Canteen System Assistance Notes

One, one, one, one--one

In short, under this lady's offensive, the American people suddenly became the "ex-husband" who "abandoned their distant daughter" during the four years when the Chinese people endured their anger and hatred towards Japan and resisted Japan alone, and the Chinese people suddenly became the "little animals" who needed compensation and love.

(Author's note: In historical speeches, the invasion of China by Japan from the perspective of the Madame is calculated from 1937, so the areas she would not claim are also known.)

Whether it was a rhetorical strategy or an inner monologue, this round of street speeches and political speech-style propaganda was undoubtedly successful. When the pure English accents of the "Queen of the East" and "Mrs. of the Far East" drifted across the United States via NBC broadcasts, the entire American people seemed to be sympathetic to the "daughters of southern China."

She even appeared on the cover of TIME magazine with the caption "She and China know what patience is", which attracted widespread attention.

At that time, many anti-fascist groups donated generously, and Chinese groups in the United States also organized many charity performances and fundraising. Even the US Congress passed the new round of aid plan for the preserved fruit proposed by Roosevelt and the Democratic Party based on the previous principle of reciprocity - this included providing the preserved fruit with a new batch of army equipment, training American-style expeditionary forces in the Kuomintang-controlled areas of China, and increasing the US Air Force stationed in China.

Provide a package of training and training ships for the Chinese Navy.

In comparison, Zhou Gong, who was promoted as a "militia comrade who, like your elders, carried guns to defend his hometown and pursued independence and freedom", seemed to be completely unable to withstand the American narrative style of his wife and was completely defeated because he used Chinese and used a translator to deliver his speech, had a neither humble nor arrogant demeanor, and never strayed from the themes of the Chinese and American people.

However, regardless of the fact that the visit to the United States was determined by the collective decision of the organization, it was itself an act of equal status and mutual benefit. The image of "a simple wartime leader of distant China" played by Zhou Gong in his true colors was not only more realistic, but also more in line with the new impression of ordinary Americans on the CCP's "Northern Army style in the Civil War" at that time, and actually had a broader mass base.

Everyone in the Chinese Communist Party delegation knew that even if a narrative of "playing the victim and begging for help" could win temporary aid, it would not bring the country equal and independent international status. Furthermore, the CCP's highly capable external propaganda department, at this moment, had new methods and propaganda ammunition that differed from traditional "street speeches" to engage in the external propaganda game and struggle with the woman on a completely new track.

Thus, in October 1942, under the manipulation of a certain "China Resources Group" that had nothing to do with the Chinese Communist Party delegation and a Chinese honorary Commonwealth tycoon who held American citizenship, a film exhibition about the "Red Resistance in Northern China" began in theaters in many major cities in the United States.

Chapter 737: Some Industrial Media Tactics

The Eighth Route Army admitted that they couldn't compare to that lady in terms of street speaking, let alone the "American Daughter" tactic—but since they couldn't beat that lady in the "American Daughter" category, couldn't the Eighth Route Army try a different route?

Like, make a movie or something.

Film has been a powerful vehicle for propaganda since its first broadcast in 1895. Compared to abstract text and static photographs, dynamic images offer a simpler and more efficient way to capture information and a richer means of expression, not to mention the subsequent emergence of sound and color films.

Later, the development of film began to gradually move away from the painstaking creative work of the artist and towards a more industrialized production. Not to mention the later era of assembly-line cinema and special effects films, the film industry in the 1940s alone relied on support from the chemical industry, the materials industry, and even the military industry.

Having suffered numerous "troubles" from propaganda officials, Liu Helian naturally understood the importance of publicity and education. He also knew that he couldn't just distribute the projectors and digital films he'd made in the cafeteria everywhere. Shortly after his American investments yielded returns, he purchased black-and-white film and film production equipment and patents from Kodak. He then airlifted the equipment back to China and established the first photosensitive material production workshop in Fushi, saving the propaganda and education departments a considerable amount of money on film.

Over the next few years, through the continuous addition of equipment and training of personnel, this small production workshop became the CCP's first photosensitive material factory. With the assistance of a nearby energy material factory, it could produce photosensitive plates, film, and film rolls for various cameras. It also produced 35mm film for filming, 16mm film rolls for educational films, 8mm mini-rolls cut in half from 16mm rolls, and some mini-rolls for reconnaissance and intelligence work.

Wu Yongshan, the then president of Yan'an University, was invited to write an inscription for the name of the film factory. He named the film produced by the Eighth Route Army "Huaguang" with the intention of "the light of China". He also used this to inspire subsequent literary and art workers to "walk towards the light and revitalize China."

Thanks to these self-produced materials, the border region's cultural industry experienced a boom starting in 1940. Along with the massive production of short military and science stories, border region artists, such as Lu Yi, finally no longer had to brave the hardships and obstacles of filming films.

This screening in the United States is naturally a concentrated display of their achievements during this period of time - however, this "Anti-Japanese War Film Screening" which originally had a normal style began to "deviant in style" due to the intervention of a comrade named Liu.

The first to be released was a documentary titled "The Expansion of the Japanese Empire and the Chinese War of Resistance." These days, systematic documentaries are still quite popular in the film market, and a film that uses easy-to-understand animation and live-action footage to depict the battle between Far Eastern comrades and the "evil Japs" still has many viewers hooked.

The film's narration and translation dubbing tell the story of Japan's invasion of Korea, its gradual encroachment on Northeast China, and its full-scale invasion of China in a very down-to-earth American way. During this period, there are many interviews with eyewitnesses, dynamic changes in the situation map and a large number of real images interspersed, making the whole documentary appear heavy and real.

Through nearly two hours of progressive narration, the audience can understand the steps of Japan's invasion of China, the struggles of China's major resistance forces for national salvation, independence and freedom, or their choice of surrender, and can also appreciate the horror of Japan's repeated brutal massacres along its invasion route from south to north and from north to south, as well as its unscrupulous use of chemical agents and biological warfare.

After watching this film in its entirety, even an American who knows nothing about the history of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression can form the concepts that "the Japanese invaded China, killed many people in China, are devils, and should go to hell" and "the red elements in northern China are actively sending the Japanese to hell, and the effect is quite good."

At the same time, the film's score, sometimes passionate, like galloping through the Wild West chasing bandits, sometimes mournful, like witnessing comrades and loved ones sacrificed in a blazing fire, fully conveys the Chinese people's suffering in war, their restlessness in revolution, and their heroic spirit in battle. It also refreshed the ears of everyone from the average person who could only hum off-key tunes to music critics capable of writing sophisticated articles. These people, while spontaneously distributing and reproducing the music, also sparked a curiosity about the composer who signed his name, "Two Steps Away from the Cliff."

This was followed by a series of three war feature films, which delivered a comprehensive Chinese punch to the American audience.

Filmed by the New Fourth Army's Cultural and Publicity Department, "The Story of Liubao" tells a story based on the real combat experiences of the New Fourth Army. It depicts the pure and innocent love between a New Fourth Army soldier and a patriotic peasant girl, their resolute choice in the face of national and family issues, and their eventual marriage after defeating the enemy. In addition to the heroic, passionate, and pure protagonist Li Jin and the broad-minded and progressive female protagonist "Ermei," the film also features characters like the unerring sharpshooter He Jinbiao and the wise and courageous instructor Song Wei, who have also been widely praised.

However, compared to the movie of the same name in the original time and space, the "Liubao" in this time and space not only has the same realistic depiction of revolutionary love, but also very reasonably adds a thrilling and exciting battle scene in the plot "to rescue Ermei Meimei who was kidnapped by traitors: with the support of snipers outside, several New Fourth Army soldiers are fully armed with submachine guns and pistols, and track and shoot with handheld cameras, using clean and neat shackle language to realistically restore a close-range indoor battle", which aroused applause from American audiences.

"The Blazing Steel" and "Liberation of Shanxi Province," co-produced by "Luyi" and the base area, form a coherent war film "two-part series." Aided by a large amount of real battlefield footage, through partial re-enactments and exquisite editing techniques, these two films begin with the struggle and life of the people in the base area in the enemy's hinterland, telling the story of the Chinese people's heroic struggle against the Japanese army across the vast land.

In "The Blazing Steel," after repeated failed raids on the Hebei base area, the Japanese army plans to use mechanized assaults to break through the Eighth Route Army's defenses, massacring the base's inhabitants and destroying factories and farmland. Led by a protagonist modeled after a reconnaissance battalion commander, the soldiers of the base area bravely battle against captured Japanese armored units, played by the Type 97 and Type 95 tanks, holding out for days until air support and friendly ground forces arrive and defeat the Japanese army. Ultimately, the people of the base area not only successfully thwart the Japanese assaults, but also take advantage of the situation to encircle the Japanese army and launch a counterattack on Dezhou.

"The Liberation of Shanxi Province" features numerous scenes of even larger-scale, motorized combat. Across a territory half the size of Germany, two major Eighth Route Army corps advanced north and south. Through battles such as the Second Battle of Xinkou, the Pingyang Offensive, the Zhengtai Line Blocking Campaign, and the Jinyang Encirclement, they virtually annihilated the Japanese First Army and recaptured vast swathes of territory.

In the film, Eighth Route Army artillery groups fire in the early morning, 220mm heavy artillery engages in passionate exchanges of fire with 280mm Osaka guns, and Halifax is subjected to carpet bombing... These scenes, accompanied by the sound of film, are breathtakingly moving. At the end of the film, accompanied by a chorus of "March of the Volunteers," the vast army marches eastward, bringing the film's emotions to a climax.

Although many advanced technological equipment and parts of the inherent logic of the decision-making of many of our military generals were hidden, these three films still set off a frenzy in the American film market - there was no way, at a time when the United States was being beaten badly by the Japanese army, so many sound films that beat up the Japanese were not only well-made, but also had clear plot rhythms, full of shooting skills, and novel and exciting scenes. It would be a miracle if they were not popular in the United States at that moment.

For a time, from high-end cinemas in cities to the "five-cent" theaters catering to workers and residents in towns, "films about China fighting Japan" were incredibly popular. While this gave rise to strange "geographical memes" like "Texas is in Shanxi Province, China," most moviegoers learned about the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people during the War of Resistance and the bravery of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army through these films.

And those who have a little brain and equal thinking can see from the fierce battle scene

In the film, you can savor the daily life, beliefs and will of these "red resisters".

They are real people like us, not the "yellow peril" that is demonized and promoted, but warriors who fight for life, faith and freedom.

—-―--―——

But as if this wave of Chinese enthusiasm wasn't strong enough, just as the initial wave of film screenings seemed to be fading, another film, from a strange source in China, hit the screens. Unlike the usual opening narration and long shots, this film's opening sequence was dominated by a Western-inspired whistle.

To the accompaniment of Mongolian drums and huqia, Huobusi's piano music began to float. On the pure red screen, a black figure galloped on horseback—wearing a wide cowboy hat, he rode a galloping steed. A gleaming red star adorned the black silhouette's shoulder, making it strikingly striking. Then, the black and red blocks reversed, revealing a group of red riders, galloping across the desolate grasslands, accompanied by the sound of pistols. Then, accompanied by the crack of a pistol, the film's title, in both Chinese and English, emerged.

Northwest Red Dart

Finally, the title disappeared along with the continuous gunshots, and the blue sky, the withered yellow grass, and the distant horizon that could not be seen even if one looked far away began to appear on the screen.

Um?

Um!!!

Chapter 738: Pacific Twins Meeting (6) The Aftermath

(Inventory chapter)

In less than a year since the last Sino-US co-production "Two and a Third Minutes Over Tokyo", the Eighth Route Army once again set off a phenomenal craze in the United States.

If "The Story of Liubao", "The Blazing Steel" and "Liberation of Shanxi Province" allowed the American people to see how the anti-Japanese armed forces led by the Communist Party of China fought large and small battles with the Japanese army on the front and guerrilla battlefields, then the color film "The Red Dart of the Northwest" tells the story of how the advance working group of the Eighth Route Army used their wisdom and bravery to eliminate the bandits, puppet army and Japanese spies who were harming the people in the northwest grasslands that had not yet been fully liberated.

The protagonist of "Red Darts of the Northwest," the combat hero Jiang Weike, is more like a "Western-style knight" full of wisdom and possessing extraordinary personal combat power. In the plot, he and the other two members of the working group not only take advantage of the inherent contradictions between the bandits, puppet regimes, and Japanese forces to trigger a three-way fight and consumption, but also secretly mobilize the masses to rescue the oppressed people and restore the long-destroyed organizational system.

At the film's end, with most of the villains dead, Jiang Weike, concealedly armed and wearing a bulletproof vest, arrives alone at a banquet to eliminate the last remaining threat. Dressed in a cape and a cowboy hat, he suddenly bursts forth from the Japanese puppet regime's celebration, rapidly drawing his rifle and firing left and right in two seconds, swiftly dispatching Japanese troops charging from four directions. Then, holding his gun in his center with both hands, he casually descends upon the Japanese spy colonel's final hideout, instantly killing anyone who stands in his way with two bullets to the chest and one to the head.

At the end of the unstoppable "assassination", when the Browning pistol had run out of bullets, facing the Japanese adjutant who was rushing towards him with a samurai sword, Jiang Weike quickly pulled out a spare Smith & Wesson Victory revolver from his waist, pressed down the hammer, fired two shots in succession, knocked him down, and injured the Japanese colonel's hands and feet.

Finally, amid the Japanese colonel's howling, "I only killed one kid! I demand prisoner treatment, you Eighth Route Army soldiers don't kill prisoners...", Jiang Weike declared, "On behalf of the people, I sentence you to death," and shot him dead with his last bullet before the colonel drew his wakizashi short sword - often at this time, there would always be prolonged cheers and whistles in the cinema.

This wave of Western and Chinese styles was so enthusiastic that it not only helped many Americans understand China, but also helped the Roosevelt administration boost its support for the war.

Under such a wave of industrialized propaganda, Mrs. Song, who was proficient in street speeches and tragic literature, was obviously caught off guard. Even her efforts to fight back became quite stupid - she actually asked President Roosevelt to order a ban on the screening of these films in a meeting with Mrs. Roosevelt - the result was, of course, rejected.

Thus, with cheers, whistles and waves, the agenda of the Chinese Communist Party delegation's visit to the United States was finally basically completed, and various achievements were finally turned into confirmed plans and agreements, entering the process of "putting them in the bag and putting them in the pocket".

—--——-—-

The U.S. Army finally broke through the adverse influence brought by Chen Moude and reached a direct agreement with the Eighth Route Army without going through the Lend-Lease Committees. While reaching some exchange plans between the two armies and helping the Eighth Route Army strengthen its transportation capabilities in the Northwest Passage, the U.S. Army and the War Department will support the Eighth Route Army in building a channel that can transport supplies into China by rail.

After the Soviet delegation to the United States was brought in, the plan was refined: the United States would fund the Soviet Union to expand the broad-gauge railway from Borzha to Bayantumen in Mongolia. Afterwards, the Soviet Union would be responsible for extending the railway from Bayantumen southward to China's Erenhot area, while the Eighth Route Army would be responsible for extending the railway from Jining northward to connect with the Soviet broad-gauge railway.

The railway standard is that of an emergency wartime railway, with single-track operation and a rail weight of only 40 kilograms per meter. The docking points and transfer stations will depend on the progress of construction by both China and the Soviet Union.

At the same time, the Eighth Route Army would be responsible for constructing a direct railway eastward from Erenhot to the Xilingol League, currently controlled by the Eighth Route Army's cavalry. This would also serve as the "first phase forward base" for the US Army Air Force in the Eighth Route Army's controlled area.

This location has many advantages for China and the United States, such as the open terrain that is convenient for construction, the desolate surroundings that are conducive to confidentiality (which can prevent the U.S. Army Air Force from harming the surrounding civilians), the railway that is conducive to security (which can reduce the impact of the Army Air Force on the surrounding material supply), and it is only about 2200 kilometers away from Tokyo, Japan, which is conducive to the long-range bombers that entered service in 43 to bomb Japan.

The base itself will be built according to the standards of the US heavy bomber airport in Hawaii. During the construction process, the Eighth Route Army will be responsible for providing personnel and work, while the US Army and the War Department will be responsible for providing funds and equipment. After the construction is completed, there will be a garrison of about 500 maintenance and combat personnel. The Eighth Route Army will provide a security force responsible for ground protection, and a fighter force composed of the Eighth Route Army and the US Army Aviation will be responsible for escort and direct protection. The US military will be responsible for the implementation of strategic bombing. Of course, when bombing targets in mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, both sides need to negotiate with each other as previously stipulated.

As for the "Lanxin Railway," the Eighth Route Army's original plan to build a northwest passage, it was ultimately not built due to the high difficulty and cost of construction. However, after coordination between China, the Soviet Union, and the United States, China and the Soviet Union decided to build the railway from the Sino-Soviet Xinjiang border to Dihua, mainly for the purpose of "facilitating the mobilization of the Middle East Reserve Corps training in Dihua and other places." This was also a good outcome.

"Oh, as for that person's trial, although doctors sent from the United States have confirmed his recovery, as an American citizen under trial, we believe he will need an American lawyer to defend him. The American lawyer will also need an interpreter to help him translate. However, it will take time to find a translator who is proficient in Chinese law...

"In short, the follow-up of this matter should be the embassy's business and has nothing to do with the army."

The U.S. Army officer in charge of contacting the Chinese Communist Party delegation said:

"Also, your troops responsible for defending the new airport base, I believe, are primarily cavalry, right? I wonder if you're short on cavalry equipment? If you have any needs for cavalry equipment, please submit a request form promptly to the Joint Munitions Distribution Committee..."

So why are Americans suddenly so enthusiastic about cavalry construction?

On the naval side, in addition to the materials needed for the construction of the Shandong submarine base and the Sino-US Joint Air Force (Naval Aviation), the Eighth Route Army finally succeeded in renting three warships originally belonging to the French Navy at a price of approximately negative 300,000 US dollars, and formed its own combat squadron.

Afterwards, these warships will be modernized in shipyards on the east coast of the United States, and at the same time, they will receive naval officers and cadets dispatched by the Eighth Route Army for shipbuilding training.

The modification of the Joan of Arc and Emile Bertin is relatively simple. It only requires converting the ship's anti-aircraft guns to a combination of 40mm Bofors + 20mm Oerlikon, and converting the main guns to be able to fire American 152mm shells. It is expected to be completed in about half a year.

The Béarn's renovation was more complex. As an early aircraft carrier from the 1920s, its equipment was already quite outdated. Its meager speed and ability to launch an aircraft in just six minutes also limited its full potential. Therefore, the renovation required repairs to its boilers, refurbishment of its takeoff and landing gear, removal of its elevator armor, and upgrading of its anti-aircraft guns. Ultimately, after a year-long renovation, Béarn should be a "CVE" capable of carrying out anti-submarine escort and aircraft transport missions.

The French naval sailors and officers on the ship, except those who insisted on leaving or were too spirited, would join the Eighth Route Army's small squadron as "wet leases" of this small fleet: according to the agreement, their salaries would be paid half by the Eighth Route Army and half by Free France.

As for the rest of the French, the French West Indies colonial government was happy to be rid of three troublesome ships and no longer be under the US blockade, while Charles de Gaulle gained control of nearly 300 tons of gold, earning even more "Legitimacy Points"... everyone was happy!

In addition, the Eighth Route Army also applied for three freighters through the Joint Ship Operations Committee under the Lend-Lease Act to increase its sea transport capacity. These freighters would be primarily operated by unemployed Chinese crew members overseas, and some fishing and transport tasks would be separated from the Yemen Squadron, allowing the Gulf of Aden Squadron to perform tasks more like a regular combat fleet.

Considering that these ships would need to be used for a long time, the Eighth Route Army declined the Joint Ship Scheduling Committee's suggestion to sell the Liberty Ship 7 at a discount. Instead, they added some money and purchased three standard C2 freighters, additionally equipped with a transverse supply gantry system.

Ultimately, the three "Liberty Ships" were returned to the U.S. Pacific transport fleet, and the naming rights were given by the committee to a group of democratic figures visiting the United States - Zhang, Zhang, Shen and other democratic party representatives to the United States. They named them "China Victory", "China Democracy" and "China Freedom", which can be considered a gain.

"What hasn't been finalized yet are the military and political matters. The U.S. War Department and Navy Department have proposed establishing a 'North Pacific Theater' independent of the China-India-Burma Theater. This will facilitate our subsequent independent command and participation in allied joint operations..."

Inside the conference room, the Chinese Communist Party delegation was engaged in a heated closed-door discussion. Before the previous speaker had finished speaking, another spoke loudly.

* Commander-in-Chief Zhu is proposed to be the commander-in-chief of the theater army. We don't have a military rank system. The Americans privately told us to create a temporary system of ranks to facilitate joint command, just like they did with the British... But I say, that's actually not necessary!

"Our Commander-in-Chief Zhu, although he has no military rank here, did have one during the Beiyang government era! Commander Zhu was actually a lieutenant general in the army, holding the Fifth Order of Merit and the Third Class Order of the Tiger, and he was even a lieutenant general in the Quanshi rank!" "We revolutionaries are still going to chase him to the Beiyang government? That's too unlucky..."

Faced with the questioning, the comrade who had just spoken immediately shook his head:

"Why doesn't the Beiyang military rank count? That damn Chiang Kai-shek recognized the Beiyang general!

Regardless of the Beiyang military rank, Commander-in-Chief Zhu still had the rank of general when he was in the Guangzhou Revolutionary Government! So Commander-in-Chief Zhu's permanent military rank is easy to determine.

Even if he is a lieutenant general, how can he not be qualified with Commander-in-Chief Zhu's qualifications and abilities?

"As for the rank of General, it's probably just a temporary, official rank. Remember, the permanent rank of Marshall, the US Army Chief of Staff, was only Lieutenant General!"

"But what about the command level of this theater's naval commander, Frank Jack Fletcher? From what I've read in the battle reports, he always loses battles."

Although the visit was nearing its end, the delegation's usual discussions and brainstorming sessions continued. However, the atmosphere was now more relaxed, with everyone no longer as relentlessly paced as they had been at the beginning, and there were more witty remarks in their speeches.

Sitting on one side of the conference table, Zhou Gong listened to everyone's discussion while pressing his temples. He felt that the fatigue that had been plaguing him for the past few days had finally subsided a little.

He touched the teacup. The tea was still very hot and he couldn't drink it in big gulps for the time being.

Zhou Gong had a good memory, able to memorize all the key points and details without even looking at the material. Regarding the Americans' idea of ​​establishing a new North Pacific theater of operations to bypass the KMT in Sino-US cooperation, there are actually both advantages and disadvantages. Although the Americans also carved out their own territory in Alaska to join the theater of operations, including all of Korea and mainland Japan, this theater of operations objectively cut off China north of the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River from the original theater of operations...

Well, in many aspects of the future, we still need to be careful and cautious!

Chapter 739: Things Only Travelers Would Do (Part 1)

"Don't worry, Brother Lian An, don't be afraid of a breakdown in the negotiations! Even if those big Bobos look down on us Communists, they wouldn't dare to actually break off the deal! The most capable Polish First Armored Unit and Highland Brigade of their shabby exile government were all killed by the British on the Dieppe beach!"

"The Polish government-in-exile in Europe and America is now completely alone. Perhaps when the time comes, they won't be able to compete for legitimacy with the big Polish government that Big Brother has mobilized!

With these little Poles, you can bargain as hard as you can! Stallions, mares, and war horses—you might not be able to get the most valuable stock, but for foals and two-year-olds, take half their asking price... no, a third first. If those Poles still refuse to repent... just say we'll buy directly from the US Army's warhorses!

"Brother Lian An, all those Polish horses are now being kept by the Americans at the U.S. Army New Horse Conservation Service, and their stables are almost full. The Americans have recently threatened the Poles that if they don't get rid of these horses, they'll send them to racetracks and farmers to cover the Polish horse breeding fees. Then, stinky Poko won't get a penny!"

"Okay, okay, that's right! Brother Lian An, I know your abilities. The foundation and bloodline of these Polish war horses are excellent. Once they're captured, they'll be very beneficial to our warhorse breeding... I'll leave this matter to you. Goodbye!"

As a time traveler, a "Song Tycoon" with the identity of a "Communist white glove," Liu Helian's overseas status is comparable to a painter's palette. Therefore, at least in terms of appearance, he must maintain a certain degree of "identity independence" to facilitate his activities. Therefore, even if he traveled to the United States with the Premier, he could not come to the United States as a member of the Chinese Communist Party delegation and carry out work together, but needed to be separated from the CCP to a certain extent.

So, when the other members of the delegation began to run back and forth between the Soviet Union, the United States and France, Liu Helian, apart from calling a few office workers to go to several airports to wait for the KMT plane to land, could only inspect his own "industry" and help the Eighth Route Army earn more points in the business and media fields.

But to be honest, even if he didn't go, Zhou Bin, Yang Lian'an, Qian Guangyou and Cheng Enshu, who were in charge of overseas economic work in the United States and Canada, would be able to manage this not-so-large business empire in an orderly manner; Liu Helian was mainly responsible for adding some special elements that could produce "strange chemical reactions".

For example, just now, Liu Helian used his cell phone, which was blessed by mysterious power, to call Yang Lian'an, one of the new executives of China Resources, and provided follow-up guidance on the matter of the Polish horse:

Before Poland was crushed by the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact, it fostered and preserved a large number of high-quality war horses of Arabian descent in the United States, hoping that when the local stock was exhausted, there would be backup horses to continue using and restore the glory of the "Polish Winged Hussars".

But now, with their nation destroyed and their few remaining troops lost to the British, the American warhorse population can barely afford to feed them. The Americans are demanding that Poland make the difficult choice between "paying the bill" and auctioning off the horses.

And if a kind-hearted person appears at this time and is willing to buy the military horses...

In short, Liu Helian believed that Comrade Yang Lian'an, who had extensive experience working in the White Areas, would be able to play the role of "evil capitalist" better than himself after learning the hidden hand of the intermittent big Bobo. After all, the Polish government-in-exile's horses would eventually disappear, and they would eventually be without horses. There was no psychological burden for him to cheat himself. In the end, maybe we would help the Poles preserve their warhorse population, and they would even thank us!

—One by one, one by one—one by one

Of course, in addition to picking up bargains, Liu Helian also used his status as a member and agent of the "International Business Association" to set up some industries in the United States. Although these industries were very likely to be dismantled by the Americans after the war, they could still get a share of the big pot of the US wartime economy during wartime, providing valuable US dollar foreign exchange for domestic construction.

Among them, in addition to the "China Resources" food factory system that has already performed brilliantly in the Soviet-German, Pacific and North African battlefields, there is also the "East Coast United Special Steel Plant" located west of New York in Newark, New Jersey.

As a product of a "Eureka" discovery in the United States, Donglian's core asset, the electric slag furnace*, had already reached a usable state after Professor Hopkins invented its key technology, the "consumable electrode." Thus, in the second half of 1940, Cheng Enshu, who had seized the patent through "bad luck," under the guidance of Liu Helian, through two industrial tycoons, Hammer and Kaiser, began to build a factory in Newark, New Jersey, USA.

In pursuit of speed, "East Coast Union" does not set up blast furnaces for ironmaking. Instead, it directly purchases refined steel ingots, electrolytic pure iron and alloy element ingots in the United States, and uses electric slag furnaces and rolling mills to manufacture metal bars, profiles and standard alloy ingots.

At that time, China Resources enjoyed the convenience of construction in a country with a complete range of industries, so much so that all the staff fell into a state of depression and breathlessness after a period of excitement. Comrade Zhou Bin had to personally do ideological work for everyone before they could cheer up and continue to promote the project.

The steel mill has now successfully commenced production and begun accepting orders for products such as ship main shafts, oil well drill pipes, and special-shaped components. Even though the electric slag furnace currently operating at "Eastern Union Plant M" still hasn't completely broken away from Professor Hopkins's erroneous design, remaining at best at the 1949 standard (out of selfish motives, Liu Helian, aside from correcting the professor's mistakes and keeping the furnace operational, hasn't introduced any modern electric slag furnace technology or improvements to the steel mill), it can still produce products of equal or better quality at a significantly lower cost than traditional processes, making it highly competitive.

That's what should be done.

Dear Liu, after the Gin and Whisky electric slag refining furnaces went into production, that stubborn professor finally admitted his mistake and realized that his design was wrong. Now, the slag refining furnace using your design is happily devouring electricity, and the Gin is being modified and debugged—using the Whisky furnace as a standard.

After a warm handshake and hug, Hammer sat on the chair in the factory's administrative office, spread his hands towards Liu Helian, and changed his tone.