A mu of poppy fields can produce fifty or sixty kilograms of poppy fruit, and only three or five kilograms of opium paste can be extracted. The soil in Nantai is moderately acidic and alkaline, warm and warm, and the yield and quality are guaranteed. 50 taels of opium per mu are produced. The market price is about 25 yuan per 25 yuan, and Sichuan soil is rehe River soil is second. From the perspective of Master Long, the price of Jiangbei soil should be at 20 yuan per 20 yuan.

One thousand pounds of opium are equivalent to 16,000 taels. If the wholesale price is lower than that, it is the total price of 40,000 oceans. It is not a big deal. But for Chen Zikun, it is indeed an extremely important first time. It is not a worry about selling opium, but only when it is sold to Shanghai, the profit is the highest. If a channel for production, supply and sales will be formed, he will make money every day, so he is very cautious and personally escorted it.

Although Li Yaoting responded to the Shanghai beach, he offended Zhang Xiaolin last time and had to take precautions. After the last war, Chen Zikun incorporated the heroes of Baodugu into the pistol battalion to form a reinforced battalion. This time, he personally brought three hundred brothers and Yishui's automatic firearms to Shanghai.

Due to the lack of upstream business and the vicious competition of Chinese sailing ships, Swire Foreign Service did not open a Huaijiang route west of the provincial capital, and Chen Zikun did not want to take over foreign powers, so he set up several cargo ships through the relationship between Hunjianglong, loaded with steam boilers and heavy machine guns, and used them as gunboats.

Two cargo ships sailed downstream through the wind and waves. Chen Zikun stood at the bow of the boat and was full of energy, wearing a white suit and elegant style.

The Huai River turned a corner here, from east to west to north to south. The river level was gentle, and the north of the river was flat, full of alluvial plains with fertile soil. From a distance, the mountains and rivers were magnificent. Chen Zikun suddenly became excited and said, "Get paper and pen!"

The guard immediately brought rice paper and brushes. In front of everyone, Chen Zikun picked up the wolf hair and dipped it in Huizhou ink. Everyone was waiting for him to splash ink, but he didn't move at all.

All the inspiration in my mind just now disappeared, and Chen Zikun couldn't hold it up.

He received Western education since he was a child. He couldn't even write calligraphy well, so he could not write poems. He stayed with the brush for a long time, and a drop of ink fell on the paper to render it. Chen Zikun had an idea and drew two lines turning in the curve on the paper.

Everyone was confused: "What's this thing?"

Chen Zikun said: "This is Huaijiang."

He added two more strokes on the river and drew interlaced bars: "This is an iron bridge."

Shuangxi said: "Why is an earthworm lying on the iron bridge?"

Chen Zikun said: "This is not an earthworm, this is a train, do you know?"

Shuangxi said: "What is the train? It's so long, like an earthworm."

Chen Zikun said: "The train is a coal-burning steam locomotive. The carriage is dragged behind it, which can hold hundreds of people and hundreds of thousands of kilograms of goods. So it's so long that this thing can run fast and even riding a fast horse can't catch up."

Shuangxi said astonished: "It's so amazing. You can run so fast by lying down. If you stand up, that's OK."

Everyone was laughing, but in fact they had never seen a train.

Chen Zikun's paintings rose and painted many chimneys with black smoke on the river bank, saying: "This is a factory, a coal mine, an iron mine, and a school."

Everyone was fascinated, and Shuangxi stared at her eyes and said, "So many chimney buildings are not the same as Shanghai."

Chen Zikun said: "Yes, I'm going to build a new Shanghai in Jiangbei."

Hun Jianglong walked over with his upper body and two guns inserted into his waist and said, "The Guardian, Jiangwan is ahead, it is my brother's nest. Should I go and sit there and drink a glass of water and wine?"

"Okay, look at your brothers." Chen Zikun agreed happily. He worked with Hun Jianglong for a while and decided that he was a loyal man and wanted to incorporate him.

There are a large area of ​​reeds growing deep in the river bay. It is summer, and the reed marshes are extremely dense and vast. There is no way to find the small boats when they enter, and the large boats cannot enter the shallow water. No wonder the official army repeatedly suppresses them.

Chen Zikun changed to a sampan and followed Hunjianglong to a small island deep in the reed marsh. At this time, it was the old nest of the water bandits, and it looked no different from an ordinary fishing village. Several old sampans were pressed upside down on the shore, and the bare-butt children ran around. The two were tattered clothes on the rope, and the sheds made of more than a dozen reeds were arranged in an orderly manner.

"There are all homeless refugees living here." Hun Jianglong introduced.

The men on the island are all rough-faced, so Chen Zikun doesn't believe Hunjianglong's words. I guess these people are all robbers who kill and rob, and they are wanted by the government and have no way to go to hide here.

Hunjianglong invited Chen Zikun to take a nap in his shed. The shed was simply furnished, with a hammock and an antique case with several spiritual seats on it. One in the center said, "First take the position of Zeng Gong to get rid of the disease."

Chen Zikun asked in confusion: "Your surname is Zeng?"

Hunjianglong inserted three incense sticks into the incense burner in front of the spiritual throne and said, "Yes, my original surname is Zeng, and my father is Zeng Quji, the last county magistrate of Nantai County."

"You are Zeng Jiao!" Chen Zikun was shocked. At the same time, he suddenly understood why he felt familiar when he saw Hunjianglong for the first time. It turned out that his appearance and the ghost face on the walls of the thunderstorm at the back of the county government office were cool. I think the man in the Qing Dynasty's re-dressing uniform was the legendary magistrate Zeng.

Hunjianglong is Zeng Jiao, so Liu Youjin must be a fake. What a cunning County Mayor Liu, who has deceived me for a long time.

Hunjiang Long Zeng Jiao did not notice Chen Zikun's emotional fluctuations, and said, "Yes, my name is Zeng Jiao. Thirteen years ago, my family was destroyed. Xia Dalong drove me away and wanted to drown me in the river. Fortunately, he was rescued by the water bandit Hunjiang Long, who recognized me as his adopted son, taught me all martial arts and inherited his family business. In fact, I am the second generation Hunjiang Long."

"Then your adoptive father?"

“In the provincial capital prison.”

Chen Zikun nodded and said, "Then are you Zeng Jiao or Hunjiang Long now?"

This question was quite meaningful. Hunjianglong lowered his head and pondered for a while, and said, "Zeng Jiao is dead, I am Hunjianglong."

Chen Zikun said: "Would you like to work with me? The waters of the Huaijiang River will be taken care of for you."

Hun Jianglong said: "Is the Guardian envoy to me?"

Chen Zikun said: "What's wrong?"

Hun Jianglong said: "The general is so powerful that Jiangbei. We admire him very much, but there is still one condition."

"speak!"

"My adoptive father, Hunjiang Long, is in the provincial capital and will be executed soon. If the general can save his adoptive father's life, we will be willing to follow him in life and death."

Chen Zikun said: "It's easy to deal with, I promise you."

Hunjiang Longna said to the head: "Thank you General!"

At this point, Chen Zikun and Hun Jianglong changed from cooperative relationship to subordinate relationship, and became the water security brigade under the Jiangbei Guardian Office. Hun Jianglong transformed into the security brigade captain and the rank of major.

...

After conquering Hunjianglong, Chen Zikun was in a good mood. The sailboat was smooth sailing all the way to the waters of the provincial capital. Suddenly, a water police fireboat, painted black, came to block the fireboat with black smoke. Everyone was shocked and hurriedly set up the machine gun to prepare to start the fire. However, the steamboat was approaching, and the whistle sounded and the water police saluted.

Chen Zikun smiled and said, "The head of the Provincial Water Police Corps is Duan Haixiang's brother-in-law, and this little face is always given."

The waterway behind was a little difficult to walk. The Huai River entered the Yangtze River and the Huangpu River through Wusongkou. This was the jurisdiction of He Fenglin, the commander of the Songhu Guardian Army. He Fenglin was a subordinate of Lu Yongxiang and was not on the same mountain as Chen Zikun, so he couldn't speak at all.

What is even more worrying is that the opium business in Shanghai has always been monopolized by Huang Jinrong's Sanxin Company. It is very difficult for other opium companies to open up Shanghai's sales. First of all, they cannot pass the Songhu garrison. Even if they have set up their troops and enter the Huangpu River, they will not be able to escape the clutches of Sanxin Company.

Who is Chen Zikun? Zhang Xiaolin pressed his head to beat the battlefield generals who were ashes while chatting and laughing. He still cared about Sanxin Company. The cargo ship carrying opium successfully passed the inspection of the garrison with a bribe of a small yellow croaker and entered the Huangpu River.

In order to cover up, opium was unloaded at a remote Pudong wharf. Li Yaoting had been waiting with his men for a long time. He opened a bag of opium and tasted it himself. The soil in Jiangbei was black but not black. He picked a little with his little fingernail and tasted it. It was very bitter. Li Yaoting frowned and raised his thumbs up: "Good goods!"

According to the agreement, Chen Zikun only cared for the planting and transportation, and Li Yaoting was responsible for the goods when they arrived in Shanghai. The brothers settled the accounts clearly. After counting the goods, he issued Chen Zikun a check from Standard Chartered Bank, the amount was 64,000 yuan.

"Is it too much?" Chen Zikun pushed the check back, "Even if Jiang Beitu is of good quality, it won't be worth it."

Li Yaoting pushed the check again: "Brother, you don't know the market conditions of Shanghai. Opium is cheap in other places. Even the best Indian horseshoe soil is only seven yuan per tael, Yuntu is five yuan, and Rehe soil is four yuan, but the opium in Shanghai is monopolized by Sanxin Company. Other people's freight cannot come in, and the prices are naturally increased. In addition, there are many people who smoke opium in Shanghai, and the price of Yuntu is now 8.5 yuan."

Chen Zikun said: "So that's it. It seems that this business is profitable."

Li Yaoting took out the cigar and handed it over, and said confidently: "It's not just about making money, you can become a millionaire in a year, but the risk is also very high. If Boss Huang finds that I'm merchandise in, the guy who is not careful will move. So next time you ship the goods, don't build a brand, and make a fortune in silence. Do you know?"

Chen Zikun was furious. The trademark he had worked hard to design could not be used, which made him feel insulted.

"What is Huang Jinrong? What kind of shit is Sanxin Company? I'm allowed to set fire, so I won't light the light?"

Li Yaoting quickly advised: "Brother, strong dragons will not suppress local snakes. People have been working hard in Shanghai for half their lives, and there are always things that can be made. Besides, Boss Huang relies on the power of the French Concession Police Station. We can't defeat him for a while. Just secretly get some opium to sell. Anyway, Shanghai is so big and there are so many smokers. Those addicts will not have to eat a few taels of taels that day, so even if you say that there are thousands of pounds of opium, you can't tell anything."

Chen Zikun said: "I can't tell anything if I have a few thousand pounds, but tens of thousands of pounds and tens of thousands of pounds. This time I'm just trying the waters. Next time I'm going to open up land and plant it, get him 100,000 acres of poppy, and dump it specifically on the beach, occupying the entire market."

Li Yaoting was amused and crying: "Brother, you really want to do this. I'll send troops to capture Shanghai first."
Chapter completed!