I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 179 I’m too savage
  In fact, this can't be blamed on Posiette.

The Russian Empire has its own national conditions. When the Empire began to build railways, the Empire had no money, so it could only introduce private capital into the railway system like the United States, and the Empire's current railway network was created.

Posiette also wanted to take back control of the railways.

Recoverable management rights cost money.

If the empire doesn’t give you money, what will you get?
  Just stick your face out and let someone beat you.

Everyone knows why railways are owned by private companies. If no one raises this issue, then it will remain in confusion for who knows how many years.

Now that George has raised this issue, Posiette, as the Secretary of Transportation, must solve this problem.

"We still need to study and analyze this issue." Posiette avoided the important and took the easy. If he had that ability, the Trans-Siberian Railway would not have been delayed until now.

"Return? That means it has been studied and analyzed. What are the results of your research and analysis?" George has long been dissatisfied with the empire's overstaffing. Finally, someone came to the door on his own initiative. George couldn't catch it. Fight to death.

"Honorable Super Duke, things are not as simple as you think." Posiette fought back with all his might, and if George was allowed to play freely, it would be almost time for Posiette to retire and return home.

"You mean I'm very simple -" George sneered, let's face it, he is actually not complicated: "-I am simple, I have already started building a railway in Vladivostok - I think about it Thoughtful, make decisions before taking action, so I’m still thinking about it and haven’t done anything yet.”

"It's not that I didn't do anything. I'm very busy with my work. I spend half of the year inspecting work in various places-" Posiette tried to defend himself.

"Yes, your so-called inspection work only inspects the toilets at the train station. If the toilets are clean, then there is no need to inspect other places, right?" George stripped Posiette clean.

"You're talking nonsense!" Posiette was sweating profusely.

"That's enough—" the Tsar said without even looking at Posiette: "—George, you continue."

"Where did I just say? Oh, it's preparation work - Vladivostok began preparing rails and sleepers last year. The railway was built along the river. The rails and sleepers were first transported to the nearest place by ship. , and then sent to the construction site - the Fu regiment sent engineers to carry out blasting work to clear the way for the construction of the railway - the Vladivostok Machinery Factory designed a new type of iron bridge. The parts needed for the iron bridge were first placed on Pre-assembly is carried out in the factory, which saves the time required for on-site assembly - in short, we try to do the required work in advance, thus saving the time required for construction."

In these few sentences, George could write several books.

"George, how much does your railway cost per kilometer?" Ya San directly said that the railway belonged to George, and Posiette suddenly turned pale.

The railway that George built with his own money is not George's own.

The empire wants to nationalize the railway built by George. It's very simple, just get the money.

"About 2 rubles per kilometer." George told the truth. He did not falsely report. The empire would not reimburse him anyway.

Ya San looked at Abaza, the director of the Economic Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Abaza frowned and didn't quite understand how George did it.

The Russian Empire has had many discussions about the Trans-Siberian Railway. In the latest fiscal budget, if the Trans-Siberian Railway is to be built, it will require at least 3.5 million rubles.

The railway from Moscow to Chelyabinsk has been built and existing railway lines can be used without repeated construction.

The distance from Chelyabinsk to Vladivostok is about 7000 kilometers, which means that the average cost of railway per kilometer is about 5 rubles.

This is just a budget.

As we all know, there is a huge gap between the empire's budget and implementation, and when the time comes, the empire will need to continue to invest.

In fact, Russia invested a total of 14.55 billion rubles in building the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the Middle East Railway alone spent more than 4 million rubles.

So Abaza really doesn't know how George did it.

Abaza was the Minister of Finance during the Asian II era and presided over the Russian Empire's first inspection of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

During his tenure as finance minister, Abaza insisted on promoting the nationalization of the railways. Unfortunately, before it could be implemented, Abaza was assassinated, and Abaza no longer served as finance minister.

If Abaza knew that George's twenty thousand rubles also included the cost of investing in a steel plant, then Abaza would be even more surprised.

The straight-line distance from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk is 650 kilometers, and the total railway length is 733 kilometers.

George spread the cost of building the steel plant equally among the 733 kilometers, and each kilometer only required 2 rubles.

Otherwise, there is no way to use up so much.

“Korea workers were used to build the railway in Vladivostok, and their monthly salary was only 3 rubles. The materials for building the railway were provided locally in Vladivostok, and even the workers’ food was from Vladivostok. It is provided locally in Divostok, so the cost is saved a lot." George also tried his best to save money, otherwise the railway between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk alone would make George bankrupt.

"This can indeed save a lot of costs." Abaza admitted that labor in St. Petersburg is indeed very expensive.

Three rubles per month, only 36 rubles per year.

Compared with St. Petersburg, workers' salaries alone are about 60% less.

Producing the materials in-house is definitely cheaper than purchasing them from outside. After all, the current accounts are clear and it is difficult to tamper with them.

Of course, the cost is low now because the terrain is relatively gentle and not complicated.

Otherwise the cost will increase significantly.

"George, if you are asked to build the Trans-Siberian Railway, can you do it for 2 rubles per kilometer?" Ya San is full of expectations. If George dares to take over, Ya San can make a decision now.

"It can't be done. Vladivostok's steel production is not enough to provide rails for the entire Trans-Siberian Railway-" George's next words were not spoken after thinking about them.

There are some things that cannot be said. If all the bad things that the imperial ministers have done are revealed, no one will resign today. I am afraid that in the next period of time, the whole of St. Petersburg will be full of heads.

George still wants to live a few more years. “It seems that your steel plant was put into operation in just one year?” Ya San became more and more curious about Vladivostok.

"Two years." George became angry when he mentioned this.

The Ural Machinery Plant is largely responsible for why it took two years.

If the Ural Machinery Plant can provide equipment in time, it can buy Vladivostok more time.

Ya San sighed, stopped asking questions, and waved his hand to let George do what he wanted.

Nicholas leaves with George.

"Compared with your factory, the Empire's factory is as slow as a snail." Nicholas looked sad, finally understanding why Ya Er wanted to reform.

These are already the results of Asia II’s reforms.

Nicholas couldn't even imagine what the Russian Empire was like before the Asian Second Reform.

George said nothing.

The current problems in Russia are not caused by any one person. It can be said that everyone is responsible.

Even George cannot change the current situation in Russia without breaking his bones.

Unless you kill everyone.

"Twenty thousand rubles for one kilometer is expensive enough. Do you still have enough money?" Nicholas was worried about George's financial situation.

"It's okay for the time being. It's not a one-time expenditure." George was indeed worried.

If only it were a railway between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

In George's plan, George also used railways to connect Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Yuriev, and Temple Street.

This is a huge project, and George cannot afford it even with his financial resources.

George's short-term plan is just a railway between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk and Yuriev.

Forget about Temple Street, there is no way to build a railway to Temple Street in a short period of time, so it doesn't make much sense. Transport between Temple Street and Vladivostok can be done by sea.

"Is your railway really 2 rubles per kilometer?" Nicholas expressed doubts about George's cost.

Even if labor is cheap and materials are cheap in Vladivostok, it is not more than twice as bad as St. Petersburg.

If George's data is true, then the Tsar really needs to review the officials' properties in St. Petersburg.

"Actually, I can't even use up 2 yuan. After all, I produce all the raw materials myself, and only the workers are hired from abroad." George did not hide it from Nikolai.

Ya San can't be counted on.

Nikolai can still look forward to it.

"These imperial worms should all be hanged!" It was rare for Nicholas to be so ferocious. He probably knew too many inside stories and was too stimulated.

But this is unlikely even if you think about it.

The empire is not even willing to hang assassins.

There are just a few corrupt officials. How can the tsar do this?

George was deeply skeptical.

After leaving Gatchina Palace, George returned directly to Oak Group.

Now only farm laborers are left to look after the house in the Oak Park. Dalia and Kuklev have all gone to Vladivostok. There is nothing left in the Oak Park for George to care about.

Mikhail sent a telegram to George, and the illegal employment of labor from Japan in Vladivostok finally came to light. The Japanese government sent a telegram to Vladivostok, demanding a reasonable explanation from Vladivostok.

George's reply was harsh.

Explanation?

Can I explain it to you? You are so unworthy!
  "Isn't that appropriate?" Peter felt that George's reply was too rude and inconsistent with George's identity.

"Do you know what the Japanese call us Russians in private?" George's attitude towards Japan has never changed.

Now George's hostility to Japan is so obvious.

I really don’t know to what extent George can intensify his efforts after Japan defeated the Qing Empire and won the Sino-Japanese War.

Peter shook his head. Like most Russians, he didn't take Japan to heart at all.

Do humans care about ants’ attitudes?
  Not at all.

"The Japanese privately call us Russians barbarians, so I show them how barbaric I am." George likes the term "barbarians" very much. With this name, many of George's behaviors can be explained.

(End of this chapter)