The arrogance started from Chinatown

Chapter 695: There's something behind your words

The following banquet was normal and full of joy.

Henry Blake stood aside and pulled at his tie, which was suffocating him.

His eyes kept sweeping over Chen Zhengwei on the dance floor, his gaze changing from time to time.

He felt like he was going to die soon.

"This madman!" Henry Blake kept cursing in his heart, preparing to send a telegram to inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this matter.

You have to know that he is the Governor of Hong Kong appointed by the Queen of England. Just now I suspected that I would be killed by him.

Someone has to rein this lunatic in.

Look at how much trouble Chen Zhengwei has caused along the way, Hawaii, Japan, the Qing Dynasty, and now Hong Kong...

Especially Hawaii.

Although Britain still has Australia as a transit point in the Pacific, it also has some ideas about Hawaii, the most important of which is to use it to clamp down on the United States.

However, it was destroyed by Chen Zhengwei.

In his opinion, Chen Zhengwei's reliance was the Warrior and several other warships sold to him by Britain.

It's ridiculous that he caused trouble everywhere by relying on the retired warships sold to him by the UK, and even dared to provoke the British.

After the banquet, Henry Blake telegraphed to London.

United Kingdom, Office of the Foreign Secretary.

It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and Lord Granville was already thinking about his speech at the salon that evening.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Earl, I may take up some of your time." Sir Julian Ponsonby, the permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, knocked on the door and walked into the room.

"Telegram from Hong Kong!"

"Hong Kong? That Chinese went to Hong Kong?" Earl Granville guessed without receiving the telegram.

"Yes, Count, you guessed it right!"

"Let me see what trouble he has caused again... I know he will cause trouble wherever he goes!" Earl Granville then took the telegram.

He really dislikes Chen Zhengwei.

On the one hand, Chen Zhengwei was causing trouble and brought a lot of trouble to them in the UK.

Like the Guano Wars… and Hawaii.

On the other hand, Chen Zhengwei has a close relationship with the Churchill family, an important figure in the Conservative Party.

Now that the seventh Duke of Marlborough's term in Ireland had ended, Randolph Churchill had returned to London.

With penicillin and money, he became very successful in the social circles of London's upper class and even formed a Conservative and Progressive Party.

Earl Granville's evaluation of him was: a young man eager for success.

The evaluation of Chen Zhengwei is that he is a young man who has no vision, does not know the immensity of the world and does not know how to be reverent, but is very lucky.

After glancing at the telegram, Lord Granville said, "Tell Blake to ignore him for now. We are still preparing according to the plan, and soon he will not have the energy to cause trouble."

"Also, there's this one!" Sir Julian Ponsonby took out another piece of information.

"According to the information we received, his ship took only 6 days to travel from Guangzhou to Tianjin!"

Chen Zhengwei's ship was so fast that it went straight to Zhili after leaving Guangzhou and arrived in just 6 days.

This was noticed immediately.

"What does this mean?" asked Lord Granville.

"It means that his ship is 40% faster than ours. His ship may be more advanced than ours in terms of steam engines. We should get this technology. The best chance is when he wants to do something in the Malay Peninsula."

"It sounds very important indeed!" Earl Granville nodded.

With a 40% increase in speed, their fleets could reach their destinations faster, and merchant ships could transport more cargo in a year.

"This guy is so lucky..." Earl Granville said at last.

Smokeless gunpowder, penicillin, and more advanced steam engines...

Any one of them can make an ordinary person become a big shot.

"After all, his methods are different from normal business... It's understandable that he can come up with more technologies." Sir Julian Ponsonby smiled.

After all, what Chen Zhengwei is best at is taking things by force and then making them his own.

So it is not difficult to understand why he has many new technologies.

"You are right!" Earl Granville nodded and changed the subject:
"How are the arrangements going on the Malay Peninsula?"

"It's already been arranged! We bribed some locals and spread some news over there... Those Chinese stole their land and jobs..."

"The atmosphere over there is starting to get agitated," said Sir Julian Ponsonby.

"Very good, control them! Also, control the scope of the riot, I don't want it to get out of control!" Earl Granville said with satisfaction.

Then he turned his thoughts back to the evening salon.

……

After Chen Zhengwei came out of the Governor's Mansion, the sea breeze outside blowing on his face was much more comfortable than the stuffiness in the banquet hall.

"Don't rush back, take a tour around Hong Kong!" Chen Zhengwei said as he got on the carriage.

"Look at the local customs and practices here!"

"I miss San Francisco a little bit! I still like the scenery there. The spirit of the people is completely different. Everything has a vibrant vitality." Lin Changning said to Chen Zhengwei while sitting in the carriage.

She actually wanted to persuade Chen Zhengwei to go back.

Just now in the banquet hall, she saw that Chen Zhengwei almost threw the Governor against the wall.

She felt that Chen Zhengwei had made too many enemies along the way, and that there were enemies everywhere he looked, which was a bit inappropriate.

If Chen Zhengwei went to Europe, I'm afraid he would fight all the way to Europe and then fight his way out of Europe.

In her opinion, Chen Zhengwei should calm down.

His power is now solid, and warships are being launched continuously. Once the population problem is solved, he can return to San Francisco to do business, and then expand his influence through diplomatic and commercial means.

"The world is so big, we should see more of it!" Chen Zhengwei said nonchalantly, his eyes sweeping outside the window.

Lin Changning understood Chen Zhengwei's character and knew that persuading Chen Zhengwei would not be done overnight, so he said no more.

It was drizzling at this time, but although it was late at night, there were still many pedestrians on the street.

Some shops on the roadside hung lanterns.

“There are a lot of big opium dens here!”

"After all, they make money. I don't know how many people they support." Chen Zhengwei also saw many casinos on the streets of Hong Kong.

Previously, due to financial constraints, Hong Kong needed a lot of funds for development, so the Governor publicly invited investors to provide funding for gambling.

Simply put, it means issuing gambling licenses and contracting the gambling business to private individuals.

Later, Hong Kong's finances eased and this regulation was cancelled a few years ago. However, there are still many casinos in Hong Kong, they have just changed from public to semi-public.

After walking around Central, Chen Zhengwei returned to the hotel. The next morning, Chen Zhengwei got up and stood in front of the hotel window, looking at the Victoria Harbor and the pier below.

This place is completely different from Guangzhou.

More lively.

The streets are also much cleaner.

On the street, several Chinese men in ordinary clothes were holding newspapers and discussing something.

Although Chen Zhengwei couldn't see clearly because it was far away, he guessed it was a horse racing newspaper.

After all, he was too familiar with those people's expressions.

"What are you looking at?" Lin Changning hugged Chen Zhengwei's waist from behind. "Standing here without any clothes on? Aren't you afraid of being seen by people outside?"

"What are you afraid of? I have a big dick, are you afraid of seeing it?" Chen Zhengwei laughed.

After laughing, Chen Zhengwei said thoughtfully: "How much money do you think these casinos in Hong Kong can make in a year?"

“Although the population here is not large, it is the trade hub of Asia, with countless merchants coming and going every day.”

"With a population of over a hundred thousand, it shouldn't be much, right? You don't need to make this money now and be criticized." Lin Changning thought for a moment and said.

"They don't have much money, but the merchants coming and going are rich! Merchants from all over the world will come here!" said Chen Zhengwei.

"If they lose all their money, they can ask the bank to lend them money, a formal loan! If they can't pay it back, they can seize the goods and sell them here."

Chen Zhengwei is very familiar with the gambling industry. He estimates that the current gambling-related turnover in Hong Kong is just over one million Hong Kong dollars a year, which includes regular horse racing.

1 Hong Kong dollar is 0.5 US dollars.

But if you do it yourself, you can make at least several million dollars a year.

This is not a small number.

Especially with the development of Hong Kong, it will become more and more prosperous, there will be more and more businessmen, and this part of the income will become higher and higher.

Moreover, by targeting high-end casinos that cater to traders, the company can extend its tentacles into many industries.

He did that in San Francisco and New York.

If you don’t have money, you can mortgage the factory shares or even the factory.

Factories, shops, docks, ships, and even cargo...

After thinking for a moment, Chen Zhengwei put on his clothes and went downstairs to eat with Lin Changning.

Lin Changning wants to go to the next room to see the nanny and the golden egg first...

After Chen Zhengwei and his men went downstairs, they saw Chen Fenglu drinking tea in the hotel.

"boss!"

"You've come just in time. I just happened to ask you something." Chen Zhengwei waved his hand, then turned to his henchman and ordered, "Bring up the morning tea first."

Then he sat aside with Chen Fenglu.

"Do you know the situation in Kowloon Walled City?"

"Just to know a little, Kowloon Walled City is located north of Boundary Street and is a fortress of the Qing Dynasty!"

Chen Zhengwei nodded, feeling a little disappointed. Since Kowloon Walled City was not yet an enclave, there was no need to swallow it up.

"I have already informed the Governor of the bank. You can go and complete the formalities in the next two days and then find a place to serve as the headquarters."

"Do you know what is the most important thing in opening a bank?" Chen Zhengwei asked.

"Boss, you tell me."

"It has to be big! It has to be impressive! Others will know you are powerful as soon as they see your headquarters!" Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

"I understand! I'll have someone find a suitable place! Central is the best place."

"If you can't find a suitable place, just rob it. If it's already taken, find a way to make him sell it to you, or just make him bankrupt and then sell it to you!" Chen Zhengwei suggested casually.

"In addition, we are going to open the best hotel and casino in Hong Kong for the businessmen who come here."

After explaining these things, Chen Zhengwei asked, "Have you prepared the things you asked me to prepare yesterday?"

"We're ready." Chen Fenglu took out a piece of paper and said, "Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Chinese are not allowed to enter from 2pm to 5pm."

"Also, places like the Hong Kong Club and the Yacht Club are mainly social venues! They are managed by a committee and members are recommended."

"In fact, Chinese people rarely participate in such occasions."

"Another thing is the Peak, where Chinese are not allowed to buy land or rent."

"Let's go to the Zoological and Botanical Gardens in the afternoon. We haven't been to the park for a long time! Let's go to the Hong Kong Club in the evening!" After giving the instructions, Chen Zhengwei got up to have morning tea.

I have to say, the morning tea at this best hotel in Hong Kong is not as good as that of my own chef.

"Change your clothes and go to the park for a walk!" Chen Zhengwei said to Lin Changning and Wanyun.

The two were quite interested in this matter.

There are no parks in Guangzhou, only wealthy families have gardens. The two of them even went to Wu’s Garden on purpose.

This was originally the house of Wu Bingjian, the richest Chinese businessman in Guangzhou.

After dinner, the two went upstairs to change their clothes. When they were about to go out, a thin middle-aged man came to visit the hotel.

"Brother Wei, someone named Wu Tingfang is here to visit!"

"Wu Tingfang...you came at the right time, bring him here!" Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

A moment later, Wu Tingfang was brought in front of Chen Zhengwei: "Mr. Chen!"

"You came at the right time. I was just planning to visit the Bingtou Gardens (Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens). You are the local boss here, so you can introduce me to it!" Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

"It's my honor!" Wu Tingfang smiled and bowed. "Although Hong Kong is small, it still has many beautiful sights."

"Sit down. They say you are the first Chinese Justice of the Peace. Among the Chinese in Hong Kong, you are the most influential. What do you think of this place?" Chen Zhengwei asked casually.

"It's all because of the Chinese in Hong Kong Island's kindness! To put it bluntly, this is just a tiny place and it certainly can't be compared with the vast and rich China!" Wu Tingfang said.

"If you have the ability, you should speak out. If you don't, how will others know that you have the ability?" Chen Zhengwei tapped him with the cigar in his hand. "Times have changed. The idea of moderation and restraint doesn't work anymore!"

"I heard that Li Hongzhang invited you, Guo Songtao invited you when he was on his diplomatic mission to Britain, and Chen Lanbin also invited you when he was on his diplomatic mission to the United States! Why didn't you agree?" Chen Zhengwei asked with a smile.

Wu Tingfang was indeed a talented person and his reputation spread far and wide.

"Lord Guo and Lord Chen are simply attracted by my familiarity with the foreign environment. If I don't do this, others can do it well." Wu Tingfang smiled and said:

"As for Lord Li Hongzhang... I am powerless to do anything for the court, so it is better for me to do something in Hong Kong and seek benefits for the local Chinese! Besides, my family is here too, and changing to a new environment may not be satisfactory." Wu Tingfang said tactfully.

He was very familiar with the administrative environment of the Qing Dynasty and knew that he could do nothing in that environment.

It’s better to stay in Hong Kong.

"Just be careful when speaking. Why not just say that the Qing court is corrupt and it's difficult to get things done?" Chen Zhengwei cursed with a smile.

"That's not entirely true. It's just that if someone like me were put among them, I would be an outlier. It's okay when I'm off the stage, but when I'm on the stage, I don't know how many eyes are staring at me. It's easy to dodge an open attack but hard to guard against an arrow from the dark. Sooner or later, disaster will happen!" Wu Tingfang continued.

Chen Zhengwei paused while smoking his cigar, stared at Wu Tingfang and said, "You have something else to say!"

(End of this chapter)