The journey starts from the Titanic

In fact, he was just in time. Even without his butterfly, Los Angeles and California would rise sooner or later, but only later.

Without Situ Nan's intervention, after World War I, the swelling consortiums in the east would move westward.

These Western giants will work together to carve up the economic territory of California and other western states, and the local California consortium can only gradually succumb to Morgan Rockefeller and other consortia.

This is the history of previous lives.After the Second World War, California's economy took off, but the local consortium was gradually infiltrated and controlled by Morgan, Rockefeller and other consortia. Didn't the famous Bank of America finally fall into Morgan's hands?

At present, the industry in Los Angeles is highly concentrated in the interest group centered on Situ Nan. Hengda, Bot and Francis are all Situ Nan's allies, and their interests have expanded with the expansion of Situ Nan's influence.

With these hard-core allies by their side, seizing favorable opportunities to lay a solid foundation, and the Eastern Consortium is busy farming on its own one-third of the land for a while, and there is no time to go west. It is impossible to say that the economic power of California will eventually grow independently. Without being held hostage by the forces in the east.

The local bureaucracy is also a small help for the development of Los Angeles. Seeing that it is profitable, these fat guys have invested money in it, and at the same time, they will spare no effort in formulating policies to promote economic development. Planning.

These people are also investors in large-scale industries, so if anyone can't make money with them, they will let those who can't live in California.Therefore, the interests of these bureaucrats are consistent with the interests of Situ Nan and the emerging classes of urban development.

Regardless of the country and dynasty, collusion between officials and businessmen is actually the most normal.It's just that the criterion to distinguish whether you live in heaven or hell is whether ordinary people have benefited from economic development.

In some places, all achievements are monopolized by a few people in the name of high-sounding people, and ordinary people can't share it, so we call it despotism.

Those who take the big head and leave some to share with ordinary people are called liberal democracy.In fact, the two are almost the same, but the latter is more cunning than clever. At least these capitalists feed the cattle first when they coax the cattle to plow the fields.

The rapid development of California is not accidental. Just imagine, is there a resource-intensive place like California in that place in the world?

No!

Needless to say, gold, California has a large amount of oil buried underground, as well as other rich minerals, and there are large tracts of land suitable for cultivation on the ground.

With abundant resources, a pleasant climate, a natural harbor, coupled with the fact that the United States did not have long railroad transportation, there was no war, coupled with the development opportunities brought about by European wars, and with so many favorable factors, the rise of California is inevitable.

The war in Europe has indeed won a godsend opportunity for the development of California.Situ Nan, based on his foresight, obtained a large number of material orders for California from Britain and France, and then subcontracted to other factories that he could not complete, which also stimulated the development of a number of related industries.

These orders originally belonged to the eastern cities, but were intercepted by Situ Nan.It was these orders that made California's industrial rise through the most difficult initial stage.

It happened that the Panama Canal was opened at this time. The shipping conditions from California to Europe are not too far behind the cities on the eastern Atlantic coast, at least not losing to the Great Lakes region.Is this another natural coincidence?

Moreover, in Asia, the British have shrunk sharply, trying to satisfy Japan's growing appetite at the expense of China's interests.

The interests of the two great powers of Germany and Russia have almost been lost. The French have been beaten into a sparse domestic market. Their industrial production itself is in short supply. How can they still have the energy to worry about the Far East?I could keep Indochina and laughed.

In the Pacific Ocean, only the United States and Japan are still living a free life. The cake that originally belonged to European powers such as Britain, France, Germany and Russia-China's market was temporarily divided by the Americans and Japanese.

The business cooperation between Situ Nan and Anliang Tang is getting bigger and bigger. Although Situ Nan will not deliberately pay attention to it, Meihua Trading Company does have a very good momentum of development. Every month, a large number of goods are sent from the West Coast San Francisco, Los Angeles and other ports. To Shanghai.

The volume of trade is rising steadily, and the scope of trade is getting wider and wider.From small pieces like candles, kerosene, lighters, nails, and matches to large pieces like steel machines, Stuart’s fleet was used to continuously float across the ocean to fill the gap left by the British.

What made Situ Nan quite criticized was that the gang was always a gang, and pornography, gambling, and drugs were always incapable of quitting, but the big guys used each other to get what they needed, and I didn't feel too much scorn in his heart.

The only thing that satisfies Situ Nan is that through Anliang Hall, more than 10,000 Chinese come into California every day. Most of them smuggle in, but they disembark directly from the port of Monica on the Los Angeles side.

By bribing officials and forging documents, many well-behaved Chinese have obtained the right of abode.However, the status of the Chinese is temporarily not listed.

With the advantage of being near the water, the trade of California merchants on the west coast of the United States opened up another market.Of course, it is said that the mortars produced by the California Arms Company are good, and some of them have passed away. Those warlords who have no money to equip expensive cannons are also a good choice to buy some mortars for the occasion.

Therefore, through the channels of the US-China Trading Company, some arms have indeed flowed into China.Although this is not Situ Nan's original intention, he will not deliberately refuse to accept, there is nothing to avoid.

The reality is never shifted for the individual's will. There has always been a dumping ground for foreign powers. Situ Nan does not sell it, but it is impossible to prevent others from smuggling.

But Situ Nan didn't lack this little money, so he didn't have the idea of ​​exporting (smuggling) arms there, but felt a little regretful.

In short, there is no better era for American businessmen.Since the European powers retreated from the Far East, there has been a battle between Japan and the United States.However, Japanese manufacturing is not comparable to American manufacturing.

In China, if they are not armed with guns and cannons, and if there are a large number of Japanese consultants and traitors and traitors, their products cannot compete with American products.In the past two years, because of Shandong's problems, the Chinese stopped Japanese goods, which made the Japanese feel a lot sad.

However, a weak country is always a weak country, and the poor and weak Republican government can never do much.Of course, Americans are not angels, but they are gentler and more concealed than the cruel Japanese.

The only benefit of the strike is to give a group of Chinese companies the opportunity to use this rare time to develop light industry and make a lot of money. This is the spring of national capitalism.

What's interesting is that since the cooperation with Situ Nan, the Song family who has tasted the sweetness of the US-China trade saw the investment in the industry, but couldn't restrain their inner desires and built a factory in Shanghai.

However, the nature of the comprador has not changed. Relying on Situ Nan, they imported machines from the United States and sold them to other Chinese businessmen.

Although American goods are more expensive than Japanese goods, the quality is better, so there is a big market.Historically, the western United States, which was originally industrially backward, was unable to do what it wanted to expand trade in China, because their center of gravity was still in the eastern cities along the Atlantic coast.

Capitalists in the east are busy making European money and American government money, so the Chinese market is only their third choice.It's not that I don't care, but I'm a little too busy.

However, with the addition of Situ Nan, California's manufacturing industry has achieved some results. American industrial products and machinery are also able to export to China.Therefore, the White House also looks more at the other side of the Pacific.

But it's only second. Now the strategic focus of the United States is still in the Atlantic Ocean. As for the American rescue of the Chinese, it will not happen in a hundred years.

Without seeing the heart, Situ Nan could not change the original face of history before he had enough strength.Now that he is becoming more and more westernized, he has no time to think about things on the other side, and he does not want to become the target of the revolution.

Chapter 114

After returning from New York, Francis was more polite to Stuart, and the two sides have been cooperating very closely.

For a guy with unlimited potential like Situ Nan, Francis wants to tie himself to the other's big tree, cooperate with the strong, and build a good relationship with the other party. Francis is confident that the Francis family will be able to occupy a place in the rising California consortium in the future. .

The careful Francis once carefully estimated Situ Nan's fortune, and the conclusion he reached made him shudder—unconsciously, a consortium has begun to rise in California.Although this is a vague prototype, the outline is becoming clearer and stronger.

Although most people still don't know it, but they can't hide it from the interested person.The last time he was in New York, Francis knew that Situ Nan and Robles had participated in the Corsair Conference of Wall Street forces organized by Morgan, and he was surprised at that time.

The Corsair Conference is extremely confidential, and there are only a few humanitarians in the United States, among them Francis’s associates.Otherwise, it doesn't matter at all, Francis can't easily get orders for battleships from the Admiralty.

So this time he intends to cooperate with Situ Nan, and he also decided that after the shipbuilding industry has spent the past few years of nourishment, the Francis family's industry will shift to other industries.What he fancyed was electronics and banking.

Stuart didn’t know Francis’ thoughts. Hearing this simple, he got a shipbuilding base with unlimited potential on the west coast of the United States. (San Diego’s shipbuilding conditions are better than San Francisco. Historically, General Dynamics’ shipyard was headquartered in San Diego.) Situ Nan is willing to give 2 million US dollars and 20 million US dollars.Although it is not worth the money now.

Situ Nan had to circle the important shipbuilding base in the future before the Eastern Consortium moved westward. As for the shipbuilding industry in the east, Situ Nan had never counted on it.

"Okay! As you said! I can exchange the shares that the other party wants. But how should we cooperate in the new shipyard?" Situ Nan said.He didn't want Francis to take the majority this time.

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Francis said after a while: "I can't tell you, you guy is rich. So, I want 30% of the shares, and the rest belongs to you, but there is a condition, San Diego Shipbuilding Let me manage the factory."

Situ Nan thought for a moment and felt that he was taking advantage of it. It would be nothing if the shipyard was handed over to Francis. He had experience anyway, and Situ Nan didn't have a suitable candidate, so Situ Nan agreed without much consideration.

"Deal! My friend, I have to say, you are so generous." Situ Nan said sincerely.As for how much the other party can feel, only God knows.But Francis is so witty, Situ Nan thought to take care of this guy if he has something good in the future.It’s hard to eat it alone!

"Don't be happy, the new shipyard needs a lot of money to upgrade! I estimate that it will cost at least two to three million US dollars to get on a 5,000-ton berth. If you get a 10,000-ton berth, you have to cost 5 million US dollars. But this money It's up to you. I can't draw out so much cash for the time being. I can only use part of the equipment and talents to invest in shares. The rest will not be enough later." Francis said.This is the truth.

"Get on the 10,000-ton slipway! I will remit the money to you as soon as possible. You can find a loan from the California Union Bank for the first 2 million US dollars, and I will say hello to them." Situ Nan said.

Well, I didn't expect to come back to answer the phone and spend millions of dollars.The money is worth it!

As early as 1914, Situ Nan and Robles took advantage of the fact that there was no financial market turmoil when World War I broke out, fished in troubled waters, and speculative speculation, and they were successful.

By chance, Situ Nan acquired 60% of the shares of California Union Bank in San Francisco.

(For related information, please refer to [Chapter] 17 "Nouveau riche", Pu Su made a small modification)