As the commercial representative of the People's Party in the United States, Wang Bin can be said to be busy these days. Every day before going to bed, you have to read the day's list and meeting minutes three or four times to remember what you did during the day. Next, I have to read the work list three times the next day to understand what I want to do. When he woke up the next day, he immediately followed the list and went about his work non-stop.

The attitude of the American side is very firm, and since the oral agreement with the People's Party, they really did not import raw silk from Japan, and the raw silk trade between the People's Party and the United States immediately reached a new level. In September 1913, the People's Party traded 1.5 million quintals of raw silk with the United States, that is, 3 million quintals, 300 million catties. The total value is more than 300 million taels of silver. That's about $200 million. Such a huge sum of money, although it was not all at once, was allocated and spent. However, with such a large amount of equipment purchased, it is by no means possible to negotiate the contract in a short period of time.

Such a booming trade made Wang Bin feel a sense of pride and uneasiness. Whether it is a businessman or an official on the American side, Wang Bin has been asked more than once, directly or implicitly, whether China is capable of using all this equipment. Won't there be such a problem of overcapacity in the United States?

Wang Bin will also listen politely to the words of these people, and then frankly admit according to the pre-stipulated words that the People's Party does not consider this issue at the moment, and will talk about it later. It can be said that Wang Bin is not very relieved in his heart. However, he has seen with his own eyes the strength of the German and American industries, and also seen the backwardness of China in the Manchu era, and in recent years, he has devoted himself to the industrial system built by the People's Party.

The personnel of the People's Party's North American Commercial Office are divided into two categories: one is the technical personnel from the base areas, who are mainly technicians drawn from various industrial categories of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and sent to the United States to take charge of technical work. These front-line technicians did not come here because they were to inspect the US industry on the spot, and second, they were able to put forward more reliable suggestions on procurement in light of the technical problems actually encountered by the People's Party.

The other part is the business negotiators, although it is an economic crisis, but it does not mean that the business negotiation can be "rich is the uncle" attitude. The BJP has military power at home, but not in the United States. A proper business strategy is a must. It's better to make money for these American companies. If the Yankees lose money, they will definitely find a way to make things difficult for the BJP US Commercial Office. Moreover, business negotiators also play the role of intelligence collection stations, and everyone will always chat in business negotiations, and there will be information exchange in the chat. This is also inevitable.

By the end of September, more and more information was gathered through various channels, and the North American intelligence station came to two conclusions. Britain and Japan have begun to prepare for full support for Yuan Shikai in Beiyang, while the US government is still debating the loan to the People's Party.

Regarding the support of Britain and Japan for Yuan Shikai, Chen Ke made a prediction as early as when he reached an intentional loan agreement with the United States. Especially after the United States began to deliberately make things difficult for Japan, this is no longer a surprising thing. Half of Japan's exports rely on raw silk, and the United States is Japan's largest exporter. The BJP, relying on its connections in Southeast Asia, is ruthlessly encroaching on Japan's market in Southeast Asia. In the Chinese market, the People's Party's goods are even more invincible, gradually squeezing Japanese goods out of the Chinese market. Combining several effects, if Japan supports the People's Party, this is the strangest thing.

Wang Bin just couldn't figure out whether the United States was deliberately stirring up contradictions between China and Japan. Or is it just out of resentment against Britain, so it is customary to strike at Japan, Britain's follower in Asia?

But these are no longer very important, the slogan of the People's Party is "self-reliance, abundant food and clothing", it is better to seek others than to seek oneself, and at a time when the People's Party has done its best to build China's industrial system, China's path has been set, either as an industrial country to get rid of foreign oppression, or as an agricultural country that will never be able to turn over. Whatever means the Americans are playing at the moment, the People's Party has nothing to do with the United States. Instead of thinking about it all day long, it is better to think that it is out of sight, out of sight and out of mind.

Therefore, Wang Bin completely ignored the US government's loan controversy, and in the current economic crisis, it is not easy for the United States to find a large market such as a People's Party base area. Even without a loan from the U.S. government, a large number of U.S. companies on the verge of bankruptcy begged their grandfather to sue their grandmother to find Wang Bin here and ask to sell their goods. With the current total trade volume between the base area and the United States, especially the tragic situation of the American machinery manufacturing industry, the purchasing group led by Wang Bin has been able to exceed the acquisition task.

Moreover, some businessmen who were very keen to reach a loan agreement between the US government and the People's Party privately revealed some "inside information" to Wang Bin, and some US congressmen were worried that after Britain and Japan fully supported Yuan Shikai, a civil war would break out in China. If the BJP fails, the US investment in the BJP will be wasted. With the current naval strength of the United States, it is impossible to cross the Pacific Ocean to challenge Britain's hegemony in East Asia.

Wang Bin knew that these businessmen were hinting that they were trying to lobby US congressmen, and when they encountered these "kind reminders", Wang Bin just smiled indifferently, but did not say anything at all. Wang Bin does not at all think that it is necessary to spend the hard-earned money of the People's Party on such things as buying American politicians. The new technicians from the base area brought the latest information from the base area, due to the relatively weak infrastructure, the shortage of technical personnel and labor workers. At present, the rapid expansion of industrial production in the base areas has encountered quite a few problems, and accidents are going to occur in the factories every three or five times, and the number of people who are disabled and die is almost catching up with the manpower losses caused by the war, from power supply to safe production. The safety production education in the factory is almost half a month of training, and the pictures of disability and death in the shape of tragedy are densely pasted on the "safety production education list". The size of the entire industrial system has increased considerably, but the overall efficiency has not improved. No matter how much sales pressure is on the U.S. side, at least the current demand in the base areas is not so strong. So it's not a big deal to drag it out.

But in October, Samuel 61 Bush, the U.S. representative who had been in charge of negotiating with Chen Ke, came to Wang Bin. Since the People's Party has no official liaison in the United States, the People's Party's North American Commercial Office has assumed the function of official representative in the United States.

"Mr. Wang, if this loan agreement is passed, I wonder how many loans the BJP is ready to apply for from the United States?" Samuel 61 Bush raised this question with Wang Bin.

Wang Bin felt a little surprised, originally the two sides had reached an agreement, the United States to provide the People's Party with a loan of about 200 million. This money is actually not much, and now the pound is 1:5 to the dollar, and the loan of $200 million is only 40 million pounds. Even according to the original ceiling of 400 million US dollars, it is only 80 million pounds. If the People's Party is really committed to the British side, let alone 80 million pounds, it is not difficult to lend 100 million pounds with the current total trade volume of the People's Party.

Since this is already the case, Wang Bin did not answer this question positively, "Didn't there be a corresponding verbal agreement before?" Could it be that there is a problem with the original quota? ”

"There was no problem with the original quota, and now that an agreement has been reached, there is no problem with reaching the previous agreement in terms of the current trade situation. I would like to ask what kind of attitude the BJP has towards Britain. Samuel 61 Bush also gets straight to the point.

Wang Bin smiled, as the North American representative of the People's Party, he took a very firm stand on this issue, but he didn't expect that he would have the opportunity to clarify his position now, and Wang Bin had an inexplicable emotion in his heart, "Mr. Bush, Chairman Chen of our People's Party has written a song called "My Motherland", and there is a lyric in it that can represent our attitude. A friend has good wine, and if the jackal comes, wait for it. We, the People's Party, will certainly uphold the principle of putting China's national interests first. We have been consistent in our attitude towards the British. ”

"Can you be more detailed?" Samuel 61 Bush is clearly not the sentimental type, and he continued to ask very rigorously.

"We in the People's Party believe that in today's world, it is no longer appropriate to close off the country. So any behavior that is willing to do normal trade with us, we will welcome it. But this does not mean that we accept that other countries have troops in China, and that they have many privileges in China. This is our attitude towards the UK. Wang Bin replied.

The implication of these words is already very clear: the People's Party is not only opposed to the British stationing troops in China, but also has privileges in China, and Wang Bin's words are actually declaring that China opposes any country's interference in China's sovereignty. Samuel 61 Bush certainly understood the meaning of the words, and although the United States also has troops stationed in China, he still nodded. "So what are you going to do with this kind of external philosophy?"

"A rich country, a strong army." Wang Bin gave the answer.

This reply clearly satisfied Samuel 61 Bush. After talking to Wang Bin on some key issues, Samuel 61 Bush put forward a "proposal" on loans.

There is a huge difference from the original loan amount of 100 million, 200 million, or even 400 million, and the new plan of the United States has reached the upper limit of 400 million US dollars. With the silk and tea trade as collateral, the annual interest rate of each installment of the loan is 5%, and all the loans are paid at 100%, and they are repaid in five years. But as a collateral deposit, the BJP first needs to deposit $80 million worth of gold in a U.S. bank as collateral.

Hearing the condition of depositing gold as collateral first, Wang Bin couldn't help but have a sneer on his face, but he didn't interrupt Samuel 61 Bush's words.

Samuel 61 Bush, of course, did not fail to see this smile, and he continued to introduce the conditions of the United States as if he did not see it. The United States is willing to support the BJP in military build-up, including the Army and Navy. Arsenals, shipyards, the United States can support the BJP in sets.

Wang Bin's expression has become serious, and the meaning contained in such a statement is quite profound, the United States is willing to help the People's Party strengthen its military construction, and this is not just as simple as selling equipment and technology to the People's Party. The attitude of the People's Party in pursuing China's national independence is very clear, and the United States is willing to support the People's Party even though it knows the attitude of the People's Party, which means that the United States is willing to accept the attitude of the People's Party.

"I'll pass this information back home." At the end of the meeting, Wang Bin gave Samuel 61 Bush an answer.

A simple telegram was sent to the country, and more detailed contents were also sent on the cruise ship and headed for the base area. Thanks to the booming trade, more and more steamships were coming from the west coast of the United States to the base areas. The North American Trade Division's intelligence officers analyze the latest information.

"The Yankees are going to let us take the fire for him? Anyway, they have always been very enthusiastic about fighting the British. ”

"Look at the Yankees' plan, they are ready to let us help them drag down the British."

Conspiracy theories are tendencies peculiar to people who have a little insight but don't have a really big vision. Even the BJP is immune. There are already comrades who have begun to speculate about the actions of the Americans from the point of view of conspiracy theories.

Wang Bin interrupted this speculation with a wave of his hand, "Now the Chinese population is four times that of the United States, and if our per capita industrial production capacity is the same as that of the United States, our total industrial value is four times that of the United States." Even if the per capita industrial capacity is only half that of the United States, our total value is twice that of the United States. Our industrial capacity is twice that of the United States, and any conspiracy of the United States is in vain. So this kind of speculation is meaningless, no matter what the conspiracy is, in the end, you have to do it with real knives and guns to see the result. ”

While saying, Wang Bin wrote down these comrades in his heart. The People's Party's North American Commerce Office has a rapid turnover of personnel, and Wang Bin plans to send them back to China in the next batch. Units such as the Commercial Office are not afraid of being reckless, but afraid of being clever. One of the characteristics of cleverness is a penchant for conspiracy theories, and if you just think about it, the result is that you forget about business altogether.

"Then we're just waiting for domestic orders?" Comrades who are not very clever are a little worried about this.

Wang Binxin's list of returned comrades with such concerns was also added, and the People's Party did not send comrades halfway around the world to make comrades stupid and wait for orders. Your job is to trade, and you must not waver in your work until the order arrives at home.

After settling the little black account, Wang Bin said: "Comrades, Chairman Chen likes to say on foreign issues, if you die as a butcher, you won't eat hairy pigs. Our current trade volume is already inexhaustible equipment. Whether Americans borrow money or not, the impact on us is limited. What we have to do is to get the trade work done. In addition to raw silk and tea, the United States needs industrial and agricultural products. What technical equipment do we need in the area? This is trade, mutual exchange, complementary advantages. ”

In the face of such a frank statement, the comrades also expressed their agreement. And the domestic notice soon arrived, "except for the gold mortgage must be zero risk, everything else can be signed with the United States." Intensify the purchase of production technology and equipment for the production of high-temperature and high-pressure equipment. ”

After getting this order, Wang Bin had the bottom in his heart. Before he came to the United States this time, Chen Ke emphasized the key points of the moment and improved the core technology. "The synthetic ammonia industry is one of the most important pillars in China in the next 100 years, and the basic chemical fertilizer depends on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and phosphate and potash fertilizers can also rely on mining, and nitrogen fertilizers can only rely on synthetic ammonia. And Comrade Wang Bin, if you are born in electrical engineering, you should also know the three acids and two alkalis in industry. Ammonia synthesis technology directly solves one acid and two alkalis, which is our most important chemical foundation. In this regard, being able to produce these products as soon as possible plays a key role in China's industrial capacity. ”

The People's Party's scientific and technological research and development adopts the expression mode of "science and technology tree", that is, the known disciplines are arranged in a tree-like pattern. For example, in steel smelting, the various steps required are clearly listed, from mining to building furnaces to rolling steel. Scientific and technological personnel have the idea of tackling key technical problems, and procurement personnel like Wang Bin can also conduct targeted procurement and recruit talents. So far, at least, Mr. Wang's work has not been met with any criticism. While Wang Bin was a little weak in his heart, he also felt that his work was basically reliable.

After receiving instructions from China, Wang Bin negotiated with Samuel 61 Bush in his capacity as plenipotentiary. On the issue of gold mortgages, Wang Bin naturally did not directly raise objections, but asked a question: "Mr. Bush, banks in the United States will fail." In the event of a bankruptcy, all the funds and collateral in the depositor's account cannot be recovered. I don't doubt the goodwill of the American side, but how can I assure the country that our gold deposits will not be lost? ”

"We will identify the most creditworthy banks, and Mr. Wang can have enough trust in these banks." Samuel 61 Bush persuaded.

After hearing this, Wang Bin smiled, "Let's do business, don't mention trusting such hurtful words." Trust is never reliable, and I have to be more reliable. If it is not risk-free, we cannot accept the condition of pre-depositing gold. ”

Samuel 61 Bush was a little moved, "Is the gold you asked for in advance to be risk-free?" ”

Wang Bin replied categorically: "That's right, we just require that the gold we deposit in advance is risk-free and not affected by any bank failures and financial fluctuations." ”

Samuel 61 Bush asked, "Can you tell me what you think?" ”

"Since this batch of gold is used as a deposit, we don't expect to get it back to China. Since we sincerely hope that the cooperation between the two sides can be maintained for a long time, it is up to Mr. Bush to come up with a solution that is in line with US law. Wang Bin also told the truth.

Samuel 61 Bush nodded, since Wang Bin handed over the bottom, he also had the corresponding ideas.

The final solution is to hand over the gold to the Federal Reserve, and since the Federal Reserve is responsible for the monetary policy of the United States, it is logical for the Federal Reserve to manage the gold and use it as collateral for the corresponding dollar. With this issue resolved, the subsequent agreement went quite smoothly, even more smoothly than envisaged.

The Fed has the power to distribute dollars, and since the United States is willing to support the People's Party in this regard, the rest depends on how many dollars the Fed is willing to pledge with the gold that the People's Party has deposited in the Fed. As long as there is a policy for this thing, how much money the Fed approves is just a few small books with symbols.

Just when this news was released, the stocks of the U.S. machinery manufacturing industry, especially heavy industry manufacturing companies, rose to varying degrees. At the moment of the economic crisis, there are too few buyers who can come up with so many dollars to buy machinery and equipment, and with the big seller of the People's Party, American machinery manufacturers feel that they have seen the dawn.

However, not long after the news spread, Sir Humphrey of England went to Wuhan again to meet Chen Ke. Sir Humphrey did not come this time with a threatening attitude, but with a naked threatening statement. He earnestly analyzed to Chen Ke the dissatisfaction and hostility of the Beiyang government towards the People's Party, and at the same time mentioned again the fact that Beiyang was ready to borrow money from the British. Sir Humphrey stressed that in order to maintain the current situation in China, the BJP could not upset the equilibrium by borrowing from the United States.

By this time, the Second Balkan War had ended, and Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire had signed the Treaty of Istanbul, which had united against Ottoman Turkey and completely split the Balkan League. Although Britain and Germany tried to avoid head-on conflict as much as possible, on the "powder keg of Europe" in the Balkans, Britain, Germany, Austria, Russia, France, and Italy all had their own major interests. After the Second Balkan War, the contradictions between the two major European blocs intensified. Germany and France are feuds, and the patience of both countries has been exhausted by avoiding a head-on conflict between Britain and Germany. In the Balkans, which do not share a border with either country, it has become a place of wrestling between the two countries.

Now that the First World War was inevitable, Chen Ke's reply to Sir Humphrey was much simpler: "On Chinese soil, it is the power of the People's Party to borrow money from whomever the People's Party wills." You British have no right to interfere. ”

Such a strong reply made the attitude of the BJP clear to Sir Humphrey. Faced with such a stubborn Chen Ke, Sir Humphrey gave up his efforts to continue persuasion. After he returned to Beijing on October 20, he immediately presided over the agreement with Beiyang on the second batch of large-scale loans for the aftermath. In view of the fact that the first batch of aftermath loans had been spent by Yuan Shikai, the second batch of aftermath loans provided 100 million pounds of funds to Beiyang Group on more favorable terms. In view of the fact that China was the currency of the silver standard, the British were very considerate to provide Yuan Shikai with a large amount of silver and several sets of coinage equipment.

With this batch of thoughtful funds, Yuan Shikai began to mint a large number of silver dollars with his own avatar as legal tender. Chen Ke never expected that in this time and space where he appeared, "Yuan Datou" would be so baked. The British minting equipment was really good, the proportions of the silver alloy were good, and the silver dollar was thick and shiny, and it blew and rattled. Chen Ke himself couldn't help but exchange his salary for a few Yuan Datou as a gift for his daughter.

After the first large-scale loan for the aftermath, the Beiyang Group continued the military expansion plan, and the second large-scale loan for the aftermath, British weapons began to be shipped into China in large quantities. Since Japan's foreign trade was greatly affected by the People's Party, Britain also handed over part of its arms orders to Japan in order to take care of its younger brother. The Beiyang Army, mainly British and Japanese equipment, was quickly armed.

On the side of the People's Party, Chen Ke issued an order to extend the term of service. At the same time, Chen Ke appointed Zhang Yu as the secretary of the Henan Provincial Party Committee and officially took charge of Henan's work. The contradictions between the People's Party and Beiyang were finally pushed by foreign countries to the stage of all-out war.