Siheyuan: Why is my crossing so ugly?

Du Weiguo disappeared after the Spring Festival in 1969.

He completely disappeared from the public eye, and for a full ten years, until New Year's Day in 1979, he did not show his face again, at least not in front of ordinary people.

It's as if that person, the evil god who once stirred up the world, was just a legend and never actually existed.

Not only has Du Weiguo disappeared without a trace, but the whereabouts of the Fiend Clan have also become very low-key. They rarely come out and are no longer as active as before, and they no longer slaughter everyone they see.

However, the territories of the Fiends remained as solid as a rock, maintaining rapid development without causing any trouble, and no one dared to provoke them.

Interestingly, the official stance of various countries regarding the existence of this special group of people with special abilities is remarkably consistent and unified.

They exhausted every means to cover it up and conceal it.

In addition, it is indeed difficult for ordinary people to come into contact with them, so they have gradually become legends, at most being talked about in amusement during leisure time.

However, all the big shots with high enough status and good enough information are very clear about one fact.

Over the past decade, the world order has undergone tremendous changes.

Du Weiguo's prediction was correct. With the unwavering support of the Soviet Union, Quiana successfully tested its first atomic bomb in just two years.

However, the first satellite launch unfortunately failed, and it was not until just before the Spring Festival in 72, just before the scheduled deadline, that it was successfully launched.

The first satellite to be successfully launched was named Chang'e-1 by someone with a wicked sense of humor.

From then on, Quiana's technologies, especially military technology, developed rapidly, leaving others far behind.

In the same year, in March, Quiana successfully detonated its first (hydrogen) bomb. In June, the second satellite was launched. By the end of the year, the first supersonic fighter jet, the Suzaku, was independently developed and successfully test-flown.

Just six months later, an upgraded version, the Suzaku II, was launched.

This fighter jet boasts specifications that surpass even the most advanced F-4 (Phantom II) of the time, as well as the MiG-25 (Foxbat) of the Soviet Union, making it a true king of the skies.

Before the New Year, China also launched its first (nuclear) powered submarine, the Zhulong I, along with an independently developed ballistic missile.

However, at this very moment, some unfortunate events also occurred.

Previously, hundreds of experts who had been sent by the Russians to assist in the reconstruction of Quiana were suddenly unilaterally returned. Rather than returning them, it would be more accurate to say they were repatriated or expelled.

The crucial point is that these experts also encountered an accident on their return journey.

The four transport planes they were on, along with the 12 fighter jets sent by the Russians to escort them, mysteriously lost contact almost simultaneously shortly after leaving the airspace over Quiana.

The plane went missing in international waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Russians sent a fleet to search for it for more than a year, but they couldn't find even a single piece of wreckage.

No one can be seen alive, and no body can be seen dead.

Although there is no evidence, everyone knows that this was done by the evil spirits, as only they possess such bizarre and almost supernatural methods.

From then on, the honeymoon period of loving relationship between Mao Xiong and Du Weiguo officially came to an end.

Although they did not immediately turn against each other, their relationship plummeted to a freezing point, and cooperation in various fields almost completely ceased.

The change in the Russian bear's attitude has indeed had some impact on Quiana, but it is not significant and is basically within a controllable range.

With nuclear weapons, satellites, ballistic missiles, and nuclear submarines, Quiana already possesses the ability to defend itself.

In addition, Quiana has several steadfast and powerful allies outside, not to mention the support of the Fiend Clan and Du Weiguo in secret.

It's fair to say that Quiana no longer needs to care about anyone's opinion.

Another extremely important point is that Quiana is currently incredibly wealthy, with abundant resources and a large, well-trained army, so naturally they are not afraid of fighting and are even somewhat eager to try.

After the 70s, Quiana gradually developed three pillar export industries: military industry, home appliances, and pharmaceuticals.

First, let's talk about the military industry. Glock pistols and rifles produced in Quiana have been purchased by dozens of countries and "regions" as standard weapons for military and police forces.

Even Citibank has 17 states that use Glocks as police firearms, generating annual profits of over a billion US dollars from this alone.

Of course, Queyana's military products are not limited to the Glock family of rifles.

There are also light and heavy machine guns, grenades, rocket launchers, various cannons, armored vehicles, attack helicopters, light tanks, and light gunboats.

Later on, they even exported fighter jets, bombers, various missiles, main battle tanks, destroyers, and nuclear submarines.
By the late 70s, Quiana's annual arms exports had skyrocketed to hundreds of billions of dollars, second only to the United States and the Soviet Union at the time.

Secondly, home appliances are another major sector, and this one is also very strong.

Since Quiana independently produced its first radio in 68, subsequent appliances such as tape recorders, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners have been manufactured.

As for small appliances like fans, vacuum cleaners, rice cookers, ovens, and water heaters, needless to say, there's nothing they can't make, only things you can't imagine.

The home appliances produced in Quiana are of high quality and low price, and most importantly, they have a particularly stylish and technologically advanced appearance, far surpassing products of the same era.

Upon its release, it became an instant hit throughout Europe and America, captivating the vast majority of white people.

According to incomplete statistics, in 1978 alone, Quiana's total electrical appliance exports reached $400 billion, with profits approaching $100 billion.

However, the only downside was that sales in Asia were somewhat poor, mainly because Moran also established a home appliance factory in Siam at the same time, thus taking away a piece of the pie.

The last item is medicine, which is a bit strange.

Until 73, Quiana was virtually unknown in the pharmaceutical field, with no noteworthy achievements, and even relied heavily on imports for most of its medicines.

However, starting in March 1973, the pharmaceutical factory under the Seventh Research Institute of Quiana began to launch new drugs one after another, and subsequently maintained an astonishing rate of launching more than a dozen new drugs every month.

In just one year, it met all the domestic demand for commonly used medicines, and then began to export them in large quantities.

The drugs produced in Quiana are characterized by their strong potency, effectiveness, safety, and minimal side effects. Most importantly, they are incredibly cheap, so cheap that it makes you want to curse.

Therefore, they broke the pharmaceutical monopoly of established European and American powers with almost no effort and quickly occupied the markets in South America, Africa, and West Asia.

These three places are among the poorest and most chaotic places in the world, each one poorer than the last, but they are also the markets with the greatest demand for medicines.

The large population base can barely offset the low prices, but overall, not much can be made.

However, Quiana doesn't make money from these basic, commonly used drugs at all. At the beginning of the new year, Quiana's Seventh Research Institute successively launched more than twenty special clinical drugs, all specifically targeting intractable diseases.

For example, leukemia, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, ALS, and various cancers.

Although these terminal illnesses cannot be cured at present, they can effectively alleviate symptoms and prolong life to the greatest extent possible, which can be regarded as a milestone in medical history.

However, these miracle drugs all have one thing in common: they're expensive! Exorbitantly expensive, infuriatingly expensive!
Each treatment course starts at tens of thousands of dollars. Not to mention ordinary people can't afford it, even the rich would be shocked.

However, in order to survive, the wealthy who contracted the disease still flocked to it, and the special medicine sold extremely well, with a long-term supply shortage.

In 1975, the export value of these special drugs alone reached $530 billion, and Quiana made a staggering $500 billion with tears in his eyes.

It's even more outrageous than the speed at which money is printed.

In addition, in late 74, a mysterious sanatorium appeared in the dense forest on the outskirts of St. George.

This sanatorium is even more outrageous, with guards every three steps and sentries every five steps, as secure as an iron barrel, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close.

The key issue is that you need to verify your financial resources to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. The requirements are extremely strict. If your net worth is less than $3000 million, you don't even qualify to apply.

Even so, the nursing home remains extremely popular, with beds in high demand and wealthy individuals having their applications booked for several years in advance.

The reason this sanatorium is so arrogant is that, in addition to having an abundance of special medicines that can "cure all diseases," the key is that it can also prolong life and rejuvenate.

Immortality is just bragging, but restoring bodily functions, slowing down aging, and living a few more years is definitely not a big deal.

This alone is enough to drive people crazy!
Those wealthy people who are so poor they only have money left, especially the old folks who are practically on their deathbeds, would be willing to spend any amount of money to live even just one more day.

And then there are those wealthy ladies and socialites whose youth is fading away; they are willing to pay any price just to slow down the aging process.

The income of this sanatorium is a mystery, but some bigwigs who have stayed there a few times estimate that it is guaranteed to generate tens of billions of yuan annually, with no upper limit.

In fact, besides these three pillar industries, other sectors in Quiana are also thriving.

For example, in the automotive industry, Fiat Group has been fully acquired by Quiana, and in addition to meeting domestic demand, it can export hundreds of thousands of vehicles every year.

There's also the free trade zone, where several casinos have opened over the past decade, making it the second-largest gambling city after Las Vegas, with annual profits reaching tens of billions.

As for people's livelihood, it is even more outstanding. In 78, Quiana's per capita income exceeded $4, ranking fourth in the world.

Needless to say, it's a developed country, no doubt about it.

With the incorporation of Suriname and French Cuiana, plus the acquisition of most of the Brazilian state of Roraima, Cuiana's total area now reaches 95.4 square kilometers.

It ranks 30th in the world, second only to Egypt, and is equivalent to two and a half times the size of Japan and nearly ten times the size of South Korea, which can barely be considered as a vast territory.

In terms of population, the wave of immigration to Quiana has basically ended, with the registered population stabilizing at around 960 million and the resident population at around 1200 million.

Chinese are the main ethnic group in Quiana, numbering nearly 600 million.

The active-duty military in Quiana has 28 personnel, with Chinese making up as much as 8% of them.

However, Quyana did not have the largest army under Duwei Kingdom; Kalimantan did.

In 72, Moran swept away the warlords in the western, central, southern, and eastern parts of Kalimantan Island like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, unifying the entire island.

In 74, Kalimantan was officially established as a nation, with its capital in Mulawe and its first president being Mbado Godot.

He was from South Kalimantan, a former division commander in the Indonesian National Defence Force, who later amassed tens of thousands of men and guns and established a foothold in the southern part of the island.

This guy's troops were already decimated, becoming toothless tigers.

However, he still had some influence in the area and knew many people, which is why Moran pushed him to the forefront and made him her puppet.

Borneo is the world's third largest island, with a total area of ​​74 square kilometers. Even excluding the northern part, it still covers nearly 60 square kilometers.

Currently, Moran's territory has a population of over 2000 million, and it is newly conquered territory. Small-scale rebellions still occur from time to time in some areas, so it is necessary to set up a heavy military presence to ensure its stability.

Therefore, she had a standing army of up to 44.

This only refers to the number of regular troops. If we add the local militias who surrendered, the total number would be at least 60.

However, the troops in Kalimantan were mostly surrendered soldiers who had been reorganized. Their equipment, training, and discipline were poor, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them a rabble.

Moreover, Kalimantan is such a godforsaken place that it is extremely poor, with almost no industrial base, and half of the people still practice slash-and-burn agriculture and live in thatched huts.

Building a Kalimantan that was so poor and backward would be incredibly difficult, requiring massive amounts of funds and resources—it would be a bottomless pit.

Pattaya and the Auto City alone are not enough.

Moran, being a strong-willed and ambitious woman, refused to fall behind others. So, in recent years, she's been green with envy in her pursuit of money to fill the financial hole.

She would do anything to make money, especially the mercenary business, which she pursued with great success.

In Southeast Asia, West Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa, wherever there is war, the Dumo mercenary group can be found.

Even the wars in many places were instigated by Du Mo; he is simply the number one troublemaker who fears nothing more than a peaceful world.

Fortunately, Moran's efforts were not in vain.

In five years, Kalimantan has been completely transformed, with more than 20,000 kilometers of new railways and 60,000 kilometers of highways connecting the entire island.

Electricity has been provided to most cities and some rural areas, and communication links have been established. The government, police, medical, educational, and judicial systems have also been gradually improved, and local security forces have been abolished.

Various factories and mines sprang up like mushrooms after rain, finally giving the company a meager industrial base.

The capital, Mulawe, is even more remarkable.

Not only has the city been connected to water and electricity and paved with cement roads, but it has also built an airport, a train station, and many high-rise buildings, and has already taken on the outline of a modern metropolis.

Everything was moving in a positive direction, but Moran was not happy because she was facing a difficult problem, and one that seemed unsolvable.

What's the problem? She has no one else available; more precisely, she has no immigrants left. (End of Chapter)