In the 30 years of the Westernization Movement at the end of the Qing Dynasty, Li Hongzhang successively founded more than 30 large and small industries, mines and schools, but most of them failed, and only a handful were able to operate after 30 years. Although the Tianjin Machinery Bureau, the Kaiping Mining Bureau, the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, the Steamship Merchants Bureau, and the Shanghai Machinery and Textile Bureau have been losing money due to poor management, Wang Chenhao knows that these suffix names with "Bureau" are all manifestations of bureaucracy, and losses are too normal.

The losses of these Western-style enterprises are only due to poor management and serious corruption, and it is still possible to recover their profits as long as they are slightly improved and rectified.

Wang Chenhao has successfully got the Tianjin Machinery Bureau into his hands and turned it into an arsenal specializing in supplying equipment to the Beiyang Army. Now Wang Chenhao has extended his hand to the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau in Gaochang Temple, Shanghai, the largest Western-style factory founded by Li Hongzhang, and the only large-scale comprehensive military factory in the Qing Empire.

However, the purpose of Wang Chenhao's intervention in the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau is in its naval equipment manufacturing, and Wang Chenhao already has Beiyang weapons to provide in the army equipment manufacturing, and the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau's own army equipment production line has lagged behind the European and American powers for many years, and it is even producing some breech weapons in the seventies.

Wang Chenhao's concern was the naval equipment manufacturing and talent of the Jiangnan Shipyard, because the Beiyang Naval Division had already ordered two Dengyun-class battleships from the British, and the behemoth with a full load displacement of 16,000 tons had exceeded the maintenance capacity of the Lushun Dockyard. There was an urgent need for such infrastructure in the country, but the imperial court did not seem to have the money or interest in spending huge sums of money to build such facilities. After returning to China, the Dingzhen Second Ship of the Beiyang Naval Division also encountered this kind of embarrassment, and bought a large ironclad ship, but the dock in China could not be repaired, and had to go to the shipyard for maintenance, which was really ridiculous.

The current Beiyang Naval Division is still Li Hongzhang's, and he understands this embarrassment best, but when he inquired with the British about the preparation of a large dock that can provide maintenance for the Dengyun-class battleship, it would cost six million taels, and if the sense of military preparedness was also taken into account, two large docks would have to be built.

Under the banner of raising funds from the private sector, Wang Chenhao actually took out money from his own Bank of America to run the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, and he only needed to pay a contract fee of 600,000 taels a year and a ten-year contract.

In the middle of winter, although the temperature in Shanghai is not too low, the sea breeze is strong, and those who do not wear it tightly must be blown cold.

A British-flagged royal cruise ship sails up the Hongkou River to the Gaochang Temple in Shanghai.

The whistle beeped a few times, and the ship docked. Several British sailors, dressed in blue shirts and black trousers, lowered the ladder and straddle to guide the passengers on board to line up to disembark.

On the top floor of the ship, a young man in a sable cloak stood with his hands in his hands, quietly watching everything in front of him. He was none other than Wang Chenhao, who came to Gaochang Temple in Shanghai to inspect the situation of the Jiangnan Machinery Bureau.

Although the Gaochang Temple in front of him is not as prosperous as Wang Chenhao's time, it is already a developed area compared to most towns in the late Qing Dynasty.

In 1867, a behemoth in the modern sense settled near the Gaochang Temple in Hunan, that is, the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, which has special significance in the industrial history of modern China. The relocation of the manufacturing bureau has been like a catalyst to accelerate the pace of development of the Gaochangmiao area from rural to urban areas. At this moment, a large settlement of more than 4,000 households has been formed in the east, north and southeast outside the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, and the area from Lao Guangdong Street, Bansongyuan Road to Gaochangmiao Station of Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Railway is a small city with more than 100,000 people.

"Looks like this place is doing well!"

Wang Chenhao thought that in addition to the prosperity of the French Concession, Shanghai during this period would be backward rural areas, and the impression given by Gaochang Temple was already in line with the aesthetic standards of modern people.

Wang Shizhen, who was standing next to him, said at this time: "Shanghai County Chronicle reads: Gaochang Temple, seven miles south of the county, became a city because of the 'Manufacturing Bureau'. ”

Wang Chenhao said: "It seems that you know a lot. ”

Wang Shizhen replied: "If you want to come to Shanghai, your subordinates need to make some preparations." ”

Wang Chenhao nodded, smiling.

Wang Shizhen said again: "My lord has vigorously rectified the Tianjin Machinery Bureau, I am afraid that the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau has already obtained information, and it is estimated that there will be no surprise attack effect this time." ”

Wang Chenhao agrees. In fact, when he came to Shanghai this time, he did not plan to kill and punish hundreds of people at a time like he did with the officials of the Tianjin Machinery Bureau. That time was to set an example for chickens and monkeys, and one use was enough.

"I won't go on a killing spree this time, but I'll hand it over to Chen Nanfeng to deal with."

Chen Nanfeng is the assistant of the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, and he is also an old man under Li Hongzhang, before Wang Chenhao came, Li Hongzhang hinted that he hoped to let Chen Nanfeng go. Therefore, Wang Chenhao's strategy also changed, even if Chen Nanfeng was not moved, at least it could not make him feel too good.

Wang Shizhen asked, "What do you mean?" ”

Wang Chenhao said with a smile: "Chen Nanfeng will let him go first, but I will give him a life-saving index back, there is serious redundancy in the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, I won't do it this time, let Chen Nanfeng go and clear them." ”

Wang Shizhen was stunned for a moment, and then smiled and said: "My lord's trick is clever!" This time, I don't think Chen Nanfeng has a good time. ”

The two looked at each other and laughed, and then Li Guodong came up to report: "My lord, it's arranged, it's time for us to get off the boat." ”

※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Wang Chenhao and his entourage disembarked from the dock and went straight to the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, but this time there was no surprise effect, and Chen Nanfeng and other officials of the Manufacturing Bureau had prepared a spare account book for Wang Chenhao to consult.

"My lord, this is the account book, please take a look at it."

Wang Chenhao glanced at Chen Nanfeng, and then glanced at the officials on the left and right. You can see from their expressions that they have no fear.

"Lord Chen has been helping to handle the affairs of the manufacturing bureau for five or six years, and it can be said that he is conscientious, so he doesn't need to look at the accounts, I believe in the vision of Lord Zhongtang."

"This—"

Wang Chenhao pushed the account book back without even looking at it, which surprised Chen Nanfeng, and at the same time, the series of answers he arranged with others were messed up.

Then, Wang Chenhao told them that the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau had been changed from an official office to an official supervision and commercial office, which required layoffs, and that more than half of the current more than 200 officials, department heads, and branch managers would be eliminated, and only a quarter would be retained in the end. At the end of the meeting, Wang Chenhao said that those who have made meritorious contributions can give priority to staying.

These officials know very well what meritorious service means. Of the more than 200 people, there were less than 50 people left, so these people had to plan for themselves, and it was naturally indispensable to secretly report the other party.

Sure enough, Wang Chenhao received several report letters in the temporary residence that night, and he received no less than 100 letters three days later. Wang Chenhao only left Chen Nanfeng's, and other people's report letters were handed over to Chen Nanfeng for processing.

When he saw his subordinates reporting each other to each other, Chen Nanfeng was so angry that he was about to go crazy, but Wang Chenhao only left evidence of his crimes, forcing Chen Nanfeng to have no choice but to deal with other guilty people in accordance with the rules and regulations.