Chapter 1243 The Empire's Western Strategy (3rd update, please subscribe)

Instinctive vigilance!

Survival in the West is like a Colt. Dutton is instinctively wary of strangers. At least before he gets familiar with them, he can't let down his guard like others. In fact, he still maintains a certain degree of vigilance even towards those he already knows.

This is the law of survival in the West.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Li Chengye understood their defensive mentality very well, so after asking for their consent, he handed him a glass of whiskey and invited him to sit at a table in the corner. Then he went straight to the point:

"I thought you might wonder why I invited you, and you might even ask me if I had any conspiracy."

Hands clutching the whiskey glass, Dutton glared back.

"I can guess, sir, that every businessman who comes here will say that they are doing this for the good of everyone, but in essence, he just wants to make more money."

"That's right. By the way, everyone comes to this world to make money. This is absolutely true. Absolutely true."

Li Chengye shrugged his shoulders and appeared to be very direct. He did this because he understood that it was more appropriate to be direct than to beat around the bush when dealing with a ruthless person like Dutton.

"I want to ask you two things, Mr. Dutton."

Li Chengye said,

"It takes one and a half months to send the cattle raised on your farm to a place with a train and then sell them, right? And every winter, your farm has cattle that starve to death due to lack of fodder, right?"

Dutton was neither shocked nor surprised. It was normal for cattle to be shipped far away for sale and for cattle to freeze or starve to death in winter. This was something that no layman would accept, and he did not want to explain anything.

"If there is a railway, I mean a railway built here, Mr. Dutton, what kind of changes do you think will happen? The cattle from your farm and others can be sent directly to the train station. It only takes one or two days. Before winter comes, when there is not enough grass, you can buy enough grass in the market. The train will deliver thousands of tons of grass here, and you don't have to endure high prices. The train will deliver cheap goods here."

railway?

Dutton looked up at the guy in front of him. What was he talking about?

"The second thing is, you should know that there is no one in the entire United States willing to invest in this railway?"

Li Chengye insisted.

"Not one."

"Not one?"

Dutton asked,

"Tell me, I think you must have your own ideas, right? You want to build a railway, right? From the Northern Territory to Yellowstone, right?"

After taking a sip of whiskey, Li Chengye nodded.

"Mr. Dutton, we all know that, realistically speaking, it is most cost-effective to build a railway from the Northern Territory to here. For you, this is the closest railway to you. With this railway, the cattle produced on your farm can be directly loaded onto trains and shipped to the Northern Territory by train, and then shipped to the world through the port there. You can also get sufficient forage and various other commodities from there."

Li Chengye painted a big picture for Dutton in front of him - railway. The Northern Railway Company has always wanted to build a railway to the heartland of the United States, but what about him?

He wasn't really a retail businessman, he was a lobbyist, and he came here to convince the people here to support building a railroad to the North.

And Dutton was the person he needed to win over, and the most important one, because the self-defense group composed of ranchers and cowboys he organized, while cracking down on criminal activities such as livestock theft, also won them a reputation. With his support, he could gain the support of the ranchers, and then the railway could naturally be built.

Looking at Li Chengye, Dutton said.

"Sir, just as you said, it does seem to be of great benefit to us, but sir, your people will continue to come here, and eventually, they will dye this place yellow."

Dutton drained his whiskey and looked at him.

"But I don't care about these. If it turns yellow, even without the railway, you will come here. California still has ports, but it is still California. It has not become Mexican, nor has it become you. It is still American."

Why did Dutton say that?

Because he was from the South, he didn't care what would happen in the North. Moreover, as this man said, after the railroad was completed, it would bring too many benefits to him and his farm. Because of the railroad, he would need to hire a large number of cowboys every time he sold cattle.

"Yes, Mr. Dutton."

Li Chengye nodded repeatedly, staring at this guy. Is he so easy to convince?

"But the only question is, what can I get if I support you in building the railway?"

Dutton said directly.

The interests in the West are so naked, there is no evasion, it is just a direct transaction. In fact, it is the same in Washington.

Almost everyone is profit-driven. Making money is not shameful.

"A railway!"

Looking at Dalton, Li Chengye said.

"The railway will pass along the edge of your farm, and we will build a train station there, so your cattle can be transported to other places more conveniently by rail."

This condition may not seem like a big deal, but for Dutton, who was running a farm, he realized the benefits to him right away - not only could the cattle on his farm be shipped out right away, but the land would also appreciate in value as the train station was built.

No one in this world will refuse wealth.

"I'll help you convince others!"

Datton nodded, then looked at Li Chengye and said,

"But before that, I want to see your map and see how much of my land you will need. You know, nothing is more important to me than our farm!"

It is very simple to persuade someone. As long as you give certain benefits, anyone can be persuaded. If the benefits are not enough, then increase the price. If that still doesn't work, then find his weakness.

"Weak spot!"

In the Governor's Mansion in Beihai City, Liang Pengye, the Governor who had just taken office for two years, uttered these two words, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and continued.

"The weak spot of the United States is the vast West. Since the war between the Empire and the United States is inevitable, we must prepare in advance..."

As he spoke, he cast his eyes on the map on the wall and sneered.

"The Rocky Mountains... are the biggest obstacle to the Empire's attack on the West, and are also the biggest barrier in the western United States. But if we build a railway into Montana, we can bypass the Rocky Mountains. Once a war breaks out, we can go straight to the vast central prairie region of the United States..."

The governor's analysis made Lin Guo's eyes light up, and he quickly complimented him.

"The Governor's foresight is beyond the reach of this humble official."

"This is not my vision, this is your Majesty..."

Putting down the teacup, Liang Pengye said.

"When I was serving in the Imperial Court, His Majesty had already planned everything. As a minister, all we have to do is to do our best to implement it..."

(End of this chapter)