Chapter 63

"Mr. Habee, when will the 50 Mausers and 50 pistols I purchased be delivered!" said Tong Yingshan, dressed in the uniform of the new army. He was the commander of the newly established regiment of the Nanjing New Army. The equipment for this regiment had already arrived in Nanjing and was stored in the Ninth Division. This time, he came to Shanghai for two reasons: one was to act as a mediator, as the Hubei New Army wanted to expand a special operations battalion and had high equipment requirements, aiming for the same level as the Beiyang Army. As the commander of the new equipment regiment, he came to meet a fellow townsman and also to gain some benefits. The other reason was to find a few instructors through the foreign firm to train the new army.

"Commander Tong, rest assured, I will have them loaded onto the ship soon, along with theirs!" Habee replied.

"What about the instructors?"

"That will take some time!" Habee hesitated slightly. There were many foreigners in Shanghai, but few met the requirements. This was the first time the German-American firm was equipping an entire battalion on a large scale. In his view, to fully utilize the weapons' effectiveness, ordinary foreign instructors wouldn't suffice. Fortunately, through managing the firm, Habee had become quite wealthy, earning substantial dividends in just a few days. Yang Yuanzhao had also inquired about Habee's debts and helped repay them appropriately. This allowed Habee to boldly contact old acquaintances in Germany, easily finding two retired German officers, both of whom had retired within the past three years. However, it would take time for them to arrive.

Tong Yingshan was slightly displeased but didn't say much. Habee was the head of a powerful foreign firm, and if he wanted to continue purchasing arms, he couldn't offend him. Waiting was fine; the instructors the governor had found were not satisfactory. He hoped for German instructors.

Beside him, Chen Qi began signing the contract with Habee. It was a spot transaction, not a large amount—600 rifles, all new Mausers, and 3 Maxim machine guns. For a firm that sold 100,000 units daily, this was nothing. Habee's involvement was partly due to Tong Yingshan and partly because this represented an advertisement. If a province's new army used their equipment and it was of good quality, the subsequent influence and advertising effect would be significant. Both parties were eager to complete the deal, but there was some disagreement on the price. In the end, they agreed, with the rifle price increasing by 20 yuan, and the other party receiving a 25-yuan kickback, effectively reducing the price by 5 yuan, which was a concession from Habee.

The current Habee was no longer the clueless one he used to be. With the help of his advisor, he had a clear understanding of the ins and outs. These kickbacks were casually confirmed, satisfying the greedy officials and fostering good relations, thus completing the deal.

Tong Yingshan looked at his fellow townsman Chen Qi and said, "Brother, are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied, thank you, Brother Yingshan!" Chen Qi's face was full of smiles. A 25-yuan kickback per gun meant over ten thousand for a battalion, plus the additional items he could list on the invoice. In China, this was normal. Even after distributing the kickbacks, he would still have a significant amount left. He said with a smile, "Let's go to Changchun Tower tonight, my treat!"

"Alright, I'll have a good meal at your expense tonight. Mr. Habee, why don't you join us?" Tong Yingshan turned to Habee.

"I won't join, you two enjoy yourselves. The bill is on me!" Habee, busy with his many tasks, quickly declined.

"Alright, alright!"

Tong Yingshan and Chen Qi turned and left. As for the order, it would naturally be followed up by their subordinates. Habee also turned to go inside when Feng Yuxiang approached to speak with him. Suddenly, he heard a surprised voice, "Brother Huanzhang is here!"

Feng Yuxiang turned around and saw Yang Yuanzhao standing behind him, smiling. Compared to Habee, he preferred dealing with Yang Yuanzhao. His experience at the firm had shown that Yang Yuanzhao had significant influence, and his words could reduce costs by half, indicating his high status.

Yang Yuanzhao had just completed his day's work and returned to the German-American firm. Shanghai was one of the most industrially developed places in China, and Yang Yuanzhao needed to replicate and extract many items. After initially replicating a large number of items and chemical products from the firm, he now focused on various industrial enterprises in Shanghai. The Yangtze River Delta region had a highly developed light industry, with workshops and factories everywhere. Many of these factories' machinery was from several or even a dozen years ago, sufficient for cumulative and comparative analysis. At the very least, the equipment that had been successfully in production for so long had its merits.

The Yang family had some roots in Shanghai, and with Yang Yuanzhao visiting under the guise of learning, he smoothly entered various factories. After a series of visits, he had extracted the necessary items. Now, in the blueprint area, including power plants, steam machinery, textile machinery, steelmaking, and rolling mills, he had replicated a wide range of basic industries. Apart from heavy chemical industries, the categories were quite comprehensive. In Yang Yuanzhao's view, with a bit of organization, these could be implemented in the northwest, laying the foundation for a basic industrial base. He was in high spirits.

"Brother Yang, it's great to see you!" Feng Yuxiang approached, slightly excited.

The hall was bustling with people, and Yang Yuanzhao also noticed that Feng Yuxiang was not alone. One of them looked older and had a commanding presence, possibly a famous member of the Tongmenghui. It wasn't convenient to talk in the hall, so he said in a low voice, "Brother Huanzhang, let's go inside to talk."

Feng Yuxiang and the others, of course, agreed. Whether discussing business or matters, standing in the hall was inappropriate. Habee also noticed Yang Yuanzhao's arrival and was about to approach quickly but saw Yang Yuanzhao making a slight gesture, so he stopped and turned in another direction.

Entering the reception room, Yang Yuanzhao asked, "Brother Huanzhang, when did you arrive, and why did you only come to see me now? Is there anything you need me to do?"

"We just arrived this morning!" Feng Yuxiang said, pointing to Zhang Jingjiang behind him, "Brother, come and meet Mr. Jingjiang!"

"Mr. Jingjiang!" Yang Yuanzhao was surprised when Feng Yuxiang mentioned Zhang Jingjiang. Zhang Jingjiang was a well-known figure in China, the financial backer of the Kuomintang and the Tongmenghui, and one of the Four Elders of the Republic of China. As a leader of Chinese national capital, he was a business giant, even if his investments were not as large as in later years. He came from a wealthy family and had a successful business, making him a commercial titan.

"Your name is Yang Yuanzhao, I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Jingjiang!"

"Are you studying in England? That's impressive, I don't think I've met you before!" Zhang Jingjiang asked, puzzled. He had been a counselor at the French embassy and handled most European affairs, including those of Chinese students. He believed his memory was not bad, but he had no recollection of Yang Yuanzhao.

"I am not from China!" Yang Yuanzhao, well-prepared, replied calmly.

"Ah, I see, you are a Chinese overseas!" Zhang Jingjiang said, then fell silent. He was well aware of the strength of the Chinese diaspora. Many of the Tongmenghui's activities were supported by the diaspora, who had established their own systems and significant businesses abroad over several hundred years, producing many influential families. If Yang Yuanzhao was one of them, it wouldn't be surprising.

He was already puzzled about Yang Yuanzhao's relationship with the German-American firm. Now, it seemed he might be from a German or European Chinese family, explaining the favorable treatment.

"By the way, Brother Huanzhang, how much military equipment do you plan to purchase in Shanghai?"

"I..." Feng Yuxiang glanced at Zhang Jingjiang, who nodded slightly. Entering the firm, they could see its strength, and with the presence of new army officials purchasing military equipment, it was somewhat trustworthy.

Seeing Zhang Jingjiang nod, Feng Yuxiang said, "I am here for military equipment. I may go to Northeast China in two months, so I want to purchase enough for a battalion in advance!"