Spring came, the fields turned green, and the trees pulled out new branches. New sprouts sprouted from the leaves on both sides of the road. The warm sea breeze blowing from the southeast blows this land at the mouth of the Yangtze River, reviving everything on the earth.

On both sides of an asphalt road built by the industrial company, it is bustling with people, unemployed workers, middle-level employees of the company, technicians, and Chinese people from all walks of life are naturally indispensable to the shadow of foreigners, and several hand-cranked cameras on the roadside truthfully record the rare liveliness of Pudong.

In the middle of the asphalt road, a fuselage painted blue and white wings "thing" attracted everyone's memory, if it were not for the police officers of the Pudong Police Department standing there with batons on the outer layer, and dozens of self-improvement soldiers standing with loaded guns and live ammunition on the inner layer, if those Chinese people who love to watch the excitement would definitely squeeze on it and take a closer look at this "plane".

Zhang Zhidong, who wore a flower antelope on his head and a first-class official uniform, walked back and forth beside this "plane" twice, if it weren't for the dignity of the official, I am afraid that he would really want to go up to the cabin to take a look twice, "Such a big scene, however, this plane can really fly!" ”

As soon as his hand arched, Chen Moran said truthfully.

"Your Excellency, this plane will definitely be able to get up!"

Turning around, Zhang Zhidong looked at Chen Moran, who was dressed in a leather jacket, and he felt some emotion admiring his courage. There are a few people in this Great Qing Kingdom who are as rich as him and are willing to try such dangerous things.

"However, the old man thought that when he came to Shanghai this time, you would take me to see the car, but he never thought that you would use this plane to greet the official.

Staring at Chen Moran, Zhang Zhidong used the words of praise and praise, the reason why they belong to both the two rivers is that one is "duty", and the other is not unrelated to a letter written by someone before Liu Arsenic died. Until his death, Liu Arsenyi was most worried about the future governor of Liangjiang treating him Chen Moran as a fat sheep, so he trusted Zhang Zhidong to take care of one or two on his behalf.

“…… The capable people of the world, the heroes of the situation...... If you reuse this son, with the power of this son, you will be able to extend the fortune of the Qing Dynasty for 50 years! …… If you are persecuted by officials, you can die in a few years! ……”

When staring at Chen Moran, Zhang Zhidong couldn't help but think of a few words in Liu Arsenic's letter, in Shanghai in the past two days, although he deliberately covered it up, but he could be regarded as seeing Chen Ranzhi's hard bones, this person may have been forced, but I am afraid that it will be another ...... It has been five months since Liangjiang was connected, and in the past five months, Zhang Zhidong has been observing this "first person in Daqing industry", watching his steel mill get bigger and bigger, watching his Pudong become more and more prosperous day by day, and the same year after the "one yuan a day" handwriting, but Zhang Zhidong understands that it is time to meet this "Cao Ying".

Hearing Zhang Zhidong mention Liu Arsenic, Chen Moran's expression showed some sadness, maybe Liu Kunyi had his own intentions, but in any case, if he didn't have his help behind him, how could he achieve today's industry.

Chen Moran's face was sad, and it all fell into Zhang Zhidong's eyes, and now he nodded with satisfaction, this Chen Ranzhi still has a bit of conscience.

"Today, the industry will also ask the adults to take care of it, and will never disappoint Lord Liu's expectations, and will definitely make the industry the largest enterprise in Asia!"

"Just go with this heart! Let's fly this plane first, let those foreigners take a look, and show face to our Great Qing Kingdom like a Tianma car! ”

Towards the consuls of more than a dozen countries who "joined in the fun", his chest was straightened, his chin was slightly raised, and when Zhang Zhidong said this, he showed a few Qing Dynasty arrogance, "Yes!" My lord! ”

After Zhang Zhidong walked to the side of the spectator and sat down, Chen Moran boarded the plane. As he sat in the cockpit of the plane, he first looked around, and today almost everyone in Pudong had overtaken, even the Jews who were trying in every possible way to block the construction of the Huangpu Bridge, which had already begun to pave the deck.

In addition to going to see the lively Chinese people and consuls and businessmen of various countries, the most eye-catching thing is the officers of Britain, the United States, France, Germany, and other countries sitting on the viewing platform.

"Be curious! This plane...... Lao Tzu doesn't sell a fight! ”

As an employee turned the propeller hard, the seven-cylinder star engine turned, and puffs of gasoline exhaust smoke erupted from the nose exhaust pipe.

"Master Zhang, in fact, even if you don't fly, you don't have to be so ......"

Just when the British consul in Shanghai was about to speak, he saw that the blue and white plane wheel block was taken off, and then taxied forward, the speed of the plane became faster and faster, and slowly the front wheel of the plane gently left the ground.

"It's flying!"

At the moment when the plane left the ground, Zhang Zhidong stood up violently and shouted regardless of decency.

At the moment when the plane left the ground, Chen Moran heard the cheers around him, the plane took off after taxiing for nearly two hundred meters, without any hindrance, this primitive plane flew up gently like a bird, in the cheers of the people.

Twisting and looking down, Chen Moran could clearly see those surprised and excited compatriots, and among the compatriots stood foreigners who were equally surprised, but also clapped their hands and applauded, maybe the car was invented by them, but in this time and space, the first airplane was invented by the "Chinese".

Just this plane is enough to make yourself famous in the annals of history!

Pulling the longitudinal pole, the plane flew higher and higher, from the initial tens of meters to hundreds of meters, until the buildings on the ground became squares and people became pockmarked sizes, Chen Moran began to hover in the air, and under his longitudinal, the plane flew over Pudong and flew into the Huangpu River.

When flying over the Huangpu River, Chen Moran could clearly see the people on the Bund and the sailors on the boat in the river, looking towards the air, they looked at the plane flying at an altitude of tens of meters in amazement, and when they swept over the [***] ships, looking at the warship with colorful flags, Chen Moran's face changed slightly.

"Sooner or later, I'll have to kick you all out!"

In general, when he drove the plane over the warship, looking at the foreign sailors chasing the plane, Chen Moran showed a little pride, with this plane, these warships are nothing!

Looking at the plane that had flown without a trace, the British consul opened his mouth, but he saluted Zhang Zhidong.

"Lord Zhang, congratulations, the Qing people are the first people in the world to conquer the sky!"

Zhang Zhidong, who was full of color, listened to such a boast, but his expression was correct, revealing a bit of the pride of the Qing Dynasty.

"That'...... It was natural, just as our chariot conquered the highways of England! ”

Finally, a few minutes later, the plane hovering in the air reappeared in people's sight, and after the plane flicked its wings twice, the police officers of the Pudong Police Department on the ground waved their batons and shouted loudly to clear the asphalt road that was used as a runway.

The moment the plane landed, despite the obstruction of the police, almost as soon as Chen Moran jumped off the plane, he was immediately lifted up and thrown up by those excited foreigners and Chinese.

At this time, Zhang Zhidong, who was originally a little excited, looked at Chen Moran, who was thrown at people, and frowned, he really couldn't see through this Chen Moran.

"A car, an ocean, an airplane, a bungalow......"

Zhang Zhidong, who was thinking in his heart, cast his eyes on some people in the crowd, although there were not many people, they were very eye-catching, they were Chen Moran's entourage, would those people be so simple as entourage? He turned his gaze to the Ziqiang soldiers who had come to Shanghai with him, and then looked at the policemen again, but his brows tightened.

At this time, he agreed with the second half of Liu Arsenic's sentence...... I hope that ......, Zhang Zhidong and Chen Moran, who were being thrown in the air, did not notice that in terms of viewing the ceremony, several people looked at the plane with bright eyes.

These Yamaguchi soldiers were always immersed in a hallucination: he found that he also had a general assembly house, like the Jews in this concession, and that he had a lot of savings, bonds, and stocks in the bank, and that dividends and dividends were coming in abundance, and that as he walked down the street, every few steps he walked, someone would bow to him and say respectfully, "Mr. Yamaguchi!" ”

But as soon as he walked into the club in Hongkou, the illusion disappeared without a trace. Whenever he entered this foreign firm, he suddenly became an ordinary businessman, and his little income was not at all enough to be called "Mr. Yamaguchi", and even the workers of the industrial companies earned more than he did every month.

"If you really can't do it, go to an industrial company and apply for a technician!"

Thinking of the salary of the technical staff of the industrial company of 200 yuan per month, Yamaguchi Hyosaki couldn't help but take his monthly salary of 120 yuan to make a comparison.

I'm a graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tokyo Imperial University, so why would I waste my youth in a club? Thinking about this question in his heart, he thought of those industrial workers who wore the bronze medal of the industrial company on their chests, and in Shanghai, the bronze medal was a symbol of status, which was enviable and enviable.

Anyone wearing that bronze medal and walking down the street will always attract everyone's attention. In Shanghai, with that brand, there is credibility and life security. It's a kind of pride, so many workers polish it even when they go out on the street during their breaks, wear it on their chests, and look at other factory workers with envy.

There was even a cartoon in the concession's English-language newspaper, Zilinxi Bao, showing a worker at an industrial company wearing a work jacket with unfit banknotes in his pockets and his eyes fixed on a shelf marked "high-end goods." The industrial workers are undoubtedly the luckiest workers in Shanghai.

"Airplanes! Plane! ”

When he entered the foreign company, Yamaguchi Hyosaki thought about the airplane flying in the sky a few days ago, the plane invented by Mr. Chen, the chairman of the industrial company, which not only caused a sensation in Shanghai and Qingguo, but also shocked Yumoto, and even the whole world reported on the "Flyer No. 1".

Yamaguchi heard that some people were even angry that the airplane was invented by the Qing people, and they even argued in the newspapers that the airplane could never have been invented by the Qing people, on the grounds that the industrial company had thousands of foreign technicians, and it may have been invented by those Europeans and Americans.

"Oops!"

A look of helplessness appeared on Yamaguchi Hyosaki's face.

"I really can't imagine what those people think, the reality that the steel plant in Ma'anshan is dozens of times larger than that of Yuben, can't they see it? A group of ronins immersed in sweet dreams! ”

Thinking so in his heart, Yamaguchi Hyosaki walked to his office and began to prepare for today's work, this is not his foreign business, he is just an employee inside, although he is a senior employee.

“…… Buy a few planes! ”

The faint sound from next door only surprised Yamaguchi Hyosaki, who was shocked that wasn't the president's office next door? Who is he talking to? Buying a plane?

"Yes, Mr. Zoten!"

Aoki Yoshikawa, dressed in an army uniform, sat in front of Sato Jiro and said in a tone that could not be questioned.

"Zoteng Club has a close business relationship with the industrial company, and you and Mr. Guan Mingtang, the manager of the industrial company, are good friends! I'm sure you can help! ”

Aoki raised his eyes at Zuo Teng at the same time, and suddenly added seriously.

"Mr. Zo Teng, this is for the future development of science and technology in the empire, I hope Mr. Zo Teng can put state affairs first! Buy a plane for the Empire! ”

Aoki Daisa's words only gave Sato a sense of mission.

What the plane meant, Zo Teng may not know, but as a military attache in China, Aoki Yoshikawa knew a lot about Lucia, who was in charge of Lucia's intelligence work, and this time he came to Shanghai to discuss with the Shanghai consular officer Ogawa Military Attache how to hire foreign personnel to engage in intelligence work in Manchuria for the empire.

However, on the second day after he arrived in Shanghai, he witnessed the test flight of the industrial company "Flyer No. 1", and almost when he saw the plane passing through the sky, Aoki believed that the plane would play a role in the future war of Yulu, and if he had an airplane, then he could fly an airplane to reconnoiter the movements of the Russian army, and even conduct reconnaissance of Lushun in the future, and the airplane was far more effective than a balloon.

"Yes! Please rest assured, Aoki Daisa, I will definitely do my best to fight for it! I'm going to visit Mr. Guan in the afternoon! ”

Seeing through the glass window that the president sent a Osa out of the office, Yamaguchi Hyosaki couldn't help but feel a little strange, why did this Aoki Osa ask the president to help buy an airplane? Why does the army need airplanes?

"What, I said Zoten, what is there to be thankful for? Importing 3 million yuan of steel in three years, of course, there is no problem with this business. ”

Guan Mingtang put down the documents in his hand with a smile and looked at Zuo Teng with a smile.

"Three million dollars of steel!"

Although this is nothing for an industrial company, it is definitely a big deal for Zoteng, who is not very financially strong.

Guan Mingtang, who was smiling, picked up the phone on the table, instructed the secretary to prepare the contract, and then looked up at Zuo Teng.

"Mr. Zoteng, everything is done!"

"Mr. Guan, I'm so sorry for causing you trouble again!"

Zuo Teng hurriedly got up and made a ninety-degree bow, three million yuan of steel can make him a profit of more than 200,000 yuan. All walks of life in the company needed steel, and the steel produced by the Yawata Iron Works simply could not meet the needs of the company.

And the most important thing is that the Aoki Daisa promised to buy one million yuan of steel.

It's "this set" again, Guan Mingtang smiled.

"Zoteng, you're so polite!"

He and Zuo Teng have known each other for almost half a year, and Zuo Teng is the first businessman to import Ma'anshan steel, so he naturally became his friend.

"That's as it should be! Every time it always causes you a lot of trouble! ”

Zoten said respectfully.

"Mr. Guan, I don't know when, your company's cars, do you have any plans to sell to Yuben."

Although he didn't come for steel or cars, Zoten knew it wasn't the time to lift the plane.

"Mr. Zorten, you know"

Guan Mingtang grinned as he spoke.

"Now the production of Mustang cars is not enough orders from the United States, France and the United Kingdom, even I want to buy a Mustang car, I have to wait in line, but you don't have to worry, when the car factory expands and the production increases, you will definitely get your wish!"

"Then thank you, Mr. Guan!"

Zuo Teng got up again and bowed, if Chen Moran saw this scene, he would be very surprised, the current Yue himself is far from being a dozen or twenty years later, the current Yue Ben has just abolished extraterritoriality, these Yue himself who do business in China, know what to use to win the favor of the Chinese, in order to open the market for the average quality of Yue Ben goods.

After a simple politeness, the two sat on the sofa and chatted cordially, from time to time, Guan Mingtang would personally pour tea for the two, for Guan Mingtang, no matter the size of the business partner, he has always treated everyone equally, especially for those businessmen who have yet to open up the market.

"Mr. Guan, now the whole world knows that China has an industrial company, and the Mustang cars of the industrial company have been sold all over the world, especially since you even invented airplanes, and now this is really a big boost to the ambition of East Asians!"

"There, there! Airplanes are just a novelty for the chairman! ”

Maybe it's because the United States has been staying for a long time, Guan Mingtang even shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Mr. Guan, since I saw the plane show, I thought that if I held the air show in Yuben, I might be able to make a lot of money!"

Zuo Teng said in a semi-tentative tone, and then before he could say any more, his words were interrupted by Guan Mingtang.

"Mr. Zoteng, I'm afraid you're disappointed, now the plane is just a test flight, and there are still many places that need to be improved, and what about our chairman? Usually I am entangled by the company's affairs, and the time for perfecting the aircraft is too little, I think at least until the aircraft is perfected, the company will not produce the aircraft! ”

Guan Mingtang said with a smile and put an end to Zuo Teng's thoughts, not everyone who came here to buy a plane these days, among those foreigners who came to buy an airplane, there were businessmen, speculators, enthusiasts and soldiers, but the chairman explained very clearly, not for sale!

(To be continued)