Zhang Yong, Liu Hao, and Sun Xiang left the customs hall together.
Zhang Yong also complained with two other people about the cumbersome inspection here.
Ye Xiao had just told him what news he would ask the two of them for.
The connection has been completed, and even Liu Hao and Zhang Yong are prepared to hide it.
This is related to the success or failure of this domestic operation, and it is enough for Zhang Yong to know it alone.
When they walked out of the customs gate, they seemed to have entered a new world.
Wide roads, neat telephone poles and street lights, and vibrant citizens.
The free trade zone is relatively crowded and the smell of copper is stronger.
Moreover, the free trade zone was transformed from the previous concession area.
A lot of the infrastructure is a bit old.
But outside the customs is the new city, all of which were newly built in the past few years.
The former Shanghai county seat was not connected with the concession.
Later, the county magistrate Yuan Zude defected to the Fuxing Army and built Shanghai Shangcheng under the instructions of Dong Shuheng.
The first step is to build the riverside area between the old county seat and the concession area.
At that time, the Renaissance Army led to a boom in doing business with foreign businessmen.
Many merchants from along the river gathered in Shanghai, especially those from Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
However, Yuan Zude received a Shanghai development plan sent by Dong Shuheng.
The specifications of shops along the river must be constructed according to unified standards, the width of the road must meet a certain standard, and camphor trees must be used as street trees.
Even the thickness of the pipes used in sewers is planned.
Although Yuan Zude did not understand some of the contents very well, after all, he was just a traditional official who grew up reading the Four Books and Five Classics.
But precisely because of this, he knows better how to cater to his superiors.
Yuan Zude implemented Dong Shuheng's plan very thoroughly.
In order to implement this plan, he even did not hesitate to offend the local gentry and businessmen, because most of the land was in their hands.
Yuan Zude encountered resistance when requisitioning land, so he used some resources and used some cruel methods to transform Shanghai into what it is today.
This also allowed Yuan Zude to gain Dong Shuheng's favor and gain the qualifications for promotion.
Yuan Zude has now left Shanghai and became a provincial governor.
The three of them walked along the riverside and looked around. Most of the streets were the headquarters of some large commercial banks.
The shore is densely packed with boats.
The dock workers kept moving supplies, like a group of hard-working worker ants.
From time to time, you can still see the patrolling gunboats of the Renaissance Army passing by the river.
Those inland river gunboats painted in light gray are not big, but they are very fast. The muzzles erected on them and the machine guns pointing to both sides are enough to deter all restless forces.
There are also uniformed security guards patrolling the shore in pairs.
The first thing Zhang Yong felt was order.
This kind of order permeates from the surrounding environment. Whether it is neat street trees or well-dressed passers-by, it gives people a sense of security.
The three people walked for a while on the street along the river.
This street is basically full of big business houses, and there is nothing suitable for three people to go shopping.
Zhang Yong just took the two of them into a store that specializes in selling cars and took a close look at these rare things.
It's just that the three of them were dressed like ordinary people. After walking around in the luxurious hall, they were surprised that no one paid attention to them.
The clerks in these big trading houses have seen many ordinary people who look at things like this. It would be considered good if they didn't drive away three people.
"Brother Yong, I think the people here are really contemptuous of others." Sun Xiang complained to Zhang Yong after leaving the car-selling shop.
Sun Xiang seemed to dislike everything and often complained in front of Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yong felt that Sun Xiang seemed to have a deep hatred for everything in his country.
This kind of hatred seems to come from the heart, otherwise I wouldn't be displeased with everything.
"I guess it's because our clothes don't look like people who can afford it, so they don't want to waste time on us. This is actually understandable. We are just looking at it. Don't you think this thing has military uses? What if this car could be rebuilt?
If it's bigger, wouldn't it be much faster for the enemy to go to war in this car than the opponent?"
"Yeah, team leader, you were so careful that you almost forgot our mission." Sun Xiang said.
"From now on, you two should watch more, listen more, talk less, and don't cause trouble." Zhang Yong ordered.
His identity is the leader of the intelligence team, but the contact person of this team is that Sun Xiang.
"Sun Xiang, have you contacted anyone in the concession?" Zhang Yong asked while no one was paying attention.
"No, team leader, no one has contacted me. I'm with you all the time. But it doesn't matter. We can just implement it according to the plan and collect as much valuable information as possible."
"Yeah." Zhang Yong responded and did not continue to ask.
"Let's go find a place with a lot of people to have dinner and listen to more news." Zhang Yong said.
After the three of them walked on the long street for a while, they turned into a small street running east to west. This road is called Yuyuan Road.
A short walk west of this street will lead you to Yuyuan Garden, which was originally the presidential palace and is now a high-end hotel. It is said that many dignitaries entertained by the government live there.
Naturally, Zhang Yong and others couldn't afford to live in such a place. They turned here because this street market is a famous night market in Shanghai.
There are snack shops from all over the north and south on the roadside.
The three of them came to a roast goose restaurant run by people from eastern Guangdong.
Zhang Yong has not tasted the delicacies of this hometown for many years.
In fact, when he was in his hometown, he couldn't eat such delicious food for several years.
Because at that time he was just an ordinary citizen.
Only during family festivals, he could occasionally get a piece to taste.
This tube is quite satisfactory in the entire street market. It has two floors, and the three of them found a seat on the first floor to sit down.
"Sir, what do you want to eat? A roast goose?" The waiter hurried over to greet me.
"Let's have a roast goose, make some side dishes, and have a pot of wine." Zhang Yong said in Cantonese.
"Hey, this guest is a fellow countryman. According to our boss's rules, a fellow countryman can get a 20% discount when he comes to eat."
"Thank you then, and I wish your store a prosperous business." Zhang Yong said with cupped hands.
The guy even chatted with Zhang Yong for a few more words. He just asked where Zhang Yong's hometown was and how he got here.
These restaurants welcome you to and from the hotel, and the waiters are very good at chatting.
The wait for the roast goose took a little longer. The waiter first served a few side dishes for the three of them to go with wine, including salt and pepper peanuts, stir-fried shredded tripe, and pig ears mixed with green onions. They were all affordable dishes to go with wine.
The three of them were tired from traveling all the way. They had just placed their luggage at the inn and hurried out to go shopping.
At this time, after drinking a glass of old wine, all the fatigue in the body is released.
The whole person felt relaxed.
"The three of us have a drink. From now on, we are all in the same boat and we have to support each other. People like us, alas..." Zhang Yong raised his glass and invited the two of them to drink together. He sighed for a while, but was afraid of being heard by the people around him, so he could only
He wanted to speak but stopped.
"Come, let's respect Brother Yong." Liu Hao, who has a rough and cheerful personality, raised his cup and said.
It was past dinner time, and there were less than ten tables on the first floor. At this time, there were three or four tables occupied.
The people at the table next to Zhang Yong and the others seemed to be employees of a large commercial firm.
Because the clothes they wore had the company's logo embroidered on the chest.
"Have you heard that the Bohai Bay has been blocked recently, and a batch of the company's goods are going to be transferred to the railway. Alas, it will cost 20% more freight." A tall and thin man said.
This man's words attracted several people at the same table.
People are like this, the most popular thing at the dinner table is always all kinds of gossip.
Zhang Yong blinked twice and signaled the two of them to stop talking. They came to this busy city to eat because they wanted to hear some news.
"It can't be something big. It's just a drill. The main fleet is outside now." A fat man with a mole on his face said.
"I'm telling you, Taishan is about to go into the water."
"Taishan? It turns out it's them. They said they were going to go into the water a long time ago. Why did they wait until now?"
"Hey, this big thing is all for good luck. The people above must have seen life."
"Haha, do you think this is a common people's house where you marry a wife and build a house, and you still depend on the time?"
"You don't understand this. I work in the logistics department and deal with those seafarers. These people at sea are the most particular. People in the navy also come from a sea life. Let's just say that our navy marshal is also a
Old Haike, you can’t just change the habits you formed when you were young.”
"Don't make random guesses. The reason why we launched the water at this time is because the year-end meeting is about to be held. The Navy wants to come up with something to ask for next year's budget. It's not as mysterious as you say."
Sun Xiang was very excited. He had always expressed doubts about Zhang Yong's identity and felt that something was wrong with this person.
But at this time, I felt that Zhang Yong's method was right.
Maybe he was overthinking it, Zhang Yong really wanted to serve the Great Empire.
Sun Xiang's home was originally in the Holy Land of Sichuan. His family was from a scholarly family and was a famous local gentry.
However, the head of the Sun family must be a loyal minister of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
When Luo Bingzhang surrendered, the Sun family held high the banner of loyalty.
In the end, the Sun family was destroyed by Luo Bingzhang.
Sun Xiang fled to the subcontinent.
Then he traveled to the Great Empire.
He wanted to seek revenge from the Renaissance Army.
But he also knows that his power is limited.
So he helped the people of the country to do things. On the one hand, he solved his own life problems. On the other hand, it made him feel that he was always on the road to revenge. At least this way, he felt comfortable.
Taishan should be a model of the Renaissance Army warship.
Since ordinary people know these, they should be able to find relevant information through some newspapers and magazines.
It would be best to find the official Di Bao.
Sun Xiang thought in his heart.
The three-person team began their own journey to collect intelligence along the way.
Bao Ling began his trip to Xinjing.
Going north from Tianjin, Bao Ling experienced the first electrified railway.
It is said that this train is equipped with dozens of high-power motors.
It's really smooth to work on, and the most important thing is that you don't have to smell the strong smell of soot anymore.
Bao Ling discovered the key point very keenly. It is said that the power of the Renaissance Army is produced by water power and wind power.
If this continues, the Renaissance Army is equivalent to creating energy out of thin air.
And Bao Ling knew that the coal resources in Wales, the main coal-producing area of the Great Empire, were about to be exhausted.
Today's coal mines have been dug to a depth of hundreds of meters underground, and mining accidents often occur.
The families of the miners who died often gathered together to make troubles because of pension issues, which caused headaches for successive Dalong governments.
Moreover, upper-class Japanese people have become aware of the environmental problems caused by the extensive use of coal.
Chemists have measured that the pH value of rainwater in London has dropped below six.
The fish in the Thames are going extinct.
Some people say that in foggy weather, being exposed to the outside air for an hour may be life-threatening.
On the smooth electric locomotive, Bao Ling thought of a lot.
The Baath Army's application of electricity has surpassed that of the Prussians.
Bao Ling had a vague feeling that electricity would eventually replace coal-burning steam engines.
Compared with coal, electricity has advantages in many aspects.
It seems that the transmission of electricity is easier. Just pull a wire.
Of course, Bao Ling is not an expert in this field. He does not know that the transmission of electricity is actually the most difficult link.
Not only must we solve the problem of loss, but we must also solve the problem of overload.
The Renaissance Army is also on the road of exploring these issues.
Naturally, Bao Ling could not see these problems. He only saw a pigtail on the electric locomotive connected to the wires, so that the locomotive could run smoothly.
Tianjin, as a satellite city of Xinjing, is dominated by light industry and processing industry.
So Bao Ling was able to see many factories along the way.
Most factories don't have tall chimneys.
Instead, a utility pole pulls the wires into the factory.
These factories that do not use coal are obviously cleaner.
Most of the factory walls are painted white.
In China, few factories use white. Even if they are painted white, they will soon turn black.
"Zhu, isn't it a very happy thing to live in your Xinjing?"
"Yes, sir, if nothing else, the infrastructure here may be the best in the world. Now almost every street in Xinjing City is connected to trams, but not all are good. The cost of living here is higher than other places.
The place is higher, not only food and drink are more expensive, but buying a house is also a very stressful thing."
"Haha, big cities all over the world are the same. When there are more people, they have to compete with each other for living space. Ordinary people compete for living space. The most direct manifestation is that housing prices rise."
Zhu Jianwen heard the implication of Bao Ling's words. If countries compete for living space, it means war.
However, Zhu Jianwen was not suitable to discuss this issue with Bao Ling.
He quickly interrupted Bao Ling and said: "Mr. Bao Ling, we will arrive at the new capital at noon today. We will arrange for you to stay in a hotel then. I will take you to visit the Forbidden City in the afternoon."
When Bao Ling heard about going to the Forbidden City, he immediately became interested: "Can I visit your palace? Does your president live there? Is he free today?"
Bao Ling thought he would see Dong Shuheng today.
Of course, he was also very interested in the Forbidden City.
In addition to being a diplomat, he is also a world historian.
"Oh, no, no, Mr. Bao Ling, our president does not live in the palace. It is now our museum, but it is not open to foreigners yet. You may be the first to visit.
Woolen cloth."
Although Bao Ling was a little disappointed, it was a good thing to be able to visit the most famous palace in the world.