Rise of the Argentine Empire

Through the La Pampa Province government's Department of Agriculture, pesticides and fertilizers from Maya Chemical, Future Agriculture's and agricultural schools' breeding of superior seeds, agricultural mechanization, and irrigation projects, coupled with the natural endowment of the Pampas, La Pampa Province rapidly developed into a major agricultural and livestock province. It essentially achieved self-sufficiency in various grains, and its livestock breeding industry experienced tremendous growth.

Most of La Pampa Province is located in the southern part of the Pampas, where rainfall is not particularly abundant, making it suitable for wheat cultivation. Rice is planted in the southern regions near the Colorado River. This year's total grain output exceeded 4 million tons, accounting for one-seventh of Argentina's total grain production, enough to feed eight to nine million people.

Many trading companies in La Pampa Province are actively purchasing and stockpiling grain domestically, hoarding a total of nearly 15 million tons. The Blanca City Grain Reserve Company is one of Argentina's largest grain merchants, with Future Agriculture and Sunshine Farms also holding approximately 6 million tons in reserve.

Last year, approximately 20 million tons of grain circulated in the Argentine market, with most of it being acquired by trading companies and grain merchants under José's Cohen Group.

In addition to grain, José also extensively purchases oilseeds and established the Plari Oilseed Plant to produce sunflower oil and various other oilseed products.

Indoor breeding has also become prevalent. The Agronomy Department of the National University of the South has bred native hybrid Yorkshire pigs with high meat yields. Pork is affordable and of good quality in Blanca City, widely used by many lower-end restaurants and cafeterias. Furthermore, castration techniques for boars have become popular.

Pigs are omnivores, and Plari Foods has also opened a feed factory. Corn, soybean meal, flour, and rice bran left over from the food factory's production can all be processed into pig feed.

The Cohen Group also established Cohen Agricultural and Livestock Company, building large-scale pig farms, chicken farms, duck farms, and vegetable bases in the suburbs, becoming the second-largest meat and vegetable supplier in Blanca City, second only to the Blanca City State-Owned Agricultural and Livestock Company.

Agricultural modernization is also a process of mechanization. The scale of mechanized state-owned farms in La Pampa Province is rarely less than five thousand acres. Tractors and various agricultural machinery are widely used, liberating labor and providing high-quality agricultural and livestock products.

Maya Chemical's 200,000-ton synthetic ammonia plant and 300,000-ton urea plant were successfully constructed, followed by the successful construction of the Potassium Triangle's 100,000-ton phosphate fertilizer plant and 50,000-ton potash fertilizer plant, providing La Pampa Province with a reliable supply of fertilizers, more than doubling its output.

José's rice promotion plan has also been very successful. Blanca City absorbs a large number of new immigrants, and inexpensive fast-food restaurants are extremely popular in Blanca City. They offer large portions at affordable prices, with pork, beef, and vegetables all used in dishes. Fast food is the most successful, with some even opening chain stores. Most of these people are Chinese immigrants from Peru.

Blanca City's abundant supply of materials, coupled with the fact that restaurants and fast-food establishments are the forte of the Chinese, who have already semi-monopolized the industry in San Martín City, make Blanca City, with a population five to six times larger than San Martín City, an even broader market, allowing many catering businesses to quickly become wealthy.

Other businesses, such as convenience stores and tailor shops, are also largely controlled by the Chinese.

In Blanca City's textile industry, there is also a special group of immigrants. Although their numbers are less than twenty thousand, they control a significant portion of the textile factories' business: Indian immigrants.

This is somewhat related to Plari International. There are also many Indian immigrants in the Nanyang region, and Plari International's passenger ships also operate throughout Nanyang. Many of its freighters also import iron ore and coal from India.

The current Indian immigrants are not as peculiar as they would become in later generations. Instead, they are hardworking and possess a spirit of adventure. José is willing to provide them with opportunities, and Blanca City can certainly accommodate several tens of thousands of them.

The addition of Chinese and Indian immigrants has enriched Blanca's commercial DNA, creating a 'catfish effect' that has put tremendous pressure on the native Italian, Spanish, and native-born white populations, while also promoting their development.

Like raising venomous creatures, a process of natural selection will inevitably produce a group of outstanding companies.

In traditional industries, the textile industry is an important link. After the start of the Third Industrial Revolution, the steel and textile industries began to shift from the United States to countries such as Japan and South Korea.

Argentina can also get a piece of the pie, which is one of the reasons why José is desperately developing the steel industry. Where there is demand, there is a market.

Without a market, no matter how much steel is produced, it is useless. Coastal areas are suitable for developing the steel industry. The Cohen Group's two major steel companies are located in one of Argentina's best ports. Low maritime transportation costs make steel smelting profitable.

In just six or seven years, Argentina has established a relatively complete steel industry. Three major steel companies have successively started production. Optimistically, this year's output will exceed 8 million tons, ranking among the top ten in the world.

In a few years, the Medanos United Steel Plant, the second phase of the La Plata Steel Plant, the new plant area of Hans Steel Plant, and the construction of the second branch of the Blanca Steel Plant will all be put into operation, accelerating their progress. At that time, doubling the output again will not be a problem.

After the steel industry develops, the costs of other factories will decrease, and the automobile industry will be able to obtain higher-quality, lower-priced raw materials, resulting in greater profits.

With the booming trade, the textile industry and garment factories have also emerged in large numbers. With the development of various specialized markets, the Chinese families who started in San Martín City control 1/5 of the textile factories in Blanca City, the commercially savvy Italians control another 1/5, the Indians control 1/5, and the state-owned factories, although few in number, are large in scale and account for 1/5 of the textile industry's output. The rest is divided among others. Blanca City already has 2,000 textile and garment factories of all sizes; even a sewing machine can be called a textile factory.

Blue Cloud Textile Group remains in the first tier of the textile and garment industry, but large textile factories with more than 2,000 employees, such as Blanca State-Owned Textile Factory, Daxing Textile Company, Masarnina Garment Company, and Filston Textile Company, have also emerged. They register brands and export in large quantities to Brazil and Europe through international trade, generating substantial profits.

Cotton cultivation in Argentina's northeastern provinces, sheep farming on the Pampas, and chemical fiber plants of Maya Chemical and Southern Petroleum provide a solid foundation for the development of the garment and textile industry in Blanca City.

International trade channels have enabled these textile and garment companies to obtain orders, driving economic development.

… …

"I almost became a historical sinner of Argentina."

José was too confident in himself and overlooked the fact that Argentina's foundation was too weak. Argentina had difficulty obtaining help from major powers, was far from the center of the world, had a scarcity of talent, and had a backward economy.

The current Argentines simply do not have the ability to develop a second-generation fighter. The main goal now is to expand the economy, not to engage in aggressive militarism.

30 million US dollars is enough to build a medium-sized steel plant or a petrochemical company. Saving a little money can even build 10 medium-sized companies.

La Pampa Province's industrial base is still too weak. Even if it were ten times larger, it would still be far from enough. The main goal now is still to expand industrialization, at least to build the coastal area of Blanca Bay into an industrial base.

Of course, the development of the defense industry cannot wait that long. It needs to have advanced vision. At least, the development of missiles and nuclear weapons should be completed within the years of 65-70, and technical reserves, talents, and education reserves should be prepared. This kind of thing cannot be rushed. At least in the next ten years, Argentina is not a major target for the United States.

The Americans' primary opponent is the Soviets. Even Brazil is more threatening than Argentina. Closer still, the Canadians and Mexicans are more threatening than the Argentines. This is thanks to former President Perón.

Back then, Argentina invested hundreds of millions of US dollars, only to be completely deceived by a German, making a huge joke of themselves. This inadvertently boosted tourism in Buenos Aires and caused both the CIA and Soviet intelligence to stumble. Argentina has since become a true laughing stock.

This situation has one significant advantage: neither the CIA nor the KGB considers Argentina a high priority. They perceive established powers like Britain and France, and emerging giants like China and India, as the real threats.

Before being defeated by China in 1962, India was a true darling of the world. Now, Argentina is just an insignificant, second-rate country, so there aren't many intelligence personnel stationed there.

After Perón fled Argentina, the hundreds of millions of dollars invested, though the hydrogen bomb turned out to be a fake 'big light bulb,' did result in the cultivation of genuine talent. Most of these individuals were recruited by Saint-Hesse with money. After receiving funding from Saint-Hesse, the National Southern University, led by Principal Durant, developed rapidly, and its physics department became the second best in Argentina, after the University of Buenos Aires.

The third and fourth places are the newly established Provincial La Pampa Polytechnic University and the Provincial Blanca University Physics Department. Blanca University was upgraded from Blanca Higher Vocational School. After being upgraded and renamed last year, it quickly established 12 undergraduate programs and 5 departments, with the physics department being the largest. La Pampa Polytechnic Institute was directly upgraded to a university after expanding its enrollment and is now under the leadership of the La Pampa Provincial Department of Industry.

In addition, the soon-to-be-established La Pampa University of Science and Technology and La Pampa University of Industry will also have physics departments. The Ahlrichs district will establish Blanca's first university town, where Blanca University and the National Southern University will set up new campuses. Each new university will receive 1,500 acres of campus construction land and a public library, which will be Saint-Hesse's base for reserving talent for the future.

Besides the covert nuclear physics research institute, Blanca outwardly has these universities. However, only two companies possess actual manufacturing capabilities: New Cohen Heavy Industries, which researches light and heavy weapons and trucks, and Philip Industries, which produces various agricultural equipment and tractors. This is the accumulation of the Cohen Consortium in the machinery processing industry. External support comes from the American Anker Electric, but Anker Electric is on the verge of collapse. The FBI raided Anker Electric's research institute, and its core was wiped out, even affecting its Canadian operations and the development of Sequoia Capital.

Fortunately, much of Anker Electric's equipment data has been transferred to Argentina. Saint-Hesse has independently established Blanca Bay Electric Company to manufacture and conceal various equipment for the nuclear physics research institute, supported by New Cohen Heavy Industries and Philip Industries. La Pampa Engineering Machinery Company is responsible for cover, establishing a large-scale underground facility in the defense zone of the La Pampa Defense Force.

The real strategy is still to turn to China, specifically China's 'Two Bombs, One Satellite' project. This is the vision of true great men. No matter how strong fighter jets are, Argentina will never be able to match the accumulation of Britain and France.

A good example is North Korea. Although North Korea is weak and has a small population, it can develop its own nuclear weapons and missile technology, and in some respects, its technology can rival that of the United States. Although there is Soviet assistance, it is still very remarkable. If your weapons can reach the United States, then you can truly become independent, while a world 'power' like India does not have this technology.

Saint-Hesse launched the missile technology project long ago, but with little investment, lacking strong talent and sufficient funds. Atomic nuclear weapons are also about to enter the final stage.

Saint-Hesse intends to upgrade the missile project, while the development of fighter jets must be slowed down. It is too strenuous and the results are too slow. It will take at least thirty years, and he cannot wait. Moreover, Saint-Hesse's current financial resources are not enough to support the research and development of the Arrow-4, which would require at least 200 million US dollars.

Spending 200 million US dollars on a supersonic fighter jet that may not even see actual combat is not as good as building a car factory, which could create a return of 500 million or even 1 billion US dollars.

The defense industry is very expensive. Like Makarov of the Black Sea Shipyard said in later generations: 'If you want the Varyag aircraft carrier to be completed, I need the Soviet Union, the Party Central Committee, the State Planning Committee, and the Industrial Military Commission, as well as 9 defense industry departments, more than 600 related specialties, and more than 8,000 supporting manufacturers. In short, it takes a great country to complete it, but that country no longer exists...'

In later generations, besides the United States, only China can complete the construction of an aircraft carrier. France can also be considered, and Britain is quite reluctant.

Second-generation supersonic fighter jets also require a second-rate power like South Africa or South Korea supported by a superpower.

Designing and building a second-generation fighter jet is not something that a San Martin Aircraft Factory can complete on its own. It needs the support of the Argentine Ministry of Defense, dozens of specialties, and possibly hundreds of supporting factories.

The Arrow-3 is already the limit of the Cohen Consortium, and it is already very difficult to maintain this project.

Now, a better direction is not the next generation of fighter jets, but the comprehensive development of the Arrow-3, and obtaining orders from the Ministry of Defense or even export orders through the Arrow-3, so that it can recover its costs or even make some money. This is possible.

Fighter jets are too expensive and not enough to change Argentina's predicament, but missiles can, nuclear weapons can.

Saint-Hesse quickly changed his mind and put it into action, directly establishing aerospace departments in the National Southern University, La Pampa University of Industry, and Blanca University, and recruiting professors in Argentina, preparing to recruit top talents in the new round of university entrance exams.

However, Saint-Hesse also said pessimistically after a meeting: 'Perhaps we Argentines lack strategic scientists.'

Top scientists are very difficult to recruit. For example, Dr. Tank now, which has already been very difficult for Saint-Hesse. Those strategic scientists, like those who were assassinated by the FBI and CIA in later generations, are at least beyond Saint-Hesse's current reach.

The Aviation Administration was established under the La Pampa Provincial Department of Industry and the Blanca Industrial Bureau, injecting secret funds and undertaking the secret Fifth Research Institute, providing funding for the development of the Fifth Research Institute.

Within the San Martin United Aircraft Company, personnel were transferred to supplement the rocket and missile research of the Fifth Research Institute, merging all the original missile technology research institutes and arranging them near the garrison of the La Pampa Defense Force, directly utilizing the vast underground research institute.

The huge wind tunnel built by the San Martin Aircraft Factory at a cost of millions of US dollars will become an important engineering facility for Argentina's rocket and missile research. Saint-Hesse has invested nearly 30 million US dollars in the San Martin Aircraft Factory, not only obtaining the Arrow-3 fighter jet, but also more than 300 excellent aircraft engineers and a complete aircraft manufacturing team.

The Americans spent 1.5 billion US dollars before and after to successfully develop the first-generation Thor missile, which led to the later Minuteman missile.

It is very difficult for Argentina to succeed without foreign aid. Fortunately, in the past few years, a lot of technology and drawings have been obtained in Canada and Germany, and some talents cultivated during the Perón era have allowed this research to continue.

Should missiles be developed? Yes. Can they be developed? Yes.

The United States spent only 2 years developing the Thor missile. Give Argentina 10 years, and perhaps it can achieve this, but not now.

The Fifth Research Institute is starting slowly, but Saint-Hesse is not discouraged. Several important universities have established aerospace departments on the basis of physics departments, and with the help of various materials provided by Anker Electric from the United States and Canada, they have begun the development of missiles.

And the various grains stored by Saint-Hesse may be able to obtain some important information. With the blessing of strategic geniuses in China, the success of missiles is only a matter of time. Argentina also needs a sword, and Argentina also needs the truth.