Chapter 36: The Su Family's Invitation

Five days before New Year's Eve, Grandpa Fang and his companion boarded the train back to Qinxi Province. On this side, Bai Ping, Bai Lin, and others saw the elderly man off. In Fengyuan, Fang Mingyuan's second uncle would be waiting to pick them up. Although the two elders had left, Grandpa Fang, who had full trust in his grandson's judgment, left Fang Mingyuan a substantial sum of 200 yuan. However, even Bai Ping was unaware of this.

The two elders had left, but Su Aijun came calling. Fang Mingyuan, who had just returned home from the station, immediately saw Su Aijun talking to his aunt in the room. "Oh? Uncle Su, why are you here?"

Su Aijun quickly stood up and greeted Bai Ping and Bai Lin. Although Bai Lin and the others did not know him, upon hearing that he was a teacher at Fengyuan Jiaotong University, they naturally felt a bit closer. At that time, university teachers were not as undervalued as they would be later; people who had just survived the turmoil still held a great deal of respect for intellectuals in universities. Moreover, Su Aijun's demeanor did not seem like that of an ordinary person.

"Fang Mingyuan, you've been back in the capital for so many days, and you haven't come to Uncle's house to play. Uncle had to come and see you!" Su Aijun said with a smile. The conversation he had with Fang Mingyuan on the train had been meticulously recorded and submitted to Su Huandong. As Su Huandong read it, he found that although it was just the talk of a child, it made a lot of sense. His interest in Fang Mingyuan grew even more. As the Director of the Planning and Development Department of the Ministry of Railways, he naturally could not be like ordinary people who were unaware of the current economic situation. With his position, he could easily learn through various channels that countries like France and Germany in Europe, and Japan, were developing high-speed railways and achieving significant results.

For example, Japan's Shinkansen, the first line connecting Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, began operations on October 1, 1964, and was the world's first high-speed rail system for passenger service. The Shinkansen's stable operation relied on Japan's advanced power technology, allowing trains to run at intervals as short as five minutes, making it the only high-speed rail system suitable for large-scale transportation. It has never had a fatal accident due to human error, earning it the reputation of being one of the safest high-speed rail systems in the world. Additionally, due to its fully distributed power design, the Shinkansen is also one of the smoothest trains in the world.

From Japan's economic development, it is not hard to see the important role the Shinkansen played in Japan's rapid post-war growth. When the Tokaido Shinkansen began operations in 1964, coinciding with the Tokyo Olympics, it required a massive investment of several trillion yen and needed to ensure safe operation at speeds of 200 kilometers per hour. This led to significant technological developments in Japan's metallurgy, machinery manufacturing, electronics, civil engineering, and related service industries. The Shinkansen connected the Keihin, Chukyo, and Hanshin industrial zones and intermediate cities within four hours, greatly improving the flow of people and goods, thus significantly promoting the formation of new industries along the Shinkansen route, raising the local economy to a new level. As a result, the Japanese government began planning the construction of the Kyushu Shinkansen shortly after the completion of the Tokaido Shinkansen.

When the Shinkansen was extended to Kyushu from Osaka in 1975, the industrial layout along the route changed rapidly. Industries such as automobiles, machinery, home appliances, and integrated circuits gradually replaced traditional industries like steel and petrochemicals, promoting the adjustment of Japan's industrial structure. After the Tohoku Shinkansen, which runs to Sendai and Iwate, began operations in 1982, the population and number of enterprises in the cities along the route increased by 30% and 45%, respectively, and local government revenues saw a significant increase. With the formation of the Shinkansen network, people's activity ranges expanded, cultural exchanges between regions became more active, and the quality of life improved. For example, people living in Shizuoka and other areas could now travel to Tokyo or Osaka to watch traditional arts like Kabuki or Bunraku in a single day, whereas it used to take two days.

The construction of the Shinkansen not only boosted the development of Japan's civil engineering, raw materials, and machinery manufacturing industries but also promoted the flow of people, accelerating and expanding the dissemination of information, knowledge, and technology, thus driving local economic development and reducing the gap between urban and rural areas. According to surveys, the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines alone carry about 200 million passengers annually, generating about 7 trillion yen in consumption for food, accommodation, and tourism, and creating nearly a million jobs. The benefits are numerous and hard to quantify.

From these data, Su Huandong naturally saw the numerous benefits that a significant increase in train speed could bring to the country. Not only would it accelerate the flow of people and goods domestically, but it would also promote the rapid development of various industries. Of course, he did not forget to mention in his report that the increase in train speed would significantly enhance the country's military strength.

In 1980, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) underwent its sixth major downsizing since the founding of the People's Republic of China. In March of that year, the Central Military Commission decided to streamline the military, drastically reduce administrative staff, and transfer some units to local authorities. By September 1982, the PLA underwent its seventh major downsizing. Over 500,000 railway troops and infrastructure engineering troops were collectively transferred to the Ministry of Railways and various national ministries or provincial, autonomous region, and municipal governments, with some units transferred to the Armed Police Force. Thus, the railway troops and infrastructure engineering troops were removed from the PLA's roster.

Moreover, he knew that the Central Military Commission was planning another large-scale downsizing. With the significant reduction in the number of troops, how to quickly mobilize forces across the vast territory to better protect national security was a major concern for the leadership. Increasing the speed of railway transportation to accelerate the movement of troops across the country would undoubtedly alleviate the pressure on national defense caused by the reduction in troop numbers. This alone would ensure that his report would receive high-level attention.

Although China did not yet possess the technology for high-speed railways, Su Huandong firmly believed that by concentrating the country's scientific and technological resources, it could certainly be developed—after all, even the atomic bomb had been successfully created. Moreover, the current goal was not to build high-speed railways but to upgrade the existing railway network, which would require much less investment and research effort. Su Huandong believed this was a project with low investment, quick results, and substantial returns. After all, compared to foreign railways, China's current railway speed was only about 40-50 kilometers per hour, making it easier to improve.

Furthermore, if the state approved this research project, he, as the initiator, would inevitably come to the attention of the country's top leaders, which would undoubtedly be a new peak in his career. Such a win-win situation, why would he not pursue it? Therefore, after receiving Su Aijun's report, he discarded the original draft and started anew. After several days, the plan was largely completed.

However, Su Huandong wanted to perfect it, so he decided to seek Fang Mingyuan's input. After all, Fang Mingyuan and Su Aijun had only chatted casually on the train. If Fang Mingyuan had any brilliant ideas that were not mentioned, he would miss a great opportunity. Therefore, he ordered his son to visit and arrange a meeting with Fang Mingyuan.

After a few casual conversations, Su Aijun invited Fang Mingyuan to visit his home. Bai Lin and Bai Ping exchanged glances; they had only known each other for a short time and did not know where Su Aijun lived or who was in his family. They were not comfortable letting a seven-year-old child go with him. Su Aijun naturally understood their concerns and invited Bai Lin and Bai Ping along as well. In the end, it was decided that Bai Lin would accompany Fang Mingyuan.

However, as soon as they stepped out of the alley, Bai Lin and Fang Mingyuan were taken aback!

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