Chapter 51

"Mr. Yang, this is my fellow countryman John, the deputy manager of Lihe Trading Company!" Habby introduced the German, who looked somewhat of Anglo-American descent, to Yang Yuanzhao. John was also sizing up Yang Yuanzhao.

To be honest, when he first met Habby, he was greatly surprised. Saying they were fellow countrymen was just a way to form a connection since they happened to be on the same ship. John and his companions had secretly laughed at Habby many times for coming to the Far East to do piano business, which seemed like a crazy idea. Everything that followed was similar to John's predictions, and Habby found himself in a difficult situation, drinking in bars every day.

When Habby came to him for help, John had condescendingly given him some small change, about five to ten marks. But after just a week, Habby seemed to have turned things around. It wasn't the kind of false bravado, but a genuine change in his demeanor and spirit. There were no rumors of a large trading company being established, so perhaps Habby had found a benefactor.

"Hello, I am John Hanks, nice to meet you, Mr. Yang!" John, with his much more fluent Chinese, formally greeted Yang Yuanzhao. Clearly, John had been in China for a long time.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. John, I hope to get your help!"

"With what?"

Habby whispered a few words to John, and a look of difficulty appeared on John's face. Yang Yuanzhao wanted weapons, but in China, weapons were not freely sold. Most trading companies required a specific purpose for the weapons, and only local governors and the New Army could purchase them smoothly. Sun Yat-sen's Tongmenghui had to struggle to obtain weapons from abroad or through various channels. The 1911 Wuchang Uprising was also foiled when the bomb-making in the concession was discovered, and the Qing dynasty was prepared. The actual leaders of the uprising were some progressive soldiers and young people.

Habby, despite his previous misfortune, was well-connected in the circle. He quietly pulled John aside and handed him a 50-pound check from the Citibank. As the deputy manager of a large trading company like Lihe, John had a natural sensitivity to money. He didn't often deal with cash checks, but a quick glance at the amount—50 pounds, equivalent to 500 silver dollars—made John's eyes light up. In the Far East, his monthly salary was only 160 marks, which was already quite generous. But 100 pounds represented several hundred marks, and Habby's request was not too high—just a tour and a few guns for self-defense.

Law and human sentiment are not far apart, and the management of trading companies in the Far East was not particularly strict. Habby was German, and Yang Yuanzhao was just a young man, not a strong and muscular man, so there was no worry about robbery. The outcome was naturally smooth.

"Please wait here for a moment, I have some matters to attend to!" John said, returned to the hall, gave some brief instructions, and then led Yang Yuanzhao and Habby to the back. After a long corridor, a 30-centimeter thick iron door opened, and a cold air rushed out, along with a strong smell of gun oil. This was a small armory, neatly stacked with various firearms, mostly rifles, which filled about half the room. John, seeing Yang Yuanzhao's gaze, quickly said, "These are the weapons of the New Army in Suzhou, a full battalion's equipment, and cannot be given to you!"

Yang Yuanzhao smiled but said nothing, walking up to examine the equipment. John didn't mind; with such a large warehouse, what could two people take away?

Yang Yuanzhao carefully examined each weapon. There were dozens of types, including five types of rifles, seven types of pistols, Maxim heavy machine guns, and even a few 75mm mountain guns and field guns. This was a pleasant surprise. Normally, the concessions would not have artillery, and trading companies only sold light weapons. These were likely the New Army's equipment, and the need for artillery only arose with the establishment of the New Army. This was a boon for Yang Yuanzhao, who was struggling to find blueprints for artillery. Now his problem was solved.

After examining all the weapons, he selected two pistols and paid 140 silver dollars. Yang Yuanzhao left the trading company, leaving both John and Habby puzzled. Why would Yang Yuanzhao spend 640 silver dollars on just two pistols? Even Habby couldn't understand.

Saying goodbye to the delighted John, the two left the trading company and turned the corner. Yang Yuanzhao handed the two pistols to Habby for self-defense. Habby, who had been a soldier in his youth, was not unfamiliar with firearms. In the current chaotic Shanghai, having a gun for self-defense was much better than being unarmed.

"Habby, find some guards and have the warehouse renovated tomorrow. Make sure the security is solid," Yang Yuanzhao said earnestly.

Habby was a bit confused. The old yard needed security? But he nodded in agreement.

Yang Yuanzhao took a few more steps, then stopped and turned to ask, "By the way, Habby, where can I find chemical supplies and medicines?"

"Ah!" Habby hesitated, then said, "Jardine Matheson and other British trading companies have more chemical supplies, and of course, German trading companies do as well. They are on the other side of the Huangpu River!"

"Alright, you don't need to worry about me. You go about your business, and I'll look around myself!"

Chemical supplies, in this era, were not controlled goods, though sales were not high. They were mostly sold by small trading companies or as part of the offerings of large trading companies, similar to wholesale markets in the future. You could browse freely, and if you found something you liked, a clerk would tell you the price and even deliver it to your door.

Yang Yuanzhao spent the entire afternoon in the chemical supply store, which was filled with the smell of chemicals, making it somewhat stuffy. The mixed odors were peculiar, and even the clerks seemed lethargic unless a customer asked for prices.

Yang Yuanzhao spent the afternoon copying and recording, tirelessly improving his blueprints. By the end of the afternoon, he had recorded nearly 4,000 chemical supplies, including the most important one, urea. In this era, urea was a medicine, and who knew what its effects were. Besides urea, the most significant find was a dye called Prontosil.

Prontosil was perhaps the first antibiotic in the world, though its effectiveness was only recognized decades later. At the time, it was just a dye, and its active component was a metabolite produced in the body. Initially, many people took it directly, but it would stain the skin. With the advancement of science, the effective component, which was colorless, was discovered in the breakdown products of Prontosil. This component, known as sulfonamide, became a broad-spectrum antibiotic after penicillin.

These two significant finds already made Yang Yuanzhao very satisfied. The rest were basic chemical raw materials, which would only be useful when more chemists were brought to China or the northwest.

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