Chapter 329 Returning from the Expedition; Milan River Hub

Liancun is 27 years old this year. He has been a member of the Tianhe seed collection team for nearly four years and his skin is dark and cracked.

Go up the plateau, down the canyon, cross the rapids, wade through the mud...

During these four years, he was like a hunter pursuing his prey, rushing to wherever flowers bloomed.

“Capturing the footprints of plants is to better protect them, not to occupy them.”

This was told to him by a professor he met on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Utilization is also a kind of protection, so Tianhe is also for protection. There are very few people in this world who would carry out large-scale propagation of "worthless" plants.

Just like this time they collected more than a dozen rare plants in the Kumtag Desert. If nothing unexpected happens, they will most likely be preserved in the laboratory like specimens.

The road home was illuminated golden by the setting sun.

The two cars were packed full, and Lian Cun often looked back to check on the specimens he had carefully collected.

The outline of the city has appeared in the distance, and the vast Gobi Desert is almost coming to an end.

A player who had just joined the team shouted, "Ah! We are finally going back to the city. I have been so depressed for more than a month, playing with sand in the desert every day."

"Brothers, let's go wash off the bad luck tonight. Let the company treat us!"

"Okay, it's settled."

Listening to the conversation on the intercom, Lian Cun said helplessly: "You guys are dreaming, the boss came to Dunhuang yesterday and is waiting for us!"

"Ah? Is there such a thing?"

"I can't fool you."

"It's okay, let the boss welcome us."

"You're awesome. Go tell the boss later."

Lian Cun saw several cars parked on the road near the Gobi Desert from a distance and said, "Stop talking nonsense, the boss is waiting in front!"

"Really here?"

"Brothers, this is a full deck."

After a while, the two groups met at the junction of the oasis and the Gobi Desert.

Guo Yang looked at the group of people who seemed to be in good spirits and walked up to greet them one by one.

Lian Cun smiled and said, "Thank goodness I have accomplished my mission, Boss! We have brought back quite a few valuable species this time!"

"Thank you for your hard work. I will welcome you tonight."

"Boss, are you washing him properly? He's suffered a lot in the desert this time. He needs to be washed many times before he can get it clean."

Guo Yang smiled and shook hands with the team member, saying, "You can wash it however you want, just don't wash it until your skin is bald."

"Ha ha…"

After a few pleasantries, Liancun opened the trunks of the two cars to show the results of this trip.

The first thing that catches the eye is the large number of reference books, followed by some portable tools and soil sampling, which occupy the largest space.

Lian Cun took out a thick layer of specimen clips and sealed bags from it.

Inside are various collected plant specimens and seeds of wild plants.

Very well preserved.

Bi Qiang went forward to check the number of seeds and praised: "Well done, the seeds look very healthy and vigorous."

Lian Cun said: "Basically, we collected them directly from the plants. We didn't dare to collect the seeds scattered on the ground because the temperature in the desert was too high. There were a few plants, but we only managed to collect 500 seeds."

"Well, this is how rare plants are. It's barely enough. Let's go and find a place to deal with it first."

The seed collection team brought back 18 species of plants from the heart of the desert, three of which are extremely rare. The 'Saltland Tamarix' and 'White Flowered Tamarix' may even be discovered for the first time.

Because Tianhe’s purpose of collecting seeds is not for preservation, some seeds are still immature when collected, so they are directly cut off from the branches with pruning shears and brought back.

Therefore, some seeds are mature and some are immature, and the seeds must be separated and processed as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Tianhe also has an office in Dunhuang.

Led by Bi Qiang, a group of people quickly completed the process and finally spread the seeds in an air-conditioned room.

Bi Qiang then said, "Let's go, Boss Guo, have you arranged your celebration banquet? The seeds we harvested this time are very valuable!"

Guo Yang smiled and said, "We are waiting for you. The people from the West Lake Administration have been waiting for you for a long time."

...

In a private room of a high-end hotel, there were five people from the seed collection team, Guo Yang's group of eight, and six people from the West Lake Administration.

A total of nineteen people sat together.

This scientific expedition was aimed at the Kumtag Desert, and the West Lake Management Bureau did not participate, but that did not affect Wu Xiong and others' admiration for Lian Cun and others.

Especially when he learned that several rare and precious plants were obtained, Wu Xiong praised: "The plant hunter is indeed worthy of his reputation!"

Many people have only heard of seed hunters, or plant hunters, and have a high level of respect for this seemingly positive title.

However, in the past few years, Lian Cun has no longer been interested in the title of plant hunter.

Lian Cun thought for a moment and said, “In fact, from a nationalist perspective, plant hunters are generally regarded as poachers.”

“So, all along, Tianhe has called itself a seed collection team. If we can go overseas one day, it won’t be too late to call ourselves plant hunters.”

Wu Xiong asked: "Why do you call plant hunters poachers?"

"Because the most brilliant achievements of plant hunters came from the West. For hundreds of years, these plant hunters collected seeds from countries around the world by any means necessary, and our country was the biggest victim among them."

"The most striking example is the result of this theft of plant seeds, which has destroyed the export of our best-selling international commodity - tea."

Many people know something about tea, but Lian Cun obviously knows more.

Before the Opium War, in order to reduce dependence on Chinese tea, the British planted tea in their colony India.

But the quality of this tea is very poor and cannot compare with Chinese tea, and it cannot shake the dominant position of Chinese tea in the world market at all.

But the Opium War gave the British an opportunity.

Robert Fortune, an early plant hunter, disguised himself as a businessman many times over a period of two and a half years. He wore false braids and Chinese clothes, and his appearance was almost indistinguishable from that of an ordinary traveling merchant.

Fortune used various methods to steal tea saplings and seeds, and introduced 2 tea saplings into the East India Company's tea garden on the southern foothills of the Himalayas.

At the same time, he also recruited a group of experienced tea workers, which greatly promoted Britain's tea planting and processing capabilities in India.

This move gradually ended the history of Chinese tea's monopoly on the world tea market.

In 1866, only 4% of the tea consumed by the British came from India, but by 1903 this figure had risen to 59%.

Therefore, Fu Qiong was called the "Tea Thief".

Some economists believe that Fortune's impact is equivalent to that of thousands of troops.

Another similar example is kiwifruit. Many Western "plant hunters" have targeted the Chinese kiwifruit. They collected a large number of seeds and shipped them to Europe and America.

Although these seeds took root and sprouted successfully, they were never able to produce fruit because kiwifruit is a dioecious plant.

Only the wild kiwifruit seeds brought back by Mary Fraser of New Zealand produced plants with two females and one male.

It also created the world-famous New Zealand kiwifruit.

But none of these people could match the achievements of another British "plant hunter": Ernest Wilson.

Starting from 1899, Wilson sneaked into China five times. The first two times he represented the British Veitch Company, and the last three times he represented the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in the United States.

Each time he went deep into the mountains and canyons where few people had been, and introduced 1500 different species of plants and 65000 plant samples to the West, 60 of which were named after him.

He is known as "the first person to open the garden of western China" and is highly respected in the Western gardening community. He has been awarded numerous medals by countries such as Britain and the United States.

"People who enter another country and poach plant seeds without the owner's permission are called 'plant hunters'."

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Lian Cun smiled and said, "Actually, I don't mind being a plant hunter, but we are currently only operating legally in the country, and we don't have the opportunity to go abroad."

Everyone laughed knowingly.

Wu Xiong looked at Guo Yang and said, "Boss Guo, your employees want to go abroad to do business, you have to support them!"

"Haha... Don't worry, there will definitely be such an opportunity. Don't be anxious, Liancun, there will be opportunities to use you in the future."

"it is good."

Standing up and holding a glass of wine, Guo Yang said, "The collection team has worked hard this time. Take a good rest for a while."

After drinking it all in one gulp and eating a few bites of food, Bi Qiang also raised his glass of wine and faced the collection team.

"I formed the collection team myself, but now I have more time for research, so I have to rely on you to collect the seeds."

"Brother Qiang, just leave it to us."

Bi Qiang continued, "Wilson was born in the lower class of the British society. With his identity as a plant hunter, he eventually squeezed into the upper class and even left his name in history. I hope you can also realize your ambitions."

"My ambition is to go abroad and cause trouble."

"Hahaha……"

"When the boss lets us out, it's a big step toward success."

Bi Qiang said: "Lian Cun didn't finish what he said just now. The Englishman Wilson didn't have a good ending in the end. He broke his leg in Wenchuan and became disabled for life."

"You deserve it!"

"I mean you guys should be careful too."

"Don't worry, we are very stable in China." Lian Cun said with a smile.

Everyone kept toasting each other, and the atmosphere became more harmonious.

After finishing the meal, it was already late, so they let Lian Cun and his friends move around freely, and today's expenses could be reimbursed.

Guo Yang and Wu Xiong found a teahouse to drink tea. "Why didn't Secretary Wang come today?"

In the West Lake Management Bureau, Wang Jincai is the real boss, while Wu Xiong is more responsible for the actual work of the reserve.

Wang Jin was also invited to today's party.

Wu Xiong asked, "I heard that Jiahe wants to rent the reserve. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Secretary Wang may not agree." Wu Xiong said softly: "Because of this matter, the secretary even went to the Forestry Department specifically."

Guo Yang frowned: "What's the reason?"

Wu Xiong whispered, "If Jiahe takes over the reserve, the funding from the higher authorities will be drastically cut in half, and the staffing for the application will also be cut. Jiahe's investment has nothing to do with the management bureau, and even the rent..."

In the end, it was still a matter of interests. Guo Yang asked, "Director Wu, do you have any ideas?"

"Secretary Wang is from outside." Wu Xiong said with a smile: "I am a local and have worked at the grassroots level in Dunhuang forestry for decades. This is basically the end of my career. To be more sentimental, I have feelings for every blade of grass and every tree here."

"It's a good thing for us to have a large company like Jiahe invest in us. It may be more reliable than relying on funding from higher authorities."

Guo Yang thought for a while and said, "Director Wu, do you have any familiar nurseries, forest farms, labor teams, etc. here?"

"Oh? Jiahe needs anything?"

"Of course, it will be needed for subsequent seedling propagation and sowing, and the management bureau will have to help with these in the future."

Wu Xiong reacted and realized that Jiahe was giving him a sugar-coated bullet. Although he didn't know the investment amount of Jiahe, even a small amount of money was worth it.

"Sure, no problem. I'm good at raising seedlings. It just depends on when Jiahe wants them."

Guo Yang said: "The sooner the better, we can even start preparing now."

Wu Xiong asked doubtfully, "Isn't the project yet to be implemented?"

"Sooner or later!"

The Dunhuang West Lake wetland is sparsely populated, and there are only two or three oases in the surrounding area, namely Erdun Village and Yangguan Town. It is not easy to organize manpower, and it is a good idea to win over Wu Xiong.

As for Wang Jin, let him do whatever he wants.

With the completion of the first scientific expedition, preliminary reference materials were available in more than 20 subject areas including hydrology, geology, flora and fauna, and climate.

Although it is still rough, the route has been basically figured out.

Several route maps were also prepared through remote sensing technology, and several base camps and temporary camps were initially established.

Jiahe made its first submission on the planning proposal for the National Desert Park Project. …

Provincial Forestry Department.

Wang Jin, who was in his prime at the West Lake Management Bureau, finally got into an office after many twists and turns.

"Leader, how can we rent the Dunhuang West Lake wetland to enterprises? Enterprises will only develop it recklessly in order to make profits."

The leader was an energetic old man and asked, "How much do you know about Jiahe?"

Wang Jin said: "Big companies are very rich and have made contributions to the treatment of saline-alkali land in China, but this is 66 hectares of wetlands. Are they just giving it to Jiahe for free?"

"You are really confused." The leader said with an unhappy look: "Jiahe has invested at least tens of billions in the Tengger and Badain Jaran Deserts."

“What effect would this money have if invested in the West Lake Wetland?”

"The last time, Wu Xiong came to the office to borrow 10 yuan to get the office supplies for the West Lake Administration."

"Now that the real rich man has come, you don't hurry up and grab him, but push the project away, right?"

If Jiahe did not get involved, West Lake Wetland would be the back garden of the management bureau, and the bureau together with various protection stations would be considered a large unit.

We can also collect tickets from the public later.

Of course Jiahe could come to invest, and Wang Jin even welcomed it at one point, but he directly rented the entire wetland.

Then what is the purpose of the West Lake Administration? To supervise Jiahe? Can it do anything?
Although his power has been reduced, Wang Jin, who still has ambitions, is certainly unwilling to accept this.

"The ecology of the West Lake wetland is very fragile. What if Jiahe develops agriculture on a large scale and causes irreparable damage to the West Lake wetland?"

The leader shook his head, "No."

Just then, the leader's assistant hurried in, holding a document and handed it over with both hands.

"Leader, have you brought us a copy of the planning plan for Jiahe's new project?"

The leader was stunned and asked in confusion: "Bring it in advance? Isn't the time for the meeting not confirmed yet?"

"Jiahe said it would submit it directly to the Ministry of Agriculture."

"what happened?"

The leader took the document suspiciously, took a glance at it, and his eyebrows twitched unconsciously.

He saw that the cover was not the Dunhuang West Lake Wetland as he had expected, but was replaced with: Planning Plan for the Northwest China National Desert Park.

He confirmed again and again that he was not mistaken, "Jiahe changed the project location?"

The assistant said quickly, "No, Boss, Jiahe has expanded the scope of the project. Because it involves three provinces, Jiahe directly contacted the Ministry of Agriculture."

Now even Wang Jin couldn't sit still anymore, he came over and saw the cover.

The leader opened the plan and a scope map appeared. The Dunhuang West Lake Wetland only occupied a very small corner.

The rest are mostly in Xinjiang Province.

“20 square kilometers?”

This data made everyone breathe faster. Wang Jin was shocked and asked, "What does Jiahe think?"

The three provinces cover an area of ​​20 square kilometers, which is equivalent to a controlled area of ​​3 million mu. Even if it is all desert, it is still a terrifying number.

The leader paused for a moment and said, "But Jiahe not only made a plan, but also submitted it. It's crazy! How much does Jiahe plan to invest?"

Wang Jin snorted and said, "You never know, maybe he just wants to gain a reputation and take over the land. He can't invest much money at all."

The leader continued to look through the plan. The total planned investment amount for the project was 1000 billion yuan, with an investment amount of 300 billion yuan in the first phase.

This number is staggering.

"Jiahe may be able to come up with the money, but are they really willing to invest in this uninhabited desert? This is just a scam!"

"It's hard to say!"

...

The planning proposal for the national desert park soon caused a stir within the small circle.

Many people in Long Province know that Jiahe is interested in Dunhuang West Lake, but what about the National Desert Park?
Even in Xinjiang Province, many people were confused when they received the news.

Xinjiang Province.

Guotou Luo Potassium also held a board meeting, which included content about the Luo Potassium Phase II water supply project. The person who came to attend the meeting from Jiahe was Miao Lanchun.

However, after the meeting started, Zhou Weiliang, general manager of Guotou Luo Potassium, was very interested in Jiahe's new project.

"Mr. Miao, Jiahe is so proactive. Is Milan River also part of the Jiahe National Desert Park plan?"

"of course."

“An investment of 300 billion yuan is required for the first phase?”

"That's what the boss decided."

In the conference room, a total of 11 directors looked at each other in bewilderment. The total investment in the first phase of Luo Potassium was less than 50 billion yuan, and not even half of the investment had been completed yet.

Even with the planned second phase, the annual production capacity will reach 300 million tons, and the total investment will only be more than 130 billion yuan.

The 300 billion yuan invested by Jiahe is almost equivalent to the investment of 2.5 Luo Potassiums. Based on 1000 billion yuan, it is equivalent to 7.7 Luo Potassiums.

Just for the Dunhuang West Lake and a barren desert.

It's really a bit crazy!
Miao Lanchun, who is in her early forties and has bangs, is calm and composed. She would not be surprised by any decision her boss makes now.

While listening to the meeting, he was checking the latest information on his own.

Potassium salt is extremely scarce in China, and the domestic self-sufficiency rate is less than 10% at that time.

However, Jiahe's land encounters fewer difficulties in this regard. The potassium content of the land in the northwest region is okay. The potassium deficiency is mainly in the southern region, especially the southeast coast, which is very potassium-deficient.

Although the 120-ton Phase I of Luo Potassium has not been fully put into production, it has already generated profits.

One of the agenda items in the board of directors is whether to distribute dividends.

Miao Lanchun didn't care about this. Although Jiahe had a 21.8% stake, the dividends given to Jiahe at that time were at most a few million.

Can't get excited.

Until the topic came to the Luojia Phase II water supply project.

Li Shoujiang, secretary of the board of directors, said: "The preliminary plan given by the Water Conservancy Survey and Design Institute refers to the first phase of the project, which still uses underground pipelines to transport water."

"The water pipeline is 264 km long and is divided into two sections, the lower section is parallel to the first phase. The upper section is 22 to 26 km long and is divided into three options: the west line, the middle line, and the east line. The construction costs are 9136 million, 7617 million, and 8197 million yuan respectively. In the long run, the design institute recommends the west line."

Miao Lanchun asked: "Isn't it possible to transfer water from the surface?"

Li Shoujiang said: "No, the lower reaches of the Milan River have long been dry, and it is in the heart of Lop Nur, where it is hot and dry, and the evaporation is extremely severe. We can only rely on underground pipelines."

Everyone present knew Jiahe’s purpose: ecological governance.

Once the national desert park project is established, the area around Lop Nur will also be included in the scope, and the Milan River will be an important water resource.

Zhou Weiliang said: "There is a red willow ecological forest several dozen kilometers downstream of the river in the No. 2 Agricultural Division, but the section between it and Milan Town is a desert."

Miao Lanchun didn't care about these things, but thought about several ideas given by the boss: saving water, leaving the land fallow, and conserving water resources.

Surface water supply is not feasible, but there are pipelines that can directly reach Luo Potassium.

The water used by shops in Lop Nur town is also purchased from Luo Potassium, which also includes ecological water.

Miao Lanchun asked: "How much land does Agricultural Division 2 have? Is the use rate of drip irrigation high?"

Kang Jianxin, a representative of local state-owned capital, said: "Milan Town belongs to the 36th Regiment, with a total of more than 5 mu of land reclaimed. The use rate of drip irrigation is relatively low, and cotton is currently being replaced by red date ecological forests."

Saving water is one way.

Miao Lanchun wrote it down in her notebook and asked, "If water conservation is achieved, can the amount of water transferred in the second phase be increased?"

The designed water transfer capacity is 3000 million m.

Kang Jianxin thought for a moment: "Theoretically, it is possible, but it is difficult to implement. The 36th Regiment is short of funds, and drip irrigation is difficult to implement."

Miao Lanchun did not dwell on this issue. As long as water can be saved, it is not necessary to adjust the water.

“When will the Milan Water Conservancy Hub Project start?”

Zhou Weiliang said: "After two years, it may take 10 years to realize water transfer."

"too long."

There was a moment of silence in the meeting room.

China Development Bank does not want to get involved with Jiahe in ecological governance, which has little significance for the Luo Potassium Project itself.

With Luo Potassium's current progress, the first phase of the water supply project is sufficient. The second phase is divided into upper and lower sections, and the lower section overlaps with the first phase.

This means that as long as water is supplied to the upper section of more than 20 kilometers, the water supply in the first phase can be increased again.

Therefore, it is reasonable for Luo Potassium to realize water diversion after 10 years.

Zhou Weiliang didn't want to pay attention to it, but the Xinjiang State-owned Assets and the Corps took it very seriously.

Although China Development Bank has absolute control over Luoyang Potassium, among its shareholders, in addition to Jiahe, there are four state-owned enterprises from Xinjiang Province.

Jiahe has intercepted the shares of Romanian Potash Corp., and now strengthening its investment in AC Milan is a way of returning the favor.

In the end, it was Kang Jianxin who broke the tranquility.

"The problem with the Milan River hub is also a shortage of funds. If Jiahe is willing to invest and hold a controlling stake, the pace will naturally be accelerated."

“What is the investment budget?”

"3.6."

"How big is the gap?"

"2.2."

Miao Lanchun asked: "Can all the 2.2 million be handed over to Jiahe?"

"Golden Harvest really wants to invest?"

“Of course, including water-saving irrigation, there will be discounts and flexible payment methods for the laying of headers and main pipes.”

Everyone was surprised again. This required real money!

Kang Jianxin asked: "Does Jiahe really want to invest in the National Desert Park project?"

"The boss has already left for Beijing." Miao Lanchun said with a smile: "Even if the project cannot be approved, the Dunhuang West Lake Wetland will not be lost, and the water diversion project will also come in handy in the future."

There is the Kumtag Desert between Lop Nur Town and Dunhuang Wetland, and no one knows where her confidence comes from.

But I can’t control it.

Kang Jianxin did not lie. For a long time, due to short-term funding, the Milan River has lacked regulation and storage projects.

Flood water during the flood season and idle water in winter cannot be stored and regulated, and there is a contradiction in water use during the irrigation period.

The main irrigation method is still conventional surface irrigation. The surface water supply is to release water by opening the gate, regardless of the amount of water, and charge per mu, which is very extensive.

This has led to the decline of desert forest and grass vegetation in the outer areas of the downstream irrigation area, the dry-up of the river and the lack of vegetation, and an obvious trend of desertification.

The water and electricity charges are not very high, but the Milan River Water Conservancy Project is very critical.

Kang Jianxin said: "Leave this matter to Lvyuan State-owned Assets, the State Committee, the Second Agricultural Division, the Tower Management Bureau, the Design Institute, and Ruoqiang. We will take care of it."

"Jiahe is responsible for paying."

Miao Lanchun smiled and said, "Okay."

With 2.2 million yuan, Jiahe can control the Milan River Water Conservancy Project, which means that Jiahe has taken the initiative in water-saving and water diversion within the basin.

Even if the project fails, in the long run, the water and electricity charges will pay for themselves in 20 years.

The life cycle of Luo Potassium is definitely more than 20 years.

Beijing.

Lu Qi is one of the initiators of this desert scientific expedition and the founding director of the China Desertification Research Institute.

When he was invited to participate in the planning and review of the Jiahe National Desert Park project, his mind was filled with emotions and it took him a long time to utter a few words of emotion.

"How dare he!"

(End of this chapter)