Rise of the Argentine Empire

Around five in the morning, the steam locomotive was decelerating, slowly pulling into the capital's train station.

"Good, the train wasn't late this time." Saint-Hesse looked at his watch. It was rare; the previous two train rides had been delayed.

Argentina's railway system was already showing signs of decline, mainly due to a lack of funds for renovation and upgrades.

Although it was currently the second-largest railway system globally, second only to the United States and even larger than the Soviet Union,

it would be surpassed by the Soviet Union in a few years, and then gradually overtaken by New China, India, Canada, Australia, Germany, Brazil, and France.

In later years, Argentina would be left with only a few thousand kilometers of railway network, limited to the area around Buenos Aires. Currently, the country was still constructing railways.

From 34,000 kilometers in 1914 to a peak of over 50,000 kilometers in the 1980s, before suddenly declining.

The reason was that Argentina's railways were privatized in later years, and most unprofitable lines were abandoned without hesitation, leaving only the profitable ones. Industries vital to the national economy and people's livelihoods, such as railways, education, and water services, shouldn't be run this way.

If Argentina had faced off against Britain over the Falklands in the 90s, it might have been even worse. Just the time it would take to transport Argentina's army would have doubled. Yes, the railway to Patagonia was basically scrapped by then.

Of course, Argentina didn't actually lose because of its army; the navy was the key, and the air force did well, so let's skip that.

Saint-Hesse looked at the sky over Buenos Aires. It was still dark before dawn, and the autumn mist filled the night sky, with the moon faintly visible.

As the train whistle sounded again, Saint-Hesse, already off the platform, straightened his clothes and threw the cowboy hat he was wearing into a trash can.

He then went to the changing room, changed out of his gaucho cowboy attire, and put on ordinary, comfortable clothes before slowly exiting the train station.

Unexpectedly, there were several taxis waiting outside the train station.

Saint-Hesse casually hailed one.

"Where to, sir?" The driver was a burly man with a scar on his face, slightly less imposing than Saint-Hesse. Saint-Hesse didn't mind and got straight into the car.

"To the Beckham Hotel in the city," Saint-Hesse said slowly. The taxi driver was working for his own benefit and didn't strictly adhere to the Perón government's work schedule.

"Alright, sir. Are you here in Buenos Aires on business?"

The driver casually glanced at Saint-Hesse in the passenger seat. His clothes were ordinary, and he was even wearing slippers.

Yet he was going to the most luxurious hotel in the city, which made him somewhat disappointed in his plan to overcharge him. He still couldn't cause trouble; who knew if this was some young master from a wealthy family.

"Yes, I'm here to do a little business."

Saint-Hesse sat upright in the passenger seat, full of energy and not at all tired. The bulge at his waist, where he carried an M1911, made him look quite fierce.

"Alright, sir, we'll be there in 15 minutes." The driver abandoned his petty thoughts, swallowed hard, and drove steadily without changing the route.

Saint-Hesse didn't care. He wasn't the kind of out-of-towner who could be easily ripped off. The area around the train station was indeed quite chaotic. When Little Knicks picked him up last time, there hadn't been such problems. This time, he had to be more careful.

On the other hand, cities like Córdoba and Rosario were better. The emergence of a "Bird Brotherhood" was considered quite rare, and the police were happy to collect some "tribute."

As for the more remote Lithium Triangle and Jujuy Province, it was a complete "survival of the fittest" situation.

He arrived safely at the Beckham Hotel, which was much more luxurious than the last place he stayed. Saint-Hesse confirmed his safety before showering and going to sleep.

Buenos Aires was not a paradise of peace.

......

At 1 p.m., Saint-Hesse finished washing up and eating "brunch," took a taxi at the hotel entrance, and went directly to the real estate agency center, planning to rent a house and then register for school tomorrow.

The new presidential election had ended, and there were no crowds of striking protesters on the road like last time, making it feel much more spacious, and the car speed was back to normal.

In the old taxi, he arrived at the Argentina Housing Agency Center, a state-owned agency for renting, leasing, and selling houses, mainly with properties available for rent in some residential areas in the city center.

Unlike at night, the taxi drivers during the day were obviously older, more talkative, and more professional, occasionally chatting with Saint-Hesse about strikes, strange stories in the city, and urban legends.

Buenos Aires during the day was still quite good, with good security, the police were on duty, and the underground forces were also giving face, at least as it was still the capital.

In Argentina, university tuition was free, but accommodation and cafeterias were not provided. As the University of Buenos Aires was located in the city center, rent was quite expensive, and ordinary people couldn't afford the accommodation and living expenses.

Now that his pockets were full, he planned to rent a house in the academy district, where the university professors and some high-ranking government officials lived. A simple three-bedroom apartment cost over 6,000 pesos per month, which was quite luxurious.

There were also two-bedroom apartments, costing only 4,000 pesos, but the space was relatively narrow and the lighting was average.

Saint-Hesse finally chose a three-bedroom apartment with good lighting and a private balcony, hardwood floors, and space for a study, costing 7,200 pesos per month,

enough to equal the monthly salary of a middle-class Argentine, although the term "middle class" was completely different from what it would be in later years.

The academy district was only about 2 kilometers from the school, about a half-hour walk, which was quite convenient.

Saint-Hesse began some housework, and then ordered Little Knicks to buy appliances, beds, tables, and other furniture from the appliance market, finally making it look like a home.

He also went to the book market and bought several large boxes of books, needing to recharge his knowledge and study, especially the information about the newspaper. Several intelligence personnel transferred from the Falcon Team also came to Buenos Aires and rented houses, providing Saint-Hesse with information and intelligence support.

He finally got the basic arrangements in place, and it was a completely new beginning in Buenos Aires, except for the large amount of money and Little Knicks' trading company, he was basically starting from scratch.

Greater Buenos Aires was a large city with nearly 5 million people, exceeding a quarter of the national population, a true international metropolis, nicknamed the Paris of South America.

The University of Buenos Aires could be said to be a typical "aristocratic school," founded in 1821, and the largest comprehensive university in Argentina.

This year, universities in most Latin American countries were still the domain of a small minority of the population, and only with the expansion of enrollment did more commoner students enter.

This was the reason Saint-Hesse temporarily abandoned his development in the military. He lacked qualifications, background, and education. Although Commander Thompson valued him,

before he passed the entrance exam for the University of Buenos Aires, Commander Thompson's view of him was at best that he was a somewhat clever person, rather than the kind of core member he would later introduce to his team's friends.

Argentina was barely in a time of peace, and even if you wanted to carry out a military coup, you had to be able to gather a group of people in the army. As Saint-Hesse was a staff officer in the city guard and the National Guard, apart from his soldiers and some captains,

he hadn't met too many officers. It wasn't that he hadn't tried, but he simply couldn't integrate. They even humiliated Saint-Hesse, treating him like a fool, a nouveau riche, a bumpkin.

People like Abel from the Klein family and Champs at that time looked down on him very much.

In fact, this was also the current situation of the Argentine upper and middle classes. If you were an ordinary person, you could only engage in occupations such as merchants, workers, and soldiers. Some upper-class occupations required either a university degree or great luck, like Lucifer meeting Bessie, otherwise, it was impossible to enter that circle, it was a very solid class.

Even if you want to run for president, you can't without a university degree. The army is the best you can do as a warrant officer. Besides people from your hometown, no one will follow you.

But military academy or university graduates can generally become second lieutenants after one year of service. In Saint-Hesse, warrant officers are even considered a reward for the "common people." Injustice is everywhere.

Saint-Hesse called coming to La Plata University "I come for peace," stirring up trouble.

......

According to statistics from Chilean sociologist Brunel, there are only 75 universities in all of Latin America, with only 270,000 university students, accounting for only 2% of the total number of students aged 18 to 24 in the region. It is truly elite education.

Argentina has a decent number of universities, more than a dozen. The Perón government contributed a bit to the development of universities. This year, they expanded enrollment a bit, making it the country with the most university students in South America, surpassing the population giants of Brazil and Mexico in the Latin American region.

So it's not easy for Saint-Hesse to recruit a few university graduates. People like Little Nix, Rosa, and Guerrero are considered elite talents. Most others, like Sean from the explosives factory, is a genius who is self-taught, but he never went to university.

Lucifer graduated from middle school. Cross didn't go to university in Germany either. Aragon is similar, a little better than elementary school. He only studied seriously under Saint-Hesse's pressure.

Most of the people in the staff department and the original city defense army, except for the newly joined officers, do not have a university degree.

Of course, Argentina's university education is also a bit lacking. The entire education system is relatively poor. There is no college entrance examination for elementary and middle schools, only entrance exams. Many poor people in remote areas can't even afford the travel expenses to take the exam.

......

April 11th is the registration day for new students at La Plata University. School starts for returning students on the 10th.

Early this morning, after Saint-Hesse had breakfast, he slowly walked to the gate of the academy district and met up with Little Nix. Little Nix now lives in the lower city where the rent is cheap. It's not too far, and the security is okay. It takes more than forty minutes to drive there if it's fast.

Dark crowds of people were crammed into neat roads like honeycomb nests. Reversing the usual empty and deserted school, it was suddenly bustling with noise. There were many people. La Plata University is a semi-open university.

Saint-Hesse dressed in formal attire and walked towards the school. Everywhere were parents with their children preparing to enroll.

He walked with Little Nix on the avenue to register.

It was his first time at the Faculty of Law. Like the courthouse in Cordoba, huge stone pillars stood in front of the square building, full of historical feeling.

The white marble had become a bit mottled. Unlike the bustling entrance, there were not many people here, only rows of office staff in front of the tables. There were few female students. A young man in high-end clothing was processing his admission procedures.

Saint-Hesse also came to his side, took out his admission notice and ID, and began to process his application.

"The opening ceremony is tomorrow, and he's only registering today. He's really in a hurry," Saint-Hesse thought.

Fortunately, La Plata University doesn't have military training. As a retired officer, Saint-Hesse didn't want to waste time on boring things like military training. He had already trained for a few months last year.

After some operations, Saint-Hesse became a freshman in the Faculty of Law. Because there was no dormitory, there was nothing messy to deal with. There were quite a few beautiful female students doing some welcoming work.

There were no teachers here, mostly "counselors" who didn't even count as formal university teachers. It was very difficult to teach at La Plata University. After all, this group of universities is the most funded university in Argentina, receiving half of the national higher education budget.

The two walked one after the other on the road, chatting for a while, occasionally seeing new and old students on the road. The old students were dressed very exquisitely, and the new students were sometimes exquisite and sometimes simple.

Occasionally there were deciduous trees, somewhat similar to those in the south. No one was cleaning them.

As he walked, Saint-Hesse suddenly saw a familiar figure. It seemed to be Miss Elena. She was wearing a black dress, tied her hair in a simple ponytail, and her standing posture seemed very much like a soldier. She looked quite heroic. From the side, her makeup was a bit delicate, unlike the usual bare face in front of Saint-Hesse.

It was the first time he saw her standing like this.

Beside her stood two young handsome men, and they seemed to be chatting happily. They looked a bit like students from the military academy, young officers perhaps.

Saint-Hesse thought that he didn't seem to be anything to her, so he simply took Little Nix and walked past on the side road, intending to pretend not to know her.

"Ah, it's Cohen. You've come to La Plata University. Long time no see," Elena's surprised voice came from behind.

"Oh, it's Miss Elena. I didn't notice when I was walking just now. Today is the opening ceremony, so I came to attend," Saint-Hesse said with a smile as he turned his head. Even Little Nix next to him felt it was a bit fake. The boss seemed to know this beautiful Ms. Elena, and he was quite interested in standing aside and watching.

Little Nix liked this kind of thing the most, especially the boss's gossip. You should know that the boss was quite "self-disciplined" when he came to La Plata City last time.

Elena ran lightly to Saint-Hesse, her charming face filled with a happy smile, and took Saint-Hesse's hand, making him feel relaxed.

"Maybe it's a misunderstanding," Saint-Hesse thought. His mood suddenly improved again. He still needed to cultivate more to reach the point where his emotions didn't show on his face. That was the journey to the top.

"Cohen, this is my cousin Joseph Nick,

and my university classmate and ex-boyfriend Louis Bill. They now work in the Ministry of Defense. This time, they came to La Plata University to find me."

"By the way, Cohen, I've passed my master's entrance exam."

Saint-Hesse breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. No wonder this Louis Bill looked a bit unhappy with him. It turned out he was Elena's ex-boyfriend.

"Congratulations, Elena. We're alumni now."

"Hello, Saint-Hesse Cohen. I'm Elena's neighbor."

Saint-Hesse then extended his hand to shake hands with the two of them.

"Hello, Joseph Nick, Lieutenant."

"Hello, Louis Bill, Captain."

There was no heavy handshake as imagined. The three "happily" got to know each other. Damn, they were all higher rank than my original rank.

"Shall we have dinner together later?" Saint-Hesse said with a smile, looking very sincere, but the slight upturn of the corner of his mouth betrayed his inner thoughts.

"I have things to do later. After all, I've already started working. I can't help myself. Sigh, I really miss my student days." Nick seemed to be implying something. Saint-Hesse pretended not to hear.

"Me too. Later, I have to prepare for training and learning with superiors from the Ministry of Defense. I really envy you people who can still go to school. We can only go to the military camp with the big shots and barely maintain a living."

Bill next to him also said a bit Versailles-like. Damn it, you've been a captain for less than a year since graduation. I've been a soldier for three years and I'm only a warrant officer.

It seems that Commander Thompson is going to the Ministry of Defense to report on his duties. I need to contact him then. It seems his address is on San Martin Avenue. He gave me a note last time. I don't know if it's still there.

"Okay then, Elena, what about you?"

"Me? Sure, I'm actually a bit hungry. Cohen, I know a good restaurant in the city."

Elena brushed a strand of hair in front of her eyes with her right hand and said enthusiastically. Her words became a bit cute.

"Okay then, Schmidt, you should still have things to do, right? Then you go ahead and do them," Saint-Hesse said, turning to Little Nix.

"Boss, I'm off today... I do have things to do. I'll leave later. Boss, you go eat first. Goodbye."

Little Nix didn't react at first, but changed his words immediately after seeing Saint-Hesse's expression. He was a little satisfied.

"By the way, Schmidt, give me your car keys. I'm going to the restaurant with Elena later."

"Okay... okay." Then he took out the car keys from his pocket and gave them to Saint-Hesse.

Everyone said goodbye. Saint-Hesse and Elena went to the restaurant, talking and laughing, leaving Little Nix dumbfounded.

"Damn, the boss is going to pick up a girl and he took my car..."

Little Nix looked at the street with no taxis and was a little speechless. He could only walk and look around to see if there was a car back to the lower city.