After a long time, Mr. White came out of the box of the table, holding his cane and carrying a leather bag.

Ji Aojian looked at him, "Why don't you play?"

"Just now, I went all down, and the dark three bumped into someone else's four. ”

"It's an unfortunate one. Ji Aojian expressed understanding, "Come, let's have a glass of wine first and change our luck." ”

White sat down across from him, put down his cane and purse, took a sip of golden liqueur, and immediately showed surprise, "This doesn't seem to be tequila?"

"Not every golden wine is called agave. Ji Aojian said, "It's like not every kind of milk, it's called special infusion." ”

"And what is the origin of this sweet wine?"

"It's pumpkin wine. ”

White was stunned for a moment, took another sip, and sure enough, he felt the fragrance of pumpkin, but he had some doubts in his heart, "Among the world's famous wines, it seems that I have never heard of pumpkin wine." ”

"The brands of famous wines are all developed from scratch. Ji Aojian said very easily, "Maybe a hundred years later, this North American specialty pumpkin wine will be able to occupy a place among the world's famous wines." ”

"Makes sense. White nodded, "Every brand of famous liquor is slowly operated, and as long as it has experienced years of precipitation, there will be a bright day." ”

"Of course, the wine brewed by the Grand Master can stand the test. ”

"What did you say?" White didn't understand, "that master made this pumpkin wine?"

"My sister made it. Ji Aojian opened another wine bottle and poured another glass of golden wine syrup. "If you try this again, it's also a new wine. ”

White took a sip, though the surface was similar in color. But it has a completely different flavor from the pumpkin wine just now. "What kind of ingredients is used for this drink?"

"It's corn wine, made by my sister. ”

"Your Excellency Marquis, could it be that your family is a winemaking family?"

"Pretty much. Ji Aojian replied, "My family was originally a farm, and it has always been based on farming, and skills such as making koji and vinegar are also basic skills. ”

"Did you make a new wine like no other?"

"I don't make wine. Ji Aojian said very happily. "But before the winter last year, I pickled two large jars of pickles, and I can give you a jar when I come back. ”

“......”

"Mr. White. Won't you go in and play a few more rounds?"

"No need. White shook his hand, "Playing cards with those mediocre people is just a waste of time, I have something important to discuss with His Excellency the Marquis." ”

"Oh. What's the big deal?"

"I think. Here in California, we may be able to work together. ”

Ji Aojian laughed unconsciously, "You want to cooperate with me?"

White sighed and said, "I can see that whether it's the gold mines, or the trade, or the factories, it's all going over California." Even the population of western North America, strongly absorbing the past. In the next ten or twenty years. It is difficult for other cities to develop any longer, and it would be nice to be able to survive half-dead. ”

After all, the gangsters were not feudal lords, and they could not restrict the freedom of movement of city dwellers. And if there is too much population loss in a city, various industries will naturally wither, and the underworld will not have much oil and water to fish.

"Are you asking me to restrict the entry of outsiders? I can't do that. ”

"I know that even if you ban it, outsiders will still squeeze in if they break their heads. "That's where California's future opportunities are, so we want to grow here." ”

"You want to come here?"

Ji Aojian pondered: This is the rhythm of the gangster's big move?" "But you have to know that neither Jinshan City nor Dream City has a place for you. ”

"We are here, of course, not to compete with you for the territory on the road. White looked very sincere, "This time we're going to do serious business." ”

Ji Aojian was a little confused, "What serious business do you want to do?"

"Foreign trade. ”

"How could you think of doing foreign trade as a protection fee?"

"Your Excellency Marquis, in fact, you don't know, my maternal grandfather was also Chinese. White paused, "He's a merchant in Guangdong. ”

"It turned out to be a Cantonese merchant. Ji Aojian nodded.

"It seems that His Excellency the Marquis knows this business. ”

"During the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the three largest merchant gangs in China were the ticket merchants in Shanxi, the salt merchants in Lianghuai, and the merchants in Guangdong. Ji Aojian said casually, "However, the Guangdong merchants have always funded the Manchurian Southeast Navy, and the Taiwanese sailors are enemies. After the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, these merchants were so frightened that they scattered overseas. ”

"At that time, the Qing navy was also funded to fight piracy and protect trade. ”

"We don't have to continue to talk about this. Your grandfather came to America?"

Huai nodded, "The Thirteen Banks of Guangdong traded frequently with British and American merchants, and there were still many accounts that were not cleared. People from my grandfather's generation came to take refuge, but they didn't expect the American businessmen to immediately turn their faces and refuse to admit their debts, and then they fought lawsuits for more than ten years, and appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, but they also failed to get the arrears back. ”

"The court system is also a tool to protect the interests of the state. "Of course, U.S. courts will not be interested in helping foreigners collect debts from their own citizens, but they are interested in intervening in other countries in the name of domestic law to help U.S. businessmen compete for interests overseas." ”

"You're absolutely right, my grandfather had enough of the American face and came to Mexico to settle in the city of San Francisco. ”

"Were you born in San Francisco?"

"Not bad. ”

"But how did you get out of San Francisco and get mixed up in other cities in California?"

"The Mexican gangsters in San Francisco have long been formed, and I have to work hard in other places to have room for development. White said helplessly, "Originally, I thought that one day, I could come back with my men and horses and seize control of the city, but I didn't expect the Chinese gangs to rise and lose at your hands." ”

No wonder. As the most powerful gang leader in California, you are not in the territory of California's largest city, so you are a rising force.

"Now you don't want to do the underworld either. Do you want to learn from your grandfather in foreign trade?"

"At that time, the Cantonese businessman was the richest businessman in the East, far from being comparable to the gangster business in several small cities in California. White said angrily, "In the past, the city of San Francisco was completely tossed by a group of rice buckets, and with such a good geographical location, the foreign trade business was done tepidly. Not even the East Coast of the United States. ”

Ji Aojian smiled but did not speak.

"But this area, under the auspices of His Excellency the Marquis, is a weather that will not take many years. You can catch up with Guangzhou and become a world-class port. White pointed to the two bottles of gin on the table, "Like this newborn pumpkin wine and corn wine, it has a lot of potential." As long as you manage the brand with your heart. It will surely be a world-class wine in the future. ”

"Thank you very much. ”

White laughed, "Your Excellency the Marquis has named the new city Dream City, which means that everyone who comes here can realize their dreams. I also have a dream to be a successful tradesman, just like my grandfather. ”

"It's good that you have dreams. Ji Aojian said casually, "But I don't seem to need to let you get involved in our foreign trade business just because you have a dream." ”

A city. A country that claims to be free or not. Whether it's a dream come true, it's just a slogan to attract immigrants. Mr. White, as a giant on the road, would be naïve to think that by shouting that I have a dream, he would be able to get involved in a lucrative field.

More than 100 years later, a black man in North America, which claims to be democratic and free, shouted for the most basic racial equality, I have a dream. Then, he was assassinated.

"Your Excellency Marquis, I naturally came with sincerity. ”

White unhurriedly opened his purse, took out a set of drawings, and handed it over.

Ji Aojian glanced twice, and saw that these drawings were painted with an extremely sharp shape of a sailboat, and he couldn't help but sigh, "This is a flying clipping boat?"

"Yes, this is the clipper. White smiled again, "Now that Your Excellency the Marquis has recognized this kind of ship, you should know that the speed of the clipper ship is twice as fast as that of an ordinary sailboat, and if you cross the Pacific Ocean for trade, you can travel twice a year." If your shipyard produces these ships in large quantities, the efficiency of port transportation will naturally be greatly improved, and you can make Dream City a world shipping center more quickly. ”

"Mr. White, I have seen your sincerity. Ji Aojian said slowly, "I understand the value of the clipper ship very well, so I am collecting relevant information with a lot of money, and I also have some eyebrows." The blueprints you brought with you are precious, but they are not indispensable to me. ”

White's face became a little embarrassed, "Your Excellency Marquis, I don't want to simply ask for your foreign trade interests, the reason why I am sending this drawing is also to show that I am willing to make a contribution to the future development of this city." ”

"That's good. ”

"If Your Excellency the Marquis needs me to continue to contribute to Dream City, then I will be happy to do so despite my commands, so as to gain the opportunity to do business here. ”

As soon as he said this, Ji Aojian understood: You know that there is no future in the underworld in California, and you can only eat in the future if you come to take refuge.

It's not over if you say this a long time ago, you actually said to me just now that you are talking about "working together", it is really a shame to save face, do you have the capital to cooperate with me on an equal footing?

"In that case, I'll tell you about it cheerfully. Ji Aojian pointed at the coffee table with his fingers, "Just with the drawings of the arrow ship, shipbuilding is still in the air, and we also need corresponding engineers and a large number of skilled shipbuilders." ”

White agrees, "California is not an industrial area after all, and there are very few skilled workers of all kinds. ”

"So, if you really want to contribute to the development of your city, then go to the northern states of the United States and recruit a group of technical talents. Ji Aojian thought for a moment and added, "Not only shipbuilders, but also skilled workers in other industries." ”

"Let me go over and recruit workers?" White quickly understood, "That's fine, I'm willing to go for a trip." However, what preferential recruitment benefits does the Marquis intend to give?"

Ji Aojian said, "No matter what the salary of the workers there is, the wages will be doubled when they come here, and the ten-hour working day will be paid by the factory. If he has worked continuously for more than five years, the property rights of the dormitory where he lives will be given to him directly. ”

"It's a really good benefit. White praised, "European immigrants came to the Americas just to find a job and make a living. With such a good treatment, they must be willing to come, but I'm afraid that there are too many people who will come, and you can't accept it. ”

"It's impossible not to take it. Ji Aojian said confidently, "Even if I can't accept it for the time being, I have a place to arrange it." ”

He thought to himself: If California is saturated, it will be a big deal to send redundant skilled workers to the Northeast, and as long as the treatment is improved, there should be many people vying for it.

White said no more on this question, and asked, "What about the treatment of workers, but what about engineers?"

"The engineer came here and sent a house directly and a settling-in fee. Ji Aojian waved his hand and said, "How much, you can talk to them, even if it is tens of thousands of silver dollars, you can consider accepting." ”

"If you say that, it's perfectly fine. White said with great interest, "How can you use so much money, I dare to say, at most, as long as you throw out 10,000 Mexican eagles in front of you, no engineer will not go with you." ”

Ji Aojian smiled, "It seems that you are also very interested in digging the corners of the Americans." ”

"Needless to say, as long as I can fight the Americans, my grandfather will be very happy in the spirit of heaven. ”

"You're in the North of the United States, and it's best to keep a low profile. Ji Aojian reminded, "Americans also have very powerful behind-the-scenes organizations, for example, there is a group called the Chosen Society. ”

"Don't worry, the upper echelons of the Chosen Church are almost all big southern estate owners, and they have little interest in city life. "In those industrial areas in the north, as long as you have good relations with the local gangsters and pave the way, there is no one to take care of such trivial matters as recruitment." ”

"In short, be careful, don't make too much noise on the surface. ”

"Even if I provoke someone I can't deal with, don't you still have to take over. ”

Hey, are you using me as a backstage openly?

Ji Aojian took a breath, "Do you think that in the land of America, no matter who it is, I can deal with it?"

"If you don't have the confidence to fight the liberators, your family won't come to the Americas, right?" White laughed again, "After I lost to you last time, I went to visit Mr. Diego and confirmed one thing. ”

"What's the matter?"

"There should be an even more powerful figure behind you, it seems to be your sister. White tapped his glass, "The one that makes pumpkin wine?"

"Well, that's right. Ji Aojian suddenly remembered, "When you played cards before, why did you say that Mr. Diego was my subordinate's defeat, and I was just a draw with him." ”

"He's obviously not up to your family, he's not the strongest player in California. White explained, "You are the representative of your family's power, and it is not wrong to say that you defeated him. ”

"You seem to have some truth in saying that. ”

"Besides, His Excellency the Marquis is young and promising, but Mr. Diego is middle-aged, and from the point of view of potential, as long as you maintain a normal rate of progress, you will be able to defeat him by your personal force in a few years. (To be continued......)