Steel Dynasty - Chapter 1141

[Chapter 1130 Canal]

“Yes, Your Majesty, we are studying it.”

Lin Wentao bowed and said. In fact, the current research at the Mechanical Research Institute is not sequential, but parallel.

As the number of researchers in the empire increased, the Mechanical Research Institute was divided into many groups, each group was responsible for different mechanical research, and this forging hydraulic press was one of them.

Lu Tong heard this and said: “This is what I want. Now some plastic products in the chemical industry need to be forged.”

“Plastic? What is this?” Lin Wentao asked puzzledly. He was very partial to science and was not familiar with some things in chemistry. No concept.

Song Changping and Chen Qi also listened attentively.

Xiao Ming knew something about Lu Tong’s success in manufacturing plastics. Most of the news that had appeared in the newspapers in recent years was about the Imperial Machinery Industry.

However, the chemical industry has also been developing rapidly, quietly providing assistance to the machinery industry.

Unknowingly, the empire has been able to produce oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, helium and other chemical gases, and the fertilizer industry, paper industry, pharmaceutical and other industries have also developed greatly.

“This plastic is actually resin. It can be said that natural resins such as asphalt, rosin, amber, and shellac can be used to make plastic.” Xiao Ming explained.

In contemporary times, scientists in the late 19th century successfully nitrated natural cellulose and used camphor as a plasticizer to create the world’s first plastic variety. Subsequently, the first synthetic phenolic plastic was born.

Lu Tong was now able to synthesize phenolic plastics, which had been adopted by the empire’s electrical and instrument manufacturing industries.

Everyone immediately understood after hearing this. Using the topic of plastic, they all discussed new things in their respective industries, and an exchange meeting was born.

Seeing the intensity of their discussion, Xiao Ming did not bother him. He left the Equipment Department with Qian Dafu and went directly to the General Staff.

Thanks to the efforts of Lin Wentao and others, the empire’s industrial capabilities have become increasingly strong, which has also given the empire the strength to expand externally.

Now he goes to the General Staff to formulate a long-term strategy for the empire.

Arriving at the General Staff, Cui Shangan immediately greeted him. He still had a pen in his hand and seemed to be writing something.

Entering the operations department of the General Staff, twenty young generals saluted him one after another. These are the staff officers of the General Staff and are responsible for formulating daily combat plans.

After returning a military salute, Xiao Ming looked at the huge model in the middle of the war department, which was a three-dimensional version of the world map.

On this model, countries around the world’s seas are clearly displayed, and important cities in some countries also have erected models.

Nowadays, all areas occupied by the empire have been planted with the dragon flag of the empire.

“Your Majesty, this is the port currently planned by the general.” Cui Shangan pointed to the model and said. On the model, there are port models one by one along the coastline. This is what Cui Shangan is doing now.

If you want to control the world’s trade, the empire must control ports around the world. If you want to deal with Europe and North America more effectively, the empire also needs to have its own ports around the world.

So while transporting oil back from the Middle East, the empire was also building its own port strategy step by step.

On the map, Cui Shangan’s port plan goes around Africa. This is something that is currently unavailable because the Suez Canal has not yet been dug, so it can only go around Africa.

Xiao Ming couldn’t help but frown at this unjust journey. In contemporary history, France under Napoleon’s rule dug the Suez Canal. After that, Britain and France jointly operated the Suez Canal and charged fees for merchant ships passing through the Suez Canal, allowing them to make a lot of money. The bowl is full.

Thinking of this, he said: “The route in Africa is too long. The empire wants to dig this canal and shorten the route from the empire to Europe.”

Cui Shangan looked at the place Xiao Ming pointed at, which was in the territory of the Ottoman Empire Within the scope, it is the connection point between the Middle East and Africa.

After being stunned for a moment, Cui Shangan said: “It’s just the emperor. This seems to be the territory of the Ottoman Empire. Does the emperor want to launch a war against the Ottoman Empire?”

“Now that Persia is fighting for the empire, why does the empire need to take action?” Xiao Ming has his own The idea, in his plan, was to claim land from the Ottoman Empire once Persia defeated the Ottoman Empire.

At that time, the empire will ask Persia to take this land, and the empire will obtain it from Persia. In this way, the empire will get the Suez Canal area without any bloodshed.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ming expressed his thoughts.

Cui Shangan nodded, “This method is feasible, but the war between Persia and Ottoman has not yet decided the winner, and the European countries will certainly not give up easily on the plan to disrupt the empire’s westward advance. If they want to resolve the war as soon as possible, Win or lose, the empire may have to directly intervene.”

Xiao Ming frowned, and he refused to compromise with the British on the issue of the war between Persia and the Ottomans.

After Brooke returned, the British would definitely be angry and might even encourage mercenaries to fight in the Ottoman Empire.

According to intelligence, the British have now mastered the technology of breech-loading guns and paper-cased bullets. If they intervene forcibly, the war between Persia and the Ottomans will inevitably add more variables, and this is not what he wants to see.

Although paper-cased bullets have poor air tightness, have a lot of residue, and are prone to moisture, this rifle has changed the way Europeans fight.

From then on, line combat was gone forever, and there would never again be a whole row of British people lined up as targets for machine guns in the war.

“Send a group of machine guns to Persia to train a group of machine gunners for Persia, and at the same time send snipers to help them shoot Ottoman officers.” Xiao Ming said.

Although they are both major powers in Central Asia, the Ottoman Empire is stronger than the Persian Empire in terms of overall strength.

This is also the reason why Persia has imperial weapons and the war is still in an anxious state.

Cui Shangan understood that Xiao Ming was gradually losing patience. After all, the later the delay, the greater the possibility of Europe sending mercenaries.

“The general will make arrangements now.” Cui Shangan made a call, ordered a batch of machine guns and ammunition to be transferred from the arsenal, and sent machine gunners to Persia.

After hanging up the phone, Cui Shangan said, “Did the emperor just give these weapons to Persia?”

“They were lent to Persia, and they will be returned to the empire after the war.” Xiao Ming said, Persia will definitely be stronger after this war. growth, and the Ottomans will be in decline for a long time.

If Persia still has machine guns, the Ottomans will really be doomed. Who will restrain this huge empire spanning Asia, Africa and Europe? By then, the empire’s oil may not be so easy to obtain.

Cui Shangan believed that, after all, things like machine guns were already common in the empire, but in the Persian empire, it was basically a direct transition from cold weapons to hot weapons, and the impact would not be the slightest.

(End of chapter)