Chapter 97

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The long-term threat from the British cannot replace the Committee's immediate desire for money. On December 4th, after a meeting and discussion, the Committee unanimously decided to increase investment in the machine textile factory and accelerate its development. For this purpose, a group of craftsmen from the Dàyú River Arsenal's integrated workshop took immediate action, taking out the components they had prepared long ago and began assembling the machines.

Currently, the two spinning machines and two weaving machines in the factory, under conditions of sufficient personnel, timely raw material supply, and good equipment operation without malfunctions, can produce 11-12 bolts of cloth per day, or 350 bolts per month. Unfortunately, due to the current shortage of manpower, most of the people in the machine textile factory are engaged in manual cotton ginning and other primitive tasks, with only a small number responsible for maintaining the equipment, spinning, and weaving. Additionally, the equipment occasionally malfunctions, leading to higher defect rates and production delays. Therefore, the actual monthly production of the machine textile factory fluctuates between 280 and 320 bolts.

If it were just to meet the demand of the La Plata market, the existing two looms would be sufficient. However, considering the potential for future expansion into other regions, the factory has added six more spinning machines and six more looms. This will increase the annual production capacity to over 14,000 bolts. This is an astonishing efficiency, especially considering that at this time, Britain only exports about 100,000 bolts of woolen cloth and a small amount of domestically produced cotton cloth annually. The power of industrial mass production is fully demonstrated, far surpassing the capabilities of handicraft workers in every aspect.

Since there was no longer enough space within the walls of Dongfang Port to accommodate these large machines, the Committee allocated a large, open area along the river outside the western wall to the machine textile factory, and in return, took a 20% stake in the factory. At the same time, walls were built on both sides of the factory area, and the police of the Internal Affairs Department were assigned to guard it 24 hours a day to ensure that no one could spy on these technical secrets.

On December 15th, after the new equipment was installed, the factory's eight spinning machines and eight looms began trial production using the prepared raw materials. The trial run was successful, and they started weaving cloth on the same day.

The successful operation of the coal mine, the promising profit prospects of the textile factory, the construction of the new town, and the near completion of Highway No. 1 were the main events of December. In addition to these, the most notable event of December was the establishment of the new government institutions.

The plan for the new government institutions was already approved by the National People's Congress in August. The highest authority of the Republic of East China is still the National People's Congress, with the Central Executive Committee as its standing body. Under the leadership of the Executive Committee, the specific administrative bodies include the State Council, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Procuratorate.

The State Council operates under the responsibility of the Premier and oversees ten departments: the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Materials, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education. The Joint Chiefs of Staff oversees the Ministry of the Army, the Ministry of the Navy, and the Military Court. The Supreme Court oversees the Ministry of Justice and the Honor Court (which can deprive representatives of their status and shares in the East China Company). The Supreme Procuratorate oversees the Supervisory Committee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the National Intelligence Bureau.

The functions of these departments are evident from their names. In fact, many of the positions already have clear candidates. For example, Peng Zhicheng and Wang Qian are likely to continue serving as the Ministers of the Army and Navy, respectively. However, the position of Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the head of the national armed forces, is likely to be contested between the two. The President of the Supreme Court and the Minister of Justice are expected to be reappointed to Bai Siwen, who has gained considerable prestige for his efforts in establishing the country. The positions of the President of the Supreme Procuratorate and the Minister of Internal Affairs are currently most likely to go to Jiao Tang. The ministers of other departments, such as the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have also been determined and are awaiting approval by the National People's Congress.

Apart from these positions with little suspense, some other positions will face intense competition. Some ambitious members of the穿越者 (穿越者 refers to people who have traveled through time or space, often used in Chinese literature to describe people from the future or another world) have been preparing for the National People's Congress for one or two months, ready to fight for these positions.

On December 20th, the first National People's Congress of the Republic of East China was officially convened. Out of 565 national representatives, 550 were present. The meeting opened with the national anthem "Singing to the Motherland" performed by the Army Band.

Liu Weimin, the chairman of the National People's Congress, did not waste time and immediately entered the agenda. The first item was the election of the Executive Committee members. There were 11 seats, and Liu Weimin announced that 15 people had applied by the deadline. The matter was then put to a vote by the Congress.

To be honest, the previous Executive Committee members had done a decent job. Whether in industrial development, military campaigns, or trade and diplomacy, they had performed reasonably well. Therefore, the election of the Executive Committee members was not in doubt, and the original members were re-elected. The four members who bravely stood for election had to temporarily withdraw.

Since industrial construction was the main focus, at the suggestion of the Executive Committee Chairman Ma Qianzu, Ma Jia was elected as the Premier of the State Council with a high number of votes, responsible for daily construction, while retaining his important position as the Minister of Industry and Commerce. The position of Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was fiercely contested between Peng Zhicheng and Wang Qian. Due to the more visible performance of the Army in the recent major battles, most representatives voted for Peng Zhicheng, allowing him to narrowly win over Wang Qian. Of course, they also continued to serve as the Ministers of the Army and Navy, respectively.

The elections for some functional departments proceeded smoothly, as previously mentioned. The Minister of Civil Affairs was concurrently held by Central Executive Committee member Xiao Mingli, the Minister of Finance by Central Executive Committee member Tang Yuan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs by Central Executive Committee member Gao Mo, the Minister of Trade by Xu Xin (who was promoted from Deputy Minister and also took over some responsibilities from Gao Mo), the Minister of Materials by Central Executive Committee member Shao Shude, the Minister of Transportation by Central Executive Committee member Xiao Bailang (who was also nominated as Vice Premier due to his recent achievements), the Minister of Agriculture by Central Executive Committee member Jin Kela, the Minister of Education by former Education Committee member Du Wen, and the Minister of Health by Mo Xiaoxi (who also took over some responsibilities from Du Wen).

The terms of all these positions would run from January 1, 1634, to December 31, 1638. After the elections, Liu Weimin announced a one-hour recess. During this time, Finance Minister Tang Yuan discussed the next year's budget with the committee members, ensuring there were no issues before presenting it.

When the meeting resumed, Finance Minister Tang Yuan presented the 1634 fiscal budget report. In this budget, which totaled 500,000 yuan, the largest share was for immigration costs, at 250,000 yuan (50%); followed by material procurement costs at 75,000 yuan (15%); installment repayment of the East China Company's debt at 50,000 yuan (10%); special naval shipbuilding expenses at 50,000 yuan (10%); military expenses at 30,000 yuan (6%); personnel salaries and office expenses at 30,000 yuan (6%); and industrial investment and construction expenses at 15,000 yuan (3%).

At the same time, Tang Yuan presented the 1634 fiscal revenue forecast, totaling less than 400,000 yuan. This included 160,000 yuan from industrial and commercial taxes and dividends; 40,000 yuan from minting; 20,000 to 30,000 yuan from various trade activities; 140,000 yuan from the export of 5,000 tons of various grains; 10,000 yuan from head taxes, consumption taxes, and customs duties; and 20,000 yuan from the sale of farmland.

The stark data immediately caused a stir in the hall. The fiscal deficit between income and expenditure was a staggering 100,000 yuan, enough to build a new "August 10th" class battleship. The representatives were immediately alarmed and began questioning Finance Minister Tang Yuan about how to cover the deficit.

Tang Yuan had to explain that this was only a rough fiscal budget, and without historical data for reference, it was impossible to provide detailed figures, so it would need to be refined over time.

"Let's spend according to the 500,000 yuan budget, and if there's a shortfall, we'll figure it out later. If necessary, we can borrow from the East China Company temporarily," Tang Yuan explained.

However, the representatives, who rarely met throughout the year, were not satisfied. They scrutinized every detail of the budget, making Tang Yuan's head spin.

"Immigration costs take up half of the budget. Damn, it's really expensive. 400 yuan per Ming refugee, equivalent to 40 cows. Sigh, I wonder if it's worth it."

"What? Spending 50,000 yuan a year on cows? That's 400 cows a month, 4,000 yuan! 48,000 yuan a year! No, no! Too extravagant! Cut it, cut it!"

"Can't cut it all. I can't live without meat. How about this: cut it in half! Buy 200 cows a month for food, which will cost 24,000 yuan a year."

"This... 50,000 yuan for shipbuilding? Is it necessary? Can the project be canceled? What? Over 10,000 yuan has already been invested? Forget it, let's finish it then."

The representatives argued back and forth, criticizing Tang Yuan thoroughly. In the end, Tang Yuan revised the budget on the spot, reducing material procurement costs to 50,000 yuan. Additionally, a group of representatives who were also shareholders of the East China Company generously offered to extend the repayment of the government's debt to the company. If not for some opposition, some representatives might have even suggested forgiving the debt. This brought the 1634 fiscal expenditure down to 425,000 yuan, making it less daunting.

The meeting dragged on until 5:00 PM, when Liu Weimin announced its conclusion. Although there were still about ten days left in 1633, for the穿越者 (穿越者 refers to people who have traveled through time or space, often used in Chinese literature to describe people from the future or another world), the year was already over, and a new year was about to begin.

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