Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 769 - 719: Cabinet Meeting · Part 2

Kallen's perspective can be described as refreshing, and in terms of feasibility, it indeed possesses the potential for realization and practical significance.

However, building a colony undoubtedly implies massive investments, and it requires a considerable amount of time before one can see a return on initial investments.

If it were during the peak period of the Empire, this would not be an issue; even if it required a pile of money, a profitable trade system could be established in the colony.

However, now that the Empire's financial situation has just slightly improved, the national treasury truly cannot afford the cost of establishing colonies.

Precisely because of this, the Minister of Finance spoke right after Kallen: "Although Deputy Prime Minister Kafka's idea is good, the treasury probably cannot muster this amount of money.

To rebuild the trade system between the Imperial Center and the colonies, what we need now are projects with small investments, quick returns, and the ability to take effect in a short period, while not incurring too much loss."

"Such projects can almost be described as ideal. Where can we find such small investment and quick-return projects?" However, some feel that although the Finance Minister's idea is good, it's also unrealistic: "And if there are such projects, why do it in the Northern Territory instead of the colonies?"

The main purpose of the Empire in building colonies was to plunder.

Although some colonies are indeed more focused on construction, that is only to better control more colonies.

Compared to that, the Empire itself is still more worth attention.

So if there truly exists a project with small investments, quick returns, and the ability to take effect quickly without much loss, it would be better to place it directly in the Northern Territory, or at worst on the neighboring New Continent colony.

This not only can promote development but can also build a relatively stable and smooth trade system.

There is no worry that doing so will provoke a supply and demand problem; the Northern Territory combined with the New Continent is a land more vast than the Old World, and it has enough capacity to accommodate an entire industrial system and the trade system that matches it.

To be more straightforward and simple, the Victor Empire actually has little interest in colonies now, focusing more on its own development.

Colonies to the Empire are actually a bunch of burdens that only consume without contributing.

"It's not entirely correct to say that. The Empire indeed doesn't have much demand for colonies now, but with the implementation of the economic development plan, the Empire's finances are gradually improving, and there will still be demand for colonies in the future." Someone, holding a neutral stance, cast their vote.

Faced with this answer, some agree, while others sneer.

"I still think we should be realistic and first build up the Northern Territory. When we have money in the finances, then consider other matters." A more conservative cabinet member proposed a relatively conservative plan.

This approach, though conservative, is secure.

Once the basic framework is stabilized, expansion becomes much easier.

However, relatively speaking, this method is too slow to take effect, and the Northern Territory is already somewhat developed in scale for now; whether regarding the financial condition or the industrial development, it has reached a stage where it can push forward the construction of colonies.

The only issue is that promoting colony construction is still unaffordable for the current Empire's finances.

At least in the short term, the current Empire's finances are still insufficient to bear the construction of colonies.

Listening to the fierce speeches of the cabinet members, Perfikot came to understand their views on the matter.

Perfikot knows the Northern Territory's financial condition much more thoroughly than these cabinet members; she actually has a set of her own ideas.

However, before putting forth her own ideas, she wanted to listen to what others thought and suggested.

And after listening to everyone's views and suggestions, Perfikot then spoke: "Considering the current Empire's financial situation, building a new industrial chain in the colonies is something we can afford.

However, the return period on this investment would be relatively long, bringing heavier initial burdens and costs.

To better construct such a trade system, building a two-way circular trade system would be a more appropriate approach."

"A two-way circular trade system? Regent, do you mean to let the Northern Territory and the Imperial Center gain benefits while allowing the colony itself to profit from trade?" The Minister of Commerce was quite interested in Perfikot's theory, so he asked further: "How can we construct such a two-way circular trade system?"

Two-way circulation, to put it simply, is the normal trade.

The relationship between the Northern Territory as the center and the colonies is not one of plunder and being plundered, but parts of the same trade strand within a trade system that can bring benefits to both parties. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Perfikot doesn't intend to restart the plundering of the colonies but hopes to expand the original 'cake' through trade with the colonies, thereby generating more demand, allowing the economy to grow like a snowball, bigger and bigger.

Only when both parties are making money can the business between them continue, making the 'cake' bigger and allowing both sides to gain sufficient benefits.

Therefore, she responded: "Among the colonies acquired by the Empire previously, aside from a very small portion gained for territory, most are for plundering local resources; this kind of approach is too much of 'draining a lake to catch the fish,' which is not what I want.

But the colonies mainly produce resources, and the Northern Territory mainly produces finished products; the relationship between the two already established since the colonial era is something I have no intention of overturning for now.

However, we can optimize within the existing system, using industrial products manufactured in the Northern Territory to exchange for more resources in the colonies, while also enabling the colonies themselves to possess some production capacity.

Doing so can construct a more stable trade strand between the colonies and the Northern Territory, thereby enabling the construction of a two-way circular trade system."

Perfikot's approach essentially establishes a new economic system after the old colonial system was overthrown.

Though still not escaping the fundamental relationship of plunder and being plundered, it indeed tends to be relatively less exploitative than the old colonial system's plundering.

After all, it progresses from physical plundering to economic plundering. Although it's still exploitation in essence, at least it objectively allows locals in the colony to live somewhat better, and also lets native inhabitants of the originally primitive and backward colonies experience some improvement and development.

As Perfikot previously did in the Northern Territory, although the native inhabitants of the Northern Territory are still exploited, at least they survived this doomsday winter instead of freezing to death.