Sunday, September 23, 1635, the autumnal equinox of the lunar calendar.

"Extra! With the strong fire support of our European Expeditionary Fleet, the Spanish Army captured the city of Cork, Ireland! The English army was completely defeated! ”

In the early morning of the weekend, it began to rain lightly, and the hot weather finally ushered in a hint of coolness. On the streets of Manchester's Long Island West End, in front of the heavy-duty horse-drawn rail station, newsboys rushed by with their voices drawn, and men strolling down the streets took out their coins to buy the temporary issue of the day's newspaper and magazine, in order to continue to follow up on the war in Europe, which is now much hyped in China. And housewives, whether literate or not, grabbed their husbands' arms and probed their brains in the newspaper pages.

In the past, not many citizens would have cared so much about a European war thousands of nautical miles away from them, but now it is different, trade between China and the United States and England, the third largest trading partner, has fallen to less than 20% of previous years, and even if Virginia has maintained a smooth flow of trade due to the special "military custody of overseas Chinese" operations, economic activities to and from the mainland of England have almost come to a complete standstill. As a result, many domestic enterprises have lowered their production arrangements, and the lack of operating rates has also caused most of these enterprises to cancel quarterly bonus benefits in the past six months.

The news of the naval fleet's victories on the European battlefield came one after another, but there was no sign of the war slackening, and the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, because of the great increase in military spending on both sides of Europe and the governor of Nanshan, the high-profile national holiday benefits have not seen the slightest movement until now. In this way, the country's economic development is still strictly dependent on the outside and fragile and sensitive, and a kind of impetuous anxiety affecting life is quietly spreading among the citizens of the capital.

Mr. Cheng...... If you're busy......"

In a box of a small two-story hotel on the side of the street, in front of the glass window on the second floor, Tao Xinmei cautiously raised her head and looked at Cheng Daxiong, who was a little absent-minded.

"Oh, it's okay!" Watching the newspaper boy gradually move away, Cheng Daxiong twisted his head back from the glass window. Waving his hand embarrassedly, "Continue with the topic just now...... The company's record sales this quarter are really good, and the first monthly record release is profitable, and your album share can rank in the top three. ”

"Hmm...... I've already got the dividend check, and my grandfather asked me to thank Mr. in person......" Probably because this weekend appointment was specifically under the banner of grandpa Tao Quanfu, Tao Xinmei's heart beat very strongly, and she blushed most of her face from the beginning, "Sir, see you this time, there is one more thing ......"

"Huh. You're a veteran employee, so what's there to say. Cheng Daxiong politely took the tea from the other party, looked at the new generation of singers he had cultivated in the past few years with a smile, and was pleased with the consistent and motivated attitude of the other party's juniors in front of him.

Tao Xinmei's head was almost lowered to her chest, and her hand under the table was also tugging on her skirt, and her voice was as thin as a mosquito: "I heard grandpa say that Xinmei's mother once asked for a hexagram when she was young, and there were nobles in her life to help...... The little woman is immoral and incompetent, and can be supported by her husband. Probably that's the fate......"

Quietly looking at the girl who was shy and waiting to be released, Cheng Daxiong suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart, and he couldn't understand why the other party would mention such a thing that had nothing to do with him.

"The little girl has no parents since she was a child, and she only grew up singing along the street with her grandfather. I thought that if I was lucky enough to get out of the sea of suffering, I would repay him with a spring......" As she spoke, Tao Xinmei plucked up her courage and looked up at Cheng Daxiong, who was a little sluggish. The speed of the heartbeat is faster, "Even if she is a girl, Xinmei is willing to ......"

Mouth slightly open. Looking at the disciple with an abnormal attitude in front of him, the little worry in Cheng Daxiong's heart finally became clear, but even if he vaguely had some psychological preparations, he didn't know what to say for a while.

"How can you think that...... I'm not trying to get you anything. Moreover, Romus, who was also the director of human resources in the first place, found out about your grandfather and grandson, and it has nothing to do with me. Cheng Daxiong said lightly, while putting down the checkout coins on the desktop, he took out his pocket watch as if he had something, "I'm sorry, I'll talk about it for the time being today, I have to accompany my family to church at noon." ”

Cheng Daxiong hurriedly left in such a rare manner, leaving Tao Xinmei alone in the private room and ashamed.

"It's okay...... And how does it matter? Thinking about it, another tear fell.

……

Sunday's extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council continues in one of the cabinet's meeting halls. The light rain outside the window dispelled the sweltering heat of late summer and early autumn, and also diluted the hustle and bustle of the "big victory" on the street, so that everyone in the meeting focused on the front of the conference room.

“…… The main force of the English navy was almost completely wiped out, and the rest were relegated to the defense of the Thames estuary in London, or rather, this was the last task of the remnants of the English navy. There has been no progress in the first round of diplomatic engagement in Emden, and it is not in our interest to hope that we can put more pressure on England and get the hardliners in the English National Assembly to bow their heads and continue to drag on. To achieve this, it is necessary to escalate military operations, such as assisting the Spanish in capturing Dublin or blockading the mouth of the Thames. ”

“…… A new round of anti-Habsburg military alliances between France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark was basically completed, military mobilization was at the last moment, and Spain and the Holy Roman Empire had received our early warnings of war. Now Spain was in a hurry to withdraw from Ireland and wanted to abandon plans to attack Dublin. ”

"The most worrying thing at the moment is the Netherlands. There is now information from various sources that the Netherlands is still privately encouraging England to stay the course, and even in the course of the diplomatic talks in Emden, the Dutch Bank of Amsterdam has provided England with a low-interest loan. In addition to the funds, at least 2000 21B flintlock rifles were sent to London. ”

Yan Xiaosong depicts the military and diplomatic aspects of today's warring countries on the blackboard, and there seems to be a hint of uncertainty in his words.

"Well, the orders for food and munitions that we can get in the next six months will make up for some of the losses in the war against England. The only thing we lack now is that we don't have enough capacity to meet the needs of our 'customers' before the fourth phase of the European war. I heard that the Netherlands had ordered several thousand more of the latest 34A flintlock rifles and 8-pounder guns in the Azores last month, and it seems that they plan to sell all the obsolete 21B flintlock rifles. Although the Dutch had money, they did not have a strong basic war potential, and they always liked to use money as a weapon to encourage others to shed blood, and they probably wanted to use the hands of other countries to weaken Spain's forces as much as possible, so as to share the military pressure on land...... That's right. Historically, when did the Netherlands officially enter the war in the fourth phase? ”

Qi Jianjun took a copy of the document transferred from the Ministry of Commerce, and when he agreed with the intelligence analysis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he turned his head to Su Zining, who bowed his head and was silent.

"As long as history does not change, it will probably be a few years, in 1638 the Netherlands supported the French war on the flank, and took advantage of the lack of Spanish troops to send the army and navy to invade the Spanish Netherlands, besiege Antwerp, and blockade Dunkirk. And to induce reinforcements from the main forces of the Spanish Navy. Su Zining closed the text in his hand and looked up at the members of the National Security Council present, "We are now focusing all our energy on the situation in Europe and England, I don't know if you have noticed, in the past six months, the number of merchant ships of the Dutch West India Company arriving in the city of Twin Ports on Butterfly Island has been declining, and in the Dutch Guiana colony, the Dutch West India Company has transported more personnel and materials in the past year...... Since the beginning of the previous year, the Dutch West India Company had been strengthening the defenses of the Guyana colony. And actively penetrate into the Caribbean. I heard that a few months ago, they had occupied the islands of Aruba and Curaçao, north of Maracaibo Bay in Venezuela, and Spain was a mess that could hardly fight back. ”

"The Dutch West India Company has almost doubled the amount of arms imported from Butterfly Island in previous years. Even last month, 1,000 tons of grain and dozens of tons of saltpeter and sulfur were purchased from Butterfly Island. It's all because we changed history, and the Dutch West India Company lost room to expand in North America and instead concentrated on South America. As long as they don't threaten our important trade routes, aren't they just right with Spanish dog-eat-dog? Finance Minister Liu Xin nonchalantly reported the information at hand. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

"Are they going to attack Spain's Venezuelan colony? I heard that Spain had discovered gold in the eastern region of Venezuela, which borders Guyana. "Defense Minister Zheng Quan is a man who has always looked at Yiqiē with the eyes of war. Staring at the northern coast of the map of South America, a symbol of Dutch power between the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, Zheng Quan couldn't help but point to Venezuela to the west of Guyana.

"Venezuela is not our main trading destination, and we don't have much investment in it. All our Caribbean fleet needs to do is protect the trade line between Butterfly Island and Trinidad. Senate Speaker Bao Zitu smiled, but he was not worried about whether the Dutch would invade Venezuela, "Xiao Su, Xiao Yan, before the problem of England is resolved, I suggest that I do not interfere too much in the skirmish between the Netherlands and Spain in South America, they have seized the past for so many years, and it will not affect us much." However, the Foreign Office can make a slight gesture and send a private diplomatic statement to the Dutch, saying that we are concerned about their occupation of Aruba and Curaçao and do not want to cause regional instability. Liu Yun, Lao Zheng, our intelligence work in South America has been lagging behind, you two can pay proper attention to it. ”

In this 17th century, there were no radios to eavesdrop on, and no microfilm cameras to take pictures for evidence. Even the Huamei intelligence department did much the same thing as their opponents. With the exception of long-term surveillance of specific historical targets, almost all intelligence gathering is akin to inquiries and mistakes. Chance and luck are still the main factors, and the concentration and sensitivity of modern intelligence awareness are only a plus, and it is even more difficult to tease out the final truth from a large pile of specious information.

At this point, the meeting basically continued in a step-by-step manner, and all military and diplomatic intelligence centers were still dominated by Europe.

……

By noon, the rain had stopped, and pedestrians on the streets came out of the sheltered shops. The clanging of heavy rail wagons as they creaked through the streets, the view was once again wide, revealing across the street the most ornate building in the city's history.

No matter how beautiful and noble the appearance of the seven-storey headquarters building of the state-owned import and export group is, it will only be submerged in the sea of high-rise buildings in the city in an instant, and there will be no splash in the future generations. But in the gorgeous capital of Manchester City in the 30s of the 17th century, it was a magnificent giant.

The scaffolding of the façade has been dismantled, and the final exterior works are still being worked on day and night, and it is expected that it will be officially unveiled on National Day as originally advertised, so as to surpass the Parliament House in the south of Manchester and become the new landmark of the capital.

Across the street from the headquarters of the State Import and Export Group is the quaint Manchester Cathedral. Fourteen years ago, it was led by Cheng Daxiong. In addition, many European immigrants donated one after another, and gradually expanded into the first Western-style Protestant cathedral in Huamei. Cheng is said to have personally donated at least $30,000 in construction and repair funds over the years.

In terms of location, perhaps Manchester Cathedral is in a better location today. Therefore, when the headquarters building of the state-owned import and export group was planned to be built, it was once said that the city government planned to acquire land by administrative means.

In the beauty of the superficial freedom and strict restriction of religious behavior, the church is sincerely afraid and powerless, and can only find the biggest backer, Cheng Daxiong, to find a way. In Huamei, whether Protestant or traditional Catholic, many older generations of European immigrants have come to regard Cheng Daxiong as their guardian of Christianity.

"The country is brand new, except for lies. There is no past history to boast about. Therefore, it is precisely necessary for us to start from today and accumulate real historical precipitation for it bit by bit. The first Western church, the first Oriental City God Temple, the first City Garden, the first statue...... All of them deserve our attention and protection. Perhaps hundreds of years from now, our descendants will be grateful that we have left a great historical memory for this country that we can be proud of, instead of the seemingly avant-garde and glamorous city of later generations that has lost its historical heritage in the frenzied demolition and has become a city that we regret infinitely. Could it be that when we arrive in this new world, we can't wait to do that kind of 'destroying before it even begins'? ”

Cheng Daxiong made the above remarks after a regular meeting of the National Assembly when he stopped the presiding officer who was about to announce the adjournment of the meeting. Once the topic of regret for the afterlife of this urban cultural heritage is mentioned. No matter how disdainful people are, they have to nod their heads in agreement, and Manchester Cathedral has passed the biggest crisis since its construction.

……

There are many citizens who participate in the church's weekend services, and there are even some ethnic Chinese among them. It seems that even if any form of public proselytizing is forbidden, as long as it can reach people's hearts, the power of religion will quietly touch someone's heart at some point.

The service was also a charity party for orphans in the Manchester City Welfare Home, and all the faithful present dropped coins in the donation boxes. Then sign the donation book.

“…… Bless our parents, our friends, and our children, and point the way away from pain. Forgive us for the sins we have committed...... Amen. ”

The crowd of worshippers made uniform cross gestures, and Cheng Daxiong, who was in the front row, breathed a sigh of relief, turned his head to look at the pious and calm appearance of the family, and touched the shoulders of the two adopted children Cheng Dong and Cheng Yuan with a smile.

"The nanny at home is still taking care of the garden, and you will take your sister to the mall to buy food for tonight's dinner." The crowd around them was exiting in the direction of the church gate, and Cheng Daxiong was explaining the housework to the two children.

"It's a rare weekend for kids, and they should go where they like to play. Let's go buy it, just in time to take Xiaoxiao shopping. Jenny still doted on any child in the family as always, and quickly grabbed her husband's arm.

Cheng Daxiong smiled helplessly, and could only obey his wife's wishes. The two adopted children, who had been liberated, let out a slight cry of admiration, and the two ran to the gate holding hands.

was about to pick up his youngest daughter Cheng Xiaoxiao and turn to leave, when a thin figure suddenly blocked in front of Cheng Daxiong and his wife.

"Mr. Cheng, please slow down!"

The Chinese in front of him had a sickly thinness, and he was still coughing as he spoke. This person Cheng Daxiong knows, is an accountant of the Beiyang Shipbuilding Group, surnamed Wang, in his forties, who converted to Christianity a few years ago because of poor health. Now it seems that this kind of faith has not changed the fact that the other party's health is deteriorating.

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Wang?" Cheng Daxiong glanced at the other party's face and lowered his voice, "You have to go to the hospital often to see a doctor, and you can't delay treatment." ”

"Thank you, I know ......very well in my body," the middle-aged man surnamed Wang sighed softly, then took out a small package rolled up with leather from his sleeve, and quietly handed it to Cheng Daxiong while there was no one on the left and right, "After thinking about it all these years, it is a blessing from God to be able to come here, and it is a sin to be too extravagant...... But Wang has always been at ease about one thing, afraid that the time is running out because of the sin, and even more afraid that it will affect his family, so he can only let Mr. Cheng untie this last knot in his heart. If the gentleman thinks it is inappropriate, he can go out and burn it. ”

After speaking, the middle-aged man surnamed Wang bowed his hand slightly, and walked out of the church with a series of coughs, never looking back. Simple conversation and passing things, from the beginning to the end of only a few dozen seconds, looking at the back that was gradually moving away, Cheng Daxiong pinched the leather package in his hand and was confused.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Holding her husband's arm and holding her little daughter, Jenny was curious about her husband's sudden stoppage at this time.

"It's nothing, Mr. Wang's health is not good, greetings, let's go home first." Cheng Daxiong groaned slightly, and the things in his hand were quietly put into the handbag, pretending that nothing had happened.

……

After dinner, Cheng Daxiong locked himself in the study and carefully took out the package that had been stuffed into his hand that afternoon.

Slowly unfolded, inside was a rolled-up account book, full of the financial income and expenditure of the Beiyang Shipbuilding Group from 1625 to the last few months, some of which were marked with a red brush and annotated in small block letters.

Turning the pages one by one, Cheng Daxiong's expression became more and more solemn, and the shock in his heart was beyond measure. In the end, Cheng Daxiong simply slapped the desk, and his face turned blue with anger.

“…… After ten years of accounting, he did illegal things with an innocent heart, so he was punished by heaven and suffered from a terminal illness. However, the market is humble, and I can't help myself. If there is a righteous and capable person who is publicized in the world, can he wash away a few traces of sin and go to heaven? ”

At the end of the book, the crooked crimson calligraphy looked so weak and frightened...... (To be continued......)