Chapter 600 - Steelmaking!
Chapter 600: Steelmaking!
Translator: Min Editor: Caron_
Jiang Chen brought back three things in total from the apocalypse: a quasi-experimental quantum computer at 40 square meters in size, an industrial 3D printer, and 100 amphibious construction robots.
The quantum computer would be a small hill placed in the backyard of the mansion. If it wasn’t for the fact that Jiang Chen’s storage dimension changed fundamentally, it would be questionable if he could even bring the quantum computer over.
The quantum computer was manufactured in 2150 with the code L-0008 used as the virtual reality network sub-framework for the province of Suhang to provide virtual reality porting services for all users in the province. It was quasi-experimental because its computational abilities didn’t meet the requirements for an experimental quantum computer, but its RAM and processing abilities already stood at the peak among commercial quantum computers.
The computer was preserved inside a special fallout shelter during the war. The fallout shelter located in Hang City recently opened and Big Mining Pit, who knew NAC was interested in technology products, immediately sent out his forces to take over the fallout shelter.
The boss of the Big Mining Pit didn’t dare to make an unreasonable offer, considering how authoritative NAC has been. He sold the scientists and quantum computer from the fallout shelter to Zhao Chenwu’s trade fleet before the Zhao Corporation sold the packaged products off to the NAC.
Following a week of maintenance work, the antique finally started working again.
The computation requirements for a virtual reality MMORPG were terrifying. The quantum computer located at the bottommost level of Future Building could barely sustain operation of Godly Land. In order to establish a virtual reality network, the number of quantum computers Jiang Chen required would be astronomical.
Based on Jiang Chen’s orders, Fallout Shelter 027 exerted 40% of their research efforts on replicating quantum computer. Aside from the heavy electromagnetic pulse cannon under intensive research, it was already the research project with the highest priority.
The operation of the quantum computer showed that Future Group’s virtual reality services had acquired the hardware capabilities to expand to broader territories.
It also made Coro’s electrical grid under pressure again.
As for the industrial 3D printer and 100 amphibious construction robots, Jiang Chen had other uses for them.
Since Celestial Trade’s frigate forced Country F to recognize Moro’s independence in front of UA, New Guinea started to act more respectful of its powerful little neighbor.
At first, the New Guinea government retained a cautious attitude towards Celestial Trade as a military tech company increasing its influence within the territory. The local governments were supportive of Future Group’s investments. They welcomed Future Group’s money but didn’t welcome Future Group’s people…
Now they were afraid to appear unwelcoming.
The country they depended on, Atria, couldn’t bring them a sense of security anymore. Regarding Xin, who made UA compromise, they were wondering what kind of trump card was in their hands.
The President of New Guinea didn’t know, so he chose a conservative strategy.
At least they didn’t display any hostile intentions. Their investment in New Guinea did promote its economic development and brought benefits to the locals. As for the pollution from industrial work, anyone else would’ve also polluted the environment in the same way.
They didn’t want to anger the dictator until he showed hostile intentions. What if they supported the cannibals living in the New Guinea jungles to become independent?
At noon, Jiang Chen arrived at a port in northern New Guinea by private jet and saw Luke Joyce, chairman of BHP Mining Group.
“Ten million tons of iron ore and 20 million tons of aluminum ore. Sh*t, you sure you didn’t add an extra zero?” The moment Luke saw him, he began to question Jiang Chen.
“This is only the first batch. I remember in our agreement that the total was 50 million tons.” Jiang Chen smiled at the skepticism in Luke’s eyes without providing any explanation.
Something unpleasant happened between the two of them a while ago. BHP sent out commercial spies against Future Group in an attempt to steal their deep water mining technology, but Jiang Chen’s Ghost Agents took out all the rats they hired.
But standing here now, the two simultaneously agreed not to bring that up.
“Even building an aircraft carrier wouldn’t need this much iron.”
“An aircraft carrier? Who said I was going to be building that?” Jiang Chen chuckled.
“Then what do you want to do?” Luke furrowed his brows.
“It’s a secret,” Jiang Chen replied mysteriously.
Jiang Chen’s mysterious expression made Luke dying to know the answer, but the oriental man clearly didn’t plan on revealing anything, so he had to settle. Based on the agreement at the Rothschild family dinner, Future Mining would take a step back on deepwater mining technology. BHP would supply 50 million tons of ores to Future Group at 80% the market price.
30 million tons of iron at 20% off was near the cost of ore production for BHP. Although it pained Luke that he wouldn’t make any money, he soon relinquished the idea since the iron had been in storage for too long.
A total of 30 million tons of ores were transported to the port by freight and containers before being transported to the steel plant in eastern New Guinea. The boilers at the steel plant ran 24 hours a day nonstop with the plant workers working on a rotating shift. Under the supervision of the senior engineers of Future Group, they molded the steel and aluminum into the appropriate shape.
The steel plants were built as soon as Jiang Chen came back from Frankberg. Since Xin’s Vice President’s diplomatic visit to New Guinea the last time, Future Mining built a total of ten large steel plants in the eastern province, employing a total of 20,000 workers for Future Mining.
It was almost the total population of Xin.
The steel plants visibly boosted the port’s economy.
Future Group offered high overtime pay and the New Guineans who started working in the steel plant first became the richest of all. With money, restaurants, supermarkets, bars, malls and even theaters appeared, which was something the people at the port hadn’t imagined before.
The low red brick buildings were demolished and replaced by concrete buildings, apartments, and even mansions contracted by Celestial Trade. The land was sold by the local government to Celestial Trade. The officials who tasted the booming economy almost wanted to sell all the undeveloped land to Celestial Trade.
What was with the cautious attitude of the central government toward Celestial Trade? Were they uncomfortable with the increasing population?
Who cared?
Before the New Guinea cities became modernized, they were practically tribes. To this day, the local government still possessed high autonomy. With exponential increases in tax earning, the mayor was already smiling too much to close his mouth and he naturally wouldn’t make trouble for Future Group.
A good corporation could raise a city. That sentence was perfectly demonstrated by Future Group.
Containers of industrial goods were hauled on trucks to the port and loaded onto freights to Ange Island. It was like a blood vessel connecting New Guinea and Xin, which formed a scene familiar to the locals. Some of the containers were transported to the assembling facility on Ange Island to be manufactured into housework robots and MIX1 batteries.
But most of the containers were hauled into a half-closed warehouse…