RPAGF #121 - Project Dawn
#121 - Project Dawn
"This will require the strong support of the Brigade Commander and the Division Commander." Ren Zhong smiled slightly in response to the Brigade Commander's question. He had already planned for this.
"Brigade Commander, you have countless connections in the rear, both overt and covert. This time, if I, Ren Zhong, go empty-handed and fight alone, I definitely won't succeed. But with your support, Brigade Commander, it's a different story."
Hearing this, the Brigade Commander felt a tightening in his heart, as if staying behind today was a bit unwise.
"Little Ren, speak! As long as we can do it, we will spare no effort to support you!" The Division Commander said with a smile. "Old Chen and I won't say much, but anything our organization can do, I'll sacrifice this old face of mine and go to headquarters and the border region to beg for it for you."
Although the Division Commander's words were somewhat understated, Ren Zhong could feel the heavy weight behind them. Persuading the Division Commander and the Brigade Commander to give their full support was no small matter. Basically, Ren Zhong could use a portion of the entire organization's resources, whether in the front or the rear!
"Division Commander, I won't say any unnecessary words. With your support, I have a greater chance of success in this matter. The problem the Brigade Commander mentioned is not a major issue for me at the moment."
"The situation in our border region is relatively stable. I will find a way to independently solve the expenses of these experts coming to the border region, without adding any financial burden to the border region. Of course, other aspects will require the border region to cooperate, such as building housing, various testing grounds, and factories, etc."
"I plan to use the organization's penicillin to sell in the rear, raising at least one million silver dollars as the start-up funds for this matter!"
As soon as Ren Zhong said this, the Division Commander and the Brigade Commander were both shocked by Ren Zhong's grand gesture!
You must know that one million silver dollars is an incredible number in this world. For an ordinary family of three, five silver dollars a month is enough to fill their stomachs, and it's no problem to buy 80 catties of rice in the rear. Moreover, these are silver dollars, not legal tender. The Nationalist government's legal tender is constantly depreciating, but silver dollars are not.
Ren Zhong said he would exchange penicillin for silver dollars, and with the scarcity of penicillin, he would definitely only accept silver dollars or gold, and not legal tender.
"Old Brother Ren, if you do this, will your organization have any problems?" The Brigade Commander asked with some concern. Such a large amount is much larger than the amount Ren Zhong traded before.
Normally speaking, it is difficult for an organization to give one person such enormous power.
"I have contacted the organization, and they have expressed full support for this plan. Money, food, and subsequent supplies will be heavily invested, and transportation channels to the border region will be opened up." Ren Zhong said without changing his expression.
There was no way, the organization's guise could not be abandoned, otherwise it would be difficult for him to do things.
"If we raise one million silver dollars every year, I think it should be enough to support a research and development team of a thousand people for the time being. After all, the experts who are willing to come to our border region now should not be greedy for enjoyment. We will ensure their basic sustenance and ensure that these people and their families will not go hungry."
One million silver dollars a year! The border region's finances don't even have that much income! The Division Commander and the Brigade Commander smiled wryly at each other. It was the first time they had discussed major issues with a tycoon like Ren Zhong, and it was truly full of subversion of numbers. The base headquarters, facing hundreds of thousands of troops, often couldn't even come up with tens of thousands of silver dollars, but Ren Zhong started at a million!
This was completely different order of magnitude.
"Old Brother Ren, it's not necessary, it's not necessary. This one million is more than enough to support ten thousand people." The Brigade Commander said with a wry smile, "With this money, I believe the border region will definitely find ways to solve the food, clothing, and daily necessities of your research institution, even if they buy it outside the border region, they can satisfy it."
The Brigade Commander was a man with great connections, not only in military intelligence but also familiar with grassroots people's livelihood.
"In that case, Old Brother Ren, your plan is ready except for the opportunity. I will find a way for comrades on the intelligence front to solve the talent transportation route and supply from the rear to the border region. In principle, we will set up one or two relay stations every 100 kilometers on the accessible roads. From Kuncheng to the border region, there are nearly 4,000 li, and more than 3,000 li are accessible by road. Nearly a quarter may need to be walked. We will set up relay stations every fifty li. If we escort them all the way, we can deliver people in a month or so." The Brigade Commander was indeed a military master. He could speak about the country's geography off the top of his head and came up with a transfer plan in minutes.
Ren Zhong was overjoyed. What he was most worried about was how to transfer these people. You must know that although it was the rear, it was now a time of war and chaos, and banditry was rampant. It was not easy for ordinary people to trek thousands of miles.
If the Brigade Commander was willing to help, the safety along the way would instantly increase by an order of magnitude.
"Then I will do the next work well. I am confident that I can persuade some experts to come," Ren Zhong said confidently, "But to sell penicillin in the rear, I still need someone to help sell the goods. I can let the organization bring the goods to major cities along the way, such as Shancheng and Rongcheng. It is best to charge gold bars according to the price of gold, and sell the goods directly in wholesale in each place in the short term. In this way, our organization can transfer the collected payment back to the base area. Avoid causing local shocks after large-scale transactions, which will affect the transfer of payment."
The amount of money Ren Zhong traded for penicillin was huge. Even if one million silver dollars were exchanged for gold, it would be more than 20,000 taels. It was impossible to transport it all together. It would be too much of a test of human nature to have such a huge amount of money passing through thousands of miles and involving hundreds of people.
Therefore, Ren Zhong's plan was to sell out in one place, collect the gold, and bring it back to the main world himself. Then, he would find someone in the main world to manufacture a batch of "silver dollars" and bring them back to the Bright Sword world. This would not only earn back the price difference, but also be very safe.
In the main world, the gold-silver ratio is now close to 80 times on average. One gram of silver is only 6 yuan, and the material cost of one silver dollar is only 160. Adding the manufacturing cost, the cost of manufacturing millions of silver dollars in batches will not exceed 170, and it is no problem to take it down for 180 yuan, including the risk cost premium.
After all, this single processing earns a direct profit of 20 million yuan, which is very rare in today's difficult business world.
After this toss, Ren Zhong can at least conjure up one million more silver dollars, which will solve the expenses for 2 years at once. If he can also collect some celebrity calligraphy and paintings along the way, it would be an unexpected surprise.
Ren Zhong discussed with the Division Commander and the Brigade Commander for half the night and designated the code name of this plan as Dawn. It was not just a simple talent introduction, but a complex and comprehensive major plan.
In addition to reselling penicillin and collecting calligraphy and paintings along the way, the Brigade Commander also asked Ren Zhong to "conveniently" solve the communication problems for the local underground organization. This was of course because he was interested in the latest PARASET radio provided by Ren Zhong. After the design was finalized and mass-produced, this radio was named Red Star Radio in Yangcun, and the Model 71 radiotelephone was named Dawn.
The Red Star Radio was originally designed for European underground organizations. After Ren Zhong's improvement in the main plane and the replacement of the new generation of electron tubes, the power consumption was smaller and it was more concealed to use. It was the best helper for the secret organization in the rear to transmit information.
Ren Zhong also readily agreed to this matter.
According to the time confirmed by Ren Zhong and the two leaders, this plan will be launched immediately, but the early stage is for the comrades of the underground organization to plan and contact channels. Ren Zhong will not really set off to Kuncheng until September. At that time, Ren Zhong will go to Kuncheng via Chang'an, Rongcheng, Shancheng, and Qiancheng, selling penicillin to the rear in large quantities on the one hand, and leaving radio stations and other valuable materials for the underground organizations along the way on the other hand.
Ren Zhong's trip back and forth will be nearly ten thousand miles. Although he will not be walking entirely on his own two legs, it will not be easy for Ren Zhong and his party in many places where there is no traffic in the middle.
The third update! The Thousand Talents Program is launched! Starting military industry begins to overcome the initial stage