nucmednet Chapter 445 Railway Discussion
Chapter 445 Railway Discussion
In the simply yet solemn conference room in Dingzhou New City, the atmosphere was as heavy as a huge rock pressing on everyone's hearts.
The railway construction project from Luancheng to Yiyu is facing unprecedented difficulties.
When the road was first built from Luancheng to Dingzhou New City, there were vast plains all the way, and the project progressed quite smoothly, just like a carriage traveling on a flat road, with no obstructions.
When the railway was extended to Quyang and then advanced towards Guangchang County, the situation took a turn for the worse.
In the past, building an expressway simply involved widening the existing road, which was relatively easy. But now, building a railway requires laying two tracks, and the widening is far more significant.
Especially in mountainous areas, one must not only consider the direction of the route, but also deal with the difficulty of climbing.
Mr. Zhao knew very well that climbing too high a slope for the train would bring many hidden dangers, but they lacked experience in tunnel construction, which undoubtedly erected a series of insurmountable walls in front of the project.
From Guangchang County to Weizhou, and between Weizhou and Yiyou, there are also continuous mountains that stretch like ferocious beasts, blocking the extension of the railway.
Zhao Sheng stood in front of the huge engineering map with a serious expression, his eyes wandering among the mountains and terrain on the map.
He raised his hand and tapped the map lightly, then said to the engineers:
"When you survey the terrain, you must adhere to several principles. Where high ground intersects, you must compromise and choose a suitable location. If there is absolutely no other option, then you must build a bridge."
His voice was firm and steady, trying to provide direction for the troubled project.
In order to better coordinate the construction of the railway, the group set up a construction command room in Dingzhou New City, and Zhao Sheng often presided over meetings here.
This meeting is a key node that determines whether the project can proceed smoothly.
Cui Qilian, the practical man who serves as the vice-chairman of the railway group, was standing at the conference table and speaking.
Zhao Sheng recommended him for this position because of his experience in the Ministry of Works and his expertise in studying things.
Cui Qilian pushed the door open and spoke slowly, confidently saying, "We have explosives now, so opening the mountain is not an unsolvable problem.
In addition, the site is equipped with a bulldozer, which can reduce the workload to a certain extent.
At present, when choosing terrain, we generally prefer to locate it in a mid-mountain location, which is convenient for train operation and can minimize the engineering difficulty under the existing conditions. "
Zhao Sheng listened to Cui Qilian's story, nodded slightly, and a hint of approval appeared in his eyes.
Cui Qilian's professional insights and response strategies made him feel quite satisfied, as if he saw a ray of light in the darkness.
Gong Shangjin, a young man who serves as both a data clerk and a secretary, is concentrating on recording every opinion and suggestion in the meeting.
He is like a hard-working bee, working tirelessly to collect the wisdom of everyone.
As Zhao Sheng's right-hand man, he is well aware of the importance of his work. Every word and every sentence may affect the direction of the project.
After finishing the record, Gong Shangjin raised his head, cleared his throat, and said, "At present, the money left in our account is not much. The funds in the treasury are only 30% of the shares you subscribed to. The second installment of subscription funds needs to be paid as soon as possible."
Although his voice was not loud, it was particularly clear in the silent conference room, like an alarm bell, reminding everyone of the urgency of the funding problem.
Cui Minghao then added: "Our Supervisory Board will fully supervise the progress of these matters to ensure that the funds are in place on time and do not affect the progress of the project."
His eyes revealed a firm determination, as if he was promising everyone the responsibility and commitment of the Supervisory Board.
Just then, the door of the conference room was gently pushed open and Fan Xitong hurried in.
In the early days, the Fan family had not yet invested in the railway group, and Zhao Sheng invited him to join the Supervisory Board. On the one hand, the major families were more familiar with him, and on the other hand, with Fan Xitong present, the Wei family and the Lu family did not dare to play tricks easily.
As soon as Fan Xitong sat down, he heard everyone discussing the payment of progress payments.
He suddenly thought of taking the opportunity to invest, so he quickly said, "Everyone, my Fan family has always been very optimistic about the railway project. I wonder if there is still a chance now..."
However, before he could finish his words, they were ignored by everyone, intentionally or unintentionally.
Everyone either lowered their heads to look at the documents in their hands or talked quietly with the people around them, as if they didn't hear what he said.
Fan Xitong felt a sense of loss and an embarrassed expression appeared on his face.
Zhao Sheng looked at this scene and pondered in his heart.
He originally planned to wait until the Luancheng to Yiyou project was completed before proposing to build a railway line to Bingzhou.
In this way, the existing shares can be diluted and the entry of the Fan family can become a natural process.
He knew very well that in this business world where interests are intertwined, force is not the best way to solve problems.
Now, what he needs to do is to make the profit pie bigger so that everyone can benefit from it.
He is like a brilliant captain, trying to tie his cruise ship, which is carrying huge interests, tightly together with more powerful people.
In this way, under the protection of their own powerful military force, even if someone has ill intentions, they will be afraid because of the interests involved and dare not act rashly.
However, just as the railway project from Luancheng to Yiyu was progressing at full speed, a piece of news was like a bombshell, causing a huge stir in everyone's hearts - the Huns were actually marching towards the city west of Bingzhou.
The news soon reached the palace. When Zhao Hui learned about it, his face instantly became as gloomy as the sky before a storm.
In the Chuigong Hall, he had a stern expression as he stared at the ministers in the court. The atmosphere was so oppressive that it made people breathless.
"Your Highness, the Xiongnu have dispatched an astonishing force of 500,000 men. Their targets are directly targeting Mayi, Linhu, and other areas in Bingzhou. It seems they intend to seize northern Bingzhou."
Minister of War Qin Lian broke the silence. He knew that this matter was of great importance and the court could no longer remain silent.
Zhao Hui frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and said:
"Minister Qin, Bingzhou has a total of 800,000 troops. In Dai, Mayi, and Changshan alone, there are 300,000 border troops stationed. Adding the city's own troops, it would be easy to gather a 500,000-man defense force. Defending the city shouldn't be a problem, right?"
There was a hint of questioning in his tone. If he hadn't considered that Qin Lian was his confidant he brought from Yanzhou, he would have turned his face away without mercy by now.
Qin Lian bowed slightly and said with a worried look on his face:
"Your Majesty, this time the Xiongnu came with such force, I have a feeling their intentions are different from previous years, where they simply plundered and then left."
He had a vague feeling of unease in his heart, but he couldn't explain the reason.
Seeing this, the Minister of Revenue, Si Shitong, also stepped forward and echoed:
"Your Majesty, what Minister Qin said is not without reason. In the past, when the Xiongnu sent troops, they usually targeted Dai County as their primary target, and only blocked Mayi, often sending troops to Weizhou. But this time..."
He didn't continue, but the worry in his words was obvious.
Qin Lian looked at Si Shitong gratefully, and thought to himself: He is worthy of being an old friend who has worked with me in Yanzhou for many years. He can always understand my thoughts at critical moments.
Wei Rong, the chief minister of the cabinet, seemed to have thought of something at this moment.
However, despite his high position, he no longer had much real power. Even when he attended court, he could only listen, his words no longer carrying any weight. He moved his lips slightly, but ultimately chose silence.
Fan Wenyuan still held the power of the Prime Minister. However, he also realized that his words were merely advisory to the Emperor, and everything still had to go through the cabinet process.
Moreover, if the emperor did not ask him about such a major matter concerning the war, he would definitely not dare to speak easily.