Chapter 2876
The Ministry of Industry has invested a lot in the early stage of the Liaohe Oilfield project. Almost all the oil exploration teams affiliated to the Mining Department are concentrated in the northern region. Currently, there are eight exploration teams engaged in drilling along the Liaodong Bay, stationed in Niujiazhuang. This team is just one of them.
Although relevant exploration work has been carried out a few years ago, due to limitations of objective conditions, the oil fields here are still far away from the production stage. Even the most optimistic estimates should still take one or two years.
However, Bai Kesi is not anxious about this. As one of the designers of Haihan Industrial layout, he has a very clear view of the development progress of related industries. Before the production technology in the petrochemical industry, mechanical processing and other fields reaches a certain level, Haihan's demand for crude oil will not suddenly surge. Projects like Liaohe Oilfield are actually developed ahead of schedule beyond actual demand, so there is no need to have excessive progress requirements.
Exploring underground mineral deposits is more or less a job that requires luck, and the environment is very difficult when stationed in the wild all year round. As long as these exploration teams are performing their tasks step by step, Baikes will not demand that they achieve their goals within a time limit that exceeds expectations. .
However, the stations of these exploration teams are scattered over hundreds of miles, and it will still take some time to complete the field inspections one by one. For a senior official like Bai Kesi who is busy with official duties, it is probably difficult to spare enough time to complete such a trip.
The actual situation was exactly like this. Bai Kesi and his party stayed in Niujiazhuang for a day, and when they were preparing to go to the next stop, they suddenly received a call from the Executive Committee, and then Bai Kesi's itinerary had to make temporary adjustments.
"The telegram said that those in the South China Sea jointly proposed an action plan for external expansion, and hoped that the executive committee could give an approval as soon as possible. Because it involves investment in armaments, Lao Tao and Lao Yan asked me to go back as soon as possible to arrange military arrangements. Adjustment measures for industrial production." After reading the telegram, Bai Kesi took the initiative to inform Chen Yixin of the situation.
"South China Sea?" Chen Yixin frowned and said, "Do you mean to start a war?"
Bai Kesi shook his head slightly and said: "That's not necessarily the case. The specific situation was not detailed in the telegram. I guess we will have to wait until we get back to know. By the way, your master took the lead in this matter. You see, he just went to the South China Sea. How long, I really can’t stay idle!”
Chen Yixin said "Ah" and immediately no longer felt that the matter was unexpected. Since that person was leading the organization in the South China Sea, it couldn't be more reasonable.
The person Bai Kesi was talking about was Qian Tiandun, who had a very close relationship with Chen Yixin. Although the two of them did not have a formal master-disciple relationship, Chen Yixin did learn a lot of skills from Qian Tiandun in his early days in the army. It is not an exaggeration to say that he passed on the mantle. The two had fought side by side in the north for many years, and they had a friendship of comrades-in-arms. They were close friends in life and death, so their relationship was naturally extraordinary.
However, Qian Tiandun was a relatively pure soldier. He had no interest in governing. He only wanted to lead troops to fight and expand territory. It can be said that Qian Tiandun was interested in participating in Haihan's foreign combat operations. Even while stationed in the north, he took advantage of the opportunity during the winter truce to lead his army south and participated in the 1637 attack on Manila. After Haihan completed his Northern Expedition in Liaodong a few years ago, he signed armistice agreements with the Ming Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the situation in the northern region returned to peace. Wang Tom, who had long wanted to leave, was the first to say goodbye and left the North American continent with his troops. Qian Tiandun, who also couldn't bear the loneliness, didn't want the elite soldiers he had trained so hard to waste time in Liaodong. Since there was no war in the north for the time being, he naturally had to find a new battlefield for his troops.
However, the situation in Liaodong has just been settled. If Generals Wang Tom and Qian Tiandun leave with their direct troops, the Executive Committee is also worried that the local garrison withdrawing too quickly will affect border security, so Qian Tiandun's transfer application was not submitted. He was approved immediately, but was asked by the Executive Committee to continue stationed in Liaodong, at least until the external environment of the northern region stabilized before leaving.
So Qian Tiandun stayed in the north for two more years. After Chen Yixin straightened out the affairs of the northern region, he applied to the executive committee again to mobilize his special operations troops to the South China Sea area.
Qian Tiandun also explained to Chen Yixin why he was transferred from the northern border to the distant South China Sea. Haihan will no longer launch large-scale wars against the Manchu and Ming Dynasties in the short term. North Korea and Japan in the east have no reason for Haihan to use troops. So the next possible direction of using troops will probably be in the South China Sea. .
Whether it is in the direction of the South Pacific or the Indian Ocean, there is a vast area for Haihan to expand its territory. The indigenous tribes in these areas, as well as the ubiquitous Western colonial armed forces, may become Haihan's next opponents. If Haihan does not seize the opportunity to take action, his Western colleagues will not take the initiative to stop.
Chen Yixin certainly knew what the colonial competition in the Age of Discovery meant. The territory Haihan could seize overseas now would most likely be a valuable asset for hundreds of years to come. Regardless of whether Wang Tom or Qian Tiandun, what they are doing will win huge benefits for Haihan.
However, although Qian Tiandun started his career in the South China Sea, in the past twenty years, he only returned to the South China Sea to fight once when he attacked Manila. Chen Yixin was very worried about whether he could return to the South China Sea after such a long time. Adapt to local environment. Moreover, the troops under Qian Tiandun's command have changed for a whole generation. Although many officers are from the south, most of the soldiers are from the north. Going to the humid and hot South China Sea area, I am afraid it will take a long time to adapt to the environment. .
Moreover, each garrison base in the South China Sea is a carrot and a pit. It has been occupied by someone for a long time. They have been operating there for many years and they are not willing to give up their position easily. Although Qian Tiandun has a respected status, it is not easy to establish a foothold and secure resources after arriving there.
Although it was foreseeable that this trip south would be difficult, Qian Tiandun still led the troops away without hesitation. Although he kept in touch with Chen Yixin after that, the information he could obtain through telegrams and letters was limited, and Qian Tiandun rarely talked about his situation in the South China Sea. On the contrary, he had always been very concerned about the situation in the northern region.
Although Chen Yixin didn't know Qian Tiandun's progress in the south, he knew that the other party would definitely not retire quietly, so he was not surprised when he learned the content of the telegram received by Bai Kesi. Since Qian Tiandun went south to take charge of the overall situation, this day should have come.
(End of chapter)