Chapter 15: 15 Beauties
"How's that! Three years apart, haven't I become much more handsome!" Zhu Wencong said with a laugh.
"Once I was begging on the streets, and now I have amassed over ten thousand in capital!"
"Hehe! Brother, don't talk about begging, you have always been self-sufficient." Su Yanqiao covered her small mouth.
Zhu Wencong poured a cup of coffee for Su Yanqiao, "True members of the Zhu family have all begged for food, if you haven't begged, you're not a Zhu.
Why do you try so hard! The world outside isn't as wonderful as I described, reality is often the cruelest.
Do you feel a bit disappointed after arriving here? It's full of lies, deceit, and savagery.
To tell the truth, I was deceived into coming here and had to work for others for free for a few years before I regained my status."
Su Yanqiao held her coffee cup with both hands, America indeed wasn't as great as she imagined, and the world outside wasn't as good as home.
As a believer in Confucian thought, it's easy to see the gap between America and the East, the lands beyond civilization are ultimately barbaric.
Courtesy, justice, integrity, and honor, filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, and faithfulness—none of these exist here, they only have the word "interest."
They place their own interests above everything else, never caring about the life or death of others, while at the same time discriminating against people from other ethnicities.
"The world bustles, all for benefits; the world hurries, all for gains.
The Grand Historian got it right in the preface to 'Biographies of the Money Makers', portraying the true face of the American people.
When the granaries are full, they know the rituals; when food and clothes are sufficient, they know honor and shame. Etiquette arises from abundance and disappears in lack. Therefore, when gentlemen are wealthy, they like to practice their virtues; when the petty men are wealthy, they give rein to their desires.
This is the way of the Western and American nobles, people! Only when they are affluent do they care about etiquette; it doesn't exist in poverty.
Originally, I was very fond of Western studies, but after seeing the truth, I fell in love again with the works of our ancestors.
Although they cannot see the present world, their ability to perceive from a high vantage point has deeply analyzed the current world," Su Yanqiao said softly.
Zhu Wencong suddenly felt a tickle in his brain, the scholars of ancient times indeed had great erudition, quoting classics with every word they spoke.
It's much easier to deal with rebels and agitators like Hu Zhongshun, who are uneducated and only care about the loyalty and righteousness of Guan Gong!
If it weren't for bringing the mind of the 21st century over, communicating with ancient scholars would be like playing the lute to a cow.
"I still like the last sentence best: 'Even the kings with a thousand chariots, lords with ten thousand households, and rulers with a hundred households still fear poverty; how much more so the common folk!'
Emperors, lords, and scholars all fear poverty, so how could ordinary people not? Yet in the East, everyone avoids talking about money, avoids talking about sex.
Confucianism has become so distorted; it must no longer be the study of Confucianism but the study of ruling the people.
Therefore, I believe America's model is not wrong—people can only understand shame and learn etiquette when they are wealthy and have no worries about food and clothes.
A sated man does not understand a starving one; in the face of desperate extremities, people will do anything.
Your aversion stems from Confucian thought restricting your mind, we must have our own perspectives to see the world clearly," Zhu Wencong emphasized.
Su Yanqiao fell silent, "I was shallow!"
Zhu Wencong patted Su Yanqiao's shoulder. It's quite normal for scholars to be prideful; it's hard to find another ancient civilization that has lasted for a thousand years.
Even though we lost the Opium Wars twice, the scholars of the East still refuse to concede defeat or bow down.
"You must not have read the 'Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms'. There's a classic line in it: Why was this book written? It says: it is written to use barbarians to attack barbarians, to appease barbarians with barbarians, and to master barbarian techniques to subdue the barbarians.
Self-proclaimed virtues will be our undoing; we are now completely behind those foreigners, no longer living the dream of the Celestial Empire with all nations coming to court!"
"Select the good and follow it; change what is not good. Actually, Confucius clarified this very clearly, it's just that later generations have been distorting it," Zhu Wencong knew that America's ability to learn was extremely strong.
"One day when we have time, I'll take you to Washington to see their Supreme Court, where there is a statue of our Confucius."
America initially copied the system of England exactly as it was, later on keeping what was useful and deleting all that was useless.
Japan was also smart, directly copying the system of America; the system of the world's number one Great Power was the answer.
In the early years of the Republic of China, there were two factions: the conservatives and the reformers who advocated copying the American system.
Why did the reformers ultimately lose? Because they nearly forgot that they were people of this country. If you aren't even a person, how can you achieve human endeavors?
Be it America or Japan, when they introduced advanced systems, they would improve them, turning them into systems that suited their own societies.
"It seems I still have so much to learn!" Su Yanqiao realized that Zhu Wencong's knowledge was becoming broader and broader.
"To read ten thousand books, to travel ten thousand miles, you've just taken the first step!"
"By the way, how did you get here? Did your father allow it?" Zhu Wencong was curious.
"I am born out of wedlock, naturally meant to serve the family. With such strenuous work overseas, how could the direct lineage personally toil in it?
At first, my father had a translator, but he conspired with foreigners to deceive my father. I overheard and exposed their plot..." Su Yanqiao smiled brightly.
Zhu Wencong nodded. In these times, fraudsters were everywhere, double-dealing, or even triple-dealing was all too common.
Children of great families are all pampered, and women unafraid of hardship like Su Yanqiao are rare indeed.
"Brother, did you really come here for the gold mines?" Su Yanqiao has never accepted this explanation.
"In the ninth year of Xianfeng (1859), England established a labor-recruiting agency in Guangzhou, specifically to send Chinese workers overseas.
The earliest slave trade was called the Black Triangle; our side called it the 'Piglet Trade,' and it's said they sold over six hundred thousand 'piglets.'
In the tenth year of Xianfeng, the Anglo-French breached the capital, and the Treaty of Beijing stipulated: From now on, any Chinese citizens, whether employed in any place under England's rule or in foreign lands, are allowed to have contracts with English citizens as proof.
Afterward, their transactions were all legal, and the local Government Office had no right to interfere, so I was sold here, and can't even return!" Zhu Wencong shrugged.
Su Yanqiao didn't know about these things; it seemed that reading lots of books was not enough, one also needed to read the newspapers more.
That explains why overseas labor-recruitment became increasingly popular; the family elders kept silent on the matter, warning the family members not to go.
"Brother, why do you keep talking about your embarrassing past..." Su Yanqiao noticed that Zhu Wencong didn't mind at all.
"Some things are torturous to keep inside; it's better to speak them out, to release all the pressure.
In fact, coming here was very lucky, you could say it's a vast world with many opportunities!" Zhu Wencong was excited; it was America's Golden Age, where making money was no different from picking it up.
"Brother, don't you want to go back?" Su Yanqiao still wanted to bring Zhu Wencong back with her.
Zhu Wencong shook his head; the homeland had long been a place of heartache, staying there meant reciting every day 'The nervous dread at the Trepidation Beach, in the Lingding Ocean, lamenting the desolation.'
Seeing Zhu Wencong's resolute gaze, Su Yanqiao bit her lip; staying in America needed immense courage.
Being in a foreign land where you are a stranger, it was incredibly difficult to get ahead, especially with a different skin color.
"Then I'll stay with you!" Su Yanqiao made up her mind, not wanting to return herself.
"You're afraid that if you go back, you'll just be expected to marry and teach your children, right?" Zhu Wencong could guess a little; Su Yanqiao being here was probably a compromise.
"No problem! I've already got half a hand covering San Francisco. Once I finish this job in hand, I will be in complete control!" Zhu Wencong was in need of an assistant; all he had around him were a bunch of rascals, only good for rough work.
Chapter 16: 16 Settle Down
Zhu Wencong completed his first metamorphosis in life as he draped himself in the tiger skin, forever leaving behind his once slave existence.
Looking at the San Francisco citizenship certificate in his hand, Zhu Wencong knew that from then on, he was a member of California.
"Let's go! Time to buy a house!" Zhu Wencong strode down the streets with his gang, swaggering along.
The earnings from the small silver mine were all converted into British Pounds, amounting to two thousand pounds, not a particularly high profit.
It wouldn't be until the stock prices surged that the real harvest of "leeks" would happen, by then far exceeding the figure of two thousand pounds.
Now, Zhu Wencong's heart was set on the big Silver Mine, where just a ticket to entry cost a thousand pounds and was virtually priceless.
Many wealthy people were discreetly seeking information, hoping to qualify for a share in this wealth banquet.
"Mr. Zhu! This estate was recently built and is not too far from the city center; moreover, the roads are unobstructed," the agent introduced the house in front of them.
In America, land was often vast and sparsely populated, making land inexpensive and houses incredibly spacious.
In big cities, people piled into high-rises, while in the countryside, each person had their own little estate, and it was convenient to travel by car.
Zhu Wencong very much liked the attached garden; with a good environment, people's mood would improve as well.
If he bought it now, they would throw in a coach as a complimentary gift along with the house.
"Then we'll live here from now on!
One coach is too few; whoever is free, go buy a few more coaches.
Hu Zhongshun! I'm leaving the renovation to you; invite over the carpenters and stonemasons you know.
This garden is too good for just viewing flowers; the Chinese courtyard style is much better," Zhu Wencong instructed Hu Zhongshun.
"Should we cultivate a few acres of land?" suggested Hu Zhongshun, noting the wasteland outside the garden was too good not to be used for planting vegetables.
"Are you too idle or what?" Zhu Wencong gave Hu Zhongshun a disdainful glance.
Hu Zhongshun chuckled awkwardly: "Being wealthy means having a home and fields, right... "
Zhu Wencong exchanged a cheque for the agent's keys and land deed and entered the house with his gang.
Everyone looked up at the lavish decor; most houses in America came semi-furnished or fully furnished.
This house could comfortably accommodate twenty to thirty people, or even over a hundred if bunk beds were used.
Chefs, coachmen, servants, gardeners, and other such positions would need to be hired—these were the social responsibilities of the wealthy.
"Alright! Everyone, sit down where you are; let's have a brief meeting," Zhu Wencong called everyone to attention.
"The small Silver Mine is now officially on the right track, as you can all see from the bustling activity in the black market.
We shouldn't sell too many stocks; we need to make them scramble for them, thereby driving up the share price.
Right now, you can sell the stocks in your hands to pour cold water on them, then boil them with a big fire!
Their capital alone won't bring us much profit; it's the difference in price that's the real deal," Zhu Wencong explained.
Everyone appeared to half understand, only knowing that they were about to make a fortune again—harvesting "leeks" was too thrilling!
Originally, no one expected the silver mine stocks to resonate in the black market; after all, items from there are nearly always traps.
It was mainly during the first week of dividend sharing that many witnessed and spread the word, leading to a frenzy of buying.
The world is never short of people green with envy nor those who are presumptuous—they are perfect "leeks."
Zhu Wencong rubbed his forehead: "Hu Zhongshun, you can leave the small Silver Mine to others for now; you stick with me.
That Japanese guy has managed to secure a Silver Mountain through official channels; we can only keep diluting their share of stocks."
After half a year or a year of operation, I almost had the capital to start a bank, and issuing currency was a necessity.
"Use this time to study paper money, you can refer to British Pounds, francs, and how our bad money drives out the good,"
Hu Zhongshun's eyes lit up; he had indeed never studied the paper money in circulation, mainly because he had been too timid in the past.
With Zhu Wencong as his solid backing, Hu Zhongshun believed he should no longer remain conservative but must strive to achieve great things!
"I... I will protect you! A few of us discussed it, and your safety is of utmost importance right now.
Because... the things we do are somewhat unscrupulous and could easily provoke retaliation, so safety comes first.
In this godforsaken place, once you leave the urban area, you enter the desolate mountains.
On the road, if it's not bandits, it's robbers. Your safety is extremely important, boss, and our fortunes are in your hands," Zhao Da took the initiative to say.
Zhu Wencong nodded, acknowledging that public security was indeed a major problem these days; death was commonplace.
The West Coast used to be Spain's territory (Mexico was a colony), and any place under Catholicism was always in chaos.
Just look at the countries in South America to understand: extremely backward religious thinking has created a populace of fools.
Although England plucked feathers as they went and never really treated people well, they still went about building and developing their colonies as needed.
"You think you can protect me with that big machete? Form a small squad, and then arm each person with a gun. Practice a lot.
By the way, I recommend you go learn from Lawrent; he's like a godfather over here," Zhu Wencong advised.
"Hahaha!" Zhao Da laughed awkwardly; he couldn't afford a gun in the past and could only use a machete.
Zhu Wencong looked at Luo Chu, "Your performance is the highest, which proves your talent and luck are top-notch.
I plan to hand over the small Silver Mine project to you. If you want to grow and strengthen, you need more manpower.
You are responsible for recruitment, and I'll arrange the work; you take care of the rest.
Sun Ji, you can also form a separate team to compete with Luo Chu. I hope you surpass him."
Luo Chu and Sun Ji exchanged glances, both with expressions of disbelief, not expecting the other to be capable as well.
Luo Chu thought he could monopolize everything, but suddenly a competitor arrived, and the pressure unknowingly intensified.
Sun Ji, who thought he was being eliminated, realized there was still a chance; he must surpass Luo Chu.
"The small Silver Mine is just a practice project for you, and the money earned isn't much; don't disdain it.
If you want to improve, I suggest you study more and elevate your cultural knowledge.
Take the stock market, for example; you're still half-baked in this area. How can I trust you with major projects?
People must read more books and gain more knowledge. It's not too late for you to start learning!" Zhu Wencong didn't want his team to be illiterate.
With a bunch of illiterate people, you can't accomplish great things; often, they can even ruin your plans.
The two men felt instantly overwhelmed by the prospect of learning, wondering how people in their thirties could still take it in.
"If you don't study, you can only perform menial tasks because most of the work will be beyond your ability.
If you want to make money, to become somebody, to live an extraordinary life, then you need to struggle with yourself. If you don't go crazy now, you'll soon be old!
Let's get this straight; I won't be providing for you in your old age. If you want to go back to your old life, you'd better start begging.
In America, there are no starving spirits, only poor people and rich people. The luxury of your latter life is all down to your own choice," Zhu Wencong admonished.
Zhu Wencong did not expect them to be extremely knowledgeable, but at least they should have the attitude to learn and become proficient in foreign languages.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
0 Power
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