Chapter 59

Standing by the Huangpu River, the long whistle of a steamboat echoed. Feng Yuxiang walked near the ship's railing, looking at the ten-mile-long street, the morning mist enveloping the entire magnificent city. On the Bund, the distant foreign firms were brightly lit, and he felt a slight sigh, for this was a place of bright lights and revelry.

The matter in Zhengzhou did not go smoothly. He had gone to urge for payment, and although the other party acknowledged the debt, they kept making excuses, pushing and shuffling, and after almost a week of effort, they only gave him 300 taels, which, for an ordinary family, would last for several years, but for a battalion of several hundred men, 300 taels would only last a few days. What use was it?

Waiting helplessly, he realized that continuing to wait would be a waste of time. Feng Yuxiang thought of the young brother he had met on the train. Without hesitation, the young man had given him a box of rifles and three pistols, worth several hundred yuan. Just for this, he needed to come to Shanghai to see.

Feng Yuxiang had never been to Shanghai, but he had heard many stories about it. Shanghai was a paradise for adventurers, where both foreigners and ordinary people saw it as a place to make money. However, to him, it was a chaotic place. A concession had emerged on Chinese territory, essentially a country within a country. The country lacked strength, and diplomacy had no voice. This was perhaps what Yang Yuanzhao referred to as a semi-feudal, semi-colonial society, where foreign officials were high and mighty, and Qing officials were meek and submissive.

Three men, clearly distinguished and with a military demeanor, disembarked from the ship and walked side by side toward the dock. The gangsters on the dock, mostly shrewd, saw that these men were not worth bothering with and might even attract trouble. The three men left the dock almost undisturbed and entered the bustling streets of Shanghai.

Everything was unfamiliar, but fortunately, they had the address of the Yang family's chamber of commerce, which they had obtained when parting ways in Zhengzhou. After asking around, they finally found the chamber of commerce but received disappointing news: Yang Yuanzhao was not there.

If Feng Yuxiang and his men had come a week earlier, they might have met Yang Yuanzhao. At that time, he was still staying at the Yang family's chamber of commerce. With the opening of the De Mei Foreign Firm, daily sales were in the thousands, and Yang Yuanzhao, who never shortchanged himself, moved into the Zhonghui Hotel, bringing Yang Yue along with him.

The Zhonghui Hotel was a foreign-owned hotel, very famous in old Shanghai. If not for Habib's intervention, Yang Yuanzhao might not have been able to secure a room. He booked two luxury suites at 300 yuan per day, enjoying the most luxurious service at the beginning of the 20th century.

Knowing that Yang Yuanzhao was not there, Feng Yuxiang's face showed a hint of difficulty. However, the chamber of commerce staff's words dispelled his gloom. When Yang Yuanzhao left, he specifically instructed the Yang family to leave the address of the foreign firm. Although he was busy and might not be there, the firm would not move. They could purchase rifles, regardless of the quantity, from the firm, which was the most convenient place to go.

The De Mei Foreign Firm was some distance from the Yang family's chamber of commerce. The chamber of commerce was located in the traditional old Shanghai county, surrounded by Chinese shops selling daily necessities and occasionally facilitating large purchases for foreign firms. The core of old Shanghai was the concession area along the Huangpu River. From here to there, they had to cross almost half of Shanghai. Although the city was not as large as it would be in the future, it was already well-developed, and crossing half of Shanghai would take at least one to two hours, nearly 30 li.

The three men, all well-trained soldiers, had spent most of their travel expenses on the journey from Zhengzhou to Shanghai. With little money left, they chose to walk rather than take a rickshaw. After spending most of the morning, they finally arrived near the foreign firm around noon.

This area was not densely populated with foreign firms; it looked more like a district of garden villas, with Western-style buildings and beautiful gardens, showcasing the wealth of the area. Feng Yuxiang could not imagine that this was a place to sell arms.

Not only was Feng Yuxiang puzzled, but Shi Congyun and Wang Jinming also looked at each other in bewilderment. Unfamiliar places always made them uneasy.

Shi Congyun asked, "Feng, are you sure they are on this street?"

Wang Jinming affirmed, "I think so. I just saw the street name at the corner, which matches what the staff said. The foreign firm Yang mentioned is on this street, called the De Mei Foreign Firm."

Feng Yuxiang walked down the street, slowly searching. After about an hour, he still had not found the firm. Could the young brother be a fraud? But he vaguely remembered Yang Yuanzhao's smile; he didn't seem like a fraud.

Regardless, they had to keep searching. Just then, a few pedestrians came out of a nearby villa, and Shi Congyun immediately approached them to ask.

Being stopped by several burly men, the wealthy-looking individuals were initially startled. However, the three men were polite and only asked about the De Mei Foreign Firm. The firm was very famous in the area, with a steady stream of customers and a wide range of military equipment sold at reasonable prices, making it well-known in the surrounding streets. They eagerly pointed the way, and it was not far from their current location.

The firm's location was slightly secluded, and they had missed it earlier. With the correct directions, they finally found the firm.

Standing at the entrance, the firm looked no different from the garden villas from the outside. Feng Yuxiang was certain he had passed by the firm earlier but had not noticed the sign on the upper floor. Now, he saw the large "De Mei" name on the sign.

The main entrance was on the other side, which was busier and closer to the Bund, with a main road. There was also a small entrance at the back.

After walking half a circle, they arrived at the main entrance. The garden in front of the street had been opened up and decorated as a lawn, with several rooms on the street side completely opened and divided into different entrances, giving it a grand appearance.

"Looks like the young brother is really something!" Shi Congyun said.

"Yes, it seems to have just been established, but it already has such a grand presence!" Wang Jinming nodded in admiration.

After spending most of the morning and walking almost through half of Shanghai, they had witnessed the city's prosperity firsthand. In the heart of this bustling area, such a large garden villa complex was a testament to the firm's strength.

Feng Yuxiang did not speak but stepped inside. The hall was spacious, and as a soldier, he immediately noticed dozens of different types of guns displayed in the showcases. People came and went, and no one was stopped from handling the guns, unlike other foreign firms, which seemed more like a market.

Habib was extremely busy, wishing he could split himself into three or four people. In just a week, he had hired over 20 staff members and bought a villa near the firm for 5000 silver yuan to use as a warehouse. The main business was the sale of various military equipment, which was a hot commodity in Shanghai. The De Mei Foreign Firm's prices for the Model 1888 rifle were at least 10% lower than those of other firms, and the quality was excellent, making it a top-tier product. Most of the new armies lacked funds and chose old guns from various countries, but good products were still recognized. Elite units or private armies often chose the De Mei Foreign Firm. In the past few days, sales had increased, with daily sales of firearms reaching nearly 1500, bringing in substantial revenue for the firm.

However, in the past ten days, the biggest sales were not firearms but bullets and shells. In China, the consumption of bullets and shells far exceeded that of firearms. Firearms could last for a long time, as evidenced by the old rifles from 20 years ago that were still in use. But bullets and shells were absolute consumables, and China had no genuine bullet production lines.

When Feng Yuxiang entered, it was the busiest time for Habib, who was directing the staff to ship goods. The destinations were Hubei, Hunan, and Guangdong, all with 500 rifles, and Hubei even included five Maxim machine guns.

The shiny Maxim, with its metallic luster, was a work of art and a formidable weapon. Even Feng Yuxiang could not help but stop and carefully examine this automatic weapon.