case among the new immigrants that Xiaobao has come into contact with. . If this is not a coincidence, then Liu Shang's qualifications are quite good and deserve special attention.
Yu Xiaobao said: "Don't be nervous, I don't think you have anything wrong. There are many places where steam engines can be used, and the whole country has high hopes for it. Given time, steam engines can work. There will be more and more places. By then, our Haihan Kingdom will be unique in the world, not only in maritime trade and military affairs!”
Liu Shang heard Yu Xiaobao's passionate tone at the end, but his own heart became colder and colder. This steam engine can only be used on cargo ships and passenger ships, but if it is also widely used on warships, who else can conquer the Haihan Navy in the future?
In fact, the first steam battleship, the Majestic, had already joined the naval battle order at the end of 1629. Now, there are more than 20 large and small warships equipped with steam power systems, and they are still increasing at a rate of three to five per year. The ship's speed increases. The technical content of this kind of inland river steamship is far less than that of the military. It is just an example of the civilian application of military technology. Yu Xiaobao emphasized the role of steam engines not to brag about its military applications, but in the view of Liu Shang, who had limited knowledge, the military field was probably the most threatening use of steam engines.
Liu Shang naturally does not understand what the "industrial age" is, let alone the difference between the industrial society advocated by Haihan and the agricultural society that Ming Dynasty currently lives in, and how the steam engine further increased Haihan's development of social productivity. The advantage is that the social class he lives in determines that the information he can receive is only a fraction of the changes in this era, and cannot be compared with people like Yu Xiaobao. He could only vaguely feel that Yu Xiaobao's confidence was not arrogance, but that he actually had enough confidence to say such a thing.
Although Yu Xiaobao didn't show him anything extraordinary, Liu Shang once again felt a deep sense of powerlessness in his heart. He could see that the Haihan people's confidence was not directed at the Ming Dynasty, but against all countries including the Ming Dynasty. For young officials like Xiaobao who grew up under the rule of Haihan, the Ming Dynasty is probably just one of the other countries collectively referred to as "foreign countries". There is nothing special about it, let alone because the Ming Dynasty considers itself to be the kingdom of heaven. Just in awe. The saddest thing is that Haihan may not have intended to treat Ming Dynasty as a rival or enemy at all, but just a big market for dumping goods and recruiting immigrants. This made Liu Shang feel despised, but he couldn't tell what was wrong with Haihan's actions. After all, this country had no intention of going to war with the Ming Dynasty or invading the mainland despite its obvious military advantages. mean. Perhaps the current situation without establishing formal diplomatic relations is the most ideal relationship between the two countries.
The journey from Shuizhai at the mouth of the Ningyuan River to Yacheng is only about ten miles by water. A traditional sailing boat might take two or three hours, but this motorized sailing boat equipped with steam propulsion only took just over an hour to get there. The riverside wharf north of Yacheng is no less prosperous than Shuizhai Wharf. All kinds of large and small cargo ships are parked densely on the river bank. This scene reminds Liu Shang of Sanya Port. Of course, the scale of the two ports is The difference is huge. The total number of ships docked here is estimated to be as many as one pier in Sanya Port.
Under the guidance of the shore staff, the motorboat slowly docked at the shore. After the springboard was set up, Yu Xiaobao saw that Liu Shang was still distracted, so he took the initiative to greet him: "Don't be stunned, get off the boat, and rush to the city to do things!"
Liu Shang came to his senses and responded, quickly following Yu Xiaobao down to the shore. A one-foot-two-foot-wide cement road has been built here leading to Yacheng one mile away. The traffic conditions are indeed much better than during the Ming Dynasty. Liu Shang had naturally seen this kind of cement road with a seamless surface in Sanya. He knew that the cost of building this kind of road was far higher than that of ordinary loess roads or stone roads. Only the wealthy Haihan people would not hesitate to build such a road locally. high-end road.
Of course, the benefits of this kind of road surface are also obvious. It will not become muddy due to accumulated water during the rainy season. The smooth road surface is also more convenient for pedestrians, vehicles and horses to pass. In the long run, the durability is also better than the need for renovation every two years. traditional road.
When everyone was approaching the city gate, the sharp-eyed Zhang Qianzhi urged: "The leader is already waiting in front, everyone, please walk faster!"
The person currently in charge of Yacheng County is Zhang Guang, who was one of the first batch to work in the Cliff Office. Because of his professional relationship, he returned to Sanya to work in communications maintenance for several years. However, he also knows that the political future of professional talents is limited. He simply gave up his original position, asked the executive committee for a chance to work outside, and then returned to Yacheng, where he was familiar with his family, to become a leader.
Zhang Guang had already married nurse Zhao Xiaoruo when he was transferred back to Yacheng a few years ago. Now the children are all good at cooking. Now the family of three lives in Yacheng. Zhang Guang is the leader and his wife is the deputy director of science, education and culture. Wei, they are a husband and wife team who have a good understanding of each other. Zhang Guang took over the local government affairs after the county was established in Yacheng. In recent years, agricultural development has been booming. The two main industries of sugar production and wine making driven by the large-scale planting of sugar cane have transformed the local economy. The level has also improved a lot.
Revitalizing the local economy and increasing fiscal revenue are all real achievements. Zhang Guang understands the importance of these tasks. Although he only controls a county with a population of more than 10,000, his authority is far inferior to those who manage colonies overseas. Although he is an official, he still performs his duties as an official very diligently. After all, those who are close to the water here come first, and if there is any trouble in Sanya, Yacheng will get the news almost immediately. Moreover, Zhang Guang travels to Sanya a lot and has a wide network of contacts in Victory Fort. If there are any promotion opportunities or policy changes, Zhang Guang can at least take advantage of the favorable location and people.
He had been notified by telegram yesterday that Fort Victory had sent inspection teams to visit various places. Yesterday, the boat of Yu Xiaobao and others arrived at Shuizhai Pier. He had already received the news in the evening. Knowing that these people would wait until the morning to enter the city, he calculated the approximate time and waited at the city gate.
Zhang Guang is no stranger to juniors such as Yu Xiaobao and Zhang Qianzhi, and they always meet several times a year, so there is no psychological barrier to taking the initiative to greet them. However, Yu Xiaobao and others do not dare to show off. They have understood the insurmountable rules of hierarchy since naturalization. Over the years, they have formed a deep-rooted concept. Even their bosses who are familiar with them will definitely be humble in public. Treat others with due courtesy. Seeing Zhang Guang coming out to greet him, everyone naturally quickened their pace to show respect.
After the two parties met and exchanged greetings for a while, Zhang Guang took them into the city. After Haihan took over Yacheng, he did not acquire additional land to build a government office. Instead, he transformed the former Yazhou Yamen into the office of the Yacheng County Management Committee. The local political, military, and civilian official agencies were all located here. There were a lot of people and people coming to do things, and it was quite lively.
Zhang Guang invited them to sit down in the back hall, and asked his secretary to serve tea to everyone, and then Yu Xiaobao presented the souvenirs he had brought. After everyone was done with the scene, Yu Xiaobao got down to business.
Yu Xiaobao's trip has two missions: one is to promote the youth league, and the other is to inspect local government affairs, national defense, infrastructure and other affairs on behalf of the executive committee. Of course, his inspection power is only "inspection" and he does not have the power to directly intervene in local affairs, so he is still very different from the traditional imperial minister. The main purpose is to understand the progress of local work, and then bring the collected information back to Sanya to report to the Executive Committee.
(End of chapter)