amaotonovel Chapter 458 The Yanhu High-Speed Railway Opens! The Profound Heritage of a Great Nation!
Chapter 458 The Yanhu High-Speed Railway Opens! The Profound Heritage of a Great Nation!
It was slightly chilly in late autumn.
The square at Tianhai South Railway Station, however, was bustling with activity.
The opening ceremony of the first phase of the Yanhu High-speed Railway was solemnly held here.
Not only were there many high-ranking officials on stage, but all three major figures who initiated the project were also present.
Zhao Lichun, Secretary of the Provincial Administration of Handong Province, Xiang Yuliang, Secretary of the Municipal Administration of Tianhai City, and Liu Zhiheng, Deputy Director of the Railway Administration.
In addition to representatives from various participating construction units, people from all walks of life, major media outlets, and enthusiastic citizens, the audience also included others.
Embassies and consulates of various countries in Tianjin also arranged for representatives to attend this significant high-speed rail opening ceremony.
As the commercial attaché for cherry blossoms, Watanabe Kameyuki was naturally qualified to attend.
Not wanting to miss such a grand event, he arrived from Yanjing a day early.
That's why they're so proactive.
Of course, it wasn't because he had never ridden a high-speed train before and wanted to experience it.
As a native Japanese, he had long been tired of riding the Shinkansen back in China.
So his enthusiastic attendance wasn't to experience the high-speed rail, but rather to take this opportunity to promote the Sakura Shinkansen high-speed rail technology.
Previously, relying on Liao Chenxi and Ge Junshan's help, the people of Sakura thought that the Northeast high-speed rail project of China was a sure thing and there was no suspense.
The results of it?
No one expected that Ge Junshan would suffer a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, undergo craniotomy and be hospitalized, and his trusted lieutenant Liao Chenxi was taken away that same day.
Even Liao Chenxi's son, Liao Yubo, who risked his life to escape by jumping out of a window and hiding in the Sakura Embassy, was forced to be handed over due to diplomatic pressure.
Huilong Group and Longche Group quickly joined forces to participate in the Northeast High-speed Railway project. If Sakura does not agree to transfer the high-speed rail technology, it will not even be qualified to bid.
This left the cherry blossom people dumbfounded.
They originally had the opportunity to undertake the construction of the Northeast High-Speed Railway as investors, without even having to compete.
As a result of this whole mess, they've lost their eligibility for investment and cooperation. Now, if they want to sell high-speed trains, they not only have to participate in the bidding process, but also promise to transfer the technology.
Liao Chenxi, whose crimes were proven, was placed under investigation, and Ge Junshan, due to post-operative rehabilitation at Yanjing Union Hospital, was unable to participate in political affairs for an extended period.
The Northeast high-speed rail project has gone through a series of procedures and is set to officially start construction next year.
The bidding process for related engineering construction and equipment procurement, including lines, signals, rolling stock, and station buildings, will also begin successively.
Even if the people at Sakura were unwilling, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and try to win the bid next year if they wanted to close the deal.
but……
Winning a bid is no easy feat.
A comprehensive scoring system is used, rather than awarding the contract to the lowest bidder.
So it's not that they can guarantee a win by simply throwing away costs and offering an extremely low price.
Those who have submitted bids are naturally well aware of this.
From the preparation of bidding documents to the selection of evaluation experts, and then to the actual evaluation process...
Behind the seemingly fair and just facade, there are still many opportunities for underhanded dealings.
Not to mention the appointment of evaluation experts and owner representatives with obvious biases.
For example, when preparing the bidding documents, when designing the technical requirements parameters and formulating the comprehensive evaluation criteria.
If a design can be tailored to a particular organization's strengths and advantages, it will inevitably receive a high score during the final review.
Watanabe Kameyu wanted to participate in as many major events as possible and make connections with high-ranking officials and bigwigs so that they could help him 'manipulate things behind the scenes' to ensure that Sakura Corporation won the bid.
His gaze swept over the bigwigs on the stage.
Watanabe Kameyu felt that, given his status, it would be difficult to strike up a conversation.
Especially for Zhao Lichun, the top official in Handong, it's out of the question.
Just as he was pondering which one liked cherry blossoms the most and who he could potentially befriend and win over.
President Zou of the General Affairs Department, who attended the ceremony, surprisingly announced the official opening of the first phase of the Yanhu High-speed Railway after only a few words in his brief speech.
In an instant.
The sound of gongs and drums filled the air, and fireworks lit up the sky.
All the guests attending the ceremony lined up one after another as the first passengers to pass through security and enter Tianhai South Railway Station.
Watanabe Kameyu didn't have time to think any further and quickly got up to catch up.
There were many guests entering the station, but it wasn't crowded at all.
Multiple security checkpoints are operating simultaneously.
Each checkpoint is equipped with advanced security screening equipment and well-trained security personnel.
Against the backdrop of frequent terrorist attacks on the international stage.
No one would think there's anything wrong with such strict security checks.
When Watanabe Kameyu went through security, he took a special look.
Baggage screening machines, metal detectors, liquid security detectors, handheld metal detectors...
All equipment was made in China.
After passing through security, I entered the lobby.
The hall has a very high dome and a large area, making it feel spacious, open, and refreshing.
The huge LED display screen already shows information about many trains.
The G01 train, which originates from Tianhai South Station and terminates at Jingzhou South Station, is naturally ranked first.
The passengers have all entered the station, so the train status has changed to "ticket checking begins".
Subsequent trains such as G03 and G05 all showed a status of 'on time'.
"On the first day of operation, there were more than twenty trains lined up from morning to night."
"Even though this high-speed railway connects multiple cities between Jingzhou and Tianhai."
"But is the Yanhu High-speed Railway Company sure that so many passengers are willing to travel by high-speed rail?"
Feeling quite puzzled, Watanabe Kameyu couldn't help but pick up his special first-passenger ticket.
Unlike traditional red train tickets, high-speed rail tickets are slightly bluish and made of noticeably higher quality paper.
In addition to indicating which station you are traveling from, the ticket also includes information such as the ticket gate, departure time, seat number, fare, and seat class.
At the top and bottom of the ticket, there were two strings of letters and numbers. Watanabe Kameyuki didn't understand what they meant; he only cared about the 74 yuan ticket price for a second-class seat.
"From Tianhai to Jingzhou, if you take a traditional green hard-seat train, it would probably only cost twenty or thirty yuan."
"Even if you take a long-distance bus, it shouldn't cost more than 60 yuan, but the high-speed rail costs 74 yuan."
"With such an expensive price, the Yanhu High-Speed Railway Company is really daring to sell it! Aren't they afraid no one will ride it?"
Watanabe Kameyuki was highly skeptical about the occupancy rate of this high-speed rail line after its opening.
He had spent many years in China and was also the head of intelligence.
He knew, of course, that although the Dragon Kingdom had developed rapidly for many years, its economic level was still not high and the income of its people was limited.
Even in big cities like Beijing and Tianjin, a monthly salary of one or two thousand yuan is considered a high wage, while many people at the bottom of society only earn a few hundred yuan a month.
of course.
Huilong Group is an exception.
This company has long been known throughout China for its high salaries and generous benefits.
Not only do they not use third-party labor dispatch, but they also provide all employees with five social insurances and one housing fund, and Huilong Electronics employees are also provided with free meals and accommodation.
Leaving aside the research and technical personnel with their shockingly high salaries, even ordinary workers on the production line earn an average of two to three thousand yuan per month.
This is why, even though Huilong Group has very high requirements for recruiting people—requiring written tests, interviews, and medical examinations for even a simple assembly job—countless people still flock to apply.
but……
Huilong Group, which offers good salaries and benefits, is the only one of its kind in China.
Even the numerous companies associated with it offer relatively good salaries and benefits.
For example, Loongson Technology, Land Rover Motors, Huawei Communications, and COMAC...
But if all these companies are combined, they only employ a few million people with high salaries and benefits.
However, China, the world's most populous country, has over a billion people.
Most people earn only a few hundred yuan a month, averaging only twenty or thirty yuan a day.
The high-speed rail ticket from Tianhai to Jingzhou costs as much as 74 yuan, which is equivalent to three days' income for most people.
Such a high price naturally piqued Watanabe Kameyuki's curiosity, but the occupancy rate was not high after the line opened.
Follow the crowd to the ticket checkpoint.
"Hi, Mr. Watanabe!"
A somewhat familiar voice came from behind.
Watanabe Kameyuki handed the ticket to the ticket inspector and quickly turned his head to take a look.
It was discovered that the person was Kate Pierman, the Commercial Consul at the British Consulate General in Tianjin.
Watanabe Kameyu quickly extended his hand and greeted him, "It's been a long time! I'm so glad to see you here!"
"Me too!"
Perlman politely shook hands with Watanabe Kame.
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
They all masquerade as commercial counselors or consuls, ostensibly promoting cultural exchanges and trade cooperation, while secretly conducting various intelligence gathering activities.
After their tickets were checked, the two walked side by side toward the platform in perfect unison.
A brand-new high-speed train was already steadily parked next to platform one.
The doors of every carriage were open.
There is also an LED display screen next to the train door, showing the train number and carriage number.
The uniformed flight attendants, each with a smile on their face, stood guard at the door, welcoming the 'first batch of passengers' onto the train.
The leaders who arrived first naturally rode in the front carriages, with many reporters and photographers following closely behind.
Many of the other invited guests also took out their phones and cameras to take pictures of the train and platform, or to take photos with the train.
at the same time.
A crisp bell rang.
Immediately following was a soft, resonant female voice broadcasting.
"Good morning, passengers. Ticket checking for train Gaolingyi, which is traveling from Tianhai South to Jingzhou South, has begun."
"Passengers taking train Gaolingyi, please proceed to gate A01 to board the train..."
After the announcement was read in Mandarin, it was immediately followed by an announcement in English.
"At such a historic and important moment, are you sure you don't want to take a photo with the inaugural train?"
Perlman asked with a half-smile.
Watanabe Kameyu shook his head slightly.
"High-speed rail is a new mode of transportation in China, but it's nothing new in Japan!"
"I used to travel frequently by Shinkansen for work, and I was so tired of this mode of transportation!"
Perlman nodded with a smile and strolled into the high-speed train carriage.
Watanabe Kame followed behind at a leisurely pace.
Although he was already tired of riding his country's Shinkansen, this was the first time he had ever boarded a real high-speed train produced in cooperation with Himmler.
My first impression goes beyond just clean and tidy; the layout, seating arrangement, and lighting all exude a sense of technology and comfort.
After a brief tour, Watanabe Kameyuki noticed that his seat was just across the aisle from Perlman's. He sat down and asked with a smile:
"How do you feel? Does it feel like you're back in Europe?"
Perlman shook his head slightly.
"To be honest, absolutely not!"
"Although the trains on the Yanhu High-speed Railway use Schimmian technology."
"But the Chinese have clearly made various optimizations to the interior design of the carriages."
"So the whole train looks like it has more elements of Chinese culture, and it's no longer an European train!"