Chapter 2453 - First Arrival
The natives currently on deck were all "worldly" types. A popular new entertainment among Guangzhou's upper-middle class was the "Pearl River Day Tour" offered by the Ziming House Entertainment Company: boarding a paddle steamer at Bai'etan, sailing all the way to Macau, and passing Huangpu Port where one could glimpse various naval warships at anchor. So this scene no longer held much novelty for them.
At 16:00 on January 22, the Baiyunshan docked at Ma'ao Passenger Terminal No. 1. As the gangway was secured, the two-day voyage came to an end.
The inspection group, led by a naturalized cadre, disembarked from the passenger ship. After two days at sea, they felt unsteady the moment their feet touched solid ground. Planning Committee staff were already waiting to receive them, and the group left the wharf through a dedicated exit.
Since Guangdong and Guangxi had been incorporated under Senate rule, passengers from these provinces no longer needed customs declaration or entry registration. However, those from "epidemic risk areas" still had to undergo a fifteen-to-twenty-day quarantine.
The inspection group came from Guangzhou, the "safest" place in Guangdong and Guangxi, so quarantine wasn't required. After filling out "temporary household registration forms" including health status in a hall, they could enter Lingao freely.
In this hall, the Chen uncle and nephew finally acknowledged each other. After the excitement of "meeting an old friend in a foreign land"—which both understood the true nature of—Chen Ding learned that not only Chen Lin but also Chen Yue had come. This surprised him greatly, and he asked how the siblings had ended up in Lingao.
"It's quite a coincidence," Chen Lin said.
Since deciding to ally himself with Li Yao'er and stand against his second uncle to the end, Chen Lin had worked diligently in Nansha—persuading craftsmen to return, helping Li Yao'er debug new machines, and promoting mulberry fish ponds. He'd put in considerable effort, and Li Yao'er was pleased with his performance.
But while Li Yao'er was satisfied, Second Uncle Chen Xuan was not. Watching his nephew's "sacred favor" grow daily and observing how quickly the young man was mastering the business, he feared becoming dispensable in Chief Li's eyes. So he muttered in front of Li Yao'er while secretly encouraging his subordinates to make trouble. Less than half a month after Chen Lin returned to Nansha, the situation had grown delicate.
Li Yao'er found herself in a dilemma—both men were useful to her. To temporarily ease the conflict and buy time for a permanent solution, she decided to send Chen Lin away. She would first use Chen Xuan and his "little brothers" to complete the urgent mulberry fish pond promotion and silk weaving factory expansion.
As it happened, the Planning Committee's "Production Capacity Expansion" plan was being implemented, and the silk weaving industry was part of it. Li Yao'er seized the opportunity to sign Chen Lin up for the inspection group, sending him to Lingao to broaden his horizons and gain new professional knowledge.
Hearing he could study in Lingao, Chen Lin was naturally happy to comply. He'd originally wanted to bring Chen Qing, but Li Yao'er insisted he bring his sister instead, saying the silk industry would absorb large numbers of female workers and that training female technical and management personnel should begin now.
"...So Sister Yue and I came to Lingao. I have a pass issued by Chief Li and took the official Australian ship, arriving in Guangzhou in just one day. If we hadn't been departing the next morning, I would have planned to visit Uncle's residence."
"I'd been hoping you would come," Wu Yijun laughed. "When you sent Chen Qing to say you couldn't make it, I was very disappointed. Fortunately, Master Ding came!" He patted Chen Lin's shoulder enthusiastically. "It's truly destiny that our Chen and Wu families should build this enterprise together! Lin'er, you're young and promising! Study well in Lingao. If you want to open a silk factory in the future, Uncle will invest a few shares to support you."
"Third Uncle, your head..."
"It's nothing." Chen Ding touched the gauze still wrapped around his head and recounted his journey from Sanliang to Guangzhou. "...Though I suffered an unexpected calamity, at least I'm safe. Wealth lost but life preserved—there's still plenty to gain in this world!"
Wu Yijun gave a thumbs up. "Such spirit!"
"The dead are like the flowing river, ever moving on," Chen Ding said. "In everything, one must look forward. Why brood over the past?"
The two talked and laughed in high spirits. Chen Lin and his sister, by contrast, seemed subdued. Once the procedures were complete, Chen Xiaobing walked over holding a small flag.
"Everyone, thank you for your patience during the journey. But please bear with me a moment longer. Shortly, we'll take the city rail from Ma'ao Station to the hotel where you'll be staying in Bairen City. After checking in, please don't leave the hotel. At six o'clock this evening, Planning Committee leaders will host a banquet in your honor."
"He's also the person with full authority over each family's 'capacity expansion' plan this time," Wu Yijun said to Chen Lin. "He's also surnamed Chen—perhaps you were one family five hundred years ago."
"This Chen Xiaobing speaks Guangzhou Mandarin very well; he's probably local," Chen Ding chimed in. "Maybe you really are family."
"Brother, you could ask about his choronym and hall name," Wu Yijun joked. "If you can connect as clansmen, you'll have someone to look out for you in the future."
Chen Lin didn't share his elders' enthusiasm. He knew this Chen Xiaobing wasn't merely a "guide" for their Lingao tour but the general person in charge of the entire "Production Capacity Plan." Even prominent figures in Guangzhou's industrial and commercial circles like Gao Ju had their factories held in this young man's hands—someone roughly his own age. The big households had been extremely polite to Chen Xiaobing throughout the journey, agreeing readily to whatever he said.
By comparison, Chen Lin felt truly insignificant among the group. The accompanying big households barely paid him any attention.
"Speaking of which, he's so young, and I hear his origins are humble. Yet he's risen suddenly to such a high position—unimaginable in the Great Ming. The Senate truly gives people opportunities!"
"Though he relied on the Australians' power, he's certainly a capable man," Wu Yijun observed. With Australian backing or not, not everyone could sit in that position. Noticing Chen Lin's lack of interest, he added, "Wise Nephew, you're young and promising, with excellent family learning. Great achievements surely lie ahead."
Chen Xiaobing led the way, and the inspection group walked through the internal channel, exiting the wharf directly into Ma'ao Railway Station.
Because they'd taken the "internal channel," they missed the bustling wharf scene. Both Chen Ding and Chen Lin felt somewhat regretful. Chen Xiaobing laughed. "The passenger channel is packed like sardines during disembarkation—you wouldn't get through in half an hour. Rickshaw pullers and vendors swarming everywhere, all noise and chaos."
Ma'ao Railway Station was one of the important hubs of the Lingao City Rail system, serving as the eastern terminus. The presence of Ma'ao Port, the Saltworks, the Iron and Steel Company, and Ma'ao Fortress meant enormous passenger volume. It was classified as a first-class station.
Given the heavy traffic and its role as the city rail's eastern "gateway," the station's design and construction were quite refined—no longer the "shed" style of the past, but a German Renaissance building designed by Qi Feng. The original design came from old Qingdao Railway Station. Red brick exterior walls and roof tiles were replicated exactly, and even the cobblestone-paved station square looked thoroughly "German." Of course, the naturalized citizens didn't know this; they simply called it "Australian style."
As "guests of the Senate," the inspection group naturally didn't need to queue in the square. They entered the VIP waiting room directly through a special channel and waited quietly for their train.
Chen Lin sat on a sofa in the VIP room, looking through the glass partition at the waiting hall beyond. It bustled with passengers. Nearly all wore short hair and short clothes—naturalized citizens—mixed with many in military uniforms. People with hair buns, long gowns, or short brown hemp clothes were rare.
"Are these... all cadres?" Chen Lin asked in surprise.
Chen Xiaobing laughed. "These are all naturalized citizens, but not necessarily cadres. Short hair and short clothes aren't a symbol of status. You change if you want, and don't if you don't—though if you don't, you can't eat the Senate's rice."
"I see." Chen Lin thought, At least the Australians don't force head-shaving! Much better than the Tartars in Liaodong.
He looked up at the towering ceiling and the huge iron-branch gas chandelier hanging from it, then at the distant platform's dome and its enormous greenhouse-style glass windows. The sight filled him with both wonder and apprehension. Australian things... He remembered the railway from Great World to Great East Gate in Guangzhou. The Great East Gate Station platform was just a brick platform with a rain shelter cobbled together from bamboo poles and reed mats. The station inside Great World was slightly more respectable. Compared to this, it was the difference between heaven and earth.
Lingao truly is the capital of the Australians, Chen Lin thought.
A whistle pierced the air, followed by a loud announcement as the train pulled into the station. For the inspection group, neither trains nor rails were novelties. But for those visiting Lingao for the first time, when this steel giant came panting into the station, spitting steam and black smoke, curiosity overcame restraint. They surged forward in a rush, and railway staff and police along the warning line hastily waved their batons to keep the crowd behind the yellow line.
"Our car has arrived," Chen Xiaobing said, rising and raising his small flag. "Please follow me."
The inspection group boarded the city rail's "First Class Carriage." The carriages had been upgraded; the open-top third-class cars of earlier years had been retired, and selling standing tickets was a thing of the past. The first-class carriage naturally featured improved interiors and seating.
After boarding was complete, the train whistled and began moving slowly. Chen Lin watched the scenery recede beyond the window, feeling the wonderful sensation of being drawn forward by an immense force. A new journey was beginning in this young man's life.
(End of Chapter)