The arrogance started from Chinatown

Chapter 555: A notorious reputation
Justo Arosemena was also in a dilemma.

Panama is located in Central America, bordered by Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, and Canada to the north, and Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile to the south.

Located in the middle of the American continent, with the Isthmus of Panama, it is a trade distribution center in the Americas.

Therefore, it can be said that there are good and bad people here. Local forces and foreign forces have been fighting for control, and there are many stakeholders involved.

Chen Zhengwei only sold guns and traded food, but Justo Arosemena agreed to his request without hesitation.

But Chen Zhengwei clearly wanted to monopolize all of Panama's trade and drive everyone else out, which he could not agree to no matter what.

Because there are too many stakeholders involved.

Business is not just business, it is also politics.

The local forces in Colombia, France, the United States, Britain, Germany, and Panama are all difficult to deal with.

Justo Arosemena thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Chen, you just arrived in Panama today. Why don't you take a rest first? We can continue to discuss business matters later!"

"To be honest, I don't know much about trade matters. I need to ask people from various departments to understand the situation..."

"Mr. Chen, why don't you take a rest in Panama first? I'll learn about the situation. Also, I'll hold a welcoming party for Mr. Chen tomorrow night."

Justo Arosemena planned to stabilize Chen Zhengwei first, and then invite representatives of various forces to the banquet tomorrow and have them come forward.

Let them take on Chen Zhengwei.

Chen Zhengwei’s fleet is very powerful, but those people are not pushovers either.

It is not that easy to monopolize Panama's trade.

If they can't stand up to Chen Zhengwei, they can't risk their lives to do so.

"Delaying time?" Chen Zhengwei stared at him and asked.

"No, no, Mr. Chen, I really don't know much about business matters." Justo Arosemena gritted his teeth and said, "Besides, some contracts have already been signed. I need to understand the details."

Chen Zhengwei leaned back in his chair and looked at him for a moment before smiling and saying:
"Then we'll talk about it at the welcoming banquet tomorrow!"

"Then I won't bother Mr. Chen anymore!" Arosemena got up and left quickly as if he had been pardoned.

When he arrived at the hotel entrance, he said to the hotel manager: "Who was the person who was just killed? Find a way to inform their family... and comfort them!"

He had just realized that the other person was definitely Colombian and of Spanish descent.

Those who can stay in the best rooms in the hotel are definitely not ordinary rich people. But the fact that the hotel dares to invite them out shows that their status is not that high.

"It's...someone from the Corvado family..." the hotel staff whispered.

Arosemena was stunned: "From Antioquia?"

"Yes!"

The Corvado family has a great influence in Antioquia Province, which is most famous for its coffee and gold mines.

This is the case with the Corvado family, which owns a large number of coffee plantations and gold mines.

"Forget it, I'll let someone else notify them!" Arosemena said after thinking for a moment.

"Preserve their bodies first."

The hotel does not know the specific situation of Chen Zhengwei, and if the notification is not done properly, it will cause big trouble.

Arosemena took the officials away and returned to the government building to hold a meeting.

Many people still don’t know who Chen Zhengwei is.

A yellow-skinned man with a fleet, acting so domineeringly, made many people feel confused.

Arosemena directly asked someone to put several reports about Chen Zhengwei in international newspapers in front of everyone.

"I know you may not know who he is, read this first!"

In fact, when they saw Chen Zhengwei’s fleet, they knew that these were definitely not ordinary people. Those who could appear in international newspapers were people with great influence in various countries.

After reading the newspaper, everyone looked at each other.

He led the Chinese in fighting several battles with the U.S. Army, winning every battle until they reached Washington, forcing the U.S. government to sign the Treaty of Washington.

The assassination of the US President some time ago was also related to him.

He is a famous warlord in the United States.

Such a person actually came to Panama.

And he brought a fleet with him.

"What does he want, Mr. Arosemena?"

"Trade!" Arosemena took a deep breath. Everyone didn't understand why Arosemena's expression was so serious.

But the next sentence let them know.

"Guns, food, machinery, medicine, textiles, dyes, fuel, kerosene, steel products... and perhaps other things..."

"This is impossible! These trades involve businessmen from Britain, France, Germany and the United States, and they also have local spokespeople. This Chen Zhengwei wants to drive everyone else out and monopolize the markets in Panama and Colombia. This is impossible!" An official spoke up immediately.

"Then go tell him!" Arosemena said directly. "You have always done a good job. I believe you can do this well!"

The other party immediately looked at his nose and then his heart.

In fact, the port official had his head hit by Chen Zhengwei on the ship. When he returned to Panama, the news spread and everyone heard about it.

Combined with what happened in the hotel, this already illustrates Chen Zhengwei's style of doing things.

Unlike the merchants from the European powers who still had some civilization, this was a complete thug.

A robber.

Arosemena retracted his gaze and said, "Notify those foreign companies and their agents."

"Also, I will hold a banquet tomorrow and hope that the managers of those foreign companies and their agents will attend!"

Soon, the news about Chen Zhengwei spread among Panama's upper class circles, and was transmitted to the United States through telegrams, and then to Europe along the Atlantic cable.

United States, Cargill, which is a giant in American grain exports.

William Wallace Cargill was very troubled when he learned that Chen Zhengwei had arrived in Panama and wanted to seize the grain market there.

Chen Zhengwei has a bad reputation in the United States. "Let our people there visit Chen Zhengwei and ask him if he wants to cooperate. If he doesn't want to cooperate, we can give him the Panama market, along with our channels. Let's just make friends!" William Cargill would rather lose the Panama market than have a conflict with Chen Zhengwei.

Several American textile companies, including Amos and Boston Manufacturing Company, had the same plan.

“Go visit Chen Zhengwei and see if there is any chance for cooperation. If he is not willing to cooperate, we will give him the Panama market.”

UK, Vickers, one of the most famous machinery manufacturing companies in the UK.

"Boss, this is a telegram from Panama!" A telegram was placed on the table in front of Thomas Edward Weeks.

"What happened over there?" Thomas Vickers took the telegram and took a look at it.

"A Chinese in America? The one with braids? I seem to have heard of him... Will this have any impact on us?" Thomas Vickers asked with a frown.

After the French contracted the project of digging the canal, Colombia began to purchase machinery and equipment from France, which greatly affected Vickers' business in Panama.

"That Chinese guy...the one from a few days ago..." The secretary told Chen Zhengwei's situation.

"I remember now...his ship is a warship that our navy eliminated!" Vickers suddenly realized and said arrogantly, "So this is our dog biting its master back?"

"Let our branch manager in Panama pay him a visit! He shouldn't be clashing with us, he should be working with us against the French!"

Vickers felt that Chen Zhengwei would not have any conflicts with his company.

On the one hand, Chen Zhengwei was supported by Britain, otherwise he wouldn't even have a ship.

On the other hand, French machinery sales occupy a larger market in Panama.

However, there are too many companies involved this time, at least dozens of international trading companies, and not every company is as familiar with Chen Zhengwei as those American companies.

Most people are dismissive of this.

……

"Brother Wei, if we want to take over the market here, we will offend a lot of people." After the Panamanian government people left, Su Ya whispered.

"How can you do business without offending people? Otherwise, will they give the market to you? And I'm just trying to scare them, maybe someone will give the market to me!" Chen Zhengwei laughed.

"Our target this time is Peru and Bolivia. We are just hunting rabbits here and doing something else by the way."

"The forces here are complicated and intertwined. All parties have interests here, including at least dozens of large international companies, as well as the politicians and nobles behind them. We need to reshuffle the cards!" Chen Zhengwei explained with a smile.

He really wanted to teach Su Ya a lesson.

Because he wanted to reshuffle Panama, he needed a suitable person to operate here, support a group of rebels, and then set fire to Panama, burning those who should be burned and killing those who should be killed.

By then, the interest network of various forces in Panama will be directly cut off!

And this was all done by Panamanians, what does it have to do with me?
Then I will send people to sink their transport ships at sea...

The Panama market will naturally be yours.

And they don't have to fall out with other countries. If they want to condemn anything, they should condemn the governments of Colombia and Panama.

Looking at Chen Zhengwei's attitude just now, Su Ya thought that Chen Zhengwei was determined to win.

I didn't expect it was just to scare them.

However, Chen Zhengwei did scare a lot of people.

After all, his notoriety was there, so that night, the local head of Cargill came to visit him.

He is a mixed race of American, Spanish and local Aboriginal people.

"Good evening, Mr. Chen. I am the local director of Cargill. I heard that Mr. Chen is here, so I came to visit him!"

"Our boss heard that Mr. Chen was here and asked us to give him the best service. If Mr. Chen needs any help, we will do our best!"

"Cargill? You are the ones selling the grain here? Then it will belong to me from now on!" Chen Zhengwei said while crossing his legs.

"I wonder if Mr. Chen is interested in cooperation? We already have enough foundation here. If Mr. Chen is willing to cooperate..." The other party said stiffly. Although the boss of Cargill was willing to give up Panama's grain business, he did not want to give up.

After all, even if Cargill loses this market, it still has other markets.

But if he loses his position here, he will have nothing.

After returning to the head office, I don’t know how to place myself.

While the head of Cargill was talking, people from Amosco (textile) Company also arrived at the hotel. After talking to Chen Zhengwei's men for a few words, they waited in the distance.

"Not interested! Just leave all your sales channels here and you can go!" Chen Zhengwei waved his hand.

"How much grain do you sell in Colombia in a year? How much grain can I sell in a year? What do you have to cooperate with me? Even your boss has to give me face, so will the local grain merchants not give me face?"

Chen Zhengwei doesn't care about the other person at all.

If it is other products, we can discuss it.

Food must be controlled in our own hands.

The people at Amos knew the head of Cargill. After all, Panama's upper class was limited.

Seeing the other party leave in a daze, he knew that today's conversation was not easy.

But he was not worried because he was a pure American. Even if he lost the business here, he would be assigned other positions when he returned to the headquarters.

Just as he thought, Chen Zhengwei was not going to give in on textiles either.

After all, textiles are the easiest to develop, and are also the business that most wealthy Chinese businessmen in San Francisco are currently engaged in.

Moreover, once the market was opened, profits could be seen quickly, which encouraged investors in San Francisco.

"This market will be mine from now on, you can leave!" After listening to a few words from the other party, Chen Zhengwei waved his hand to signal the other party that he could leave.

Faced with Chen Zhengwei's strength, the other party could only stand up and say goodbye: "As you wish, Mr. Chen! Our Amosco Company will withdraw from Panama!"

After the head of Amosco left, Chen Zhengwei met with the head of Boston Manufacturing Company.

"Look, with just a few words, we have taken over the local grain and textile market!" Chen Zhengwei said with a smile to Su Ya standing aside:

“So I always tell you, if others are not afraid of you, how can you do business?”

As long as others are afraid of you, they will give up the market to you with just one word from you.

(End of this chapter)