Chapter 148: Concealing the world

It has been ten days since Feng Guozhang returned to the Nanjing Governor's Office.

For ten days, almost all newspapers and magazines have been hotly discussing the amazing news that Xiao Yimin purchased Han Yeping. Its sensation is far greater than the fierce battle between the four Beiyang troops in the junction of Guangdong-Fujian-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Zhijiazhuang-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-Jiangxi-

On June 1, another news that shocked the whole country came. The governor of Zhili, Cao Kun, governor of Fujian, Li Houji, Shanghai Guardian Lu Yongxiang, Lieutenant General of the 22nd Division, Fan Guozhang and other Beiyang generals sent a telegram to the whole country to break away from the central government. The fierce internal strife of the powerful Beiyang faction has since announced the official breakup of the Beiyang faction.

As Vice President and Jiangsu Governor Feng Guozhang has always been at the center of the whirlpool of public opinion. A group of Japanese giant businessmen, Japanese consular officials in China, and Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols gathered in Nanjing, but they were unable to see Feng Guozhang. Feng Guozhang has not yet expressed any opinions on the ownership of Han Yeping and the war between the north and the south. Instead, he stayed quietly and left behind to thank the guests at such an important moment.

Late at night on June 3, a Ford sedan with a license plate on the Governor's Mansion slowly drove to Feng Guozhang's official residence. Two young literati wearing summer gowns entered the hall under the guidance of the colonel's adjutant, and waited a little, and were immediately led into Feng Guozhang's study.

Half an hour later, two young men walked out of the official residence with a smile on their faces. Under the escort of Feng Guozhang's personal adjutant, they drove to Xiaguan Pier and finally boarded a 1,500-ton cargo ship with the American flag. The cargo ship let out a long sound in the night, and soon "《".

The small captain's room has bright lights.

Oster Henry, a tall and thin person wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, is still reading two official documents carefully with a beautiful beard and strong body.

These two official documents written in a brush and covered with signatures from the Jiangsu Provincial Governor's Office and the Jiangsu Provincial Government have been read by the two Americans five times, but the two still read and discussed in a low voice with excitement.

The two young men boarded the boat at the Xiaguan Pier in Nanjing, sat opposite the two Americans, leisurely drinking coffee, and smiling at the two American partners who were a little disobedient.

These two young men, one is the sworn brother of Sichuan Governor Xiao Yimin, general manager of China West China Industrial Group, and the other is also a close person to Xiao Yimin - Xiao Zhen, director of the Shanghai Office of Sichuan Governor's Office and manager of the Shanghai Branch of West China Group.

Henry finally raised his bright forehead, smiled at Rodfa and Xiao Zhen, and joked with skilled Chinese Mandarin:

"Dear friends, you guess, if the Japanese who gather in Wuhan for Han Yeping's ownership learned that we have obtained ownership of four large iron ores in Ma'anshan area and were signed by the governor of Jiangsu and the military governor to allow the formation of their own mine protection militia, what will the Japanese who shouted and thought they had completely controlled all the iron ore in Ma'anshan area react?"

Everyone laughed loudly, laughing very happily, and even a little unscrupulous.

Rhodes, who had been tempered in the business world for ten years, quickly stopped laughing. He pointed to the accurate documents in the hands of two American collaborators and asked with a smile: "Do you two know how much price our commander-in-chief has paid for these two pieces of paper?"

The two Americans immediately put away their smiles, and Rhodefa said with emotion:

"These two pieces of paper were exchanged for 500,000 yuan cash checks, 3,000 rifles, 2 million bullets and 300 boxes of grenades. This is not the 2.4 million yuan paid to six mine owners, two levels of government officials, and villagers of seventeen villages during the three months of secretly purchasing three large iron ore in Ma'anshan area, 4,500 tons of ore sand, an old iron smelting plant with no value at all, two narrow-gauge transportation railways and iron ore storage and transportation terminals."

Henry and Shalit were shocked, their eyes full of incredible expressions.

Henry couldn't help asking: "Dear Mr. Luo, you have paid so much for the four mining areas that have not been developed in large scale and have not even built transportation roads. The price you paid is a bit too high, right?"

Shalit also expressed deep doubts: "Luo, you are a successful businessman who is highly admired by everyone. Do you think it is worth it? Although three months of secret survey and estimation have proved that the iron ore reserves in the Ma'anshan area are quite rich, of good grade and easy to mine, but there is not even a mining machine on that land at present. Mining depends entirely on the most primitive tools and manpower. Everything is low-value. After evaluation by geological engineers and senior banking personnel from three countries, the mining area with the highest value of only 50,000 yuan has caused you to pay such a large price. It is really incredible. Can you tell us the reason?"

Rhodes asked back, "Two friends, according to your estimates, when will we obtain ownership of Han Yeping?"

Henry and Shalit looked at each other, and their faces showed helplessness.

Henry said regretfully: "Frankly speaking, we cannot see the future of Hanyeping Company, and we cannot predict the final ownership of Hanyeping Company, which has become the biggest conflict between China and Japan... The tough attitude shown by the two Eastern countries has completely deviated from the principles of business and has been upgraded to the point of mutual hatred between the country and the nation.

"So, we have reason to believe that Hanyeping Company, which has been mortgaged to the Japanese by your Beijing government for five times, is no longer a simple commercial object worth 27 million yuan on paper. According to the current situation, as long as the Japanese who own 12 million shares and nearly 10 million mortgage loan bonds do not agree, Hanyeping Company will never belong to China.

"Please forgive my frankness, but this is a cruel fact. As a competent collaborator and as a loyal friend of you and General Xiao, I have to express my point of view."

"Thank you, Henry!" Rhodes laughed: "Please go back to the Ma'anshan mining area. If no one can get Han Yeping, do you think what is the future of the Ma'anshan mining area?"

Henry suddenly understood and couldn't help but stand up excitedly. Shalit's reaction was much slower, and he still didn't understand what Rhodes meant.

Henry turned twice in the low and narrow cabin, waved his clenched fists and sat down again, his long and narrow face turned red: "I understand! I understand! Luo, you are a genius! Your General Xiao is a genius..."

"Oster, can you tell me what's going on?" Shalit asked inexplicably.

Henry waved his fist to Shalit: "David, this is an extremely clever plan... Our Chinese friends deliberately spread the important news that they owned 46% of the equity of Hanyeping Company, and asked to hold a shareholders' meeting to fully acquire Hanyeping, attracting the attention of the Japanese and the Chinese to Wuhan, and then began to mobilize civil forces to openly regain the remaining equity from the Japanese through the method of raising funds and owning the whole people...

"But in fact? In the past six months, our Chinese friends have used various clever means to secretly acquire four iron ore areas and a copper ore area from the Chinese mine owners in the Ma'anshan area when the Japanese had no time to react. Today, they have obtained the ownership and mining rights of most of the minerals in the Ma'anshan area from Jiangsu local governments, thus firmly holding the initiative in their own hands.

"Now, the ownership of Hanyeping Company has been in endless competition, and Daye Iron Mine has also stopped production. Our Chinese friends took the lead and have completely owned the Ma'anshan Iron Mine District, which is no less than Daye. Don't you understand what the next step means?"

Halfway through hearing this, Shalit had already fully understood it. After being shocked, he suddenly turned to Rodfa: "Dear Luo, is Ma'anshan the United Steel Company that we cooperated with this time? Will all the steel smelting equipment and mining equipment purchased through our Western Company three months ago be used for the newly established United Steel Company?"

Rhode nodded:

"Yes! Please forgive me for not telling you in advance, because if the news is leaked, we will not be able to compete with the Japanese who have been highly concerned about Ma'anshan. Both of you know the specific reasons. Our central government and local governments, and even our army, cannot withstand the pressure, bribery, deception and temptation of the Japanese.

"If the Japanese knew that we secretly acquired several private iron ore in the Ma'anshan area, they would definitely force our Chinese government to mortgage the Ma'anshan mining area to them, or even sell it to them at a low price. It can be said that it was pure luck that we obtained the mining rights and ownership of the Ma'anshan iron ore area."

Henry thought about it and asked with concern:

"Luo, although I know that General Xiao has a strong appeal in China and a brave army loyal to him, the Ma'anshan mining area is far away from you Sichuan. Are you not worried about the Japanese's revenge?"

Rhodes laughed: "It's fake to say that you don't worry. It's because we are worried that we will pay a huge price. By bribing and supporting friendly forces, we were allowed to establish an army outside the local army in the Ma'anshan area. Although this army is nominally a guard and only has a regiment, our Commander-in-Chief Xiao will soon send an excellent army to the Ma'anshan area to station. This guard army will be composed of infantry, artillery and engineers, and the number will definitely not be less than 5,000 people, that is, a brigade.

"In addition, since our army occupied Yichang, the traffic throat of the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and has its own warships and troop transport ships, it can protect the safety of our Ma'anshan area well. I believe that under such deterrence, no Chinese army will make adverse actions against Ma'anshan United Iron and Steel Company. I think you should have confidence in this, right?"

Henry and the other smiled at each other, Shalit sang:

"It's very beautiful operation. No one expected that our joint company would be located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River with convenient transportation and can greatly reduce transportation costs. I thought that purchasing the Ma'anshan area was to provide iron ore for the newly established Chongqing Iron and Steel Company. I believe that our US headquarters would be satisfied with this. At least I am very satisfied with it. It would be very pleasant for me to be able to stay near the prosperous Nanjing!"

Rhode laughed and said, "My friend, I'm afraid you have to live in Chongqing for a while."

"Why?" Shalit asked in confusion.

Henry asked in surprise: "Does Chongqing Iron and Steel Plant continue to be built? For us, equipment and technology are not a problem. Just send a telegram to the United States. But can you raise so much money?"

Rodfa emphasized: "It's right, we have raised 14 million yuan to build two steel plants in Chongqing and Ma'anshan areas, and will never delay your Chengdu-Chongqing railway construction project of Citibank and Western Company."

"My God...how did you suddenly have money..."

...
Chapter completed!