"Bang!" A thick stack of documents fell on the desk in front of Wu Jianzhang, smashing Wu Jianzhang's teacup on the spot, and then, the half-baked Chinese roar of American Consul Qi Liyun also poured into Wu Jianzhang's ears......

"Wu! I protest to you in the strongest terms! I have been friends with you for many years and the closest friends! If you want to build a factory, why should you abandon me, my closest friend? Why should I contact businessmen from other countries? Is this how you repay our friendship? ”

"Say nothing! This is our American textile company's cooperation with you to build a factory, giving you the biggest and most discount! If you still treat me as your friend, sign your name on the contract right away! Otherwise, we will not be friends but enemies in the future! ”

Hearing this series of angry roars, the poor comprador grandfather Wu Jianzhang not only had eyes bigger than eggs, but also completely confused, and quickly picked up the document that Qi Liyun threw in front of him to take a closer look, and saw that it was full of business cooperation plans that he couldn't understand at all, as well as factory establishment plans and equipment purchase lists, as well as cotton supply prices and transportation prices from major cotton producing areas in the United States. The more he looked at it, the more confused he became, and Wu Jianzhang couldn't help but ask Qi Liyun suspiciously: "Mr. Qi Liyun, what do you mean by this?" Why can't the official understand? ”

"Wu! You underestimate our American intelligence officers too much! Qi Liyun was completely angry, slapped the table in front of Wu Jianzhang and shouted: "Your grandson Transcendence Wu, abandon the United States, which has always been friendly with your Wu family, and secretly negotiate cooperation with other countries to establish a textile factory!" Since your Wu family wants to build a textile factory, why don't you talk to us in the United States first? What do you mean by that? Don't you think we Americans are not friends enough with you?! ”

"Beyond?" Wu Jianzhang's eyes widened wider than eggs again, and after waking up, Wu Jianzhang immediately screamed in his heart, "It's broken!" It must be the little bunny who is causing me trouble again! ”

"Wu? Why haven't you signed yet? Qi Liyun was even more angry, and shouted again: "Sign now!" We're still friends after signing it! Then your Wu family wants to build a steel mill and cooperate to open a bank, and we can all discuss! Otherwise, you wouldn't consider me a friend! ”

"Mr. Qi Liyun, this official really doesn't know anything!"

Wu Jianzhang wailed, and quickly bowed again, trying his best to explain that he didn't know anything about this matter, and everything had to wait for him to find his unfilial grandson to ask clearly. It's hard to make Qi Liyun, who has been dealing with him for many years, reluctantly accept it, and agree to wait for Wu Jianzhang to understand the situation clearly, but Qi Liyun refused to give up, and pointed at Wu Jianzhang's nose and shouted: "Wu, you remember, if your family wants to cooperate to build a factory, the first choice can only be us American businessmen!" Otherwise, you're responsible for all the consequences! ”

Wu Jianzhang, who didn't even know what a textile factory was, agreed with a sad face, and it took a lot of effort to send Qi Liyun away, and then Wu Jianzhang had just ordered his subordinates to prepare a sedan chair to return home, but the Prussian consul A Huawei rushed directly into the lobby of the customs road yamen, and also threw a stack of documents in front of Wu Jianzhang, and he also yelled immediately......

"Wu! Your family is going to build a joint steel plant with the West, why don't you find us Prussians? Don't you know that our Krupp Iron Works in Prussia is already the most technologically advanced steel mill in Europe, especially good at smelting iron ore containing various impurities! Tell me your investment amount and the size of the iron plant immediately, and I will give you the best price for the steelmaking equipment! Also, what about your family's textile factory and bank? These Prussian businessmen are willing to make joint ventures with you, and any terms can be negotiated! ”

"Wu, I'm so sad! It is said that you are the Chinese who know the West best, don't you know? When we Dutch were building a financial center in Amsterdam, John Bull and Gallic chickens were still counting sticks! If you want to open a joint venture bank, why don't you just come to us Dutch people who know the most about finance? Don't say anything, fill out these forms now and let us know your specific plans so we can take the next step of our cooperation! In addition, the bank we set up as a joint venture must have branches in the five treaty cities in China, and we Dutch people will be the managers and general managers! ”

Don't blame the Western countries for making such a fuss, China's market is really too big, the Chinese who have been brainwashed by Manchu slavery education for more than two hundred years in this era are too closed and ignorant, and the Manchu Qing court, which deserves death, is even more ignorant and conservative, not to mention the establishment of modern factories in China, it is difficult for Western businessmen to go to the rental world to sell goods inland! Two years ago, the port of Shanghai, which had become the fourth largest port in Asia, imports 46 percent of the total number of textiles imported every year, and it was able to establish a modern textile factory in Shanghai, purchase and process them locally and sell them on the spot, saving astronomical transportation costs and labor costs.

In addition, Wu Jianzhang's official status is also a point that the Western powers attach great importance to, no one knows better than the Western powers who are bent on opening up the Chinese market the trouble of establishing industries in China, and there are all kinds of ridiculous and ridiculous restrictions, and if Wu Jianzhang, as an official, comes forward to handle this matter, not only can it reduce countless obstacles and restrictions, even if there are more troublesome problems, it can also be solved by Wu Jianzhang, an official, far better than the Western powers running back and forth one by one Chinese yamen, encountering all kinds of delays and pushing the committee. The hard work was in vain and fruitless.

Being in Baoshan and not knowing it, restricted by the times and knowledge, the poor comprador grandfather Wu Jianzhang didn't know that the consuls of the great powers were actually here to give him silver, but on the contrary, he scolded his precious grandson who was in trouble all day long. Finally sent away the seven or eight consuls of the great powers who came to intimidate and entangled one after another, Wu Jianzhang's first thing was to hurry up and go home, and then immediately sent someone to call the precious grandson to the front, and threw the thick paperwork that the consul of the great powers threw in front of him in front of the precious grandson, and yelled: "Say! What's going on? ”

Wu Beyond really didn't know why the comprador grandfather was so angry this time, and after picking up those documents with Chinese translations and taking a closer look, Wu Beyond was extremely surprised to find that most of these documents were genuine business cooperation contracts, as well as performance reports and quotations of various modern spinning machines and looms, and even included quotations for raw materials, as well as preferential conditions such as providing technical guidance, skilled technicians and training workers. In addition, Prussia's contract for the joint venture to build a steelmaking plant was accompanied by an ore and petrochemical test report for the largest iron ore mine near Shanghai, as well as the proposed iron and steel smelting equipment and mining equipment.

In this era, probably only Wu Beyond among the Chinese knows how valuable these things are, so after probably looking through them, Wu Beyond immediately cheered and asked happily: "Grandpa, where did these contracts and equipment quotations come from?" I've been at home today, why haven't I heard that a guest has come to negotiate business with our family? ”

Seeing the happy appearance of his baby grandson, Wu Jianzhang was completely dumbfounded, and it took a long time to come back to his senses, and he asked angrily, "Are you still happy?" Could it be that you really plan to build a textile mill or a steel mill? What other banks are there to do? ”

"Grandpa, I've wanted to talk to you about this for a long time." Wu Chaoyue hurriedly nodded and said: "Grandpa, believe me, we will pay money to build factories and banks with foreigners, and we will definitely not suffer losses, and there is a lot of silver to earn!" Now the industrial base of the Qing Dynasty is basically zero, if we take the lead in building these modern factories, not only can we make a lot of money lying down, but also benefit the common people, and we can even seize the blank market in North Korea and Japan, and completely monopolize the industrial product market in the whole of East Asia! ”

Wu Jianzhang was even more dumbfounded, and exclaimed, "You really want to engage in these things? Do you understand this, don't you have any factories that haven't started, first ruin our Wu family's property? ”

"Grandpa, listen to me." Wu Beyond was not ashamed, and immediately took out the coquettish ** left by the previous owner of the body, while holding Wu Jianzhang's thin arm and shaking it, while trying to explain to Wu Jianzhang as simple as possible the various benefits of establishing a modern factory in Shanghai, as well as what high profits can be obtained by seizing the current blank Chinese mainland market, and how many jobs can be created for the poor people after establishing a modern factory.

Not to mention, Wu Chaoyue really found the right persuasion object this time, if it was replaced by someone else, Wu Chaoyue said no matter how simple and simple it was, it may not be able to make the other party understand, Wu Jianzhang is different, he originally made a fortune from business, has a natural sensitive sense of smell for business, and is the supervision of Shanghai Customs, and knows better than anyone how many textile products Shanghai Port imports from overseas every year. So after listening to the explanation and analysis of the baby grandson as simple as possible, although Wu Jianzhang was not immediately tempted, he also understood that the baby grandson was not messing around, but really wanted to do business and make money for the family.

After calmly thinking about it for a long time, Wu Jianzhang asked Wu Chaoyue a key question, saying, "How much money do you have to spend to do this?" ”

"I don't know yet." Wu Chaoyue replied very frankly, and said: "Grandpa, don't worry, I won't immediately build a textile factory, a steel mill and a bank at the same time, and I also need time to adapt and accumulate experience, so I want to build a textile factory first, and then consider the steel mill and the bank, and the initial investment will not be too large." ”

After brushing his gray beard and thinking for a long time, Wu Jianzhang asked again: "Then you plan to cooperate with the businessmen of that country to open a factory?" ”

"I would be stupid to go to a country's businessmen to cooperate in opening a factory, which not only offends people, but also is easy to be controlled." Wu Chaoyue replied with a smile: "I plan to engage in bidding, and the businessmen of that country offer the best conditions, so I will cooperate with whomever I want, so that I will not offend others and not be deceived." ”

The method of bidding has appeared in England as early as the eighteenth century, and Wu Jianzhang, who has been dealing with foreigners all the year round, knows it, so Wu Jianzhang nodded slightly, very satisfied with the shrewdness of his baby grandson, but Wu Jianzhang was still very worried, and hesitated and said: "Originally, it was nothing to let you give it a try, but what if the court didn't agree?" ”

"It's okay, I've already figured out what to do." Wu Chaoyue smiled and said: "Just change the name, call the factory a workshop, and there will be nothing wrong with the court - the court will not even be allowed to open a workshop, right?" ”

"Call a factory a workshop? Little bunny, you can figure it out! ”

Wu Jianzhang scolded with a smile, and thought about it for a while, Wu Jianzhang, who was very open compared to other Chinese in this era, still made up his mind and decided to support his baby grandson to take the right path, so Wu Jianzhang made a little more calculation, and quickly nodded and said: "Okay, the old man will give you ten ......, no, give you 150,000 taels of silver, and let you go to the factory with foreigners!" But the old man has a word first, it's easy to say anything if you make money, if you lose it all, don't expect the old man to give you more than ten taels of silver pocket money every time in the future! ”

"Good grandpa! There is only grandpa in the world! ”

Wu Chaoyue never expected that the comprador grandfather would give himself 150,000 taels of silver as a start-up capital as soon as he made a move, and he hugged Wu Jianzhang's thin arm tighter under great joy, shaking his flesh and numbness to thank him. Wu Jianzhang lovingly stroked the forehead of his baby grandson, and sighed in his heart: "Anyway, sooner or later, it's all yours, take advantage of the old man is still alive, help you take the right path." Otherwise, if the old man closes his eyes, even if you and the unfilial son lose all the family property that the old man has worked so hard to accumulate, the old man will not be able to take care of it. ”

…………

When the ecstatic Wu Chaoyue thanked the comprador grandfather at home, Zhou Lichun, the leader of the Tangwan Gang, who was once an ally of the Wu family, also entered the house of Yuan Zubi, the county magistrate of Shanghai, through the back door under the guidance of Yuan Wuba, the head of the former county government, and was warmly received by Yuan Zubi.

When the wine was almost drunk, Yuan Zubi, who had already received Yuan Wuba's report, of course began to talk and inquire about the reason why Zhou Lichun and his brother Liu Lichuan turned their faces, and Zhou Lichun, who was dissatisfied with his brother's repentance, did not hide it, and told the truth about the matter very frankly. Yuan Zubi was naturally overjoyed when he heard this, and while fanning the flames, he took the opportunity to test whether Zhou Lichun was willing to change his name and serve himself who had lost the help of the Bird Party.

The reason why Zhou Lichun promised to send charcoal to Liu Lichuan in the snow before was originally to covet the golden land of Shanghai Wharf, but now Liu Lichuan has repented of his word, and knows that the Bird Party supported by Yuan Zubi was once a tyrant of the wharf, and then heard Yuan Zubi's temptation and temptation, of course, the two of them were interested in Lang You's concubine, and immediately hooked up with the adulterer. And after quickly concluding a mutually beneficial alliance, Yuan Zubi said in a low voice: "Lichun, if you want to make a fortune at the Shanghai dock, the most difficult thing to deal with is not the guts Wang Guochu, nor the untrustworthy Liu Lichuan, but Wu Ashuang behind Liu Lichuan. So, you have to help me first and help me get the ironclad evidence that can bring down Wu Ashuang! ”