Hero's high-priced purchase of agricultural products has given freight forwarders and food companies throughout the Americas a respite from the economic crisis.

By February 1, 1868, after a month of frenzied price increases, the purchase price of Texas Hero Company's agricultural products had soared to 12 times that of pre-crisis levels.

Even in the absence of an economic crisis, this profit is enough to tempt consortia that were not engaged in agricultural products before, and the Europeans have begun to export farm goods to Hero Company under the pressure of domestic famine.

While purchasing a large number of agricultural products, Hero Company will keep all the products of Hero Company at the original price, which is equivalent to giving a "shot in the arm" to all the "middlemen" who sell agricultural products to Hero Company.

In the eyes of the "middleman", since the hero company is still selling its own company's products normally, it means that the "hero dollar" is still valuable, and no matter how bad it is, it can buy the hero company's products.

The "Hero Dollar" is still a "hard currency" with a guarantee of the Hero Company's products.

One ton, two ton......

1,000 tons, 2,000 tons......

1 million tons, 2 million tons......

The Hero Company is producing more and more canned food, and the underground ice cellar is stocking more and more frozen meat......

No one thinks about why Hero Company is buying such a large amount of agricultural products, and people only see the green "Hero Dollar".

February 14, 1868,

Valentine’s Day

A freighter from New York slowly sailed into Houston's Port Smith, and with the help of Hero Company, there were no more passenger ships at sea.

In order to increase profits, most cargo ships will change the spare rooms to "passenger cabins" each time, bring a few more people along the way, and sell some tickets to increase profits.

Several masked men hurriedly got off the cargo ship and, escorted by the "security guards" of the hero company, got into a carriage that had been waiting for several people for a long time.

The carriage sped straight towards the Smith Building.

When several men entered the conference room of the Smith Building, they saw an eighteen-year-old boy sitting in the main seat of the conference room, and he really stabbed the "iron cup" in his hand with two sticks that several men had never seen.

From time to time, a piece of beef is pinched out with two sticks and served in the mouth.

Several masked men identified the man sitting in the main seat as Tom Smith before removing the masked masks that had been worn for several days.

Among these mysterious men, the leader is William Henry Vanderbilt, the son of the American railroad king and the ship king, who is now 47 years old and is in the prime of his career.

As the second-in-command of the Vanderbilt family, Henry personally came here to have a secret meeting with Tom Smith, the helmsman of the Hero Company, which shows that the two companies must make a "big move" this time.

Tom was a little upset when he saw that it was Henry who had taken off his mask, put down the chopsticks in his hand that were eating canned beef, and looked at Henry sitting across the conference table with a slight frown.

"Why didn't your dad come, did you really have all the ideas? My secret letter made it very clear that this secret meeting must have someone who can make a decision on all the affairs of the two companies. ”

"Mr. Smith, rest assured, as the vice president of the company and the only successor designated by my father, I believe that I can successfully negotiate with you on any matter."

"Hmph~ Really?"

"Mr. Smith, please don't do this, there is no way to cooperate, do you really have the intention of cooperating?"

Tom snorted softly, expressing his disdain for Henry's words as the "Iron Second Generation", and Henry also felt that he had been greatly insulted.

The only reason Henry didn't slap his ass and walk away was because Henry knew that Tom's actions might just be negotiation words.

What's more, Henry knows that this cooperation with Hero Company has a guaranteed profit of tens of millions of dollars.

Henry would not give up his immediate profits because of a few frivolous words.

"You mean, you can decide everything for your father. What contract can you sign? ”

"Of course, I have the highest decision-making power in the company."

"So, if I were to buy your railroad company in full, you would be able to make a decision."

"It's... You're kidding..."

Henry was frightened by Tom's cold remark that the Vanderbilt family's railroad company was wholly owned?

Let's not talk about whether your home has any intention of selling, if you really want to buy it as a wholly-owned company, how much will it cost!

At the very least, it's $500 million, or cash.

"If one billion is not enough, it will be 1.5 billion, and if 1.5 billion is not enough, it will be 2 billion, and you can always say a price that you can't decide, and what you are going to talk about today is more important than the wholly-owned acquisition of your railway company, do you think you can make an idea?"

"I should have said in the secret letter that I called your father over, but I made a mistake."

"Go home and tell your father, if you can't come back within half a month, we won't cooperate."

Henry looked at Tom not like a joke, did the helm of one of the largest companies in the South, the actual "president" of the Second Empire of Texas plus Mexico, really need to joke with himself?

Henry didn't leave directly, but waved his hand to one of the attendants beside him, whispered a few words to him, and the attendant kept nodding and walked out of the conference room with a few people.

John glanced at Tom, who nodded slightly, and John understood, so he didn't leave the conference room.

Tom pulled out his golden fake cigarette and continued to suck on the filtered air, where he was going to wait for the man to appear.

The first richest man in American history with assets of over 100 million yuan - Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Minutes and seconds passed, maybe twenty minutes? It may also have been half an hour.

A spirited old man, escorted by several entourage, entered the conference room.

The straight back and the brisk stride, especially the vigor that radiates from the inside out, make it impossible to guess that the old man is seventy-two years old.

Cornelius Vanderbilt, armed with a jeweled cane, had entered the conference room, and his aura suppressed everyone around him into a supporting role.

The people present, even the senior executives of the Hero Company, were all impressed by this tiger-like aura without exception.

It's as if the earth is supposed to revolve around Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Only two people are exceptional.

One is John Mill, who is full of blood and murderous spirit.

One is Tom Smith, who is like a "starving ghost reincarnated", munching on white flour steamed buns and canned beef.

Cornelius's son Henry also hurriedly got up and gave up the main seat to his father, and Cornelius sat directly opposite Tom unhurriedly, smiling at the "legendary Dixie boy" who has become famous in recent years - Tom Smith.