Chengdu, Sichuan Governor's Office.

Today, Sichuan Governor Xiliang was receiving a VIP at the mansion.

At this time, as long as China is a foreigner, it must be a VIP, let alone a foreigner who waves money in his hand and can bring rich gifts every time.

Xiliang said with some confusion: "Mr. Kafur, do you think your Xingke Company is planning to set up an iron factory in Weiyuan and build a highway in the prefectural?"

Kafur, the public relations manager of Xingke Company, said politely: "Yes, Governor General, our company plans to set up a steel plant in Weiyuan. You, I heard that Sichuan is preparing to build a railway. If our Weiyuan Steel Plant is set up, it can not only provide a large amount of steel, but also provide qualified railway tracks for Sichuan's railways. The railway tracks required by a railway are not a small number, and Sichuan's transportation is inconvenient. If it relies on transportation from other provinces, the transportation costs alone will be very considerable..."

This sentence immediately touched Xiliang. He thought for a while and said, "Oh, I know that there is iron ore in Weiyuan, but it is inconvenient to develop there. Do you also have to start a factory?"

"The inconvenience of development is just that the road is bad. Since we want to set up a factory there, of course we have to build roads. So these two things are actually one thing... If the Governor agrees, our company is willing to give you one percent of your dry shares..." Kafur smiled and offered the conditions.

Among the bureaucrats in the late Qing Dynasty, Xiliang was a rare capable official and did a lot of practical things during his tenure as governor of Sichuan, such as planning the Sichuan-Han Railway, which he was the most enthusiastic about.

However, Xiliang did not agree immediately. He said with a embarrassed look: "Mr. Kafur, now the people in our country have a very high call for revoking their rights. I dare not agree to you..."

At that time, China's nationalist sentiment was high, and the bourgeois constitutionalists actively promoted politically and led the development of the national constitutional movement, and strongly demanded the economic recovery of various profits seized by the great powers. Therefore, it reached its climax from 1906 to 1911. The so-called profit recovery movement was mainly a struggle to recover mining rights and road rights, and thus developed to the later road protection movement.

Among them, in 1906, Sichuan Province successively took back the rights of the kerosene mines in Baxian and Wanxian County, the rights of the kerosene mines in Chongqing, organized by Fashang Fu'an Company, the rights of the kerosene mines in Tianquan and Maogong County, the rights of the kerosene mines in Sichuan obtained by Yingshang Kaidong Company, and the rights of the mining rights of the Jiangbeiting Coal and Iron Mine occupied by Yingshang Huaying Coal and Iron Mine.

This is also Xiliang's political achievement. How could he agree to the mining rights he just recovered from Britain and France? Isn't this a slap in the face? Not to mention 1% of the stocks, he would not agree to 10% of the stocks, nor would he dare to agree. Although Xiliang also wants money, he still has a bottom line.

Kafur smiled and said, "Haha, you misunderstood. Our boss is Chinese. Besides, we are different from those in Britain and France. We are just a simple commercial company, not representing the US government. What we pursue is commercial interests, without any attached political conditions..."

"In addition, if you are worried about public opinion, we can do this. We can start a joint mining and smelting company again. On behalf of the Sichuan local government, you invest in local mines and land, and our boss invests in his personal name, technology, equipment and funds. In this way, overseas Chinese businessmen will return to China to run their own iron ore, and have no relationship with the US government..."

"Well..." Xiliang couldn't help but be moved. When Zhang Zhidong built the Hanyang Iron Factory, he was very envious and jealous. However, the iron ore in Sichuan was not easy to mine, and he didn't have so much money. The Hanyang Iron Factory spent a total of 5.83 million taels of silver. Lao Xi is now planning a railway, and even if he bought it, he wouldn't be able to get so much. If he completed the railway during his term as governor and could build a large iron plant, then his reputation would probably be better than Zhang Nanpi.

Xiliang thought for a while and then said, "I have to consider your proposal..."

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One week later.

"Hmph, although wearing a slim skin can save a lot of trouble, it also has many shortcomings... but fortunately, it finally solved..."

Wen Desi, who left the Governor's Office, couldn't help but sigh a little.

After Kafur's fooling around for several days, Xiliang finally felt relieved, but asked to talk to Wen Desi in person, so Mr. Wen had to travel to Chengdu.

The meeting with Seiliang was still very pleasant. Nonsense, can it be unpleasant after spending so much money and artificial gems?

After all, he was nearly 400 years ahead of his experience, Wen Desi took out the negotiation methods of later generations, and soon made Xiliang faint.

Finally, the two parties reached an agreement to open a Weiyuan Steel Plant in Weiyuan. The agreement separated the steel plant and the mine. The Sichuan local government invested in iron ore, coal mine and land, accounting for 30% of the shares, Sichuan private investment accounted for 10% of the shares, and Wen Desi personally invested in technology, equipment and funds, accounting for 60% of the shares. Longchang and Zizhong coal mines were also dealt with in this way.

As for the steel mill itself, Wen Desi accounts for 75% of the shares, and the Sichuan local government mainly invests in real estate such as land, accounting for 15% of the shares, and private gentry and people account for 10% of the shares.

Wen Desi's idea was to bring in local gentry in Sichuan. There was no way. With the current nationalist sentiment of the people, it would be impossible not to do this.

However, those mines such as limestone, quartz sand, shale, and phosphate mines were much easier to deal with. In the eyes of people at that time, these things were of no value and were everywhere. Wen Desi held 80% of the shares, while Sichuan local governments and private gentry each held 10% of the shares.

With the support of the government and local gentry, things will be much easier, such as demolition, immigration, land occupation, etc. If you only rely on Wen Desi to do these things yourself, it will be more troublesome.

Moreover, in addition to completing the mines during Wen Desi's trip to Chengdu, he also had two unplanned gains.

The first is to obtain a permit to build the Chengdu-Chongqing Highway. The traffic situation in Sichuan is so difficult, so the Governor Xiliang is very clear about how difficult it is, otherwise he would not have planned the Sichuan-Han Railway. However, the railway is indeed difficult to build, and it involves too many things and has a long cycle. But the road is different. This thing involves much less things and takes effect much faster.

In fact, Wen Desi never thought about building the Chengdu-Chongqing Highway at first. He just planned to use the highway to connect several counties near Neijiang, completely to facilitate communication in his own industrial zone.

This matter was proposed by Xiliang himself. Wen Desi invested in and set up a factory in Sichuan, and had no political conditions and was willing to pay to help him with his political achievements. Such a good person is really rare. Mr. Xiliang certainly did not want to miss this "sucker". So he tentatively proposed the plan for the Chengdu-Chongqing Highway.

Wen Desi was stunned at the time. He had never thought that this Governor would have the idea of ​​"investing investment". Of course, this is also because of Mr. Wen's identity as an "overseas Chinese", so Xiliang would not even be able to hide.

Of course, Wen Desi would not refuse such a good thing to deliver to the door. He immediately agreed to Xiliang's proposal and suggested that he build the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway again.

Second, it took advantage of the situation to convince Xiliang, changed the route of the Sichuan-Han Railway, canceled the original Wanxian to Yichang, and changed it to pass through Ankang and Xiangfan, which is the Xiangyu Line in later generations.

This is not a fool. Wen Desi knew very well that the Sichuan-Han Line originally planned by the Qing Dynasty was a sinkhole, which could not be solved by existing technology at all. Even with the technology in the early 21st century, this line of more than 600 kilometers had been explored for 7 years and was built for 7 years, and it took a total of 14 years to complete. The average cost per kilometer was three times that of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway! This was the result of modifying some lines.

This line can be said to be one of the most difficult railways on earth. With the technology at this time, it is impossible to repair it even after 50 years of repair.

In fact, there were many experts who opposed the repair of this route at that time, but Xiliang and his gang of bureaucrats were unable to make up their minds to modify it. After all, it seemed that this route was much closer. Now that they were fooled by the experts under Wen Desi, Xiliang was finally shaken. However, the new Sichuan-Han Line has changed a lot and has to pass through Shaanxi. He still has to coordinate with the governments in Hubei and Shaanxi.

However, Xiliang also agreed to the plan to build the Chengdu-Chongqing Line and the Neiwei Line first, one was to connect Chengdu and Chongqing, two largest cities in Sichuan, and the other was to facilitate the transportation of Weigang railway tracks.

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Of course, although Wen Desi got these big cakes, he must be unable to eat them with his current appetite and lacked funds. Therefore, Wen Desi did not blossom in full, but divided these things into several stages.

Mr. Wen had planned the funding issues involved in it. He sent Barnazar and others to the United States, which was not just about solving the identity problem.

"Mr. Wen, after solving the identity problem, we have applied for patents for the following items in the United States in your name according to the original plan: lighter, ballpoint pen, MSG, cigarette filter, can..."

Banazar reported to Wen Desi who had just returned to Neijiang through his portable computer.

Wen Desi smiled and said, "Very good. Your next step is to set up a company involving these patents in the United States. I will send you additional staff."

These are all plans formulated after traveling through time, including five patents such as lighters, which are used by General Wen to solve financial problems. These things are simple to make and have no technical difficulty at all. They are almost a conceptual problem. Although these things are inconspicuous, the profits generated in them are amazing.

Among them, he was preparing to completely monopolize the three items of lighter, MSG and ballpoint pen because this was a brand new thing and a brand new market. In addition to using the patents of cigarette filters and cans, he was preparing to authorize those big manufacturers. At that time, the cigarettes and beverages and other commodities had long been divided by the big tycoons. With Wen Desi's current conditions, if they had monopolised, there would be no profit. It would be better to earn patent fees after authorization, so that they could narrow the relationship between the big tycoons.
Chapter completed!