Chapter 115 The Zhang Family Provides Strong Support!
The weather has been cold for a long time; winter has arrived in Haicheng.
The extreme cold wave is coming at any time; it may arrive in Haicheng tomorrow or the day after, affecting millions of people. Everything is urgent.
Wood, coal, grain, cotton, cloth... there are too many things to prepare.
Countless phone calls were made, and countless people took action.
Lou Dashuai is the top official in Haicheng, wielding considerable power. With a single order from him, people from all departments sprang into action, preparing for the uncertain cold wave that might arrive.
Everyone was completely baffled by Commander Lou's seemingly random order.
Cold weather protection and disaster preparedness?
In previous years, we would make some preparations in winter, but never on such a large scale.
Haicheng isn't in the north. Northern cities have to contend with low temperatures every year, and they have many cold-weather protection measures in place as soon as winter arrives. How cold can Haicheng get?
It's not worth going to such lengths!
Looking at the stern-faced General Lou, it was as if Haicheng had suddenly moved from the south to the north.
Of course, there were also dissenting opinions, and quite a few at that. The meeting room of the Military and Political Department was in an uproar as officials from various departments tried to persuade him to change his mind. But Lou Wenshan was always tough; once he made a decision, no matter how dissatisfied everyone was, they could only do as he said, full of grievances.
However, the military and political department alone could not handle the allocation of supplies.
The supply and transportation of goods are controlled by various merchants. To prepare supplies to deal with natural disasters as quickly as possible, the support of merchants is needed.
The Haicheng businessmen, led by Zhang Weihai, soon received invitations from the military and political department.
The big businessmen of Haicheng gathered in the conference room. They had come with great trepidation, thinking it was a trap, but instead, they heard an outrageous piece of news.
They were completely baffled by the reasons given by Commander Lou.
"A natural disaster?"
"The temperature is dropping?"
"General, that sounds outrageous."
“When has Haicheng ever experienced such a disaster?” a businessman said. “Besides, there are limits to doing business. If we listen to you and recklessly buy so much stock, what if we can’t sell it and it’s all piling up in the warehouse? Wouldn’t we lose everything?”
"Does the commander-in-chief have some definite information? Does he know that the temperature will really drop in the future?"
"I heard that foreigners can already use radio waves to prepare weather forecasts."
Commander Lou said in a deep voice, "No."
He didn't have any definite information either, and the basis for doing these things came from the words of his family's lucky star.
If you asked Mao Mao whether a natural disaster might occur in the future, she would only shake her head blankly. She only had a vague premonition of disaster and couldn't give a precise picture of the future. However, Lou Dashuai knew that Mao Mao's premonitions were never wrong.
If Mao Mao emphasizes that it will get very cold in the future, then there is almost a 100% chance that an extreme cold wave will occur!
However, this reason cannot be directly told to outsiders.
Commander Lou's face was solemn: "This winter is colder than usual, and there is a high probability of natural disasters."
Everyone was speechless.
"this……"
"This is without any evidence..."
"General, you're making things too difficult for me..."
“I’ve grown up in Haicheng since I was a child, and I’ve never encountered anything like what you’re describing in all these years. Haicheng could never be this cold!”
“It’s not without evidence,” Lou Fengju said. “I had someone check the local gazetteer of Haicheng. In the last century, Haicheng experienced an extreme cold wave, with temperatures dropping as low as minus fifteen degrees Celsius!”
Everyone was shocked: "Minus 15 degrees Celsius?!"
Minus 15 degrees Celsius—that sounds terrifying!
Winters in Haicheng are always damp and cold. Even if you wrap yourself up in thick clothes, the cold still seeps in like tiny, thread-like worms. In previous years, winter temperatures hovered around zero degrees Celsius.
Don't underestimate the difference of just a dozen degrees; it can mean the difference between life and death.
Even wrapping yourself up like a ball can hardly keep you warm, let alone the poor who can't afford a new piece of clothing for years.
The weather was already so cold that some of the people walking on the road were still wearing straw sandals.
but……
Someone asked, "How can we be sure it will definitely happen this year?"
“That’s right. Even if Haicheng has experienced similar weather before, this is a once-in-a-century event. You never know.”
"Although it's a bit cold this year, it's not like it hasn't been cold in previous years."
"This is simply unbelievable..."
Merchants pursue profit.
They don't do business at a loss.
If the temperature doesn't drop, their goods will be stuck in their hands, and they'll end up losing everything.
Everyone had their own thoughts.
Besides, who knows if this is Lou Wenshan's scheme?
With wars raging everywhere and military spending tight, these thugs are trying every means to squeeze money out of them, raising taxes by one percent after another. Who knows if this time they're deliberately setting a trap to squeeze money out of them?
"Chairman Zhang, would you like to say a few words?"
The businessmen from Haicheng all looked at the silent middle-aged man in his seat.
Since hearing what Commander Lou said, the other businessmen have been discussing it endlessly, but Zhang Weihai has remained silent, leaning back in his chair, deep in thought.
At that moment, hearing someone call his name, he finally raised his head.
Zhang Weihai looked around; everyone around him was a partner from the Chamber of Commerce.
He is the president of the Haicheng Chamber of Commerce, and his words carry significant weight.
Zhang Weihai pondered for a long time, then looked up and stared directly at Commander Lou: "Commander, can you vouch for your words?"
Commander Lou: "I, Lou Wenshan, never lie."
The person sitting next to Zhang Weihai looked over with a suspicious gaze: "Chairman Zhang?"
Why did he feel that Chairman Zhang had already sided with Commander Lou?
This won't do. They haven't reached an agreement on the terms yet, and they want Zhang Weihai to step in precisely to give the merchants here more leverage!
Even if a natural disaster were to strike, there would still be plenty of opportunities to profit from it. Now that Commander Lou has spoken first, the initiative is in their hands, making it a perfect time to make a profit for themselves.
He guessed correctly; Zhang Weihai's heart had indeed turned towards Commander Lou.
Because Zhang Weihai was keeping a secret.
He knew that the Lou family had a very lucky little girl who had once saved the Zhang family from disaster. Now, Commander Lou was so certain without any basis, he must have heard something from the little girl.
You have to repay the favors you've received sooner or later.
Zhang Weihai finally made up his mind.
He stood up and looked at his companions: "You are all merchants from Haicheng, and have been operating here for a long time. The fate of Haicheng is closely related to our own. Now that Haicheng is in trouble, how can we stand idly by? In this natural disaster, my Zhang family will provide our full support!"
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