Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 364: Rich and Rich (Third update, please subscribe)

help.

Of course Li Yian was not helping John. Those small generators seemed of little use, but they were of great use in Borneo.

It could come in handy in a plantation, for example.

Most plantations in Borneo currently have no electricity supply and rely on kerosene lamps for lighting.

Not only is the power generation capacity tight, but the more important reason is that it is impossible to build a transmission grid to every plantation, at least not yet.

It must cost hundreds of thousands to build a power grid to send electricity to a plantation. It is far less cost-effective than sending them a few cheap generators. After all, gasoline is very cheap in this era.

Although the power generation capacity of these small generators is not large, it can basically meet the power supply of a plantation - nothing more than lighting or irrigation.

If one doesn't work, then two.

Cheap anyway.

After just one meal, Li Yi'an made a cameo appearance, negotiated a deal for production, and spent US$4 to buy 8 small generator sets to power radio stations. And this price is basically equivalent to purchasing scrap iron.

Such tens of thousands of pieces of scrap iron can allow the plantations in Borneo to enter the electric age early and achieve this goal at the minimum cost. When these generators are scrapped in ten or twenty years, the mature power grid will naturally Entered thousands of households.

On the way back to the hotel, Li Yian, who was sitting in the car, leaned back and lit a cigar.

"It seems that in addition to tanks, tractors and cars, there should be a lot of good things in the remaining supplies. The company can also send people to continue salvaging, and there should be many more useful things for Nanyang."

In fact, in the past two years, Nanyang has obtained a lot of good things from the remaining supplies - 5 trucks urgently needed for Nanyang's construction, more than 7000 tractors and bulldozers, and even more than 700 Sherman tanks - —The one without the artillery. These are basically purchased at scrap metal prices.

But no one can have too much of a good thing. If you are from a poor family and are living in poverty, you can find cheap second-hand goods, which are always cheaper than buying new ones.

While Li Yi'an was thinking about what supplies could be used in Nanyang, news came from the radio over there - at 8 p.m., President Truman would deliver a national address.

"The Cold War is about to begin!"

The news on the radio made Li Yian have such an idea in his mind.

He looked out the window at the cars and pedestrians on the roadside. Some people were shuffling towards the station, while others were shuffling towards the bus. People who had finished their work for the day were preparing to go home. .

How could these ordinary people imagine that an invisible war would begin today?

That night, Truman delivered a speech to the nation. He said a lot, but the core was telling the world one sentence - "We are going to stay in Berlin."

Thus began the Berlin Airlift.

……

What is the Berlin Airlift?

It is a sign that Western European countries have fully turned to the United States after the war. Russia's comprehensive blockade of Berlin not only did not force the Americans to leave, but even shouldered the moral blame, pushing the entire Western Europe into the arms of the Americans.

Before the Berlin crisis, the situation in Western European countries was favorable to Russia - in the UK, the Russia-friendly Labor Party held power, and in France and Italy they had become the ruling party. In other countries, they are no longer a minority. In the post-war environment of poverty and hunger, Russia is naturally welcomed.

In such a great situation...a Berlin crisis changed everything.

You don't have to be an idiot to see it - the Russians "kidnapped" two and a half million Berliners and used them as a threat to force the United States and Britain to evacuate Berlin. But what did Truman choose?

"We stay in Berlin".

We stayed in Berlin.

Then the Berlin Airlift was launched. The entire airlift lasted for more than 300 days, transported more than 2 million tons of materials, and cost 22.4 billion US dollars!

You must know that Marshall's European recovery plan only cost more than 100 billion US dollars! From this, you can imagine how costly the Berlin airlift was. .

Under the US military's regardless of cost transportation, the Russian threat was obviously ineffective, and the blockade had to be lifted in the end.

And the cost?

"A good hand turned into a bad hand!"

On the plane to New York, Li Yi'an couldn't help but sigh. Just a few days ago, after Truman delivered his "We Stay in Berlin" speech, the largest airlift in human history began, which also meant that Western Europe would inevitably fall. In the United States, they were still hesitant and entangled, but the Berlin Crisis and the Berlin Airlift changed everything - he proved to the world that this boss was serious about something, and he did not mind the cost. Then, Western Europe became hardcore for the United States!

Of course, it also means that Nanyang has joined the Western camp, and Nanyang will send aircraft to participate in air transportation. Historically, in addition to the British and American air forces, the Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand air forces also partially participated in airlift missions.

Why wasn't France involved?

Because France, a legitimate left-wing country, chose the former over offending Russia and the United States.

Because of this, left-wing France is quickly losing what they once had. It even affected U.S. aid.

So at this critical moment, we must learn how to play the Cold War card. It has always been very simple, it is nothing more than standing in line, as long as you stand in line. You can get unimaginable returns.

Especially if the other party is wealthy.

For example, this time Nanyang is definitely not a waste of time. Truman has signed a presidential decree to provide military assistance to Nanyang - 4 warships, mainly 4 "Fletcher" class destroyers and 45 John Butler class escort destroyers. It aims to help Nanyang strengthen its maritime power to ensure its maritime security.

This is the reward for taking sides!

Even though this aid is only tens of millions of dollars, Li Yi'an knows very well that as the situation in Asia changes next year, the United States' aid to Nanyang will also increase.

Truman was a man of gratitude, and he had proven this time and again over the past few years.

"Twenty-two and four billion U.S. dollars..."

Just thinking about this expenditure made Li Yian feel heartbroken. It was far more than the expenditure of the Marshall Plan. Such a large amount of money was not used in any good way, and it ended up burning oil over Berlin.

However, he started the Cold War anyway, and what was the Cold War?

It's a solid opportunity.

After arriving in New York, Li Yian made a special trip to the New York Shipyard to see the warships that had just sailed into the shipyard from Hampton Anchorage for maintenance. After these warships were maintained, they would be handed over to Nanyang.

"They are all warships built between 43 and 44."

The tone of Colonel Felice standing by the dock seemed a little emotional.

"If it weren't for being given to Nanyang, they would have been rotting in the anchorage, slowly rusting, and finally sinking into the sea, you know? Our naval base is now crowded with such warships, there are thousands of them!"

Are you complaining or Versailles? Li Yian was speechless for a while, but he also knew that what the other party said was the truth.

After the war, the U.S. military quickly began large-scale disarmament activities. The 1100 million U.S. military was reduced to less than 300 million, and the Army only had a dozen combat divisions. The same is true for the navy. The navy has been reduced from more than 60 million people to 1200 people, and the number of more than 200 large combat warships has been reduced to more than .

Warships with a displacement of more than 2000 tons, such as the "Fletcher" class destroyers, are regarded as capital ships in many countries. During the war, 175 ships were built at once, and more than 140 ships remained after the war. Regardless of the fact that they are equipped with radars and various advanced facilities, but the US military also has more advanced Keeling-class and Allen Sumner-class destroyers - more than 100 ships. In order to preserve the latter two, a large number of Fletcher-class destroyers have been mothballed. . As for the escort destroyers with a displacement of more than tons, more than are mothballed.

All I can say is...Midi is really wealthy at this time!

"Your Majesty, now... these warships all belong to you!"

Like many Americans, Felice likes to call Li Yi'an "Your Majesty" instead of "President". Otherwise, it is Americans' longing for nobility in their bones. Even speaking a few words to a noble is a matter of honoring one's ancestors.

"Now, what is certain is that, Your Majesty, you will soon have the most powerful maritime power in Asia!"

With just a few warships, this is the most powerful navy!

Although it is an exaggeration, it is true.

In fact, that is not necessarily the case. After all, the Seventh Fleet is in Japan, but it is the US Navy.

Therefore, after receiving these warships, Nanyang became the most powerful naval force in Asia - and there is nothing wrong with that.

Looking at the warships under maintenance in the dock, Li Yian couldn't help but murmur in his heart.

"Hey, we have warships now, but...the territorial waters are too small..."

Especially a few years ago, after others drew a line at home, the territorial waters in the west have become even smaller. As for the east... we can only think of solutions to the east.

Go east... You must expand eastward no matter what. After all, Borneo is too small.

　Please continue to support me! Please subscribe, please give me a monthly pass, and please support me! Thank you! ! ! A book club group has been created: 739209015. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss the plot together.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)