Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 79 Zheng Yi's Request

Oil, fiber, textiles.

Everyone in the Li family was frightened by the picture Zheng Yi described.

After all, no matter how progressive and patriotic they claim to be, they are just ordinary, traditional businessmen.

To put it bluntly, isn't this just a nouveau riche?

What Zheng Yi said far exceeded the scope of their Li family.

In fact, the significance of this project goes far beyond chemical fiber. The petrochemical industry is truly his core business, and he is confident that the production line he designed will be at least 30 to 40 years ahead of the times.

Of course he can design things that are more than a hundred years old, but that doesn't mean he can't produce them, and there's no need to do that.

As long as the project can be put into production, he is confident that the second and third phases will be launched soon. When he completes the expansion, his processing capacity is so strong that all the oil in the South China Sea will probably be brought to his factory for processing.

If he becomes even more ambitious, he might even go to the Middle East to steal crude oil.

The Middle East has little oil refining capacity at this time, and all it produces is crude oil.

If this step can be achieved, then he can participate in the negotiation of international oil prices and become an important link in the entire oil system.

The entire World War II, whether it was the Soviet-German or Japanese wars, were almost all fought over oil. Only when you have oil in your hands can you have the confidence to speak louder.

Not to mention, he can also use it to produce large quantities of plastic.

Although plastic already existed in this era and was not a particularly rare thing, the production process was really terrible in his eyes, and the price of plastic was not cheap.

If he can produce a large amount of high-quality, low-cost plastics, it will definitely be a major event that can directly affect the world's industrial landscape.

Gasoline, chemical fiber, and plastic. If he could hold these three weapons in his own hands, then in this upcoming era of intense turmoil, perhaps Zheng Yi could also occupy a place among them?

With this as a foundation, Nanyang can develop the basic chemical industry. Fertilizers and gunpowder are all based on this. Even before he traveled through time in the future, there were no more than ten countries with complete basic chemical capabilities. This thing may seem inconspicuous, but it is the real cornerstone of the country and the cornerstone of world industry.

Of course, these are just fantasies so far and are still far from being realized.

The people in the Li family don’t understand the technology, and in fact they don’t quite understand such a large-scale situation. To be honest, they don’t know when this project, with such a large investment, will pay off.

But anyway, what Zheng Yi made was very advanced. If it wasn't, two giants like DuPont and Shell would not have rushed to seek cooperation. It could even be said that they would have given up the dominant position and even gave the entire city of Penang to Zheng Yi.

They don't understand the project, but they believe in Zheng Yi.

Since Zheng Yi is short of money, all they can do is to support him fully. Although their abilities are limited, they certainly cannot solve the problem directly, but they have staked their entire fortune on this matter.

Zheng Yi didn't hesitate to say anything. "When the time comes, we Chinese will set up a company specifically for this project. I'll raise funds from you and you'll be considered shareholders."

"Ah."

Li Jiqian didn't ask how many shares he would be given, or how the internal calculation would be done. The matter of staking his entire fortune was settled in just a few words. Zheng Yi said, "I came back today not mainly to raise money. To be honest, money is relatively easy to solve. The biggest problem is people. I really don't have anyone available.

You know, I have so many projects on my plate that I am really overwhelmed, not to mention managing Penang’s government affairs in the future.”

"Besides, you all know that my strength lies in technology. At most, I can do some strategic planning and management work, which is really not my forte.
I haven't been in Nanyang long, I don't know many people, and even fewer I trust. Chairman, big brother, can you come and help me? "

Li Xiaoshi: "You mean we should all move to Penang? It seems you really want to be the king of Penang. You want us to go to Penang and serve as your left and right prime ministers?"

Zheng Yi: "Grassroots King... maybe I can be considered that. To be honest, the burden on my shoulders is a bit too heavy now. I really need help. Our family is the leader of Xinyi people. There are so many Xinyi people. Who can be trusted and who can take on the heavy responsibility? I need a trustworthy helper.

"Brother, you were a classmate of the King of England. In terms of connections with the British, no one in Nanyang is stronger than you. If you could get a name in Penang, I think it would be much easier to communicate when doing things, and it would also reduce a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings."

Li Xiaoshi: "Aren't you the president of the Northern Fujian Chamber of Commerce now? Why don't you use people from Northern Fujian?"

Zheng Yi did not shy away from the question and said, "Of course I have to use it, but after all, I have only been in Nanyang for a short time. Even if I have fellow countrymen, how many of them really know my background?
There are many people in Fuqing and Xinghua who are hardworking and persevering, but how many of them are good people who can accomplish anything?

"I've already built a factory to produce bicycles and rickshaws, and even invented a wire-cutting machine for it. I've done my best to take care of my fellow villagers, and it's only natural that I take care of them through my own project."

“However, the Penang petrochemical project and the tax package must be a joint effort, and I am just a leader.”

"In fact, we Chinese in Southeast Asia are quite powerful. If we count the entire Southeast Asia, we have a population of seven or eight million, and almost all of them are middle-aged and mostly male. How many countries in the world have a population of seven or eight million?"

"We actually have quite a bit of money, at least much more than the Malays and Indians. However, for so many years, despite having money and connections, we have almost no voice. We are sometimes even bullied in Southeast Asia, let alone internationally."

"The Siamese wrote a book about the Jews of the East, and all the Chinese in Southeast Asia trembled with fear. The Chaoshan people have lived in Siam for so many years, and now they are being bullied after a coup. The Japanese invaded our motherland, but the British still completely ignored our opinions."

"In the final analysis, it's because we're not united enough. Even though we have Mr. Tan Kah Kee now, his strength alone is far from enough. To be honest, he doesn't have enough strength either."

"Although the petrochemical plant project requires a large investment, the returns are even greater. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I hope to use this opportunity to truly unite the Chinese community, working together in the same city and on the same project, starting with Penang as the center and radiating out to the entire Southeast Asia."

"If the Chinese in Southeast Asia can truly work together, speak out together, work together, pool their strengths, and accomplish great things, then why should we worry about not being able to gain a foothold in the international arena?"

"That's why I won't employ too many Northern Fujianese in Penang. The ones I trust the most are still our Li family."

Li Jiqian: "What do you want us to do?"

“If it is possible, of course we all hope to move to Penang.”

"I hope that my eldest brother can help me handle the government affairs of Penang and take charge of the communication with the British.
Second Master, if possible, I hope you can also be my assistant and help me monitor some of the projects that I am directly responsible for.
"Sir, I hope you can be the MP for Penang. You are the most mature and experienced person, and I really don't know who to entrust with the affairs of the community."

"If it is feasible, I hope that the Third Young Master can also come back? Joining the army to serve the country is to defend the country, but now that Penang is just being built, we also need to build up our Chinese armed forces.

Since I have to pay taxes, at least Penang should have its own police force for us Chinese to protect the interests of us Nanyang Chinese from being violated. Although it is not defending the country, it is protecting our home. "

(End of this chapter)