Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

December, Beiping (Beijing).

Zhao Pingan has been holding several meetings in the past few days.

First came the report from the power sector.

The person in charge of the power company came in person, bringing a thick stack of documents, which he spread out on Zhao Ping'an's desk.

"Minister Zhao, this year's data is out."

Zhao Ping'an took it and turned the pages one by one.

Total power generation: 8009 million kilowatt-hours.

He looked up at the person in charge of the power company.

The power company manager had an undisguised smile on his face:

"It's increased by nearly 38 percent compared to last year. Among them, the photovoltaic power plant you built in New South Wales has the largest output."

Secondly, there are thermal power plants.

Zhao Ping'an lowered his head and continued reading.

Photovoltaic power generation: 1490 million kilowatt-hours. More than sixty large-scale photovoltaic power plants.

Together, they account for nearly one-fifth of the total electricity generation.

The power company manager pointed to another line of data:

"The US recorded 7167 million kilowatt-hours during the same period, while we exceeded theirs by 11.6 percent."

He paused, his voice tinged with pride:

"This is the first time since the founding of our nation that we have surpassed the United States in terms of electricity generation."

Most importantly, the electricity we generate is not wasted; industrial use accounts for 95%, while residential use accounts for only 5%.

Zhao Ping'an stared at that page of data for a long time.

Then he put down the materials and said, "The contributions of those involved in the construction of thermal and hydropower plants should be even more recognized."

They are the main force; although photovoltaic power generation has been very effective this year, thermal power and hydropower are the foundation.

Although photovoltaic power generation is environmentally friendly, convenient, and low-cost,

However, it can only generate electricity during the day when there is sunlight; at other times, it needs to rely on energy storage centers.

Thermal and hydropower can guarantee stable power generation 24 hours a day, which is the fundamental guarantee.

The power company official nodded: "Yes, Minister, I've got it."

The next day, as was customary, was the report from the agricultural sector.

When the head of agriculture entered, he was carrying a thick stack of documents, but he couldn't stop smiling.

Zhao Ping'an asked with a smile, "Another bumper harvest this year?"

The agricultural official spread out the materials: "Take a look for yourself."

Grain: 4250 billion jin.

Zhao Pingan turned to the next page.

Meat: 61 billion jin (30.5 million tons). Per capita consumption: 80 jin (40 catties). Exports: 5 billion jin (2.5 million tons).

Vegetables: 3280 billion jin. More than 100 billion jin can be exported.

Cotton: 375 million tons.

Various fruits: 900 million tons

Mushrooms: 300 million tons

Zhao Ping'an looked at each item one by one.

The agricultural official standing nearby said:

"Grain production has increased by nearly 20 percent compared to last year."

Pork production increased by 30 percent compared to last year.

Vegetable production...

lead……"

Zhao Ping'an looked up, also beaming. The head of agriculture had just been promoted this year.

Because he had too much work to do, he was assigned a portion to oversee the execution and details. This data was the first time in several years that the agricultural manager had seen the full picture.

"What? I feel like you haven't finished speaking?"

The agricultural official continued to speak.

"Boss, to be honest with you..."

When I first received the data summary, I thought there was a mistake.

Internationally, nobody believes these figures.

But we did it, achieving an average grain yield of over 600 jin per person.

This means that as long as it's not a remote mountainous area, and as long as our village roads are repaired, no one will starve to death!

Zhao Ping'an responded with a smile, "Isn't that our goal? By the way, remember to maintain good strategic grain reserves and replace old grain. Old grain should still be mainly used for feed and brewing. By the way, how much has been exported?"

The agricultural official turned to the last page and gave a report.

"Grain exports reached 80 billion jin, equivalent to 40 million tons."

China exported 5 billion jin (2.5 million tons) of pork.

Vegetable exports reached 106 billion jin.

... "

On the third day, the foreign trade department gave a report.

The Minister of Foreign Trade arrived last and brought the fewest documents.

But after opening it, Zhao Ping'an looked at each item one by one.

Agricultural exports: 40 million tons of grain, 2.5 million tons of pork, and 10.6 billion jin of vegetables. This was reported by the agricultural department the day before.

But then came exports of light industrial products, including textiles, daily necessities, and canned food, with a dense array of data.

The Minister of Foreign Trade explained from the side:

"Besides the big brother and France, we signed several big deals in Eastern Europe this year."

Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and West Germany have all signed barter trade agreements with us.

Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, procurement volumes from Hong Kong and Dai Ying increased by more than 50%.

Last year's total import and export volume: approximately US$12 billion. Trade surplus: approximately US$800 million.

Zhao Ping'an didn't speak, and looked at the line of numbers again.

I remember that Japan's GDP in 57 was over 24 billion US dollars.

Our foreign trade alone is now worth 12 billion US dollars.

The Japanese will never have the chance to become the world's second-largest economy again!

December 23, Dalian.

The sea breeze was strong, carrying a salty, fishy smell, and made the flags on the dock flutter in the wind.

The sky was overcast, but it wasn't snowing. The waves on the sea were small, making it a good day for swimming.

The dock was packed with people. Hundreds of people, dressed in navy uniforms, work clothes, and casual clothes, were crammed together, all staring in the direction of the shipyard.

Zhao Ping'an stood at the very front, with Commander Xiao beside him.

In the dock, three ships were moored side by side.

Its gray-white hull is low and flat with sharp angles, completely different from the old-fashioned gunboats with rounded heads next to it.

"Type 022, lead ship. Three ships launched at the same time. Comrade Ping An, well done, Darian Shipyard!" Commander Xiao said, pointing to the three warships.

Sunlight filtered through gaps in the clouds, shining on the hull and reflecting a cold, hard light.

The stealth turret on the bow is already installed, with a 30mm six-barreled gun facing upwards, like a squinting beast.

On both sides of the hull, the massive sloping structures tilt slightly outwards.

That's the hatch of the missile launcher, which contains eight YJ-83 anti-ship missiles.

Commander Xiao pointed at the warship, his voice tinged with excitement, "This vessel is one of a kind in the whole world."

The wave-piercing catamaran structure—I heard from the design experts that the two hulls have a shallow draft, resulting in low drag, allowing it to reach a top speed of fifty knots. Faster than a torpedo boat! And stable, it's not afraid of strong winds or waves. What a great ship, Comrade Ping An, what a great ship!

Zhao Ping'an answered with a smile.

"Commander Xiao, don't worry, let me tell you, this ship has other features as well."

For example, they've put a lot of effort into radar stealth.

Look at its shape, there isn't a single vertical surface. When radar waves shine on it, they are all reflected elsewhere.

The camouflage paint on the hull is a specially mixed color, making it difficult to see with the naked eye at sea.

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "The American radar makes this boat look like a small 30-ton fishing boat."

Commander Xiao didn't reply, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

The hoisting whistle blew.

The gantry crane started slowly, the steel cables tightened, and a slight creaking sound was heard.

The first Type 022 submarine slowly left the slipway and hovered in mid-air, its gray-white hull standing out against the hazy sky.

Some people held their breath.

The gantry crane continued to move, bringing the boat above the water.

Then it slowly descends, the bottom of the boat touches the water, splashing up waves, and then sinks back down.

The boat rocked slightly before settling steadily on the water.

People on the dock started clapping. One, two, more and more, until finally hundreds of people were clapping.

The applause mingled with the sound of the wind, carrying far and wide.

The second and third ships were launched in turn.

Three greyish-white boats floated side by side in the dock, gently rocking with the waves. Cold, understated, and menacing.

Commander Xiao said:

"Comrade Ping An, each warship carries eight missiles. Three warships would carry twenty-four missiles."

If dozens of them came…

"Commander Xiao, don't worry. The first batch has 3 ships, the second batch has 7, and the third batch has 10. By this time next year, I guarantee you'll have at least 20 Type 022 destroyers. Also, the first C28A copy should be launched around next year..."

"Haha, alright, I'll wait. By the way, Comrade Ping An, I have some good news for you. The soldiers on the C28A have become basically familiar with the operation and now have basic combat capability. After another year of training, they will be ready for actual combat..." Commander Xiao replied with a smile.

The sunlight dimmed again, and the clouds once more covered the sky. The sea breeze grew stronger, causing people's clothes to flutter.

But the three gray-white boats just floated on the water, completely still.

Zhao Pingan suddenly spoke,

"We have enough in the Strait. We should tell Chiang Kai-shek that from today onwards, control of the sea no longer belongs to him!"

Commander Xiao paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.