Chapter Five Return to the Country
The alliance was a mixture of dragons and snakes, with revolutionaries like Sun Yat-sen, Song Jiaoren and Huang Xing, as well as scoundrels like Chen Qimei, who made up a large part of the alliance, while the rest were pseudo-revolutionaries who took advantage of the situation to become independent.
What's most mind-boggling is that Sun Yat-sen and Song Jiaoren were overly idealistic, while China at the time lacked practical talents.
The Beiyang had an advantage in this regard, and it can be said that a large part of China's talents at that time were under Yuan Shikai's command. The Beiyang was also more united compared to the Tongmenghui. If Yuan Shikai hadn't wanted to become emperor, which ultimately led to his downfall...
"But even if Old Yuan doesn't bring about his own downfall, I still can't go to him for help..." Lying on the bed, Yan Guang let out a sigh. "Even if I were to run to Beiyang to try and find someone to rely on, what do I have besides money? Bragging rights? Moreover, Yuan Shikai already has more than enough people under him, even if I were to go there, I'd just be pushed aside..."
Thinking of this, Yan Guang sat up. "It seems that I still have to do it myself? The $900,000 used to buy stocks will increase by 5-8 times by next year, which means that at that time, I will have at least $5 million..."
And five million dollars is equivalent to? "Fifteen million silver dollars?" Yan Guang sighed.
One billion five hundred million silver dollars seems like a lot, and in fact it is indeed not a small amount. However, if we consider that the cost of building a battleship in this era was $7.5 million... (the Nevada-class in 1911, the US designed new battleships in 1913, with low-end models costing $12 million, mid-range ones costing $16.5 million, and high-end ones costing $19 million...)
Moreover, in this era, building a new-style army requires at least 70-80 million silver dollars. At the same time, with an annual salary of 10 taels per soldier, a division of over 10,000 soldiers would need more than 1 million taels per year. Then add to that the daily food expenses (which can be omitted in peacetime but must be provided during wartime), uniforms, and equipment and ammunition losses during regular training...
"Oh heavens!!!! Kill me now!!!!!" Yan Guang clutched his head and wailed, startling the newly replaced hotel owner's partner.
According to the previous calculation, 15 million silver dollars are not enough to form even two divisions, and each division needs 20-30 million yuan just for annual maintenance. And if there is a conflict with others, the loss of equipment and ammunition, Sheng Guang did not dare to calculate any more...
Of course, Yan Guang can also gather some mobs, the kind with guns but no cannons. But if that's the case, then why would he return to China? He might as well stay in the US and be a rich man.
"At least before the Xinhai Revolution, I must think of a way to make a fortune!" He got up from bed, Yan Guang clenched his fists in determination, and this posture was seen by the hotel clerk who had been attracted by his shout.
Those wails like a spiritual attack and his current posture naturally made the hotel staff think that Yan Guang was mentally abnormal. When the hotel owner returned after buying stocks with idle money, the hotel staff told the boss everything he saw, and the hotel owner sat on the ground with a slap in the face, extremely regretful for listening to Yan Guang's words...
The next day, after buying a ticket from London to America, Yan Guang left the hotel under the farewell of the old boss who was crying and sad.
Yan Guang had just left the hotel, and the hotel owner handed over the business to his partner. He then rushed alone to the stock exchange, planning to sell all the stocks he bought yesterday. However, when he arrived at the stock exchange, he found that the rubber stocks he bought yesterday had risen sharply today...
The plan to sell all the stocks was naturally announced to be terminated, and the hotel owner also planned to buy some rubber stocks. However, at this time, he just heard that the rubber stocks had been sold out, and if he wanted to buy them, he could only wait for the rubber companies to issue new stocks or have new rubber companies open.
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After arriving at the dock by carriage, looking at the crowd of people who came to see off their relatives, Yan Guang only realized that he was alone and seemed a bit too lonely.
But there was no way, having only been in this world for more than half a year, and hiding in the rented house to work on those inventions for the first few months, then making money and taking a passenger ship to London to buy rubber stocks, what time did I have to make friends...
"This time after dealing with things in the US, I'll go back to China to take a look... After all, China is one's own motherland..."
After returning to the United States, Yan Guang first went to understand how those patents he had made were selling. The news was not bad, and the sales situation was much better than expected at the time, so by the end of this year when the dividends are distributed, Yan Guang will probably get more than $10,000, rather than the few thousand dollars previously expected.
If it were when he had just arrived in the United States and heard that he could have such a high income every year, Yan Guang might be so happy to invite everyone in the hotel to go out for a big meal, but now...
"Ten thousand dollars is equivalent to thirty thousand silver coins, which can buy three hundred Mauser 98K rifles or six hundred Hanyang-made rifles, the former not enough for a battalion and the latter more than enough for a battalion...". After establishing his ambition to overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore the Han Chinese rule, Yan Guang's way of converting money had changed from food to firearms. "If it were Maxim guns, thirty machine guns could be bought; if they were Danish Madsen guns, sixty machine guns could be purchased..."
This amount of money is not enough to support a regiment-level army for a month, let alone build one. However, if it's just personal expenses or small-scale entrepreneurship, it might be sufficient, such as running a small textile mill or cement plant.
"It seems like after dealing with things at home, I'll have to buy a ticket back to China..."
China, across the entire Pacific...
"I won't be as unlucky as my ex and encounter a maritime disaster..." For some reason, this thought suddenly popped into Yan Guang's mind.
Yan Guang had very few things in the US, mostly some tools he bought when he first started inventing. To be honest, these things weren't worth much money, and some of the tools were really big. If they were to be shipped back to China, it would probably cost more than buying them in China, so in the end, they all ended up being sold at a second-hand market in the US.
After selling all these things in the flea market, Yan Guang had a few hundred more dollars in his hands.
A few hundred dollars, over a thousand taels of silver, mosquitoes may be small but they are also meat, let alone these taels of silver having purchasing power equivalent to six or seven hundred thousand RMB in later generations.
After purchasing the ticket to China, considering the domestic situation was not very peaceful, Yan Guang ran to a gun store and bought five handguns. The store owner recommended the Belgian FN company's Browning M1900, but due to nostalgia for childhood memories and trust in German brands, Yan Guang chose the Mauser handgun, also known as the "breech-loading pistol".
"Now I'm also a three-gun shrimp." After firing over 100 rounds of bullets to practice his marksmanship, Yan Guang holstered the three handguns on his body.
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Thanks to the handsome guy named beakmam, good man~~~~~
P.S: Seeking recommendation votes, thank you very much!!!
