Anti-Japanese War: I have a million soldiers and you call me a division commander?

"Snap, snap, snap!!!"

There was warm applause in the venue, and everyone was satisfied with the result.

Amidst warm applause, Li Mingqiang's voice rang out again: "Next, the second agenda of today's conference is to announce the eight central cities and their supporting industries and functions."

"In order to develop the industry, agriculture, animal husbandry, economy, culture, etc. of the Saibei border area, and to concentrate our efforts on major tasks, we have selected some cities for targeted large-scale development."

"In the words of the commander-in-chief, we should focus on these cities and build them into central cities and regional core cities." As soon as Li Mingqiang's words came out, the eyes of everyone present lit up.

Seeing everyone's expectant eyes, Li Mingqiang smiled and said, "These seven cities, from west to east, are Yumen Special District, Linhe City, Lucheng, Guisui, Yungang, Baofu, Beiping, and Jinshi."

"The Yumen Special District is an enclave of our Saibei Border Region. It still belongs to Gansu Province in name only. It now belongs to the Saibei Border Region."

"The Yumen Special Zone has the following core functions: first, to build a petrochemical center in Northwest China; second, to become the agricultural and animal husbandry center of the Hexi Corridor; and third, to develop it into an economic and logistics center in Northwest China, serving as a frontier for our Saibei Border Region in the Northwest."

"Linhe City was originally a county, but it was upgraded a bit."

"This will be North China's oil and energy center, cotton and wool industry center, and an important core area for agriculture and animal husbandry."

"Lucheng, here we will focus on developing machinery manufacturing, steel metallurgy, specialty metals, and the military industry. It is also an important core area for agriculture and animal husbandry."

"Guisui, as the capital of the northern border region, is a core region for aerospace manufacturing, precious metal mining and smelting, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, and chemicals. It is also an economic and political center, and also one of the core areas for agriculture and animal husbandry."

"Yungang already has a coal industry. In combination with our surrounding industries such as Yuan County, Yungang's future positioning will be coal chemical industry, electricity, and some small but comprehensive manufacturing industries."

"When the time is right, this area will mainly develop mineral mining, coal chemical industry, electricity, aviation industry, military industry, etc. It will also become the educational center of the Saibei border area, because Saibei University will not relocate and will remain in Yuan County."

"Baofu is positioned as a heavy industrial center with the automobile and railway locomotive industries as its core, and is also one of the main agricultural production areas."

"Beiping City is positioned as the cultural center of the northern border region, as well as the steel smelting and manufacturing center of North China."

"As for Jinshi, its industry is mainly shipbuilding, and due to its plain characteristics, its main focus is agriculture."

At this point, Li Mingqiang paused slightly and said, "At the same time, Beiping City has an extremely special situation."

"According to the Commander-in-Chief, Beiping City will soon undergo large-scale infrastructure construction, and all residents of the old city will be relocated."

"At the same time, new urban areas are being planned outside, and those who have moved out, as well as those who have moved in, will be settled in the new urban areas."

"As for the old town, it is undergoing renovation and modernization."

"Of course, this isn't limited to Beiping. Cities like Baofu, Jinshi, Yungang, Guisui, and Lucheng will all have their residents relocated from their old towns. While new towns are being built, the old towns will also be modernized."

"This will increase construction costs, but it will better preserve these cultural treasures for our future generations."

As soon as Li Mingqiang said this, everyone present looked at Chu Feng with surprise and disbelief.

They knew that what Li Mingqiang announced was a big deal that only Chu Feng, the only backbone of the northern border area, could finalize.

"If you have money, you can do whatever you want!"

Involuntarily, this sentence emerged in everyone's mind.

Unaware of everyone's inner thoughts, Li Mingqiang's voice rang out, saying, "Okay, I've finished my introductions. Now, please allow the Commander-in-Chief to speak!"

When they heard Liming's words, everyone started applauding.

"Clap clap clap!"

Amidst the warm applause, Chu Feng stood up and walked to the microphone: "Everyone!"

Along with the microphone, Chu Feng's voice instantly resounded throughout the venue through the loudspeaker.

"The creation of eight core areas in the northern border region was based on comprehensive consideration of the region's future development, terrain, military strength, and needs."

"In these eight core areas, all finalized projects and directions will remain unchanged, and substantial funds will continue to be invested in their development."

"The reason I did this is because I want to turn our Saibei Border into the Pearl of the North and the pride of China."

"Before, when foreigners mentioned China, they only thought of porcelain and the sick man of East Asia."

"How many cities can be taken out? Only the Magic City, no, it should be a big guy picked out from among the short ones."

"But what's everyone's impression of the Magic City? Honestly, I've been to Yuan County and other cities we've renovated and built, but I don't agree with the prosperity there."

"Why do you want to be the Pearl of the North?"

"That is, our Saibei Border Region is to serve as a model for the people of the entire country, to let them understand that modern cities are not to be found in the Magic City or in cities in other empires. Instead, China has its own modern urban models, and these cities of ours are the models."

"We can protect our historical culture and the cultural heritage left to us by our ancestors, because this is a culture that is unique to us. We Chinese people must have cultural confidence."

"Only the past and the present can coexist. We must embrace the constant changes of the modern era while also inheriting and promoting our unique culture."

"What is the light of China? When we gain self-confidence, stop blindly pursuing the West, abandon everything we have and become Westernized, and instead combine the past and the present to develop our own Chinese culture for a new era, that is what I believe is the light of China."

Chu Feng's words were so powerful that they resounded in the minds of everyone present like a huge bell.

In this era of crazy collision of Eastern and Western cultures and various ideas, in this era when the mainstream public opinion is to deny all Chinese culture and pursue all Westernization, Chu Feng's words can be said to be quite bold.