Chapter 11: The pauper starts a foreign business

Eighteen American soldiers, big tall men in Yishui, Tony-style bowl, steel helmet, khaki military uniform, fur boots, and bayonet rifles, walked in carelessly, not taking these hundreds of Shanghai gangsters seriously.

If such a small team of American soldiers faced such a huge number of people in the north of China, they would definitely be afraid and retreat. The north had made a fuss with Yihequan and had fought with foreigners on a large scale. Moreover, the northerners were rude and heroic, and they would ignore their tempers and kill them.

But Shanghai is different. This is the earliest place where foreigners have established their foothold. The concession has a history of nearly a hundred years. It has changed from a wilderness to the largest and most modern city in China and even the Far East today. It depends entirely on foreigners’ construction. The core of Shanghai is the concession, and foreigners are the sky.

So-called tycoons like Huang Jinrong and Zhang Xiaolin came to their fortunes by running errands for foreigners. Their backing is the concession police room. It’s okay to bully Chinese people, but they will never dare to offend foreigners.

The maintenance of public security in the concession depends entirely on the police station and the 1000-country business group, but the real guarantee that the foreigners can rest assured is the garrison of Britain, the United States and France. The vast world is vast, the foreigners are the largest, and the foreigners' army is even more large!

Eighteen American soldiers completely subdued hundreds of thugs called by Zhang Xiaolin in terms of momentum, and no one dared to come forward to stop them. On weekdays, the gangsters inside and outside the alleys, who were rampant between the docks, were all slapped in the majesty of foreigners. Don’t care about the generals who are usually arrogant, they will have weak legs when they meet foreigners. Chinese and foreigners are like cats and rats. Don’t care about the size of mice, they will be as frustrated as if they were natural enemies.

Cheng Yaojin came out halfway, neither Zhang Xiaolin nor Du Yuesheng expected that the Americans would interfere in this matter. They both lived in the French concession for many years. They knew nothing about pidgin French, but they could not speak English. Facing the fully armed Major Allen, they could only smile and nod and bow.

Although the two tycoons have a high status in the world, their social status is very average. Even Huang Jinrong, the leader of the three tycoons, is just the leader of the French Concession. In front of the American major, he doesn't even count.

Major Allen ignored them at all. When he saw that Chen Zikun was fine, he breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems that I was not late."

Chen Zikun was full of spring breeze, put away his guns and shook hands with him, "Thank you, Major, you came at a very time."

Major Allen looked at his guns and smiled, "I hope my arrival has not interrupted your plan. These hooligans dare to go against a general. I think they are impatient to live."

The two of them chatted and laughed in English, as if no one was around. Zhang Xiaolin's face turned pale and white. All the foreigners were on the move, so he had no choice but to admit defeat.

"Chen Guardian, the days are long, we will have a date in the future." If you stay there, you can only bring shame to yourself. Zhang Xiaolin clasped his fists and left.

Du Yuesheng also stood up: "Then I will say goodbye too."

Chen Zikun said: "Du Yuesheng, be slow."

Du Yuesheng, who had already reached the door, stopped and smiled and said, "What's the matter?"

Chen Zikun bowed and said, "Thank you for today."

Du Yuesheng returned a greeting and left.

The thug downstairs, the thugs of No.10 and the two or three hundred people on the road outside saw that the two tycoons had left, and they also scattered, and Jubao Teahouse returned to peace.

Li Yaoting breathed a long sigh, his back was soaked. Although he had been lingering in Shanghai for a long time and had seen all kinds of storms, it was the first time that both tycoons had seen each other today. It was a time to sit on the same table with Zhang Xiaolin and Du Yuesheng and have a tea talk. It was also a qualification to spread it, but his back was soaked at this moment.

Major Allen shrugged and said, "It was Mr. Mu who called me to notify me that someone was going to assassinate you at Jubao Teahouse, but depending on your preparations, I don't think they will succeed."

Chen Zikun stretched out his hand to Mu Yichen: "Thank you."

Mu Yichen said: "Senior, you are welcome. You are my financial supporter. You must not be in trouble. Then again, you are so desperate."

Chen Zikun smiled self-deprecatingly: "What you play is fate."

The crisis was resolved and everyone was about to leave when a team of patrol officers from the South City Police Department arrived at the scene. Major Allen calmly stepped forward to negotiate and said that he was ordered to go to the British Pacific Foreign Business warehouse at the Shiliupu Wharf to transport goods, but he was just passing through the Chinese world. The patrol officers kept saying a lot and naturally did not dare to stop them.

Chen Zikun's surprise attack was lying nearby and quietly retreated. He took Major Allen's car to return to the concession. The public concession was still guaranteed. With Zhang Xiaolin's courage, he did not dare to *** on the territory of foreigners.

This battle between the cross-river dragons and the local snake temporarily ended with Chen Zikun's victory. In order to thank Major Alan and Mu Yichen, Chen Zikun decided to invite them. Major Alan happily agreed, but expressed his willingness to bring a few more ladies to liven up the atmosphere. Chen Zikun naturally said yes.

...

The dinner was held in the banquet hall of Huizhong Hotel. Since it was a formal dinner, guests were required to wear evening dresses. Chen Zikun and others did not prepare evening dresses and rented a set in a special store. People rely on clothes and horses rely on saddles. They were originally young people with college education, and they were more gentle and handsome when wearing them.

Alan King took his wife and Miss Emily to attend the dinner. The officers were wearing military dresses, the lady and the lady were wearing floor-dressing dresses. Jian Bing and Yao Yilei were wearing fitted cheongsams, showing the lines and charm of oriental women.

The dinner was very sumptuous, with French dinners and excellent red wine. The purpose of Chen Zikun's trip to Shanghai was discussed at the table. He told his American friends without any concealment that he was here to purchase arms.

Major Allen immediately danced: "The rifle is of course the best for Springfield. Although its spinning bolt is from Mauser, there is an old saying in China that it is better than the blue than the blue, isn't it?"

Springfield is the US Army standard rifle m1903. Chen Zikun used it when he was in the pastry. This gun is much shorter than the Mauser 98 style and is lighter and more convenient. It is indeed a good gun.

"Of course, I also know a story. During the European War, Sergeant York from Tennessee killed twenty-one German soldiers with a Springfield and twenty bullets, captured 132 German troops, and won the highest medal of the US military and the Medal of Honor." Chen Zikun talked freely, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"So, how much USD does a m1903 cost?" Chen Zikun asked.

Major Allen shook his head: "This is the quarantine officer's problem, I only know that this is a good gun."

Chen Zikun knew that various warlords used various arms, Feng Zhang used the Golden Hook and Russian Water Pearl, southwest Lu Rongting, Tang Jiyao mainly used French Leber, the Zhili system used the national manufacturing of Hanyang Factory and some imported German Mauser. The arms used by other small warlords were even more complicated, such as Carcano, Austria, Manlisha, etc., but few of them used American weapons.

The domestic weapons market is controlled by various old foreign companies. Although the US hot manufacturers are strong, they often become OEM roles, producing water for Russia and Lee Enfield for the UK, but they cannot sell their own products.

Chen Zikun had an idea: "Allen, last time I heard you say you were going to retire and return to the United States. I don't know what plans are?"

Allen said, "I am going to go back to my hometown in Texas to open a livestock farm." His words were quite discouraged. He was not young anymore, and he had been a major for fifteen years but had not yet been promoted.

Chen Zikun said: "Are you interested in doing business together?"

Before Allen could speak, Mrs. Jin's eyes lit up and she pouted and said, "I am not happy to go back to Texas to milk every day. After staying in Shanghai for a long time, I don't want to go anywhere."

Allen hesitated: "I am a soldier and can't do business."

Chen Zikun said: "It doesn't matter, we are doing arms deals, and the business is in the right place."

Now Allen became interested, moved his butt straight, rubbed his hands and said, "How much money do you think you can make in a year?"

Chen Zikun downplayed: "That's just a few million dollars."

"Oh God, Alan, have you heard it? A few million dollars, you can't make that much money even if you raise a cow for your whole life." Mrs. Jin was so excited.

Major Allen also looked eager to try, but after thinking about it, he said, "But what can I do?"

Chen Zikun said: "We have established a foreign company in partnership to act as the general manager. I will send someone to be your deputy, supply and marketing one-stop, and make half of the money. China has been fighting for wars all year round, so there is no need to worry about selling arms. Isn't that?"

"Yes, yes, Alan, please agree quickly." Mrs. Jin said, shaking her husband's arm.

Allen thought for a while and said, "Okay, I accept it, but you will have to go through the retirement procedures before you can take up your new job."

Chen Zikun stretched out his hand: "A word is determined. My general manager, I suggest the name of this company is Springfield. The Chinese name is Springfield. It is translated as a translation. What do you think?"

"To be honest, it's very good." Major Allen looked in a good mood and shook hands with Chen Zikun and said, "So, are you both a partner and the first customer in the company?"

Chen Zikun said: "That's right, I'm going to purchase 10,000 Springfield rifles, and I'll leave this business to you."

He said to Mu Yichen again: "You should be the deputy general manager of a foreign company."

Mu Yichen's heart was ups and downs and his heart was fierce. He became a senior manager of a foreign company in a meal, and he also had his first business. It won't take long to make a name for himself and gain a lot of money!

"Qiu Ling, wait for me!" A voice sounded in Mu Yichen's heart.

"But, ten thousand rifles require at least 800,000 oceans. Where does this money come from?" Gong Zijun asked this frustrating realistic question very appropriately.

Chen Zikun smiled embarrassedly and stopped talking. He had no money at all and was just a business that made money.

Allen opened his eyes wide: "Chen, I think I need to declare that my assets are only a few thousand dollars, and I'm afraid it will disappoint you. Chuntian Foreign Company, I can only invest in dry stocks."

Chen Zikun had to tell the truth: "Okay, actually I'm quite nervous now, only about 100,000 yuan."

Li Yaoting picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth, pretending to be very busy. It was not that he didn't want to participate in the shares, but that he really had no funds. The opium business occupies a lot of funds, and he can only take advantage of tens of thousands of yuan. This small amount of money is purely embarrassing to open a foreign company.

A bunch of paupers still have to start a foreign company and do a big deal that makes millions a year. It's a joke. When she was embarrassed, Emily, who had not spoken, spoke:

“My dad opened a bank in Boston, Massachusetts, and I thought maybe I could help.”
Chapter completed!