The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

In fact, the $500 million construction cost proposed by Zhang Chi at the conference was only the infrastructure cost for the new city's three connections and one leveling.

Since the Wall Street tycoons in White Eagle borrowed a low-interest loan of 1 million US dollars, they must hope that Zhang Chi will spend all of the 1 million US dollars in White Eagle to generate economic benefits, rather than simply keeping it in Citibank to earn interest or use it for stock speculation.

After Jason from the Intelligence Bureau secretly hinted at it several times, Zhang Chi simply waved his hand and asked Bai Hongsheng's three-year planning team to draw up a procurement list worth 7000 million US dollars.

Following the example of the 156 projects in his previous life, Zhang Chi required that this procurement list be mainly based on the steel industry, chemical industry and military industry, covering 37 industrial projects including power generation and high-voltage transmission, steel metallurgy, coal mining, aluminum-magnesium electrolysis, machinery manufacturing, chemicals and dyes, fertilizers, papermaking, and shipbuilding.

Due to the large number of categories, $7000 million can only be used as start-up capital for many projects. The three-year plan team estimates that it will take more than $2.5 million to complete the entire set of 37 industrial projects. Therefore, many people in the three-year plan team have doubts about the source of this huge amount of funds.

As the team leader, Bai Hongsheng came to Zhang Chi with the latest project plan and said straight to the point:

"If follow-up funding is insufficient, the initial investment in many projects will be wasted. Commander Zhang, please reconsider. We have also prepared a plan for only 14 key industrial projects. After reducing the scale, this plan can be completed with only $1 million in funding."

After saying this, Bai Hongsheng looked at Zhang Chi with a little trepidation. After all, this behavior was undoubtedly a lack of trust in his superiors, but his sense of responsibility did not allow him to watch 7000 million dollars go to waste.

Zhang Chi was not surprised by Bai Hongsheng's question. After all, the other party didn't know that he had a penicillin production line with a huge output. Only by putting it into production quickly, even if it was only operated at the lowest efficiency, could a steady stream of cash flow be generated.

He even used another five industrial exchange coupons to exchange for a 1960s-level silicon transistor and integrated circuit production line after unlocking level V permissions in the system technology tree, which could produce 10 million silicon transistors annually.

Zhang Chi still remembers that the teacher of the basic computer course before the time travel said that during the post-war economic boom period of the White Eagle, people would not even look at the cars they bought if they did not have a car radio using a transistor.

This meant that the multi-billion dollar semiconductor market occupied by electron tubes and vacuum tubes began to be replaced by smaller and more stable transistors. (The first generation computer ENIAC burned out an average of a dozen electron tubes every day and was basically unable to operate for a long time)

Holding penicillin and semiconductors, two future cash cows, is the reason why Zhang Chi has the confidence to launch 37 industrial projects in one go.

"Yes, you have completed the tasks I assigned to you very well even though you didn't understand them." Zhang Chi flipped through the first thick plan and found that his requirements were basically met.

"You even prepared a plan for the reduced-price project within the stipulated time for my reference. You're so thoughtful."

Zhang Chi picked up the thinner plan again and found that Bai Hongsheng was indeed a top student at the University of Birmingham. He fully carried forward the spirit of building a temple in a snail shell and built up key industrial sectors such as electricity, steel, metallurgy, and coal with a budget of 6850 million dollars in the plan.

Zhang Chi put down the two plans, stared into Bai Hongsheng's eyes and said, "Time waits for no one, Hongsheng. We must quickly build an industrialized country rather than an agricultural country within three years. Only then can we stand tall among the nations of the world and not be bullied."

Zhang Chi was well aware that after the war, with the confrontation between the two poles of the world, all countries in the world, big and small, were either actively or passively involved in the Cold War.

Even if he wants to learn from the Indians and wait for the right price to rise, he has no right to waver if he does not have enough base and scale.

Although the soil and climate of Southeast Asia are very suitable for agricultural development, he is well aware that the basic base that agriculture can support is too small, and only sufficient industry can support all the Nanyang Qian people.

"I'm responsible for the funding. We won't be short of money. Feel free to lead the three-year plan team and carry out the 37 projects."

"Okay, I will definitely not let you down." Bai Hongsheng promised enthusiastically. As long as there is no problem with funding, he will be ready to realize his ambitions.

The thought of designing a country's complete industrial system from scratch and from a high-level perspective made him excited.

"By the way, if all the funds are used to purchase industrial projects, what should we do with the weapons?" Bai Hongsheng asked before leaving.

Zhang Chi smiled and said, "Military affairs are not your concern. Go and get busy."

What a joke! In Zhang Chi's opinion, with the Lend-Lease Act, everything from the M1 Garand rifle to the 155mm howitzer were provided free of charge by Stevenson. Why should he spend money to buy them?

Although the law stipulates that the money should be repaid or the weapons returned after the war, in reality few people pay it back.

Especially Zhang Chi's own troops. Except for hundreds of P-40E and B-25 aircraft, almost all of their vehicles were exchanged in the system. Even if White Eagle asked him for the debt after the war, he would not have much money.

After all, he is not the Russian Bear with tens of thousands of tanks and trucks, nor is he the United Kingdom of John with countless escort aircraft carriers and escort destroyers.

That's just a small amount of money for rifles and artillery, just a drop in the bucket.

-----

On the other hand, when Zhang Chi's purchase order was sent to White Eagle, the senior officials including Army Chief of Staff George and Commander Luo were satisfied.

Zhang Chi's re-spending of the loan in White Eagle means more orders and more jobs, especially since these orders are in civilian industry rather than military.

This was very important for White Eagle, which had just emerged from the Great Depression a few years earlier. (The 36 depression was only alleviated, not over. It was not until the outbreak of the war that the frantic construction began that the company truly emerged from the depression.)

Army Chief of Staff George, wearing a four-star general uniform, sat in a sunny Pentagon office, drinking coffee and joking with his adjutant:

"A staunch 'ally' of the United States in the southern part of the World Island. I heard Stevenson wants to arm Zhang's army to 15 men and then march all the way to Luzon?"

As the real helmsman of White Eagle diplomacy in the future, George carefully used the word "ally" instead of "follower".

"Yes, the application report was just submitted last week along with the report document on the Myitkyina victory." The adjutant nodded.

"Oh, what about our brave Douglas? He's still in the Southern Hemisphere with the kangaroos, waiting for the day to return to Luzon." The Chief of Staff took a sip of coffee and raised his eyebrows. "He also said, 'I will be back!' God, I really want to know how interesting the expression on Douglas' face would be if I agreed to Stevenson's request to fight to Luzon."

"Tell Stevenson that I agree to Zhang's request to arm his army, but Luzon Island is the target of the Pacific Theater. The easternmost point of the Asian Theater can only reach Borneo and Annam."

In the eyes of Army Chief of Staff George, arming the already weakened army to 15 men was a brilliant idea. After all, it was like spending a small amount of money to acquire 15 "cannon fodder" to fight Fuso now and against the Johns, the Faguo, and the Red Bears in the future.

He just didn't know that there's an old saying in the Qian Kingdom: "The son-in-law devours his master!"