The journey starts from the Titanic

After the United States showed its muscles and became savage, it allowed the world to see that the United States has a strong production capacity, but its ability to dominate the world was insufficient. It temporarily returned to the Americas and enjoyed the dividends of World War I.In fact, the export of American capital has been greatly strengthened after the war, and the scope of American capital investment covers the whole world.

Russia is engaged in a difficult and cruel civil war, but Soviet Russia has gained a firm foothold and a national victory is just around the corner.

The development trends of the two major Asian countries, China and Japan, show two very different directions, one big and weak, and the other small and strong.

China's Shandong and Northeast have become Japan's sphere of influence. In the First World War, the Japanese economy has penetrated from the original Northeast to the Yangtze River.

By supporting the Beiyang government, Japan has gained an advantage in northern China. Japanese advisors, large and small, are flooded with departments of the Beijing government. There are also a large number of Japanese military advisors in the Anhui and Feng forces of the Beiyang. It's really worrying.

According to the "Japan-British Alliance", the United Kingdom was originally an ally with Japan, but Japan’s expansion caused dissatisfaction and concern in the United Kingdom, and the rising Japan no longer wanted to follow the British in the colors of the British, so the Japanese capital in the north British capital constitutes strong competition.

Across the Yangtze River, British capital and American capital are fighting against Japanese capital. To this end, they support their respective agents. The Anhui family headed by Duan Qirui and the direct family headed by Cao Wu are fighting for the rights of the central government and are stepping up preparations for war.

In the past two years, the Beijing government controlled by Duan Qirui took advantage of the power of the central government to sign ordnance purchase contracts with Japan on a large scale twice in November 1917 and July 1918 through betrayal, with the first 17 million yuan. , The second time 23 million, to maintain the central rule.

And the direct line, which has long occupied the wealthy middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, is not to be outdone. Feng Guozhang has also purchased arms from foreign countries many times during his lifetime, and part of the arms comes from Meihua.

On Christmas Eve, Meihua Company was signing an arms contract with Feng Guozhang worth 15 million yuan. Unfortunately, within a few days, this direct boss died.

After Feng Guozhang's death, the arms contract negotiations with Meihua fell to Jiangsu Governor Li Chun, Jiangxi Governor Chen Guangyuan, and Hubei Governor Wang Zhanyuan.

After attending the Christmas party in William Garden from Shanghai, Rosland?Kadoorie got on the train to Nanjing.He walked into the magnificent Jiangsu Governor's Mansion as the senior commissioner of Meihua Company.

After some greetings, Li Chunping withdrew, leaving only his confidant son Wen He and Xiao Ka Daoli, who were a little bit stinky arms dealer, to negotiate.

After taking his seat, Little Kadoorie did not rush to speak, and calmly stared at Li Chun, the most powerful general in the South.

Before coming, he had done a survey on Li Chun and found that this man was extremely witty and dictated to the wind. Although only profit is the nature, but it is these good "quality" that make the man in his 40s take a step forward. Climb to a high position step by step and become the head of the three governors directly.After Feng Guozhang's death, the limelight was even more the same.

"These Chinese generals are all shrewd businessmen." Thinking of Li Chun buying real estate and investing in industry and commerce in the Beijing-Tianjin area, Xiao Kadaoli sighed in his heart.

Li Chun was also looking at Xiao Kadoorie, a seemingly stunned arms dealer, and thought: "How could Meihua company send such a hairy child?"

Naturally, Li Chun would not say this, even in his attitude, he was not arrogant at all, warm and courteous.

Who knows if this Kadoorie came from a big family, or does it have a strong background?

Before that, Li Chun had done an arms business with Meihua Company. The quantity was not large, 5,000 rifles and a few machine guns, worth only more than 1 million, but the quality satisfies Li Chun, at least better than those damned Italian arms dealers from Europe. The garbage coming is better.

Seeing that Xiao Ka Daoli was not in a hurry or hurried, and his extraordinary manner was quite attractive, Li Chun nodded in his heart, feeling that this young foreigner was not easy.

"Mr. Kadoorie is really young and promising!" After a while, Li Chun first spoke.Well, the cold scene made him seem not enthusiastic enough.

"Thank you. But Governor Li is also young and strong. In the future, China will need a leader like you." Little Kadoorie replied.

His flattery made Li Chun a little fluttering. Li Chun laughed and said, "Mr. Kadoorie is really funny and funny. I like this humorous way. I know that you are here today to implement General Feng Guozhang’s and your company. Ammunition deal? If you have anything, let’s just say it."

"This is an agreement negotiated between General Feng and our Meihua, but it is a pity that he died before it could be implemented." Kadoorie regretted and handed Li Chun a copy of the arms purchase information.

Li Chun also participated in this agreement. After all, as Feng Guozhang's subordinate, he was also a user of arms, so he glanced at it and closed it, and he knew everything about it.

Thinking of recent rumors that Lu Yongxiang, a neighboring army in Zhejiang, purchased a large amount of arms from foreign firms, and may cooperate with the Anhui army in the north to launch an offensive against the direct line, Li Chun felt ashamed and thought: In order to maintain his power, Large quantities of arms must be purchased.

"Although Mr. Feng has gone, our cooperation will continue. To be honest, I am currently in need of a batch of arms to strengthen my army."

Li Chun smiled and took the briefcase from the confidant next to him, and took out a list of weapons.

"30,000 rifles, 1,000 self-derived pistols, 100 Maxine machine guns, 200 40mm mortars, 20 75mm mountain cannons, 5 105mm heavy guns, 50 military vehicles, and countless various bullets."

Little Kadoorie immediately became happy when he saw it, and he frowned.He calculated in his mind that the transaction amount was at least 6 million. If it sells well, it is not difficult to exceed 10 million.

"We can provide these weapons, but your offer is only 5 million. Some are less, at least 10 million, otherwise I can't explain to the company." Xiao Ka said reason.

Then the two sides began to bargain, and then Xiao Kadao realized the shrewdness of Li Chun's businessman.Although it is not necessary to count the baht, but every time bargaining is cut to the point, Kadoorie has to give in.

"7.5 million, the price really can't be lower. We have to take a lot of risks to ship goods from the United States to China all the way, and the freight is also a big expense." Little Kadoori said with a bitter expression.

"Okay!" Li Chun nodded in satisfaction, feeling that although the foreign devil Kadoorie was shrewd, you were still a little tender.

"But I want to get all the goods in three months." Li Chun urged.

"Yes. But if you are in such a hurry, you will have to add 500,000 freight." Little Kadoori took the opportunity to return. Seeing that Li Chun was a little angry, he explained: "This trip to the Pacific is not easy. I won't talk about it for a long time. There are also various risks. Our goods cannot be produced so quickly. If Governor Li is in a hurry, we can only postpone orders from other customers. This is for compensation. I hope General Li can understand."

Looking at Xiao Kadoorie’s sincere face, Li Chun no longer asks whether what he said is true or false. The war may start at any time. It is worthwhile to spend 500,000 to buy time to seize the opportunity!

"Okay!" Li Chun gritted his teeth and nodded. "Within a month, I hope to get one-third of the goods, especially half of the rifle guns must be delivered in time. Otherwise..."

"Don't worry, our Meihua company absolutely says to do it." Xiao Kadao believes in himself.

Xindao: The matter of the rifle is actually very simple. Although Li Chun bought a large number, it also put too much pressure on Meihua Company.

Because in Nanyang, Meihua has been hoarding all kinds of arms.Through smuggling, Meihua Company continuously moved the remaining arms in the warehouse of the American Bethlehem Arms Company to Nanyang.

Little Kadoorie has 100,000 rifles, 2,000 machine guns, and 500 cannons in his hand.

Well, he wants to sell these weapons everywhere.A little threatening (or warning) like Li Chun, a dead businessman, was excited.

According to the general profits of arms, Kadoorie will receive a 5% dividend of arms income. The hidden business opportunities make him fall in love with this industry.

What makes Little Kadoorie a little depressed is that these warlords love to pay on credit.Li Chun could not and did not want to raise 8 million yuan in just three months, but only agreed to give 3 million yuan, and the rest would be paid after the war.

Jiangsu is a prosperous province, with developed industry, commerce and agriculture, and abundant resources. As long as there is a mortgage, Meihua is not afraid of Li Chun's credit.

Little Kadoorie frowned, not wanting Li Chun to get it too easy, staring at Li Chun and said, "General Li, I know that you are fully capable of paying millions in this area. It's just a business rule. I hope you can take out a mortgage. ."

"Oh? Do you have any good suggestions?" Li Chun looked at Kadoorie warily.Xin said: "The so-called mortgage is nothing more than rights of way, minerals and other things. If Meihua also comes to this set, it has to be delayed first. When the battle is won, everything is easy to say."

Li Chun secretly made up his mind.However, Kadoorie did not mention these "reasonable and excessive" requirements, but only hoped that Meihua would be convenient under Li Chun's rule.

As for Meihua Company to realize the development of Jiangsu road mine through comprador, that is not something that Governor Li is willing to take care of.

The Yangtze River Basin will not be the main battlefield, but in order to suppress the Anhui military forces in the south, Li Chun felt it necessary to maintain his military advantage, especially the neighboring Zhejiang Governor Lu Yongxiang, whose actions were particularly restless, so Li Chun saw Xiaojia The reason was very witty and didn't put forward the conditions that made him embarrassed, so he readily accepted the expansion of Meihua Company in Jiangsu.

Little Kadoorie returned to Shanghai happily and reported victory to Situ Nan.

Situ Nan looked at Li Chun's signature signature on the contract, and muttered: "This Li Chun is still good! But it's a pity, I don't know who is the cheapest?"

Situ Nan remembered that at the end of the year, Li Chun would suddenly die of a sudden illness, but the official cause of death was due to "worrying about the country and the people" and committing suicide.

Just as the forces were on the rise, they suddenly fell ill. During this period, the goddess Wenhe was corrupted and the newspapers were full of reports, and the city was full of trouble.As soon as Li Chun died, his subordinate Qi Xieyuan immediately announced his appointment as the governor of Jiangsu.

Li Chunzhi’s death was full of doubts, and it was considered a headless case in the Republic of China. If possible, Situ Nan wanted to know if this warlord died of worrying about the country and the people like history announced.

It seems that someone has to be sent to monitor it, and it is best not to let the traitor Qi Xieyuan take over.

Situ Nan secretly settled his mind.He turned his head and praised Little Kadoorie: "Good job. Kadoorie, I didn't mistake you."

This time, Kadoorie has made a lot of benefits for the company, which is not only measured by money.