kingnovel Chapter 552 Rubber, rubber!
Chapter 552 Rubber, rubber!
Looking back on history, Zhang Chi recalled Hong Kong in his past life, a city where concubinage wasn't legally abolished until the 1970s. It was a form of historical inertia, a compromise of traditional Chinese culture under specific circumstances.
But Nanyang is different. It is a brand new country that was reborn from the ashes of war and ruins.
What it needs is to break the shackles and release the vitality.
"Times are progressing, and the future of Nanyang must be a modern, rule-of-law country. Enforced monogamy is one of the cornerstones of modern civilized society. This, without a doubt, must be written into law."
"But..." Zhang Chi changed the subject, revealing a touch of pragmatism and warmth. "Reform can't be a crude, one-size-fits-all approach. We also have to consider the burdens of the past and the difficulties of the present."
He clearly explained his idea to the beauty in his arms:
"For polygamous relationships that existed before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the principle of voluntariness is adopted. Whether to continue or dissolve an existing relationship requires the full consent of all parties involved (including the wife and concubine themselves). We will not forcibly break up existing families, but we will never allow anyone to force an unwilling party to maintain a relationship."
"As for those so-called 'maidens' and 'servants', they are essentially relationships of personal dependence. This remnant of feudalism must be completely abolished. They must all be transformed into employment relationships, with both parties signing employment contracts that clearly define their rights and obligations, and employers paying reasonable wages. Do you fancy playing the master but don't have enough money for servants? Then hire those natives who are willing to sell their labor."
In later generations, countless Southeast Asians worked as domestic servants in developed countries, with Filipino domestic servants being particularly famous worldwide.
Zhang Chi thought that if the masters really liked them, they could just order them around.
"After the founding of the People's Republic of China, any form of concubinage or disguised concubinage was strictly prohibited. Bigamy must be criminalized, and the law only recognizes and protects monogamous marriages."
In Zhang Chi's vision, the future of Nanyang must be an industrialized nation, requiring every citizen to participate in creating value, whether through farming, factory work, small business, or even road and bridge construction.
Only labor can create wealth and drive the country forward.
A large number of private servants, especially those "house-born children" based on personal dependence, are restricting precious productivity.
Confining young people with hands and feet to deep courtyards to serve tea and water and wait on the master and the mistress is not only a waste, but also a harm to the country's development potential.
At the same time, this unequal relationship poses a huge hidden danger and harm to social security and the dignity of the grassroots people, and must be eliminated.
Liu Yue listened to Zhang Chi's clear and powerful explanation and looked at him, her heart filled with admiration and love for this man.
"I understand..." Secretary Liu's voice was soft. "I will subtly convey your intention to my anxious uncles. Let them know that the commander-in-chief is not trying to end their "blessings" but to give everyone, especially those sisters trapped in the backyard, a fairer and more dignified future."
Zhang Chi pinched her cheek with satisfaction: "My secretary Liu still understands me the best."
He looked at the wall clock and said, "Alright, little devil, if you keep on being so annoying, you'll be late for the afternoon meeting."
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The afternoon sun shines through the large blinds, casting dappled light and shadows in the conference room of the temporary Grand Commander's Mansion.
On both sides of the long conference table sat ministers of agriculture, industry, finance, trade and other departments, as well as several representatives of Chinese tycoons who played an important role in the rubber industry. Among them, an old man with gray hair and bright eyes was particularly eye-catching - it was Boss Chen.
Zhang Chi sat in the main seat, his fingertips tapping lightly on a thick report.
The topic of the afternoon meeting is directly related to the economic lifeline of the United States of Southeast Asia and one of its future industrial backbones - rubber.
"Everyone," Zhang Chi patted the table and got straight to the point. "Before the war, in the Malay Peninsula and southern Siam alone, our Chinese ancestors painstakingly cultivated rubber plantations covering a total area exceeding 10 million mu (approximately 1.5 million hectares). The annual output of natural rubber exceeded 600,000 tons."
He paused, looked around at everyone, and threw out a breathtaking figure: "And now, due to the global shortage caused by the war, the price of rubber on the international market has soared to $800 to $1200 per ton. Everyone, do the math. Even if you take the lowest price of $800, how much would 60 tons be worth?"
Bai Hongsheng, the Minister of Economic Development and Reform, blurted out almost subconsciously: "4.8 million, or Dao Le."
4.8 million dollars a year, this figure made everyone present gasp.
You have to know that the United States of Southeast Asia was just established and there was a lot of work to be done, so money was needed everywhere.
"That's right, close to $5 million. That doesn't even include the Chinese rubber plantations in Bago, the East Sindhu Islands, Borneo, Luzon, and other places." Zhang Chi glanced at the wealthy businessmen and emphasized, "This is just the lowest estimate. No wonder there were so many 'rubber kings' and 'rubber tycoons' in our Chinese community before the war. This stuff is truly flowing milky white gold."
Several wealthy Chinese businessmen glanced at each other, a hint of worry flashing in their eyes. They wondered what the young leader meant by this. Was he thinking they were making too much money and wanted to rip them off?
Only Boss Chen, who had consulted with Zhang Chi beforehand, was still sitting in his seat calmly.
Minister of Trade Li Weimin, who was promoted by Zhang Chi and had been in charge of trade since the Anmin Army era, and had always managed foreign trade with the Republic of China, the Russian Empire, and the White Eagle Army in an orderly manner, added:
"Furthermore, the value of rubber through further processing is even more astonishing. 1 tons of natural rubber can produce 60 car tires, or... um..." He glanced at the report, seeming a little unsure of the sensitivity of the data, "...or approximately 3 million condoms."
A few suppressed chuckles were heard in the conference room.
Li Weimin said sternly, "Don't laugh! These are all important strategic and daily supplies. More importantly, the profit from processing 1 tons of rubber into finished products will be enough for us to purchase 200 of their latest P-51D Mustang fighter jets from White Eagle."
"hiss--"
On the other hand, after hearing this data, even Boss Chen couldn't help but be moved.
As the rubber king, his sales channels were naturally controlled by John before the war. What he and the Chinese around him earned was actually the hard work of planting and tapping rubber, and the bulk of the profits were earned by foreigners!