Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 48 Zheng Yi's Big Mouth (Additional 3)

"What did you say you wanted?"

Li Huaishuang was stunned. He had thought that Zheng Yi would ask for such a high price, but this tone was a bit too arrogant.

The Shijingshan Iron and Steel Company, later known as Shougang, began construction as early as 1919 and boasted the "three bests in the country," meaning "the highest starting point, the greatest strength, and the most advanced equipment."

However, it had a tragic fate. During its construction, it encountered the two Zhi-Feng Wars. The Beiyang warlords were in internal political chaos and the political situation was always unstable, just like the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, so it was never completed.

After the political situation finally stabilized, the First World War ended and international steel prices plummeted. Even the old domestic steel company, Hanyang Iron and Steel, had no work to do and stopped production. The construction of Shijingshan Steel came to an end again.

In other words, the blast furnace inside the Shijingshan Iron and Steel Smelting Company, which was said to be the most advanced in the world, had never been started up once since it was installed in 1919 and it was already 1932.

Not a pound of steel was trained.

Even the installation wasn't fully completed.

Because it has not been started or installed for a long time, the inside of the steel furnace has even rusted and now it cannot be turned even if you want to.

So to some extent, Zheng Yi was not wrong when he said that the thing was scrap metal in the country.

But no matter how much scrap iron it is, this is still a top-level iron-making blast furnace with an annual output of more than 100,000 tons!
This is a purely national project. When the project was launched, Li, Duan, and Cao, the three heroes of the Beiyang government, all took charge of it personally. This was initiated with the strength of the whole country. It was not something that businessmen, at least not those businessmen from Nanyang, could touch.

Even if the Li and Chen families joined forces and sold off all their assets, they might not be able to complete such a large project.

Li Huaishuang couldn't help but frown and said, "Why do you want this thing? As far as I know, the iron smelting business in Nanyang has always been done by people from Panyu. As for Kuala Lumpur, they produce 2,000 tons of steel every year, but they can't use it. There is no such great demand.
That furnace in Shijingshan can produce 60,000 tons of steel and 80,000 tons of iron a year. Even the entire Southeast Asia can't use that much in a year. What are you going to do with it?"

"Can't use it? That's not certain. Maybe in the future, Taiyou Machinery alone will be able to take up most of this production capacity."

"Ha, young man, you really dare to think so. I admit that you are capable, but aren't you too arrogant?

Do you know how much steel production there is in China? Last year, China's annual steel production was only 1.5 tons!

"As long as the furnace in Shijingshan can be operated, it can produce at least 100,000 tons per year. You... want to operate this furnace in Nanyang? Huh?"

Zheng Yi: "You won't have any use for that stove in China anyway, right? It's already sealed and can't be moved. Why don't you give it to me? We'll pay for the relocation and disassembly.

I will pay you another two million national currency as the price of the blast furnace. I will share the technology of the powered delta wing unconditionally. In addition, after I produce it, I will give you two thousand aircraft for free. As for whether to give them to the Central Army or the Guangdong Army, it is up to you to decide.

"If the blast furnace falls into my hands, I will definitely be able to repair it. After it is refined into steel, I will trade 30,000 tons of steel with you every year at cost price. How about that?
We, the Chinese businessmen in Southeast Asia, are at least patriotic, and in times of national crisis, we are all able to stand up and fight."

"Otherwise, this broken furnace will be useless in your hands. The Japanese are now stationed in Jinzhou, eyeing the interior of the country covetously. What if they break into the interior and even Beijing? Will we leave this furnace to the Japanese and repair it to make steel for weapons?"

"If you don't agree, then there's nothing more to discuss with you. The current Minister of Industry is Mr. Kong, right? I'll give him two million yuan privately. Taiyou Mining will be listed on Hong Kong Island in two years at the latest. I can also give Mr. Kong some original shares privately. All he needs is his signature. I'll sell me a completely rusted furnace that's been unused for over a decade as scrap metal. Do you think he'd be willing to do this?"

Li Huaishuang: “…………”

In the end, Li Huaishuang agreed to Zheng Yi's conditions, saying that he would give it a try after he returned. Zheng Yi also specifically proposed to give him one million in "activity funds", and he did not refuse.

After all, it is better for him to sell the stove than for someone named Kong.

Everyone in the world knows what the hell that "God of Wealth Kong" is.

Damn it, he will get angry with anyone who says that Mr. Zheng only knows technology and doesn’t understand business.

What a strong business negotiation ability! One negotiation, everyone is happy.

Although Li Huaishuang didn't dare to guarantee that he would succeed, Zheng Yi knew that the probability was very high, and the Nationalist government really didn't value that furnace very much.

Zheng Yi himself doesn't think he is taking advantage of the country.

Anyway, historically, the Shijingshan Iron and Steel Plant did not produce a single pound of steel until 1937.

After 1937, steel production began, and it was produced for the Japanese.

This steel furnace, which had been rusted for many years and could not be restarted and had been idle for more than ten years, started running in the first year after it fell into the hands of the Japanese.

I don’t know whether it’s because the Japanese are too powerful or the Nationalist government is too useless.

Anyway, Zheng Yi thought that since the Japanese could make the furnace turn, it must not be completely dead. He could repair it and study it. If he could make it turn in his hands, wouldn’t that be great?

Li Huaishuang, on the other hand, felt a little confused after going out.

"What did I originally want to talk to Mr. Zheng about?"

After being stunned for a long time, he remembered to go back and talk about technical matters again. Finally, it was confirmed that he would be responsible for organizing Air China's technical experts, that is, the engineering team headed by Engineer Wang Zu to visit him in Nanyang and have technical exchanges with him.

Zheng Yi also guaranteed that AVIC could fully introduce the manufacturing technology of powered delta wings within one year.

Of course, Zheng Yi also made a few small suggestions, hoping that Wang Zhu could bring one more person with him when he came.

It was Mr. Zhong Zhaolin, currently an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at the University of National Chiao Tung. The reason was that he admired Mr. Zhong Zhaolin very much and wanted to communicate with him.

He was not lying at all. In his previous life, he had the honor of shaking hands with Mr. Zhong, and he didn't dare to wash his hands for three or four days after returning home.

This is the man who is known as the father of Chinese motors.

Zheng Yi had previously said that the Nanyang Electric Motor Factory had almost no hope of making a profit, but that was because he really didn't understand motors. Motors, electromechanical engineering, and mechanical engineering were not part of the same system.

But if Mr. Zhong could come to help him, with Mr. Zhong's knowledge, years of in-depth research in the field of motors, and his advanced insights and knowledge system, it is possible that this motor factory will become very big.

Of course, how to persuade Mr. Zhong to stay and work with him is also a problem. He is also a master's degree holder from Cornell University and a former engineer at Westinghouse Electric. To put it bluntly, he came back to serve the motherland.

We can only talk about this when the time comes.

Li Huaishuang thought about it and felt that an associate professor at the University of Transportation was not a very important figure. Since Mr. Zheng wanted to meet him, then he could just meet him. It would be an honor for Mr. Zhong to exchange technology with Mr. Zheng.

It's just a small matter.

Li Huaishuang immediately agreed.

Zheng Yi, on the other hand, hurriedly took the initiative to make an appointment with Xu Shengli and Mr. Tan Kah Kee.

If the steel furnace could be moved here, a steel plant would definitely have to be built in Penang. He didn't dare to do it in a place like Kuala Lumpur, so he didn't plan to let Li Xiaoshi get involved in this factory.

The Xu family in Penang originally made their fortune by relying on the Australian mining industry. They also have a good port, which makes it very convenient to import iron ore and coal. Naturally, they have no money to relocate the blast furnace, so they must rely on Xu and Chen.

(End of this chapter)