Chapter 17: The Chamber of Commerce's Recommendation

  Yang Shu Kan never thought that Qiao Yu could turn his back so quickly, he was furious and trembling all over, hating to pounce on Qiao Yu and strangle him to death. However, this was Qiao Yu's territory, Yang Shu Kan still maintained a thread of sanity and didn't act rashly, he turned around angrily and left!

  "Sir, why don't you have Yang Shu-kan handed over to the authorities or get rid of him? Otherwise, he will definitely try every means to avenge himself on you!"

  Wang Tianhe kept staring at Yang Shuqian, and as long as he dared to make a slight move, he would take him down. However, Yang Shuqian also knew his place, so he let him leave.

  "Tianhe, I'm still relying on them to stir up trouble in this world. If they were gone, would the government be willing to hand over power to me? However, these people are not capable of accomplishing anything but are good at causing trouble. Choose one or two clever young guards and have them infiltrate the Alliance. Keep an eye on their movements at all times and tighten up defenses everywhere."

  Wang Tianhe nodded and hurried to make arrangements. Qiao Yu couldn't help but think that Yang Shu was so anxious to get the money, it could be said that the Tongmenghui uprising was already very urgent. These people were a motley crew, but they were enough to stir up trouble in the world. He also needed to speed up his pace and quickly accumulate strength, otherwise he would be forced into a passive position.

  After making up his mind, Qiao Yu accelerated the training of the guards and was also very careful everywhere. He actually had plans to cooperate with the Tongmenghui to overthrow the Qing dynasty first, but after much consideration, he gave up. The party style of the Tongmenghui was too serious, and it was basically impossible to transform it into a modern political party. If he were to merge with them, it would inevitably affect the purity of his own faction. Therefore, Qiao Yu took the opportunity of Yang Shukan's visit to completely separate the two sides.

  For the next month, Qiao Yu was busy every day, training the young guards. After a period of good food and rest, their physical condition improved significantly. They were all young and seemed to be growing taller and stronger by the day. Their bodies had fleshed out, and their physical abilities had increased rapidly. With strict formation training, they could already follow basic commands. The progress was much faster than expected. The quality of these young people was very good, and there were no cases where they couldn't even tell left from right. They also learned quickly, training in formations during the day and learning to read and write with their teachers at night. After a month, some of the more clever ones could already recognize two or three hundred characters. Seeing the progress of the guard team every day made Qiao Yu extremely happy.

  The German machines have also been transported over, and the garment factories and printing and dyeing factories have officially started operation. In addition, Bao Shi Te has also transported all the weapons over, a total of 300 Mauser 98 rifles, which are genuine Mauser 98-style rifles, not the 1888-pattern Commission Rifles purchased by the Qing government. Bao Shi Te knew that Qiao Yu had studied in Germany and was studying military affairs, so he did not intend to deceive him, and therefore transported all the authentic goods.

  In addition, there were also 100 Mauser rifles, also known as the "box cannon", which was not a perfect weapon but had a profound impact on modern Chinese history. It was also known as the "repeater rifle", "box gun" and "large mirror surface". The widespread use of this weapon can be seen from these nicknames. However, in the West, it was not very popular due to its high price, large size for a handgun, and inability to control muzzle rise when used as a submachine gun, making it somewhat awkward.

  How can this imperfect weapon shine in China? In fact, during the era of warlord infighting, China's importation of advanced weapons was restricted. This pistol was not among the restricted items and had great power, capable of both single-shot and continuous firing. Moreover, China's mode of warfare differed from that of the West, with its large-scale battles. Under modes of combat such as surprise attacks and ambushes, this weapon could be used to its maximum value. During the War of Resistance, this pistol repeatedly achieved meritorious service.

  Qiao Yu chose this pistol not only for its nostalgic feel, but also out of consideration for his opponents. To control Sichuan, he would have to contend with the Beiyang, Yunnan armies and revolutionary parties, as well as scattered local armed forces and bandits. Qiao Yu hoped to train the Boy Scouts into a special forces unit to deal with these forces and carry out tasks such as escorting convoys, making this weapon his top choice.

  In addition to rifles and pistols, Bao Shi Te also brought two Maxim heavy machine guns, as well as two or four Madsen light machine guns and over a hundred boxes of ammunition. Machine guns were a rare heavy weapon in China at that time, and they were absolutely deadly with unlimited power.

  "Jo, how do you like these machine guns?"

  "Mr. Bousset, I didn't order these weapons, aren't you afraid that I won't pay?"

  "Haha, no way, you're an ambitious person, you'll definitely like these weapons, and your government is really incompetent, there's no way they can find trouble with you over this."

  Qiao Yu didn't respond to Buxi Te's words, instead gently stroking the cold metal. Qiao Yu seemed to see his future enemies being mowed down by machine guns, and in a daze, those people all turned into Eastern devils.

  "Blucher, I've now become the police advisor of Chongqing, training patrolmen has become my responsibility. I hope you can provide me with another batch of weapons, the more rifles and bullets the better!"

  "Joe, I can only do my best. The Mauser 98 rifle is not yet fully equipped in my country. As for other weapons, I will definitely try my best. However, I hope we can increase the number of machine orders. I heard that you have already reached an agreement with the British to import a batch of machines from them!"

  "Yes, Mr. Bussert, you should know that the influence of the British in this land of China is far greater than yours in Germany, and I have not refused the strength of the British either, it's just a matter of necessity, I hope you can understand. Besides, I plan to set up a machinery repair factory and then build a technical training school!"

  As soon as Bauschert heard this, his eyes lit up immediately, especially when it came to the problem of vocational training schools. If Germany could occupy an important position in the school, there would undoubtedly be a pro-German force in Chongqing's business community in the future. Moreover, once these workers accepted German teaching, the possibility of their factories purchasing German machinery would increase greatly. As his status rose, Bauschert's vision also broadened, and he no longer just stared at those small profits, increasingly understanding the value of this long-term investment.

  "Qiao, just leave it all to me, Germany will definitely be your best choice!"

  "My friend, I believe that my position will undergo a huge change soon, and at that time our cooperation will have even greater improvement. The vast Sichuan province will open its arms to welcome true friends who are willing to cooperate!"

  Bushi Te also felt a strong sense of confidence from Qiao Yu's words, which was not unfounded. With the investment of several factories and Sichuan Investment Company as the core, new profit chains have drawn more and more people in. Unlike the buyer's market at the end of the Qing dynasty and later generations, due to the lack of goods, it is a typical seller's market. In later generations, large supermarkets can easily bully some weak suppliers, but now the suppliers have an absolute advantage.

  Qiao Yuxing's factory products are of good quality and well-managed, with costs under control. In contrast, imported goods require significant shipping fees, and the competitive advantage is not as great as in Southeast Asia. Many small and large businessmen in Sichuan, especially around Chongqing, want to partner with the Sichuan Investment Company to become regional agents and reap substantial profits. Some even plan to jointly establish a factory. Although the Sichuan Investment Company has fewer than twenty shareholders, it can be said that more than half of the local business community has already begun to lean towards this lucrative circle.

  It is precisely because of this that Qiao Yu is very confident in the election of the Chongqing Chamber of Commerce ten days later. The Chongqing Chamber of Commerce was established in 1905, and after its establishment, due to the relationship with the new policy at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the chamber developed rapidly, and its influence also expanded rapidly. Due to the incompetence of the Qing government, it was unable to control local affairs, so a large part of the basic administrative power fell into the hands of the Chamber of Commerce. As mentioned earlier, Zhang Jian had some armed forces, which were actually in the name of the Chamber of Commerce.

  The current president of the Chongqing Chamber of Commerce is Li Yaoting. In his early years, he made a fortune by operating a ticketing agency and became one of the most prominent businessmen in Chongqing. However, as he grew older, the ticketing agency began to decline, and with the rise of the Qiao Yu Group, the commercial landscape of Chongqing has undergone tremendous changes. Li Yaoting is considering stepping down from his position as president.

  At this time, there are not many people who can compete for the position of president. From a financial and social perspective, only Bai Kuan, Wang Dongcheng, and Huang Baiwan are eligible. Qiao Yu is still too young to compete for the position, but he will certainly support his uncle Bai Kuan. Since Wang Dongcheng has already formed an alliance with Qiao Yu, Bai Kuan's only opponent left is Huang Baiwan. Currently, Bai Kuan's advantage is too obvious, so it won't be difficult for him to take over the position of president of the Chamber of Commerce.

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