The second volume is full of glory and splendor in the capital, and the spirit is full of vitality in the foggy city. Chapter 202 Yuan Buwei
This chapter's subtitle: Founding a nation begins with empty talk
The Great Demon City of Seris was far away in terms of distance, but the "Minshi Xinjiao Movement" that was about to take place at the end of 1921 was very close in terms of time.
As we all know, this financial crisis has had a profound impact on Seris's history.
Without this trend, small and medium-sized ethnic capitals might not have faced as much difficulty as they did later.
Since then, the Chinese stock market has never recovered. Not only was it strictly controlled by the government, first by the French Concession and then by the Nationalist government, which even completely banned futures trading, but also by the public, who were once bitten by a snake and then became afraid of the rope for ten years. This made it impossible for domestic enterprises that truly needed funds to raise funds from the stock market.
At that time, even the stocks of well-known companies such as Commercial Press, China Merchants Group and Bank of China were ignored.
If it weren't for this trend, Chuan Lin Beitui might have become a stock market expert instead of a logistics expert in the future.
They could have lived a happy life in Shanghai, but in the end, if they didn't jump into the Huangpu River, they had to go to the Pearl River, so they went to Guangzhou to join the magnificent era.
Without this trend, Yuan Hongjian's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather might have really become the crown prince of the Yuan family's financial empire...
Seriously, let's not joke. If Yuan Hongjian didn't have that broken system, he'd definitely be trying to cash in on this financial upsurge, and then...
"Pika Pika meow..."
"Master Ball, haven't you heard the saying that men don't keep cats and women don't keep dogs? I don't want to be a poop scooper!"
"Neo, what's the name of your movie... has it started filming yet?"
"Mr. Baker, 'Orphans of Famine' started filming earlier this month, and Mr. David Griffith is currently in Maine with the crew."
They didn't necessarily go to Ireland to shoot the film. California is nothing like Ireland.
Maine is the northernmost state on the east coast of the United States and the northernmost part of New England. The latitude, climate, topography, and vegetation there are similar to those of Ireland, so they went there to shoot the film.
"Neo, do you think such a huge investment can be recovered?"
"Mr. Baker, I have great confidence in Mr. Griffith, the great director. Considering the recent situation and the values of the American people, and considering that I wrote the script myself... In short, I don't think this film can lose money."
At this time, Louis Baker also spoke up and said, "Grandpa, don't you like "The Twelve" very much? The success of this movie can be said to be entirely due to Neo's script. And I watched him write that script with my own eyes, or to be more precise, it was 'they'. The situation at the time was like this..."
Huang Zongyi was once again impressed by his uncle's talent. He simply found twelve writers to write an outstanding film script. Mr. Hongjian's talent was truly unfathomable.
"I see!" Old Mr. Baker raised his glass again happily and said, "Then I wish your film success."
"Thank you, Mr. Baker."
After finishing his drink, the "Wall Street Miracle" asked again, "Neo, when will you return home?"
"June." Yuan Yan replied confidently, "Mr. Baker, I'll leave as soon as I get my Ph.D."
Old Mr. Baker casually asked, "Oh, are you sailing from Vancouver to pick up your bride?"
In fact, the fastest route from northeastern America back to Northeast Asia at that time was to take a special train from Seattle to Vancouver, and then board a ship to cross the Pacific Ocean. It would take at least a month to reach Japan and China, and at most two months.
Our Master Yuan explained, "Mr. Baker, I'm planning to go to the British Isles to meet some old friends and make some new ones..."
In addition to the new and old friends he was going to meet, there was also a very, very, very important Japanese "friend".
If Yuan Yanshu wanted to become an old friend of the Japanese people, he had to establish a relationship with this person.
"Then I will go to the Netherlands to meet with William II. Although I cannot serve as his secretary this time, I still want to thank him in person for his kindness. After meeting him, we will board the ship in Amsterdam."
In this way, Yuan Yanshu and the others actually went in a circle, which was much longer than the previous route and took much longer. But is this the right way to go?
In this way, the four gentlemen finished their dinner while chatting. As usual, they went to the smoking room to drink after-dinner drinks.
"Mr. Yuan, here's your Bloody Mary." This time, before he even gave any instructions, the waiter brought his drink.
"Ah? You still remember what I drank!"
"Of course, Mr. Yuan. We remember all the guests who have come."
"Okay, next time don't give me this drink. Try the tomato-flavored Wu Jia Pi instead."
"Hmm...I understand, Mr. Yuan."
"Okay, you go out first."
"Yes, Mr. Yuan."
After finishing the job, our Master Yuan raised his red wine glass and said to the "Wall Street Miracle": "Mr. Baker, thank you again for your gift."
The old fox raised his glass, smiled at him, and said, "Neo, I treat you as a true junior. So if you have anything to say, just tell me directly. There's no need to be so polite."
"Okay then..." Yuan Yan suddenly put down her wine glass and took out a cigar.
“Snap!”
As he fiddled with his cigar, he said nonchalantly, "Mr. Baker, I have a return gift."
"Oh, what kind of gift is it?" The octogenarian also lit a light cigar and asked with interest.
Master Yuan raised his head and looked at Mr. George Baker with his "eyes of nothingness" , then looked at Mr. Louis Baker, and finally gave his nephew a meaningful smile.
He coughed to clear his throat and said slowly in his deep, rich baritone, "Gentlemen, seeing this piece of jewelry given by Mr. Baker reminds me of the story of our ancient Seres..."
"More than two thousand years ago, China wasn't the unified empire it is today. Instead, it was like Europe, with self-ruled princes, divided vassal states, and numerous city-states. That's why it was called the 'Warring States Period'..."
"Around the time of the First Punic War between the Romans and Carthaginians (264 BC), a wealthy merchant named Lu met a prince from the western state of Qin in the capital of a country called Zhao. The prince was a hostage to ensure peace between the two countries. However, due to the intense tensions between the two countries, the Qin prince's stay in Zhao was not particularly pleasant..."
"After returning home, a businessman named Lu asked his father how much profit he could make from farming. His father replied, ten times."
He then asked, "How many times can you earn from trafficking in jewels?" His father replied, "A hundred times."
"He finally asked, what about helping a prince get the throne? Mr. Lu replied..."
Master Yuan stopped and asked Mr. Louis Baker, "Louis, what do you think the old father would say?"
Mr. Baker was no fool, and replied as a matter of course, "I think he would say ten thousand times, or even countless times."
"Bingo!"
"You're right." Yuan Yan nodded suddenly. "So he immediately set off for Zhao State, found a way to get to know the prince of Qin, sent him back to China, and helped him ascend the throne. And this merchant named Lu also became the prime minister and a nobleman of Qin State. Later..."
The ending was too unlucky, so I won’t tell you about it. Anyway, these two foreigners will not know and do not need to know the ending of Lu Buwei.
"Gudong!"
Huang Zongyi understood the meaning of his uncle's story better than the Bakers, so he was so surprised that he lost his grip on the wine glass and dropped it to the ground.
Fortunately, there was a thick carpet in the smoking room, so the valuable crystal glass did not break, but made a dull sound.
"So..." Mr. Baker said slowly, "Neo, is the Prince you yourself, or... this Mr. Huang?"
"Hahaha..." Upon hearing this, our Master Yuan burst into laughter and said, "Mr. Baker, I really hope to become the Prince of Qin. Unfortunately, I'm not the son of our former Chinese president, nor am I a relative. My family is extremely ordinary..."
"The most important thing is that my motherland has a population of 400 million and tens of millions of square kilometers of land. I don't think I have the ability to become the master of China. On the contrary..."
He pointed at the dumbstruck Mr. Huang and said, "But my nephew..."
Huang Zongyi was even more frightened when he heard this, and he stammered, "Mr. Yuan...Uncle, I..."
"Children should not interrupt when adults are talking!" Yuan Yan turned around suddenly and shouted in Chinese in an unpleasant tone.
"Um……"
Young Master Huang, who was only a few years younger than him, really didn't dare... maybe deep down he didn't want to interrupt him.
How could a person, a man, a young man, a young man from a good family not have ambition?
Master Yuan took advantage of this opportunity to change the subject, staring at the "Wall Street Miracle" and asking sincerely, "Mr. Baker, how is your retirement life?"
Mr. Baker said calmly, "It's not bad. I play mahjong at home, listen to the radio, read novels, and play golf when I have the chance. It's quite enjoyable..."
Yuan Yan suddenly looked into the old man's eyes and continued to ask, "Don't you feel like something is missing?"
Even if his "Eyes of Nothingness" don't activate any skills, it would be difficult for ordinary people to lie under his gaze.
"Hmm..." The "Wall Street Miracle" hesitated for a moment and said, "To be honest, it is indeed a bit more boring than before..."
For some people, work is just a necessary means of making a living, but for others, work is a pleasure that brings a sense of accomplishment, and even the meaning of their existence.
Maybe this is the difference between Wynner and Luther.
"Yes, Mr. Baker."
Yuan Yan suddenly pointed to her head and said, "Our brains age much slower than our bodies..."
This is common sense to time travelers from later generations. Later research has confirmed that brain cells do not decay with age. In fact, certain parts of the brain can continue to grow. Humans can continuously improve their brain function and intelligence, even into their seventies, eighties, and even nineties.
His tone softened. "Mr. Baker, I understand why you've taken the initiative to retire. It's not because you're lacking energy, but simply to reassure your clients."
For someone like George Baker, work, even if not the meaning of life, can be considered a pleasure. However, eighty is a bit too old for any profession, including politics.
If he were a lifelong dictator, there would be nothing anyone could do. However, Mr. Baker is a financier in a free capitalist society, and his age will affect the confidence of his clients and partners.
Therefore, when the "Wall Street Miracle" heard this, an expression of sympathy appeared on his old face.
"Mr. Baker, don't you want to do something big in the last ten...those few decades of your life?"
“…” Old Mr. Baker smoked a light cigar and remained silent.
Our Master Yuan did not continue, but turned to His Holiness the Pope and said, "Louis, do you still remember your ideals?"
"My ideal..."
Mr. Baker's eyes gleamed, and he nodded firmly, "Of course I remember!"
What ideals could a young left-wing intellectual have? Nothing more than a "fair, just and righteous" universal society.
Yuan Yan suddenly asked loudly, "So, where can you realize your dream? America? Europe?"
"this……"
This young Mr. Baker left no trace in later generations. Master Yuan thought that he either faded into obscurity or died somewhere like the battlefields of the Spanish Civil War.
He suddenly stood up, walked over to Huang Zongyi, pointed at his nephew and said, "You all know that Mr. Huang is the son of the richest man in Southeast Asia, and even among the Chinese. He's a prince, after all."
"So you should understand that the gift I gave to your Baker family is him!"
“…”
When Yuan Yan suddenly saw the two Bakers looking thoughtful, she knew that they were both touched.
He immediately launched into the final blow, saying with a smile, "Mr. George Baker, Mr. Louis Baker...you are silent, you don't think I want you to pay, do you?"
"Hahaha..." Our Master Yuan's smile faded and he said seriously, "Talking about money between us is vulgar!"
"And will my nephew be short of money?"
"Uncle, I..." Mr. Huang looked embarrassed and wanted to say something.
Well, at this point in time, he was really short of money. Of course, he was not short of the "small money" for daily expenses, but the "big money" for the great cause of building a country.
It was not until Huang Zhonghan immigrated to Singapore that he divided his consortium and gave part of it to several of his more outstanding sons, including Huang Zongyi.
However, Mr. Huang died too early, his inheritance was too large, he had too many children (a son was not yet born when he died), and his will was not very appropriate, so the Huang family later fought a long and devastating lawsuit.
Our Master Yuan pretended not to hear and shook his head and said, "Gentlemen, it's not just a matter of money for this prince to get his country..."
