Negotiate, cooperate, sign agreements, put them into practice...... For half a month, Chen Wenqiang spent all his time in a busy situation. With Siemens, with Krupp, with Volkeng, with the German Ministry of Education...... From the joint venture industry to the German-Chinese University of Technology, even if there is no name from the government, the all-round cooperation is the largest scale of German science and technology and capital entering China, which is a historic breakthrough.

Although the German government was overjoyed, and King Wilhelm even called it "a great victory of German capital in a peaceful war", it did not publicize it with much fanfare at home. This is because of Chen Wenqiang's intention, which can minimize the interference of Britain and France in the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway.

However, this does not affect the German government's expectations of Chen Wenqiang to rise significantly, and combined with the surging constitutional trend in China, it seems that Chen Wenqiang is becoming more and more important from economic to political.

And Chen Wenqiang seems to be showing his ambitions, befriending the feudal officials, leading the constitutionalist movement, expanding the armament of the merchant group, establishing a railway patrol police, and even hiring Krupp technicians, with plans to build guns and cannons in Yazhou.

It is a fact that the authority of the central government of the Manchu Qing Dynasty was weakening, and at the time of the Gengzi Incident, the mutual protection of the southeast had already shown that the local forces were strong and had centrifugal tendencies. Therefore, even if Chen Wenqiang does not have a say in the center of the imperial court, in some places, mainly the strength of the southern provinces, will create a lot of convenient conditions for Germany to increase its influence in China.

Taking Siemens as an example, without Chen Wenqiang's vigorous introduction and promotion, it would not be possible to do business in many large cities in China, and have an increasing share of China's electrical market.

Supporting Chen Wenqiang and supporting the spokesperson in China has almost become the consensus of the German government. Of course, this is also inseparable from Chen Wenqiang's fame, ability, and ideological tendencies. An incompetent "Adou" will not be noticed and will not be supported.

As for Chen Wenqiang, he does have a clearer understanding than others. Comprehensive cooperation with German business enterprises is certainly a relationship between exploitation and exploitation, but being able to be used by others shows that you still have some value. Life in the world. I'm afraid that it has no value at all, and I can't get it if I ask others to use it.

Just like the low-level people in Shanghai who are now being used, they are the most numerous and emotionally excited, and they are a force to be reckoned with. In every social upheaval and revolution, they are the main, exploited and relied upon force.

Merchants go on strike, coolies go on strike, maids go on strike...... The indefinite general strike of the Chinese at all levels resulted in more and more chaos and deterioration in the public concession. Garbage is everywhere and sewage is flowing sideways. There is nowhere to buy food, and there is no one to pull the car...... The arrogant British suddenly discovered that their lives could not be separated from the dirty and poor Chinese whom they despised and denounced. Moreover, their toughness is drawing dissatisfaction and criticism from the consulates of the United States, Germany, Russia, France, Japan, the Netherlands, and other countries in Shanghai, as well as from overseas Chinese in the public concession.

And the development of the situation has not been eased by the continuation of time, and the resentment and dissatisfaction with Britain and the British are moving away from the "public trial" at the end of the incident, with × of opium, reparations, and land cessation...... The humiliating matters involved in the Chinese are being reported in the newspapers, and it seems that the wave of movement to resist the United States will be no less than that of the movement.

Obviously, the rise and expansion of this wave was supported by the forces behind the scenes, and like the movement to the United States, there was no financial support. The Chinese will not be able to afford the cost of a boycott. The Shanghai Chamber of Commerce is definitely one of the providers of funds, and are there any other forces involved in it to take advantage of the opportunity to make profits?

With a series of collaborations with German businesses, including Deutsch-Walsch Bank, led by Chen Wenqiang, the British seriously suspected that there was a German shadow behind the movement. And just when they were still uncertain and were not ready to make further concessions, Chen Wenqiang was ready to stop, rushed to Changsha, and announced that he would take over the general office of the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway in Hunan Province on the orders of Governor Zhang Zhidong. Immediately convene a meeting of the Board of Directors to discuss all matters of the Company.

At the same time, media and public opinion also followed closely and began to build momentum for Chen Wenqiang. At this time. Only then did people suddenly realize that the previous criticism and accusations against various railway companies were just foreshadowing, and the real purpose was to facilitate Chen Wenqiang's takeover.

The shareholders' meeting has not yet been held, and Chen Wenqiang has already made one move after another and played a set of combination punches. First of all, it is necessary to immediately abolish the "rental shares" and "housing shares" that have been collected by the people, and the rental shares and housing shares that have been collected will be repaid to the people by the company; The second is to publish the new articles of association in the newspaper: the shares of the Hunan Yuehan Railway Company that were previously drawn and raised. Switching to new shares, the original interest will still be paid on time; After the road is completed, dividends will be distributed; If there are those who are unwilling to change the shares, they will return the original shares.

Although the railways of the Great Qing Dynasty claimed to be commercial, because of the weakness of private capital, such as the Sichuan-Han and Guangdong-Han railway companies, they still relied on special policies given by the government, such as forcibly leviing "rental shares" from farmers, so the railway companies became the "two governments".

Even in Zhejiang and Jiangsu railway companies, where commercial capital accounts for a large proportion, it is common for shareholders' equity to fall aside in management. The management of the railway companies was chaotic, the finances were controlled by a small number of executives, and the nature of the business allowed them to escape the supervision of the official supervisory body, and the private railway companies became the small coffers of these executives. If they are nationalized, not only will their financial channels be cut off, but the assets and funds they have prepared for the acquisition will be exposed to the world.

Obviously, Chen Wenqiang came prepared, and how could vested interest groups easily succumb, a battle was inevitable, who could know in advance who would die?

…………

"Chen Wenqiang, I only heard of his name before, and he seems to be proficient in foreign affairs, but I don't know anything else. This time, it seems that I am well prepared! Wang Xianqian, the former general office of the Hunan Yuehan Railway Company, gathered his cronies and henchmen to urgently discuss countermeasures.

Wang Xianqian, known as a famous Confucian master, held the position of Jiangsu academic administration before serving as the general office. But he has lived in the province for a long time, and he has a wide voice, and all his colleagues look up to him for his command, and if there is a whim, he will try to discharge it quickly. Therefore, his influence at the local level has long been no longer dependent on the official level he once earned as a scholar and politician in Jiangsu, but has used the railway company to establish a de facto second government.

With patriotism as the call, Wang Xianqian first encouraged Zhang Zhidong to redeem the Guangdong-Hankou Railway from the Americans at a double price, and then called on the people of Hunan to enthusiastically buy shares and love the country to save the country. However, while shouting patriotic slogans, he stubbornly covered his money bag and set his sights on the free "dry shares" -- "If someone asked someone who had invested in a number of shares, he replied that I should share dividends for the general office, so why should I become a shareholder."

The Hunan Company, which he presided over, first relied on the government's public power to forcibly expropriate rental shares, housing shares, rice donations, and salt cents. And take the company as the benefit, and take the company's money as the capital of the fun. The Prime Minister Yu Zhaokang and Wang Xianqian were in collusion, so that the Hunan Railway Company was established until now. Roads are built "with only three hoes". However, the road money raised was included in their private pockets, "the shareholders have no accounts to check, and the Hunan gentry dare not ask".

Now, Chen Wenqiang has taken over. It can be said that it has smashed the jobs of these people, so that they cannot keep the rental shares and will be parasitic forever.

"This person has the support of the Governor, and he has come with a huge amount of money, which is obviously not easy to deal with." Yu Zhaokang pointed to the words in the newspaper and said: "Look, I thought I could find a handle from his foreign debt to build the railway, but this foreign debt can be borrowed, and the merchant will repay it, and it will not involve the right of way, and the interest rate is low." It's overwhelming! ”

Lao Tzu borrowed foreign debts to build the railway, Chen Wenqiang is not afraid that others will know, but also afraid that others will not know what is going on and misunderstand. But who can get such a preferential loan, who can raise foreign debts without losing the right of way, not to mention that the mortgage is Chen Wenqiang's factory enterprise, what other reasons can you say for opposition?

"The most worrying thing is that he also has the title of the General Office of the Railway Patrol Police, and he has brought hundreds of patrol officers." When Wang Xianqian said about the gun, he couldn't help but shrink his neck, obviously afraid, "In my opinion." Don't clash head-on with it for the time being, you can plan for the long term. ”

"But Chen's offer is hard to accept." Director Jin said angrily: "Only the share capital is repaid, how to deal with the funds that have been used for operation?" Do we have to pay for it? ”

This director Jin is a master in both the official and business worlds. It is also a big moth for railway companies. He "used his official authority to restrain shareholders, debated a little, sabotaged major business issues, countered and blackmailed, and was fierce and sinister." Everything. Inventory control. Shareholders check the accounts, and use words and votes to try to resist".

Some of the so-called used funds of Director Jin are for normal operations, but most of them are funds that have been squandered, misappropriated and embezzled by these moths. Director Kim's intention is obvious: it is okay to retreat, but it is necessary to "keep the existing money and ask for the repayment of the used money", that is, to let the new company make up for the shortfall.

Although Chen Wenqiang has the intention of taking over smoothly despite suffering a loss, he does not want to make a rash decision before clearing his family's background. Besides, with this empty little tail, he has another plan, which is to take the opportunity to stand up and deter Xiaoxiao.

How to find a balance between "fairness" and "average" is the difficulty that Chen Wenqiang has to consider. Hunan is the most difficult province among the three provinces of Hunan, Hunan, and Guangdong, and it is also the only one among the three provinces that collects rental shares. On the one hand, most of the capital of Hunan Railway comes from forcibly expropriated leased shares; On the other hand, the railway was not built for a few miles, but it lost a lot of money in the so-called operation.

Of course, the Hunan Provincial Railway Company hopes that Chen Wenqiang can fill this hole, and this is still between the two sides for Chen Wenqiang. His plan is to solve Hunan first, and then Hubei and Guangdong provinces, and his think tank has already determined that "Hunan Road first, Hubei Road second, Hunan and Hubei are determined, and he is not afraid of uncertain affairs in Guangdong."

"Keep the money you have, and ask for the money you have used." Wang Xianqian nodded with a deep groan, and said, "This is also the method of retreating with the whole body." ”

"What if he doesn't?" Yu Zhaokang asked undoubtedly.

"Then mobilize the gentry and businessmen to fight with someone Chen." Wang Xianqian sneered, "He is an outsider in the end, if he provokes a civil uprising in Hunan Province, the Governor may not be able to protect him." ”

Vested interests often cleverly hide themselves under the pomegranate skirt of public opinion, which is a three-way game between the government, gentry and businessmen, and the people, and they are often turned into a game between the government and the people, and they are not only behind-the-scenes manipulators, but even referees. Under the control of those with vested interests who have the right to public opinion, those ordinary people who are calloused and really bear the cost of reform are a silent group, and they are also a group that can always be easily "represented".

"Civil unrest?" Director Jin smiled and said sinisterly: "That's right, it's this trick." If it makes a big fuss, maybe you can take back the railway company! ”

"Then first string it up, and make a group of difficulties at the board meeting, so that the surname Chen is anxious." Yu Zhaokang slapped his thigh and became excited.

Wang Xianqian stroked the beard on his chin, smiled and nodded again and again, feeling that it was difficult for a strong dragon to suppress the head snake, and Chen Wenqiang might not be able to fight them.

………………

Shoot the man first and shoot the horse, and capture the thief first and capture the king. Chen Wenqiang's sharp edge pointed directly at Hunan, just to take advantage of the fact that these moths of the Hunan Provincial Railway Company have not yet made waves, and knock out its leaders in one fell swoop, and other small shrimps will be easy to deal with.

The preparation is not inadequate, he has the edict of the governor Zhang Zhidong in his hand, transferred 300 merchants from Shanghai to temporarily serve as railway patrol police, and conducted a large number of secret investigations in advance, and through his identity in the rivers and lakes, he contacted a branch of the Jianghu Gang in Hunan Province through Xingyitang - Qitianhui.

The forces of black and white have been mobilized, and Chen Wenqiang cannot be said to have paid attention to it. In order to avoid the foolish people being incited and bewitched as much as possible, he not only sponsored a large amount of funds from the Hunan Constitutional Comrades Association to win the support of the constitutionalist gentry and businessmen, but also secretly issued an internal notice through the revival association, to the effect that the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway is beneficial to the country and the people, and all branches and associations should call on the members of the headquarters to support and cooperate, and actively publicize the policies and measures issued by the railway company to reassure the people.

The key to the struggle against the gentry is the control of public opinion, so that the abolition of policies to benefit the people such as renting shares can be known to the people at the bottom. Although this is not an overnight thing, Chen Wenqiang believes that he has done his best.

Wang Xianqian and others were plotting and discussing, and Chen Wenqiang was not idle, and as soon as he arrived in Changsha, he successively met with people from all sides.

Although the Hunan Yuehan Railway Company was controlled by Wang Xianqian and others, it was surrounded by mountains, and was divided into two major factions, "supporting the king" and "overthrowing the king", as well as many small factions. Chen Wenqiang did not want a large-scale purge, so he adopted the strategy of division and disintegration, co-opted and suppressed a group, so that he would not fall into isolation.

As Wang Xianqian said, Chen Wenqiang also realized that he was an outsider, and if he wanted to fight the snake, he must get the support of some Hunan gentry, is there any support power? If it was said before, Chen Wenqiang was not sure, but the rise of the constitutional movement, his drums and shouts in the constitutional movement, made all provinces have his comrades and his friends.

…………… (To be continued.) )