Rise of the Argentine Empire

Since the "Future Cup" competition, Saint Hérse has rarely appeared at the game, because his time is so precious.

Now, every weekend, he drives to New Port to supervise the construction of the La Plata Steel Plant, dealing with the progress of the project and various safety accidents.

The steel plant has always been a top priority. He has dispatched many people to keep an eye on it, preventing major accidents, and formed a security team, hoping that no one with bad intentions will cause trouble, or he will have to ask them about the guns in his hands.

Construction is much more difficult than destruction, and the most important thing is that time is precious and urgent. He also specially sent people from the Delta, who are good at public relations, to build a good relationship with the La Plata Police Department, as the official deterrent is always greater.

La Plata's public security is much better than that of Buenos Aires. There are very few slums and gangs, which is related to Argentina's political ecology and the local provincial government's control over La Plata.

At six or seven in the morning, Saint Hérse arrived at the New Port pier outside the steel plant and slowly walked towards his residence here.

He saw the busy factory construction workers. They start work at eight in the morning. Most of these people come from the impoverished north. The wages Saint Hérse pays are good, and they include food and accommodation, which has also attracted many Bolivians to work here.

Saint Hérse prefers to use international labor, so that it will not damage the domestic employment demand, and it is not easy to gather together to strike and cause trouble. There are still many job opportunities in Argentina now, but because of currency devaluation, their actual income has decreased.

Foreign workers are more able to endure hardship, and they can also be immigrated as Argentines at the appropriate time to increase the country's population.

Now the steel plant has laid a solid foundation, and one blast furnace has been built to a basic scale of three meters in height. The converter is also under construction, and many supporting projects are also working hard in the distance.

The New Port pier is a bit misty, and the sound of fishing boats harvesting in the distance quickly attracts the attention of the pier. Saint Hérse is also very interested in going over to take a look.

Saint Hérse saw dilapidated fishing boats, and several young and strong men were unloading goods on the deck.

Because of the construction of the steel plant, a small pier market was set up in New Port, and nearby villagers often set up stalls here to sell things in order to earn pesos.

I saw two strong young men standing in the sea, lifting up plastic fish baskets with force, and a strong man on the boat was passing them to them.

They plan to dock at the small fishing boat pier. Several fishermen are busy with their work on the shore. The surrounding air is filled with the smell of fish, sometimes mixed with the stench of dead fish. In such an environment, one can see the hard work and harshness of the fishermen's work.

As for why it is harsh, it is related to the size of the ships. Their ships look like they are only about 200 tons in size, and there are very few modern facilities on them.

This fishing boat docked, and I saw four or five strong men starting to unload goods from a fishing boat. This is the first time I have personally seen fishermen unloading their harvest from a fishing boat at close range.

Saint Hérse felt a little novel and specially counted them. There were only eight or nine people on the boat, and the boat was only fifteen or sixteen meters long. The outer layer was wrapped in iron sheet, which was obviously a bit old.

The catch unloaded did not look very good, and the economic value was low.

"Hello friend, how was the harvest this time out to sea? Are there any good things?"

Saint Hérse went to the pier to see the young fishermen unloading their goods, handed out a few cigarettes, and asked.

"Alas, this time out to sea is not enough for diesel and labor costs. There are only some cheap goods, which are basically fresh. Look at this fish."

The captain picked up a silver-white sea fish, about three fingers wide, which is a common type of sea fish.

The old captain took the cigarette and handed the fish to Saint Hérse. Saint Hérse picked it up and looked at it. It was quite fresh. This kind of fish is more common within 10 nautical miles of the coast, but its value is average.

"Are you all fishing in the coastal areas of Buenos Aires Province?"

Saint Hérse put the fish back into the bucket, washed his hands with water to wash off the fishy smell, lit a cigarette, and then asked.

"Yes, there is no way. Our boat is just a coastal motorboat. It would be fatal to go any further. It can't withstand strong winds and waves."

Argentina's fishing grounds are mainly divided into the coastal area of Buenos Aires Province in the north and the Patagonia region in the south. The north occupies a more important position. Although the sea area is relatively small, the amount of fishing is not low. It belongs to an area with a relatively large catch and is relatively safe.

The Patagonian fishing ground is about to reach Antarctica. If the fishing boat is not large and the equipment is not advanced, it is easy for the boat to be destroyed and people to die. Everyone fishes to make money. Unless there is really no way, few people take this risk.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations regional division, Argentina's territorial waters are in Area 41 of the South Atlantic Ocean, and the fishing geographical conditions are very good.

The area available for fishing operations reaches 1 million square kilometers, and the fishing range extends from the coast to 300 to 1000 kilometers, with a coastline of 4000 kilometers.

Of course, Argentina's harbors are a bit lacking, similar to Brazil and Africa. The coastline is too flat and not tortuous.

There are almost no natural deep-water harbors here. On the contrary, there are many more seaports in neighboring Chile, but their climatic conditions are more severe. It is a high-incidence period of El Niño climate, and there is often bad weather.

"Friend, do you want to buy some seafood? I'll give you a cheaper price."

The captain was not polite. Seeing that Saint Hérse seemed a little interested, he quickly promoted it. The retail price is always a little more expensive than the wholesale price, after all, there is no middleman to make a difference.

"Then I'll pick and choose. It's just right to let the cafeteria try something fresh."

Saint Hérse was noncommittal, chatting while picking and choosing. There are very few fishing boats in Argentina now. There are still many wooden fishing boats entering the port here one after another.

Their fishing methods are also relatively simple, mainly fishing nets. Especially without freezing and storage methods, the harvest of a round trip is relatively poor. Some are too slow to return, so they simply scrap the entire ship. Now there is a large demand in this new port area, and the most important thing is that there are discounts.

Saint Hérse picked and chose, and bought thousands of pounds of fish and shrimp, intending to give the construction workers of the steel plant a treat at noon today, and also gave some more pesos, as information fee.

He still remembers Lucien, the person in charge of his Cohen Brothers Company, which is the largest human resources company under Saint Hérse, whose family used to fish.

Saint Hérse is also the godfather of his son.

Argentina now only has ordinary fishing boats, divided into three types: motor fishing boats with an average lifespan of 35 years, small fishing boats with an average lifespan of 28 years, and offshore fishing boats with an average lifespan of 14 years.

The fishing products caught by Argentine fishermen are mainly supplied to the domestic fresh fish market and the storage industry, with a very small amount exported.

Most of the marine fish resources are relatively concentrated in the Buenos Aires Province area, and are limited to fishing boats, most of which are only offshore fishing, which is relatively safe but the harvest is not good.

Argentina has abundant fishery resources, but lacks fishing boats and crew. Saint Hérse has always believed that Argentine fishermen are much braver than the Argentine Navy.

If he can really control the military strength in the future, he must replace these soft bones of the navy.

"Brother, are there any shipyards in the nearby provinces and cities?"

After the two became familiar, they became brothers.

"Cohen Brothers, there are several nearby, but their shipbuilding is just ordinary wooden fishing boats, which have been eliminated. Their shipbuilding skills are still good."

The captain was in a great mood. Saint Hérse was generous and bought a lot, so he also said a lot of important things.

Saint Hérse felt that developing the shipbuilding industry in Argentina has great potential. He already has a group of mechanical experts, and he can find some naval architects.

The shipbuilding industry is a comprehensive industry, and it is also a labor, capital, and technology-intensive industry. It drives the development of upstream and downstream industries such as mechanical and electrical, steel, chemical, shipping, and marine resource exploration and exploitation, and promotes employment, develops export trade, and ensures maritime defense security.

This is a major national tool. Argentina's shipbuilding industry has not yet developed. Argentina must have more contact with other economies in the world, and a strong maritime transportation is essential.

Moreover, the La Plata Steel Plant and the Praly fleet are readily available, and then as long as a few fishing boats and small cargo ships are built every year, marine transportation of various raw materials and fishing in Antarctica can be carried out.

Saint Hérse and the Delta security personnel began to get busy again, planning to buy a small shipyard, which can also be used to repair cargo ships. The cargo ships of Praly International are repaired and maintained every year.

He plans to contact the boss of the so-called Poseidon Shipbuilding workshop.

He found a small shipyard located in the east of the New Port area of La Plata, to understand the Argentine shipbuilding industry and try to protect it.

Saint Hérse and the Delta security personnel began to get busy again, planning to buy a small shipyard, which can also be used to repair cargo ships. The cargo ships of Praly International are repaired and maintained every year.

According to the captain's meaning, Saint Hérse found a small town located in the east of the New Port area of La Plata. It can indeed be said to be a small shipyard, which also undertakes the repair of some old ships, and also has a little simple wooden shipbuilding method.

The landscape here is one of barren hills. The town isn't close to any major city; it's just an agricultural community. Most of the young and middle-aged population has left to find work elsewhere, leaving behind the elderly, weak, and disabled.

In the foreseeable future, this town will likely continue to decline. The lack of resources will lead to the decay of the villages, and then the town itself. The population decline will result in the reduction of elementary and middle school sizes, causing more people to migrate to the cities.

The remote towns will become even more desolate.

The town's economy is poor. The largest companies are a food factory, a discounted flour mill, and this shipyard. Although it's called a shipyard, it's really just a simple repair shop that can build some wooden boats.

Saint-Hesse contacted the owner of this shipbuilding workshop called Neptune Shipyard. The shipyard has a grand name, but not many employees.

He went to the small town east of New Port, which is quite desolate and backward.

There are very few people here, and the scene is one of desolation. This Neptune Shipyard claims to have shipbuilding capabilities, but it only does repairs and makes wooden boats; it can't even produce steel ships.

It's just a workshop for repairing and producing wooden boats, with only about twenty employees.

Saint-Hesse was very disappointed but still discussed things with the director of Neptune Shipyard.

Saint-Hesse decided to start his own shipbuilding company, located east of New Port.

He registered and established two companies: Three Seas Shipbuilding and Three Seas Diesel Power.

Saint-Hesse gathered everyone in the office building of his new shipyard to give a motivational speech.

"As you all know, 3/4 of the Earth's surface is ocean. We should have the ambition to conquer the seas. For Argentina, three oceans are most important: the Pacific, the Indian, and the Atlantic. As for the Arctic Ocean, it will be difficult to get involved in the future."

Saint-Hesse quoted the famous saying of a later shipping magnate at the founding meeting of the newly established Three Seas Shipyard. In fact, when he was reborn, there were already five oceans, but he didn't like either "three oceans" or "five oceans," so he simply named it Three Seas Shipbuilding as a symbolic gesture.

"We must do everything we can to develop our own shipbuilding industry. This is crucial for the future of Argentina's marine economy. If we rely on imports for shipbuilding, it will be a huge disaster, and the same goes for the navy."

Saint-Hesse continued to leverage his financial advantage to poach talent. Several senior engineers are currently engaged in intense discussions.

"This is a blueprint for a new type of fishing boat with a displacement of 580 tons. It's a medium to large fishing boat. Take a look at the blueprint. It will be built with steel. Recently, everyone should prepare to help build the docks. We need to establish a cooperative relationship with the fishermen."

"We need two docks, but we don't need to build them all at once. Everyone can discuss it carefully. Our first shipbuilding goal is to build two fishing boats. This is crucial and the first step in our development."

"Boss, we have the shipbuilding technology, but is there really a market for this? The tonnage is so small. And does Argentina need that much fish?" Someone raised their hand and asked.

"That's a good question. The fact is that Argentina must have a strong civilian shipbuilding industry, otherwise, our huge fishing resources will be wasted. Fishing boats are easy to get started with, and the manufacturing difficulty isn't high. We can start here to accumulate experience."

"Diesel engines are the top priority. They are the core of our fishing boats' ability to run, so everyone should strive to fully understand these diesel engines so that we can also cast them."

Saint-Hesse's goal is simple: to accumulate more technical reserves and get shipbuilding up and running in preparation for designing and producing warships and submarines for the country in the future.

Saint-Hesse asked Horst to get some old diesel engines and prepared to work on them himself. He also found German experts in Argentina.

In the later Falklands War, the Argentine Navy's performance can be said to be the worst, hiding in the port and refusing to fight.

In fact, the development of Argentina's shipbuilding industry in later generations basically didn't happen until the sixties and seventies, and it was mainly state-owned shipyards. But if we really wait until that time, we will have missed many opportunities. The 1950s are an era with unlimited possibilities.

Currently, the domestic shipyards have a maximum production capacity of only small ships of 500-1000 tons. The navy's ships basically come from British and Brazilian shipyards, which is quite ironic.

European shipbuilding technology, especially in France, developed rapidly in the fifties and sixties. Fed by orders from the French military, the French, especially French state-owned shipyards, became the third largest shipbuilding power in the world, second only to the United States and the Soviet Union.

After World War II, the French shipbuilding industry ushered in a major integration. In 1946, the French government nationalized all the large shipyards in France and established the French Shipbuilding Management Committee to actively promote the revival of the French shipbuilding industry in order to take on the important task of revitalizing the French Navy in the future.

The French shipbuilding industry quickly caught up with Britain and could produce nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The famous Exocet missiles in the Anglo-Argentine War also came from the French.

French military industry developed faster and faster in the wave of nationalization, which can be said to be the peak of capitalism in Western countries.

From this stark contrast, Argentina's nationalization only nationalized ownership, and most of the other systems were followed without any reform or innovation.

There were also no domestic orders and purchases. The military was more willing to purchase big guys from other countries, which could make more money, but enriched other countries and hit the domestic shipbuilding industry.

This is a typical "it's better to buy than build" mentality, putting one's own country's lifeline in the hands of other countries, who can leave backdoors as they please, and it easily breeds corruption in Argentina.

In terms of civilian shipbuilding, East Asia, in fact, dominated in later generations. First Japan, then South Korea, and finally New China. The three countries combined became a superpower in civilian shipbuilding in the world.

Currently, the civilian ships of the Federal Republic of Germany are developing the fastest, while Britain has declined a lot. Japan is still in the early stages of preparing to take off.

The first super cycle of the shipbuilding industry was from 1965 to 1973. After World War II, the global economy grew rapidly, and the strong growth of the maritime transport market drove the demand for new ships.

Moreover, the 1960s were the years of African independence. Even if they didn't completely get rid of the control of their former suzerain states, they also entered a stage of rapid growth.

In addition, the development of Japan, South Korea, the Four Asian Dragons, the Four Asian Tigers, India, and Middle Eastern oil countries stimulated a strong demand for shipbuilding.

That was also the golden peak of the development of Western capitalist countries. After the recovery and accumulation in the 1950s, everyone took off rapidly, and also brought up Japan.

On the other hand, the Soviets engaged in internal self-sufficiency and also embarked on another development path. Then, with the support of a strong economy, they gradually reached their peak. The Corn Emperor was driven off the stage by Brezhnev after planting corn for a few years.

The Soviet Union's military strength on paper gradually caught up with and even surpassed the Americans, which is an undeniable miracle, especially the establishment of several super fleets. However, the Soviets had almost no major development in the field of civilian shipbuilding, or rather, were relatively backward.

The Germans and Argentines have a good relationship now. This "good" means that Argentina has made a great contribution to the economic recovery of the Germans. In the future, the German shipbuilding industry will be the "flagship" of the European shipbuilding industry, representing the highest level of civilian shipbuilding in Europe to a certain extent.

The German shipbuilding industry is promoting industrial transformation and development. Saint-Hesse will contact some shipbuilding experts who were left in South America in the past and again. He can't let them waste their skills, and he doesn't lack money.

The shipbuilding industry also belongs to a cyclical industry. The basic demand comes from new additions. After all, a ship can be used for decades. It is difficult to break down. Most of them are eliminated and scrapped because of outdated technology, just like steam turbine ships.

Increasing revenue and reducing expenditure are the winning formula for enterprises in difficult times. The shipbuilding industry has been trying to find ways to increase revenue.

In the 1970s, Japanese shipbuilding companies relied on welding technology to surpass European shipbuilding companies, and then dominated the world shipbuilding market for decades.

And South Korean shipbuilding companies, who learned from Japan, surpassed Japan with their innovative spirit and became the world's number one shipbuilding power.

It can be said that Argentina needs to develop various industries as soon as possible in order to have the opportunity to strive for future victory.

......

After arranging the various affairs of the shipyard, the time has come to May.

The Copa Futuro football tournament will soon move from the quarter-finals to the semi-finals. Blue Delta was eliminated by Estudiantes de La Plata. Under the influence of money, New Alliance advanced to the semi-finals.

But the next few teams are not easy to mess with. Whether they can enter the third-place match is a big question mark.

Saint-Hesse also honestly attended classes and studied, and provided some advice for the development of the newspaper. In addition, he spent time with his girlfriend, deepened their relationship, and also sorted out the various factories under his control. Fireworks factories are indeed not very suitable for some careless Argentines, and the profit of fireworks is not high, and the market ceiling is not large. The profit in recent months has not increased, and even decreased.

Saint-Hesse plans to sell the Rennes Fireworks Factory and the complete set of technology to a familiar Chinese in Chinatown. Rennes Explosives will focus on its main business, explosives, fertilizers and other major industries, and plans to integrate the Maria Petrochemical Plastics Factory to enter the comprehensive chemical industry.