Chapter 389 If you don’t suffer, you won’t have a long memory
There are many countries in the world that hope that Britain will suffer misfortune. If you look at how many countries supported the Boers openly or covertly during the Boer War, you will know how bad Britain’s national relations are.
The relationship between Russia and the United States has also been good and bad. In February this year, the United States also sent a note to Russia to oppose Daosheng Bank's monopoly in Kanto.
Schiff, the American banker who once helped George sell national debt, is now helping Japan sell national debt.
The funny thing is that Schiff once went to Thierry and wanted to sell Japanese government bonds to Thierry.
Thierry didn't buy it for a good reason: he disliked the low interest rates on Japanese government bonds.
The relationship between Amur and the United States is quite good. This is because American politicians generally believe that George is one of the few sane and sober Russians.
George didn’t even know that American politicians spoke so highly of him.
But this evaluation is full of malice towards the Russian Empire.
A small number means that most Russians are barbaric and untouchable.
When the Secretary of State comes to visit, you still have to give face.
George agreed to sell Sarawak to the British for 11 million pounds.
The UK is still not satisfied with this price.
Britain wants to redeem it at the original price.
How is this possible? George never does business at a loss.
The British government was unwilling to shoulder the cost.
However, compared with the East India Company's unification of Kalimantan, London would rather spend 11 million to smash a nail in Kalimantan.
The money was not paid directly from London either.
Instead, it went full circle from the bank and loaned the Brooke Dynasty payment to the East India Company.
The Brooke Dynasty used the entire Sarawak as collateral to obtain this loan.
This is another trap.
The East India Company’s investment in Sarawak is indeed not 10 million, but still hundreds of thousands.
Compared with the Kingdom of Sarawak, which only plundered but did not build, these hundreds of thousands were already an unexpected surprise to the people of Kuching.
Before Kuching was returned to the Brooke Dynasty, employees of the East India Company posted notices on the streets of Kuching and went door to door to mobilize Kuching people to immigrate to East India.
“The British spent 11 million to buy back Sarawak. This money must be earned back by any means, and after we leave, the rebels may resurgence, and Sarawak will be in trouble for a long time. If you fall into chaos, your life will be greatly affected.”
Jiang Guoxian personally found Chen Hongyun, the largest plantation owner in Kuching, and hoped that Chen Hongyun would leave Kuching.
“If you don’t want to go to Singkawang, you can go to Coconut City or even Lion City. After a period of time, come back when the situation stabilizes.”
Jiang Guoxian provides a variety of options to allow Chen Hongyun chooses.
"Thank you for your reminder, I will definitely consider it seriously——"
Chen Hongyun sounded nice in front of Jiang Guoxian.
After sending Jiang Guoxian away, Chen Hongyun immediately changed his face.
"Ha! The British are not a good thing, how can these Rakshasa scoundrels be such a good thing!"
"Dad, Mr. Jiang is right——"
Chen Hongyun’s son Henry Chen, who once studied in the Lion City, is worried.
Chen Hongyun probably thought that giving his son a British name would help his son integrate into the UK smoothly.
This is considered well-intentioned.
"It makes sense! The British spent 11 million to buy Sarawak back. How can they let the rebels invade Sarawak? Rebels! Humph——"
Chen Hongyun thinks that I know the British very well.
As for the rebels in Sarawak -
When the British Empire's heavenly troops arrive, those rebels who are inseparable from the Rakshasa people will definitely flee.
"Dad, Mr. Jiang is not a Rakshasa's bastard, he is a Rakshasa—"
As Henry Chen spoke, he was not without envy of Jiang Guoxian.
The East India Company has ruled Kuching for so long, and Kuching knows more and more about the East India Company.
Seeing those foreigners with red eyebrows and green eyes showing genuine fear and respect for Jiang Guoxian, it is impossible for the Chinese in Kuching not to envy him.
Although the Chinese dominate Sarawak’s economy, they are third-class people in Sarawak.
The first class are white people, the second class are indigenous people, and the third class are businessmen like Chen Hongyun.
To put it bluntly, people like Chen Hongyun are just piglets raised by the British. They are fattened and then killed, one crop after another.
The natives are the white people's knives.
"Abandoning the ancestors, selling things for the sake of glory! Even after death, you are not qualified to enter the ancestral grave. You can only be thrown into the wilderness and be bitten by wild dogs."
Chen Hongyun's moral ethics , not much better than the lieutenant who was beaten to death in Lion City.
Henry Chen was helpless.
When people say they have abandoned their ancestors, look at yourself first.
At least the name still maintains the Chinese style.
The family also did not name their son Jiang Ergai.
The East India Company only mobilized, not forced.
If you want to go, the boat is at the pier, just get on the boat and leave, no tickets are required.
If you don’t want to leave, then you can only ask for happiness.
Out of the study, for some reason, Henry Chen looked at the indigenous servants at home and felt that those servants looked at him like hungry wolves hunting. Henry Chen turned back to the study and found Chen Hongyun cleaning his gun.
This gun was only bought by Chen Hongyun after the East India Company came to Kuching.
During the Brooke Dynasty, the Chinese in Sarawak, like the Chinese in East India, were not allowed to own guns and ammunition.
It seems that Chen Hongyun's confidence in the British is not as strong as it seems.
"Dad, even if we don't go to East India, at least let's go to the Lion City to take refuge first."
Henry Chen shuddered when he thought of the servant's eyes.
“When we come back from the Lion City, we can’t say what the name of this place will be.”
Chen Hongyun also knew that the British were unreliable, but the Chinese in Southeast Asia struggled to survive in such a difficult environment. Chen Hongyun did not want the wealth accumulated over generations to be wiped out overnight.
"You take your mother and children to the Lion City. If something changes, don't come back. I have your uncle here. Anyone who wants to rob our family must get through me first." One level! ”
Chen Hongyun is not stubborn.
Uncle Qiang is an old servant of the Chen family. He has a foreign gun team of more than 30 people. This is where Chen Hongyun's confidence lies.
What is ridiculous is that this foreign gun team was also established with the support of the East India Company.
"If you don't leave, I won't leave either. If you want to die, let's die together!"
Henry Chen can also do moral kidnapping.
"You bastard! I spent money to send you to study, what did you study?"
Chen Hongyun cursed loudly.
Henry Chen is determined and will never compromise.
"Get out of here!"
Chen Hongyun drove Henry Chen away, out of sight and out of mind.
That night, Henry Chen was tied up by Uncle Qiang and put on a merchant ship bound for Lion City.
——
Jiang Guoxian does not force anyone. People always have to pay a price for their own knowledge. The more painful the price, the more profound the lesson will be.
George's lesson was not to trust the British, so George missed Edward VII's coronation ceremony for fear of being detained by the British.
Due to proper response, the cholera epidemic was quickly controlled, with less than 3,000 deaths in total, which was simply a miracle in this era.
Before October, the first "Borodino" battleship built by the Vladivostok Shipyard for the Pacific Fleet was successfully launched. The new Pacific Fleet Commander Starck and Chief of Staff Wittehoeft were present to congratulate at the same time. .
The battleship built by the Vladivostok Shipyard took a total of 9 months from laying the keel to launching it, once again breaking the fastest shipbuilding speed of the Russian Navy.
Due to George's insistence, "Borodino" used the latest armor steel and installed wireless telegraphy.
To George's regret, "Borodino" still did not use a Parsons steam turbine unit, and the maximum speed was still only 18 knots.
George did not give up. After the launching ceremony of "Borodino", George took the initiative to sell the new artillery shells produced by the Vladivostok Arsenal to Starck and Withoeft.
In addition to using the latest propellants and explosives, this artillery shell also uses a new type of bullet cap invented by Rear Admiral Makarov, Director of Naval Artillery. The range, power and penetration of the artillery shell are both excellent There are enhancements.
Stark and Wittehoeft are in a dilemma.
Amur products are all good.
The only problem is that it's expensive.
There are reasons why George is so expensive.
Compared with traditional artillery shells, the range and power of new artillery shells are generally increased by about 10%. This advantage is enough for the Pacific Fleet to defeat Japan's Sixth Fleet in actual combat.
A "Borodino" class battleship costs tens of millions to build.
The cost of a 305mm main gun shell is only a few hundred rubles, which is nothing compared to the cost of a battleship.
But for the Pacific Fleet, the account is not calculated that way.
The Vladivostok Arsenal sells artillery shells, cost plus profit. A new artillery shell sells for 300 rubles, which is indeed not expensive.
But for the Pacific Fleet, or for the Imperial Navy, one shell is one hundred kilograms of iron, plus more than ten kilograms of explosives, and something that costs dozens of yuan costs 300, which is really too expensive. .
Probably for this reason, the bullet cap invented by Makarov was ignored by the Navy Ministry.
Makarov did not want to sell new technology to Krupp or Vickers.
The Vladivostok Shipyard only spent 1,500 rubles to purchase the relevant technology for the new bullet cap from Makarov.
This technology, like Vladivostok’s tube withdrawal technology and electric technology, will not be patented.
"Duke, you also know that the decision of what kind of artillery shells to use in the Pacific Fleet rests with St. Petersburg."
Stark did not want to offend George.
“When General Alexeev was the commander of the Pacific Fleet, I remember that the Pacific Fleet seemed to have the power to purchase artillery shells.”
George is really not a provocateur.
Stark looked embarrassed.
You can’t blame Starck for this.
They are both fleet commanders, but their powers are different.
Alexeyev won the trust of St. Petersburg. During the Siberian Fleet period, there were only a few warships, not to mention artillery shells. There were not many trainings organized throughout the year, so naturally there were not many artillery shells.
The Pacific Fleet now has eight battleships alone. St. Petersburg attaches unprecedented importance to the Pacific Fleet. Compared with Alexeyev, Stark's power has indeed been severely reduced.
George didn’t force it, he was used to this kind of thing now.
(End of this chapter)