The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Suddenly, Zhang Yinghao looked up and found himself transformed into a giant water buffalo, pressing down on Li Guihong, ready to thrust forward with all his might. Subconsciously, Zhang Yinghao glanced down at Li Guihong and his lower body, which was truly enormous and already aligned, ready for the final blow. Zhang Yinghao felt as if the world had stopped at that moment, but his thoughts kept racing: How had he turned into a giant water buffalo? What was wrong with him now? Why was he here? Would Li Guihong be unable to handle this? Would he crush her to death? Would he penetrate her? Would he be able to get in? But subconsciously, Zhang Yinghao thought: Never mind, I'll die, and then I'll go in. The moment this latter thought took over, Zhang Yinghao concentrated all his strength, tensed his muscles, and thrust forward with all his might.

Ah, Zhang Yinghao's desire was released.

Zhang Yinghao woke up suddenly, his heart beating violently. He quickly used one hand to hold it back to prevent himself from ejaculating, but it was too comfortable just now. He had used too much force and stimulated it too much. His penis was still beating without any sign of being stopped.

Zhang Yinghao knew he was powerless to stop it, so he decided to just enjoy it and get comfortable. Zhang Yinghao immediately let go of his hands and relaxed his whole body as much as possible. "Cum, cum, and change your underwear later."

Zhang Yinghao sighed as he thought of Li Guihong's pretty, rosy face. He wondered how many of the comrades attending the training session would have to get up and change their underwear tonight. Xue'er was sixteen already. If she could find a chance and get married, then these wet dreams wouldn't be a problem anymore. Damn, it must be because she ate too much meat while sending those two foreigners off today, and she had too much energy.

After calming down, Zhang Yinghao got up and stood up. He felt very uncomfortable because of the dampness down there. He quickly took off his underwear. Looking at the wet area, he suddenly remembered that now that clothes and pants can be produced by themselves, the only problem left is shoes.

Zhang Yinghao felt he should immediately start producing shoes, especially for the military. Without good shoes, training wouldn't be possible. Just like running, without good shoes, it's not only a waste of shoes and feet, but also slows down your speed. Revolutionary soldiers now wear cloth shoes only when they join combat units. Many in the infrastructure units still wear straw sandals, and some even lack shoes when they first arrive. Even decades later, when the Sichuan Army marched out to fight the Japanese, many soldiers would lack shoes. Would they wear straw sandals or even military boots? Just imagine, ordinary soldiers. They didn't even have raincoats, so they had to use cloaks.

Zhang Yinghao wanted to produce shoes, the kind of Liberation shoes he'd seen in his past life. He needed rubber. Thinking of rubber, Zhang Yinghao thought of the Chinese in Southeast Asia. At that point, Zhang Yinghao didn't know any prominent Chinese in Southeast Asia, or which ones owned rubber plantations. But contacting these people wasn't difficult. In his past life, these Chinese had donated heavily to Sun Yat-sen and his men during the revolution. Zhang Yinghao figured that if he sent someone to find them, buy their rubber, or have them build a factory to manufacture rubber-soled shoes, there shouldn't be any problem.

Thinking of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, Zhang Yinghao thought of Chen Yiwei, who had not returned for a long time. Where is Comrade Chen Yiwei now? He is in the United States now.

Zhang Yinghao's Quotes: Death is an unimaginable thing!

Chapter 84

Zhang Yinghao asked him to go to the United States to purchase machinery and equipment. At the time, he thought it unnecessary and planned to ask a foreign company to buy it for him. However, after talking with Zhang Yinghao, he realized that machinery and equipment weren't the most valuable asset; a company's most valuable asset was its documentation. Even a small, bankrupt factory was still far more advanced than the productivity of China's current workshops. However, if he relied solely on machinery and equipment without sufficient documentation, and without sufficient talent at home, it would be difficult to fully master the technology. Even if he did, it would require considerable effort and time. Therefore, learning on his own was the most important thing; purchasing large quantities of machinery would simply be another Westernization Movement.

After consulting with his colleagues, he resolutely decided to go overseas to purchase machinery after purchasing some machinery from a foreign company. This was in line with organizational procedures, as five party members could form a committee to make impromptu decisions. Previously, Chen Yiwei had repeatedly written to his overseas students, friends, and teachers, but most of his letters fell on deaf ears. Another important reason for his trip to the United States was his decision to personally invite several of these students back to work with him.

At this time, the number of overseas students was neither too few nor too many. However, Zhang Yinghao had previously discussed this with Chen Yiwei, saying that it wasn't necessary to have overseas students. While these people's education was important, we could mobilize a large number of overseas Chinese to return home. While these people generally weren't highly skilled, they did have valuable skilled workers. Moreover, the United States wouldn't impose any obstacles on their return; rather, they would be very welcome. At the same time, we could have them dismantle the factories we purchased and provide jobs for local Chinese, achieving multiple goals at once. If possible, Zhang Yinghao hoped that all Chinese currently in the United States would return home and stop contributing to American development. Zhang Yinghao knew that many Chinese in later generations had made significant contributions to the United States.

Since he wanted to contact overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, he naturally needed intelligence from there. Zhang Yinghao couldn't just wait for the intelligence department to send him information, so he cleaned himself up, changed his clothes, stood up, and headed for the intelligence department.

Zhang Yinghao arrived at the intelligence department. The guard, recognizing him, immediately saluted. Zhang Yinghao returned the salute and headed inside. Unexpectedly, the guard stopped him and demanded his ID. Zhang Yinghao immediately remembered that special departments issue passes to those who are qualified to enter. If you don't have a pass, you need to apply for one.

This business card-sized pass must be re-verified, stamped, and signed annually by the head of the relevant security department. This pass is required every time entering or leaving the relevant departments. This applies to instructors, trainees, staff, and officers alike. This rule has been in place for quite some time, and everyone readily and voluntarily presents it. The guards only recognize documents, not individuals. In their view, military units must strictly enforce confidentiality and prohibit unauthorized access.

Thinking back to the time in his previous life when Lenin, the revolutionary mentor, was stopped by guards, it's no surprise. It was one day shortly after the October Revolution. Lenin, the supreme leader of the Soviet Union, was heading to his office building when he was stopped by a guard at the gate and asked to see his ID. Lenin searched his trouser and jacket pockets but couldn't find his pass. Without his ID, the guard refused to let Lenin enter the building and ordered him to go back and get it before letting him in.

At this moment, the captain of the guard who came to check on the sentry saw this situation and quickly criticized the guard and asked Comrade Lenin for forgiveness, explaining: "This guard has just joined the army and does not know you. He is rude to you."

Not only did Lenin not blame the guard, but on the contrary told the captain of the guard not to criticize the guard, he did the right thing and the rules should be strictly enforced.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao would not embarrass such a sentry. He simply wrote himself a temporary pass, felt in his pocket, and found that he did not have a seal, so Zhang Yinghao directly pressed his fingerprint. The sentry took the pass and let Zhang Yinghao in.

Zhang Yinghao still remembered an article he'd read in a previous life. It described a Soviet teaching process where students were required to use a confidential notebook for all lectures and classes, and were not allowed to use ordinary notebooks or paper. These confidential notebooks, obtained from a special library, were 16-mo in size and contained over a hundred pages. Each page was hand-numbered and strung together with string. The string on the last page was sealed with a transparent piece of paper and stamped with the library's official seal.

This confidentiality booklet must be returned to the library before students graduate and return home. If students want to take it back, they not only need a certificate from the military attaché's office of the student's country's embassy in Russia, but also must be reviewed by the Russian Ministry of Defense's confidentiality department. Students can only take it away after it is confirmed that there is no leakage of information.

Such strict regulations can seem complex and mysterious. It's a waste of effort and time to be unable to take your painstakingly taken notes, so many people are reluctant to use these confidentiality notebooks. However, in the classroom, some instructors frown upon students who don't use confidentiality notebooks for note-taking or use photocopied homework materials, and sometimes even harshly criticize them.

The Frunze Military Academy had several libraries, including one for instructors, one for Russian cadets, one for foreign cadets, and a periodical library shared by both instructors and cadets. The cadet libraries were further divided into confidential, public, and foreign language libraries.

Although students can borrow some materials from other libraries through library staff, the procedures are complex. The Confidential Library maintains a book register for each student. Whenever a student borrows a book, including regulations, textbooks, maps, and homework materials—even a single scrap of paper—the staff must fill out the register with the date, material name, serial number, and page number, and have the student sign it. Each student also maintains a personal book registration book, which they must enter item by item each time they borrow or return a book.

During the course, each student was given a metal safe in the classroom to store confidential information. This safe not only had a lock cylinder but also a square, matchbox-sized wooden plaque with a round groove filled with gray-brown plasticine. After locking the safe door, the hemp rope joint that passed through the keyhole of the safe door was embedded in the plasticine, smoothed, and then stamped with a special steel round seal, about 2 cm in diameter and half a cm thick.

The college requires students to check their borrowed books and materials once a week, and the head of grade and the deputy head of department will conduct random checks.

Students have to write a self-criticism and pay a fine before they can get a new key. Although the staff of the college's confidential library are not soldiers, most of them are middle-aged women, but their work attitude is extremely serious and they are always meticulous. Every time a book is returned, the staff will check whether the books and materials returned by the students are altered or damaged. Before the end of each semester, students can only receive their books if they have returned all the borrowed materials.

Obtain an official certificate from the college stating that you are on leave.

Later, confidentiality regulations became even stricter. Classified materials could only be viewed in the classroom. Borrowing confidential materials required personal attendance, a confidentiality packet issued by the college, and a pass. Books and materials borrowed in the morning had to be returned before lunch, and afternoon borrowed materials before leaving campus. Without returning books, you couldn't get a pass, and without a pass, you couldn't enter the apartment building. If you couldn't meet any of these requirements, the staff wouldn't accept you.

So for Zhang Yinghao, the stricter the better in many departments. For example, the National Security Committee for Suppressing Counter-Revolutionaries and Sabotage, the Intelligence Department, military bases, and confidential libraries all required a certain level of rank to gain entry.

"Chairman, you are here."

"Hmm, why is Tianqiao still working? Oh, Director Yu is here too!"

"I've been getting a lot of information lately, and I can't sleep unless I organize it." "Your work attitude is excellent. Finishing the day's work on the same day is a very good working method."

"Haha, didn't the Chairman say that everyone is afraid of seriousness? We in the Progressive Party value seriousness the most. In this position, I dare not slack off at all."

"Well, what's the matter with Director Yu coming here?"

"I came here to get some information. What are you doing here at this time, Chairman?" "I want to make rubber-soled shoes and learn about the situation of the Chinese in Southeast Asia."

Li Tianqiao interjected, "Chairman, we've already collected quite a bit of information from there, but it's mostly from Chinese sources. We're not sure about the accuracy of much of it."

"Well, have you seen them all?"

"It's my job, so I've definitely seen almost everything."

"Then you should take a break too. Come on, Director Yu, let's chat." "Okay, let's go to the lounge and have a cup of tea."

"I don't want tea now, please pour me a glass of boiled water." Okay, Chairman, please take a seat first.

Zhang Yinghao and the other two arrived at Li Tianqiao's office. Zhang Yinghao carefully surveyed it. It was remarkably simple. A desk with essential stationery on it, a few chairs for entertaining guests, and nothing else. Psychologically speaking, Li Tianqiao's inner world was relatively complex. He no longer needed external things to embellish his inner self.

"Chairman, I added a little sugar to the boiled water. Director Yu, here, your tea." "Oh, I added sugar. It feels like I haven't had sugar water in a while. Thank you."

Zhang Yinghao took a sip from the cup and found it sweet. It was indeed delicious. Thinking about how much nutrition he had just lost, he immediately took another big sip.

"Tell me about the overseas information your intelligence department has collected."

"Chairman, I didn't know about the overseas situation until I collected information. I was shocked when I did."

Zhang Yinghao listened quietly to Li Tianqiao's words, while Yu Qingao also listened, teacup in hand. "Chairman, by this time, the overseas Chinese community had already begun to take shape, with numerous communities within it. Ancient records of overseas immigration exist as early as the Han and Tang dynasties. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, with the gradual development of overseas trade by Chinese merchants, millions of people from the southeastern coastal areas crossed the oceans to seek livelihoods and settle in Southeast Asia and even further afield."

In the late Ming Dynasty, the economic strength of the Chinese aroused suspicion among Western colonists. This was exemplified by the tragic massacre of tens of thousands of overseas Chinese by the Spanish in Manila, which indirectly demonstrated the emergence of a Chinese overseas community. In the early Qing Dynasty, many Ming loyalists, unwilling to submit to Manchu rule, fled to Southeast Asia. They were found in Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and the Southeast Asian Islands, becoming known as the Mingxiangren. Subsequently, those who failed in uprisings organized by groups like the Heaven and Earth Society fled overseas, and after the Opium Wars, a large number of Chinese laborers crossed the oceans, settling in Southeast Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and North America.

"Well, so there are many Chinese in Southeast Asia?"

"It is indeed quite a lot. According to conservative estimates, the number of overseas Chinese is more than 100 million. Moreover, the customs and habits of overseas Chinese are very different from those in China. It is not easy for Chinese to make a living.

Coupled with the hostility of the indigenous people and Western colonists, the Chinese people drifting overseas

Urgently in need of a group's protection. Some of the land's clouds are residing in the Lan Ku Republic. "An organization continues to expand overseas, and they have also established the Lan Fang Republic."

Zhang Yinghao was immediately interested when he heard about the Lan Fang Republic. "Tell me about it in detail."

"Well, this Lan Fang Republic was founded by Luo Fangbo, the famous leader of the overseas Heaven and Earth Society, a native of Meixian County, Guangdong. In the 35th year of the Qianlong reign, he fled with his people to Shankouyang in the western part of Kalimantan Island, Indonesia, to escape the pursuit of the Qing court. He was rewarded with a small piece of land by the local Sultan. Soon a rebellion broke out in the country. Luo Fangbo led his people to quell the rebellion and won a great victory. The Sultan was overjoyed and became brothers with him. Luo Fangbo sent his subordinate Wu Yuansheng to attack the tribal leaders who insulted the Chinese, and his territory expanded day by day. Soon he merged various small Chinese companies to form the Lan Fang Company, and stopped paying tribute to the Sultan. The Sultan had to recognize its independence, and Luo Fangbo was elected as the first chief of the Lan Fang Company. He called himself "Da Tang Ke Chang" and also purchased a national flag and national seal.

At its peak, the Lan Fang Company boasted a population exceeding 10,000, practically an independent nation known as the "Lan Fang Republic." To secure protection from the motherland, the Lan Fang Republic, despite abandoning its anti-Qing and restorationist principles, sent envoys to the Qing court to pay tribute, hoping to annex its territory or become a vassal state. This was sternly rejected by Emperor Qianlong. However, friendly relations with the Qing greatly enhanced the Lan Fang Republic's prestige among the indigenous peoples, and at its peak, its influence extended to encompass the entire island of Kalimantan.

Zhang Yinghao's Quotes - Don't talk about bad things in conversation, only talk about topics related to happiness, well-being, health and success!

Chapter 85

Hearing that the Lan Fang Republic was so powerful, Zhang Yinghao thought it still existed. If it still existed, it would be like finding a pillow when you are sleepy. You can trade with Lan Fang in the future.

“What’s happening with the Lan Fang Republic now?”

After Luo Fangbo's death, the Lan Fang Republic produced twelve successive great generals throughout its existence. The Lan Fang Republic's prosperity and strength aroused the envy of the Dutch colonists. Following the Opium War, the Qing dynasty gradually declined, and the unscrupulous colonists began to encroach on Lan Fang's territory.

In 1884, while the Qing army was engaged in the Sino-French War, the Dutch army invaded Lan Fang territory. The Lan Fang soldiers and civilians fought a desperate defense, but were ultimately outnumbered and defeated in 1888. This was 111 years after the founding of the Lan Fang Republic. Following the fall of the Lan Fang Republic, a large number of Chinese, unable to bear the fate of their nation's destruction, fled to Sumatra and settled on the Malay Peninsula. After annexing the Lan Fang Republic, fearing protests from the Qing court, the Dutch colonial authorities established a puppet regime in Lan Fang to conceal their true intentions and have not yet declared their occupation of Lan Fang.

"Those damn Dutch guys."

"Director Yu, why are you so angry? Tianqiao, are you saying that the Lan Fang Republic is only in name only?"

"Yes, it has been destroyed, but the Dutch did not make it public. However, it is an open secret in Southeast Asia."

"Haha, it's an open secret, okay."

"Chairman, what's good?"

"Yeah, what's good about that?"

Zhang Yinghao immediately burst into laughter and said, "Hahahaha, good, of course. Tianqiao, Director Yu. Secrets are secrets, and open secrets are also secrets. Haven't you heard the saying? Only names and tools cannot be faked. In the Analects of Confucius, Zilu also said that if the name is not right, then the words will not flow, and if the words are not flow, then things will not go well. As long as the name of the Lan Fang Republic still exists, the Dutch and Lan Fang will have loopholes to exploit, and our room for maneuver will become infinite. Good news, good news."

"The Chairman wants to take the Lan Fang Republic into his own hands?"

"There's no rush. We're still here in Guang'an. But those who don't plan for the whole situation can't plan for a specific area. We need to make plans early. Since we know that the Netherlands hasn't announced this news yet, we can't let them announce it easily. Even if they do, we won't approve of it."

“I think we still have to do something.”

Zhang Yinghao thought about it, nodded, and then shook his head. Send people? Zhang Yinghao immediately gave up the idea of ​​sending people there to fight guerrilla warfare. It is impossible to take it down now, and even if it is taken down, it cannot be defended. Instead, it will alert the enemy.

"Don't do anything at this time. It's better to stay still than to move. We don't even have a boat to cross the sea right now. Doing anything is inappropriate and may even backfire."

After saying that, Zhang Yinghao thought again and felt that it was not right. Overseas territory is something that is easy to lose but difficult to recover. As long as it exists now, it will be possible in the future.

It was legitimately recovered. But once it is completely lost, it will take countless efforts to recover it. Zhang Yinghao felt it necessary to get involved. As long as it is not destroyed in form, it will be much easier to recover it in the future. But once the Dutch colonists declared it

If the British were to destroy Lan Fang, then, based on the principle of unity among the great powers and the principle that the lips and teeth are cold, the British would not allow themselves to simply occupy Lan Fang in the future, even without resorting to violence. Furthermore, Westerners have a strong belief in the domino effect, believing that if something like this happens once, it will happen again, ultimately leading to the collapse of the colonial order they dominate.

"Well, let's put it this way. Since we're going to Southeast Asia to buy rubber this time, our commerce department and your intelligence department will establish a secret base in Lan Fang. We'll just gather intelligence and keep a close eye on the Dutch colonists. We won't engage in armed struggle. But we'll secretly train a troop in the form of a merchant group. If the Dutch ever announce the demise of Lan Fang, this troop will be the spark that sparks the conflict, allowing us to intervene openly."

"Chairman, how many people are trained in this unit?"

"Tianqiao, we say the British are the world's hegemons and troublemakers. Do you know what troublemakers fear most?"

Seeing Li Tianqiao shaking his head, Zhang Yinghao continued: "The thing that a troublemaker fears most is that there is a shit pot, but it has no place to put its stick. We say contradiction, if contradiction

If both sides ignore Britain, Britain will have no reason to intervene. Therefore, as the world hegemon, the British must maintain their presence everywhere. They will stir up trouble wherever there is trouble, and they will also stir up trouble wherever there is trouble. We don't need many people in Lan Fang, as long as we maintain our presence.

"That's all. Just send one person with a radio, hide them, and send out a distress signal after a while. Then we'll have a reason to intervene, understand?"

"Chairman, I understand."

"Well, continue talking about Nanyang."

"Okay, nowadays, overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia are dotted with Hongmen organizations under the name of the Yixing Club, with millions of members. Now, because Australian mines and farms require a large number of laborers, a large number of Chinese workers have poured in. Faced with the anti-Chinese and anti-Chinese policies of the colonial authorities, most Chinese have joined Hongmen organizations to protect themselves. Especially after the failure of the Taiping Rebellion, a large number of Taiping and Tiandihui leaders fled to Australia to escape the Qing government's pursuit, further strengthening the Hongmen's influence.

海外洪门的重镇无疑是在美国。早在1571年,加利福尼亚北部便有中国造船工人,1807年纽约出现了第一个中国人,而第一个美国洪门组织则可能出现于1852年的旧金山，其成员则多是加利福尼亚的淘金工人。随着横贯美国东西部的大铁路的修建,华人与洪门逐渐向东部扩展。1894年的美国有25万华人华侨，其中20万都加入了洪门。”

"You mean there are about 300,000 Chinese Americans in the United States? How are they doing in America? Are the Chinese Americans in America living well?"

"Director Yu, there is a lot of information here. Let me show it to you." After saying that, Li Tianqiao walked out of the room.

"Director Yu, how's the research on the Maxim, Gatling, and mortars going?" "We can produce some of the components, but due to material limitations, the quality isn't very good."

"If we can produce some parts, that's good. Quality issues are a matter of materials science. Before there's a breakthrough in materials science, it's not easy to achieve the desired quality. Since we can't manufacture them now, let's buy some parts and assemble a few machine guns to practice."

"That's not a problem. In fact, as far as firearms are concerned, the principles are basically the same. We're just having trouble getting the quality right now."

"Don't worry. We are already negotiating with Germany to build a small steel plant. We'll see if we can get the corresponding technology from Germany."

As we were talking, Li Tianqiao arrived.

"Chairman, what technology do you want to obtain from Germany?"

"I plan to build a steel mill and get the steel formula from Germany that can be used to produce heavy machine guns."

"Oh, that's not easy. These are all Germany's core technologies."

"Whether it's easy or not, we'll know after we talk about it. Let's talk about it first. After all, our iron furnaces can't solve any major problems."

"Chairman, Director Yu, this is the information we have collected on Chinese Americans."

Li Tianqiao divided the information into two halves, giving Zhang Yinghao and Director Yu half each. "Can I see it too?"

"Director Yu, the information here is not confidential and anyone can read it." Yu Qingao took the information and started reading it after hearing this.

"Chairman, Director Yu, based on current intelligence, their lives in the United States are generally not very good."

Yu Qingao listened to Li Tianqiao's words and saw the document written in it: The news of the discovery of gold in California greatly stimulated many poor families in the Qing Dynasty. One after another, young people crossed the ocean and came to this unknown country.

Thus, the first wave of large-scale Chinese immigration to the United States began.

By 1865, nearly 50,000 Chinese had immigrated to California, 90% of whom were young men. After arriving in the West, the Chinese flourished in all walks of life. They mined gold, built railroads, developed California's agriculture, and engaged in small-scale manufacturing, catering, and service industries. They left their mark on every possible place, even in places where others thought it impossible.

However, the real reason for the surge in the number of Chinese Americans was the need for railroad construction. At the time, a dense network of railroads already covered the eastern United States, while the western half lacked a single decent railway. To expedite travel from coast to coast, and to accelerate the development of the West, the US government passed the Railroad Act. This proposed the ambitious Pacific Railroad project, contracted by the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific, two of the largest railroad companies in the country at the time. The entire line would run across the American continent, connecting the east and west.

The Union Pacific Railroad began in Omaha, Nebraska, while the Central Pacific Railroad began in Sacramento, California. The two companies constructed railroads in opposing directions, running east-west. The western section of the Central Pacific Railroad, crossing the entire Sierra Nevada Mountains, was an extremely arduous undertaking. The outbreak of the Civil War also made the completion of this railroad strategically important for the North.

It was against this backdrop of the Western Development Movement and the road-building boom that two major road-building teams began the construction process. For both companies, this would be a marathon. Whoever reached the destination first would receive the greatest honor.

西段铁路于1863年1月8日在加州首府萨克拉门托两条街道的相交处破土动工。然而,这一开始的动工就不怎么顺利，从西部往东一开始就是海拔2100米的内华达山脉。前期的是40英里的路程,都将在崇山峻岭穿行,必须建设50座桥梁和10多条隧道。施工条件极为艰苦,开工没多久,在加利福尼亚州金子的诱惑下,数百名工人跑去了当地淘金。这对本来就不是那么说顺利中央太平洋公司来讲,无疑是雪上加霜。如果工期再这样拖下去，公司甚至有破产的危险。

On the other side, in the almost endless route in the east, the Union Pacific was running very smoothly. Coupled with the fact that it hired a large number of hardworking Irish people, the Union Pacific's daily speed was far beyond the reach of the Central Pacific.

While the Central Pacific still managed to hire a large number of Irish workers in San Francisco, the Irish in the West were significantly more aggressive than those in the East, and drunken brawls were common. Of course, these were minor factors. The primary issue was the harsh working conditions on the Western project, which made it difficult for even the hardworking Irish to adapt. Even with the Central Pacific's generous salaries, hundreds of Irish deserted daily. Construction progressed at a snail's pace.

In two years, the Central Pacific Railroad only laid 50 miles of track. In addition, in the harsh engineering environment in the West, many white people were on strike every day.

In 1865, the Central Pacific Company, at the suggestion of its senior executive, Clark, hired

The first batch of 50 laborers came from southern China. Although these 50 Chinese workers looked short and thin, they were hardworking and brave. The Chinese workers were not as free and undisciplined as the white workers, who loved to drink and make trouble. On the contrary, they followed the rules.

Ji was quick-witted and could master many tasks quickly. The construction speed was greatly improved, and the Chinese workers' actions dispelled the concerns of the white people.

The Central Railroad, having tasted the sweetness of success, decided to recruit Chinese laborers on a large scale. The railroad contractor even sent personnel to Guangdong Province, China, to recruit laborers and negotiated with shipping companies to ship Chinese laborers to the United States at discounted rates. Meanwhile, the company's leadership lobbied diplomats from both China and the United States to create favorable conditions for Chinese laborers to immigrate to the United States.

The Burlingame Treaty, signed by China and the United States in 1868, cross-recognized the right of citizens of each country to voluntarily immigrate to the other. This provided a legal basis for the United States to recruit Chinese laborers in China. The Central Pacific Railroad became the first company to employ Chinese laborers on a large scale. From 1865 to 1869, approximately 14,000 Chinese laborers participated in the railway construction project, accounting for 90% of the total workforce. The majority of them came from Guangdong and Fujian provinces.