Munitions Empire

Brunas, Tang Mo had already started to introduce his plan to Nangong Hong: "The personnel who arrived early have begun their activities in Zheng Country."

"With money paving the way, everything proceeds smoothly! Zheng Country is far from being an impregnable fortress, so our infiltration has been very easy," he said proudly. "We have established a wireless telegraph office in Zheng Country, allowing messages to be transmitted back to Brunas instantly. Thus, I am extremely well-informed about many of Zheng Country's affairs."

As he spoke, he picked up a fresh apple from the fruit tray on the coffee table and handed it to Nangong Hong, whose complexion wasn't looking good: "To put it without exaggeration, I might know more... than Zheng Country's King Zheng Tong himself."

"Moreover, I've started the construction of roads in Zheng Country, and will even build railways and bridges in the future," he continued after Nangong Hong took the apple. "I will use the fastest speed to construct thousands of kilometers of roads, hundreds of kilometers of railways in Zheng Country, expand several ports, and even build some factories there!"

"Wearing down the people and draining their wealth, exhausting a region! What a clever stratagem!" Nangong Hong quickly caught on and exclaimed with admiration, "Master, you truly have a brilliant plan! This way, indeed, we can set up some things in advance!"

"But, even so, can we really occupy the entire territory of Zheng Country within the next two years?" He looked at Tang Mo and asked a sharp question that greatly interested him.

Tang Mo leaned back into the soft sofa and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray beside him: "That is not for you to worry about! Your job is to offer strategic advice; the Military's Staff Department will find a way to accomplish it!"

"This subordinate understands," Nangong Hong nodded, not dwelling further on the issue, but instead he inquired about some of Tang Mo's subsequent arrangements.

"Master, in the struggle for the world, besides vying for the advantages of weapons, treacherous terrains, and ample supplies, the most important thing is to win over people's hearts," Nangong Hong then proposed some of his immature opinions on the issue of winning hearts to Tang Mo.

In comparison to the world before Tang Mo's transmigration, this one had far fewer senseless disputes. People were simple at heart, and in most cases, the common folk only desired a full belly and a peaceful life.

For Tang Mo, to become the savior of the Zheng Country's civilians and emerge as a shining heroic figure was not difficult at all.

Because Tang Mo possessed an ample supply of Gold Coins and advanced productive forces, he had a natural advantage when tackling the difficult problems that other kingdoms could not manage.

Nangong Hong felt that Tang Mo should continue to accumulate quietly, operate the regions already in his grasp, muster a greater force, and then seize the opportunity to expand rapidly.

On this point, Tang Mo had some differences with Nangong Hong, as Tang Mo's ongoing task was to develop the entire world. He was expanding the entire cake, not just considering the small piece in his plate.

In Tang Mo's view, if he were to develop within his own corner, such as Dragon Island, waiting to build an absolutely advanced military before expanding, the efficiency would be painfully low.

Tang Mo wasn't interested in seeing his tanks roll over cavalry, or in setting sail with his aircraft carriers to sink the opponent's sailboats, as it held no meaning.

What use was there in conquering lands that were primitive, backward, and poor? To spend another ten or twenty years developing these barbaric places? Please, did he have decades to slowly build the entire world?

Therefore, he didn't mind letting the world develop some basic industries first, because only in this way could conquest become meaningful.

A dimensional strike was pleasant to hear about but in reality lacked a foundation of "meaning." Do you know why after ancient empires expanded their territories widely, they would halt their conquests and start endless internal strife? Because expansion became meaningless to them!

The imagery of a ruler, sword in hand and lost in thought, is a true reflection of ancient monarchs: Why did they seek to conquer poorer regions?

Sending soldiers dressed in silk and satin to destroy a bunch of ragged beggars yields nothing but slaughter; such wars can go on for ten years, but no one could persevere for twenty.

Tang Mo had no desire to spend ten years gathering and nurturing life, another ten years teaching civilization, then fight a war, and repeat this cycle until conquering the world.

If that were the plan, he might succeed by the age of ninety, but the process was too lengthy, too prolonged for him to endure.

Therefore, he disseminated technology, fostering simultaneous development in the world. He was confident that in the end, he would still be the one controlling the direction of the world's development; he was confident that he would remain the ultimate victor.

Only when technology develops to a certain stage will some reveal their key significance, and certain weaponry will only show its powerful combat capabilities when contrasted with older arms.

Consider an easily understood example: Could the early infrared-guided "Sidewinder" air-to-air missile from World War II be effective?

The answer is no! Because at that time, the thermal radiation signals from the fighter planes in the sky weren't high, and most of the time, the Sidewinder missile would fly toward the greatest heat source, the sun.

Only after jet fighters entered service in large numbers, making heat signals more prominent, did infrared-guided missiles find their place!

Tell me, when the opponent doesn't even possess radar, what's the point of developing F-22 or J-20 fighter jets?

When there were no airplanes in the sky, what could be the purpose of developing anti-aircraft radar? To monitor the migration of birds?

To use cruise missiles to attack villages that didn't even have electric lights seemed foolish, and who would be willing to destroy a pickled vegetable workshop with ballistic missiles?

The two discussed for over an hour, and it was not until Yulin reminded Tang Mo that it was time for dinner that they stopped their conversation. Then Tang Mo invited Nangong Hong to dine with him, and they picked up the topic of maps at the dinner table again.

Nangong Hong was extremely fond of the maps by Great Tang Group. These precise military maps, once one learned to use them, were incredibly intuitive and Nangong Hong treasured them like jewels.

He felt that Great Tang Group's military maps would soon replace all other forms of maps, and that nations would adopt this standard.

"Its only flaw is that it's too troublesome to draw, and also too expensive," Nangong Hong said with regret as he ate the vegetables on his plate.

"The price will come down soon," Tang Mo replied with a smile, "As more are produced, the price will naturally drop a bit. Of course, as technology advances, the precision of the maps will reach an unbelievably high level, and the price will fall to an astonishing degree. This is what I meant earlier, technology will change our world."

"I believe what you say, Master," Nangong Hong said, now agreeing with Tang Mo's words, because he found them to make sense.

He had witnessed firsthand how Great Tang Group's technology had changed people's ways of life. In Brunas, who could now live without electric lights and telephones?

And when the weather was a bit hotter, the people living here could not even do without electric fans; they had grown accustomed to radios and were no longer surprised by the loudspeakers on every street corner.

Even the new refrigeration machines had begun to change people's lives, allowing meat to stay fresh for longer periods, subverting their understanding of preservation.

Chemical plants producing all kinds of fertilizers had increased grain yields, enabling less land to feed more people, which was a main reason why Great Tang Group did not worry about their own food crises.

Yet, at the same time, in nations with more land like the Dahua Empire, the Empire of Nanla, Zheng Country, and others, they were still worrying about how to feed their growing populations.

"Believe me, this world will soon become different! And all these changes are under my control!

Dominating the world is not just about occupying some land, becoming an unprecedented empire, but about controlling the world, leading it, eventually making the whole world follow in my footsteps, recognizing my choices," Tang Mo swirled the moonlight wine in his glass and said to Nangong Hong with a smile.

"I believe that day will surely come!" Nangong Hong, after a long heart-to-heart talk with Tang Mo, had begun to worship him.

In Nangong Hong's view, Tang Mo was knowledgeable and profound, a master with more vision than himself. Serving such a person excited Nangong Hong greatly.

A good bird chooses a tree to nest in, and Nangong Hong believed he was such a bird. So after acknowledging Tang Mo as good timber, he was naturally immensely satisfied.

...

Meanwhile, at the same time Tang Mo and Nangong Hong were dining, on the distant Dragon Island, within Dock 1, a huge warship was already taking shape.

Beneath the towering superstructure were enormous gun turrets that had been fully installed. While some details were yet to be completely constructed, just looking at its initial form was already tremendously shocking.

This was the world's most powerful warship, destined to be the flagship of Great Tang Group's naval fleet, the sovereign of the Endless Sea, the invincible Jade City No. 1 Battleship!

The workers who built it had been shocked countless times, and were now proud to complete such a massive war machine in the history of the world.

They looked on day by day, as one watches one's own child grow, at the battleship filling out day by day.

The 305 mm caliber main guns were frightening to behold, the high-precision rangefinders had been delivered and placed on the ground next to the warship, and the cabins were being fitted out.

It's not an exaggeration to say that once this battleship was launched, the coastal nations surrounding the Endless Sea would reassess their relations with the Great Tang Group.

Right beside Dock 1, in Docks 2 and 3, two other battleships of the same class were also seeing their hulls completed…

In a few months, Great Tang Group would have over ten Brunas-class Ironclad Warships, more than ten Wolf-class Cruisers, and one Jade City-class Battleship launched.

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There will be another update tomorrow morning, so everyone get some rest early.