Chapter 56: The Pioneer of Industry

  P.S. This is the second update since midnight! Some content in this chapter comes from online sources, so I've added some extra words!

  At 2:30 am on May 6, 1923, the northbound train of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway was hijacked by Sun Meiyao's bandits at Shagou Mountain, north of Lincheng Station. The locomotive, mail car and third-class passenger car derailed and overturned. Over 1,000 bandits jumped onto the train to rob valuables and take hostages. This train carried many Chinese and foreign journalists and travelers who were attending the opening ceremony of the Yellow River dam at Huanghekou, totaling over 200 passengers. Except for a few passengers who escaped in the chaos, one British man was killed by the bandits because he refused to open his door. A total of 26 Western men and women were kidnapped and taken to the Xiuyun Temple at the foot of Baoying Mountain. After the incident, Britain, the United States, France, Italy, and Belgium lodged the strongest protests with the Beiyang government, demanding that it rescue the hostages within three days or face increased compensation if the deadline was missed. The Beiyang government was thrown into chaos, putting all state affairs on hold to focus on rescuing the foreign hostages.

  As soon as this matter came out, the whole world was in an uproar. American newspapers reported this information at the first time. Chen Xiaoqi saw it and immediately sent a secret telegram to Huang Zunshang's department at home, giving clear instructions: seize the opportunity and expand quickly!

  This event was already famous in history, but Chen Xiaoqi learned about the causes and specific process through the "Exploration and Discovery" column on CCTV. Although he couldn't remember which day it happened, he knew it was in May 1923, so he quickly sent someone back because this was a great opportunity.

  Later, he specially looked up some written materials and learned that the matter was resolved quickly under pressure from various countries, but a special "bandit stamp" was created, which was said to have been sold for 3 million yuan per piece in later generations. At the same time, he also learned that Liu Heiqi, who was very unhappy in his heart at this time, was under Sun Meiyao's command.

  This incident had a huge impact on the Beiyang government, and at that time, Tian Zhongyu, who was in charge of Shandong Province, was dismissed from his post and became a scapegoat. Sun Meiyao, the mastermind behind the incident, was pardoned with 3,000 soldiers and their families, but as the saying goes, "such people never have a good ending." He was assassinated at the Zhongxing Coal Mine in December of that year.

  Chen Xiaoqi ordered Huang Zunshan, and the meaning was already very clear. At this time, the Beiyang government surrounded Baozhai Village, but did not dare to launch a strong attack due to fear of being counterattacked. Other bandits were also scared away by the gathering of troops and did not dare to get involved. Chen Xiaoqi, on the other hand, took advantage of the situation. At this time, he didn't rush to plunder or kidnap people, but instead focused on expanding his territory and influence while the warlords and bandits were still reeling. After Sun Meiyao's troops were pacified, there must have been some restless elements that wanted to compete for control of the Yimeng Mountains area. Chen Xiaoqi naturally didn't mind inserting himself into the situation either.

  In June 1923, two more groups returned to China. Li Junfeng brought back a few people from the General Staff Department, while Wang Tianyun brought back his "Xuanwu Division" and some designers invited from Germany to Jinan. They did not make any noise beforehand, nor did they inform their families. First, they settled down their subordinates, then wandered around the city of Jinan to gather information and observe public sentiment, before starting work a few days later.

  With Chen Xiaoqi's letter of introduction, Li Junfeng found Mr. Miao Handong and after a long conversation, he went to the southwest suburb of Jinan, Wulipai Fang, to find the boss of Jinan Zhirong Yanghuai Co., Ltd., Zhu Jingyun, on the second day.

  Zhu Dongzhou (1874-1947), also known as Jingyuan, was a national capitalist and industrialist from Zhujia Village, Dashahu Township, Shouguang County (now part of Shiqiao Village, Shouguang City). He studied in a private school for a few years when he was young. His father was a local salt official with considerable wealth, who donated the title of Salt Transport Commissioner to him as a protective charm for his business operations. Zhu operated a salt farm, rope and mat shop, grain store in Yangjiao Gou, set up a native cloth shop in Houtown, opened a grain store in Jinan, and established a branch office in Luokou. He also owned a large amount of real estate on the second road and sixth road in Jinan. Most of his business affairs were managed by his agents (Sun Gui, Shan Gui, and Li Gui, who divided the responsibilities among themselves). He abandoned his commercial pursuits to focus on industry, planning to establish a cement factory. His family members and friends strongly opposed this move, believing that he was an outsider in the industrial field and that the risks were too great. However, Zhu adhered to his "industry saves the nation" stance, unwavering in his determination.

  To choose a suitable site, he spent one or two years investigating along the Jiaoji Railway and in the suburbs of Jinan. Finally, it was decided to set up a factory at Xiaoliangzhuang, south of Wulipai Bridge. This place is far from the city, with inconvenient transportation, barren land, and sparse population. He believed that this place has rich natural resources, can be taken locally, and has development prospects.

  After the factory site was determined, it immediately recruited shareholders to organize the construction of the factory. In 1920, the Zhi Jing Yang Hui Limited Share Company (the predecessor of Jinan Cement Factory) was established in Xiao Liangzhuang, Wulipai Fangnan, Jinan. The original plan was to raise 600,000 yuan, but it was difficult to reach this number, so he sold the Yangjiao Gou salt pan and concentrated most of the commercial funds, resulting in only 181,000 yuan being raised, with himself holding more than 100,000 yuan. He then spent a lot of money hiring German technician Shi Fa, but Shi Fa was not a real technician, just pretending to be an expert, and as a result, no products were produced for six years.

  When Li Junfeng found him, this famous national entrepreneur in Shandong history was worried in his own office. Of course, the degree of worry had not reached the point of collapse or depression, but rather a sense of anxiety and helplessness. At the age of 50, due to long-term hard work and anxiety, he looked obviously older, with white temples and wrinkles on his face overlapping each other. After working in the factory for a long time, his complexion was dull and gray, without any air of a big boss.

  Suddenly, someone came to visit. Zhu Jingyun, who was in a bad mood, couldn't muster up the energy, but as a well-bred person, he still had to put on a good face, so Li Junfeng soon saw him without much difficulty.

  At this time, Li Junfeng was no longer his usual military demeanor, dressed in a long gown and leather shoes, with a hat on his head, except for being a bit more upright and walking with a strong wind, the military atmosphere that could not be hidden, compared to people of this era, there wasn't much difference.

  Zhu Jingyu suddenly saw that the visitor was a young man who was less than thirty years old and full of energy, which made him stunned for a moment. He had almost run out of funds during this period, and cement was still not being produced. As he watched, he was about to collapse. Familiar people, apart from mocking and watching the excitement, didn't have much help to offer. Suddenly, a young man who was unfamiliar to him came looking for him, and judging by his appearance, he seemed like a soldier on the street. He didn't know whether this visit would bring good fortune or bad luck.

  Li Junfeng walked in with a faint smile on his face, clasped his hands together and bowed to Zhu Jingyuan, saying: "Mr. Zhu, please forgive me for the intrusion. I am Li Junfeng, representing Meihua Group, and have come specifically to pay my respects. Please excuse any disturbance caused."

  "What's 'Mei Hua Group'?" I've never heard of it! Zhu Jingyun was taken aback by the sudden question, but his manners didn't falter. He hastily returned the greeting and then invited Li Junfeng to sit on the sofa. Li Junfeng didn't stand on ceremony either, sitting down with a flourish, his back straight as a rod, making his long shirt look particularly ill-fitting.

  "May I ask, Mr. Li, what is the origin of your company's wealth and who is the mastermind behind it? Please forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard of it before. Could you enlighten me?"

  Li Junfeng smiled and took out a letter from his briefcase, handing it to Zhu Jingyun with both hands. Zhu Jingyun opened it, looking puzzled, and found only one piece of paper inside with a few lines of writing. However, these few lines made him tremble all over, his eyes widening in surprise as he asked Li Junfeng: "Mr. Li, so you were introduced by Mr. Miao Handong? And your esteemed master is the renowned 'Little God of Wealth' Chen Xiaoqi?"

  Li Junfeng nodded: "That's right, our boss, the chairman and general manager of 'MeiHua Group', is indeed the 'Little God of Wealth' Chen Xiaoqi you mentioned. Now Mr. Chen's industry has developed into a large-scale group enterprise covering various fields of light and heavy industries, so it is no longer called a company, but collectively referred to as a group."

  "Indeed, a capable person can achieve anything! The 'Little God of Wealth' who was once renowned for his reputation has already been regarded as a prodigy by the world. I didn't expect that in just a few years, he would be able to create such a huge business empire! Although I don't know what scale this group is, but seeing that Mr. Miao is so enthusiastic about recommending it, and can make someone like Li Xiao serve under him, his ambition and vision are evident. I'm impressed!"

  Li Junfeng smiled and said, "Mr. Zhu is overpraising me! In comparison, sir, you are the one who can give up a stable business and devote yourself to industry, striving for industrial salvation of the country, which is what we juniors admire!"

  "Alas! This is indeed a cause for shame and embarrassment for an old man like me! After toiling for many years, I'm now almost at the end of my resources, yet it's still as elusive as a moon in the water or a flower in a dream. The results are nowhere to be seen, and this path is not easy to tread. Brother Li, what guidance do you have for me on your visit?"

  Li Junfeng said, "I don't dare to instruct, but there is an important matter that I must discuss with Mr. Zhu in detail. As a junior, I have come here on the orders of my boss Chen, to return to our hometown and work together with all the industrial and commercial predecessors to build a national salvation enterprise! Mr. Zhu is the first person I visited, and also the most important person in this task."

  Zhu Jingyu heard this, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, but he remained calm and asked: "Oh? How do you explain that? According to what you said, Master Chen's current strength is probably enough to make independent arrangements just by flipping his hand, so why does he still need to find us for discussion?"

  Mr. Li said, "You don't know, sir, that my boss Mr. Chen's strength is probably unmatched in all of China. You can ask the DuPont Company or Mobil Oil Corporation in Jinan to confirm this. Mr. Chen is now an important partner with these two world-renowned financial groups. Although Mr. Chen has the ability to operate independently, he has repeatedly told us that a country's prosperity cannot be supported by one person's wealth, and a nation's wealth and power are not based on one family's wealth, but rather on the common prosperity of the entire nation. Therefore, compared to becoming a wealthy tycoon himself, Mr. Chen hopes to first make industrialists, entrepreneurs, and businesspeople who aspire to national rejuvenation rich under his leadership, creating a large commercial group that benefits the people, allowing more and more ordinary people to gain real benefits, ultimately achieving national prosperity. This is what is meant by 'the people's wealth leads to national strength.' Everything must start from this foundation. Therefore, Mr. Chen's goal is to use his technical and financial strength to support industrial and commercial leaders who aspire to this path, achieving common development."

  Zhu Jingyu's eyes widened, his voice rose several degrees, and he exclaimed in surprise: "Mr. Chen really said that? Ah! If it's true, then the country is fortunate! The nation is fortunate! Mr. Chen's move is probably worthy of being called a great achievement for the ages! It should be our model!"

  Li Junfeng unambiguously replaced Chen Xiaoqi and received the praise, saying naturally: "I came here to discuss with you about the development of the cement industry. To be honest with you, before I came here, I had done some investigation on your company and found that the main reason why your business has not been successful so far is that the technician Shi Fa you hired is a fake expert, not a real technical engineer. If you can fire him and hire someone else, your business will be successful in no time."

  Zhu Jingyu suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "What are you talking about? This German watch was introduced to me by a friend, and it's supposed to be a high-end product made by a famous German technician! How could it be fake?"

  Li Junfeng knew that he couldn't accept it for the time being, after all, a so-called master introduced by an acquaintance, after wasting more than three years, was suddenly told that this person was a swindler, and anyone would find it hard to accept such reality, so there was such a reflection.

  He calmly sat there with a smile and said: "I know this is hard to believe, but don't worry. As the saying goes, 'hearing is false, seeing is true.' This time, I've brought a team of technical experts, including a technician who specializes in treating cement. If you trust us and allow us to conduct an on-site demonstration at your factory, we can verify its authenticity. All costs and losses will be borne by our group. I know that Mr. Zhu has invested nearly 200,000 yuan in this business, which is almost all of his assets. Let's use the 200,000 yuan as collateral. If it succeeds, it will serve as a foundation for cooperation between us; if not, it will serve as a supporting fund for your business. What do you think, Mr. Zhu?"

  Zhu Jingyuan was stunned, he didn't think Li Junfeng would dare to play so big, 200,000 capital in this era is absolutely a significant amount, but from Jinan's perspective, except for those few northern warlords' jointly established large enterprises with millions of yuan in capital, personal investment has already been a big deal, but unexpectedly, the other party didn't even blink and directly threw out 200,000 as a deposit, regardless of whether this matter succeeds or fails, this 200,000 is definitely placed here, what kind of style is this! And this is just one of countless enterprises!

  Li Junfeng stood up, made a fist at Zhu Jingyuan and smiled: "Mr. Zhu, let's stop here for today. As for how to deal with it, I'll wait for your reply. I'm staying at the Huiquan Hotel. If there's any result, please inform me as soon as possible. Goodbye!"

  Just as he was about to go out, Zhu Jingyuan seemed to have made up his mind and suddenly waved his hand loudly, shouting: "Mr. Li, wait a minute!"

  Li Junfeng turned around and said in surprise: "Mr. Zhu, is there anything else you want to entrust me with?"

  Zhu Jingyuan burst out laughing, patting the table lightly and saying: "You truly live up to your reputation as a member of the 'Little God of Wealth'! I admire you, I admire you! Li Xiao, my brother, although I have not met Mr. Chen before, but from what I've heard about his remarkable talent as a young man, I can tell that he's no ordinary person. How else could he have earned the praise of people like Miao Xiansheng? Now that I've seen you, little brother, and your talents, I can sense the grandeur of your ambitions! An old man like me can't help but admire it! As for what you said, I'll investigate immediately. However, I hope you can prepare a team to start experimenting right away. Whether we succeed or not, cooperating with Mr. Chen will be no problem at all!"

  Li Junfeng praised: "Mr. Zhu is indeed a quick-witted and fast-talking person! He is worthy of being a senior with high moral character! I will follow your instructions, our technician can come to the factory tomorrow for on-site inspection, so that we can proceed with technical reform matters. As for that German, Shi Fa, he needs Mr. Zhu to brief him!"

  Zhu Jingyuan waved his hand generously and said, "It's easy for now, little brother, don't worry about it. Just come tomorrow and we can discuss everything after the experiment is over."

  Li Junfeng smiled and bid farewell with a bow.