Chapter 42: Unifying the Northwest

  This surprise was something Li Ruofeng had only started preparing his fourth uncle for after he returned home last year. It was penicillin!

  After Li Chengrui handed over the unknown Western medicine production process and drawings to Li Chenglong in the United States, Li Chenglong arranged for someone to find Sir Alexander Fleming, the inventor of penicillin, in the UK, and bought out the patent for penicillin with just ￡5,000, making it a property of the Li family.

  Li Ruofeng couldn't help but admire Li Chenglong's tactics. Not only did he buy the patent for penicillin, but also brought Fleming and two other experts from Australia, Florey and Chain, to the United States. Under the temptation of the industrial process that Li Ruofeng provided, which could mass-produce penicillin, these three scientists who were dedicated to scientific research joined the pharmaceutical institute established by the Li family with huge investment, and ultimately provided more professional and rational suggestions for the mass production of penicillin.

  With Li Chenglong's astuteness, how could he not know the gold content of this Western medicine that had already passed clinical trials? After the production process of penicillin was fully mature, he put the three original inventors of penicillin under house arrest in a medical research institute set up in a large estate in San Francisco, and then sealed and packed all the equipment needed for production, setting off to transport it back to China.

  It wasn't until Li Chenglong told him the surprise in Li Ruofeng's command that Li Ruofeng truly understood why his uncle would risk himself to secretly return home this time.

  Compared with those individual weapons and equipment, penicillin's value is obviously greater.

  Li Chenglong, who was well aware of the ferocity and ruthlessness of the major American financial powers, did not want this achievement to be swallowed up by the Americans. At that time, Li Ruofeng had already possessed a certain military strength in the country, which could protect the hen that laid the golden eggs from being taken away by external forces. Therefore, Li Chenglong made a resolute decision to move the production base of penicillin to a place that truly belonged to the Li family.

  After learning the real reason for Da Bo's quiet return to China, Li Ruofeng couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. He knew that if this news were to leak out, the risks that Li Chenglong would face on his journey would be extremely perilous.

  "Great Uncle, fortunately you have arrived safely in Ganzhou. Otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable." Li Ruofeng sighed with a lingering fear after listening to Li Chenglong's account.

  "I will manufacture the equipment needed for penicillin, mixed with the equipment for manufacturing arms and walkie-talkies, definitely able to cover up. Li Chenglong smiled with a relaxed and pleased expression: "The manufacturing of arms and electronic tube walkie-talkies, each country has their own most advanced craftsmanship, I got this set of equipment from the United States, although there was some resistance, but it didn't attract the attention of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. Therefore, I am not worried that they will think of our Li's financial group's subsidiary Far East Transportation Company's 10,000-ton cargo ship having another secret inside."

  Ginger is still spicy after all these years! Li Ruofeng sighed inwardly.

  Now that he has penicillin in hand, plus the patents for semi-automatic rifles, fully automatic submachine guns, military pistols and rocket launchers, as well as the patent for the "Wind Speaker" walkie-talkie, Li Ruofeng can foresee that in the next few years, he will not have to worry about the funds needed for the large-scale development of Gansu and Xinjiang.

  As for the industrial mother machines needed to build an industrial system, he doesn't have to worry about it now. Almost all of Gansu's mechanical equipment is basically borrowed from European and American countries during the economic crisis, and it can be said that these equipment are among the best in the world today. With his concept of foresight advantage, he has enough confidence to build Northwest China into a leading industrial and technological base in the world.

  Perhaps the construction of this industrial and technological base will take ten years, twenty years, or even longer, but Li Ruofeng can wait, and he is not worried that after a full-scale war breaks out in the future, the Japanese army will be able to get in.

  Building a Greater Northwest, he no longer needs to worry too much about the threat from Japan. On the contrary, what he needs to guard against is the tiger-like gaze from the north, Soviet Russia.

  In the following days, Li Ruofeng accompanied Fourth Uncle and Eldest Paternal Uncle to conduct a comprehensive tour of inspection in Hexi.

  Railway and highway construction is in full swing, the Yumen Oilfield has drilled its first oil well, and the first phase of the Jiuquan Steel Company's 500,000-ton steel plant is nearing completion. The Xigou large cement plant with an annual output of 3 million tons has been fully put into production. The infrastructure construction of the three major industrial zones of Yumen Industrial Zone, Jiuquan Industrial Zone and Jinchang Industrial Zone has started. The ordnance factory that was invested in advance can now mass-produce rifles, artillery, and ammunition, with a designed scale larger than China's three largest military factories: Shenyang Ordnance Factory, Hanyang Ordnance Factory, and Taiyuan Ordnance Factory.

  The industrial equipment used in the construction of Ganzhou was mostly purchased by the Soviet Union from the United States in its original history, but now, with the emergence of Li Ruofeng, the Soviet Union's industrial system construction has slowed down greatly. Every time he thinks about this, Li Ruofeng feels secretly pleased.

  July 1, 1931 was the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Li Yifeng did not know if there were celebrations in Ruijin, Jiangxi at that time, but on this day, he formally convened the first government meeting of the Western Hubei Provincial Government.

  On that day, in the grand auditorium of the Gansu Provincial Government, all military and political officials from Hexi Corridor gathered together. Even Ma Zhongying specially returned from Hami to attend this meeting.

  This meeting, Li Ruofeng did not publicly disclose to the outside world because it was said to be a government meeting, but in reality, it seemed like a Li family meeting. The main people of the entire Li family, including the heads of Four Communications Industrial Development Co., Ltd.'s branches across the country, all came to Ganzhou. As a result, Li Chenglong also postponed his return trip to the United States.

  Calling this meeting was actually a helpless move for Li Ruofeng. After the family found out that Li Chenglong had returned to China, they all sent telegrams saying they were coming to Ganzhou, including his old man Li Chengyi.

  He was about to be elected as the highest military and political leader of Hexi Province, but he had never held a formal meeting. On the one hand, he wanted to see what kind of talent he had under his command, and on the other hand, he also wanted to take this opportunity to take stock of the family's foundation once again.

  As a result, most of the people present were from the Li family's direct line, and Li Ruofeng had no choice but to keep this meeting confidential.

  The four states and fourteen counties of Hexi Province are currently without a governor, as the more than 40 officials who originally held administrative positions in local governments were all dismissed by Li Ruofeng due to their "red" backgrounds. The vacancies left behind could only be filled by temporarily assigning personnel from the military. Later, through the efforts of Li Chengrui, some members of the Li family's main lineage were transferred from various branches of the Sichuan Company to fill these positions. These people had never even met Li Ruofeng before, and he was completely unaware of their abilities or specialties. However, since they had been recommended by his fourth uncle Li Chengrui, Li Ruofeng could only "treat a serious illness with a questionable remedy" and try them out on a trial basis.

  He finally understood that being in a higher position isn't as easy as it seems. This power looks good to use, but when you actually use it, there are too many aspects involved, which is completely different from managing an army.

  Li Ruofeng, who had no experience in this area, could only grit his teeth and cross the river by feeling for stones, driving ducks onto a rack. First, use military control, then slowly transition to local government management.

  His idea was simple: in this era of war, grasping military control rights could at least play a role in keeping one side safe. Economic construction work is not something that can be rushed.

  Anyway, he is clear about the basic guidelines and programs for China's future in the initial stage of reform and opening up. He uses this to slowly apply, practice and correct, and improve. With the combination of thought and theoretical guidance, it will definitely not go wrong.

  As long as he grasps the overall direction, the detailed work can be done step by step. If there is no talent, it can be slowly recruited and cultivated.

  After taking office as the highest military and political leader of Hexi Xing Province, his work focus was largely placed on ideological education to correct style and attitude.

  He doesn't need talent in theory and ideology, but rather those elite with strong executive power.

  This meeting was the first round of integration between the Li family's power and the Hexi Provincial Government, and for the first time established the military and political system of the Northwestern Government of the Republic of China with Li Ruofeng as the core leader. The Northwest Military Commission, General Staff Headquarters, General Equipment Department, and General Logistics Department were established. Li Ruofeng was appointed Chairman of the Military Commission, Ma Zhongying as Chief of Staff of the General Staff Headquarters, Li Chenglong as Director-General of the General Equipment Department, and Li Chengxiao as Director-General of the General Logistics Department.

  Li Chengyi was appointed as the mayor of Zhangye City, Li Chengxiao as the mayor of Jiuquan City, Li Chengzhong as the mayor of Lanzhou City, and Lin Shouren as the mayor of Jinchang City.

  Establish the Northwest Armed Police Headquarters, with Lin Shouren as its director; establish the Northwest Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with Li Chengxiao as its president; establish the Northwest Propaganda Department, with Li Fengzhi as its minister; establish the Northwest Civil Affairs Bureau, with Li Fengying as its director.

  Established Northwest Military Intelligence Bureau, with Li Ruofeng as the director; Established Northwest Security General Bureau, with Lin Xiuer as the director.

  Northwestern University was established with Huang Wenzhong as its president; Northwestern Military Academy was established with Li Ruofeng temporarily serving as its dean.

  Li Ruofeng resigned as the commander of the 38th Division, and Qi Dongming, the original deputy commander, took over. However, this appointment has not yet been approved by the Nanjing Military Commission and is only effective in the Hebei province.

  On the basis of the new 38th and 39th Divisions, it is planned to expand four more divisions. These four divisions are organized by the Northwest Local Security Division itself, like the new 38th and 39th Divisions, which are all Category A divisions, with temporary numbers Northwest Independent First, Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions.

  Once these four independent divisions are fully manned, the regular military strength of the Northwestern Government will reach 1.5 million men, not including local militia reserve forces and armed police units organized on a natural village basis.

  With the convening of this conference, the Li family's original plan to immigrate to the United States was announced as abolished, and all personnel from Panlong Ridge Li Family Fortress began to migrate to Hexi Province.

  The conference closed, Li Ruofeng had no awareness of being the highest military and political officer in Hexi Province. He was so fed up with this family-government management model that he simply let go and didn't care, leaving his father-in-law, uncles, aunts, and others to deal with it. He took the Hellfire belonging to him back to the 38th Division stationed in Shandan County, and ignored all major and minor matters of Hexi Province.

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