Rise of the Argentine Empire

As they disembarked, the Secretary-General of the City Hall, Pusey Kimal, was already waiting on the dock, instructing their motorcade to escort Dr. Tank back to the Aviation Industrial Park.

The weather in Blanca City was quite pleasant today, and the coup had not affected it too much.

In the eastern district, there were many small clothing factories, essentially just ordinary bungalows with a few domestically produced sewing machines and a few workers, capable of taking on some clothing production orders.

“Da da da, da da da,” some older female workers stepped on the sewing machines, their feet constantly moving up and down with the pedals, skillfully making clothes.

These imitation old-fashioned sewing machines were mostly copied by Leidon Machinery Factory, which offered affordable prices and decent quality.

These small workshops mostly took on some outsourced orders, and they could supplement their household income by making these clothes near their homes. Blanca City had slowly become a textile and clothing industrial center.

“Mr. Mayor, the Deputy Mayor asked you to go directly to the reception room.”

“Okay, I will.”

San Jose sat in the back seat, saying nothing.

Upon arriving at City Hall, San Jose went straight to the reception room, where Deputy Mayor Herlanto Martiens and others were receiving an important figure, visibly relieved by San Jose's arrival.

“What happened?” San Jose asked Herlanto.

Herlanto was originally the Speaker of the City Council and had once been San Jose's superior. Of course, the Speaker did not have much real power, and most of the bills passed were about balancing interests, dividing the pie, and endless bickering.

San Jose later rose to prominence, constantly expanding the pie of Blanca City, and then introducing a new group of people.

He officially appointed Herlanto as Deputy Mayor, and Herlanto was still one of the highest-ranking people in Blanca City. However, as a government official, it was indeed a bit difficult for him, but it was a necessary thing to do. Otherwise, the families in the city would not have allowed him to steadily control the city at the beginning, which was also a clever new balance.

“This is Juan Cook, the Deputy Secretary-General to the President, Mr. Secretary-General, this is our Mayor, San Jose Cohen.”

Herlanto introduced, and San Jose carefully looked at the person from the Justicialist Party who had come from the Presidential Palace, extending his hand.

The specific information of this person had already emerged in his mind. This was a rising star in Perón's eyes, the Deputy Secretary-General to the President, a former member of the National Congress, who had represented Argentina at the Vienna World People's Peace Conference two years prior.

“Hello, San Jose Cohen, Mr. President hopes you can take charge of the Argentine National Steel Plant.”

Juan said somewhat arrogantly, stating his purpose directly, and shook hands with San Jose.

“This is a bit sudden, can you tell me why?”

San Jose was a little puzzled and spoke directly, wondering why he would be moved from his current position.

He knew a little about the Argentine National Steel Plant. It was negotiated with the United States in '49, with an American steel plant responsible for design and construction, with a designed production capacity of 1 million tons. It seemed that the Presidential Palace approved it in '49, but even half of it had not been built yet, after 5 years.

The construction speed was not comparable to the La Plata Steel Plant at all. The La Plata Steel Plant was prepared for more than half a year, and the construction was completed in just over 2 years.

It was said that the National Steel Plant was constantly embroiled in disputes and strikes, and the construction progress was far behind the surrounding small steel plants.

The Americans demanded that all construction materials for the steel plant be imported from the United States, but now the Americans were also imposing an embargo, so many construction periods were severely delayed.

Moreover, there was a tendency to become an unfinished project. 1 million tons was not even comparable to the scale of Hans Steel Plant now. No matter how exquisite the construction or how much American capital was invested, it was still Argentine efficiency. A case like La Plata Steel Plant was an exception.

“That's right, the National Steel Plant needs a new director, and the construction has reached the final stage.”

This was a blatant demotion for him. A director of a joint venture steel plant? Compared to a mayor with real power, everyone knew what to choose.

“I need to consider this matter.”

San Jose pretended to ponder for a while before speaking euphemistically.

“I heard that you are one of the shareholders of La Plata Steel Plant.”

Juan seemed a little disappointed, staring into San Jose's eyes, and said.

“Yes, I do own a small share of La Plata Steel Plant.”

San Jose did not shy away from this matter too much. When La Plata Steel Plant was established, he spoke at the construction conference and also organized an investment promotion conference.

At that time, he also had an identity, that of General Thompson's spokesperson, so many people naturally regarded this steel plant as General Thompson's industry.

Later, it became blurred, and the shares of La Plata Steel Plant were divided through the establishment of some foreign companies. However, in the end, these all pointed to Barron Bank and American Sequoia. The equity design of Barron Bank was even more complicated. Anyone with a mind could find out that this bank had an American background.

This huge group company had developed into a behemoth, which the Presidential Palace could not help but care about. The Presidential Palace had always hoped to connect with the Americans.

San Jose had spent more than 4 years extending his economic tentacles into every corner of Argentina.

And La Plata Steel Plant was rapidly changing everything.

Before the establishment of La Plata Steel Plant, Argentina had to spend huge amounts of foreign exchange every year to import steel to meet its needs, roughly at least 500,000 to 800,000 tons per year, and the price was very expensive. This was the reason why Argentina wanted to develop its own independent industry.

Now the situation was reversed. Argentina could export 1 million tons of steel annually to generate revenue.

“Sir, times have changed.”

San Jose really wanted to say this to him.

The arrogance of American capitalists was nothing more than seeing that you didn't have something, and then offering a high price, or waiting for your economic crisis to buy up quality companies at low prices.

At least Argentina was not short of steel now, and it could use this huge steel production to negotiate with foreign countries.

This was also a kind of arrogance of the so-called capital people. San Jose had already discovered this problem. Even though Argentina was an immigrant country, it was like the United States, where discrimination was everywhere. This was social division, with old immigrants discriminating against new immigrants, the middle class discriminating against the lower class, and men discriminating against women. This was Argentina in the 1950s.

The “Silver Age” was not beautiful either.

San Jose did not think this was a good job at all and did not want to spend energy on such personnel power struggles. He directly ignored these implicit discriminations. He did not mind that he was a gaucho.

"The situation at this joint venture steel mill seems a bit complicated, and there are still many things in Blanca City waiting for me to arrange. Everything in Blanca City is wonderful, and I will stand with Blanca City. Oh, by the way, Blanca Port changed its name a few months ago."

Several people listening in, including the deputy mayor and civil servants, also breathed a sigh of relief. They had witnessed the rapid changes in Blanca City. At least now, Blanca City desperately needs Saint Hesser, this powerful mayor. They no longer want to return to that silent and stagnant small city.

A million tons of capacity can be handled with two large blast furnaces. It's better to build a few more in Blanca City.

"That's a pity. You've missed a good opportunity."

Juan looked at Saint Hesser with some pity, intending to leave.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go ahead and get busy. There are many things at the City Hall that need my attention. How about we grab dinner together after work?"

Saint Hesser looked down at his watch. It was already 3:16, and he felt a little impatient, but his expression didn't change much.

So he issued an order to leave.

Today, time passed exceptionally slowly.

"It would be a shame not to go. I won't bother you with dinner; I have other things to do."

He and Biron really have nothing to get along with.

This is a collapsing high-rise, a silent ship, although it still contains vast assets, those legacies still belong to the Justicialist Party.

And as long as he remains in the Radical Civic Union for even a day, he shouldn't be a fence-sitter.

Moreover, he is one of the more than 100 official senior representatives of the Radical Civic Union nationwide.

Saint Hesser can also understand that Biron can now easily suppress the naval and air force rebellions and still has many cards in his hand.

But he can also see that this building is about to collapse.

In fact, when Biron announced the separation of politics and religion and abolished the church's status as the state religion, even the peace-loving Argentine middle class had already taken action.

It's just that Argentine strikes are more like parades, with the middle class picking Saturdays and enthusiastically waving flags.

After seeing Juan off, Saint Hesser convened a meeting of the City Hall's civil servants.

Saint Hesser stood in the mayor's seat, supporting the table with both hands, looking at the civil servants in the meeting room, who were all a little apprehensive.

Seeing Saint Hesser's calm and composed attitude, they slowly calmed down.

"Everyone knows that a rebellion has taken place in the capital. This matter may have some impact on us, but I hope it won't interfere with everyone's work..."

Saint Hesser did not regard this naval unrest as a coup. It was indeed a very bad thing.

"In the coming period, even bigger problems will brew. I hope that our Blanca City can develop better, and I will work hard with everyone to build a more beautiful Blanca City..."

"If there are any specific work-related matters, we can discuss and resolve them here..."

"Finally, let me say one sentence: I stand with Blanca City."

At this meeting, Saint Hesser drew a series of grand plans, and he was confident that they would gradually become a reality in the future.

As the current pillar of Blanca City, almost no one wants him to leave now, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, many people from the provincial government and even the presidential palace are trying to come here to reap the benefits, but they can't imagine that someone in this small city can withstand this pressure.

Since the British withdrew from Blanca City, its development has almost stagnated for more than twenty years.

Then there was everyone's spontaneous and sustained applause.

The information from the City Hall will also be disseminated to the entire Blanca City and its surroundings through the City Hall's official documents and newspapers.

...

In addition to meeting with people from the presidential palace and stabilizing morale, Blanca City continued to develop as usual under his leadership.

Friday,

Saint Hesser met a guest at the City Hall, the head of the Ditellia family, Antoya Ditellia and Lant Ditellia.

He had vaguely heard of this consortium but hadn't paid much attention.

The Ditellia Consortium is one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Argentina today, owning the largest privately-owned SIAM oil refinery, as well as a refrigerator factory, a power plant, and they are even preparing to build an automobile manufacturing plant. They also have an engineering and smelting company.

The founder of SIAM, Torcuato Ditellia, is of Italian descent, starting from the bread-making industry and entering the oil industry. Later, when Biron was arrested, he made some inappropriate remarks and was hated by the current President Biron.

It can only be said that Biron's dislike has put them at odds with Argentina's highest authority, which has also made the consortium's development very slow.

Despite this, it is almost considered Argentina's most modern industrial consortium, with a great deal of wealth.

Although in Saint Hesser's view, these so-called refrigerator factories are not even close to modern assembly lines, he doesn't think much of them, and their output is also poor.

They don't have much relationship with Saint Hesser, nor much conflict, as the two are in different industries.

Although Saint Hesser also started in the food industry, he only ventured into steel and electricity, and then motorcycles and the oil industry, in the past two years.

The Southern Petroleum's Rome operation has stimulated the second generation of this consortium, Lant Ditellia.

Why Saint Hesser wants to enter the oil industry is simple. In addition to the purpose of making money, the most important thing is that Argentina's oil production can no longer meet the needs of rapid economic development, just like steel in the beginning.

Currently, apart from the Argentine National Oil Company YPF, other oil companies are basically not involved in crude oil extraction. Even the two giants, Standard Oil of America and Standard Oil of California, are only involved in importing oil and gas sales. This huge pie has attracted the attention of many forces at home and abroad.

And the National Oil Company's management and production levels are still stuck in the 1930s, unable to meet the needs at all, with small exploration and production.

Saint Hesser established Southern Petroleum Company because he saw the vast oil resources in Patagonia. If Argentina's oil resources are fully exploited, it will be no problem to support a complete industrial system.

The Italian oil team has already reached the final stages of negotiations and is almost ready to return home.

This project will eventually become a 3 million-ton oil refinery, which happens to be half of Argentina's current oil production, as well as a 400,000-ton ethylene project.

10 million tons of transportation capacity, as well as 1,000 kilometers of oil pipelines.

That is to say, Saint Hesser must be able to extract at least 15 million tons of oil from the south each year before the pipeline is completed.

"Mayor, we hope to move into Blanca City and build an oil refinery here..."