After Lin Youde arrived in Hong Kong by boat, his first thought was: Can this damn thing be any worse?
Lin Youde was mentally prepared before he came. After all, in this era, the most prosperous city in the world is probably just like that, not to mention that the status of Hong Kong at this time is far from as high as it would be a hundred years later. After all, Hong Kong's prosperity is based on Asia as a whole.
Relying on prosperity, East Asia's economy has developed as a whole, and the advantages of Victoria, a good port, can be fully reflected. But in Asia now, China is a product dumping ground, Japan is only a second-rate country, and as for Korea, which was once regarded as the Four Asian Tigers
Taiwan and Taiwan are simply colonies of a second-rate country like Japan at this time.
Therefore, we can still predict what Hong Kong will look like. But when we saw it in practice, Lin Youde was still shocked - it was too shabby.
Since the steamer Lin Youde was traveling on was a ship owned by a Chinese company, it could not dock at Victoria Harbor, which was controlled by the British in the north of Victoria City. It could only cross Victoria Bay and dock at the East Point Pier. Lin Youde stood on the side of the ship during the voyage.
, looking at Victoria City, I was disappointed. Originally, Lin Youde thought that the capital of the British Empire's colonies would be so grand, but it turned out to be so shabby, not as good as the several British ships moored in the harbor when passing by Tamar and Stonecutters Island.
The warship came with great courage.
The city of Guangzhou is much more prosperous than Victoria City.
But come to think of it, Guangzhou has been the local capital for so many years, and it is also one of the foreign trade ports left after the Qing Dynasty closed the country. How can the commercial civilization accumulated by Guangzhou Thirteen Banks over the years be the same as that of more than ten years ago?
It is comparable to Hong Kong, which is a fishing village and spice transshipment port.
But after Lin Youde got off the ship at Dongjiao Pier, his views changed a little. Dongjiao Pier is adjacent to Causeway Bay - also called Yanchuan Bay. It has been a transit port for Guangdong sea salt to be transferred to Gyeonggi Province since ancient times. Now many Chinese-run businesses are established in Causeway Bay.
Semicolons and warehouses are basically built near Causeway Bay. In addition, the British also invested in building sugar mills and mints in Causeway Bay. The result is that the bay east of Victoria City looks more prosperous than Victoria City where the Governor's Palace is located.
It is also more energetic and energetic.
Seeing the endless flow of workers and errand boys on the dock, Lin Youde became more determined to open a business in Hong Kong and completely occupy the Hong Kong nightlife market.
When Lin Youde looked at the Hong Kong people, the Hong Kong people were also looking at Lin Youde - to be precise, they were looking at the maid carrying luggage behind Lin Youde. People who come to Hong Kong from the mainland these days, no matter how rich their family background is.
She's fake and thick, and she's not dressed like a dog. But there are really no guys except Lin Youde who can tell you that a well-trained maid is behind you. What's more, the maid outfit on Lin Youde's maid No. 3 is Lin Youde's.
Lin Youde hired a famous tailor to make a sample, which he prepared for the head maid to use in the future. The texture and fabric were similar to the daily clothes of a rich lady, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance.
The Hong Kong people on the pier immediately distinguished Lin Youde's white crane from the free-range chickens next to him. The smiles on the faces of the baggage workers who came up to solicit business were even more enthusiastic.
It's a pity that Lin Youde doesn't need their services. He brings a maid just to carry bags and warm the bed. It's a pain to have a maid hire a porter to carry luggage.
In addition, Lin Youde saw Chen Haihui waiting on the shore from a distance on the boat, with a carriage parked beside him.
"Hey." Lin Youde ignored the small businessmen and hawkers who gathered around him to make some money from him, and greeted the "operations agent" he sent to Hong Kong, "How is the situation?"
"Don't worry while I do the work," Chen Haihui grinned and patted Lin Youde on the shoulder, "We'll discuss the details in the car."
Lin Youde turned around and made a gesture, and his maid quickly threw the luggage onto the shelf between the carriage compartment and the front driver's seat, then climbed into the driver's seat and sat generously next to the driver. The driver was a young man,
Lin Youde's maids were all carefully selected and naturally beautiful, so the young man immediately became shy. Compared to the maid's face, which was as dignified as an ancient Greek stone sculpture, it made people think of a different gender.
Perverse feeling.
Lin Youde had no idea what was going on in the driver's seat of the carriage. He opened the door of the carriage and got in with his feet raised.
After entering, Lin Youde found someone else waiting in the carriage.
Chen Haihui, who followed Lin Youde into the carriage, introduced him hurriedly: "This is Xie Zhanye, the younger brother of Mr. Xie Zantai of Furen Literary Society."
Lin Youde knew a thing or two about the Furen Literary Society. In the history of the last time and space, the original foundation of the Xingzhong Society, apart from the overseas Chinese who were tricked by Sun Yat-sen in Honolulu, was the Furen Literary Society in Hong Kong. The Xingzhong Society
The reason why it was able to plan an uprising in Guangzhou in the second year after its establishment was not only due to the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War in the Qing Dynasty and the loss of public support, but also thanks to the Furen Literary Society's many years of operation in Hong Kong and Guangdong.
And this Xie Zantai, according to Lin Youde's memory, is considered the second-in-command in the Furen Literary Society. Well, the younger brother of the second-in-command has a good background. Thinking of this, Lin Youde glanced at Chen Haihui involuntarily. Chen Haihui knew that Lin Youde was preparing to join the revolution.
The Party maintains a certain distance and maintains a delicate relationship of aloofness. Now that he has directly brought important members of the Xingzhong Association over, no wonder Lin Youde glared at him.
Chen Haihui didn't say anything, he just smiled and made a "please speak" gesture to Xie Zanye.
"Don't worry, Shopkeeper Lin," Xie Zanye said, "Sun Wen and we are not on the same side. The Guangzhou Uprising, whether it is the liaison with the party or the mobilization and assembly of revolutionary comrades, is our Furen Literary Society who is responsible for participating in the uprising.
Most of them were literary friends of our literary society, so the uprising should have been directed by Mr. Yang Quyun, the president of our literary society, but she, Sun Wen, relied on the support of the shrine maiden from Japan to force the uprising to be the commander-in-chief and the queen of the uprising.
The position of president of the republican government is about to go. Mr. Yang and my brother put the overall situation first and did not care about it. I cannot forgive Sun Wen for her actions."
When Xie Zanye said something, Lin Youde's jaw almost dropped to the floor of the carriage. Fortunately, the moving carriage hit something and bumped hard, shaking several people so hard that they had no time to pay attention. The expression on his face was...
No secrets revealed.
What are you talking about? People like the Xingzhonghui are seizing power from each other before the revolution has even started? Lin Youde wondered in his heart, is this a situation unique to the world here, or does it also happen in the original world? (Author: The real world is indeed
This joke happened, but in the real world, the Hong Kong faction represented by Yang Quyun defeated Sun Yat-sen’s Honolulu faction.)
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom competed with each other for power only after they had conquered a large territory. This revolutionary faction has nothing. The preparations for the uprising were full of loopholes. They started fighting for power internally... There is something wrong with this uprising failing.
Pity those passionate young people, what an unjust death.
Lin Youde thought of Wang Tianlin who died in the dilapidated courtyard again, and felt even more unworthy of him.
But now he has more pressing things to worry about.
"Mr. Xie..."
"Shopkeeper Lin, you're welcome. Just call me Aye. My English name is seeyeah." (This is made up by the author based on Xie Zantai's English name. Xie Zanye's English name was not found.)
"Well, Aye, my visit this time has nothing to do with the revolution. I'm here to find the missing young lady Xia Fanglan of the Xia family. Do you know the whereabouts of Miss Xia Fanglan?"
"I know that there are still a group of people from Honolulu who remain in Hong Kong, but because the Qing government has recently put frequent pressure on the Hong Kong governor, they cannot conduct public activities. They ask those of us who have been in Hong Kong for a long time to buy ferry tickets and handle departure.
The formalities are to be transferred to Honolulu. Four days ago, they notified me at short notice that they would prepare ferry tickets and departure procedures for one more person, saying they were young women from Guangzhou who were aspiring to revolution."
Lin Youde thought for a moment and said: "But there is no guarantee that she is Miss Xia Fanglan. I am not even sure whether Xia Fanglan has come to Hong Kong..."
"About this," Chen Haihui said, "I confirmed on the dock that Xia Fanglan was indeed seen on the ship from Guangzhou that arrived yesterday."
Lin Youde looked at Chen Haihui suspiciously.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, I took the photos and asked them one by one." Chen Haihui took out the black and white photo of Xia Fanglan and him from the inner pocket of his suit.
"...Why do you have Xia Fanglan's photo?"
"Among the girls in Guangzhou who are matched with me, Mr. Chen, the most beautiful ones have all had their photos taken with me. Whenever I successfully deflower one of them, I tear off that photo. Now only the photo of Xia Fanglan is left.
So I carry it with me and take it out to look at it from time to time to motivate myself to work hard.”
You beast, damn you, I despise you on behalf of all the women in the world! - When Lin Youde swore like this in his heart, he completely forgot that he was also a beast himself. No, it should be said that he was even more extreme than Chen Haihui.
of beasts..
Complaints are complaints, but don't forget about business.
Lin Youde turned his attention from Chen Haihui to Xie Zanye.
"Thank you, Mr. Aye, when did you prepare the ferry tickets for those people in Honolulu? Also, do you know where they live in Hong Kong?"
"The ferry tickets are due four days later. As for where they live in Hong Kong, I don't know."
"Do you still have the ticket?"
Xie Zanye nodded.
"Don't rush to give it to them yet. We'll contact them to deliver it after we arrange it."
"Understood, ah, I'll get off here."
As he spoke, Xie Zanye knocked on the small window in front of the carriage. The coachman immediately stopped the carriage. The young man bowed to Lin Youde and said goodbye, then opened the door and jumped out of the carriage.
When the carriage started moving again, Lin Youde asked Chen Haihui: "Do you think the revolutionary party found Xia Fanglan by chance or was it premeditated?"
"I don't know," Chen Haihui spread his hands, "But now that Wang Tianlin is dead, the Revolutionary Party wants to find a way to maintain its connection with the Xia family. Isn't this too unimaginable?"
"That's right."
"It seems that we can't do anything with Xia Fanglan for a while. What are our plans for tonight?" Chen Haihui changed the topic, and the expression on his face changed to a smile that "every man understands".
"I don't want to go to brothels. I'm tired of having sex. However, we can consider upper-class salons and dance parties. In the future, we will expand our business in Hong Kong. We can't do it without first visiting places and preparing connections. In addition, maybe in a salon
If word spreads that I am coming to Hong Kong, Xia Fanglan will come to us herself."
Chen Haihui laughed and patted Lin Youde on the shoulder, saying repeatedly: "I understand, I understand. There happens to be a dance held by the Governor of Hong Kong tonight. I just happened to get the invitation, and we went to see the world. I am looking forward to Mr. Lin very much.