The Simon family came to Australia. They first spent some time with the two elderly people and had daily social activities. Then they went to Tasmania for a few days of leisure and to see their own property. It was already mid-January when they returned from Tasmania.
Melbourne.
This is Thursday, January 13th.
After returning from Tower Island, I was not in a hurry to return to Los Angeles, but continued to start some work here.
I just went to the set of "Justice League" yesterday. After the New Year, the project has been fully restarted. It is expected that the filming will be completed in May. Counting the post-production period, the first part will be released at the end of the year without delay.
today at the Johnston Holdings headquarters in central Melbourne.
There are a lot of things planned to be discussed in the next few days.
For example, today, the topic is a railway project that is about to be launched in Angola.
The civil war in Angola has not yet completely ended, and the areas bordering Congo are not at peace either. However, the power of Angolan President Dos Santos has gradually stabilized. Even if it is not stable, the Westeros system will make him stable. After all, this is a premise .
Counting the preparations made in the past few years, the next step is a more in-depth layout.
If you want to continuously transport Angola's various resources from the inland areas, the country's current infrastructure such as roads and railways left over from the colonial era is far from enough.
Speaking of this, Simon will inevitably think about a certain issue again recently.
Why don’t Western countries pay attention to Africa’s development
Some of the previous arguments, such as always wanting Africa to be a cheap raw material supply base, are actually correct, but they are not entirely correct.
Africa has developed.
During the colonial era, Western countries also invested heavily in Africa.
Take Angola. At its peak in the 1970s, Angola was a major coffee producer, with annual coffee production reaching more than 200,000 tons. Then, various African countries acted independently one after another, and widespread civil wars broke out. The result was the destruction of everything in the past.
In the past few years, before the Westeros system opened large-scale coffee plantations in Angola, Angola's annual coffee output had been a pitiful less than 5,000 tons.
The same is true for other industries after decades of war.
Similarly, many other countries in Africa have similar experiences. The war destroyed everything, and the West cut off its universal assets to Africa. Now, they are poor, backward and have nothing.
At the same time, in the timeline of recent years, in the context of African wars, it was naturally impossible for Western capital to enter Africa at will, so it found a better direction.
Such as Latin America.
Latin America also prospered for a time in the 1970s and 1980s, but then basically fell on the threshold of the middle-income trap of developed countries.
As for the process, it is probably similar to what South Korea has just experienced. South Korea's per capita annual income reached US$10,000. Then, it encountered a financial turmoil, triggering an economic crisis. Coupled with the lack of complete sovereignty, the country's economy was quickly penetrated by Western capital.
In addition to Latin America, there is also Asia.
The Four Little Dragons and Tigers in Japan, South Korea and even Southeast Asia are all the result of the continuous input and support of Western capital, which currently includes China.
Until now 2000.
Capital is ruthless and profit-seeking, and will not deliberately target anyone unless you can give it benefits.
Therefore, the collapse of Africa in the past few decades was mainly caused by internal problems within Africa. Of course, no one can deny that there is a game between big countries and small countries become pawns. In short, compared to Asia, Latin America, and even Eastern Europe after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Africa is really not a very good place for investment.
The reason is very simple. If you invest 10 million in Asia, you can steadily increase the value by 15% in a year. If you invest 10 million in Africa, you may lose everything because of a war. How do you choose capital
Without investment, there can be no development.
Then after 2000.
In the past, Africa gradually stabilized after 2000, and its economy developed to a certain extent, but the development was not obvious.
The reason is also very simple.
Just one China in Asia directly supports the growth engine of the entire world economy. Global capital is flocking to China and its surrounding areas. Is it because of the rate of return? Who would invest randomly in Africa
Um.
Not right either.
In fact, there is, and it’s still China.
However, no one can deny that China’s investments are less about making money and more about making money. Because the goal is to make money but not money, it is impossible to work too hard. As a result, the African economy is only a little bit peripheral to the super engine of China.
Until Simon is reborn.
Going forward, will Africa be able to afford it
The answer for many people is no.
However, since Africa once had the potential to produce more than 200,000 tons of coffee per year, such as Angola, there is no reason that in a few decades when science and technology are more advanced, as long as there is sufficient investment, reasonable planning, and a stable development environment, Africa will There is no development at all.
What's more, isn't there a South Africa in Africa
Of course Simon also knows that the prosperity of various industries in Africa was mainly dominated by white people during the colonial period. In this case, this is still the case now.
Like the planned railway to Angola.
Simon's plan this time is to directly hand over the construction to a Chinese construction company, with the Westeros System responsible for the investment. The future ownership will be shared by the Westeros System and the Angolan government, but the control rights will belong to this side.
At the same time, to promote the development of mining and agriculture in corresponding areas, the Westeros system must also take the lead as much as possible.
The Angolan government and people will share the dividends honestly.
If I had to put it into one word, Simon wouldn’t mind it being neocolonialism.
In addition to infrastructure in Africa, Simon is also discussing a new core mining production system with Australia.
For example, one of them is rare earth.
In the past, with the continuous expansion of detection technology, it was not difficult for countries to discover that there was no shortage of rare earth minerals around the world. Just like now, a team under Johnston Holdings has discovered rare earth minerals in the Angola headquarters area.
The key is production.
In the past, the reason why China controlled the production of rare earth minerals was not a technical issue, but an environmental issue. Many rare earth metals even produce large amounts of radioactive waste during the production process. Such environmental costs are difficult for Western countries to bear.
Simon wants to build a rare earth production system controlled by the Westeros system. Mineral deposits are not the problem, the key is production.
However, the target is also ready.
Ukraine.
There is not much room for bargaining in Ukraine now, and there will be even less room for bargaining in the future.
Simon's plan is to invest in building a specialized rare earth factory in Ukraine, and then provide raw materials from Africa, Australia and even Latin America, and transport them to Ukraine for production.
After all, the output value of the rare earth industry is not large, so the key is other things.
Such as steel.
In this regard, Simon has no plans to compete with China for productivity for the time being. It mainly invests in China in order to share more dividends from industrial development.
However, in other aspects, such as copper, aluminum, etc., and even lithium, sodium, cobalt and other resources involved in future new energy plans, the Westeros system must strengthen its own layout.
One of the aluminum complexes in Russia is already under construction.
Again, you have to master enough resources to have enough voice and even control over the world in the future.
Riding home with Anthony at the end of a long day at work.
We had agreed in advance to have dinner together at the Johnston family mansion on the banks of the Yarra River in the evening.
The two brothers continued to talk about things along the way. The car left the city and came to the northern suburbs. They entered the family mansion and stopped in front of the main villa.
As soon as Simon got out of the car, he saw a little man standing on the lawn on the east side of the main villa, looking up at the setting sun in the west.
Of course Anthony noticed it, walked over with a smile, and asked, "What is Syl doing?"
Simon shook his head and motioned for Anthony to go into the villa. He simply walked over, nodded to the maid standing beside him, picked up his daughter, looked towards the west together, and asked jokingly: "Baby, what are you looking at? I miss my mother." Star?"
Compared to Simon, the family now feels that a certain little girl is more like an alien.
Hence Simon's joke.
The little girl was suddenly picked up by her father. Knowing that she couldn't escape the embrace of this human adult male, she could only twist her little body slightly, find a more comfortable position, and continue to look at the sky.
Of course, I also heard what my father said.
However, she was too lazy to answer such boring human jokes, as she hated those adult humans who treated her like a human cub.
So annoying.
After being silent for a while, the little girl saw that her father was still in a daze with her. She thought that her mother, who was not related to her by blood, would inevitably talk about it again if she knew that she ignored the person next to her, so she said: "Dad, do you miss me?" ?"
Simon shook his head solemnly: "Of course not, our home planet has been destroyed in a huge interstellar war, so, honey, just be an Earthling with peace of mind."
More boring jokes.
But, the little girl felt that she still had to smile cooperatively, so she put on a perfect human cub smile, but she added in an inexplicable way: "Dad, I mean, do you miss the future?"
Simon's eyes suddenly narrowed and he turned his head to look. Just because of his signal, the girl's personal maid had wisely stayed away from the conversation between the father and daughter.
Withdrawing his gaze, Simon relaxed a little and looked at his precious daughter with interest. After a moment, he finally said: "Baby, you can't talk about this kind of thing to others, do you understand?"
Seattle nodded.
Simon added: "Mom can't say anything either."
Seattle nodded again.
Father is so annoying. She is not a child. Based on the average human's IQ and knowledge base, well... she should be several hundred years old.
But, I was curious again: "Dad, how did you get here?"
Simon saw that the little girl was also speaking in a serious tone, and she didn't even have much curiosity. He just asked questions, thought about it, and shook his head honestly: "Dad doesn't know either, so this universe is very magical."
The little girl asked again: "How much future does dad have?"
Simon also continued to be calm: "Probably, twenty years. After that, dad will rely on you. Baby, can you predict the further future?"
The little girl seemed to think seriously for half a second and shook her head: "It's very boring."
"So, what are you interested in?"
The little girl thought again and said, "Human beings are too fragile and can't do anything."
"Then you just gave up?"
The little girl tilted her head slightly again: "Mom wants to live for a long, long time. I think it's okay."
"Oh, mommy will be very happy if she hears this," Simon said as he kissed his daughter on the cheek, "But you have to speed up, otherwise, well, you know."
"There's no rush," the little girl dodged her father's kiss. She couldn't avoid it, so she had to endure it. After all, this human male is her biggest support in the world, and she also has a blood relationship that humans care about, so she Then he said: "Ten years, no problem."
"Then it's agreed," Simon raised his hand and showed a little finger: "Pull the hook."
The little girl looked towards the western sun again.
Bored humans.
Is the pursuit of eternal life just for doing so many boring things
When Simon saw that his precious daughter ignored him, he was certainly not angry. He continued to watch the sunset with him, and asked, "Baby, what are you looking at?"
"Dad, you won't understand."
Simon: “…”
So he persisted weakly: "Tell me, I'm asking because I don't understand."
“I’m sensing the chemical reactions that occur when the solar spectrum comes into contact with human skin.”
"Well, dad can understand this, it can produce melanin."
The little girl lowered her head and glanced at someone. After thinking for a while, she decided that it was better to remain silent, lest this boring human adult male continue to ask questions.
The father and daughter quietly experienced the creation of heaven and earth again until dusk, when Janet came to find them in person.
Seeing that the father and daughter seemed to be somewhat close, Janet was still very jealous. They walked to the villa together, holding one of the man's arms and asked: "What are you talking about?"
Of course the little girl wouldn't answer.
Simon smiled and said: "About the home planet."
Janet's GET was very accurate this time: "Are you planning to return to your home planet together?"
"Of course not. Syl and I's home planet has been destroyed in a huge interstellar war, and we can never go back."
Janet put a sticker on the arm of a man she was holding: "Oh, so pitiful. Tell me about the war. Why did it start?"
"For resources."
"Well, this setting is too perfunctory. You can all fight an interstellar war. The universe is so big, but there is still a lack of resources?"
"You don't know this, but there are actually countless civilizations in the universe, and human beings, on the scale of cosmic civilizations, are like a small bacterial tribe on a leaf in distant Africa. Human beings are too small , you will think that the resources are sufficient, but in fact they are not.”
Janet was surprised: "This time it has become a colony, not even ants. It was still ants last time."
"Was it an ant last time?"
Janet nodded: "Yeah, yeah."
"That means the measurement scale used last time was smaller. I'm talking about the infinite universe."
As he spoke, he entered the villa and came to a living room. There were already other people here. Hearing Simon's words, Sylvia, the eldest girl of the Anthony family, smiled and asked: "What infinite universe?"
Simon sat down on the sofa with his baby daughter in his arms. Seeing everyone looking over, he remained serious: "I am discussing things about my home planet with Jenny."
Everyone got the same GET and laughed.
Sylvia, who has a very lively personality, asked: "Then, what about the infinite universe?"
Simon said: "The universe we know is just one of the infinite universes, just like a cell. Outside of the cell, there are countless cells, that is, countless universes. My home planet is in another universe. .”
Sylvia smiled and said: "Then, why did you come to Earth?"
"Because the mother planet was destroyed," Simon once again showed a recalling expression: "A huge interstellar war."
Janet rolled her eyes.
Change the lines.
Sylvia became more interested, and simply rushed over, snatched the little girl and put it on her lap. Obviously, everyone felt that if there were aliens in this family, Simon could only be considered half at most, and he should be a complete body. It was Seattle: "Uncle Simon, go on."
"Continue with what?"
"A huge interstellar war," Sylvia said, "Is it like Lucas's "Star Wars"?"
Simon shook his head, grabbed Janet's small hand that was bored and put it in his big hand: "The limit of your human imagination is Star Wars. The war on my home planet is a war that uses physical rules as weapons."
"What are the rules of physics?"
"For example," Simon raised his hand slightly to gesture to the surroundings: "Our world is three-dimensional. One of the weapons of physical rules, the dimensionality reduction strike, is to transform a planet, or even a galaxy, or even a separate universe in human cognition. , the weapon directly becomes two-dimensional through physical rules, so the three creatures will be annihilated."
Sylvia was just joking, but after hearing what Simon said, she couldn't help but fantasize about a certain scene, and couldn't help but slightly widen her eyes: "How... is this possible?"
Simon looked at his precious daughter who was snatched into Sylvia's arms: "Sylvia, is this possible?"
The little girl obviously heard what her father just described. When she heard her question, she tilted her head slightly. This time she thought for a second, then shook her head: "I can't do it for the time being."
Sylvia laughed and rested her chin on the little girl's head: "Sylvia, baby, what a coincidence, I can't do it either."
After laughing for a while, Sylvia looked at Simon again and said eagerly: "Uncle Simon, this is a very good idea. How about we make it into a movie?"
Simon was a little surprised when he heard this, but he quickly nodded: "Okay."
Sylvia was impatient and continued immediately: "Then, what's the name? No, no, there needs to be a story surrounding this idea."