newbobooks Chapter 7 The Fiancée Has Arrived...
Chapter 7 The Fiancée Has Arrived...
[Unlimited Pay-to-Win System]
Host: Chen Zijun
Identity: Shanghai Garrison Commander, local warlord of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Anhui under the Beiyang Government
Current funds: £21276542.87 (the initial payment of £1000 million has been deducted, and it will automatically increase by £1 per second)
Unlocked technologies: All German-equipped army equipment, sulfonamide mass production technology, steel smelting technology
Purchase list update: The procurement channel for the British 381mm twin fortress gun (£120 million/unit) has been unlocked.
The £10 million down payment has already been made.
But a smile appeared on Chen Zijun's lips.
From this moment on, every second, the system is helping him earn the money back.
One pound per second, 86,400 pounds per day, and 2.6 million pounds per month.
He didn't want to save money, he wanted to spend it! He wanted to pour money into military infrastructure and build an iron fortress that would strike fear into the hearts of the Japanese!
This deal was worthwhile.
The morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the French blinds, illuminating Chen Zijun's office in the headquarters with strips of golden light.
He had just changed into a clean black general's uniform, his leather boots were shiny, his military cap was placed on the corner of the table, and there was a steaming cup of Longjing tea beside him.
What happened last night has exploded like a bomb throughout Shanghai.
What was the situation in Shanghai this morning?
crazy.
He's completely gone mad.
"Young Marshal! Mr. Vérité, the French Consul General in Shanghai, requests an audience!"
"Young Marshal! Mr. Cunningham, the U.S. Consul General in Shanghai, requests an audience!"
"Young Marshal! The representative of the Dutch East India Company has also arrived!"
The adjutant practically ran in to report, his forehead covered in sweat and his face showing a look of utter disbelief.
"Are they all outside?" Chen Zijun picked up his teacup and slowly blew on the tea foam.
"Yes! They're all lined up at the door! The French arrived the earliest; they were waiting before dawn!"
Chen Zijun almost spat out his tea.
People are lining up before dawn?
When have the French ever been this diligent? They even took a long afternoon nap before launching their campaign during the last Opium War!
It seems that the news of 30 million pounds is indeed more effective than artillery shells.
"Let them in." Chen Zijun put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and casually placed his hands on his abdomen with his fingers interlaced.
"No, come in one by one."
He added a sentence.
For foreign powers to line up to see him was unprecedented in the entire Republic of China era.
The first person to enter was a Frenchman named Weilde.
The French Consul General in Shanghai sported a meticulously trimmed mustache, wore a well-tailored dark blue suit, and had his shoes polished so brightly they reflected a person's image.
But his expression was anything but elegant.
His face was all smiles, and he was bent over even lower than Balton had been the night before, almost folded in half.
"General Chen, the French Republic pays the highest tribute to you and your great army!" As soon as he entered, Wilhelm bowed at a ninety-degree angle. His Chinese, though broken and accented with French, was incredibly enthusiastic.
"I heard you're purchasing a large quantity of heavy industrial equipment? France is one of Europe's top military manufacturing nations! Our Schneider artillery is absolutely comparable to Krupp's, and even cheaper!"
Looking at his face, which seemed to want to bring the whole of France to Shanghai to sell, Chen Zijun couldn't help but laugh.
When Chen Zijun visited Baldon yesterday, Mr. Weilde didn't even bother to show his face.
Now, things are much better; they come here just because they smell money.
"Mr. Weilde," Chen Zijun said casually, resting his chin on his hand, "I can consider buying things from France. But there's a condition."
"Please speak! We can discuss any conditions!" Wei Lide's eyes lit up.
"The three roads that were built beyond the boundaries of the French Concession shall be returned to their original locations."
Wei Lide's smile froze instantly, and his lips twitched several times.
Those three roads are the result of the French Concession's secret encroachment on Chinese territory over the years.
"This...this..."
"Unwilling?" Chen Zijun picked up his teacup and took another sip, his tone as indifferent as if he were discussing the nice weather today.
"Then forget it, I'll let the British handle it all. Anyway, Sir Barton agreed to all my conditions last night."
This statement is more effective than a hundred cannons.
Wei Lide's expression changed instantly.
If the British were to take all of this exorbitant order, France's interests in the Far East would be completely marginalized!
"Retreat! Return those three roads to the Chinese-controlled area!"
Welchland gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into his thigh. "The French Republic is willing to show the utmost sincerity!"
Chen Zijun's lips curled up slightly.
Without firing a single shot, three roads that had been occupied for over a decade were reclaimed.
This is the power of money.
Next up is American Cunningham.
This American Consul General in Shanghai was much more pragmatic than the Frenchman; he got straight to the point as soon as he entered.
"General Chen, on behalf of the United States of America, I would like to express our intention to cooperate with you. We can provide you with the most advanced Curtiss fighter jets and aircraft engine technology at reasonable prices, with first-class after-sales service."
Aviation technology!
Chen Zijun's eyelids twitched slightly.
This is good stuff.
He had participated in the Battle of Shanghai before his rebirth and knew the pain of not having air superiority. If he had had a decent air force ten years earlier, the course of the war would have been completely different.
"We can talk."
Chen Zijun nodded, "But when you try cases involving Chinese people at the Mixed Court in the International Settlement, I will send an observer."
Cunningham paused for a moment, then nodded with a wry smile: "Okay, it's not a big problem."
In this way, Chen Zijun spent the entire morning sitting in his office, drinking tea, and managed to subdue the consuls of the three major powers one by one.
I got what I needed to buy, and I also took the opportunity to reclaim the rights I was entitled to.
By the afternoon, the headquarters had finally quieted down.
Chen Zijun rubbed his slightly sore temples, preparing to close his eyes and rest for a moment.
"Reporting to the young marshal, there is a lady outside requesting an audience." The adjutant rushed in again.
"No. I'm not seeing anyone today." Chen Zijun waved wearily without even looking up.
"Um...Young Marshal, she said she's a young lady from the Cao family. Cao Qingdi."
Chen Zijun suddenly opened his eyes.
Cao Qingdi?
That... his nominal fiancée?
This name held an extremely special weight in the original owner's memories. The Cao family was a prominent clan in Tianjin, northern China. Cao Qingdi's father, Cao Yu, the former president, and his father, Chen Yuhe, had both followed President Yuan Shikai since before he began training troops at Xiaozhan. Cao Yu was known as a socialite killer, and Cao Qingdi's mother was his third wife. Later, it was said that Cao Yu had a first wife in his hometown, who became depressed and died young.
If Chen Zijun's maternal grandfather hadn't been Yuan Shikai's right-hand man and a veteran of the Beiyang Army, and if his mother, Madam Hu, hadn't been the elder sister of many Beiyang generals, Cao Qingdi, this young lady, might not have had the chance to be betrothed to him as a child.
But as far as he knew, this eldest daughter of the Cao family had been studying medicine in England and was extremely resistant to this feudal arranged marriage, never taking the initiative to come to his door.
Why did you suddenly come today?
"Let her in."
As the door opened, a delicate fragrance of gardenias wafted in.
Then he saw her.
She wore a simple, moon-white, fitted cheongsam that accentuated her slender waist, making her appear elegant and refined. Her long, slightly wavy hair was loosely tied back, and her almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright. Her lips were slightly pursed, carrying a hint of stubbornness and pride.
He was also carrying an old-fashioned brown leather medicine box.
This is Cao Qingdi.
At twenty-eight, she graduated from the University of London with a degree in pharmacy. In those days, she was definitely a top-tier intellectual woman.
"Miss Cao."
Chen Zijun stood up and, unusually, straightened his collar.
Cao Qingdi nodded slightly and simply said, "It's been so many years, you don't even call me 'Sister Cao' anymore? Back when you were going to study in America, I was the one who taught you English!"
After speaking, he glanced around the office.
She originally thought that a young warlord who held military power in four provinces at the age of twenty-five must have a magnificent office, a life of luxury, and perhaps even a group of beautiful women.
But what did she see?
The table was covered with military maps, piles of official documents, a cup of cold Longjing tea, and the faint smell of ink permeated the whole room.
And then there were the officers coming and going outside the door, each with a look in their eyes that made her feel strange.
That's called... hope.
Cao Qingdi's heart stirred slightly.
This was completely different from the warlord's den she had imagined.
"General Chen... General Chen," Cao Qingdi said softly, her voice clear but not harsh, "I'm not here to discuss marriage. I'm here to discuss medicine."
"Medicine?" Chen Zijun raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, medicine."
Cao Qingdi took out a thick stack of documents from her medicine box and laid them out on the table in front of Chen Zijun.
"This is a research report on the Chinese pharmaceutical market that I collected and compiled during my three years of studying in the UK."
Her finger pointed to the first page of the report, which contained alarming statistics.
"General Chen, do you know how much Western medicine China imports from foreigners every year?"
"How many?"
"Aspirin and quinine alone cost three million taels of silver every year!"
Cao Qingdi's voice suddenly rose several octaves, and her almond-shaped eyes flashed with an almost angry light.
"Three million taels of silver! It all flowed into the pockets of foreigners! And we can't even produce the most basic anti-inflammatory drug! Frontline soldiers are wounded and infected, and can only wait to die! Ordinary people are sick and have a fever, and can only wait to die too!"
Looking at the woman in front of him, who was usually as cold as ice but had become so passionate because of the medicine, Chen Zijun couldn't help but feel a little more admiration.
This is what a true lady of a noble family looks like.
She wasn't just a pretty face who only knew how to embroider and play the zither, but a truly talented, insightful, and patriotic woman.
"And then?" Chen Zijun asked.
"And then?" Cao Qingdi took a deep breath, looking intently at him. "If someone can provide the molecular formula and mass production process for sulfonamide drugs, I can build a production line within six months, so that soldiers and civilians throughout China will no longer have to rely on foreigners for medicine!"
Sulfonamides.
Chen Zijun's heart pounded violently.
His system had already unlocked the "sulfanilamide mass production technology".
However, he hasn't had time to find the right person to execute the project.
Now...the person has arrived.
"Miss Cao," Chen Zijun stood up, walked to Cao Qingdi, and looked into her eyes seriously and closely for the first time.
"You want a lab? I'll build it for you. You want equipment? I'll buy it for you from Germany. You want funding...?"
He casually took a bank draft that had already been stamped from the drawer and gently placed it on top of the stack of drug reports.
"Is £100,000 enough?"
Cao Qingdi glanced down at the number on the promissory note and froze.
One hundred thousand pounds?!
She studied in the UK for three years, and all her expenses totaled only two thousand pounds!
This man... her "fiancé," actually took out £100,000 to support her pharmaceutical research without batting an eye?
Cao Qingdi raised her head and met Chen Zijun's deep and calm eyes, her lips trembling slightly.
"That's enough... that's enough."
For the first time, her voice carried an unusual fluctuation.
"Then it's settled." Chen Zijun smiled slightly, turned around and walked back to the table, picking up his teacup.
"Miss Cao, if you need anything in the future, just come to me. This place is always open to you."
Cao Qingdi pursed her lips and carefully put the promissory note and report into her medicine box.
She stood up and bowed deeply to Chen Zijun: "Thank you, General Chen. I will not let you down."
She turned and walked towards the door, her steps much lighter than when she came.
But when she reached the door, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Chen Zijun.
That glance was no longer just a scrutiny of a "fiancé she had never met," nor was it the probing of an older sister who hadn't seen her for many years about her childhood playmate.
Instead, it carried a hint of... curiosity and... something else.
The door closed.
The office fell silent again.
Chen Zijun turned his gaze away from the doorway and picked up his teacup to take a sip.
The encrypted private phone on the table suddenly rang sharply.
Buzzing! Buzzing!
Chen Zijun frowned and picked up the receiver.
The voice that came from the other end was Mo Lanzhi's, as cold as the winter wind.
"Young Marshal, Huang Qiushan is preparing to flee to Japan by ship tonight."