Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 1485 Supply Chain

Like a bomb exploding in a meeting room, the audience remained silent at first, but soon aroused a chaotic discussion.

"Comrade Wu Mu," someone asked: "Such a serious case, can it be done only by naturalized people? Will there be any veterans—"

"There is no veteran involved in this matter. In fact, there is no possibility." Wu Mu replied firmly, "All criminals have been arrested." His eyes swept over the people in the conference room, "I feel suspicious about this issue. Comrades are very, very, very inappropriate."

"Delete this dialogue from the meeting minutes." Jiang Shan raised his eyelids and said, "Instead of pointlessly doubting who did it, it is better to consider how to prevent it-I believe that the comrades of the Political Security Bureau have specific measures. Now let's get back to the question about Hale."

"One more point must be pointed out. Everyone should know that through the review of the Ministry of Science and Technology, some of our self-produced instruments have been listed on the list of export products of the Foreign Business Committee, such as balances, microscopes, gauges, sextants, quadrants, levels, Slide rules, vernier calipers, vacuum pumps, etc. Because most of the prototypes of such instruments have appeared in Europe. Due to the high price and the fact that all of our products are in metric units, the sales volume is not much, all purchases Customers are on file. But whether the instruments will find their way into Hale's hands a few times is anyone's guess."

"Since you can't sell much at all, why do you want to export it? What is the idea of ​​the Ministry of Colonization and Trade?!"

"I think there is a problem with Skaide, who has a very serious tendency to walk alone!"

"Before the engine operation, he repeatedly proposed to appease the Zheng Group and oppose the use of force. His motives are suspicious!"

"The capitulationist tendencies must be thoroughly investigated to the end! I suggest launching an investigation into his loyalty!"

"Faithful investigation! Just check his financial problems."

The discussion became more and more noisy.Wu Mu saw Li Di, Chief of Staff of the Navy, dancing and gesticulating to the participants on the left and right, saying that the "treason" of the Ministry of Colonial Trade and even the entire Executive Committee must be liquidated.

"Unless a targeted trade blockade is decided, resale trade will be difficult to control," Jiang Shan waited until the decibel level in the venue dropped slightly before opening his mouth. "The direct trade conducted by Southeast Asian companies to the Philippines basically sells traditional commodities and ships them to the Philippines. What Manila sells are raw silk, satin, porcelain, cane sugar, fruit and tea. Of course, our specialties include table salt, distilled wine and glass products. After Hale came to Manila, the Spaniards bought a large amount of metal materials, and even spent a lot of money to buy iron. Pots and coins, and of course the all-important quicksilver."

"Of course, the Philippine authorities don't want to have only one supplier. So the Portuguese shipped large quantities of Indian iron from Goa, as well as tin from Malacca and copper from Burma. The Portuguese competition coupled with the sale of copper and iron crude goods The profits are not high, so foreign businessmen from Fujian and Guangdong flock to Hong Kong, Sanya, Kaohsiung and all the trading ports under our control. What can they do there? Naturally, they buy a large amount of our products and ship them to Manila for sale. Leaving aside whether it can be done or not, at least it is unreasonable to implement a trade blockade when the existence of Hale cannot be fully confirmed. After all, trade with the Philippines is the main channel for us to obtain many important commodities and a large amount of precious metal hard currency. Comrades often expressed the need for a large amount of Manila hemp to make sails and anchor cables."

Li Di looked a little embarrassed.Of course, it didn't stop for long, and he began to vigorously advocate "The Great White Fleet went straight to Manila Bay, killing all the white skins and grabbing resources."

"We read Lando's report. He obtained information from the Manila Port Authority that the Spanish colonial authorities were deliberately guiding Chinese businessmen to sell certain special-demand 'Australian goods'. For example, they imported 263 boxes of soap in the past two months. .”

"Comrade Lando has a lot of influence," someone joked, "The white skin who doesn't take a bath is actually driven by him to buy soap."

"The Spaniards don't need so much soap to take a bath every day. Comrades in the machinery industry department pointed out that thick soapy water can be used as a cooling lubricant for industrial drills, various turning tools, and punching machines. In addition, in the same period of time, Manila imported There are more than 600 boxes of Australian matches, and I’m afraid it’s not just for lighting cigars. Comrades are now serving in the army and powerful agencies, and they have more or less military backgrounds, so you should know that it’s not matches for Hale at all, but It's red phosphorus and potassium chlorate. The quantity may not be too much, but at least it can save him a lot of precious thunderbolt in the detonator and primer."

"What a smart bastard!"

"Why do we export soap? Is our own soap already abundant enough to open the supply?"

"Of course not. Our industrial exports mainly use saponin powder for similar applications. The effect is similar, and the corrosion is relatively small. In contrast, the added value of soap exports is high, which is conducive to our importing more goods from the Philippines."

"That's not all. The latest information is that the Manila authorities are very interested in the various food products we produce, and they especially like the flagship product of Tianchu Food Company's Jeju branch-dried potato vermicelli. They have already purchased more than a ton."

"Improve the food? Or is it some kind of moth made by the Japanese?"

"To improve their food, they can buy Lingao rice noodles produced by Tianchu's Lingao branch factory, which are cheap and good, but the Japanese are obviously not stupid-they are mixed with sweet potato flour, and the fiber content is too high. In comparison , Jeju’s potato vermicelli is almost pure starch except for a small amount of alum as an additive. According to the information we have obtained before, Hale is trial-producing nitrostarch explosives and has produced a small amount of finished products experimentally. If he can obtain a stable If he does not have to grow potatoes and corn and refine starch by himself, it will undoubtedly make him take another step towards the mass production of explosives.”

The conference room erupted in exclamations, curses, and complaints. "I don't understand," Dongmen Chuiyu, the representative's general staff, said, "Three acids and two bases, at least two are needed to make explosives and thormer. Where can Halle get it? Did he order it from Comrade Ji Tuisi?"

"A message came from the Portuguese merchants in Macau that someone had ordered many strange patterns of lead pipes, lead plates and lead pots in the foundry of Goa. After the order was completed, they were all sent to Manila. Halle used these things to assemble a small lead chamber for the production of sulfuric acid. Maybe Halle changed the wine bottles and glass bowls we sold into chemical experiment equipment. The raw material may be sulfur produced in the Taipei area. Recently, Manila has frequent contacts with the Danshui and Keelung garrisons in northern Taiwan. On average, one ship sails to the two places every month to transport supplies and bring back goods. This number is too high—in previous years, it was only one or two ships per year. Intelligence revealed a remarkable fact that the Spaniards on the island of Formosa had recently changed their traditional policy from paying sulfur in kind to the Chinese laborers who built their cities, and instead paying tobacco and spices. This may At the behest of the Governor of the Philippines. All the sulfur has undoubtedly been transported to Manila. Also, they are reinforcing the castle in Tamsui with new artillery and companies. Obviously. The Spaniards will not hesitate to use force to ensure Taiwan Sulfur supply."

"As for nitric acid, it should be manufactured using the saltpeter method. The Spaniards shipped whole ships from Goa to buy Indian saltpeter. In return, the Philippine Governor Juan Salamanca even withdrew his petition to ban the Portuguese from trading in Manila. However "Jiangshan continued: "Comrade Lando managed to create some obstacles for the Spaniards. He provoked a duel in the European custom and killed the leading Spanish contractor for the purchase of Indian goods for the Philippine authorities. Now Manila's The import volume of saltpeter has shown a downward trend.”

"Sounds awesome, why doesn't he just kill Halle too?"

"I'm skeptical that he can manufacture nitric acid in batches." Xu Yingjie said, "Whether it is thormercury or nitrated starch, concentrated nitric acid is needed, and the process of making concentrated nitric acid is very complicated. Only saltpeter and concentrated sulfuric acid are necessary. Can't do it."

Even for Lingao’s chemical outlet, it took a lot of effort to make 97% concentrated nitric acid. The principle of nitric acid concentration is very simple, but the realization process is quite complicated.

"Then where did he get his mercury? The sample that Lando retrieved was analyzed by you, and the conclusion report was also issued by your chemical industry."

"First of all, thormercury does not need concentrated nitric acid, but nitric acid with higher purity. These are two different things. The key is that the nitric acid produced by co-heating sulfuric acid and niter contains more impurities-I wonder what method he will use to remove it. I am very interested in impurities and improving the purity. It is certain that he will take great risks when using this nitric acid to make erythroxylate or nitrated starch. I am surprised that he has not been killed so far... ..."

"I'm afraid he wasn't the only one who died."

"I'm not afraid of death, I'm not afraid of spending money. It should be possible to make a small amount, but definitely not if it's too much. As for nitrated starch, I think he can make it under the same premise."

"In short," Dongmen Chuiyu concluded: "Hale's arms industry in Manila is actually heavily dependent on the supply of raw materials from the outside world, as well as the equipment and upstream products from us, without which he can't operate. "

"No matter how talented Hale is, he is only one person. It is completely impossible to build a self-sufficient and mutually supporting industrial system from scratch."

(End of this chapter)