Located on the west bank of the Huangpu River, the Gothic Jianghai about Guangxu 19 years built, Qing Dynasty Guangxu 17 years, because the ancient temple style of the old customs office is shabby, Daotai Nie Ji and Jiang Customs and Taxation Department quasi-Daxian, appropriation to build a new customs office, cost 2 years, Guangxu 19 years of winter completed, built a Western church style customs office building, the external building and internal equipment are more elegant, there are turning, stone lions, bell towers, lightning rods, heating and a wide customs declaration hall.

If customs is a symbol of the country. Then since 1854 Shanghai Jianghaiguan established the Jiangguan system, the key to open the door of the country fell into the hands of foreigners, this towering on the Bund Gothic-style Jianghaiguan building has witnessed the humiliation of Shanghai since the opening of the Huangpu River for half a century. It was here that the system of foreign taxation of the foreign customs department of Xianfeng was established here, and in the next three or four years, the semi-colonial customs system of Jiangxi Customs was forced to be rapidly promoted to one of China's treaty ports. Since then, China has lost its power for nearly half a century!

At this time, the right eyelid of the General Sense of Anglian, the General Director of the Taxation Department of the Jiangxi Customs in the Jiang Customs, jumped straight up, and there is often a saying in the Chinese folk that "the left eye jumps to wealth and the right eye jumps to disaster". He did not think that much progress could be made in the negotiations, and he could not know more about this country after 16 years of coming to this country, but this understanding was only for the Manchus of the past, not of the current Manchus.

"What are you going to do?"

Anglian looked at the official document issued by the Ministry of Finance in Nanjing an hour ago on the table, which is the general document of the "Customs Interim Additional Tax Measures", and the implementation date is today.

"It's just pressure!"

Smoking a cigar, Badi said with a smile that, compared to some of Anglian's worries about the future, he even believes that the negotiations in Peiping are likely to break down today, and it is precisely because of this that the Chinese will issue this official document when the negotiations open.

"They are just trying to express their attitude in this way, but Anglian, we need to know one thing, is it possible for the legation in Peiping to accept this blackmail? What's more, is it possible for this surcharge to be enforced without our cooperation? ”

"Nope! I think they must have a way to enforce these surcharges! ”

A somewhat uncertain Anglian shook his head and said, he paced back and forth in the office, the Chinese must have a way to force everyone to implement these seven levels of additional tax, but the question is, what method will they use?

The phone rang suddenly, Anglian took the phone, listening to the content of the phone, his face turned white in an instant, and when he hung up the phone, his pale face was full of helplessness.

"Buddy, I told you that they must have a way to get the surcharge to continue, now ...... They found a way! ”

At the same time, he smiled wryly.

"I have long proposed to the General Department of Taxation that we should hand over Guan Yu to Nanjing, but he has repeatedly refused, Guan Yu is our weapon, but for Nanjing, Guan Yu is their lifeblood, and now they not only have to levy additional taxes, but even take away the right to seize them! Our good days are coming to an end! Mr. Bardy, maybe in the next few years, we'll be ready to pack our bags! ”

At this time, Anglian's face was full of reluctance, he and Chen Moran had a lot of personal friendship, and it was the personal relationship between the two that made him believe that this time Nanjing was determined to recover the tariffs.

The Huangpu Bridge on both sides of the bridge, since the completion of the bridge, the spiral approach bridge, has always been a scene of the Bund, especially at night, the spiral approach bridge is illuminated by the lights when the dragon posture, it is even more praised, but for Shanghai, the Huangpu Bridge is not famous for his alternative appearance, but because of the story behind the bridge and the important surname of the bridge connecting the two sides of the bridge, since the completion of the bridge, the bridge has been the most important traffic artery between the two sides of the Huangpu River.

On today's six-lane bridge, the continuous carriages along the Bund Road to which the spiral bridge extends, and the goods unloaded from the merchant ships of various countries at the Bund Wharf used to be transported directly to the other side through the Huangpu Bridge.

But today is different from the past, the carriages carrying goods are parked in the middle of the bridge, and some anxious handlebar and delivery companies are constantly negotiating with the tax police in the middle of the bridge, but the tax police just shake their heads and drive the carriage away.

"Taxes that have not been paid are regarded as smuggling, and they will be temporarily detained!"

On the roadsides leading from the concession to the Chinese boundary, the tax police in black police uniforms and rifles on their shoulders blocked the goods that were about to be leased, and the national police had no law enforcement power in the concession, so they could only block the import of goods outside the concession.

“4.5%、7.5%、12.5%、14.5%、19.5%、24.5%……”

Looking at the additional tax payment form in his hand, Sassoon almost didn't want to tear the form apart, but in the end he still didn't tear it, and the goods transported by the foreign bank to the warehouse outside the concession were seized by the tax police at the intersection.

"With this form, pay the tax to the Industrial Bank, and only with the tax payment certificate can you go to the Shanghai State Taxation Bureau to go through the procedures for picking up the goods, and if you do not make up the additional tax on the 15th day, you will be deemed to have given up the goods, and the seized goods will be auctioned by the special agency of the State Taxation Bureau!"

"Father, what are we going to do?"

Victor? Sassoon looked at his father and asked rhetorically, he had just returned from the Shanghai State Taxation Bureau, and the tax officer of the State Taxation Bureau made it very clear that there were only two options: either pay the tax or auction it.

"Take a look at our contract, the contract that expires tomorrow, pay the tax today, and the day after tomorrow, pay it tomorrow, we have to promise to maintain the contract first, inform the driver, I am going to the British consulate and ask for the attitude of the consuls!"

"Damn the Chinese guys! Damn cripple! ”

Compared with Sassoon's calm treatment, in the office of Charlie Foreign Company's Taipan, Charlie's roar is constantly heard, the current Charlie is far from the same scenery as a few months ago, the contradiction between him and Chen Moran due to jealousy is almost unknown in the Shanghai business community, and it is precisely because of this that Charlie Foreign Company's current business can be described as not as good as the other, and recently it is difficult to take advantage of the trend of Chinese to establish industry, relying on the sale of machinery at a lower price than other foreign firms, and the business can be regarded as improving.

And now that damn cripple has come up with this "tariff surcharge", the tariff surcharge on machinery is 4.5%, which takes almost half of the net profit.

"Damn the Chinese guys, add it! You add it! Fifteen days, I'll wait for fifteen days, I have to see if fifteen days later, whether Nanjing will be bombarded, or yours will auction my goods! ”

Although it is a pain to think about the more than one million machines that were temporarily detained in Wuhan, Charlie prefers to believe that the legation will never compromise, and this agreement on tariffs is a matter of interest to all countries!

"You're crazy!"

In the British Legation in Peiping, Sakyi looked at Liang Dunyan in front of him with an incredible look, the Chinese have introduced tariff surcharges, and even today, at this time, even when everyone began to negotiate, they have begun to collect additional taxes at various gates.

Aren't they afraid of provoking a war?

"No!"

Liang Dunyan shook his head.

"It's not that we're crazy, Zhengbai because we're very normal, so we have to achieve tariff autonomy, we have to levy tariff surcharges, and no political axe of reading power will give the right to tariffs to outsiders, may I ask Mr. Sakyi, now in the world, except for China and Egypt, which country has signed tariffs with other countries? No! No, even Egypt's negotiated tariffs can be adjusted within the 15% range, but what about China? But it can only continue to be worth a tariff worth 500 draws! ”

"Are you not afraid of provoking a war? Your actions have violated the Old Testament that you have endorsed to keep! ”

"Minister Sa, please don't doubt our determination to withdraw customs duties and implement national tax independence!"

Liang Dunyan said in an unusually positive tone that he clearly knew the risk of confiscating goods in exchange for businessmen taking the initiative to pay additional taxes at the Industrial Bank, but the ruling government said very clearly that if they did not take decisive measures, these powers would only treat China as a dough to be kneaded, and whether it was the temporary seizure of goods or the collection of goods by the Industrial Bank, it was to show China's attitude.

"Even if the warships are forced and the guns are imminent, it is impossible to change our country's determination to implement national tax independence!"

"Then you can talk to the cannons of the warship!"

The somewhat annoyed German Minister Mougins suddenly shouted loudly that although Germany's commercial interests in China were far inferior to those of Britain, the United States, and China, with the Chinese political axe purchasing a large number of machinery and equipment in Germany, Mougins valued commercial interests more than ever before. Tariffs are directly related to Germany's commercial interests in China.

As for the threat to Mougin, Liang Dunyan just glanced at him, and after pondering for a while, he spoke.

"Minister Mu, I will truthfully report your words to the ruling axe!"

As he spoke, he turned his head again and looked directly at Hurd, the chief tax collector who was in front of Sakyi.

"Mr. Hurd, regarding the solicitation of the surtax, due to your non-cooperation, the ruling axe has to express regret, until further agreement is reached, the collection of the surcharge will be collected by the IRS, and the Bank of Industry will be responsible for the collection!"

The sentence was a thunderclap that exploded again in this conference room, and this thunder only made Hurd not come back to his senses for a long time. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is the power of the General Department of Taxation, and the collection of additional tax has directly kicked out the customs and HSBC.

Standing up, Sakuyi ended the negotiation with a sentence on his face.

"As Minister Mougins said, Liang Dunyan, please tell your country that we will take all means to defend the interests of all countries and safeguard the sanctity of international treaties!"

(To be continued)