Chapter 7 of 10

Chapter 7

15 min read3,833 words

Shanghai, International Settlement.

After leaving the jewelry store, Wende Si and his team did not look for a hotel but instead had the driver take them to what would later be known as Yangtze Road.

Earlier in the morning, another team he had dispatched split into three groups, one of which was specifically responsible for buying a house. They had already purchased a small villa with a private courtyard here. The villa was close to the Huangpu River, a three-story European-style building with a construction area of about 700 square meters and a garden of about 1,000 square meters, surrounded by a wall.

This had been determined during previous reconnaissance. The original owner was a European merchant who was about to return home and needed to sell the property quickly. Wende Si's dispatched bio-androids bought it for 30,000 silver dollars.

"Mr. Wen, the property prices in the Shanghai Concession are much higher than in Neijiang, so it cost 30,000..." the bio-android responsible for the purchase reported.

"Hmm, that's about right. Property prices in Shanghai are among the highest in China, and they will remain so until the 23rd century..." Wende Si was indifferent to the price, and the villa had access to tap water and electricity.

Wende Si toured the villa and found that most of the furniture and living facilities were complete. They would only need to change the bedding to move in.

He then took out a blueprint and instructed, "Jabuxiong, tomorrow find a construction company to renovate part of the garden... Also, buy some of the surrounding land... We need warehouses at the dock, whether by purchase or lease, get a few, at least 5,000 square meters."

"Yes, Mr. Wen, we'll take care of it tomorrow..." Jabuxiong was the bio-android responsible for the purchase.

Wende Si planned to establish a base in Shanghai, but one villa would not be enough.

...

By evening, the other two teams had returned.

"Report to Mr. Wen, we have consulted with seven foreign firms about the weapons and machinery you requested. Here are the compiled data..." one of the bio-androids reported and handed over a storage card.

"Mr. Wen, here is the market data for the raw materials you requested, such as light industry, chemicals, and metals..." the leader of another group also handed over a storage card.

"Good, thank you for your hard work..." Wende Si took the storage cards and began browsing on his handheld computer.

After a while, Wende Si couldn't help but remark, "The market in this era is so different from the future..."

Compared to the future, industrial products were very expensive, while agricultural products and raw materials were extremely cheap, creating a significant disparity between industry and agriculture. This was even more pronounced in inland areas.

The M1903 Springfield rifle cost 38 yuan per unit, 45 yuan per thousand bullets; the M1900 pistol cost 40 yuan per unit, 42 yuan per thousand bullets; the Madsen light machine gun cost 260 yuan per unit; the Maxim heavy machine gun cost around 1,000 yuan. Cars, a new invention, were also very expensive, costing 2,000 to 3,000 yuan, while a luxurious European carriage cost only 500 yuan.

Wende Si thought for a moment and said, "Xia, tomorrow buy a batch of weapons. Get 300 rifles, choose the M1903 Springfield, and 300,000 bullets. For pistols, unfortunately, the M1911 isn't available yet, so get the Browning M1903, also 300 units, and 300,000 bullets. Get 40 Madsen light machine guns and 200,000 bullets, the same caliber as the Springfield. Get 10 Maxim heavy machine guns and 100,000 bullets..."

"Also, buy 5 steamboats for inland rivers, capable of reaching Neijiang."

"Also, get the latest machinery: generators, steam engines, sugar presses, paper machines, brewing machines... and all kinds of machine tools, the latest models..."

"Also, get livestock: large cold-blooded horses from Europe, Arabian horses for cavalry, 200 stallions and mares, and various high-quality pigs, cattle, and sheep..."

Wende Si opened the plan and assigned procurement tasks to the bio-androids.

His money came in quickly and went out just as fast. The 2.12 million pounds he had just received were already a quarter spent.

Finally, three people were left without tasks. He said, "Banazal, you and your team will go to the United States when the weapons arrive, travel by Antelope 670. Here is the plan..."

Wende Si continued, "The household registration system in the United States is very chaotic, especially in border states like Montana, where there is almost no concept of household registration. As long as you have money, you can get real identity documents. If necessary, you can make sure the informants keep quiet forever..."

"Yes, Mr. Wen. We will complete the task!" Banazal was a bio-android with a German appearance.

Indeed, Banazal and his team were going to the United States to secure their identities. While the forged passports were fine for now, they would attract attention from various powers in the future. Without real identities, it would be hard to explain. However, obtaining identities in this era was not too difficult, as there was no internet or DNA testing. With money, it was not a problem.

...

A month later, Wende Si led a fleet of ships, sailing grandly towards Sichuan.

This time, he had spent a large sum in Shanghai, buying a significant amount of machinery and weapons, causing a minor stir in the market. The goods he had purchased were only a part; the rest were not in stock and had to be shipped from Europe, some even needed to be custom-made, which would take two to three months.

Wende Si had many things to do and couldn't wait in Shanghai, so he left Kromi behind and returned to Sichuan. Additionally, he sent a few people with some synthetic diamonds and gemstones to Beijing for sale. The Manchu princes and nobles there were wealthy, and it wouldn't be right not to let them bleed a little.

"However, this business will be about it..." Wende Si thought, somewhat reluctantly.

Luxury items like diamonds and gemstones had a limited market. If too much was invested at once, it would not only cause depreciation but also attract attention from various powers. Wende Si's current strength was not enough to handle such trouble. The batch of diamonds sold in Shanghai had already caught the attention of some people. If not for his American citizenship, someone might have already come to visit. Therefore, although he still had a lot of inventory, he dared not continue to sell in large quantities.

However, the funds obtained this time were sufficient for agricultural development.

Banazal and his team had not returned yet. Although Wende Si was reluctant, he had to return by ship. Fortunately, the fleet was all steamships, which were faster than sailboats or paddle boats.

He was now sitting on a 500-ton passenger ship he had rented. On board, in addition to himself, were a group of talents recruited in Shanghai, mainly engineers, technical workers, agronomists, steamship crew members, doctors, veterinarians, and lawyers, both Chinese and foreign, totaling more than 300 people. To ensure the safety of the cargo and people, Wende Si had hired two U.S. Navy river gunboats for escort.

When they were about to leave Jiangxi, an unexpected incident occurred.

"Mr. Wen, we caught a stowaway..." Jabuxiong reported.

"What? A stowaway? Our ship is going to Sichuan..." Wende Si was curious. Was this stowaway brainless?

Jabuxiong said, "Yes, from his accent, he is from Jiangxi..."

Wende Si, feeling bored, said, "Heh, interesting. A Jiangxi person stowing away to Sichuan? Bring him in, I want to ask him what's going on."

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