Great time travel

Chapter 198, The Gate of the World

The wilderness of Western Australia, the outskirts of Chinatown, the capital of the Chinese League
In a huge square as wide as a modern airport, twelve solid stone gates like triumphal arches stand tall in a circle.

On the plaques of each stone gate, the name of a certain city in this time and space is engraved in dazzling gold letters.

——This is built using the black technology of the 22nd century on the plane of Doraemon, sixteen fixed permanent [random doors].

And this square is also named "Gate of the World", a name worthy of the name.

There is no doubt that relying on the absolutely convenient transportation conditions here, the capital of Huameng will become the real world center.

Among the sixteen [random gates], nine of them are currently in use, five of which lead to China's East Asian mainland, and the other ends of the gate are respectively connected to Vladivostok, Weihai, Shenyang, Kaohsiung and Sanya. The core base that has been firmly grasped.

As for the remaining four gates that have been activated, they lead to Manchester City (Manhattan Island, New York), the capital of the Huamei Republic in North America, Oriental Port (the north of the mouth of the La Plata River) in South America, and Cape Town, the capital of the Republic of South Africa. , and finally Sydney on the other side of the Australian mainland—it has only been developed for less than half a year. It is still a small village with only a few hundred people, but it will become the capital of the Republic of Australia in the future.

In this way, the square became the most important traffic transfer point between the various republics and the link linking them.

Today is not only the official establishment of the central government of the Chinese League, but also the official opening of the "Gate of the World" square.

Therefore, Chairman Wen Desi, who had just delivered his inaugural speech, quietly left the open-air banquet venue for celebration, and came to the "Gate of the World" square in the suburbs to inspect the opening of various fixed permanent [random doors] operating conditions.

Fortunately, everything seemed to be going well: the nine permanent [random doors] were activated sequentially according to the scheduled time, and the first batch of passengers from each republic arrived one after another. Thousands of miles of blue sky, while greeting each other and chatting casually.The first batch of goods imported into the capital was also loaded on electric trucks and transported one after another to the warehouses set up on the edge of the square.

——In order to ensure cleanliness and environmental protection, the capital of Huameng prohibits the use of all fuel vehicles in theory, and only electric vehicles can be used for daily transportation.

Only after the completion of this gateway connecting all parts of the world can the traversers truly establish a global capital in barren Australia.

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In fact, Australia's land seems vast, but in fact it cannot carry too many people.On the surface, it is due to lack of water and deserts.But in fact, even in the water-rich southeast of Australia, because of the extremely poor soil, the crops that can be grown are very limited

It is difficult for many people to imagine that Australia is the continent with the lowest agricultural productivity in the world.It has some of the poorest soils, plant growth rates and productivity in the world.Because Australia's land is too old, after billions of years of rain erosion, nutrients have been lost.

In nature, there are three main ways to re-fertilize poor soil.The first is the volcanic ash produced by volcanic eruptions, which is rich in various nutrients and can make the soil fertile. Java, Japan and Hawaii have all benefited from this.However, in Australia, only a small area in the east was volcanically active more than 1 million years ago.The second is glacier movement, which produces debris that helps fertilize the soil.Nearly half of North America has been affected by glaciation in the past 100 million years, while in Australia less than one percent of the continental area has been affected by glaciation.Third, the slow rise of the Earth's crust would also bring in new soil, adding fertility to the land.The most typical example of this is the Ganges fertile soil of the Indian subcontinent.But over the past [-] million years, Australia's uplifted crustal area was so small that it was almost negligible.

However, in the absence of scientific research, it is difficult for a layman to see the barren nature of the land at first glance.Historically, the European colonists who first came to Australia did not pay attention to this problem at all.Instead, they looked at the endless forests and lush grasslands, and were deceived by these illusions, mistakenly thinking that Australia was a land as rich as North America.It wasn't until the first trees were cut down and the grass was eaten up by the sheep that people discovered that the trees and grass in this place grew very slowly, and those relatively delicate crops could hardly be grown in many places!

——To put it simply, if it takes 20 years for a forest of the same height and size to grow from a sapling to such a large size in Europe or North America, then it may take 50 or even 100 years in Australia!

If it's an animal in nature, maybe it doesn't matter, but for a human farmer who needs to get a regular harvest, it's about to sit in wax.

Thus, despite seemingly having a Great Plains as vast as North America and Ukraine, average crop yields in modern Australia are low.For example, the famous wheat belt in modern Australia, in fact, the wheat is planted on sandy soil, which is basically a huge flowerpot. The sand is useless, and the nutrients needed for crop growth are completely dependent on chemical fertilizers. As a result, the agricultural cost in Australia is very high. , Sometimes it can almost be compared with a country with a narrow land and a large population like Japan, so even though Australia has a large land and a small population, it cannot become a large agricultural country.In the Australian local market, the competitiveness of domestically produced agricultural products is often inferior to that of overseas imported agricultural products, even if the latter has to share the cost of international transportation.For example, the international fruit company in the 21st century grows oranges in Brazil and then ships the concentrated orange juice to Australia half a world away. The cost is actually cheaper than the orange juice produced by Australians themselves.Then, pork imported from Canada is also cheaper than locally produced pork in Australia.

What's more, the development of agriculture in Australia will also encounter the problem of unstable precipitation.In most of the places in the world where ancient civilizations were born, a regular rainy season every year can help agriculture develop.Regardless of whether it is Europe, India or East Asia, regardless of whether it is rainy or hot at the same time, farmers can at least follow the seasonal rules to cultivate the land and sow seeds every year, so that the crops can grow and mature under the irrigation of rainwater.

However, in most parts of Australia, rainfall depends on El Niño.Rainfall varies from year to year, and from decade to decade, and worst of all, there is no pattern at all.Often, ten years of severe drought followed by two years of heavy rain!
Those farmers and herdsmen who first came to Australia, when they chose the addresses of colonial villages and towns, most of them encountered good weather and good weather, so they were blinded by illusions, mistakenly thinking that they were standing on a piece of blessed land, and settled down. Diligently plow and sow.Unexpectedly, in this sad place of Australia, good years are so rare, often more than half of the years, the crops are not harvested!To make matters worse, after the crops are harvested, the farmland undergoes some land preparation and weeding, and the bare soil is exposed. If the crops planted by the farmers cannot grow afterward due to climate change, the soil will always be exposed, even without weeds. Grass to cover, eventually eroded into saline or desert!
No way, compared to the mighty power of nature, we human beings are still too small.

Generally speaking, there is only a small area in the southwest of Australia centered on Perth, and the precipitation is relatively stable.Although the soil is still very barren, it is still possible to develop food-growing agriculture under the condition of sufficient chemical fertilizers.And this is why the traversers chose to build the capital of the Chinese League in the Perth area on the banks of the Swan River—at least they can be self-sufficient in food, vegetables and fruits.As for other places... If it is explained that the last Little Ice Age disaster brought unprecedented catastrophe to the Chinese people.Then most parts of Australia are in the Little Ice Age almost every year!

But even the Perth area with the best conditions is actually similar to the two river basins that gave birth to the ancient Middle Eastern civilization.Although initially suitable for growing grains, over time and the expansion of irrigated agriculture, the land becomes increasingly salinized in a process that is almost irreversible... the only effective countermeasures are population and population control Reclamation area, absolutely do not let this piece of land be overwhelmed.

In fact, most of the land in Australia is not only not suitable for the development of agriculture, but even the development of animal husbandry is very difficult.For example, Australia used to be famous for its rich wool, but in fact, Australia’s grasslands look lush and lush, but they are actually much barren than the Mongolian plateau. Often after being eaten up by sheep, no grass will grow any more, and they will directly degenerate. It's a desert.In order to avoid land desertification, even pastures in Australia have to be irrigated and fertilized!

As a result, after entering the 21st century, Australia's sheep farming industry has been in a state of loss, and it is barely maintained by government subsidies.However, the average income of herdsmen is still far below the national minimum wage, and most of them are even heavily in debt. They have to rely on odd jobs to maintain the most basic living expenses.

Therefore, although the area is similar to that of China and the United States, modern Australia only has a population of 400 million people, which is already overwhelmed. In terms of food alone, it is about to change from an exporter to an importer.The government relies entirely on the high profits of mineral exports to maintain its financial balance. In fact, it is a large Saudi Arabia—except that Saudi Arabia exports oil, while Australia exports coal and iron ore.

According to the calculations of relevant experts, the land of Australia can only carry a population of 800 million at most, so as to ensure that the ecology will not be further damaged. Right now, it is already seriously overpopulated—this number is even much smaller than the population of the UK itself. !

Obviously, with such a small population, it is impossible to build a big country with world influence.

In short, although Australia, a lonely land in the southern hemisphere, does have the advantages of security and peace, but relying on Australia's own resources is far from enough to support any ambition and hegemony.If the traversers want to sit in Australia and dominate the world, they must try to increase the value of this land...

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"...It seems that everything is going well. In the future, this place will become a real world transportation hub, and the status of the capital will never be shaken again."

Standing in the center of the square, on the concrete floor exposed to the scorching sun, Chairman Wen Desi wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a relieved smile.

"...That's right, after the completion here, our army will become the real world police, and it will be able to move around the world."

Marshal Huang Shi, who had just officially assumed the post of Minister of Defense of the China League, also nodded and echoed, "...that Nanming gangster in Shanghai really didn't intend to help them for the sake of the compatriots? Could it be? Just watch them being slowly swallowed up by the Manchu Tartars?"

"...I'll let them die?! A bunch of trash that can't stick to the wall. They can't even serve as a buffer zone. Fortunately, they sold so many arms at a low price before! Now they are all in vain. What's the use of such pig teammates? It's better to die early and come clean!"

As soon as he mentioned the help mission group of the Emperor Yonghe in Shanghai, Chairman Wen Desi became angry, "...Comrade Huangshi, I wonder if you have seen the faces of those people, they are clearly They have come to us to beg in desperation, yet each of them is still so arrogant! Opening your mouth is just a matter of righteousness, and once you open your mouth, you will be charged with a bunch of crimes, and then we will be asked to "serve the court and fulfill the righteousness of a vassal", as if It is only natural to give money, food, and troops to help the war, otherwise you will be cut off from the people—where are you asking for help? This is to ride on our heads and be your father!"

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but sighed melancholy, "...No matter who it is, they can't save a group of people who are determined to die. On the contrary, they may also be dragged into the water! Han Feizi, the ancestor of Legalism There is such a sentence in the "Death March" written: The country is small but not inferior, the power is small but not afraid of the strong, the disrespectful and insulting neighbors, the greedy and clumsy friends, can perish. Applied in Shanghai*** F*ck on those granite-headed guys, it's just right!"

In this regard, although Huangshi is still a little upset, he has to admit that the Jiangnan gentry in the late Ming Dynasty are indeed basically hopeless. Even the current wars have not awakened them, let alone let them Reach the level of "opening your eyes to see the world".

In fact, not only the Donglin remnants of the Shanghai Communist Party, but also the entire Jiangnan Shilin at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the travelers did not think highly of them.

In the past two years, in the Zhejiang-occupied area of ​​the Huameng, the traversers have also made many attempts. They want to carry out capitalist transformation of the Jiangnan gentry under their rule, guide them to open labor-intensive factories, and start from sitting, eating, and renting. Lao Cai, a landlord with a son, has become a capitalist who can make money.However, the results were very limited—there were only a small number of "enlightened gentry" who were willing to follow arrangements and suggestions.Most of the rest of the gentry are granite-headed, and they are not willing to bother to run factories and start businesses at all. They are only willing to sit quietly at home to collect land rent and enjoy ready-made benefits.

The only thing they care about is when the "Australian Song Dynasty" will open the imperial examination, so that these "Confucian scholars" will become high-ranking officials in one step, and then use their power to embezzle and gain benefits-but they are rejected by the Australians The imperial examination, the behavior of not giving preferential treatment to the gentry was angered...

For the same reason, the traveler was also pissed off by the stubborn attitude of these guys, and furious: Don't talk about opening your eyes to see the world, this group of people is not only pretending to be an ostrich with their eyes closed, but also talking to anyone Guys who want to help them open their eyes desperately!
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"...Comrade Huangshi, I know you can't understand the turmoil and division in China today. You want to unify China as soon as possible, end this dark and painful troubled world, and let yourself be famous forever! This kind of thinking is certainly not wrong, but you also You have to do what you can, and understand the truth that haste makes waste!"

Chairman Wen Desi took a puff of his cigar, and persuaded him earnestly, "...At present, we have liberated six to seven provinces in mainland China (Liaoning, Taiwan, Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang), There are tens of millions of people who need our enlightenment and guidance, or organize them to emigrate overseas. The vast rural areas still need us to transform. The decadent and backward feudal production relations are still intertwined in our occupied areas, and countless old landlords The new regime is obedient and vicious, and they are still secretly supporting bandits and hooligans in an attempt to overthrow our rule!
In the vast South America, North America, Southeast Asia and Australia, our colonial career has just begun.There are infinitely vast virgin lands waiting for us to reclaim.All kinds of rich resources are still sleeping in the forest, and what occupy them is just a group of uncivilized monkeys.We only need to pay a small price to destroy them, seize those rich lands, and create the foundation of our nation for eternity.This is the current focus of work!
If we get too involved in the quagmire of the melee in the Central Plains when our foundation is not solid enough, the result will only gradually consume our actually limited strength—don’t forget that the United States and the Soviet Union were slowly drained of blood in Iraq and Afghanistan Lessons! "

"...Then why was the proposal to send troops to Japan to aid the Maori family rejected?" Huang Shi hesitated for a moment, then asked again.

"... Sending a large army to attack Japan, what benefits can it bring us? Is it for the medals of your soldiers?" Wen Desi asked rhetorically, "...Today's Japan, to put it bluntly, is just a few lands that are barren and full of land. It’s just a small island for earthquakes and typhoons! There is indeed gold and silver there, but we can completely exchange the gold and silver on the island through the arms trade! If you want to recruit Japanese ronin as cannon fodder, you can do the same now!

Besides, the current Maori Christian regime, in order to overthrow the Tokugawa family, opened the government by itself. Of course, we have a good relationship with us and behave quite submissively.But when they have unified the whole country and restored peace, it is very likely that something will happen! "

Speaking of this, Wen Desi paused again, stretched out his hand to pick up the cigar, took a big puff, and then spoke again, changing the subject, "... By the way, tomorrow I will take people to visit the cigar in the desert. At the ruins of the Song City, offer a stick of incense to the 'ancestors of the Song Empire in Australia', are you interested in coming together?"

"...No need, that kind of artificially forged fake historic site is really worth nothing. When the Ministry of National Defense was established, there was a lot of work in all aspects, and I had to prepare for the reorganization and awarding of the armed forces of the various republics. !"

Huangshi Defense Minister shook his head coldly, put on his military cap, turned around and rode on a battery car, and left in a hurry.

——What Huangshi didn't know at this time was that because of this categorical refusal, he would miss a far-reaching event...

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PS: After careful consideration for a long time, because "Sword Art Online" has too many outstanding characters, it is difficult to grasp the emotional line.More importantly, there are too many people who have written "Sword Art Online", so in order to ensure freshness, the next volume will still write the story of "OVERLORD King of the Undead".