Chapter 525 Crossing Lop Nur

In a suite at Jiahe Hotel, Marubeni people were communicating.

Except for not meeting Guo Yang, Marubeni and his team felt that things were going smoothly.

Masumi Kakigi analyzed: "Selling seeds and agricultural machinery to the island country at a higher market price has a high symbolic significance for China."

"I understand what the president said."

Kuroki Haruka suddenly understood something, and then laughed disdainfully: "The Chinese are also very vain. Are you trying to use this to promote national self-confidence?"

The others also understood what the two meant.

"Haha, that's right. After all, in the past many years, China has been importing seeds and agricultural machinery from the island countries at high prices."

"Carrots, spring and summer cabbages, broccoli... every seed has brought huge profits to domestic seed companies."

"I heard that in order to buy seeds from the island countries, Chinese farmers were crazy about raising the price."

“Now, they want to save face.”

Kakigi Masumi smiled and said, "Yes, that's it."

Kuroki Haruka said: "But domestic seed companies will not let them get what they want. In the domestic market, local seeds perform even better."

"That's true. Even the Dutch vegetable seeds are not popular in the island country, let alone the Chinese."

“This is destined to be a failed attempt.”

"President, should we still put in the effort to promote such seeds?"

"Of course, give Jiahe an explanation. We still need their skills." Kakigi Masumi smiled and said, "Let them admit defeat sincerely."

Someone suddenly asked, "What if it really happens?"

This immediately led to a wave of rebuttals.

Masumi Kakigi said: "If it really works, it will be good for Marubeni. Marubeni can use it to stir up the solid agricultural cooperatives."

"The president is wise!"

"Go to bed early. We have to chase Jiahe's chairman in the desert tomorrow."

"President, if we really want to go, he is too arrogant. In terms of strength, Marubeni is also one of the top companies in the world. We will be laughed at if we report it like this."

"Go, you've already said it. If you don't do it, you may be controlled by Jiahe at any time in the future."

Kakigi Masumi would not allow anyone else to question him anymore.

Compared to others, he knows more, and the fluctuations in global commodities are also related to Jiahe.

And think more.
Marubeni and Nokyo are also frequent players in the global financial markets.

The more Guo Yang acted like this, the more uneasy he felt. Did Jiahe have any problem with Marubeni?
Or does Jiahe want to take action against Marubeni?

This worry, as well as potential ambitions, forced him to show his full attitude, even if it made him embarrassed.

...

There is actually a Gobi Desert in Dunhuang.

In addition to the saline-alkali land of Yulin River between Dunhuang and Guazhou, there is a Gobi desert near Dunhuang.

At the same time, to the west of Dunhuang, there is also a large area of ​​Gobi Desert, which is called the Dunhuang Gobi Desert.

At the northern edge of the Gobi Desert is the Shule River. In the past, the surrounding area was saline-alkali grassland, but now an oasis about ten kilometers wide has formed around the river.

The oasis extends all the way to the West Lake in Dunhuang.

The core area of ​​West Lake Wetland has become a rippling lake.

Because the terrain in the protected area is lower, the core area of ​​the wetland oasis is constantly expanding.

Plants such as red willow, poplar, licorice, hemp, saxaul and so on can be seen everywhere in the reserve.

It has also become a paradise for wild animals.

Przewalski's horses, Bactrian camels, golden eagles, black storks, rock herons, steppe eagles, gray-backed falcons, lynxes, goitered gazelles and many other wild animals live here.

The wetlands extend westward to the Kumtag Desert before being interrupted by rising mountains.

But on the northwest side of the mountain range, a gap has now been artificially created.

The ecological water supply channel that prevents leakage and evaporation continues westward along the northern edge of the desert.

At this point, the current is very small.

But the dry but not dead poplars and red willows near the channel are still standing, and will turn green again in summer.

On the north side of the water supply channel is the desert Gobi, and further north is the Aqik Valley, the northern boundary of the Kumtag Desert. There are also many native plants in the desert Gobi, and the closer to the Aqik Valley, the more vegetation there is.

But to the south of the ecological river channel is a feather desert where wind and sand are spreading extremely strongly.

In addition to repairing canals, Jiahe Ecology's work in the past two years has been to build a sand-control belt in the desert on the south side.

The Shahai Agriculture and Animal Husbandry also has a team stationed here.

The convoy did not stop until it reached the middle and rear section of the planned river channel, which Jiahe called Camp No. 3.

"Boss, another 100 kilometers ahead is Lop Nur Big Ear."

As soon as he got off the car, Lu Zechuan came to Guo Yang in the wind and sand, pointed to the front and said: "In fact, once the river is repaired, water can be passed through."

Niu Hulin, who was in the same car with Guo Yang, said: "No, if we want to green the Gobi Desert with wind power, the water supply is very limited, and it is only enough to build a sand control belt."

Lu Zechuan shrank back in frustration, not daring to speak again. Niu Hulin was his superior, and he had overstepped his authority two or three times in the past two days.

If it happens twice more, he will probably be finished.

Guo Yang was looking at the emerald green water in the north.

Niu Hulin said: "This is potash brine, and Camp 3 has actually entered the Lop Nur area.

Camps 1 and 2 are both built on the Gobi Desert, and only Camp 3 is built on the edge of a salt crust.

There is a desert to the south and a salt lake to the north. However, across the salt lake there is a mining village called Hongshijing. There are more than 100 people in the village. The village has water, electricity, and gas networks. We usually replenish supplies there.

There used to be a purified water plant in the village, and we later bought half of the shares. Now we are almost rich.”

Niu Hulin spoke in a relaxed tone, as if he was used to everything here.

But from Guo Yang's perspective as an outsider, the conditions were indeed harsh.

The surroundings were desolate and lonely, with no sign of life and the smell of death everywhere.

Staying in such a place for a long time is a huge torture to one's spirit.

There are two to three thousand Jiahe people stationed in Camp No. 3. Their main task is to flatten the sand dunes, make grass grids, plant saxaul and tamarisk in the grids, and then water the grids.

Fortunately, we now have a mechanized force.

There are desert bulldozers for pushing sand dunes, sand barrier machines for making grass grids, and drones for short-distance transportation. Only planting seedlings and watering require a lot of manpower.

There is a variety of housing options in the camp.

There is a newly built brick building, which is the office location.

There is also a prefabricated house, which is a restaurant.

But there are more dugouts built underground. They are dormitories. Compared with prefabricated houses, dugouts may be more comfortable to live in, warm in winter and cool in summer.

Guo Yang randomly chose a dugout and walked down the stairs. There was a corridor and on both sides of the corridor were rooms, which were numbered.

It looks a bit like a college dorm.

There were words like "Be careful of meeting each other" printed on each house number. Guo Yang casually pushed open an unlocked room.

What caught my eye were four iron bunk beds and two tables with thermos bottles on them.

Aside from being made entirely of mud, the layout was almost identical to a university dormitory, but the conditions were vastly different.

To be honest, he had visited the dugout before.

But I have never been as shocked as today. Thousands of dugouts gathered together. This kind of scene should only be seen when the Corps was settling and guarding the border.

There was no one in the dugout at this moment, they must have all gone out.

"Old Cow, how is our snack food going? Is it enough?"

"Don't worry, boss. I have experience in this matter."

Niu Hulin patted his chest and said, "I guarantee that the catering industry in Dunhuang City will be half paralyzed today!" Guo Yang: "?"

Niu Hulin said: "All the famous hotel chefs in the city have been brought here, and Camps 1, 2 and 3 are all working at the same time."

Guo Yang was stunned for a moment before he smiled and said, "You have it."

After confirming that there was no problem, Guo Yang came to the edge of the desert again. The wind was blowing and the sand was rustling. Workers were standing in rows planting saplings and watering them.

Further inside, there are sand barrier machines pressing down the grass grids, and further ahead, there are desert monsters roaring and trying to flatten the sand dunes.

It looked like an army group fighting.

Guo Yang and his group walked among the group of sand control workers and attracted the attention of the workers. He would stop and chat with the workers from time to time.

"Brother, how long have you been here?"

"It's been almost three years. I've been here since the beginning."

"The conditions here are so tough, and you've managed to hold on for three years. You're incredible!"

"Hey, there's nothing I can do. I have to keep going no matter how hard it is, in order to make money. The pay here is good."

"For what?"

"I have to buy a house and a car for my son and get him a wife. No matter how hard or tiring it is, I have to keep working."

Jiahe’s sand control workers come from all over the country, and those who are willing to go deep into the desert are mostly employees who have been working in Jiahe for a short time.

The proportion of employees with more than five years of service is very small.

This group of people are mainly born in the 60s and 70s, while those who operate machinery are mainly born in the 80s.

Some have been following Golden Harvest since the last few projects, and their common goal is to make money.

Going a little deeper,
Many people come here to buy a house.

In recent years, owning a house in the city has become a necessary condition for mothers-in-law to choose a son-in-law, and some also require a car.

In addition, a betrothal gift is also necessary.

In addition, the continuous rise in housing prices has also urged people to buy houses, and it seems that owning a house in the city has become a symbol.

Jiahe Ecology pays sand control workers very well. There is no place to spend money in the desert, so they can save money.

Therefore, every year new people come, and workers who have saved enough money leave.

But what makes Guo Yang happy is that some people stayed in Jiahe because of the sand control cause and ecological environment.

This group of people are mainly graduates from professional schools, and basically they are the middle-level and above backbones of Jiahe Ecology.

There are some students coming in every year, but the younger they are, the fewer of them can stick with it.

They wandered around the site for a long time until the end of work, when a group of people walked back together. At this time, the wind and sand were stronger and it was colder.

Some of the workers went into the dugouts, while others went directly to the restaurant.

Guo Yang also followed the crowd to the restaurant.

Before I arrived, I could smell the strong aroma of meat. As soon as I entered, I saw the dining table was filled with plate after plate of food.

Mainly various meats.

It looks very hardcore.

The people who entered first exclaimed in amazement, and then more people came in. Suddenly, shocking cheers rang out in this desert.

Many people had drunk too much that night, so a snack was always a welcome addition.

What was even more surprising was that the boss announced at the dinner that the welfare benefits of sand control workers would be improved, including the contribution rates of five insurances and one fund.

At the same time, the group will also increase welfare housing distribution and give more preference to workers in difficult areas. It is possible for each person to have one house, and the house can also be discounted.

All these measures are encouraging.

Guo Yang felt that since he was here, he had to leave something for others, otherwise his trip would have been in vain.

The next morning, Guo Yang's convoy continued to move forward.

Jiahe Ecology has long opened two dirt roads from Camp No. 3 to Lop Nur, one to Luojia and the other connecting S235 in the south of Big Ear.

But the purpose of Guo Yang's trip was, firstly, that he did not want to meet the Japanese, and secondly, he wanted to check out the route of Hongqi River.

Lop Nur cannot be the end point, the country also needs Luo Potassium's potassium salt.

Therefore, this will only be an important transit point, with the focus being the Tarim River Oasis.

This inland river, which has been fighting against nature for thousands of years, will receive the most important reinforcement.

In the car, Niu Hulin was explaining the situation to Guo Yang.

"According to the plan, Taitema Lake, the current tail lake of the Tarim River, will be the confluence point of the Hongqi River. Taitema Lake will also become a super-large lake, serving as a core water conservancy hub to transport water to Qiemo, Minfeng and other places in southern Xinjiang, and also to Korla and other oases in northern Xinjiang.

By then the entire Taklimakan Desert will be surrounded by a huge river oasis.”

The whole plan cannot be explained in just a few words.

All Guo Yang needs to know is that Taitema Lake is important, so go and see it.

Soon, the convoy got on S235. There was no military control going south, but there was no signal along the way.

After walking on the asphalt road for a while, it turns into a gravel road. On this kind of road, the most feared thing is a tire blowout.

Zhuang Yan is having some bad luck today.

The tire was flat, and even the spare tire was flat.

There were four of them, two men and two women, who signed up for a tour group. A total of four cars set off from Hami and crossed the Lop Nur along the Haro Line.

The Harrow Line is all asphalt roads. Except for not being able to take photos or pick up stones at will, the whole journey is quite fun.

But not long after passing Luozhong Town, he had a flat tire as soon as he entered the gravel road. After he had worked hard to change to a spare tire, it got flat again.

The team leader reluctantly asked them to wait where they were. This place was less than 36 kilometers away from the 100th Regiment in Milan Town, and the rescue team would be back soon.

"Zhuangyan, will the leader come back?"

"Shiqi, if you keep asking me this, I'll probably get sick even if there's nothing wrong with me."

"It's mainly because I'm afraid... Hey, there seem to be cars coming from behind. Let's see if they can do anything. Oh, there are so many cars."

The four of them turned around and looked backwards, and a long convoy appeared in their sight, with off-road vehicles and pickup trucks, all covered in dust, which looked very spectacular.

"It looks like an engineering team. We should be saved now."

"At least take me to Milan Town first. It's too scary to wait here."

Zhuang Yan and his companions came to the middle of the road and stopped the convoy, while two of the other three took out their mobile phones to take pictures.

Guo Yang was sitting in the second car. He rolled down the window and heard the situation clearly. He then shouted to the "Little Steel Cannon" in the lead car:
"Take it with you. We are also going to Milan. We should be able to meet him on the way back from the team leader."

"Okay." Xiao Gangpao responded, and then said to several fellow travelers, "Get on the bus. You can get on any bus with space behind you."

The first two or three cars were full, so Zhuang Yan and his companions walked all the way to the back, feeling a little nervous at first.

When I saw a large pickup truck with the words "Jiahe Engineering Vehicle" written on it, I felt relieved.

He got on the pickup truck with his female companion, "Dude, are you from Jiahe?"

When the two came over, Lu Zechuan saw clearly that the woman was pretty. He nodded sourly and said, "Why, you want to introduce me to a girlfriend?"

Zhuang Yan was stunned for a moment, then said, "It's not impossible."

Lu Zechuan immediately smiled, "That's easy, Lop Nur is my territory, I'll make sure you get out safely."

In another car,
Guo Yang recalled that he seemed to have met many fellow travelers along the way, so he asked Niu Hulin: "Is there anyone crossing Lop Nur from Dunhuang now?"

Niu Hulin said: "It's rare, and if there are any, they will illegally cross the wildlife protection area from the original old route."

Guo Yang pondered and said, "In fact, we can promote Jiahe's ecological water supply line route, which is closer and safer."

"It's a simple matter. I'll tell Little Cannon and he'll take care of it."

It was not until they reached Milan Town that Zhuang Yan, who was left in the Gobi Desert, contacted the team leader through his cell phone. Uh, he was also repairing the car.

Afterwards, the team leader was taught a lesson by Xiao Gangpao again, and at the same time promised to try Jiahe's route.

Guo Yang felt that this team leader was quite unlucky.

(End of this chapter)