Chapter 174: Planning the World in Advance (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
"These places are mostly unowned lands, or some small indigenous countries. We just need to find another way to enter in the name of the company, and then purchase the land through purchase, transaction and other methods. We can proceed step by step."
Smiling at Li Huian, Zhu Xianhai said to him.
"From now on, this matter will be handled by your immigration department. As for how to do it, you can hire a few foreign consultants to learn from them. Europeans are experts in this area!"
Europeans are not only experts in this field, they are even more adept at it and operate it with great skill. Not to mention other countries, let’s just talk about Germany. This country has only just touched the tail end of the colonial era, but how did it do that?
It definitely did not rely on any country, but on individuals. Even from the very beginning, Bismarck, as the German Chancellor, was firmly opposed to Germany's overseas expansion. He could stop the government, but could not stop German adventurers and businessmen.
Thanks to the efforts of those merchants, German trading companies began to enter the Pacific Ocean in the 1970s, namely the Bismarck Islands and other places in later generations, which were actually the New Guinea Islands and Samoa. They bought land, developed trade, and established ports there. Because those areas did not attract the attention of Britain, France and other countries at that time, their progress was extremely smooth.
After the initial success of the private trading company, some German bankers privately formulated a secret plan regarding Germany’s interests in the South China Sea in September 1880. The plan was to establish a German colony in Papua New Guinea: the group planned to first occupy and operate New Britain Island or other islands with its own dry food, and then gradually upgrade it to a behemoth like the British and Dutch East India Company.
It was thanks to the efforts of these companies that Germany was able to reach the end of the colonial era.
But now, someone is planning to intercept them.
Zhu Xianhai looked proudly at the German region that had not yet been truly unified, and then said proudly.
That’s right, it’s me!
There is no way, the Pacific Ocean is too big, Nanhua always needs some footholds to connect Huaxia and Nanhua! In the future, those ships will have to burn coal.
This means that ships sailing in the Pacific Ocean need to replenish fresh water and coal midway. Therefore, the role that these seemingly insignificant islands will play in the future is far beyond the imagination of the world.
Of course, what’s more important is… time!
In terms of time, Nanhua was at least ten years ahead of the Germans!
There is no way, because no European country has been interested in those regions for a long time.
Since there is a power vacuum, let's make plans in advance!
"Ten, fifteen, maybe twenty years..."
After Li Huian left, Zhu Xianhai stared at the locations on the map, narrowed his eyes slightly, and then sneered.
"Twenty years later, it's uncertain who will be plotting against whom!"
Once the mastermind behind the scenes is found, targeted plans must be made, and this is just the first secret move by Zhu Xianhai!
What is this move?
It is to place a chess piece in another direction of the British Empire. What role will this chess piece play in the future?
It’s hard to say at the moment, but what is certain is that if a war breaks out, the flames of war will definitely not be limited to the Atlantic!
The main battlefield is the Atlantic Ocean, but the Pacific Ocean will also be another battlefield. Once the war breaks out, the war will definitely not be carried out according to the British idea.
We have to find a way to lead the British by the nose. Only in this way can we have a chance to defeat this seemingly extremely powerful opponent. Of course, at the moment, this is just an idea.
But if you want to win, you always have to plan ahead, just like a chess player playing chess. Not only do you have to look at the present, but you also have to consider the next step, or even ten steps later.
In fact, the world is a big chessboard. Although in 1862 there were only a few "chess players" qualified to play on the big chessboard of the world, there are corresponding small chessboards and small chess players in each region.
Some "chess players" are so small that they hardly attract the attention of others. They may not even know that they are the players on the chessboard. At least for Liu Kunpeng, the interpreter of the Shanghai branch of the American Company, he has no consciousness of being a "chess player" at all. He thinks he is just a businessman.
As a businessman, Liu Kunpeng was undoubtedly competent. Although there was a black boss in name, it was well known that he was the real head of the foreign company. As for the Qing officials in Shanghai, they were more willing to deal with Liu Kunpeng than with foreigners, even though he did not have a braid.
The sound of gunfire, continuous gunfire, echoed in the shooting range of the Huai Army. Lord Li, who was at the shooting range, looked at the soldiers who were able to line up and shoot following the orders of the foreign instructors, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Shu Ren, the reason we were able to defeat Li Xiucheng the first time was because of the 1,000 foreign guns you contributed. You have made a great contribution to the court! If you were not British, you would definitely be awarded a fifth-rank hat!"
A few months ago, Governor Li, who came from Hefei, oh no, Anqing to help Shanghai as the Governor of Jiangsu, was welcomed by the officials and people of Shanghai, but he was blocked by Wu Xu, the governor of Susong, and others in terms of military expenditure. He was only given a mere 90,000 taels of silver as military pay a month. When he wanted to buy some advanced foreign guns and cannons, Wu Xu made all kinds of excuses.
It was in this situation that Liu Kunpeng came to him and expressed his willingness to sell him 1,000 foreign rifles and 4 foreign cannons on credit. For Governor Li, this was definitely a timely help, and he also won the trust of Governor Li with this move.
At present, Liu Kunpeng even took charge of the procurement of arms for the Huai Army. Of course, now Lord Li has taken back more than half of the financial power of Shanghai controlled by Wu Xu in the name of rectifying corruption, and has eliminated the cronies of Wu Xu and others, and has taken full control of Shanghai.
The reason I came to the shooting range today is to inspect the goods.
"Your Excellency, I am just a businessman."
With a smile, Xu Kunpeng said.
"Are you satisfied with these foreign guns?"
The foreign guns were all first-rate P1853 rifled rifles. Although the quality of Indian products was slightly inferior to that of British ones, no one in the Qing army was picky about this. They couldn't tell which was the original and which was the fake. They couldn't tell the difference either.
"I am satisfied, but..."
Turning his head to look at Liu Kunpeng, Lord Li smiled.
"At the beginning of the year, we encountered the Taiping Rebellion's Quick-shooting Battalion. I heard that the puppet king Li Xiucheng's men had 500 skilled fighters with seven-shot chain rifles. I heard that the rifle could fire seven shots in a row, as fast as lightning. If used by skilled fighters, one person could be as powerful as dozens of others. Have you seen that rifle?"
"I have seen it before, I have seen it before..."
Liu Kunpeng nodded repeatedly. How could he not have seen it? The "Seven-Shot Serial Gun" from Li Xiucheng was sold to him by Nanhua.
"Oh, does the foreign company have it?"
Lord Li's eyes lit up. He had seen that gun before, and its firepower was so fierce that it could be called a sharp weapon to defeat the enemy.
"The foreign company doesn't have any in stock at the moment. If you need it, I can bring it to you in three months at most. But the gun is expensive! One gun costs at least a hundred dollars!"
Liu Kunpeng gave a price that was neither high nor low. This price was definitely cheaper than selling it to the long-haired people. There was no other way. One was legal trade and the other was smuggling, so the prices were definitely different.
"One hundred dollars!"
Lord Li opened his eyes, was stunned for a moment, and then spoke again.
"That's seventy taels of silver!"
Looking at the Huai Army in training, the rifles in their hands only weigh 30 taels each.
"Seventy taels is just the price of the gun. Its bullet is even more expensive. It has a nickname called 'Golden Bullet'!"
"Golden bullet?"
"Yes, this kind of bullet is extremely powerful, but it is also very expensive. It is named after the golden appearance of the brass shell. Each thousand rounds of bullets costs a hundred yuan..."
Two hundred yuan made Lord Li feel not so attractive instantly, but after thinking about it, he still said it.
"Well, let's buy 500 first!"
I have set up a book club: 335260551. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss and deduce the plot together.
(End of this chapter)
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