Facing the surging Beiyang soldiers, these businessmen were a little dumbfounded. Liu Shucheng took the lead to stand up. He was the earliest to cooperate with Zhang Tinglan, and he has become the leader of Fengtian business community. Faced with the unexpected situation, he had to stand up.
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"Don't be afraid, everyone. My brother is sent by General Duan, not a bandit. The General heard that everyone is a business celebrity in Fengtian and has money on hand, so he wants everyone to spend some money. It's not a big deal.
, our President Yuan wants to be the emperor, why don’t you all show it and strive to be a hero of Conglong, and maybe become an imperial merchant in the future, then it will be a bright future."
When everyone present heard that they were asking for money, their faces immediately turned bitter. In recent years, businessmen in Fengtian have been living in the cracks. Although the Northeast is rich in products and has huge potential, business development has been slow due to squeeze from all parties.
Especially once any changes occur, businessmen with rich wealth will bear the brunt. Since the late Qing Dynasty, businessmen have been blackmailed every time something big happened. By now, these businessmen have become accustomed to it.
"Boss, what can you say? We are all serious businessmen. You are pointing a black gun at us, which makes me a little scared. Don't you want money? Just tell us the amount and we will discuss it!"
"Assuming you understand the truth, I'll hand over 2.3 million yuan first, even if you lose a penny!"
The person in charge of this operation was the guard leader Lu Lin, who was also an old man from Beiyang. This time he took Duan Zhigui to Fengtian with him. They originally thought that when they arrived in Fengtian, the sky was high and the emperor was far away, so they could make some money at will, but they didn't know that Duan Zhigui was also a poor man.
A good man, he makes money everywhere but is unwilling to share it with his subordinates.
This time Duan Zhigui offered a price of 2 million, and Lu Lin added 300,000 without permission. This was considered as a way to do it himself and have enough food and clothing.
When Liu Shucheng and others heard this amount, they were immediately frightened. Two million and three hundred thousand was really not a small amount of money, and judging by this, it was just the beginning, and there might be more to come. They were all very big.
These people have a lot of property, but a lot of it is real estate. Especially this time when the North Market is being developed, many of them have invested all their working capital. They really don’t have much cash in their hands, and they can’t afford more than two million yuan.
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Liu Shucheng was also aware of everyone's situation. He said with a grimace: "Boss, please see if you can do less, we really can't bear it!"
"Don't talk nonsense. I'm giving you money to give you a compliment. If you don't drink a toast, you'll be fined. The gun in my hand is not a vegetarian!"
As soon as Liu Shucheng saw the other party's attitude, he knew that intercession would not work, and of course taking money would not work. There was only one word for the solution, and that was procrastination!
"Boss, this amount of money is not a small amount. Can you let us guys discuss it? In addition, we also need to mobilize funds from everywhere, so you can see if you can let our little guy go out for a run!"
"Old boy, you are quite cunning!" Lu Lin said with a ferocious smile: "You want to tip off the news, right? Whatever! Don't be afraid, sir. I tell you, General Duan and President Yuan are our backers. As long as you want to get along,
, just pay me honestly, no tricks will work!"
"Boss, you misunderstood. You are indeed just informing your family and accounting department to transfer funds!"
Lu Lin nodded disdainfully. He didn't believe what tricks a few businessmen could do. However, they only allowed their associates to leave, and these businessmen should be kept honest.
"Brother Liu, what do you think we should do?"
Everyone else looked at Liu Shucheng worriedly, hoping that he could come up with a solution. Liu Shucheng's mind was spinning quickly: "Everyone, if we really take out this money, our investment plan will go bankrupt due to a lack of funds. Then the family that we have worked hard for many years will go bankrupt."
Our karma will also be ruined, so two to three hundred thousand can be negotiated, but more than two million cannot be negotiated, this is killing us!"
Everyone looked at each other and nodded. Liu Shucheng told the truth, and they all agreed.
"The only way now is to go to Zhang Zuolin and hope that he can come forward to help. When we first built the North Market, he promised with all his heart that he would not let us be blackmailed by anyone. Now it's time for him to fulfill his promise!"
"Brother Liu, don't be too optimistic. Can Zhang Zuolin beat Duan Zhigui or be better than Yuan Shikai? At the beginning, I was absolutely unreliable, but now it has come true. Maybe Zhang Zuolin wants to take a bite out of us.
!”
Immediately, someone raised their own doubts, and others also talked about it. Liu Shucheng's face was livid. He was already tied to the 27th Division, and he could only place his hope on them at the critical moment.
Speaking of which, this was not the first time that they had encountered this situation. The last time they were detained by Gao Ming, Zhang Tinglan and Zhang Zuolin soon brought people to rescue them, and they did not suffer any grievances. However, Liu Shucheng also knew that this time the situation was different from the past.
It’s definitely not the same. Duan Zhigui represents Yuan Shikai. He is doing it for Lao Yuan. Whether Zhang Zuolin can withstand it is really unknown!
Liu Shucheng could only secretly send his associates to spread the news. In fact, he did not need to spread the news. The whole Fengtian was already boiling. He instigated his subordinates to control the headquarters of Xingye Company. His Highness Duan was obviously not satisfied. He stepped up his actions and blocked the Fengtian Chamber of Commerce.
, let all businessmen contribute funds.
Duan Zhigui's behavior was simply kidnapping and extortion, no different from gangsters. Soon the news spread throughout Fengtian. Originally, public opinion in Fengtian became very turbulent because of the issue of voting. Now there is unprecedented extortion, and the people of Fengtian
Finally got pissed off.
The streets and alleys were crowded with people. Many representatives from the business community stood up and called on everyone to go to the Governor's Mansion to petition, demanding Duan Zhigui's release, and the return of the official bank's reserve fund to stabilize the vote!
Not only did the people move, but even the newspapers stepped up their actions. The streets were full of newsboys waving newspapers and shouting loudly. These newspapers all denounced Duan Zhigui's barbaric behavior, and even people like the coachman Liba knew it.
, if Duan Zhigui is allowed to continue making trouble like this, I'm afraid Fengtian will really be doomed.
Fengtian was boiling with excitement, but Zhang Tinglan seemed confident and not anxious at all. Standing in front of him were a man and two women. They were Qiao Ruixuan's brother and sister, and Liu Shucheng's daughter Liu Xiu'e. They were not as calm as Zhang Tinglan.
Especially for Liu Xiu'e, her father was arrested again, which made the little girl extremely frightened. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look like a flower with a hint of rain.
"Master Zhang, I beg you, for the sake of my father's running around for you, think of a way to save him!"
"Miss Liu, I'm working for me. If I can't protect him, how can I survive in Fengtian? Don't worry!"
Zhang Tinglan first gave Liu Xiu'e a reassurance, and then said: "Businessmen in Fengtian used to be in disarray. Faced with the oppression of the government and the bullying of foreigners, they had no ability to resist. The current world is the bloody law of the jungle, where the weak eat the strong, not
If I bite you to death, you will eat me. I hope that through this time, Fengtian businessmen will understand the importance of uniting and fighting together."
Qiao Lanyun's big eyes flashed for a few times, and her face finally calmed down: "Mr. Zhang, have you already been confident? The news spread throughout Fengtian so quickly, and the public opinion was uproar. It must be your handiwork, right?"
"Duan Zhigui carries Shang Fang's sword, representing Yuan Shikai. It is clear that confrontation is not possible and can only use public opinion as a breakthrough. Then Master Zhang will be able to mediate."
After Zhang Tinglan said this, they all understood it, but Liu Xiu'e still couldn't let go.
"Master Zhang, my father is still under their control, will he be in danger?"
"Duan Zhigui is seeking money, not life. If he doesn't get the money, he won't kill him. And I've also arranged for soldiers to watch outside. If they dare to do anything random, they will be killed!"
Everyone has a servile nature, especially those businessmen who have been squeezed by all parties, and have long since become slippery and weak. In order to survive, some of them have to endure hardships, and some even work as cowards. No matter what, such businessmen have lost their enterprising spirit, and they have simply lost their ambition.
Unable to adapt to the wave of industrialization.
Zhang Tinglan also wanted to use this opportunity to stimulate these people, and at the same time make them truly identify with Zhang Zuolin from the bottom of their hearts. Lao Zhang will come to power soon, and large-scale construction in Fengtian is just around the corner. At this time, it is necessary to unify his thoughts, so Zhang Tinglan is willing to do so.
This caused Duan Zhigui to make a fuss, and he even contributed to it behind the scenes.
Qiao Ruixuan and the others received Zhang Tinglan's guarantee and finally felt confident. Then they contacted everywhere and mobilized businessmen in Fengtian. The businessmen who had been squeezed in every possible way finally reached the point where they could no longer bear it.
If Duan Zhigui can blackmail others, he can blackmail himself. If he can blackmail once, he can blackmail twice. If he backs down at this time, he may never have a chance to resist again.
Soon most of the businessmen in Fengtian were mobilized, and only a few guys who were weak and selfish to the extreme remained indifferent. On the next day, a large parade appeared on the streets of Fengtian. The major businessmen were not just themselves, but also their subordinates.
Many young men and accounting clerks took to the streets.
In addition, they also have several important allies, including cannery workers, textile workers brought by Song Zhongyi from Beijing, and construction workers from the North Market. These workers are obviously more organized than others.
There were many of them, they were neatly dressed and walked vigorously, and they soon became the backbone of the parade.
Thousands of angry businessmen and civilians rushed towards the Dudu Mansion with terrifying momentum. In the past demonstrations in Fengtian, students were the vanguard, and most of the others were just spectators. This time, the situation was completely different. Businessmen and workers acted as the vanguard.
The main force is obviously more organized and has greater impact.
These people chanted loud slogans and blocked the street in front of the Governor's Mansion. Many reporters took photos here, and soon a big article would appear in the newspaper.
Duan Zhigui was in the house at this time. He never expected that these businessmen would cause such a strong backlash. The slogans shook the ashes from the ceiling. His Highness Qian suddenly became restless. He hurriedly ordered Lu Lin to bring in more troops.
There are many troops to protect his safety.
A large army appears and things get even more out of control!