Perfect fit?

Morgan reconsidered it, and still felt that Qin Lang's suggestion was not a good one: for Morgan, how much value could the small island that was said to have never been developed by the Chinese government and not yet developed by the Japanese government?

It has no industry, no mining, no sugar cane or rubber plantations, no decent agriculture, not enough inhabitants - it has no value unless someone is willing to invest there and build it up gradually. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

But will anyone be willing to invest there on a large scale? Cuba, the Philippines, Guangzhou Bay, China's railways, and investors in the United States have long seen four attractive and attractive investment projects that deserve attention, and most of them have already invested in one of the options, and there is no more money to invest in new projects. In that case, will they continue to focus on the fifth option?

Morgan doesn't think it's a problem to consider: he himself has had little interest in investing in the island, as have his sons and partners.

Morgan & Company doesn't need Formosa.

He shook his head to himself. "I think, you re-examine your suggestion, Mr. Qin." "Don't be fooled by some kind of subconscious of you," he reminded. ”

However, Qin Lang was not deluded by any subconscious - and even if there were, it could not be the kind of nationalist or nationalist sentiment that Morgan thought - he proposed that Morgan ask the Japanese government to use Formosa as collateral for the loan simply because it would serve his plans.

Of course, one of those plans was also the plan that Morgan was working on - this was the reason why Qin Lang believed that he could convince Morgan.

He would take that advice as long as he knew the benefits it would bring.

"You think Formosa is a worthless place, but you're wrong, Mr. Morgan." Qin Lang said slowly, carefully picking out each word, "On the surface...... Indeed, as you can see, the island has nothing, is not profitable, and does not arouse the interest of investors. But what I'm going to say is that no matter how bad it is, there will still be people who are willing to pay a premium for Formosa to buy it. ”

"Who? London, Paris, St. Petersburg or Berlin? Morgan guessed. In fact, he had carefully considered the possibility that some Western country would make a bid to buy the island. But in the end, he got the answer: the business couldn't be successful.

Because of the British government.

If Morgan had bid Formosa for sale, Britain would be the only Western country that could get it, but war would have made the British abandon the bid; However, in order to protect Britain's interests in the Far East, even if it has withdrawn from the game, London will still use all means to prevent other countries from getting the island.

The British are very good at doing this kind of thing, muddying the waters when they have to quit for various reasons, so that everyone can't get the fish they had a chance to get.

Even if it's just a poor little fish.

Morgan thought he had to guard against this possibility—though he was not afraid of the might of Great Britain, but his buyers were afraid of it; Moreover, even a big man like him had no need to clash with London over a barren island in the Far East - after considering all the issues, Morgan decided to continue his argument: Formosa could not bring him any economic benefit.

"I don't think you can sell it." He declared.

"Actually, I can, Mr. Morgan." Qin Lang replied, "Yes, you considered the vast majority of possible options, but forgot the last one. ”

"What is it?"

"The Chinese government."

"The Chinese government?" Morgan was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "No, Mr. Qin, I didn't forget it, I just ruled it out." ”

The Chinese government was one of the first possibilities he ruled out, because it lacked possibilities more than any other government - Morgan had heard of the attitude of some Chinese officials towards the island as a worthless, unworthy out-of-the-way territory, far from the political and economic center of the empire, and even inhabited by a bunch of barbarians out of government control - Chinese officials saw Formosa as a burden to their vast empire. So when the Japanese government asked for Formosa, these people agreed with little hesitation.

However, now, Qin Lang wanted them to sell back the territory they had abandoned at a high enough price...... If he's not telling a joke, then his mental state is questionable.

Morgan hoped that Qin Lang was just telling a joke.

But Qin Lang didn't tell jokes, and there was nothing wrong with his mental state.

"You think I'm just joking, but in reality, I'm pointing out the only one of all possibilities that can become reality." Qin Lang seemed to be very pleasant, crossing his fingers and rubbing them, just like when he was really happy. "You have overlooked two things, Mr. Morgan." "First of all," he said, "if his ambition had not been utterly destroyed by the noble Empress Dowager, the young emperor of China was a monarch who longed to wash away his disgrace and make his country strong again—and he certainly did not have the insight and ability to match such ambition; Second, nationalist sentiment in China is rapidly swelling and becoming an influential mind......"

Morgan interrupted him. "I think you're overestimating the impact of nationalist sentiment on the Chinese government and ignoring its hostility to this ideology."

"Yes," Qin Lang nodded, "As a regime where ethnic minorities rule over the majority, the Qing government will undoubtedly be extremely afraid of nationalist ideas and regard it as its greatest enemy. But," he paused for a moment, he continued, "the Qing government's views on nationalism had nothing to do with our plans. ”

"What do you mean?"

"All we need is public opinion pressure. Nationalists can influence ordinary patriots, and their voices will attract the attention of traditional intellectuals, who are the elite of Chinese society, and finally, when those intellectuals also begin to call for it, the government will take the issue seriously. ”

"Do you think the traditional social elites will embrace nationalism? These people are all said to be stubborn, anti-change antiques and hostile to foreigners and Western products. "Of course, this is Jack. Morgan brought back the information, and Morgan felt that his son might have exaggerated some of the facts, but at least some of them were.

This means that the traditional elites of Chinese society will not accept nationalism because it is a decadent ideology from the Western world that goes against tradition.

"Those antiques are really not easy to accept nationalism," Qin Lang laughed, "but we don't ask them to accept that kind of thinking, we just need them to support the redemption of Formosa - and they will support this voice." As soon as they find that supporting this call will bring them benefits, prestige, wealth, and even power, they will begin to support it. ”

Just like politicians. Great politicians are always on the right side at the right time – but the stubborn antiques are not great politicians, they lack the variability, the stubborn resistance to change, just a bit of cunning and shrewdness stuck to tradition.

But they will support the call for the recovery of Formosa: there is only good, no harm. Support for the reconquest of Formosa is not a call for social reform, it is not a departure from tradition, and it is not dangerous; On the contrary, it is a noble cause that helps the government gain the hearts and minds of the people, consolidates its rule, and also emulates the holy monarchs of the past.

And now, there happens to be such a "holy monarch" who can use his name as a banner to scare opponents.

Qin Lang refers to Kangxi. Whatever the evaluation of what His Majesty has done, for any central power that rules China, whenever they have similar problems, his deeds will be widely touted - and it is still the Qing government that rules China.

So he's the best hand he can play.

"Aixin Jueluo. Emperor Xuanye occupied the ...... in 1683 Officially, it was the reconquest of Formosa. Qin Lang said happily, "So, Mr. Morgan, whatever the traditional social elites think about nationalism, they will eventually support the call for the Qing government to redeem Formosa, because recovering it is something that a deemed wise emperor has done, and support means all the benefits, while opposition is an act of disobedience to this emperor." ”

"If your judgment is still as correct as it has been every time, then ......" Morgan raised his head slightly, examining all possibilities, and finally said, "the young emperor can only accept the appeal of public opinion and order the government officials to redeem the island." ”

"Yes."

It's funny. Nationalists because of their ideas demanded the redemption of Formosa; Ordinary patriots were agitated to demand the redemption of Formosa; The elites of society demanded the redemption of Formosa because of their personal interests; And the emperor ...... Unfortunately, as the titular supreme ruler of China, his opinion is irrelevant......

No, to be precise, his opinion becomes important only when his personal will is in harmony with the will of society.

"But that means we need to do a lot of demagoguery to direct the will of society in the direction we want."

"Guiding the will of society is what you're good at, isn't it, Mr. Morgan?" Qin Lang issued a heartfelt compliment.

"You're also good at it, Mr. Qin." Morgan replied, leaning back, then his eyes glazed over, "So what's next for you, after China redeems that little island." ”

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Note: In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, this chapter was replaced with Formosa (to be continued, if you want to know what happened next, please log in to the www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!) (To be continued.) )