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

"Mr. Yegorov," the lieutenant general's face flushed as he shook the other man's hand vigorously. "It's a pleasure working together. The report General Marshall sent back from Southeast Asia has deeply shocked and given us all a sense of urgency. Those miniaturized radar systems mounted on trucks...the technological potential they demonstrate is crucial to our future air defense and naval fire control."

"We believe that Texas Microcomputer, or rather the New Century Consortium you represent... your foresight and technological prowess, will surely enable us to create even more powerful 'eyes' and 'fists'!"

Yegorov maintained an elegant and reserved smile and nodded slightly:

"General, you are too kind. New Century Group has always been committed to contributing to the security of the free world. This contract is a vote of confidence in our technological capabilities. We will do our utmost to provide the military with advanced radar systems that meet their needs."

There was warm applause in the conference room.

The faces of the Ministry of Defense officials were filled with relaxation and anticipation.

Money? Budget? That's not a problem at all!

General Marshall's urgent telegram made it clear: "At all costs, obtain our own miniaturized high-performance radar system as quickly as possible."

The vehicle-mounted radars displayed by Nanyang at the military parade made the bigwigs in the Pentagon uneasy.

They couldn't understand how Nanyang did it, but they were convinced that mastering the same or even more powerful technology was the key to maintaining the White Eagle's absolute military advantage.

Thus, a sky-high research and development contract that was enough to make Calvert of Bell Labs jealous and crazy fell into Yegorov's pocket without any hindrance.

The contract amount was huge, including unimaginable R&D funds, equipment purchase costs and "unforeseen expenses", and the terms were also extremely generous to Texas Microcomputer.

However, these officials who were immersed in the excitement of "technological catch-up" did not know that Yegorov's heart was as calm as water at this moment, and even had a hint of imperceptible mockery.

"Meet the needs?" He muttered the word in his mind.

The contract required that the radar's performance be "no less than that of the radar demonstrated at the Nanyang military parade." This requirement was a piece of cake for Texas Microcomputer.

Because what Nanyang displayed was not their most advanced model at all.

It was just a transitional product based on early transistor technology and integrating some of the "future" design concepts provided by Zhang Chi.

What Texas Microcomputer is about to "develop" for the Pentagon will be a product based on Nanyang's previous generation of technology framework.

It would certainly be much more advanced than the bulky traditional vacuum tube radar, enough to allow the White Eagle military to gain a huge advantage over the Great Mao in the short term and be satisfied.

However, there is still an insurmountable generation gap between it and the new generation of radar that Nanyang is testing in the laboratory, which uses more advanced integrated circuits and signal processing algorithms.

Several generations behind?

What does it matter? Yegorov picked up the champagne brought by the waiter and took a sip elegantly.

Just being one generation ahead of potential enemies is enough.

What the White Eagle military wants is "good enough", "available now", and the political propaganda effect of "technological leadership".

As for the most advanced things that could overturn the existing form of warfare? Of course, those must be firmly controlled in Nanyang, in Zhang Chi's hands.

The huge profits brought by this contract are just an appetizer.

The real value lies in the fact that by undertaking such a core defense project, the status of Texas Microcomputer and New Century Consortium within the Pentagon will rise sharply.

Yegorov, the ostensible "heir to the Romanov dynasty's legacy", "a genuine patriotic businessman of the White Eagle", and "the spokesperson for technical geniuses", will be completely regarded as "one of their own" by the White Eagle military high command.

"Mr. Yegorov, this is your special pass," a senior civilian said respectfully, handing over a dark blue document inlaid with an eagle emblem. "With this pass, you can enter most areas of the Pentagon and schedule meetings with relevant department heads. We look forward to maintaining close communication with Texas Microcomputer."

Yegorov took the pass with a smile on his face.

This is the key link in the relaxation layout.

When the New Century Group became the core defense contractor of the White Eagle, and when Yegorov was able to freely enter and exit the Pentagon and even "influence" the evaluation direction or procurement decisions of certain key projects, Nanyang gained an unprecedented source of information and influence node that penetrated into the core of the White Eagle's decision-making.

In the future, any key turn of the White Eagle's huge war machine -

Should we look west to the Pacific Ocean or east to the European continent?

Should we prioritize the development of the navy or the strategic air force?

Even what strategy to adopt for certain regions...

These decisions that are enough to influence the world pattern, and the slightest disturbances brewing in the early stages, may be transmitted to the distant South Pacific through Yegorov's secret channel.

Sometimes, it doesn't take a massive army to influence the course of an empire. Perhaps a well-timed whisper in the ears of a few powerful generals is all that's needed.

-----

"Guangsong, this Tom Yum Goong soup is very nourishing. Come, drink more."

Zhang Chi sat at the main seat at the round dining table, with a large bowl of steaming orange-red Tom Yum Goong soup in front of him.

He scooped up a spoonful, poured it into a small bowl, and handed it to Zhang Guangsong. The rich sour and spicy flavor mixed with the unique aroma of lemongrass, lemon leaves and galangal rushed straight into the latter's nostrils. The huge prawns looked plump and chewy.

Chief Cabinet Assistant Zhang Guangsong was flattered to accept it and thanked him repeatedly.

Zhang Chi picked up a crystal-clear piece of Cantonese shrimp dumpling from the steamer and said with a smile, "My lunch now is a mix of Cantonese, Shandong, and Southeast Asian specialties. I'm eating so much that I feel like my thighs are coming back to life. Guangsong, you're so thoughtful."

This Nanyang Grand Commander's Palace Banquet has a total of 6 dishes and 1 soup, but each one is a must-try dish, including steamed grouper, scallion-fried sea cucumber, curry crab, and Tom Yum Goong soup...

When they were almost done eating, Zhang Chi put down his spoon and his eyes fell on a thick file spread out beside him. It was a detailed report from the Ministry of the Interior on the land issue and resettlement of immigrants in the Bago region.

"Pegu, our base." Zhang Chi pointed to the data on the report, his tone filled with the pride of a builder. "Upper and Middle Pegu were liberated the earliest, and the land was distributed most thoroughly. By the end of last year, the cumulative number of new immigrants from China resettled... well, it says here, over 475 million people, and the specific number of households... is about 135 million."

The reason why the average number of people per household is only more than 3 is because most of the immigrants are young and middle-aged people, and in the early days they were single or lived in small families.

Zhang Guangsong put down his chopsticks and became serious:

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief. This resettlement effort is truly a monumental undertaking. We have completely broken the feudal land relations and plantation monopolies left over from the John colonial era. The fertile lands once controlled by a handful of John plantation owners and local landowners are now being distributed to the farmers who actually cultivate them."