Chapter Fifty-two In Action (First Part)

  Chapter 52 Huizhou had always been Chen Jiongming's old nest, located in the west of Chaozhou and Meizhou area, east of Guangzhou! At this moment, Huizhou was no longer as quiet as it used to be. With the outbreak of war again, with the news of war constantly returning to Huizhou, the commotion here was inevitable.

  Chen Jiongming has already begun to transfer his assets, and he also chose Hong Kong, because Hong Kong is the nearest and most ideal place, where he can completely influence Guangdong. If there's anything needed, he can enter Guangdong at any time, Chen Jiongming had long thought of a way out, he has a very good private relationship with Britain, and going into exile is also an option.

  Now some wealthy merchants and celebrities in Huizhou who were closely related to Chen Jiongming have also started selling their properties and accelerating their escape, Huizhou is already not far from turmoil.

  Chen Guangming is like that, let alone his subordinates. Ye Ju and Hong Zhaolin also have their own thoughts, but the troops in their hands are still very stable. This stability specifically manifests as being able to lose land, but not people. Although they were defeated again and again, their military losses were not great!

  Ye Ju, as the commander-in-chief of the front line, faced the attack of Zhu Peide's troops and the attack of Gui Xian Shen Hongying and Liu Zhenhuan. His direct troops had been exhausted after several major battles, but he still had confidence. However, when he heard that Chen Jiongming had retreated, he couldn't help but think of his own retreat.

  Zhaoqing has fallen, and Guangzhou will inevitably fall too. There is only one road ahead, which is to retreat to Huizhou, unite with Chao Mei Dongjiang and continue to resist Sun's big gun.

  Ye Jiu thought that instead of wasting his thoughts here, it would be better to settle the matter early. If he exhausted himself here, who else would he have left to rely on? Although he was at a disadvantage in battle, he still had some strength left, so Chen Jiongming wouldn't look down on him. Besides, even though he had lost, it wasn't unforgivable; the enemy's power was too strong, and anyone else who came would be no match for them either!

  Ye Jiu thought of this and immediately ordered: "Pass on my order, ordering each department to immediately organize forces to resist the enemy's attack, and the main force will retreat immediately! Move towards Guangzhou!"

  Hong Zhaolin, a historical figure who was once the leading figure in governing Chaozhou, is now naturally impossible. He has one good advantage, that is, he does not forget his roots, which is precisely the key to Chen Jiongming's reuse! However, this person has many disadvantages, he is fond of women and profit, and he doesn't care about his reputation. He often says a sentence: "Don't care about life or face, then official position can be expected!"

  Hong Zhaolin is currently serving as the Garrison Commander of Guangzhou, and this garrison commander is naturally incomparable to Mao Feng's garrison commander, completely worlds apart! Hong Zhaolin has a division's military power in his hands, and it's in a prosperous and bustling area like Guangzhou, so his days are naturally enjoyable.

  However, as the war situation became unfavorable, his days also gradually became unstable. Hong Zhaolin had just finished talking to Ye Ju on the phone, and he muttered: "Even he is thinking about preparing for a retreat, so I must think about it too. After all, what's the point of doing so much if not to live a good life?"

  He thought of the bitter days he had spent in his childhood, and he couldn't help but shudder. He immediately started to get busy. As the saying goes, there is no wall that doesn't leak wind, and the news of the defeat on the front line naturally spread to Guangzhou. Many Guangzhou citizens were overjoyed, they hated not being able to set off firecrackers to celebrate, they had all suffered greatly under Chen Jiongming's rule, they all missed the days when Sun Yat-sen was in power.

  When it comes to Guangdong, it is natural to mention the business community, and when mentioning the business community, it is inevitable to mention the Thirteen Hongs of Guangdong, also known as the Thirteen Houses.

  Wu Bingjian's Yihehang, business name Haoguan; Lu Jiguang's Guanglihang, business name Maoguan; Pan Shaoguang's Tongfuhang, business name Zhengguan; Xie Youren's Dongxinghang, business name Ao Guan; Liang Qixi's Tianbaohang, business name Jingguan; Yan Qichang's Xingtaihang, business name Sun Qing; Pan Wentao's Zhonghehang, business name Mingguan; Ma Zuoliang's Shuntaihang, business name Xiuguan; Pan Wenhai's Renhehang, business name Haiguan; Wu Tianguan's Tongshunhang, business name Shuangguan; Yi Yuanchang's Xuetaihang, business name Kun Guan; Luo Futai's Dongchanghang, business name Linqian; Rong Youguang's Anchanghang, business name Daguan.

  And above these thirteen families is another family, the Pan family founded by Pan Zhencheng. Pan Zhencheng is the leader of the thirteen families and their superior.

  Among them, Pan Zhencheng and Wu Bingjian were hailed as the richest men in the world in the 18th and 19th centuries respectively. It can be said that both of them are truly wealthy.

  However, with the two Opium Wars, these fourteen families gradually began to decline. They all transferred their industries overseas and had a significant influence in Southeast Asia and the United States. At the same time, they were also very patriotic and were Confucian merchants of the Qing dynasty who never engaged in opium trade.

  Guangzhou is the old home of their fourteen families, although they all immigrated overseas, but in Guangzhou they still have a significant influence, they are all supporters of Sun Yat-sen's revolution, this is also an important reason why Sun Yat-sen was able to start a revolution in Guangdong many times.

  The fourteen families were also the target of Chen Jiongming's repeated attacks. The reason is simple: Chen Jiongming repeatedly wanted to win over these fourteen families, but they didn't even bother with him! In other words, you, Chen Jiongming, don't have the qualifications to discuss business with us.

  Fourteen families have the confidence because their family members are not in the country, but overseas, and their businesses are also overseas, with very few in the country. Moreover, they all experienced bitterness from being mistreated when they were in the country before.

  Overseas Chinese, this special group of people, many of whom have established their own businesses, but many are struggling to make ends meet and living a very difficult life. However, it is precisely because of this that they think about the greatness of their ancestral homeland, hoping that their country can rise again and stand tall in the world once more. They are even more patriotic than the people back home! This is what is meant by "foreign skin, red heart"!

  The heads of the fourteen families are now gathered in Nanyang, Singapore, discussing the current situation at home. They have great confidence that Sun Yat-sen will regain power in Guangdong.

  Mr. Pan said in a deep voice: "With so much funding, if it still can't be done, then Sun Wen is not that Sun Wen!"

  The Pan family has always been the leader of the fourteen families, and it has always been so, even when Wu Bingjian was alive. Because they are Confucian merchants, Confucianism is deeply rooted! Similarly, they also had intense ideological conflicts with Sun Wen, because of their loyalty to the emperor, they considered Sun Wen, who rebelled against the Qing dynasty, a traitor. However, as things developed and reality set in, they were forced to reposition China's future! Influenced by what they heard and saw overseas, they also acknowledged Sun Wen's theory of "industrialization to save the nation" and a comprehensive revolution.

  Wu's family head said on the other side: "Chen Jiongming is a grasshopper after autumn, and his good days are not long! Such a person, Sun Wen was blind at first! I've been saying that this man is not worth reusing, but he doesn't believe it, one opportunity after another, one mistake after another, otherwise the country would have calmed down the civil war, why now there's not even a foundation! If it weren't for the Shanghai Green Gang still being able to control the situation, Sun Wen would probably have to go to Japan again! It's really a woman's benevolence!"

  "All right, all that is now in the past. Haven't we weathered it? As for Yunnan and Guizhou, there's no problem; those people are poor, but if you offer them money, they'll follow you anywhere! What I'm worried about is Guangxi - the people there are rough and untamed, it's always been a place of exile. They're just as concerned with profit as we businessmen are - no profit, no effort. Now that we can join Sun Yat-sen, what I worry about is the future!"

  "Mr. Pan, you're worrying too much. In my opinion, only profit ties are truly safe, everything else is just empty talk! What I'm worried about is who will inherit the foundation after Sun Wen passes away?" said the head of the Wu family.

  The host of the Lu family said in a low voice: "Now it's all about saying far, but I do have something very interesting. Has everyone found that the side of Chao Mei is now very quiet?"

  "What's going on?"

  The host of the Lu family stroked his beard and said, "I heard that's Lin Hu's territory, but Lin Hu has a subordinate named Mao Fengzhi! He is only 19 years old!"

  "Oh?" Everyone was moved by what they heard, and Mr. Pan asked: "What position does this person hold?"

  "The Chaozhou garrison commander has a force of more than 2,000 men under his command." Lu's family replied.

  Everyone is a clever person, they won't just look at the surface, they all like to think deeply. Soon, the host of the Wu family said: "It's not simple! It seems that Brother Lu has done his homework, so don't hide it anymore, speak up!"

  "Haha, alright then, I'll say it!" said Lu's family master with a light smile.

  He pondered for a moment before saying, "This man is from Zhejiang, but at a young age he was already very cunning. First, he gained Lin Hu's trust in the military, then expanded his own power within the army, and later joined forces with local wealthy families in Chaozhou to gain external support. Now, this man is also the son-in-law of the Ding family's eldest daughter! Currently, Chaozhou has been managed by him quite meticulously; although it can't be said to be as solid as gold or jade, it's not far off!"

  "Combining inside and outside, hmm, a good strategy!" said Pan's family master in praise.

  "What a fine young man! Yes, he has seized the opportunity well!" The master of the Wu family also nodded in agreement.

  "I heard that this person attaches great importance to talent, and the former governor of Guangdong Province, Yang Yongtai, has become his staff member. Yang Yongtai is also a real talent with actual skills, and it's enough to make this person feel at ease to rely on him, which shows that this person's means are quite old and cunning! I'm really looking forward to this person's future!" said the master of the Lu family.

  "Oh? It seems Brother Lu is going to invest in this person?" said the head of the Wu family.

  "Haha, this is just like business, one tree can't hang itself to death, let alone Sun Wen is already old, isn't the future still belong to young people? Don't tell me you haven't set your sights on anyone? Can you invest and I cannot? I truly hope our country will have more outstanding talents emerge! As long as these people unite, then what's there to worry about our country not being able to revive, what's there to worry about China not standing tall again in the world?"