In Li Hongzhang's era, some foreigners wanted to build a machinery and textile factory in Shanghai, but as soon as the British discussed with Li Hongzhang, they introduced an agreement prohibiting foreigners from opening factories in China, and only allowed Chinese officials to set up factories themselves;

After that, Li Hongzhang bought his own Western machinery to build a textile factory, and at first made some money, but a year later, a fire broke out, and all the machines in the factory were burned down.

If we look at China's modern history, we will understand that the main purpose of Li Hongzhang's Westernization Movement was not to make the country rich and strong, but to prohibit the private sector from buying Western machinery and setting up modern factories.

To put it bluntly, Li Hongzhang and other Westernists set up a factory, and there were ten factories in the private sector that could not be opened, and this was the truth of the Westernization Movement.

There is a prophecy that there are too many rats in a cake factory, and it is not very effective to hire cats to prevent mice, and the boss has a whim, so he hires mice to prevent mice, and the rats are so interested in this matter that they know the routines of other rats very well, so that no other cat can steal from the cake factory.

To put it bluntly, Li Hongzhang is a big rat invited by the British, specially used to suppress the local progressives.

For another example, when Sun Dacang made a revolution and wanted to apply for American citizenship, he was rejected by the President of the United States for a very noble reason; however, if a Japanese revolutionary had come to the United States for help, it would have been a completely different result.

In short, China is the object of suppression, and Japan is an ally to be supported against China.

If Zhao Dagui just does all kinds of trade, runs a cruise company or something, the British in Hong Kong will have all kinds of support, but he prefers to get a large number of science and technology books, and wants to promote science and technology in this land, so that the country can really become rich and strong, this is the enemy of all British, and there is no personal relationship to speak of.

This is the real reason why Zhao Dagui has been subjected to various kinds of suppression since he returned to Shanghai from Macao.

If it's just a factional struggle, those British people just clean up Bafur, why deal with Zhao Dagui, even if Zhao Dagui is Bafur's right-hand man, it is only a secondary target, not to mention that Zhao Dagui has never been Bafur's real subordinate.

Zhao Dagui thought about these things thoroughly, but he also knew that it was not suitable to talk about this matter, and Stark came over this time, because of the problem of Yishengxing, he was already flustered, and he would rather put down the great cause of suppressing the development of China's local science and technology, but also ease the relationship with Zhao Dagui, and avoid himself and others from going out of business first.

Zhao Dagui thought a lot for a while before he considered it and said, "It's okay to let me help, but you also have to agree to some of my conditions." ”

"If you have any conditions, you might as well say it and listen to it. Stark said sincerely.

"First of all, Yisheng Bank can no longer do it, it must go out of business. "Zhao Dagui's first request, Stark couldn't accept.

"That's not good, the Yisheng Lines are all out of business, why am I talking to you so much?" Stark said unhappily.

"Hehe, at this point, Yishengxing can't go out of business if he wants to. Zhao Dagui shook his head and said: "Listen to me, the most important thing in doing business is reputation, you said that the way Yisheng is now, the original reputation has been lost, how can there be businessmen who will do business with them in the future."

Not to mention anything else, will you backstage continue to invest money in this Yisheng Bank in the future?"

"This—" Stark couldn't help but give a thoughtful expression.

"Besides, Yisheng Bank is my biggest business rival, do you think it's possible for me to pay for it to continue?" Zhao Dagui continued.

"However, if the Yisheng Bank has gone out of business, won't all our money be wasted?" Stark said unwillingly.

"The money has long been lost, and what you are thinking about now is not how to make money, nor how to return to the capital, but how to stop the loss. Zhao Dagui hit the nail on the head and said, "What I can help you with is to find a way to deal with the inventory of Yisheng Bank, sell more money, and reduce losses."

If you still want to fight against the odds and make a lot of money by reversing the form, don't look for me. ”

Stark angrily raised the glass in front of him and drank the wine down, Louie's, Thirteen, why the was so bad.

"In addition, there are some rules for the future struggle between us.

I know that we have different positions, and it is okay to compete with each other, but it is still too much to collude with pirates to burn down factories.

You must at least make sure that you don't do this immoral thing, or don't blame me for being unkind.

I'm also a rich man in China, worth millions, even if you hide in Hong Kong and feel safe, but I have to clean up a few people, I can still do it. Zhao Dagui said solemnly.

"Is this a threat?" Stark said with a red look in his eyes.

"At most, it can be a bottom line, lest someone do something out of the ordinary, and everyone will end up badly. Zhao Dagui said.

Stark was very angry, as if he was about to pounce at any moment, he glared at Zhao Dagui, and Zhao Dagui did not back down, and also glared back.

"Okay, I agreed, no matter how you fight, there is a rule. Stark had a request, and in the end he could only answer.

"It's good for both of us, you'll understand later. Zhao Dagui nodded.

From beginning to end, the two sides did not say anything like stopping confrontation and cooperating with each other in the future, both sides are smart people, and they know that as long as Zhao Dagui continues to develop science and technology in the future, they will make China rich and strong, because of the limitation of their position, Stark and these people will inevitably die endlessly, and there is no room for retreat.

From Zhao Dagui's position, of course, I hope that Stark's gang will go bankrupt and go bankrupt, but it is useless, without them, there will inevitably be another group of people who will come to power to make trouble with him, and they may not really go out of business.

The people led by Stark, even Pu Dingcha, a general-level person, have been defeated, so that powerful foreign banks such as Jardine can also act obediently, and naturally they will not be dragged down by millions of yuan, if they really put down their face and beg, they can still find funds to solve this problem, but the price is greater than finding a big expensive firm, and they are not willing to do it.

Zhao Dagui clearly remembers that at the beginning, Jardine Matheson sent someone to inquire, and he proposed that as long as Jardine stood with him, he would be willing to help them deal with the inventory, but Jardine would rather suffer losses than form an alliance, so it can be seen how much potential influence Stark's people have.

If Zhao Dagui, a businessman worth more than a million people, could make Stark and these people back down, then the Qing Dynasty would not have been beaten so hard by the British.

"In addition to these two items, do you want to go over to the industry and the shopkeeper of Yishengxing?" Stark is an extremely smart person, and after listening to the first two proposals, he guessed what Zhao Dagui would ask next.

"Oh, that's as it should be, isn't it?" replied Zhao Dagui calmly.