Chapter 1644 - Provisions Go First
Chen Shixin led Zhang Yu out the main gate, walking to the side where there was an inconspicuous small door, guarded by two Fake Hair-bandits.
He was seen saying a few words to the guards. The Fake Hair-bandits nodded, searched Zhang Yu all over, then let them in.
Opening the door and entering, they saw another world inside. It turned out behind this wing building was another large open field and another building. However, the guards didn't allow them to look much, leading them directly to a room. At the door of the room, there were guards again—openly hanging revolving chain-pearl guns at their waists.
Zhang Yu had seen this kind of revolving chain-pearl gun in Australian magazines, knowing this was a sharp weapon of the military state that could fire continuously. Now seeing it at such close distance, although only the grip could be seen inserted in the holster, it counted as a small wish fulfilled.
However, Australians being so strictly guarded—what exactly did they intend? Zhang Yu secretly became suspicious.
The guard opened the door. In the middle of the room was a large desk, piled high with papers and documents. Against the walls were all square cabinets and bookshelves, equally piled with various files and volumes.
Behind the table, sitting upright in a rattan chair, was exactly a "Chief."
Chen Shixin was fine, but although it was Zhang Yu's first time seeing one, from clothing and temperament he knew the one before his eyes was a genuine "True Hair-bandit."
This True Hair-bandit had a sturdy physique, worthy of being called broad-shouldered and round-waisted. The hair on his head was short like a monk's—truly a "Hair-bandit." He wore short clothes, all cotton in texture, soft and collapsing, wrinkled, the color a faded indigo. Really not majestic enough in appearance. But the imposing manner radiating from him was definitely what only powerful and influential people would emit.
This burly man raised his eyes and looked over.
"This is Chief Hong." Chen Shixin introduced. "This is—"
Before he could finish, Zhang Yu's legs went soft and he flopped down on his knees, kowtowing: "Small commoner, small commoner... Zhang Yu, greets Old Lord... No, Chief..."
Hong Huangnan nodded. "Get up and speak."
"Yes, yes. Many thanks for Chief's grace." Zhang Yu crawled up trembling, standing with hands down.
"Little Chen, this is the classmate friend you mentioned. What matter is it after all? Just let him say it. My time is very precious." Hong Huangnan opened his mouth.
Hong Huangnan had been in Guangzhou for some time. Originally, the Great World business recruitment had nothing to do with him. The Great World project group had Zhang Yikun in charge. Moreover, after the "Guangzhou New City" plan was confirmed, the Senators originally in Hong Kong basically all flocked to the Great World, rubbing fists and wiping palms, preparing to do a big job. Apart from the future General Manager of the Great World, even Hong Shuiyin, the Business Representative in Hong Kong, came to stick a foot in—preparing to set up a large wholesale market in the Great World.
As for Senator Hong Huangnan serving as Director of the Joint Logistics Headquarters, these few years on Hong Kong Island could be called substantial. First providing logistical support for Operation Engine—tens of thousands of materials transshipped from Hong Kong Island. Although later a few Senators doing logistics came, arranging shipping schedules and allocating cargo still consumed half of Senator Hong's brain cells. The results were not always satisfactory: things like Kaohsiung receiving cotton clothes destined for Jeju Island, while Jeju Island received Zhuge Marching Powder, happened from time to time.
After the transshipment work came to a stage, he began implementing the "Hong Kong Island Joint Logistics Center" plan—presiding over building warehouses, digging caves, repairing dams, and constructing wharfs on Hong Kong Island. He also established a Joint Logistics Food Factory on the island, directly utilizing ingredients acquired in the Pearl River Delta to process durable military food.
Besides these proper businesses, Director Hong also returned to Lingao and traveled between "Senate Jurisdiction Areas" from time to time to handle his private project, the No. 82 Special Supply Store. Of course, this project theoretically belonged to the Senate, led by the General Office—but from beginning to end it was him alone running around.
Hardly had he established the No. 82 project and stocking entered the right track, when the Military Affairs General Court issued the command for "Guangdong Strategy Preparation."
Now he was going crazy. In the past, the Fubo Army's operation targets were very small—often a small island, a city, a small patch of territory. Although the Pearl River Intrusion Campaign had a large scale, it basically relied on fleet ships moving along rivers, satisfying the army's needs just using supply ships accompanying the fleet and a small amount of local procurement. The largest scale land military operation "Summer Awakening" was only on Hainan Island. Hainan Island was vast and sparsely populated; whether enemies or potential enemies, their scale was very small, combat power even less worth mentioning. Therefore, for the troop strength the Fubo Army invested each time, and supply scale—moreover they had the convenient condition of coastal shipping—organizing supplies wasn't strenuous.
Now the Fubo Army wanted to occupy the entire Guangdong.
From the Guangdong Strategy Plan marked "Top Secret" sent over, Fubo Army's military operations covered the whole province. The mobilized Army and Navy would exceed twenty thousand people—almost the entire family fortune of the Fubo Army. The plan also included a Guangdong National Army plan of creating "one company upon occupying one county." According to Ming Dynasty administrative divisions, whole Guangdong had 77 counties and 8 scattered departments, meaning just newly built National Army would be 85 companies—equipment for these newly built companies from head to toe all had to be transported from Lingao.
Field troops, Peace Preservation Army, National Army, plus "Eastbound Cadres" about to take over the whole province's political power—clothing, food, housing, and transportation for all these people had to be raised and issued by the Joint Logistics Headquarters.
Different from Operation Engine, although Operation Engine's supply scale was grand and supply varieties complex, supply locations were just those few. Troops didn't need large-scale maneuvering. Joint Logistics mainly did cargo allocation and transshipment work; supply endpoints were very close to depots. But for Guangdong Strategy operation, supply lines had to follow troops' advance, and also open depot lines. The coordination complexity therein far exceeded the past.
He held meetings in Lingao with Thorpe and Planning Court Senators for several days, discussing how to carry out this unprecedented large-scale logistic activity. The scheme finally decided was "Local Procurement." That is to say, except for weapons, ammunition, and clothing/equipment, eating, drinking, and burning wood would all be levied locally from Guangdong.
Therefore, the start time of Guangdong Strategy was finally set at late autumn and early winter, exactly when autumn harvest ended and grains returned to granaries. Launching an attack at this time, public and private warehouses were all abundant. Whether requisitioning or purchasing, obtaining enough food supplies was easy. The weather was cool, suitable for marching and fighting, and epidemics were few too.
Although it was local procurement, preparation work in the grain aspect was still not small. Local bulk grain storage mostly existed in the form of unhusked rice. Field troops couldn't possibly husk rice before cooking. To ensure the Fubo Army's habitual speed of action, enough field rations must be guaranteed.
These field rations not only had many varieties, but the quantity needed was also large. After he discussed with Thorpe, they decided to expand production of the Joint Logistics Food Factory on Hong Kong Island. However, fresh water resources on Hong Kong Island were limited, having a great restrictive effect on the food factory's production. For this, they agreed to set up a food production factory in the Great World. Products would be stored in the Great World, supplying locally once operations began.
Connected with this scheme, he started advocating for enemy area pre-positioned depots: the Carriage Shop Plan. However, it was still rejected. The scheme itself was extremely controversial. Furthermore, the Military Affairs General Court had already stipulated several principles for formulating combat plans, one of which was to utilize water transport for maneuver and supply as much as possible.
After Hong Huangnan arrived in Guangzhou, besides supervising implementation of the food purchase plan, he collected local and surrounding grain situation through Guangzhou Station's intelligence system every day—especially estimating the yield of rice not yet harvested, so as to roughly infer the actual yield of each county. At the same time, he also prepared to establish a food factory in the Great World, specializing in producing military rations.
In spare time from work, Hong Huangnan strolled around the periphery of the Great World from time to time under protection of plainclothes guards—gazing at the "Hometown" in another spacetime not far away. Since D-Day, this was the first time he was so close to "Hometown."
Although he felt quite close to this "Hometown," he didn't dare get too close. This was enemy-occupied area after all. No matter how well he spoke Cantonese, he didn't look like a person of Great Ming after all. In case he was kidnapped by some reckless bandits or robbers, the fun would be big. After the Disorder in Lingao Incident, security work for Senators had been upgraded.
During a walk, he got to know Chen Shixin. This child's spirit of delving into art gave him a good impression—at any rate, he had graduated from an art college. Although he changed profession later, he hadn't dropped his major yet. From simple guidance to systematic teaching, coming and going, they gradually became master and apprentice without established relationship. Hong Huangnan felt he was a teachable talent in art, but currently he had no ideas about this child—there were too many things to do.
He didn't expect today he would actually run to ask him for a favor. Hong Huangnan was somewhat curious, so he agreed to meet his good friend.
"Small commoner Zhang Yu." Zhang Yu saw his expression was fairly peaceful, without the majesty of an official lord, nor three shifts of yamen runners on two sides. His heart settling slightly, his speech also became much more fluent. "Family opens a walnut cookie shop..."
Then he explained how his family was a century-old shop, but he'd heard the Great World also wanted to open tea food shops. He didn't know if these tea food shops were opened by "Chiefs"—because things made by Chiefs were always good and cheap, so he had been very worried...
Hong Huangnan nodded slightly, having a very good impression of this child. A fifteen or sixteen-year-old lad being able to think of sharing worries for the family was considered not easy. He thought about it. The Ministry of Commerce indeed prepared to open several "Australian Flavor" catering shops in the Great World, selling nothing more than cold drinks, refreshments, fast food, and even "Australian Cuisine." As for tea food shops, he hadn't heard of them. However, Mo Xiaoan also told him she was preparing to open a pastry room in the Great World, planning to produce and sell Western-style baked goods and Japanese-style rice flour confectioneries.
"Shops selling local tea food—there are none," Hong Huangnan said. "But there are those selling Australian tea refreshments."
(End of Chapter)