Film and Television World Life Record

Li Mu snorted: "Four hundred thousand legal tender. Last time he asked for five hundred thousand legal tender, and said it depended on luck, and there was no guarantee that it could be done."

"How can you be so sure this time?"

Liu Peiming said, "The situation is probably different now. Nanjing has been lost, so the value of some positions has naturally decreased. If these places are lost as well, they won't be worth a single penny."

Li Mu thought about the Kuomintang's consistent practices of selling official positions and titles, and it wasn't really surprising. Without these people, how could the Nanyang region have fallen into his hands?

He sighed and said, "Tell them we'll take it. It's just 400,000 legal tender. This title is much more valuable to us than 400,000 gold coins."

After saying that, he instructed, "Peiming, you need to speed up the establishment of the intelligence network. The situation may get worse and worse. Once some places fall, it will be even more difficult to establish an intelligence network from those places."

Liu Peiming stood at attention and saluted, saying, "Yes, Commander. Our intelligence has already covered the surrounding provinces. In three months at most, we will be able to build an intelligence network covering the whole country, including the occupied areas."

Li Mu nodded: "Okay, I'll wait for your good news."

……

The person who collected the money was quite honest and efficient; the appointment was made in just a few days.

Now, things are completely under his control. He has both administrative and military power, and the entire region is now firmly under his control, both nominally and in reality.

Now, we can finally develop and recruit talent at will.

Chapter 417 Development Plan of Nanyang Government Office

In the evening, as dusk fell in Nanyang City, the seat of the Nanyang government, the dim streetlights cast faint glows. Li Mu led several guards along the bluestone slabs of Nanyang Street, observing the city at this time.

The appearance of the streetlights surprised him, yet he also felt it was only natural.

Li Mu had read some materials and learned that electricity had already appeared in China as early as 1879. British engineer Bill Gates lit the country's first electric light on Zhapu Road in Shanghai. Three years later, the British built China's first power plant in the Shanghai concession and connected 15 electric lights in the Bund area.

In 1888, Li Hongzhang also illuminated the Forbidden City in Beijing, enabling Empress Dowager Cixi to use electricity. The following year, he established a power plant. From that year onward, the domestic power industry developed rapidly, and the number of users increased year by year.

Before the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, there were already 80 power plants in the country, with a total power generation capacity of 37000 kilowatts.

Subsequently, the development of electricity in China was even more rapid. According to the relevant data he saw, before the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, the country's annual power generation had already reached 44.5 billion kilowatts, ranking 14th in the world.

44.5 billion kilowatts, which means that before the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, China's annual power generation had reached 44.5 billion kilowatt-hours, or 10 kilowatt-hours per capita.

Although most of them are concentrated in major cities such as Nanjing, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, and Wuhan, as well as developed coastal areas, the proportion in inland areas is not large.

However, it also shows that electricity was already widely used at that time, and power plants of all sizes were scattered throughout the country.

Although Nanyang is an inland area, it is quite common for such a large region with a population of over five million to have electricity and streetlights, as Nanyang City is the seat of government and the economic and administrative center.

Not only electricity, but telephones are now also widely used.

According to the information he had, telephones began to develop rapidly in China during the Beiyang period. In the beginning, telephones could generally only be used within the same city, and the lines often malfunctioned, especially during windy and rainy weather, when the wires would either get tangled or break, making them very unreliable.

The first long-distance telephone line in China appeared in 1927, namely the Nanjing-Shanghai long-distance telephone line.

Subsequently, this telephone line continued to extend, and from 1931 to 1934, cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Hankou successively opened local automatic telephone exchanges. Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hebei, Hunan, and other provinces also successively opened provincial long-distance telephone services.

Building on this foundation, starting in January 1934, the Ministry of Communications planned to construct long-distance telephone lines connecting nine provinces: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Shandong, and Hebei, with a total trunk line length of 3173 kilometers. The project was largely completed in February 1936.

Unfortunately, with the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, many telephone lines were cut off, and these places quickly fell into the hands of the Japanese.

Li Mu spent half a day wandering around Nanyang City. With the appearance of streetlights and the war in the coastal areas, many people brought their families and flocked in, making the city noticeably more lively and prosperous.

However, the number of beggars and vagrants also increased significantly, making this prosperity seem somewhat distorted.

Li Mu frowned and asked, "We've launched so many projects, and we need manpower everywhere. The pay is pretty good, so why are there still so many beggars and vagrants?"

"Go find a job. Not only will it provide food and lodging, but you can also save some money. It's much better than being a beggar here."

Xu Weixin, the newly appointed adjutant, said, "Commander, these people have probably gotten used to it. Our Nanyang City is doing quite well now, and there are quite a few people willing to give them alms. They don't lack food, so why would they bother to work?"

Li Mu frowned and said, "The fighting on the front lines is intense. In the future, it's easy to imagine that more and more people will flee to the interior, and the number of people here will also increase, as will the number of refugees and beggars."

“Begging is nothing, but if there are too many homeless people and beggars, it is easy for problems to arise and it will have a great impact on public security. We cannot let this continue.”

He then turned and ordered, "Deputy Officer Xu, tomorrow you take men and gather all these beggars and vagrants together, and screen them one by one. If they are truly disabled and unable to work, let them beg. As for those able-bodied lazybones, send them all to construction sites with strict security. We won't exploit them; we'll provide them with food and lodging, and pay them their wages as usual. We just can't let them live like this."

Xu Weixin replied, "Yes, Commander!"

As he walked, Li Mu saw some more beggar children. He went over and asked them a few questions, then sighed and said, "When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the people suffer. In this war, so many families have been torn apart, and so many children have become orphans!"

"Lieutenant Xu, tomorrow all the little beggars and children among the vagrants in the city should be sent to the orphanage. Depending on the number of children, we should ask a teacher to come and teach them to read. Otherwise, if they continue to wander in society, they will either continue to be beggars, or they will not follow the right path, or they will starve to death or die violently. They will not be of any benefit to the whole society."

Xu Weixin hesitated and said, "Yes, Commander. However, I heard that the orphanage in the city is also in a difficult situation. With the war raging at the front, the local finances are empty and there is not much money to allocate to them. They can only barely keep going."

"If we send so many more people and then have to teach them to read, then..."

Li Mu said, "That is indeed a problem. Which place doesn't have a tight budget these days? Forget it, I'll donate 50,000 yuan to the orphanage in my name to take these children in and send them to school. We'll figure out a solution later when the budget is better."

50,000 yuan of legal tender is now worth about 30,000 to 40,000 silver dollars. Before 1939, legal tender was actually quite valuable. After 1939, due to the rampant issuance of currency, it began to depreciate on a large scale and became increasingly worthless.

This is an absolute treasure for the sales home; it could easily support a thousand children.

Xu Weixin replied solemnly, "Yes, Commander!"

The group continued walking when suddenly a commotion arose ahead. Li Mu looked up and saw a dozen or so slovenly thugs collecting protection money from each of the night market vendors. Some vendors who didn't want to pay had their stalls kicked over and then beaten by the group.

Li Mu was furious, but given his current status, he couldn't just rush in and make a move.

He turned to Xu Weixin and instructed him, "Deputy Officer Xu, this is yours. Arrest the man and interrogate him thoroughly. I want to hear your report in an hour."

Xu Weixin replied, "Yes, Commander!"

The group was dressed in casual clothes while shopping. On the surface, they appeared to be accompanied by only a few guards, but there was actually a larger group following them at a distance.

After Li Mu finished speaking, he lost interest in continuing his stroll and turned back. Xu Weixin immediately called to the guards behind him to go and arrest him.

Li Mu's residence in Nanyang City was a garden called "Yu Garden" covering more than 20 acres. It was filled with pavilions, terraces, flowers, and plants. In the very center was a small Western-style building with a combination of Chinese and Western styles and luxurious decorations. It could be considered the best residence in Nanyang City.

It is said that it was originally built by a local official in Nanyang, and after several officials continued to repair it, it became what it is today. After some renovations, it was made suitable to serve as Li Mu's residence.

Back at Yu Garden, dinner was already prepared. Several young and beautiful maids quickly set up the meal, a table full of delicious dishes. The chefs at Yu Garden were proficient in various cuisines, and some were even said to have ancestors who came from the imperial kitchen.

Li Mu was never one to mistreat himself; he would enjoy himself whenever he had the means.

As someone who practices martial arts, I get a lot of exercise every day and have a big appetite. I quickly finished most of the dishes on the table before I was satisfied.

Just after rinsing his mouth, Xu Weixin came to report, and Li Mu dismissed the maid.

After listening to the report, he frowned and said, "So, there are three major gangs in Nanyang City now. They have used various means to monopolize a lot of businesses and also collect protection fees. The gang that made the move today is one of them called the Little Knife Gang."

Xu Weixin said, "That's what they told me, and I specifically asked someone to check, and that's indeed the case."

Li Mu raised his hand and tapped the table: "Nanyang does not need these shady forces, nor will it allow these unstable factors to exist."

"The bandit suppression mission over there is almost over now. Except for a few who have fled into the deep mountains and forests, the banditry has been wiped out. Tomorrow, send two battalions into the city, and then notify the police station to cooperate with you to wipe out these gangs in one fell swoop."

“Hold a public trial. Those guilty of serious crimes will be executed on the spot, and the rest will be sent to work in the mountains. We are short of laborers! After a few years of reformation, they will be released.”

Xu Weixin stood at attention and saluted, saying, "Yes, Commander!"

Li Mu smiled and said, "I'll leave this matter to you. Alright, go back and rest."

Xu Weixin then turned and left.

After taking control of Nanyang City, Li Mu considered the future development of Nanyang for a long time and came up with three development strategies.

First, limited investment; second, focused investment only in the industrial and military sectors; and third, comprehensive investment, with a diverse range of initiatives, to develop Nanyang from all aspects.

After much deliberation, Li Mu chose the third option: to invest in Nanyang in all aspects and strive to develop it in every way, aiming for a flourishing of development in all fields.

His choice was not without reason. Nanyang was indeed a good place, with fertile land, abundant manpower, and most importantly, it was the last city in Henan Province to fall to the Japanese.

The fall of Japan occurred around April 1945, just a few months after Japan's surrender.

Apart from the month-long battle during this period of occupation, there were no major battles, and the country was mostly at peace.

It is very suitable as a base for operation and development, and with him around, the Nanyang area will never fall again.

The following morning, Li Mu convened a meeting of the heads of various departments of the Commissioner's Office. There were three topics: education, infrastructure construction, and conscription and the establishment of the militia reserve.

The main educational issue is in the Nanyang area, where we strive to ensure that every school-age child has access to education.

To make four years of compulsory primary education as widespread as possible.

Li Mu's requirements were not high; he simply wanted everyone to complete four years of compulsory primary education so that they could at least read and write and not be illiterate.

Those who are talented and excel can continue their secondary education.

This is very difficult, not because of a lack of talent. Before the War of Resistance against Japan, the literacy rate in the Republic of China was about 15% to 20%, so teachers were relatively easy to find. The main problem was funding.

To achieve universal four-year compulsory primary education, at least 1,500 new primary schools may need to be built in the entire Nanyang area.

Building a new primary school, even in rural areas where materials and labor are relatively cheap, can cost around three or four hundred yuan just for desks, chairs, and basic teaching tools. That's no small sum.

If taxes are to be levied on farmers, it will definitely increase their burden. They might prefer that their children don't go to school rather than bear these heavy taxes.

Many officials were worried, fearing that Li Mu might actually impose some kind of quota. Given his status and power, once he made up his mind, no one could really stop him.

Li Mu could only say that you were overthinking it. Although the construction cost of 1,500 primary schools was not small, it was not as much as you might imagine, only about 500,000 silver dollars.

After careful consideration, to everyone's astonishment, Li Mu personally subsidized one million legal tender, equivalent to over seven hundred thousand silver dollars. This not only ensured the construction costs of 1,500 primary schools, but also covered the construction and renovation costs of the corresponding junior and senior high schools.

That's how the basic compulsory education problem was solved.

The second issue is infrastructure development, mainly roads, electricity, and communications.

Regarding the road issue, Li Mu had already undertaken large-scale repairs within Nanyang, converting several main roads into highways. In fact, before the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, most provinces and major cities in China already had highways, and Nanyang itself already had several highways connecting it to the outside world.

Once these highways are completed, transportation and communication in the Nanyang area will be much more convenient.