"Does it matter?" Hu Xiaoyan asked rhetorically: "You may have heard just now that I am going to buy 10,000 Mosinagan rifles equipped with Russian military standards." If you succeed, you can take these guns to Nie Junmen, and maybe you can even get a battalion officer. ”

Wu Dawei blushed, and he didn't know whether he was angry at Hu Xiaoyan's ridicule, or excited by the 10,000 Mosingana rifles.

Hu Xiaoyan can't manage so much. He had no money on hand. At this time, you can only take one step at a time.

"What do you think about running a newspaper in Shanghai?"

"Okay. But the government doesn't seem to be making much money on this! Chen Yu is still quite sure of this.

"Vulgar! Don't you think there is a shortage of instructive articles in China right now? Everyone is talking about changing the law, so how to change the law? What is the basis for the change? What is the purpose of the change? ”

Chen Yu was speechless by Hu Xiaoyan's series of questions. Because at the moment there really is no such article in China. Not only that, but even the slogans of the Six Gentlemen of Wuxu are a little confusing. It is also a fact that the restrictions on the opening of factories and the opening of the Tongbunkan are practical. The rest was just a shouting of the earth-shattering sound.

At this time, although Cixi still supported Emperor Guangxu's reform, the people below were completely disappointed in the reformer. If the reformers had not been so eager to seize power, then the duration of the reform should have been a little longer. But history has no buts. The Pentecostal Reform is bound to fail at the end of this month.

So this is Hu Xiaoyan's chance to gain prestige.

Newspapers are a must.

"That's why we're going to run a newspaper!" Hu Xiaoyan made the final decision.

"What about our foreign guns?" David Wu interjected.

"You haven't told me if it's like a big deal?"

"How?" Wu Dawei's eyes were full of questions.

"Go back and talk about it." Hu Xiaoyan was very satisfied. Because Wu Dawei was obviously tempted.

If you want to talk about the most powerful and prestigious people in 1898, I am afraid that no one can say for sure, because those future Shanghai tycoons are currently unable to overwhelm the crowd, whether it is the later Yu Qiaqing, Qin Runqing, Wang Boyuan or Sheng Xuanhuai, who has already become famous, has not yet begun to gain a foothold in Shanghai at this time. And although people such as Ye Chengxin and Zhu Baosan have already made a great name in Shanghai, they are only limited to business. Their influence is far from being comparable to that of Yu Qiaqing and others later. Now Shanghai Tang is the time for the real demons to dance.

Therefore, Hu Xiaoyan is full of confidence, and he expects to shock these confused people with his detached insight.

Back at the inn, Hu Xiaoyan asked Wu Dawei how many silver he had. A total of 1,500 taels, it was really like Hu Xiaoyan's guess. The Chen family gave out 2,000 taels of silver just to kidnap Chen Yu. Of course, if you kill Chen Yu, it will naturally not take so much, but to ensure that Chen Yu returns to Nanyang alive, the price will be very different. From here, Hu Xiaoyan also realized that the Chen family was plotting to divide the family property was probably a lot.

"Do you know what the most lucrative business in Shanghai is when it is profitable?" Hu Xiaoyan asked Chen Yu and Wu Dawei with a smile.

"Munitions!" Wu Dawei was the first to say. He saw it in today's conversation with Lawrence.

"I think it's supposed to be **!" Chen Yu pondered for a moment.

"Not bad! It's smoke! Hu Xiaoyan admires Chen Yu's eyesight.

"And the most important thing is that the current tobacco is concentrated in the hands of the Chaozhou Gang. And the Chaozhou Gang is extraordinarily flamboyant because they have money on hand. So ......" Hu Xiaoyan did not continue.

But everybody understands. If you want to make money, you must start with the Chaozhou Gang.

"We don't have enough people! Foreign guns are also needed. Wu Dawei pursed his lips, he is not a good bird himself, otherwise he would not run to be a soldier. The soldiers of this era are not the soldiers of later generations, and every time they are pulled out, they are almost full of poisons. In addition to Yuan Shikai's small station training.

"This, should we think about this again?" Chen Yu felt a little chilled when he heard the foreign gun. Of course he knew what Wu Dawei was doing when he mentioned foreign guns! The so-called people have no windfall and no wealth, and horses have no night grass and no fertilizer. In this era, if you just want to start a small business with peace of mind, you may encounter misfortune. Gangs are rampant! What else is there for a family of local tyrants and inferior gentry and bandits. Unless you are a business wizard like Hu Xueyan who has six tricks. But the end of such a business wizard is not good. Of course, Sheng Xuanhuai, who gave Hu Xueyan a whole down, ended up even worse.

Wu Dawei glanced at Chen Yu and did not speak. He also killed devils on the Korean battlefield, and the scene of Shanghai Tang was not taken into his eyes.

Hu Xiaoyan patted Chen Yu on the shoulder: "Don't be afraid, anyway, you can take a boat back to Nanyang tomorrow." Nothing is about you here. ”

Chen Yu nodded with a white face and did not speak.

Hu Xiaoyan was a little disappointed. He also hoped that Chen Yu could help him, because there was still a generational gap between the history he knew and this era. And Chen Yu, a high-achieving student studying in the UK, is naturally the best candidate.

However, since Chen Yu's psychological acceptance is not enough, he can't force it.

"I'll help you get the gun, and I'll not be involved in other things. Call two people to help me with things, I'm going to run a newspaper. ”

The next day, Wu Yi and Wu Dun were sent out to find out the news. After all, no matter how smart Hu Xiaoyan is, he is also ignorant of the procedures of running a newspaper in this era. But soon the two of them returned at noon. Once the procedure is clear, all that remains is to pay the money.

On this day, Chen Yu was sent to the freighter in Nanyang under the attention of the Chen family's servants.

On this day, under the guidance of Wu Yi, Hu Xiaoyan successfully founded a new newspaper "Times China".

On this day, Wu Dun found a remote and cheap place, and moved into a compound after taking another 1,200 taels of silver.

There are two families of six living in the courtyard. plus Hu Xiaoyan and Wu Yi and Wu Dun, that is a family of nine. And outside the door is full of dirty water hooligans.

"Times China", a journal destined to leave a name in history, started in such a messy place.

On the third day, in the name of the appearance and image of the journal Times China, under Hu Xiaoyan's strong accusations and protests, Wu Yi and Wu Dun had to shave their heads.

Then Hu Xiaoyan came to the church with two bald heads. There's no way around it. Because only churches and church schools had the foreign books that Hu Xiaoyan needed. Even so, over the next five days, they visited almost all the churches and church schools in Shanghai and did not find many foreign history books.

But even so, Hu Xiaoyan can be regarded as having an eyebrow in his heart.

Just as Hu Xiaoyan was about to start work, Wu Dawei came to the door.

Because the Mosinagan rifle arrived.

Of course, Chen Yu did not leave. He got on the boat the same day and got off the boat the same day. He still has the task of inspecting the mainland market and has not yet completed it.

After Chen Yu and Wu Dawei's follow-up investigation, Lawrence did not deceive everyone. He did find his way and got ten Mosinagan rifles.

It's only ten rifles, and it's not enough to be kept secret. The location was set on the Bund in Shanghai. The time is set for the evening.

And the location has long been surrounded by the people of the big boss. Although they did not have guns, they made a few bows and arrows.

Lawrence didn't break the contract. He boldly came alone in a carriage with a gun.

"Don't be so nervous. I'm a western cowboy! Lawrence puffed on the smoke rings as he got into the carriage and opened the box. Then stand aside.

Hu Xiaoyan was not very familiar with guns, so he waved his hand and asked Wu Dawei to go up to test the gun.

There is a very famous joke about the guns of the Manchu army called Wanguopai. To put it simply, it is a hodgepodge of guns of all calibers in various countries. From here one can imagine the logistical pressure of the Manchu army. But in fact, the Manchus of this era had no logistical pressure at all. The reason is simple, most firearms are just burning sticks, and there are no bullets. Even a general like Nie Shicheng is the same.

Wu Dawei walked up and tried for a long time. Lawrence impatiently picked up the firearm and simply operated it to the side. Wu Dawei's eyes lit up, and he also operated to the side, and at the same time glanced at the Bund and pulled the trigger.

The gun did not go off as a matter of course. Wu Dawei nodded. beckoned Zhang Lian and Zhang Gui to move the boxes.

Chen Yu dropped a pocket. The price was eighty taels of silver. That's eight hundred taels.

Hu Xiaoyan was very sure that the guns were smuggled. Because these are the standard equipment of the Russian army. There is no reason to sell it to Lawrence, an American, at this price.

"Okay, then the deal is done. Mr. Chen, and this unknown gentleman, do you think the big guy and the sale of 10,000 rifles still count? Lawrence asked, still lazily.

Hu Xiaoyan was stunned, but thoughtful.

"From today onwards, this Mr. Wu will contact you directly. Regarding the big guy, I want relevant information and price lists, and you give them to him directly. Hu Xiaoyan pointed at Wu Dawei.

"After we determine the model and quantity of the big guys, we will pay a third of the deposit." Hu Xiaoyan smiled: "But from now on, I don't want any rumors to come out." Because that would bother my father. ”

Lawrence waved his hand: "Okay." No problem. But I want half of the deposit. And the price may be a little higher, you have to understand. ”

"Why?" Chen Yu asked angrily.

"These are standard equipment." Lawrence dropped his cigarette butt and said coldly.

No way! Really. Lawrence, this guy is really powerful, and he actually wants to resell the active equipment of the Russian army! I used to see books about the darkness of Russian officialdom, but I didn't believe it before, but now I have to believe it!

It turns out that I picked up a baby! Hu Xiaoyan looked at Lawrence, and suddenly had a feeling that he was blind to his too kryptonite eyes.

But that's dangerous! Li Hongzhang must be dealt with as soon as possible, otherwise such a big deal is likely to kill people!

Hu Xiaoyan, who was still a little proud, suddenly felt a little cold in his heart. It wasn't until Lawrence had been away in the carriage for a long time that he came back to his senses.

He meowed, he should have expected a long time ago, and which of the gringos who could come to Shanghai in 1898 to beg for a living was a simple commodity?

Hu Xiaoyan, who came back to his senses, gathered the three masters together and explained the seriousness of the problem.

The ambassador of the Russian Embassy in Shanghai was P.A. Dmitriev. But this matter has absolutely nothing to do with him, because the ambassador is still in the days of great prospects, and he does not have the courage to do so. So the collusion with Lawrence is almost certainly some military attache in the embassy. Because only a military attache will have a relationship with the army.

"We have to act separately. The guns are handed over to the big bosses, and the actions are also the responsibility of the big bosses. Don't get involved. Your task is to take root here, and when the money is in hand, you will scatter money in Shanghai, and you must secretly control every move in Shanghai before deciding whether to do this arms deal or not, and how to do it! Everyone should be careful, otherwise you will lose your head. Hu Xiaoyan explained solemnly. If anything goes wrong, remember, kill Lawrence and run away. ”