Chapter 4

PS: The second update is here, please add to your favorites and give me a recommendation! Thank you to the book friend 141223105245212 for the reward! "Boss, this place is too backward! Apart from some Russian mining companies, there's no sign of industrial civilization at all! Of course, the railway is an exception!" Davis shook his head and said to Wu Haoxuan. As the general manager of West China Group, he had returned to China with Wu Haoxuan this time to conduct an inspection and then, according to Wu Haoxuan's requirements, transport a batch of industrial equipment from the United States to set up a factory! However, after some investigation, he was clearly not optimistic about setting up a factory in the impoverished and backward Northeast China!

"Davis! Although this place is poor and backward, it is also our opportunity! If it had already developed, would there still be an opportunity for us? Trust me, in at most ten years, we will be able to build a complete industrial system here!" Wu Haoxuan said confidently! The Northeast has convenient transportation and abundant resources, making it one of the best places in China for industrial development, especially heavy industry!

Davis nodded, though he still had some doubts. However, he had great trust in Wu Haoxuan!

"Boss, setting up a factory and such can be left to Davis! You promised me that I would become a general!" James said! Before coming to China, Wu Haoxuan had talked him into it like this!

"James, be patient, the opportunity will come soon! In less than three months, my father will become the commander of an infantry division and will be responsible for military and political affairs in an area equivalent to a U.S. state!" Wu Haoxuan said! If Yuan Shikai accepts them, Wu Xingquan should be able to get a position as a military governor when it comes time to reward their contributions!

"Commander of an infantry division and the highest official in charge of military and political affairs in a state?" James and Davis both widened their eyes and looked at Wu Haoxuan! This would be unimaginable in the United States! In a democratic country, no one would be allowed to command the military and handle political affairs at the same time!

"At that time, we will definitely need to expand the army and develop industry!" Wu Haoxuan continued!

"Ha, boss! When that time comes, I will at least be the commander of an infantry brigade!" James exclaimed excitedly!

"No problem! Not just a brigade commander, if possible, I can even make you a division commander!" Wu Haoxuan said with a thump on his chest! His ambitions were not limited to the Northeast alone. At that time, the army would definitely be a priority for development! If James could truly integrate into this country, with his military talent, becoming a division commander would not be excessive! Besides, in the early stages of a new army, James's help would be indispensable!

Next, Wu Haoxuan took James and Davis out of the Wu residence and went for a stroll on Shengjing Street! However, they had an extra little tail! Hu Zi, originally a bodyguard for Wu Xingquan, was now assigned to be Wu Haoxuan's bodyguard! Hu Zi's surname is Zhao, and he has four brothers, all of whom work under Wu Xingquan, loyal to the Wu family, known as the Five Tigers of the Zhao family! Wu Xingquan's head of security is the third brother of the Zhao family, and Hu Zi is the youngest of the Five Tigers! Hu Zi had no objections to being the bodyguard for the young master! He and Wu Haoxuan were about the same age and got along well! In Hu Zi's mind, Wu Haoxuan had studied abroad for several years and even brought back two foreign subordinates, which was simply amazing!

Shengjing is the capital of Fengtian Province and the largest city in the entire Northeast! However, in Wu Haoxuan's eyes, it was still too backward! Not to mention compared to the developed society of his future memories, even compared to the United States, it was a world apart! However, wasn't this a great opportunity for him to achieve his grand plans?

Due to the impact of the Russo-Japanese War, there were many displaced refugees in Shengjing at this time! The war between two imperialist countries was being fought on Chinese soil, and the Qing government, which strictly maintained neutrality, even designated a specific area for the fighting, showing its weakness and incompetence! However, this made life very hard for the Chinese people living on this land!

Wu Haoxuan knew that in this war, the factories in Lüshun were bombed, houses were destroyed, and even temples were not spared. Cattle were seized, and food was plundered, leaving hundreds of thousands of people displaced. The Japanese and Russians forcibly recruited Chinese civilians to transport ammunition and perform labor, and many died unjustly in the crossfire. Even more Chinese civilians were killed as "spies" by both sides. This war not only brutally trampled on Chinese territory and sovereignty but also caused enormous losses and casualties among the people of Northeast China.

Seeing the displaced people on the street, Wu Haoxuan felt very uneasy! Originally, he had wanted to take a leisurely stroll, but now he had no mood for it at all! On the contrary, James and Davis were very excited! To them, everything here was so novel, and they were like curious children, interested in everything!

There were many ronin in Shengjing! After Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War, these ronin became even more brazen, bullying the people everywhere, and the authorities did not dare to intervene, fearing trouble! After all, Russia was a powerful country known as the "European Steamroller"! Japan, a rising power, had defeated Russia, boosting their confidence! A vast country with a large population but weak national strength like China was even less in their eyes!

"Damn! You damn Chinese, do you want to die?" Suddenly, a loud shout caught Wu Haoxuan's attention!

He saw a Japanese ronin in a kimono, wielding a katana, beating up a Chinese youth on the street! The youth, with his hands covering his head, was curled up on the ground, allowing the ronin to beat him! However, Wu Haoxuan noticed the hatred and resentment in his eyes, which caught his attention! After all, at this time, there were not many Chinese with a sense of national pride! Most people were very afraid of foreigners, whether they were from the East or the West!

"James, go and save that young man!" Wu Haoxuan said softly! Although he wanted to shoot the Japanese ronin, he knew that with his current status, he shouldn't act, as it would cause trouble! A gentleman's revenge can wait ten years; challenging a rising power like Japan without sufficient strength would be unwise!

James nodded in understanding and walked out quickly!

"Stop! Don't beat him anymore! He can't fight back anymore!" James pulled the ronin away! Wu Haoxuan then noticed that the ronin was drunk, clearly having had too much to drink and causing trouble!

"Damn! You bastard, what do you want?" The ronin shouted, but when he saw that James was a foreigner, he hesitated slightly! Although Japan was a rising power, it still paled in comparison to the old Western powers! This made the Japanese very respectful to Westerners, at least on the surface!

If the ronin were sober, he would have backed down! But now, drunk, his courage had grown!

"He can't fight back anymore, it's wrong to beat him like this!" James said loudly!

"Damn! It's just a Chinese, what's the big deal! You damn foreigner, how dare you interfere, I'll kill you!" The ronin drew his katana and tried to slash at James!

However, as a graduate of West Point, James was not so easy to deal with! As soon as the ronin raised his katana, James's Browning pistol was pressed against his forehead! The ronin was stunned! The alcohol he had drunk seemed to turn into sweat, and he sobered up, not daring to move!

"Drop the knife! Or you'll be responsible for the consequences!" James warned!

"Hey! What's going on? What happened, Ono?" At this moment, two Japanese men rushed out of the crowd.

"Sir, what happened? Did my companion have a conflict with you?" One of the Japanese men asked in English!

"Your friend is drunk and tried to attack me! I have the right to defend myself!" James said coldly!

"Sir, it's a misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding!" The Japanese man quickly apologized!

"Ono, this foreigner is meddling in other people's business, I was just teaching a Chinese a lesson, and he suddenly interfered!" The ronin named Ono tried to explain!

"Shut up!" The Japanese man who spoke English seemed to be of higher status. After scolding Ono, he immediately lowered his head!

"Sir, this is just a misunderstanding! There's no need to make a big deal out of it!" Kawai said!

James nodded and then withdrew the gun from Ono's forehead!

After that, the three Japanese men bowed to James and quickly left!

The onlookers began to discuss the incident! They often saw these Japanese ronin bullying Chinese people, but now, in front of Westerners, the Japanese behaved like obedient grandchildren, which was quite a revelation! Undoubtedly, this would become a topic of conversation for many people!

Hearing the discussions, Wu Haoxuan shook his head speechlessly! When the people of the country no longer fear foreigners, perhaps there will be hope for the country!

"Ma Xiufang thanks the kind sir for saving his life. Please leave your name, and I will repay you in the future!" The young man who had been beaten by the Japanese ronin came to Wu Haoxuan and said solemnly!

"My name is Wu Haoxuan. I saved you because we are both Chinese!" Wu Haoxuan said, then turned and left!