Chapter 57

The prediction of Lincoln's assassination was the biggest gamble Xiao Letian had made after his穿越. In Xiao Letian's grand plan, the support of the United States was crucial. Of course, Xiao Letian did not expect Lincoln to be so grateful for this intelligence that he would shower him with countless benefits; that would be unrealistic and against American law.

The United States was not the Qing Dynasty; politicians could only exert their influence, not act like emperors with absolute power. However, as long as Lincoln could exert a positive influence on Xiao Letian, it would be enough. Given Lincoln's current reputation in the United States, even a little influence from him would be sufficient for Xiao Letian to cause a stir in the Qing Dynasty.

Hua Ruohan stared at Xiao Letian with a glint in his eyes. This old man was very knowledgeable about psychology and understood that one's true nature could only be seen in times of great crisis. The young man in front of him, who was not even thirty, was like standing at the entrance of a cave with "Open Sesame." How much he could endure would depend on himself.

The former ambassador turned around and took a heavy wooden box from the small black man Simon, placing it gently in front of Xiao Letian. "This is a personal gift from the President. He knows you once endured a harsh night battle with Lewis in the mountains, so..." Hua Ruohan opened the box, and the metallic luster immediately caught the eye.

What beautiful revolvers! They were definitely special editions custom-made by Colt, with intricate and symmetrical cloverleaf patterns etched on the silver barrels. The ivory handles were engraved with Xiao Letian's name, and the six-shot chambers emitted a menacing aura. The bottom of the wooden box was filled with golden bullets.

"This is a collector's edition revolver from the President, specially engraved with your name by a craftsman and delivered by a dedicated intelligence officer. Accompanying these revolvers is a document you need..." Hua Ruohan pulled out a paper bag from his pocket. When Xiao Letian opened it, he drew a sharp breath.

"Honorary Citizen! An honorary citizen signed by the President himself? The U.S. government has accepted me as a citizen... Heaven, you even recognize dual citizenship?"

Xiao Letian frantically searched his memory for information about honorary citizenship, but the data was scarce, almost non-existent. This meant that such a status must be extremely difficult to obtain.

Hua Ruohan understood Xiao Letian's confusion. "Honorary citizenship is very rare, only two have been awarded during wartime. Because of this reward, the President and his staff argued fiercely, but they finally agreed, considering the President's injury..."

"However, it comes with conditions. Your honorary citizenship certificate has been classified as top secret and cannot be disclosed for two hundred years. So, for now, you are just an ordinary American citizen. But I think this can provide you with some protection..."

Xiao Letian let out a long sigh. These two gifts were definitely carefully selected by the President. Why had Hua Ruohan been so insistent on asking about his identity? This indicated that the U.S. intelligence department was already very suspicious of Xiao Letian. By giving him citizenship, the President was also providing him with protection.

Whether it was the guns or this identity, both expressed a sense of "protection." Xiao Letian's lies could fool most people, but not Western politicians. It was foreseeable that as Xiao Letian's reputation grew, his identity would be exposed by the big shots. If this lie were to be exposed, it would be a fatal blow to Xiao Letian.

This was truly a timely gift. The status of an American citizen would completely cover up Xiao Letian's lies. From today on, no matter whether it was Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, or Russia, they would no longer be able to attack Xiao Letian's identity. In the summer of 1865, Xiao Letian finally became a person with no legal flaws.

"Thank you, Mr. President, for your care. This gift is extremely important to me. Thank you!"

Hua Ruohan smiled slightly, thinking to himself, "This is a truly smart person. He understood the implications of my words so quickly. It seems this person can be a partner. Supporting a new force among the various factions of the Qing Dynasty might not be a bad idea after all!"

The conversation became much more amicable. The ambassador did not continue to press Xiao Letian about his identity, as he knew Xiao Letian would never tell him the truth. His warning was merely to make Xiao Letian grateful to the U.S. government.

The revolvers and the identity document were personal gifts from Lincoln. What followed was the real negotiation.

"I believe Reverend Lewis has conveyed my request to you, Mr. Ambassador. How has your side considered it?" Xiao Letian pressed on.

Xiao Letian had saved Lincoln's life, and what he wanted was far more than just two revolvers and an identity document. He needed the United States to support him in the early stages of his career, providing funds, technology, and weapons, all of which he desperately needed.

In Beijing, Xiao Letian had once mentioned his desired list to Lewis, and he was sure this list had already reached the United States.

Four coin presses made in the United States, three armed clipper ships, and permission for Xiao Letian's company to engage in the much-needed silver trade. These were the matters Xiao Letian currently needed the United States to help with. Of course, these were not free; the machinery and armed merchant ships would require Xiao Letian to pay a high price.

In Xiao Letian's plan, the coin minting factory on Taibai Peak was far too unsafe. When he learned from Xiang Shaolong that he was surrounded by a group of high-flying bandits, he knew the minting factory on Taibai Peak would eventually be exposed.

Therefore, Xiao Letian needed an absolutely safe location for minting. The clever Xiao Letian immediately thought of the vast sea, and the most suitable ships to carry the minting machinery were the American clipper ships.

American-made coin presses, along with a complete set of steam boilers, could be installed on a clipper ship. The melting point of silver is not high, so the smelting process would be very simple. The latest coin presses did not cast coins from molten silver but directly stamped them, which not only increased production but also enhanced security.

The other two clipper ships could travel between North America and China, transporting Chinese tea, silk, hog bristles, rhubarb, and other goods to the United States and bringing back the much-needed silver.

At the time, the United States was in the midst of a gold rush, and the main trade currency in Europe and America was still gold, with silver used as a secondary currency. Therefore, Xiao Letian's procurement plan had a good chance of success.

Unrefined or only preliminarily refined silver ore and ingots had at least a 15% price difference compared to Qing currency. Additionally, Xiao Letian used the Yuan Shikai silver dollar casting technique, which already contained 10% copper, resulting in a solid 25% gross profit.

If the profit from the Qing Dynasty's fire loss were added, Xiao Letian's private minting of silver coins would yield a staggering 30% to 35% profit. On the surface, this profit margin might seem ordinary, but this was a risk-free business. There was no need to worry about purchasing, sales, inventory, stockpiling, or even after-sales service. As long as the silver was in hand, the machines would start, and the money would roll in.

Xiao Letian knew that his plan was perfect, but the key was to get the support of the U.S. government. Whether it was the coin presses or the armed clipper ships, these were not ordinary goods and were generally not sold to private individuals. The right to trade in silver was even more critical. Without the U.S. government's approval, Xiao Letian's merchant ships would not be able to take away a single ounce of silver.

The atmosphere in the private room became tense again. Hua Ruohan and Xiao Letian stared at each other for a full three minutes. The ambassador did not directly answer Xiao Letian's question. "Mr. Xiao, besides the requirements you mentioned earlier, do you have any other requests? Preferably personal ones, as I am very willing to help you..."

Hmm! Xiao Letian felt a sense of unease. Did this request fail? Could saving a life not even get a few sets of equipment and a few ships? I'm not asking for free; I'm willing to pay, so why not?

"Dear Mr. Ambassador, I am not a greedy person. I have no personal requests. I still maintain my previous request. This is a win-win business. Can't you see that?"

Xiao Letian then changed his tone. "In the current Qing Dynasty, the resistance to foreigners, including the government, is still very high. Apart from the opium trade and the arms trade, which you have done relatively smoothly, other goods are very difficult to sell. Don't be fooled by the abundance on the market; I know the sales are actually not high..."

"I can assure you that you will not find another Chinese person in the Qing Dynasty who respects business rules as much as I do. I am the only one who approaches you with a fair and win-win mindset. I can reveal to you that my close friend is now in charge of the Qing Dynasty's massive industrial special zone plan. If the U.S. government and I cooperate well, I believe your country will get the biggest piece of the pie..."

Xiao Letian calmed himself and sighed. This was back to the old business negotiation table. He had done this in his previous life, and he never thought he would have to do it again after his穿越. It was a headache.

When Xiao Letian mentioned the "industrial special zone," Hua Ruohan's eyes suddenly lit up. This old man had been investigating the Qing government's unique policy for a long time. He knew that the policy's progress was not smooth, as it was an agricultural empire trying to understand what industry was, which required a breakthrough.

However, Hua Ruohan also knew that the first to try would get the biggest piece of the pie. If the Qing Dynasty chose American machinery, the entire industrial system would follow American habits and standards, which would be a super-sized pie.

China was too large, with too many people. Although this giant had declined, its thousands of years of foundation were still formidable. Even if it was not all industrial special zones, if the United States could get two or three, it would be a billion-dollar deal. At that moment, Hua Ruohan was truly moved.

Xiao Letian saw the hesitation in the ambassador's heart. He knew the fish was about to bite. The U.S. Civil War had just ended, and it was a time of rebuilding. If the Qing Dynasty opened its doors and sent large orders to the United States, it would make the Americans ecstatic.

Unfortunately, the Qing government had no idea what was happening in the world. This was a great opportunity to establish good diplomatic relations with the United States, even a short-term alliance. But this opportunity was destined for Xiao Letian. Those officials who spent their time drinking with women with bound feet would continue to sleep.

Hua Ruohan was in a dilemma for ten minutes. When he finally spoke, even Lewis was nervous, let alone Xiao Letian. But when the ambassador's words came out, Xiao Letian was stunned.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xiao... I can only regretfully say no. The President said that personal friendship cannot be mixed with conspiracy. You cannot represent any government, and your private actions are criminal. We cannot do business with criminals; it is immoral..."