I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 162 Is there anyone I like

George doesn't like wooden houses. In his opinion, the majestic Baroque style of Yekaterin Palace is in line with the image of Russia.

This is actually impossible.

Baroque is beautiful to look at, but the cost is too high and the cycle is too long. At least it is not suitable for Vladivostok.

What is most suitable for Vladivostok is the square and square tube building, which is low-cost and suitable for central heating. Each house is a strong fortress. If the enemy enters, it will never come back.

Although the structure of the tube building is simple, the cost is not low. It requires a large amount of reinforced concrete, and the consumption of heating pipes and radiators is also staggering. At least it cannot be done in Vladivostok now.

Until leaving Vladivostok, Shiga Ichiro didn't know where he went wrong.

Vladivostok is not without its weaknesses. Within three to five years, population has always been the biggest bottleneck restricting the development of Vladivostok.

George thought that the Japanese and Gao people in Vladivostok, plus the prisoners sent to Vladivostok by Russia, would be enough to meet the consumption of the Vladivostok mine.

In fact, this is far from the case.

It has only been two years since mining began in Vladivostok, but the miners' consumption rate has reached a point where the mine has to ensure the safety of the mine.

George was reluctant to send laborers imported from the Qing Empire to mine.

Mikhail has an idea.

Chinese workers from the Qing Empire could not be sent to mine, but workers from Korea and Japan could.

In order to ensure that the output of the mining plant could keep up with the development needs of Vladivostok, Mikhail began to import Korean and Japanese laborers.

Last year, at least 2000 Korean workers and 6000 Japanese workers arrived in Vladivostok.

If Shiga Ichiro threatens George with this, George will have to weigh it again.

When George knew this, it was already Christmas Eve.

Mikhail had to confess.

The working conditions in the mines in Vladivostok were extremely poor. Within six months of arriving in Vladivostok, the 6000 Japanese workers suffered losses of up to one-third.

Shortly after Christmas comes the Spring Festival. According to the agreement signed between Vladivostok and the Japanese workers, these Japanese workers have to return to Japan to celebrate the Spring Festival.

Mikhail does not dare to let people go now. If the news gets out, not to mention hiring laborers from Korea and Japan, the importation of laborers from the Qing Dynasty will be affected.

"One third of the people died in a year. How did you do that?" George really didn't know about this, otherwise George would never sit idly by.

Sitting back and doing nothing, of course, does not mean supplying Japanese labor.

From the perspective of sustainable development, at the very least, mining plants must be provided with the most basic labor protection.

Although George did not witness it with his own eyes, one-third of the losses were lost in half a year. George could also imagine how terrible the working environment of Japanese workers was.

"Accidents, accidents, illnesses, and some people were shot to death by guards for escaping." Mikhail didn't dare to look up, and he probably wasn't telling the truth.

At least with reservations.

"I discussed with Henry. What Henry means is that you can send a coordination letter to the Japanese government and classify all these people as missing. I don't know where they are. They can't be found-" Mikhail is even more arrogant than George. .

Henry stared at the ceiling and said nothing.

"What coordination letter?" George said firmly.

"That's it-" Mikhail didn't understand immediately.

Henry finally looked at George, his eyes full of surprise.

"I just told Ichiro Shiga last year that there are no Japanese in Vladivostok, they are all Russians." George didn't want to explain. There are so many human traffickers, what if they were sold to Nanyang——

Thinking about how rampant human traffickers were in the Qing Empire, are there no human traffickers in Japan?
  It's impossible. No one in the three East Asian countries should despise anyone in this regard.

"But we have an agreement -" Mikhail muttered. With his reaction ability, he might not be Ekaterina's biological brother.

"Fake!" George didn't say anything, but Henry insisted.

The boy has a future.

"It has my personal signature on it——" Mikhail has indeed done a lot of work to alleviate the shortage of manpower in Vladivostok.

"The seal is also a forgery!" Henry snapped.

"Nikita is still in Japan." Mikhail couldn't wipe his butt clean.

"Who is Nikita?" Henry refused.

Mikhail glared at Henry.

Henry was tit for tat.

"Transfer all our staff back to St. Petersburg." After all, George still couldn't do anything but kill the donkey. He just hoped that the Japanese hadn't noticed this yet.

Nikita calculated carefully and found that she was somewhat related to George.

This man was considered capable. He was about to leave, and more than a thousand Japanese were sent over.

These Japanese have been raised in the departure camp in Japan for several months, and they cannot be dismissed just like that.

George no matter how Mikhail arranges these people, Christmas is coming. This is one of the most important festivals of the year for Russians, and George has been busy since before Christmas.

So many people in Vladivostok followed George with their families, traveling all the way from distant Europe to the Far East. During this festival, George had to express his gratitude. Champagne and cosmetics helped George earn tens of millions of rubles last year. George cannot treat the relevant employees badly. They must have the benefits they deserve, and more should be given, so that they will have enough motivation to help George make money next year.

The workers in the Vladivostok factory have also been busy all year long. Although they don't celebrate Christmas, they always need extra meals or something.

The gunpowder factory prepared a big surprise for George.

How can we celebrate the festival without fireworks?

Vladivostok can now produce its own gunpowder, making fireworks a breeze. Mikhail said hello in advance. Before Christmas, the gunpowder factory sent four full trucks of fireworks directly to Yuriev Palace. George couldn't express this?

Ekaterina takes stock of the year as usual.

Although I spent more money this year than last year, I also have more money left over, and there are signs that I won’t be able to spend all the money.

"Well, bonuses for managers are calculated based on half a year's salary, and workers and soldiers are all given three months' salary as bonuses." George was never afraid of spending money, because no matter how much he spent, he could always double his earnings.

"Is it too much?" Dalia felt distressed.

If the bonus is paid according to the amount mentioned by George, then at least 150 million rubles must be paid out.

George's salary is much higher!

"It doesn't matter, Fa!" Ekaterina also treats money as dirt, and neither of them treats money as money.

"George, are you 14 years old?" Ekaterina suddenly asked George.

George was speechless, why are you asking me?
  "Sorry George, what I meant was, should you get engaged? Is there any girl you like in St. Petersburg?" Ekaterina was probably anxious to hold her grandson.

"Betrothed at 14?" George firmly opposed arranged marriages.

You're not even old enough. If you find an older person, you'll suffer, and if you find someone younger, you won't be able to do it.

"Oh, those uncles and brothers of yours, don't think that I don't know what they are like." Ekaterina sneered at the character of the Romanov family men.

"You'd better go and prepare your banquet menu -" George didn't want to discuss this issue with Ekaterina. When the country is about to perish, why should we call home?

The upper-class nobility of the Russian Empire had a tradition of holding balls, and Catherine originally wanted to hold a ball at the Yuriev Palace.

Vladivostok is either a prisoner or a new immigrant. In fact, there are not many people who can really support their families. Even Korff took office alone.

So let's forget about the dance, because there are not many people dancing, and we can't let a bunch of assigned professors dance with the maids of Yuriev Palace. This is too inappropriate.

So the dance was changed to a banquet.

In fact, the banquet is not easy to handle. After all, there are people from both East and West, and it is difficult to reconcile the opinions.

So Ekaterina has been adjusting the menu these days, trying to satisfy everyone.

From Christmas to New Year there are banquets every evening at Yuriev Palace.

Different guests are invited every day depending on their status.

The banquet on New Year's Eve is the largest, and all the prominent figures in Vladivostok will come to Yuriev Palace to celebrate the New Year.

This is the first time such an event has been held in Vladivostok. Ekaterina is very concerned about it and hopes that everyone can find a sense of belonging in Vladivostok.

"Those are not important. Tell me, don't you have any girl you like? What do you think of the countesses from the Vrontsov family?"

Yeluoxin and Dalia are both Yekaterina's spies, and Yekaterina also knows everything about what George is doing.

Before George had time to object, Catherine herself overturned it.

"The Frontsovs are not good. Their status is too low. They are just a count. You are a super duke——"

"Are you going to go to Germany to find a wife like your brothers again? No, no, I hate Germans——"

Ekaterina quickly entered the state. It is estimated that this problem has been tormenting her for a long time.

"Katya, can you let me find it myself?" George didn't care about the other person's identity, what he wanted was a common understanding.

In his previous life, George had a miserable life. Although he had many girlfriends, he never got married until time travel because his girlfriends thought George was poor.

In this life, George is rich and can do whatever he wants.

So George doesn't care about the other person's identity, he only cares about whether the other person is someone he likes.

"What kind of person are you looking for? Do you have a goal? Tell me and I will check it for you." Yekaterina didn't know what stimulated her, but she suddenly became so concerned about George's marriage.

George found out later.

Mario has a son, and Mikhail is officially promoted to grandfather.

Mikhail is only in his early forties, so he is already a grandfather?
  But considering this is the 19th century, it doesn't seem completely unacceptable.

In this era, let alone 40-year-olds, there are many grandparents who are thirty-year-olds.

"George, you are the only man in the Yuriev family, so you must take this matter seriously." Ekaterina's obsession with passing on the family line is much stronger than George's.

Europeans are actually very open-minded about this.

There is no direct male heir in the family, even a female can.

So when it comes to sons, Europeans are not so persistent.

(End of this chapter)