Everyone found a hotel in Jiaozhou City, asked for a private room, sat around, Ma Benchu ordered more than a dozen dishes, and asked for two pots of good wine, spread out the dishes, chopsticks, dishes and spoons.

In fact, there was no time for lunch at this time, and everyone had no intention of eating and drinking now, so after the banquet was arranged, no one said anything in the private room, and the atmosphere was very embarrassing.

Ma Benchu is the host, of course, he can't let the atmosphere go down like this, so he can only raise a glass with a smile and persuade him to drink, so after everyone toasted, Ma Benchu himself couldn't help it, and said to Liu Zongze: "Boss, you can say something." ”

Liu Zongze smiled bitterly and said, "I said it just now, I really have no way now, what else do you want me to say?"

At this time, Chen Chi said: "Boss, everyone, since you don't have any ideas, then I have a way, say it and let everyone listen to it, and see if it's feasible." ”

When Ma Ben first heard this, he suddenly seemed to grasp a life-saving straw, and hurriedly said: "You are here to talk about it, if it is okay, let's discuss it again." ”

Everyone's eyes were also focused on Chen Chi, and even Liu Zongze was a little surprised, could it be that this young man really had any way to save the current situation?

Chen Chi said: "Since the overseas Chinese want to rob us of our land and property, they will not let us live, so we can't be tied up and let go out to fight with the overseas Chinese." To tell you the truth, Wan Yufu from Beigoukou Village came to me and suggested that we all join forces, contribute money with money, make strong contributions, and contribute people with people, organize militia groups, and prepare equipment and overseas Chinese cadres. ”

After listening to Chen Chi's words, Liu Zongze sighed secretly, thinking that Chen Chi could come up with a good way, it turned out to be this set, and there are also activities of Wan Jia, so Wan Jia is really contacting people everywhere, preparing to resist overseas Chinese by force, it seems that they don't know the power of overseas Chinese. Looking at the expressions of the others, there were two or three younger people who were a little eager to try their expressions, but most of them were frightened, because they were Ma Benchu, with their necks shrunk and their faces as earthy.

Chen Chi looked at everyone and said, "What do you think, say something." ”

Ma Benchu said in a trembling voice: "If we join forces, can we beat the overseas Chinese?"

Chen Chi waved his hand vigorously and said: "Of course you can fight, no matter how strong the overseas Chinese are, they are also outsiders, here the people and the land are sparse, and the strong dragon is difficult to suppress the head snake, and we are all locals, we are all villagers, we are all villagers, let's organize all the tenant farmers, tenants, hired workers and other farmers, just like we usually deal with bandits and robbers, and start to fight with overseas Chinese, even if the overseas Chinese are powerful, but I am a lot of people, and hundreds of people beat them, are you afraid that you can't beat the overseas Chinese?" Even if we still can't defeat the overseas Chinese, then we will burn the land and sprinkle salt and destroy the fields, so that the overseas Chinese will not get anything in the end. ”

After Chen Chi finished speaking, everyone's faces couldn't help but change greatly, this method is too ruthless, hand over the field, at least there is a way to live, it is nothing more than to be an ordinary farmer, but if the field is destroyed, not only will it offend the overseas Chinese, but I am afraid that even the villagers and villagers in this area will also be offended, such a thing, everyone can't do it, so even a few people who seem to be a little moved just now have the intention of retreating at this time.

At this time, Liu Zongyang's heart was also quite dissatisfied with Chen Chi's suggestion, not to mention how to use such a ruthless method as burning the fields and destroying the land, the overseas Chinese could not get the fields, and they could still slap their butts and leave, but what should the remaining villagers do, and what will they rely on for a living in the future? It is also a pipe dream to organize many squires and set up a militia to confront overseas Chinese, because Liu Zongze knows very well what the role of these squires is. It is even a collusion with bandits, but most of them are actually ordinary people, and it is okay for them to oppress the good people, suppress tenants and tenants, and even resist robbers and bandits, but let them fight against such a huge force as overseas Chinese, I am afraid that no one has the courage to do so.

As for organizing tenant farmers, tenants, hired laborers, and peasant households to fight against overseas Chinese, it is even more impossible, because overseas Chinese are not bandits and robbers, and they forcibly confiscate the land of the squires to distribute it to these tenant farmers, tenants, hired laborers, and peasant households, although Liu Zongze does not believe that overseas Chinese will distribute all the fields to the villagers, but they will definitely divide part of it, because they did it in Wangjiazhai.

Although Liu Zongze did not approve of such a practice of overseas Chinese, offended all the local squires, and it was difficult for any force to rule for a long time, he also had to admit that at least in the short term, this would make overseas Chinese win the hearts of many people. Therefore, of course, these tenants, tenants, hired laborers, and peasant households could not follow the squires to fight against the overseas Chinese. And Chen Chi still has ten thousand families, how could they come up with such a way, even if they don't know the full strength of overseas Chinese, they should also understand that the Germans who are entrenched in Jiaoao were defeated by overseas Chinese, but this kind of strength is by no means something that the squires can fight. Is it so hard that they really want to fight to the death with overseas Chinese?

At this time, Chen Chi said to Liu Zongze: "Boss, what do you think?"

Liu Zongze shook his head and said: "It's not that I grow up the prestige of overseas Chinese, destroy our spirit, even if I unite all our squires, I am not the opponent of overseas Chinese, and when the time comes, it will only end up in a ruined family, virtuous nephew, you are still young, you know how powerful overseas Chinese are, so don't talk about fighting with overseas Chinese." ”

After listening to Liu Zongze's words, everyone was talking again, although the voice was not high, but Chen Chi also heard a few words clearly, basically they didn't dare to do it or didn't want to do it. Chen Chi couldn't help but sweat a little, gritted his teeth, and said: "I still have a piece of news that I don't have any news that Wanjia's son-in-law is working as an errand under Governor Yuan in Jinan Mansion, serving as a commander, and there are 5 or 6oo people under him, this is a regular national army, he has promised the Wang family, but if the overseas Chinese dare to use force, he will send troops to support us, and he will also say that Governor Yuan will personally send troops to attack the overseas Chinese." Governor Yuan has a large number of soldiers and generals, and with him to support us, we are afraid of any overseas Chinese. ”

I heard that there were officials and soldiers who came forward, and it was also Yuan Shikai, the governor of Shandong, and everyone's spirits couldn't help but be lifted, because at this time, Yuan Shikai was still quite a capable minister, and most people still had considerable confidence in him.

However, Liu Zongze has been in the officialdom for a long time, but he heard the loopholes, looked at Chen Chi and said: "Virtuous nephew, whether Governor Yuan personally promised, but overseas Chinese are at war with the villagers, he will personally bring troops to participate in the war, or send troops to the rescue." ”

At this time, Chen Chi lowered his head, did not dare to meet Liu Zongze's gaze, and said: "Although Governor Yuan did not promise it personally, the son-in-law of the Wan family is Governor Yuan's subordinate general, and it is okay to have his personal promise?"

Liu Zongze snorted secretly, this kid is quite reliable, if he said that he got Yuan Shikai's personal promise, Liu Zongze would not be polite to him, because the dignified governor is the feudal official of the imperial court, what is the Wanjia family? What is Chen Chi, he is nothing more than an ordinary squire, he can see that the governor's face is smoke on the ancestral tomb, and he still wants to get the governor's personal promise, and he doesn't want to think about who he is?

So Liu Zongze shook his head and said: "Not to mention that the son-in-law of the Wan family is just an errand under Governor Yuan, how can he be Governor Yuan's family; Don't forget that even foreigners are not opponents of overseas Chinese, not to mention that this sword soldier is in flames, and it is us squires who are unlucky, Governor Yuan is far away in Jinan, he can't beat the overseas Chinese, and it is a big deal to retreat to Jinan, or even transfer to another party, but we are all natives and raised in the locals, can we escape there? ”

When everyone heard this, the little energy they had just mustered up was almost leaked again, and their proposals were completely rejected by Liu Zongze in a row, Chen Chi couldn't help but be a little embarrassed and angry, and said, "Boss, then what should you do if you come to teach us?"

Liu Zongze shook his head and said, "I said a long time ago, there is no way to teach everyone. ”

Chen Chi said: "You don't have a good way, and you think the method I proposed is inappropriate, what should you do, why don't you honestly hand over the fields to the overseas Chinese?"

Liu Zongze couldn't help but feel a little angry in his heart, got up and said: "Okay, if you want to fight with overseas Chinese, just go and do it, I can't control you, and I don't want to care about you, but I won't participate." If we continue to discuss it today, I'm afraid that it won't come to any conclusion, so I won't accompany it. He turned his head and said to Ma Benchu: "Benchu, I will ask you to break the bill today, and I will invite you back to dinner another day, but you have to think about this matter today, and don't regret it when the time comes." ”

After finishing speaking, Liu Zongze got up and left the table. The others looked at each other, and after a short time, they all got up and left the table. Seeing that there were only 4 or 5 people left, Ma Benchu, who was the host, let out a long sigh, called the shop guy to settle the bill, and then looked at Chen Chi again, as if he wanted to say something, but finally didn't say a word, and got up to leave.

In the blink of an eye, there were only three people left in the Accord, except for Chen Chi, the other two were a little interested in Chen Chi's proposal, or they still had some unrealistic illusions, so they stayed and wanted to talk to Chen Chi in detail.