September 14, 1862

Cleveland's autumn scenery is always so pleasant. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

This is the best time of the year, the temperature is not high or low, because it has just rained once, and the sky in early autumn becomes blue, clear and translucent, there are no clouds floating, and there is less brightness and dazzling. The breeze blew away the haze that once shrouded the land, allowing the place to see the clear sky for the first time in a long time.

In 1830, the canal connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River in the Great Lakes was opened, and in 1851, the railroad reached the area. The newly established city of Cleveland became a transshipment center between the Great Lakes region and the Atlantic coast, and the city grew rapidly and its population grew by day.

As the population gathered, factories began to pop up, first as ironworks, then as mechanical processing plants, and more recently as oil-rich oil fields were discovered nearby.

Together, these factories emit a lot of exhaust fumes into the air, and over time the air here begins to become a little cloudy, and there is always a smell of burnt paste, and only in this sunny weather after the rain can people smell the freshness that they have not been exposed to for a long time.

Because of the recent war between the North and the South, the flow of people in Cleveland has become much sparser, and many people have volunteered to join the North legions, intending to fight the South.

However, Cleveland is a city near the Great Lakes in the north, and the smoke of war has not left any traces here, and the autumn scenery is still so magnificent.

"It's been a great day." With such a meaningless exclamation, a young man in a formal suit and a top hat stepped out of the carriage and looked around.

He was now standing in the doorway of a mansion.

Tucked away outside the suburbs of Cleveland, there is little sign of pollution in sight, and the Cuyahoga River flows quietly outside the mansion, and the murmuring water and large green spaces make the air clear, as if to isolate the noise of the world.

Adorned with verdant meadows and rivers, the already delicate mansion is now even more beautiful, and the vestibule, with a few marble columns, stands in front of the young man, but it can show a bit of subtle edges and corners.

However, unlike others, when he saw this exquisite mansion, the young man flashed a completely different thought - in the current situation of rising land prices in Cleveland, this mansion may cost a lot of money.

The owner here is really rich.

This young man, John Rockefeller, is in his early thirties. He was a clever and discerning young man who started in business at an early age, relied on his vision to move through various industries, amassed a large fortune, and became a member of the new rich class in the United States.

Although he has not yet become a great rich man because of time constraints, those who know him well believe that with his ability, energy, and vision, as long as he can become a great rich, and may even become a great rich man among the great rich, and dominate the business world of the United States.

Recently, he has set his sights on the fledgling oil refining industry, and has come to Cleveland, which has become the center of the oil refining industry, and intends to use the capital he has accumulated to make a big splash here.

At this time, he was full of ambition and energy, and he believed that he had found an industry that would make him rich, and he was confident that he could become the leader of this industry and the master of American business.

How many young people have come to work hard in various places with the same ideals as him?

And the family he is going to visit today is no small thing.

The family, in general, is a couple.

Their surname was Friedland, and they were said to be German, but they were as proficient in English as German.

They came to the United States from continental Europe nearly a decade ago and eventually settled in Cleveland.

The Germans had always been discriminated against in the Puritan-dominated United States, but the couple was undisturbed by this discrimination, and soon took root in the city, where they brought a lot of money with them, with which they bought land, set up factories, and bribed parliamentarians, and soon became prominent figures in the city.

At first, some people were a little curious about the couple's origins, because they were not as poor as other German immigrants, and even looked and behaved differently than ordinary people. Some speculate that they were writers and painters, because the man was good at writing newspaper articles and the hostess was good at drawing, and some even speculated that they were of aristocratic origin and came to the New World just to avoid trouble.

But as time went on, people's curiosity about the couple was quickly worn out, and they became accustomed to their presence, treating them as natives - the United States has a tradition of hospitality, and as long as one person is rich, not so many people pay attention to one's origins.

The couple amassed a fortune over the course of a decade through the investment and management of the money they brought in, and they were also philanthropic and philanthropic to help everyone in need, so they quickly became a prominent figure in the up-and-coming city of Cleveland, considered one of the city's best businessmen, and even had many local celebrities who took pride in being their guests.

John D. Rockefeller met Mr. Friedland when he first arrived. He had no relatives and no help in Cleveland, only a sum of capital and great ambition, but he did not know what luck he had, he became acquainted with Mr. Friedland, and became a shareholder of his refinery, participating in the oil refining industry in Cleveland.

John Rockefeller, who got this opportunity, immediately took action and began to show his strength in Cleveland, expanding the market share of the refinery, rejecting and attacking other competitors in various ways, and also letting the people of Cleveland know his Rockefeller name.

During this time, he visited the Friedland family mansion many times and became one of the couple's most welcoming guests.

However, this time he probably won't be so popular...... He had this realization.

Because he had been a guest many times, he was soon ushered in by the porter, and then came to the mansion.

Because of the hostess's preferences, the mansion was not only the living room and bedroom, but also the cloisters and staircases were filled with paintings, some of which belonged to her collection, and some of which she wrote by herself. But Rockefeller didn't know much about paintings, he just thought it was interesting, but he wasn't really interested in it.

After waiting in the reception room for a while, the door opened again.

To John D. Rockefeller's slight surprise, it was not Mr. Friedland, but Mrs. Friedland.

This lady has bright blonde hair, a bun at the back of her head, she wears a plain white dress, the only ornament is a string of pearl necklaces around her neck, her face is very delicate, the blue pupils are very smart, although she is already thirty years old, in addition to the charm of a young woman, she looks a little youthful and young.

He hurriedly stood up, and then took off his hat and saluted the lady.

"Good afternoon, ma'am."

To tell the truth, he really believed the rumors that this lady was a nobleman, because her demeanor and demeanor were different from the others.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Rockefeller." The lady smiled and nodded at him, "I'm sorry, I was just painting, so I came to see you so late." ”

"It's okay, I didn't wait long." John D. Rockefeller also smiled, "Actually, I'm sorry to have disturbed you." ”

Their greetings were so polite and courteous that they made one forget that the United States was now at war.

"Hey, what's the solution? My husband is out of town for a while, so I have to deal with that. Madame smiled wryly.

When he heard that Mr. was not there, John D. Rockefeller hesitated, as if he didn't know whether to talk to his wife.

"Don't worry, it's the same to tell me something, and I'm happy to solve the problem for you." Still smiling, Madame said, "But I'm still busy finishing the painting, so I'll ask you to tell me what you have to say." ”

Under the smile of the lady, John Rockefeller gradually settled down.

In fact, I am afraid it is better to say in front of this lady.

"Actually...... Actually, it's not a big deal. He looked at the lady with a smile on his face, "Actually, there is something about our oil refinery......

"What's the matter?" Madame still didn't quite understand.

"Recently...... There are some problems in the operation of the enterprise, and we must make some necessary self-help actions under this grim situation. John Rockefeller cleared his throat and then said solemnly, "After deliberation among our shareholders, we intend to temporarily suspend the factory, and then liquidate and distribute the company's assets......"

"Liquidation?" When she heard this word, Madame was surprised, "Do you mean to split it into factories?" ”

"Yes in a sense." John Rockefeller grimaced, and then looked at Madame with a very innocent expression, "This is a painful decision that these people have made after discussing it for a long time......"

"But I haven't heard that the operation of the factory has come to such a situation?" "My husband hasn't told me anything about it, on the contrary, he's always said it's thriving. ”

"Your husband is too busy to be on the front line of the factory, so it's normal that he doesn't know much about the situation in the factory...... Madam, this was a miscalculation. John Rockefeller laughed again, "All in all, in our judgment, liquidation is a necessity now, and it should be done as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary losses." ”

This is certainly not true, in fact the factory is very profitable and thriving. But because of this, John Rockefeller came up with the idea of taking the factory into his own hands.

Mr. Friedland, the majority shareholder of the factory, whose plans would not have come true as long as he was present, was determined to change the situation—and the other shareholders of the factory, under his tireless encouragement, slowly agreed with him and intended to kick him out.

And today, it's time for them to officially have a showdown with Mr. Friedland.

Although John Rockefeller received a lot of help from this gentleman when he first came to Cleveland, it is a pity that in the face of money, Rockefeller felt that kindness could only be put on the other side. However, he was still a little glad that he didn't have to tell the gentleman in person, and he saved him a little face.

However, of course, the other party can't feel this kind of compassion.

Instead, she lost her face. "You ...... How can you do that? Why did I make such a decision without my husband's consent? ”

"All the shareholders agree except your husband, ma'am." John D. Rockefeller shrugged. "And we have a stake advantage, and if we make such a decision, your husband should obey it, right, this is democracy, isn't it?"

Madame's face changed suddenly, and her eyes moved around, obviously panicked, and she didn't know what to do at once.

"This ...... This is too much! You guys...... You guys are going too far! In the end, she just gave such accusations.

"There's nothing too much to do about it, it's just a normal business practice." John Rockefeller said unhurriedly, "Although you and your husband may be difficult to accept this time, I think that there will be opportunities for our business cooperation in the future, and there is no need for everyone to hurt the harmony." ”

In his opinion, now that he has won the game, he unconsciously has a little more ridicule.

"Is there no room for negotiation?" Madame looked up suddenly, and then looked at him with hope.

I have to admit that she is really beautiful, with a fair face, blonde hair and blue eyes, it is simply a little intoxicating.

But...... Even so, money is more beautiful.

"It's a pity, I'm afraid there is no room for negotiation for the time being." John Rockefeller shook his head. "You and your husband are foreigners, and you have only been in the United States for ten years, so I think it would be better for you to accept the reality in this case...... Well, I'm here today to inform you about this matter, and now that you know, it's the same to convey to him when the time comes, so I'll take my leave first, and I'll see you later, ma'am. ”

After saying that, he immediately stood up and planned to leave.

He was happy because he had taken a crucial step to take control of the refining industry in Cleveland and the United States as a whole. The oil refining industry of the United States would be a glorious industry that would last for a hundred years in his view, and controlling it would make him extremely rich, and even the lifeblood of controlling the entire economy of the United States.

Step by step, his plan has become a reality, and it will continue to be a reality until it reaches that glorious vision...... On that glorious other side, he will be omnipotent, he will dominate the whole world......

"Are you not just trying to get rid of my husband, Mr. Rockefeller?" At this moment, a question suddenly interrupted his imagination.

The voice seemed to be a little strange, not as soft as before, but it seemed to be a little more chilly, but now the complacent John Rockefeller did not feel the subtle difference.

"What do you mean by that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I think getting rid of my husband is only part of your goal, and sooner or later you'll drive away the others one by one, just like you did with my husband, and finally turn the whole factory into your own asset, and then use it to control all of Cleveland." Madame looked at him calmly, no longer panicking just now, "Am I right?" ”

Quite well, Madame, young John Rockefeller, certainly wouldn't say that.

"I don't think you're right, I'm going to run the factory with my heart and serve every shareholder -- I'm really sorry about your husband, but I've tried my best to convince the others, but they won't listen."

"Don't say that to me, sir, I know you are the mastermind in it." Madame still looked at him calmly, "I know, in fact I've been waiting for you to come to the door for a long time. ”

A chill suddenly burst out of John Rockefeller's heart.

"You ......"

"yes, we're not as stupid as we seem, it's a shame, sir." Madame sighed.

"But...... But even then, you can't change the status quo, ma'am. John D. Rockefeller felt a little uncomfortable, and he wanted to leave immediately, "Okay, I'm saying goodbye to you, goodbye." ”

"Can't change the status quo? No...... You are wrong! At that moment, the lady burst out laughing, "My husband is already working hard to change the situation - and it is working." ”

"Don't expect to go to the police and the government, that's pointless." Rockefeller reluctantly said. "We've got them in order."

"They can't stand up to the federal and state governments, sir." Madame was still smiling, "Do you know where my husband has gone?" He has gone to Washington, D.C., and the president will receive him because he has the means to expand the financial resources and arms production for the government...... As for the state government, that's an old friend of my husband's - so I'm sorry to tell you that it's not you who drove us away, but we want to drive you away! ”

This shocking news made John Rockefeller stunned, he instinctively wanted to deny the other party's words, but in his heart he vaguely felt that what she said might be true.

"You're right, we're outsiders, but we're not alone, because we're useful to the United States, and we can help the United States out of this crisis, so the President needs us, and the United States needs us." Madame continued to sneer, "Originally, my husband wanted to give you a chance, but I didn't expect you to come over by yourself today, so I can only regret to tell you that you lost your chance." ”

It turned out that the panic just now was faked? John Rockefeller felt a wave of anger for no apparent reason.

However, he quickly regained his composure.

Now is the critical moment, he must not panic, but should find a way to confirm whether what the other party said is true. Even if what she said is true, she must rush back as soon as possible to recover her losses.

He couldn't sit still any longer, so he walked to the door and opened it to leave, but as soon as he opened it, he found two large men in uniform waiting for him, who forcibly grabbed him by the arm and escorted him back into the room.

At this time, he was stunned to find that a strange expression appeared on his wife's face, and her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of fog.

What's even more terrifying is that she has an extra pistol in her hand.

The pistol was small and delicate, with pearls embedded in the hilt, but even so, it was a terrible murder weapon.

"Say hello to the master and want to leave without saying hello? The people of the New World are so ignorant of etiquette......" she looked at the embarrassed young man, "my husband thinks so highly of you, and you have to repay him like this, I have to say that you make me very angry." ”

"Wait...... Madam! Wait a minute! Seeing that the situation was not good, John Rockefeller shouted, "I know I was wrong, please don't do this!" ”

He never imagined that the lady, who was so gentle on weekdays and only took pleasure in painting, would show such a terrible appearance, so he begged for mercy repeatedly.

But she didn't feel any emotion, and still came with a gun.

"If I die here, you'll be doomed too!" In desperation, John Rockefeller shouted.

"No, it won't, sir. In these years, there has been a shortage of soldiers, and no one cares about the death of two people. Madame shook her head, "On the contrary, if you don't die, you will cause us a lot of trouble." So ......"

She held a gun and pointed it at the young man's chest. "Goodbye."

"Bang!" With her bland goodbye, John Rockefeller left this world with his eyes wide open.

Then, with a wave of her hand, the two servants dragged him straight away.

He will be taken from him with everything that proves his identity, and then he will be directly slashed in the face, tied to an iron block and thrown into the flowing Kuyahoga River, which is not surprising in a turbulent year when the market is at war among the gangs, and it is not surprising that an unidentified corpse will appear in the river.

After he was taken away, Madame put away her gun again, and then returned to the studio as if nothing had happened, continuing the unfinished painting.

……………………………………

In the darkness of the night, a carriage galloped into the mansion.

The moon is particularly round tonight, and the silver moonlight is like mercury pouring down the ground, making everything seem so clear.

In the moonlight, a middle-aged man in a black suit stepped out of the carriage and came to the depths of the mansion.

He had short blond hair, and his face looked slightly old-fashioned because of his age, but he was still very handsome and angular.

And when he came to the living room, the lady, who had already received the news, walked down the stairs and threw herself directly into her husband's arms.

"Sir, you're finally back!" She hugged her husband's chest directly, and then buried her head in his chest, almost as if she was about to cry, "I haven't seen you for half a month, I really miss you so much!" ”

This time, she didn't speak English.

And this middle-aged man, after seeing his wife, also showed a slight smile on his serious face, and he gently raised his hand and wiped his wife's smooth golden hair. "Isn't it only half a month?"

"Half a month is long enough, sir!" The wife protested again, "I really can't bear to have you left me for so long. ”

"Okay, okay, isn't there no way? I missed you so much along the way, so I'll be right back when I'm done. The gentleman gently stroked her hair and whispered to soothe her, "Don't cry, be careful to let Alice see the joke......"

"If you want to go out in the future, you must take me with you." The wife looked up and looked at her husband with rippling grief and expectation, "I really don't want to endure this torment anymore." ”

"Okay......, good," the gentleman kept agreeing to her, and finally coaxed her over, as if a father was coaxing his daughter.

Although he has been coaxing his wife, and the husband is not as bored as he seems, his wife is still so cute in her thirties, it is better to say that he is happy.

"How did you get from going to Washington this time?" After the two snuggled up for a moment, the wife knelt down in her husband's arms and asked in a low voice.

"Oh, it's going well, Lincoln has taken most of my advice, and he's going to expand his recruitment in the North in order to deal with the growing tensions of the war—the Southerners are resisting more stubbornly than he thought." "So the amount of money and munitions is going to increase day by day, and it will definitely become an astronomical amount in the end, and he needs someone to help him solve the government's financial shortfall, and I can help him issue bonds in the state, throughout the Great Lakes, and then expand the factories everywhere so that he can win this war...... Yes, his imagination is still poor, but one day he will find that he has to arm hundreds of thousands of troops. ”

Under the gaze of his wife, the husband is like a river, as if everything is in his chest, and his appearance is exactly what she loves the most.

"So...... I'm pretty sure that as long as this war goes the way I envisioned, then we'll be one of the government's biggest underwriters and contractors...... Eventually, we will help the government win this war, and I will be rewarded adequately...... That is, I will be one of the largest merchants in the United States, and ......"

"I killed that Rockefeller today." Suddenly, Madame said in a nonchalant tone.

"What?" The husband stopped and looked at his wife in amazement, "You killed him?" ”

"yes, he did such a thing, why should he be kept? He must bear the price for betraying you, and every one of your enemies must pay that price. Madame asked rhetorically, as if she had only done something insignificant. Don't worry, I've already arranged it, and no one will care where he goes. ”

“…… You can try to keep him as my subordinate. After a long silence, the gentleman said, "You don't know what a bad thing you have done. ”

The wife looked at her husband and did not understand what he meant, and she was a little uneasy, afraid that she had done something wrong.

"Okay, okay, since it's happened, that's history, and we can't dwell on it." After a long silence, the husband shrugged his shoulders, "You did the right thing to eradicate an enemy for me, I thank you." ”

After getting his compliment, his wife finally smiled, and then hugged her tighter, "No thanks, this is what I should do, I can do anything for you." ”

Then, excited, she looked up at the moon outside the window.

It was late at night, and the thick fog was thick and wide, creating a calm and peaceful night, and the soft moonlight was dyed golden by the brilliant candlelight. Under the watery moonlight, the leaves "flutter", as if playing a "moonlight song", graceful and poignant, deep and beautiful, the beating notes seem to jump out of the hazy moonlight, intoxicating.

She was fascinated by the moonlight, and then closed her eyes, glad that she had brought her husband to America ten years earlier.

What a good decision!

She was blissful, uncomprehensibly happy.

"Sure enough...... You'll get ......ahead just as well here," she murmured, "what a great man you are, and I'm glad to be by your side." ”

"Uh...... What's wrong? "There was something strange about my husband.

"Today is the 10th anniversary of our union and our daughter's seventh birthday, have you forgotten?" Madame glared at him. "You'll forget every time!"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The husband reacted at this time, and then apologized again and again. "I ...... I'll buy you a gift, I'll buy it tomorrow, I'll definitely buy the most expensive gift for you! ”

"No, no......," Madame shook her head gently, "and you and the child are all right...... Thank you, sir. ”

Now, she just wants to continue this happiness and live with her husband and children forever - of course, if only more.

Even if the happiness of this life needs to be compensated for by the torment in hell, it is worth it in her opinion.

Then she looked up at her husband, "Can't we try to bring another child?" ”

Her husband lowered his head, her fair face getting closer and closer, and her slightly open red lips seemed to have endless seduction.

his president and Rockefeller, now I have more important things to do.

"Of course you can work hard." His breathing suddenly became heavy, and then he picked up his wife and walked upstairs to the bedroom.

…………………………………………

In the clear moonlight, the mansion looms in the mist, and the brilliant lights are like a lighthouse in a sea of green.

In the distance, a woman in a black dress and a black hat looked at the mansion, her figure was tall and thin, her face was not clear because of the veil hanging from the hat, and only the blonde hair hanging down her temples could be seen.

She stared at the mansion in the distance, oblivious to the turbulence of the river, while behind her stood several men dressed in black, their expressions blank, as if they were indifferent to everything.

"I've finally found it." A sneer crossed the corner of the woman's mouth, "But let me find it so hard, this happy couple." (To be continued.) )