Chapter 42: Assassination Order From Major Ryūkichi Tanaka
In Shanghai, a tea house,
Inside were two people, one a woman wearing a cheongsam, quite pretty.
The other was Fudan University sophomore Qiao Zhenyu, and his recommender Guo Xiaoying, also a Fudan University sophomore.
“Sister Lan! Xiaoying and I, along with a few classmates, plan to join that ‘New Era’ automotive company as franchise agents, and learn their car engine and automotive parts manufacturing knowledge and technology!”
“So we came to solicit your opinion!”
After drinking a cup of tea, Qiao Zhenyu, quite excited, said to the calm Lan Lan who was pouring tea.
She was Qiao Zhenyu and Guo Xiaoying’s superior in the Shanghai underground organization,
“Would you personally come ask me about this? I think Xiaoying had you come tell me about this!”
“That ‘New Era’ automotive company’s boss seems to be Old Mr. Zhou’s nephew, that is, our developing personnel Liu Hui’s sworn brother!”
After listening to Qiao Zhenyu’s words,
Lan Lan shook her head and smiled faintly.
“Yes! Sister Lan, you understand my personality!”
“So what is your stance? Do you approve of us approaching Liu Hui’s sworn brother Zhou Wenhua? He is now one of the industrial bosses I quite admire!”
“He has stirred up the entire Shanghai, even the domestic automotive industry chain, and I’m afraid those foreign automotive company bosses won’t let it rest!”
“The pressure and suppression he will face next will likely be considerable; I just don’t know if he can hold out!”
“He is striving for the rise of our automotive industry!”
“Especially, I admire most how he comprehensively teaches the technology for manufacturing car engines and automotive parts to all franchise agents!”
“And maybe I can even pull him to join our organization!”
“If we could bring a wealthy and technically skilled talent like him into our organization, I believe it would greatly help our organization’s future development of heavy industry, especially in the automotive manufacturing field!”
“Right now domestically, we are severely lacking such heavy industry technical talent! So I feel we can strive for his joining!”
Qiao Zhenyu once again excitedly proposed.
“Mm! Then go ahead and diligently learn their car engine technology and parts manufacturing technology! I will report this matter upward! I believe the higher-ups will agree too; right now we really need these heavy industry talents!”
“Even this country needs such talents to revitalize our industrial development. Also, while learning from this Zhou Wenhua, find ways to protect him!”
“Just as you said, this time he has not only offended all the foreign automotive companies but even the Japanese invaders’ side, so he really might face danger in the future!”
“As for me, I am developing his sworn eldest brother Liu Hui, so I have no time to develop him. You all learn how to develop personnel! If there’s anything you don’t understand, learn more from Xiaoying; she has some experience in developing personnel!”
Lan Lan agreed to Qiao Zhenyu’s proposal and reminded and suggested.
“Yes! Thank you, Sister Lan!”
Upon hearing his suggestion approved, Qiao Zhenyu immediately beamed with joy and thanked her.
Lan Lan just smiled faintly, said no more, but poured fresh tea for Qiao Zhenyu and the quietly listening Guo Xiaoying.
Tian Jin Steel Mill,
A security team of over 30 men, led by butler Liu Xing, had moved in here, and they were also armed with rifles.
And they had also obtained security team credentials,
Of course, this was all thanks to the Zhou Family’s connections and Zhou Wenhua’s request for assistance from the Navy Department, allowing them to so quickly obtain credentials and approvals to carry weaponry and defend and protect their own factory.
As for Zhou Wenhua at this time, he had already brought six masters from the factory to refine the vanadium steel used by Henry Ford’s automotive company and process it.
Besides vanadium steel, they paired it with 20 different types of steel to manufacture various automotive parts.
Zhou Wenhua was personally, hands-on, teaching these steel mill masters how to refine and manufacture them.
Because Zhou Wenhua planned to cultivate these masters to master the automotive steel manufacturing technology, then hand it over to them to take turns teaching the franchise agents how to manufacture it.
Zhou Wenhua did not want to personally give private lessons to those agents who paid to learn automotive manufacturing technology, so he cultivated a large batch of masters to learn automotive parts manufacturing methods and technology,
Have them take turns lecturing, and in this way pass down automotive manufacturing industrial technology, to lay a good foundation for domestic industrial development after the victory of the War of Resistance.
As for whether doing this would provoke foreigners and Japanese people to assassinate or ban him,
He did not care at all, because his goal had never been to make money from the automotive industry; he hoped to make money while imparting automotive manufacturing technology.
“Young Master! The security team has, per your instructions, selected over 30 men from those trained by naval officers, brought them here for garrison duty, and has also obtained security team credentials and approvals, allowing them to carry firearms themselves to guard the factory here!”
“Additionally, franchise agents joining us have already started signing up!”
“Though not many yet, it has begun. Besides these matters, we now have over 200 customers who have placed orders for our cars, waiting to pick up goods!”
“And our originally manufactured first batch of 40 cars has sold out completely, including diesel engines, with quite a few being repeat customers and referred customers!”
After seeing Zhou Wenhua and the steel mill masters complete the vanadium steel manufacturing work,
Butler Liu Xing also walked up to Zhou Wenhua to report.
“Good! Additionally, how is the matter of me having you purchase land in Hainan, Yangcheng, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan for rubber plantations progressing?”
“And in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Nigeria, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Liberia, etc., are there purchases of land for rubber planting and purchases of imported rubber happening synchronously?”
After listening to butler Liu Xing’s report,
Zhou Wenhua was very satisfied with his efficiency and continued to press.
“All proceeding synchronously. Land for plantations has been successfully purchased in Hainan, Yangcheng, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, etc., and a batch of workers has been recruited. What we lack now is management personnel and how to oversee the rubber plantation operations across so many locations!”
Butler Liu Xing continued to respectfully report truthfully.
“Mm! You handled it very well. I have already recruited a batch of new management to handle my business development needs!”
“So you won’t get busier and busier henceforth!”
“We need to cultivate more management personnel, or else you and I will be worked to death!”
Zhou Wenhua said approvingly again.
“Yes! Young Master!”
“Right! Young Master! Old Mr. Zhou called today to have me notify you; he wants to see you and chat about your automotive sales matters!”
“Maybe even have dinner with his family!”
“Additionally, on the dumpling factory side, our high-priced purchases of Electrolux refrigerators from foreigners and refrigerators from other foreign countries, a total of 30 units—20 placed at the dumpling factory to store dumplings not sold out that day, and another 10 imported refrigerators placed at various dumpling specialty shops to store dumplings and other food!”
Butler Liu Xing quickly agreed,
And also conveyed Old Mr. Zhou Jixian’s wish to see Zhou Wenhua,
As well as reported on the refrigerator purchases.
During the Republic of China period from 1912 to 1949, imported refrigerators became more common, while foreign refrigerators were first invented in 1879 and popularized in 1891.
In 1891, over 12,000 refrigerators had been sold in Germany and the United States.
So in the 1930s Republic of China, buying refrigerators was possible, though they were expensive imported goods.
During the Republic of China, wooden imported old refrigerators cost over 2,600 silver dollars, outrageously expensive.
“Mm! I’ll go over tonight; in a bit I’ll telephone Uncle Father!”
Zhou Wenhua nodded in agreement.
And the butler had finished reporting, awaiting Zhou Wenhua’s next instructions.
At this time,
Traitor Zhang Yiliang received an order from Major Ryūkichi Tanaka to dispatch people to ambush Zhou Wenhua, making him like his father Zhou Jiawei, severely injured and bedridden, or even kill Zhou Wenhua.
Because when Zhou Wenhua offended all the founders of foreign automotive companies, he also offended the bosses of Japanese invaders’ automotive companies, so someone proposed to Major Ryūkichi Tanaka to eliminate Zhou Wenhua.
Major Ryūkichi Tanaka accepted these Japanese invaders automotive company bosses’ proposals, because he too did not want to see China’s industry rise.
So he immediately telephoned traitor Zhang Yiliang, ordering him to quickly arrange personnel to deal with Zhou Wenhua.
