The Path to Mediterranean Supremacy/Bulgarian Empire

After solving the labor problem, Ferdinand was worried again.

How should the development zone be built? What industries should be the core of the zone?

It is the end of the 19th century, and the 21st century is certainly not the same. Many industries have not yet been born.

And Bulgaria is only a small country with a population of 3.5 million people or less, about the same as a city in his former life.

All of Bulgaria can not be related to the real estate economy, the Internet economy, high-tech areas of science and technology parks, tourism services.

Then the only option left for Ferdinand is the processing industry! Combined with the current state of Bulgaria's industry with light industry dominates, heavy industry is still in the seed. Moreover, the light industry and food processing businesses as the core.

When many food processing plants are gathered together, Ferdinand can already think about that scene.

If it is guided in the future, the first development zone in Bulgaria will be the foodie spot, forming a food city.

Oh, it's just beginning! It is easy to build a development zone where Ferdinand can decide with a tap on the head; however, to bring the development zone into its own, it is crucial to consider the issue more in totality.

First, the traffic should be accessible enough to meet the traffic demands. Second, one must also take security into account. The Balkans have always been a 'European powder keg', a little bomb. One must consider the threat of war. Third, culture and geography, water, industrial raw materials, etc., are also essential factors.

After taking round, Ferdinand found that there were not many places in Bulgaria that qualified!

What follows is that Ferdinand will be even busier while checking the relevant data while also trying to find ways to convince the high-level government.

After a few days of struggle, Ferdinand was still hesitant about the choice of the development zone. Finally, he decided to give up and simply throw the trouble to the government.

"Isn't the Konstantin government the most energetic in the history of Bulgaria? Then I'll throw him another development zone. I suppose it's not a problem!" Ferdinand thought recklessly.

Konstantin, who was in his office reviewing the progress of the first five plans, suddenly sneezed, "Ache."

The assistant knocked on the door and stepped forward, and said, "Mr. Minister, the palace just made a call. It's His Highness who asks you to come over as soon as possible!"

Hearing that it was Ferdinand who had a request, Konstantin put down the paper in his hand and said to his assistant while getting up, "Hmm, I see. You call back and tell him I'll be right there!"

...

In his haste, Konstantin came and met Ferdinand in the meeting room. He greeted him with courtesy and then said in doubt, "Your Highness, what do you want from me in such a hurry?"

Ferdinand smiled and said, "Sit down for a while. Alisa, serve Konstantin with a cup of coffee!"

Konstantin slowly down, but in his mind is a cold, secretly thought: His Highness so polite, must be no good! It's not like there's something wrong again, right?

Konstantin's lesson, and a fact accepted by the Bulgarian higher-ups, is that every time Ferdinand politely talks to someone about things, it means that the next thing is a problem!

If Ferdinand knew that Konstantin had made him up like that, he would have shown him what it means to be a monarch whose majesty cannot be violated.

"Konstantin, have you noticed that recently Bulgaria's economic growth rate has started to fall!" Ferdinand asked in a certain tone.

Konstantin was shocked. Cold sweat was coming out, secretly distressed: 'What economic growth rate decline? Bulgaria's economic growth was already abnormal. It was entirely based on the government's investment in infrastructure, which was boosted indirectly, right?'

'Before, the annual growth rate was once as high as 20%, which is totally against the laws of the market. Okay, this is still thanks to the small Bulgarian market, to create this record!'

'Which country in the world has an economic growth rate that compares to Bulgaria's now? Does His Highness want to maintain this growth rate? No, he must be stopped. If this continues, the government will have to go bankrupt!'

After looking at the smiling Ferdinand, Konstantin seemed to have made up his mind and said firmly, "Your Highness, this is a normal phenomenon! It created this record in the first two years because the government invested heavily in infrastructure and stimulated economic development."

"From the second half of this year, some of the projects in the First Five-Year Plan begun to complete. In the later period, it will certainly reduce government investment greatly, and the Bulgarian economy will gradually return to normal in the future!"

Ferdinand, of course, is clear on this issue. Compared to the government investment, the total amount of domestic investment in Bulgaria now makes up thirty percent.

If the government suddenly stops investing in infrastructure, it would be a miracle that the Bulgarian economy, not to mention sustained growth, could keep from falling.

Ferdinand looked at Konstantin and smiled and said, "You are right, the Bulgarian economy is now prosperous on the surface, but inside it is actually in crisis!"

"Looking at the figures alone, the economy has grown by almost eighty percent from 1887 to the present. It is not possible to think about this under normal circumstances, at the cost of a massive increase in government spending!"

"If we don't find new economic growth before the end of government investment in infrastructure, the economic crisis is about to break out!"

Hearing about the economic crisis, Konstantin was scared out with cold sweat. Yes, once the government infrastructure projects end, then the relevant industries are affected. There are no places to place the more than 100,000 workers who build the roads alone.

An afterthought of here, Konstantin is beginning to regret it. The government investment is to accelerate the industrialization of Bulgaria but did not expect the backlash so serious.

Looking at the soured Konstantin, Ferdinand secretly spat out, "Oh no, it's a little too much for him. It can't happen! Hell, I don't know who knows he's doing so much not to freak out!"

Ferdinand asked with concern, "Mr. Konstantin, are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Konstantin said feebly.

Ferdinand looked at the anxious Konstantin and secretly rejoiced: 'Luckily, you do not have heart disease. Otherwise, your legs went to God, and where would I find a suitable person to cover your shift in the short term!'

"You don't have to worry too much about the crisis. It won't break out yet. Besides, during this time, we can still take measures to find new economic growth points!"

When Konstantin saw that Ferdinand had a good idea of what to do, he seemed to have a solution and asked, "Your Highness, what is the best way to solve the problem of economic crisis?"

Ferdinand thought, 'Of course, there is a way, but we can not say it! If I tell you now that I can solve the solution by waging war, it will scare you to death!'

"I plan to establish a development zone to promote economic development!"

Konstantin looked at Ferdinand and wondered, "Your Highness, what is a development zone?"