Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

William stood on the dock, watching their figures gradually disappear into the distance, his legs went weak, and he almost sat down on the ground.

"Colonel, are you alright?"

The adjutant helped him up.

William shook his head and said in a deep voice, "It's nothing. Go back and report to Washington that they've left."

However, the IOU has been signed, and they have three days to raise the compensation, otherwise we'll all have to play around.

"Yes!"

The soldiers on deck cheered with joy at Ma Yongzhen's return.

Zhao Dazhuang grinned and said, "Commander, you were so impressive just now! Those ugly Chinese were scared out of their wits."

Liu Liuliu said excitedly, "That's right, the colonel's face turned green. Eight hundred and eighty-eight million eighty-eight thousand eighty-eight hundred and eighty-eight taels, he actually signed it."

My goodness, that's a fortune! Our trip is going to be rich!

Ma Yongzhen smiled calmly and said, "This is nothing. When our country becomes strong, they will come to us willingly without us having to ask."

"The commander is right."

Zhao Dazhuang echoed.

Me too.

...

White House.

Inside the meeting room.

Roosevelt held a telegram: "An agreement has been reached, with reparations amounting to 888,888,888 taels of silver."

He crumpled the telegram into a ball and slammed it to the ground.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

His voice echoed in the office, and the staff in the corridor outside fell silent.

The Secretary of State dared not respond at this point.

"The agreed-upon amount was 600 million at most, but the final price was over 888 million, almost 890 million."

What's he good for? Can't he negotiate? Can't he negotiate a lower price? Can't he cheat on his clients?

Roosevelt's face turned bright red, and he slammed his fist on the armrest of his wheelchair.

The Secretary of State began with difficulty: "Mr. President, the situation at the time... the Chinese Independent Brigade's fleet was just outside the port, and their men had already disembarked."

If Colonel William did not agree, they would have to go ashore and get it themselves.

You know the fate of those small island nations; Colonel William... dared not gamble.

"Afraid to gamble? If he's afraid to gamble, does that mean the country will be burdened with a deficit of 300 million?"

Roosevelt roared, "Eight hundred and ninety million! Where in the treasury is that much money?"

The Secretary of State wiped the sweat from his brow: "Sir, we've done the calculations, and the treasury currently only has 300 million in silver available."

The various families, corporations, and conglomerates previously promised 300 million, totaling 600 million, but now there's still a shortfall of nearly 300 million.

"A shortfall of 300 million? You expect me to conjure it up?"

Roosevelt glared at the Secretary of State with a look that seemed to want to devour him.

The Secretary of State was sweating profusely. "Sir, we're already trying to find a solution, but those capitalists..."

"What's wrong with those capitalists?"

"They...they said that the 300 million they promised was the limit, and they don't have any more than that."

Roosevelt stood up and leaned against the windowsill.

Outside the window is the Washington Monument, gleaming white in the sunlight.

But he was thinking about those warships and aircraft carriers that were moored outside the port.

The cannons were pointed at the city, and planes could take off at any moment.

"Give them the order: they must raise another 300 million taels of silver, or they're all dead, you damned capitalists."

The Secretary of State paused for a moment, then responded and left.

The news quickly spread among major American conglomerates and old families.

The Morgan family, the Rockefeller family, the DuPont family, the Mellon family, the Kennedy family... all were in an uproar.

Morgan Sr., the patriarch of the Morgan family, is having afternoon tea at his estate.

The butler hurried in and handed over a telegram.

He glanced at it, his face instantly changing, and he slammed the teacup heavily on the table. "What? Another three hundred million? Wasn't it agreed on three hundred million before? Why is there another three hundred million?"

The butler bowed his head: "Sir, this is an order from the White House. The master said that everything must be gathered, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?"

"Otherwise, the soldiers will come and get it themselves."

Morgan's face turned ashen.

Come and pick it up yourself?

That wouldn't be borrowing, that would be robbery.

Outside his estate, heavily armed soldiers can already be seen patrolling.

This is not a threat, it's an ultimatum.

Although they have their own armed forces, this is against a country, and there is also the ever-watchful China outside.

The choice is clear.

He is not qualified to check license plates.

The head of the Rockefeller family was on the phone in his office, speaking loudly.

"This is robbery! We've already paid 300 million, why should we pay more? What about the country's money? What about the national treasury?"

A helpless voice came from the other end of the phone: "Mr. Rockefeller, the national treasury only has three hundred million, and we've already used it all. Now we're short three hundred million, and we can only rely on you."

"Rely on us? What makes us think we can? That money was earned through hard work, not something that fell from the sky."

"Mr. Rockefeller, this is your order. If you have any objections, you can go to the White House to discuss it in person or talk to China."

The phone hangs up.

Rockefeller stood there, his hands still trembling.

Go to the White House to talk?

What are we talking about?

How do I pay?

Or should we talk about how to save our lives?

The soldiers outside have already surrounded the manor.

Go to China?

He wouldn't dare.

The head of the DuPont family was pacing in his study, his brow furrowed, while his secretary stood cautiously at the door.

"Sir, what should we do?"

"What should we do? What else can we do?"

DuPont stopped in his tracks. "Pay up. If you don't, you'll lose your life. Haven't you seen what happens to people from island nations?"

"But sir, three hundred million is far too much..."

"More? Life is more important than money."

DuPont sat down, picked up a pen, signed a check, and handed it to his secretary.

"Send it over. Tell the White House that this is the entire DuPont family fortune. If they want more, they don't have any more. At worst, we'll all die together."

The Mellon family and the Kennedy family are the same.

The various families started calling each other, hurling insults and profanities.

"How much did the Morgan family contribute?"

"Fifty million taels of silver."

"What about Rockefeller?"

"That's also fifty million taels of silver."

What about DuPont?

"Same."

"And what about us? Why should we contribute? We're not as rich as them!"

"Not going out? You want soldiers to break into your house and ransack it?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

These once arrogant capitalists are now like lambs to the slaughter, obediently handing over their money.

We need to make up the remaining 150 million taels of silver.

They hated the Chinese Independent Brigade, hated Lin Tian, ​​hated Colonel William, and hated Roosevelt.

But they hate themselves even more.

Why be born in a country like this?

Why did we have to have a president like that?

Why face such an army?

The soldiers' guns weren't pointed at the enemy, but at them.

White House.

Roosevelt sat in his office, looking at the list handed to him by the Secretary of State, a smile playing on his lips.

The Morgan family, the Rockefeller family, the DuPont family, the Mellon family, the Kennedy family... they raised a total of 280 million, but were still short 20 million.

His brow furrowed, and his voice was cold. "We're still short twenty million. Who hasn't paid?"

The Secretary of State opened another notebook: "Some small families, and a few tycoons, frankly, can't come up with the money. Their assets are all tied up in their businesses, and they can't withdraw them."

"Can't pull it out?"

Roosevelt sneered, "Take over their businesses and assets to settle their debts."

The Secretary of State didn't dare say anything and turned to leave to carry out his duties.

……