Chapter 2505
The people I met at the port were of the same age. They had all grown up studying together and were very familiar with each other. Their parents were all powerful officials, standing at the top of the power pyramid, so from a very young age, they understood that their status was different from ordinary people.
While enjoying various special treatments, they also carry the ardent expectations of their parents. From birth to this world, each of them has been trained by their parents as the future helmsmen of the country, and they must perform at their best in all aspects. Therefore, despite their young age, they all hold important positions in the departments where they work, and they have formed a special group in Haihan official circles.
However, it is still difficult to determine whether they will grow into qualified heirs in the future and take over the legacy left by their fathers. They still need to work continuously to deepen their understanding of this country and prove their abilities before they can truly take over power in the future.
Of course, Tao Hongfang would not naively think that meeting these friends here and now was just a chance encounter. These people all brought their entourage and large and small bags with them, and they obviously looked like they were going on a long trip.
"Everyone, can't it be such a coincidence that you all want to take this boat to Hangzhou for business, right?" Tao Hongfang didn't care whether it would involve confidentiality, and finally took the initiative to ask them the questions in his mind.
Ha Jianyi responded gruffly: "That's a coincidence. I suddenly received an order in the morning to go to Hangzhou to inspect the training and equipment of the local army, and I was asked to leave immediately."
Bai Letong nodded and responded: "I also received a temporary notice asking me to go to Hangzhou to preside over this year's provincial examination in Zhejiang."
Ning Zijing, who was the last one to arrive here, said: "Don't look at me. Just like you, I packed my bags and rushed over just after receiving the notice. It is said that there is an important trade project in Hangzhou, and someone needs to go over and keep an eye on the time... The arrangement is so tight, isn’t it just so that we can all get on this boat?”
The other three people may not understand what is going on, but Tao Hongfang already knows it. He had asked his father last night if he would arrange for others to go to Hangzhou with him. He did not receive a positive answer at the time, but now it seems that his question led his father to make further arrangements.
If these people's tasks were normal business arrangements, they would definitely be notified in advance, instead of just notifying them at short notice before the official ship departs. Moreover, the errands they were assigned did sound very much like tasks forcibly arranged to send them to Hangzhou.
However, Tao Hongfang didn't know at the moment whether they were just like him. In addition to their obvious tasks, they also shouldered secret missions that could not be made public. Therefore, he took the initiative not to reveal to them that he was probably the real reason why they were temporarily assigned tasks.
But these people are all the best among the younger generation, so naturally they will not turn a blind eye to such a deliberate arrangement. For example, Ning Zijing has already noticed the unusualness of this situation.
"Since we were all temporarily transferred to Hangzhou, it seems that the executive committee thought that something would happen there." Ha Jianyi was careful in detail, and he immediately realized that the task they received might not be that simple.
Although they have thought that things are not that simple, after all, they have too little information and it is difficult to figure out the clues for the time being. Tao Hongfang, the only one who knows the inside story, will not take the initiative to mention the task assigned to him by his father now in order to avoid leaking the secret.
The official ship had completed its supplies at this time, and the captain also knew that these young people had extraordinary status, so he personally went to the dock to greet them to board the ship. The four of them plus their entourage make up a total of about ten people, and the cabin on the ship is quite sufficient. However, for the sake of fairness, everyone still decided the order of cabin selection through on-site drawing.
Tao Hongfang was lucky and won one of the two largest cabins on the ship. This cabin is a large suite, and his entourage A Peng can also stay together.
However, the standard of cabins on business ships is relatively high, so other smaller cabins are not too bad. Even the four-person cabins specially provided for the entourage on the ship are much better than those on ordinary merchant ships. The four of them are the only VIP passengers on this ship. No matter how they are allocated cabins, they are more than enough. The order of selection is actually just a gimmick.
While everyone was allocating rooms, the captain gave the order to unmoor and raise the sails and set sail from Victory Port. Sailors on official ships generally hire old sea dogs with rich navigation experience. Some of them are even veterans who have retired from the navy, so there is no need to speak of professional skills. More than 20 sailors on board performed their duties, and the ship quickly sailed out of Victory Port smoothly.
For this group of young people, they rarely have the opportunity to travel far away from their parents' supervision. Even Ha Jianyi and Ning Zijing, who have left Hainan Island, have only been to Hong Kong as far north as possible.
This time's destination, Hangzhou, obviously has unusual significance compared with the places they have been to before, because it has been selected by the executive committee as the future capital, and its future development prospects are limitless.
Everyone put down their luggage and quickly gathered together in the meeting room on the ship to discuss the common destination of this trip, Hangzhou.
"Although I have never been to Hangzhou, I can get a glimpse of the beautiful local scenery from the many poems left by my predecessors. After I come to Hangzhou, I must visit the West Lake." Bai Letong, who was born as a scholar, said The understanding of Hangzhou naturally starts from the perspective of literature.
Ning Zijing said: "Hangzhou is known as the first city in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It has been an important trade distribution center since ancient times. I have always wanted to see the famous local commerce and handicraft industry."
Ha Jianyi shook his head after hearing this: "What you are talking about are all things from the previous dynasty. The most worthy of study in Hangzhou now is of course the navy and land forces of the East China Sea Region under General Shi. I heard that General Shi has been under the leadership of General Shi in recent years. It has invested a lot in military industry and developed many new weapons and equipment, especially the construction technology of naval ships, which is said to have surpassed that of Sanya Shipyard. ”
Bai Letong argued: "How can military wars be compared with the writings handed down from ancient times? The poems written by Su Shi, Yang Wanli, and Lin Sheng describing the scenery of Hangzhou will still be amazing works even hundreds of years later. But The ships built by the navy at this time will probably become a pile of dead wood a hundred years later.”
Tao Hongfang couldn't help but join the debate: "The navy's warships are not just about shipbuilding. The Executive Committee has been emphasizing 'building a country through industry' over the years. Shipbuilding is also a part of our country's industry. General Wang led the fleet to the other side of the ocean The feat of conquering the New World is based on this. A hundred years later, these warships may be turned into dead wood, but our country's shipbuilding industry will not stop at that time. Perhaps our country will be able to build new ones again. A giant steel ship like the World!”
(End of chapter)