Rise of the Argentine Empire

After busying himself with the restructuring of Rheinmetall Industries, the next step was to focus on the mass production matters following the successful bid, leaving the Augustine Trio to handle it.

… …

In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of October. Many jacaranda trees were in bloom, making for a beautiful sight.

Petals were scattered all over the ground.

Inside the National University of Buenos Aires, in a deserted large classroom.

Saint-Hesse and several classmates were cleaning, removing some of the debris.

“Cohen, from now on, you're the president of our club. It's just that the club's name is a bit strange and not imposing enough. I still think ‘New Paris Alliance’ sounds more powerful…”

Powell carried a desk out to the corridor, saying weakly, rubbing his aching back.

He looked enviously at Cicero by the back door, who carried one in each hand, throwing two desks onto the corridor with a loud thud.

“Cicero is really strong. If that punch landed on Eddie, he'd probably go straight to the hospital.”

Eddie adjusted his glasses and tore a newspaper off the wall. After a glance, he found it boring, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it out the window.

“Fighting still depends on Cohen. I can't beat him. He's strong. Cohen, come and throw some heavy stuff too.”

Cicero, hearing Eddie's words from afar, replied.

“I'll be there in a bit. I'm not good at naming things either. This one's fine. Several names I came up with were already taken. Send me those files, or this will take too long.”

Saint-Hesse, wearing a mask, his clean white shirt now covered in dust, was pulling out some wooden planks from the front door, tossing them backward with great skill.

A few days ago, he registered the club with the National University of Buenos Aires Student Union. Today, he managed to get the activity room approved. It's just that the classroom has been abandoned for too long, with too much debris. He estimated it would take an entire afternoon.

“Actually, I think it's good. New Youth Alliance, how powerful and nice does it sound? Being a good youth in the new era is much better than that National University of Buenos Aires Youth Federation. They're just a bunch of gangsters, no different from those people in the outer city.”

Jim had seen many such things, holding a plastic bucket and sprinkling water in the room to reduce the dust. To be honest, the National University of Buenos Aires was now a chaotic mess, with all sorts of shady characters.

“That Youth Federation is all mysterious. They just mix some dark secrets and obscure academic stuff together. It's not even as good as the Pope's scandals. They're just lackeys of some landed gentry.”

Eddie said disdainfully, struggling to drag a wooden plank out with his greasy hair.

“Wolfe, for someone with such a powerful name, didn't Cohen end up helping you get your revenge? In the future, don't randomly criticize those from landed gentry families. We middle-class people can't afford to offend them.”

“I was really blind to think those dogs from the Youth Federation were good people.”

Wolfe was actually quite introverted. He was indeed grateful to Saint-Hesse after this incident, so he joined the New Youth Alliance as soon as possible.

“This really requires thanking Cohen. If he hadn't brought Cicero and scared those people from the Youth Federation, they probably would have come to mess with you again.”

“It's just a small matter. I just can't stand these guys bullying people just because their families have power and influence. It just so happens that I'm a bit stronger than them.”

Last Friday, Saint-Hesse was discussing industrial farms with people from the Biology Department when he saw seven or eight well-dressed members of the Youth Federation bullying a classmate. He went up and started throwing punches, beating them so badly that they had to pay a lot of medical expenses. Only then did he discover that Wolfe was among the bullied.

Later, they tried to retaliate. Saint-Hesse couldn't bear it any longer and had to call Cicero's friends to smash the Youth Federation's activity room, experiencing what it felt like to be a student.

He also wondered why he had to put up with this nonsense. After thinking for a while, he gathered a group of friends from the school and established and registered a new club, becoming the president himself.

This could also add to his resume. After all, school experience also needs to be embellished a bit. Moreover, freshmen would be arriving in a few months, so it would be a good opportunity to recruit some new people.

He had joined several terrible clubs before, but he was always dissatisfied, feeling that something was wrong.

He also saw that these large families and landed gentry had established clubs of various kinds at the National University of Buenos Aires to attract talent.

But it had already turned into factionalism and bullying of freshmen, so he simply went along with it.

“That's right. I even thought it was a good club, requiring recommendations. In the end, it's almost like a mafia. Eddie, you and Wolfe go find someone to collect the waste. I feel like you're too weak. You need to eat more.”

Wolfe and Eddie were really skinny. Doing some cleaning was okay, but looking at so much debris in the classroom, it would be faster to do it themselves.

Wolfe and Eddie, upon hearing Saint-Hesse's instructions, promptly took the money and went outside the school to find someone to clear the items in the corridor. Cicero, Cohen, and Powell were stronger and more muscular, so they stayed behind to clean.

The group worked hard for an entire afternoon, finally cleaning the huge classroom. The trash in the corridor required seven or eight trips back and forth in a pickup truck.

The next day, in the New Youth Alliance's classroom, the walls were whitewashed, and the holes in the floor were repaired.

Saint-Hesse paid out of his own pocket and found an electrician to install the classroom lights, finally hanging up the club's sign.

“President, now that the New Youth Alliance has been officially established, should we have a feast today?”

“Bring more people over to build up our momentum. As for eating, we'll talk about it when there are more people.”

“Vice President Powell, you and Eddie are responsible for the membership department, to create a roster.”

“Minister Eddie, you are responsible for the internal affairs department, to establish various club regulations and systems.”

“I will temporarily be responsible for the external affairs department, to get some sponsorships for the New Youth Alliance.”

“Yes, President.”

“The others will be temporarily assigned to the research department. This will be our main department in the future.”

“Um, President, I also want to be a minister.”

Students didn't have any money. He could get some from the newspaper, Plarrie International, the soda factory, and the bicycle factory, which would sponsor a lot of money. If that didn't work, he could set up some foundations.

Saint-Hesse was stirring up trouble within the university, preparing to launch a student public opinion storm. He emphasized strategy in his actions and methods in his schemes.

As for the purpose, it was nothing more than seeing if he could find some talent.

Getting them to truly backstab would probably be impossible.

… …

Throughout November, the New Youth Alliance grew very rapidly.

Some freshmen who joined after hearing Saint-Hesse's reputation found that the club was researching different things, and even some older students joined.

Because the club had ample funds, mostly sponsored and branded in the name of Saint-Hesse's companies, with real money being invested, and in order to do things properly, they even published internal club magazines and held several club activities, such as debate competitions.

All club members could publish internally, circulate among themselves, and exchange ideas.

So it quickly grew and developed, absorbing many new club members at once. Saint-Hesse could often remember the name of each member and carefully note their reasons for joining, and mostly had a conversation with them.

However, the New Youth Alliance seemed to be developing in a way that was different from his original goal, and it also attracted a bunch of radical youths.

They began to discuss the development path and future of national capitalism, using books such as “The Wealth of Nations,” “The Economic History of England,” and “Employment, Interest, and Money” as the core of their discussions.

They criticized Argentina's backward and primitive capitalist system, especially the trade unions ruining the country, and all sorts of chaotic things like land revolution, caudillo aristocracy, and abolishing the land ownership of the great aristocracy to distribute the land to the peasants.

Saint-Hesse couldn't help but feel that these students were quite radical, but he couldn't say that they were completely unreasonable. He just thought it was some youthful idealism. If it weren't for the fact that it was a bit difficult to say, he would have even suggested that they read The Art of Dragon Slaying.

One afternoon, Saint-Hesse was looking around the New Youth Alliance when he saw people from the debate department arguing. He was interested and listened for a while, and the more he listened, the more he felt it was too abstract.

“Ron, you guys are discussing these Anglo-American systems all day, but you should actually look at other countries more. Broaden your horizons and look further.”

Saint-Hesse saw that these guys in the debate department were energetic and often participated in debate competitions, but most of them were a bit awkward, so he spoke up.

“President, we always feel that something is wrong with debating these things. It's indeed a bit too abstract.

I wonder if there's anything you can guide us with. I heard that you also give lectures to the guys in the news department.”

Ron's eyes lit up. The president was a big shot.

As the head of the New Youth Alliance's debate department, he was very worried, always feeling that the things taught in school were a bit lacking, but the books he read in the library were also too disorganized and not systematic.

“I think you can study “Das Kapital.” This book is pretty good.”

““Das Kapital”? I've rarely heard of this book.”

“It's written by a German. It's very well written and profound.”

“Das Kapital” was written by a German saint, and it is indeed a good book, Saint-Hesse thought inwardly.

"If you have time, you can go to the National Library to take a look. It's really good, much better than those books written by Americans. Those Americans are just robbers at heart, how could they have any good books?"

"We'll leave right away, President, we won't delay you."

"You can organize a large lecture, and the expenses can be reimbursed by the finance department."

"Yes, President, I'll talk to those guys in the research department."

These members of the debate club immediately scattered and ran away, leaving in a rush.

The people in the debate club usually come from various departments and are mostly eloquent, but BU doesn't really recommend certain special books, so Saint Hesser also intends to guide them.

Moreover, the New Youth League is different from other clubs. Recently, many new departments have been established, and the names are also quite strange, such as the Research Department, News Department, and Debate Department.

Generally, student clubs, because they don't have school funding, are essentially student associations, often with departments like the External Relations Department, Internal Relations Department, Planning Department, and Publicity Department, while the New Youth League is more like a real learning and research club.

The New Youth League regularly organizes some on-campus activities to expand its influence, and often organizes off-campus activities, such as visiting slums, going to manors, seeing the lives of landed nobles, and even holding some sports meets, making a lively scene.

Moreover, the New Youth League has off-campus channels and can even provide internship opportunities. It also often organizes gatherings, so it has slowly formed a selection process for some core members, and specially created a Youth Elite Department to absorb them.

It must be said that through this method, some talents have indeed joined, which is much faster and more effective than the study sessions initially organized by the army.

Saint Hesser went with the flow, nominally soliciting sponsorship and befriending these people. His rich knowledge and practical experience also accumulated great prestige in the New Youth League.

Saint Hesser also lowered his status and often led teams to the slums, and specially established a Normal Department within the New Youth League. All members of the club with aspirations can apply to join and teach workers.

He held workers' night schools, providing free education, and often investigated their demands and wishes.

Saint Hesser also combined some of his own experiences and knowledge to become a night school teacher, giving lectures to them. Most of these people came from northern Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

They often didn't have much schooling, so ideological work was difficult. In the end, very few night schools were able to persist, which made him deeply frustrated.

But this time he persisted, changed the boring teaching methods, and began to teach in interesting ways such as reading newspapers and telling stories, which achieved certain results, and this workers' night school was finally able to stabilize.

In addition to teaching, Saint Hesser also intended to open branches of clothing factories and other factories in Buchar, to truly help them solve some difficulties, and outsource some unimportant processes, but the slums were too big and there were too many people, which made him feel his own weakness again.

The New Youth League has become the most attractive club for new blood among the newly established clubs, and many bullied students have joined.

It is not only limited to BU, but also plans to gradually establish branches in some surrounding universities and military academies.

"President, this is a list of some members who have requested to join the Normal Department and take turns teaching. The only relatively troublesome thing is that the security in the slums is not very good at night, so safety is very important."

"I'll take care of this matter. There are so many people in the Normal Department this time. It seems that everyone is good."

"President, this is the arrangement list for tomorrow's lecture in the auditorium. Please take a look at it later."

"Okay, Ron and the others have done a good job. I hope it goes well tomorrow. I will go and see it too."

Saint Hesser stood up and stretched. Recently, he did some small things and felt that the resistance was great. It seems that he still needs to take advantage of the situation. However, it's worth it to have scooped up a few talents in the New Youth League.

......

The New Youth League's activities have made other associations and clubs on campus jealous, especially the previously mysterious Youth Federation.

Of course, they are only doing some shady things in secret, which Saint Hesser doesn't care about. After all, the New Youth League is just a simple attempt of his, occupying a small corner in BU.

Moreover, the New Youth League has also found some people from the Biology and Agronomy majors to join.

Saint Hesser registered a shell agricultural company and specially allocated funds to the people in the Agronomy Research Department to conduct research and make plans, researching the Soviet collective farm policy. The Argentinian spring plowing has already begun.

The tobacco planting base of the Potassium Triangle Eagle Cigarette Factory has also begun tobacco seedling cultivation and sent in a family.

More than 20,000 acres of wasteland have been leased, but unfortunately, it can only be planted manually. The tractors bought from abroad have not yet arrived at the port, so the planting efficiency is a bit low, and we can only adopt the method of recruiting more farmers to cultivate.

The only good news in Maria Town is that the fertilizer plant is preparing to put the first part into production at the end of the month. After a whole year of construction, there will finally be results.

Various inspection, investment, and procurement groups have all set off for France, Japan, Germany, and Italy.

Among them, the cement plant equipment procurement progress is the fastest. They have already bought the equipment and plan to return home. They are the first team to set off.

The real battlefield is not actually on the BU side. The entire Buchar, and even the entire Argentina, is surging with undercurrents. A few days ago, the presidential palace arrested some troublemakers and locked them up.

There are still union people marching in the Plaza de Mayo, and some students from BU are also joining in the fun, opposing the decisions of the presidential palace.

Moreover, the entire Buchar is rumored that Peron intends to contact American capital and open the market, which has aroused dissatisfaction from the industrial faction in the cabinet and the Red faction in the military, but it is still brewing.

It is said that Mrs. Peron's cancer has worsened, which is also a major event recently. Next year, when Mrs. Peron passes away, Peron's approval rating is estimated to drop to at least 30%, and the people are also becoming very dissatisfied, and the peso is becoming less and less valuable.

Argentina's political situation will basically remain stable for the next three or four years, but it is also an eventful time.

Then another military government will come to power. The Peron government is actually also a military government, just wearing a layer of civilian government skin.

Internationally,

On October 14, the Organization of Central American States was established, trying to get rid of American control, which has impacted the United Fruit Company. The foreign ministers of Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala signed the Charter of the Organization of Central American States in San Salvador.

On October 26, the British Conservative Party won power, and 77-year-old Churchill took office again. It is estimated that he will not live much longer.

France is still a mess, fighting on two fronts, fighting in both Algeria and Vietnam at the same time, and the cabinet is constantly collapsing and changing people.

The French-Vietnamese War is now entering a stalemate, it depends on whose blood bar is thicker. At least it can be fought for about three years, and France still has a certain advantage.

The Plarri International fleet has added several large-tonnage ships and officially established a branch in Saigon.

Specially helping the French transport supplies, especially some inexpensive Argentinian canned meat, soda, and even special military shoes and uniforms, and also plans to sell higher-value bullets, guns, etc. The only relatively troublesome thing is that it takes more than two months to go back and forth, but the profit is still considerable.

During the entire French-Vietnamese War, the French Far East Army had a force of 488,000 people, of which French mainland soldiers only accounted for 22% of the total force, as well as Vietnamese local soldiers, North African soldiers, Black African soldiers, and the Foreign Legion.

Moreover, the French army has sufficient military expenditure. During the war, France consumed US$10 billion in military expenditure, of which US$2.6 billion was US aid. Moreover, this route needs to be further expanded to establish a relationship with the Americans. The French-Vietnamese War is the highlight.

Also, there are many Chinese in Southeast Asia, and passenger routes can be established to help them immigrate to Australia and New Zealand.

Later, some can immigrate to Argentina. Now factories in Argentina, especially shoe and clothing factories, are particularly short of people.

Malaysia has not yet become independent, and there will be wars after independence. The Communist Party of India has illusions about the Indonesian government, trying to coexist peacefully. Saint Hesser clearly remembers the events of eleven years later, so he is also preparing to contact the Communist Party of India and sell arms to their hawks.

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. They don't even understand this. They can't even copy homework. The Vietnamese are doing a very good job.

So Saint Hesser also asked Rein Military to continue to expand production. The MP40 submachine gun is still very suitable for the environment in Southeast Asia, and its performance and power are sufficient. They don't have more advanced assault rifles.

The French weapons and equipment are actually not very good, such as the MAS-36 and MAS-4 AS-38 submachine guns.

Rein Military has also begun to contact some insurgent armies abroad, promoting the Argentinian version of submachine guns and pistols, with export prices being quite cheap.

It is possible to make money transporting a trip of nearly 10,000 nautical miles, and Saint Hesser is also returning to transport high-quality coal from Western Australia, which requires larger tonnage ships.

To prepare for the initial start-up, a medium-sized steelmaking blast furnace must be built before the end of next year to start steelmaking, even if the scale is smaller, only hundreds of thousands of tons will do. This is an urgent matter.

There are no other major events.

The Radical Civic Union formally invited him to join this Friday, asking him to serve as the Minister of Propaganda in Buchar. The only funny thing is that there are only three people left in the Propaganda Department of the Radical Party. Many people have been arrested by the Peron government for publishing critical remarks.