1928: The Rise of Giants

"It's the Second Young Master!"

"These Japanese are going too far. Let the Second Young Master help us get justice!"

"Yes! Yes! Not only did they obstruct our training, but they also closed the factory. This is intolerable! We will fight the Japanese to the death!"

"Who said we should fight the Japanese?"

Ye Luo got out of the car surrounded by a group of men in black.

As soon as he appeared, the chaotic crowd suddenly became silent.

Several Japanese hiding behind the Municipal Council patrolmen were stunned. They had just wanted to take advantage of the increasing chaos and the outbreak of conflict to do something else.

Unexpectedly, this young Chinese man who suddenly appeared shocked all the Chinese workers with just one sentence.

"What are you doing? The Municipal Council and the Songhu Police Department are still investigating the truth of the matter, but you are gathering together to cause trouble. Don't you think the situation is not chaotic enough?"

Ye Luo scolded loudly, leaving the group of Chinese workers speechless.

There were a few who were not convinced and were ready to go up and argue with Ye Luo, but when they saw Shi Jianqiao and others who were fully armed, they backed off.

The patrolman from the Municipal Council translated Ye Luo's words to several Japanese. They were all smiling happily, not expecting that it was friendly troops coming.

Just as they were about to come up to greet Ye Luo, Ye Luo turned around and started scolding the patrolmen from the Municipal Council.

"What are you doing? Clearly the situation hasn't been settled yet, but you rush over to close down other people's factories and beat up other people's employees? Is the Municipal Council acting so tyrannically now?"

Ye Luo stood among a group of Chinese workers and policemen. He was the only one speaking and no one dared to interrupt him.

"Second Young Master, we..." The captain of the patrol team wanted to argue, but Ye Luo glared at him fiercely and he immediately shut up.

Ye Luo was a specially appointed Chinese director of the Municipal Council, one of the Chinese consuls of the British Consulate General in Shanghai, and one of the few Chinese with real power in the International Settlement.

Equivalent to their boss's boss's boss.

They really didn't dare to talk back.

"Well, what's the point of gathering here so late at night? Those who need to go home should go home, and those who need to go to work should go to work. I believe the Municipal Council can find out the truth of the matter, right?"

Ye Luo began to wave his hands to drive people away.

In this situation, there is a high probability that there are Japanese spies among those who gather to cause trouble. They are eager to make the matter bigger so that they can find an excuse to call in the army.

Ye Luo naturally would not let them get their wish.

Since we can't find the spy for the time being, let's just get rid of him first.

Several patrolmen were reluctant and had to smile and nod. Under the watchful eyes of Ye’s security staff, they began to gather their troops and gave up the idea of ​​sealing off the Sanyou Industrial Society’s headquarters.

The order given to them by the foreign leaders of the Municipal Council was that, no matter what means were used, they must mediate the incident and satisfy the Japanese.

Now that the second young master has come forward, the effect will be the same, and there will be no need to do such unethical things as banning other people’s factories.

"Second Young Master, what if the Municipal Council can't investigate clearly and insists on putting the blame on us?" a voice asked in the crowd.

Ye Luo's eyes turned cold, he glanced back at the Japanese who had bad intentions, and said calmly: "If the Municipal Council can't find anything, then we, the Ye Security, will have to take action."

"We believe in the Second Young Master's people!" "Yes! The Second Young Master will definitely give us justice!"

"Let's go, let's not gather here and cause trouble for the Second Young Master."

The confrontation situation, which was originally quite troublesome, was quickly resolved due to Ye Luo's arrival.

Several Japanese looked uncertain and gritted their teeth in anger, but they could do nothing about Ye Luo. They could only return to the Japanese Concession in disgrace under the escort of the Municipal Council police.

After the crowd dispersed, Ye Luo took Shi Jianqiao and others to the factory, ready to meet the bosses of Sanyou Industrial Society.

Sanyou Industrial Society was founded by Chen Wanyun, Shen Jiuchen and Shen Qiyong in 1912 (the first year of the Republic of China), and soon became the first textile factory in my country's history with large-scale machine production.

One year after the factory opened, Shen Qiyong changed jobs and split the shares. Soon, Chen Wanyun's fellow villager Chen Lufu invested 2100 oceans. At that time, the capital increased to 2400 oceans, and the word "Mei Ji" was added to the factory name.

After the product came out, how to enter the candle wick market monopolized by Japanese companies became another problem.

In order to break the deadlock, Chen Wanyun and Shen Jiuchen did their own street promotion and marketing, setting up a stall near a Japanese candle shop and lighting their homemade candles.

Pedestrians gathered around to watch and saw that the candle did not leak oil, did not bend, and did not go out midway, and was indeed as good as a foreign candle.

This street advertisement made the "Venus" brand candle wicks famous, and the "Sanyou" brand candle wicks quickly opened up the market with their advantages of low price and high quality.

After the Fengtian Incident, the workers of the Sanyoushe Production Plant were enthusiastic about resisting the Japanese. They established the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association and organized the Sanyou Anti-Japanese Army, which had more than 400 people participating. Chen Wanyun served as the team leader. The team members made military uniforms at their own expense and practiced every day before work.

The Sanyou Anti-Japanese Army also posted a giant propaganda poster on the high wall at the factory gate with the title "We Must Recover the North". The poster showed a volunteer soldier pointing a rifle at Japanese soldiers.

The Japanese Marines were stationed at the Tohua Towel Factory, a Japanese-owned factory to the west, and had a lookout tower. They could see the actions of the Sanyoushe Towel Factory every day, and they hated it so much that they regarded it as a thorn in their side.

In order to cooperate with the upcoming January 28 Incident, the "Japanese Monk Incident" was launched today.

When you walk into the factory, you can't hear any roar of machines at night, but you can faintly hear the workers training with weapons.

The Municipal Council blocked the door, and the three friends Chen Wanyun, Shen Jiuchen and Chen Lufu also had internal conflicts.

Under the guidance of the workers, Ye Luo came to the general manager's office. As soon as he opened the door, he heard a fierce quarrel between three people.

"It is our duty to fight against Japan and save our country! We formed the Three Friends, developed industries, and drove out Japanese goods, wasn't it just to get the invaders out of our country? Now, they have come to our door, and you are going to be cowards?"

Chen Wan was so frustrated that his teeth ached. He looked at his two old friends with an expression of disappointment.

Shen Jiucheng sighed and said, "Wanyun, we are businessmen, not soldiers. If you set up a workers' army with great fanfare and train day and night, you will definitely become a thorn in the eyes of the Japanese. This is not worth it."

"Not cost-effective? The country is in crisis and our compatriots in the north are suffering day and night, and you're talking to me about benefits?" Chen Wanyun pointed at his nose and cursed.

Chen Lufu, who was standing by, didn't say much. He just picked up a check on the table and said, "Wanyun, I don't dare to get involved in this matter. I will withdraw my shares. Let's have another chance to cooperate."

"I'll withdraw my shares too! I can't go crazy and die with you!" Shen Jiuchen's relative was from the north. He was doing business there and tried to resist the Japanese. Then his whole family was killed and their property was lost.

He admired and respected people like Chen Wanyun, but he himself could not be that kind of person.

"Okay, okay, you guys go!" Chen Wanyun slammed the table heavily and was about to say something, but he caught a glimpse of Ye Luo smiling at the door.

He was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Second Young Master?" (End of this chapter)