"That may be all well and good, but do not forget that we still need to deal with the countries in between our two regions," said Hu Guanyu with a troubled expression. "Let us be honest, those countries are not exactly making themselves available to us at the moment." He leaned back in his chair as he considered the problems that would appear if a major trade route were established through the Middle East. Even after the invention of fusion reactors and the destruction of much of their old wealth, the region had remained remarkably unstable.
The Middle East had once been difficult enough to deal with when powerful governments still existed there. Now the situation was even stranger because much of the region had fragmented into countless smaller states and tribal territories. Some of those groups had almost nothing left to gain from the outside world, while others seemed determined to fight simply because their ancestors had fought each other. There was no longer even a clear economic incentive that could guarantee cooperation, which made Hu Guanyu extremely reluctant to involve China in the region.
"I understand your concern," said Gu Kang, "but then we should simply create several separate routes." He stood up and projected a map onto the table before drawing several lines across the displayed landscape. "One route could pass through the Indian subcontinent, another could travel through Kazakhstan, and a third could follow another path entirely." He smiled as the possible routes appeared one after another.
"They would then have to compete with each other," Gu Kang continued. "You cannot deny that these routes would bring enormous amounts of trade through the countries they pass through." He tapped one of the projected lines with his finger before continuing. "Merchants will naturally choose whichever route is the safest, fastest, and least troublesome." The countries along those routes would therefore have a strong economic reason to keep the roads open.
"Either way, we win," Gu Kang said confidently. "The routes would begin and end with China or our partners, which means we would profit enormously from the trade passing through them." He gave another line on the map a slight adjustment. "The European Union would also support this because they would want access to our goods with as little additional markup as possible." China had exactly the same interest in European products.
"That does make sense, even if we cannot technically call them the European Union yet," Hu Guanyu replied with a conflicted smile. "This proposal was made by their great houses, and those families do not officially represent the European government." He knew that distinction mattered legally, even if everyone in the room understood how little practical difference it made. The great houses clearly had enough influence to make such a proposal worth considering.
Gu Kang laughed softly. "As if the European cabinet is going to oppose the plan." He shook his head as though the idea itself were ridiculous. "The real players in their business world will remain silent about the initial proposal because they have already received warnings from the people who actually matter." He was confident that the politicians would understand when the time came.
"Besides, they will be far too interested in reopening the Silk Road to complain about these rules," Gu Kang continued. "They will see the economic opportunity before they see the restrictions." His smile became considerably sharper. "And if some of these countries want to stand in the way of prosperity, then who are they to deny our will?" The last sentence was delivered with a ferocious expression that made the room noticeably quieter.
A number of the ministers nodded in agreement. They had all been working toward the same objective for years, even if they approached it from different directions. China had been given an opportunity that none of them had expected, and they intended to use it to elevate their country as far as possible. To them, the possibility of becoming stronger was no longer simply a matter of national pride.
It was a matter of survival. Gaia herself had once appeared before the Chinese leadership and confirmed that humanity could eventually reach levels of existence they had previously considered impossible. More importantly, she had made it clear that humanity's continued growth was the foundation for that future. For rulers who had spent centuries hearing stories about immortality, learning that such a thing might actually be possible was almost too much to comprehend.
The revelation had changed the priorities of the Chinese leadership almost overnight. If humanity needed to become powerful enough to reach that future, then China needed to become as powerful as possible. Anyone who threatened that objective would be treated as an obstacle rather than merely an inconvenience. Even if force was not immediately necessary, the willingness to use it was no longer something they intended to hide.
Even Yan Wen, who had been the most cautious person in the room, did not oppose the proposal. His concerns had always been focused on national stability rather than whether China should expand its influence. He still worried about spies, foreign agents, smugglers, and every other problem that came with opening the country to greater international traffic. However, he could not deny that remaining isolated would create its own dangers.
"I agree with the proposal to reopen the Silk Road," said Wan Gengxin at last. His voice was cold and decisive, bringing the discussion to an end. "It will help circulate our domestic economy and allow us to reestablish ourselves more strongly on the world stage." He looked around the room before continuing.
China's maritime trade had simply not been enough. The country still lacked enough ships to satisfy its own needs, let alone provide reliable long-distance transportation for international trade. Its neighbors continued to respect China's strength, but the rest of the world had become increasingly aware of the limitations imposed by its current situation. China could not remain dependent on a transportation system that was incapable of supporting its ambitions.
There was another reason the government had been reluctant to act too aggressively. Electronic warfare still existed, and although it was becoming less useful every day, it remained capable of causing enormous damage to a modern state. The fear of being pushed back toward something resembling the Stone Age had restrained governments around the world. Wan Gengxin had no intention of allowing China to become dependent on that fear forever.
"Besides, I want these proposals brought before the Central Committee," Wan Gengxin ordered. "Have them discuss the idea, but make certain they keep quiet about it." He paused and looked toward Hu Guanyu. "This will be part of a much larger announcement, so I do not want rumors spreading before we are ready." The ministers immediately began taking notes.
"Hu Guanyu, contact the great houses," Wan Gengxin continued. "Tell them our general position and begin working out a schedule for completing the proposal." He did not want the negotiations to drift aimlessly for months. If China was going to reopen the Silk Road, then preparations needed to begin immediately.
"Yan Wen, begin working on the security measures for foreign spies," he said next. "Xian Mu, assist him with those preparations." Both men immediately nodded. Wan Gengxin had already decided that the security checkpoints needed to be controlled by national institutions rather than local governments.
"I want those checkpoints manned by the military and customs agencies," Wan Gengxin said firmly. "Do not leave this entirely in the hands of local governments." He had seen enough reports about corruption to know exactly what could happen if local officials were given control over something this important. "I do not trust them not to look the other way when someone offers them enough money."
Nobody argued with him. The ministers knew that corruption had become one of the greatest internal threats facing China, especially after the technological infrastructure of the old world had been damaged. A checkpoint controlled by an honest official could protect the country, while one controlled by someone willing to accept a bribe could become an open door. Wan Gengxin had no intention of discovering which kind they had after the Silk Road was already operating.
"Now, let us get to work," Wan Gengxin said as he pushed himself out of his chair. "There is more than enough waiting for us." He glanced around the room one final time. "Thank you for meeting on such short notice."
The meeting ended almost immediately after that. There was indeed a ridiculous amount of work waiting for everyone involved, and nobody had the luxury of pretending otherwise. In only a few days, the Pope was scheduled to perform his ceremony, while Europe still had to announce its new trains to the world. Chinese intelligence had already suggested that the Europeans were hesitant because they apparently possessed even better technology that they had not yet revealed.
Then there were the proving grounds. Those strange creations had rapidly become one of the most important developments on Earth, while simultaneously becoming one of Gaia's favorite sources of entertainment. They were changing how humanity trained, cultivated, and interacted with mana, and nobody knew where that development would ultimately lead.
For Wan Gengxin and the ministers surrounding him, however, the conclusion was simple. China had been given another opportunity to move forward, and they intended to take it. The Silk Road would return, even if they had to build several different routes to make it happen. There would be obstacles, there would be spies, there would be political arguments, and there would undoubtedly be more than a few people trying to profit from the chaos.
But China would move forward regardless.