Chapter 62

Zhang Jingjiang nodded in satisfaction. The 74th Regiment of the Beiyang Army was a rear unit. To become a battalion commander in the talent-rich Beiyang Army, one must be very capable. The most important thing was that he was still young, only in his twenties, a true talent. When did such a capable person appear in the organization? It seemed that he had been abroad for a long time and was unfamiliar with many things.

Zhang Jingjiang didn't understand why such an outstanding young man would end up in such a difficult situation. The change in his attitude made him speak more kindly, "Where did you study abroad?"

"I didn't study abroad; I grew up in the Wuwei Army!"

Zhang Jingjiang was moved. Without studying abroad, to reach this position was even more difficult. No wonder his demeanor was so steady. Clearly, his attitude had shifted, and he looked at Feng Yuxiang differently. He took the initiative to ask, "What brings you to see me?"

Zhang Jingjiang's attitude made the three men very pleased. They exchanged glances, and Feng Yuxiang said, "Mr. Jingjiang, we are here to seek your help."

"Tell me more!" Zhang Jingjiang said calmly.

Feng Yuxiang and the others recounted the situation in detail, particularly emphasizing the quality and price of the guns. After listening, Zhang Jingjiang pondered for a moment. As a businessman, especially one who ran a company abroad, he was very familiar with the prices of various weapons. He knew very well that this price was not high, not just in China, but even abroad, it would be hard to get such a price unless the seller was very powerful.

Such a good deal falling into his lap made Zhang Jingjiang's first thought that it was a scam. But upon further reflection, what scammer would give away hundreds of dollars worth of goods for a small amount of money? Feng Yuxiang was indeed a battalion commander, but in the Beiyang Army, with one division having two brigades, one brigade having two regiments, and one regiment having three to five battalions, there were thousands of such mid-level officers nationwide. How much influence could such mid-level officials have?

"Mr. Jingjiang, what do you think?" Feng Yuxiang asked after waiting for a long time without a response from Zhang Jingjiang.

Zhang Jingjiang was silent. He didn't deny that this was a very good price. The revolution of the Tongmenghui had fallen into a low point. Several failed revolutions had led to the suppression of many elites by the Qing army. Most of the party members had been forced to leave China and seek support and continue the revolution in Japan. In this situation, buying a large amount of military equipment rashly would be problematic.

Shi Congyun was about to urge further but was stopped by Feng Yuxiang. After careful consideration, Feng Yuxiang said, "Mr. Jingjiang, there is an opportunity in the Beiyang Army to send officers to Northeast China. As a deputy officer, I can choose to go to Northeast China on official business and have the authority to train a new battalion. However, the Beiyang Army can only provide half of the weapons, and the military pay must be raised independently!"

"Northeast China?" Zhang Jingjiang's eyes lit up. If it were just for the revolution, buying a large amount of weapons in the current state of China, where the revolution was in a low point, would be inappropriate. However, Feng Yuxiang had a valid reason. He was a mid-level officer in the Beiyang Army and had the opportunity to enter Northeast China. As long as the battalion's weapons were supplemented, the rest would be easy. A battalion was just a name; with money, it could be expanded as much as needed. In the army, no one cared about the number of soldiers or the expansion, as no one would do such a thankless task.

Zhang Jingjiang mused to himself. Northeast China was the stronghold of the Qing Dynasty, a harsh and cold region. Although sending Tongmenghui members there would be tough, it was better than going abroad. Most importantly, they could receive some military training. As a senior member of the Tongmenghui, he knew very well that revolution required more than just passion. Therefore, the Tongmenghui had recently focused on the military, no longer targeting progressive youth but developing many military talents.

"Alright, I will support this battalion, but I want to see it for myself," Zhang Jingjiang said decisively.

"Thank you, Mr. Jingjiang!" Feng Yuxiang and the others were overjoyed.

Zhang Jingjiang stopped their expressions of gratitude and said calmly, "But let's be clear, you must follow my orders there, or else..."

"Of course, of course!" Feng Yuxiang nodded quickly.

The driver at the door, seeing Feng Yuxiang come out, hurriedly opened the door. Zhang Jingjiang glanced at the car, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Then he said, "Since you have a car, lead the way!"

Zhang Jingjiang's car was a Mercedes, which he heard was not bought but given directly by Mercedes-Benz. In terms of manufacturing and configuration, it was far superior to the Ford T that Feng Yuxiang was riding.

In this era, cars couldn't go very fast, and Shanghai lacked the conditions. After about ten minutes, the car stopped in front of the De Mei Trading Company.

Looking at the sign, Zhang Jingjiang was slightly surprised. He had never heard of this company. Could it be a new one? Led by Feng Yuxiang, he entered the trading company. The clear display windows and bustling crowd made him nod in approval. Regardless of other aspects, the scale of this trading company was not small, and in some ways, it was quite large, with a wide variety of goods.

"Mr. Jingjiang, these are the weapons we plan to equip," Feng Yuxiang said, pointing to the Mauser 1888 rifles.

Zhang Jingjiang waved his hand and walked straight to the Maxim machine gun, which was always placed in the center of the hall, the most prominent position in the entire trading company. Almost every customer entering the trading company would see the imposing figure of the Maxim.

Zhang Jingjiang was no exception. The Maxim first caught his eye, followed by the pointed bullets, which were specifically for machine guns. Few countries abroad could produce them, and all of them banned their export to China. In Shanghai, only a few samples were available in the major trading companies, and the Beiyang Army had to pay a high price to obtain a small amount directly from abroad. This trading company was indeed not simple.

Seeing the pointed bullets, Zhang Jingjiang no longer doubted the strength of the trading company. Most of the weapons it sold were German-made, and it might even be a company directly established by Germany to sell military equipment.

Zhang Jingjiang had been in the diplomatic field since 1902 and was one of the few diplomats in China. Following Sun Baoqi, he had learned a lot about the global situation. For example, the war clouds were gathering in Europe, forming two major alliances: the Central Powers led by Germany and Austria-Hungary, and the Allies led by Britain, France, and Russia. They formed alliances and confronted each other across Europe.

In this situation, the establishment of a trading company with a strong German background, selling military equipment and other scarce items, in Shanghai, China, might have some ulterior motives.

However, Zhang Jingjiang then laughed to himself. It was a professional habit to think of everything in terms of conspiracy. Regardless of whether this trading company had any ulterior motives, even if it did, China was not a player in the game, nor did it have the ability to be a pawn. In a sense, this was a tragedy for China.

It was around 2 PM, the busiest time for the trading company. More than 20 clerks were busy, almost flying around. Loud agreements were heard from time to time. As the head of the trading company, Habib was surrounded by a group of soldiers, who were talking to him.

Zhang Jingjiang was familiar with the officials at various levels in the south and immediately recognized that the leading soldier was wearing the uniform of a regimental commander of the New Army. Beside him were battalion commanders and a few soldiers in the uniform of aides.

The New Army in Nanjing was responsible for training a new regiment, and this news had been widely known for a long time. The weapons and equipment had not been in place, not because the Rui faction lacked money. Controlling the wealthy regions of the Two Rivers, the Rui faction was not greedy, and the money had been prepared long ago. However, no trading company was willing to sell to them, which made the Tongmenghui's plan to infiltrate personnel fail. The Two Rivers region was one of the strongest areas for revolutionary forces, and such a good opportunity was being wasted, which was a pity.

A thought flashed through Zhang Jingjiang's mind. Could the New Army in Nanjing be expanding again? It seemed that he needed to inquire about it. The previous preparations could also begin.

After several failed uprisings, the Tongmenghui began to value the existence of the military. Violent revolution could not be sustained by the enthusiasm of progressive youth alone; it required professionals. This was why the Tongmenghui had frequently sent core members to develop within the military over the past two years. Jiangsu was a wealthy region, but they had started late and had not made much of an impact. The establishment of the New Army was the best opportunity.