Chapter 26

"......Therefore, we must maintain a certain level of respect for the British Empire."

Facing Mr. Carter, the head of the Huntelar Bank's Far East region, John spoke slowly, "No matter what, the British Empire is the most powerful force here. Even the U.S. government cannot compete with it. So please remember, for the next three years, we must develop quietly and not provoke them..."

"Three years?"

After hearing his boss's words, Mr. Carter couldn't help but frown slightly.

To be honest, he didn't quite understand John's meaning. He understood the power of the British Empire and knew that the U.S. government would not dare to oppose it in the Far East. However, the emphasis on the three years in his boss's words made him sensitive to a hint!

"Could it be that the three-year period has some significance?"

While pondering this in his mind, Mr. Carter nodded forcefully, "I understand, sir. For the next three years, we will no longer collaborate with the strong figures in China's political and military fields, but will focus all our efforts on industry and education..."

"Very good!"

Seeing that the other party understood, John nodded in satisfaction.

Perhaps he could take advantage of the Boer War to make a fortune without causing too much displeasure to the British, as all of Europe was supporting the Boers at that time. But that was not possible now. The Americans did not have the strength to challenge the British, and even if they did, they would not do so for the Huntelar Group. Therefore, after intervening in the Xinhai Revolution, John had to make the Huntelar Bank quiet down—until at least 1914, their actions must be within the tolerance of the British.

After reaching this agreement, both John and Carter let out a sigh of relief.

Carter was one thing, but even John himself felt a bit of pressure today. Despite his outward indifference to the British, only those living in this era understood what the British Empire truly meant! Therefore, even as a time traveler, John could not remain calm after receiving Lugard's warning and decided to temporarily abandon his influence in China's political and military fields.

Of course, John himself didn't plan to continue either.

Supporting Yuan Shikai or the revolutionaries in the south, John didn't know if what he was doing was right or wrong, or if he was just trying to ensure that everything he had in China went smoothly. Now that his goal was basically achieved, John would focus on industry and education, and not intervene in other matters—being a political novice, he really didn't know who to support or whether to continue selling them guns and explosives...

"Ha..."

After discussing this matter, John couldn't help but yawn.

Today had been exhausting for him. He spent an hour at the dock, then attended the governor's welcome banquet for nearly three hours, and immediately afterward, he met with Mr. Carter, and they talked for a long time. John, who had just completed a long journey, was already extremely tired.

"Sir, you should rest now."

A very perceptive subordinate quickly stood up and said respectfully, "I have already informed those who came to welcome you today that you are very tired from your long journey and need three days to rest before meeting any guests..."

"Oh? Who wants to see me?"

John's brow furrowed, and he asked subconsciously.

"Uh... many people."

Mr. Carter smiled bitterly and said helplessly, "In fact, we only informed a few people of your arrival in Hong Kong, but... as you saw today, the British, the Japanese, the Chinese—many military governors from the south, Mr. Sun from the revolutionaries, and Mr. Yuan from the north all sent representatives, as well as important figures from various chambers of commerce, of course, and colleagues from the Huntelar Bank, publishing house, and trading company, all of whom hope to meet you..."

"Heh, it seems I am quite popular."

Hearing this, John's brow twitched, and he couldn't help but sneer.

Apart from his own people, who naturally wanted to see their boss, John was well aware of the intentions of the others—foreigners wanted to establish connections and find opportunities with the Huntelar Group, while the Chinese, whether Yuan Shikai, Mr. Sun, or the military governors, all wanted money and weapons.

Without a doubt, the Huntelar Group was the most popular foreign group in China, with no equal!

The reason was simple: they had money and power!

John's investment in the Huntelar Bank's Far East branch was not enormous, only about two to three million dollars in total—of course, this was already a significant amount relative to China at that time. However, in the context of the Huntelar Group's total assets, it was not a large proportion. But don't forget, they made a fortune during the First Sino-Japanese War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Russo-Japanese War, and the rubber stock market turmoil two years ago!

All this money added up to a considerable sum!

Therefore, over the years, the Huntelar Bank's investments in China have been very generous, starting with疯狂 buying land in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, especially in the British and American concessions in Shanghai, where they are now the largest landowner. Then they began to acquire antiques, promote education, and sponsor Chinese students. Apart from the acquisition of antiques, which many Chinese found objectionable, the promotion of education and sponsorship of students have earned the Huntelar Bank a very good reputation in China.

In recent years, they have also started to establish factories, attracting even more attention...

However, for these important figures, the most important thing is the help the Huntelar Bank can provide: large amounts of funds, a large quantity of weapons, and political conditions that are easy to accept—minimizing the harm to civilians as much as possible during wars!

No foreign bank has ever proposed such conditions!

This alone is enough to give the Huntelar Bank an excellent reputation in China, let alone when compared to other foreigners, making the Huntelar Group's conditions almost impossible to refuse!

So, those who came to welcome John were from all walks of life.

But...

After sneering, John quickly waved his hand in fatigue, "Find a reason to reject them, or say that I do not interfere in your affairs in the Far East... Also, arrange a meeting for me the day after tomorrow with the students who have returned from studying abroad..."

...

Page flip, AD starts

Page flip, AD ends