1855 United States Tycoon

Chapter 530

The Russians’ life in these years is indeed not as good as Greystone said. Since the widespread use of chemical fertilizers, the advantages of Ukraine’s black soil have obviously been offset a lot. In the past, relying on the fertile black soil, the grain exported by Ukraine could exchange a lot of precious funds for Russia, whose industrial level was clearly lagging behind that of Central and Western Europe. However, now, because of the widespread use of chemical fertilizers, whether it is France, Germany, or the United Kingdom, their agricultural output is greatly ascending, not to mention the damn United States guy. As a result, the price of food on the international market has naturally fallen, and the result is naturally that the Russians’ agricultural income continues to decrease.

The decline in agricultural income has severely dragged down Russia’s entire economy. The industrial level of the Russians is inherently not good, and their industrial products can hardly beat foreign industrial products even in their own country, let alone on the world market. In short, the markets in Central and Western Europe should not be considered. For the Far East, it must be close to the Closed Door Training method to keep it, because although the Russian industrial level is higher than that of Japan, considering the damn transportation cost, it is really necessary. Let the market open up to compete, let alone compare with Europe and the United States, but can’t compare with Japanese products.

So the Russians could only defend their basics in Eastern Europe, and then, with their identity as defenders of the Slavs and Orthodox Church, they worked hard to take the Balkans into their hands.

It’s just that the Germans, who also lack the market, are eyeing the Balkans. If you want those Balkans, you must invest more power, and more power is more clear than that means more money. However, Russia is short of money.

However, Russia still has hope, and that is the East. As long as the Siberian Railway is connected, the transportation cost of various commodities can be greatly reduced. Then, the Chinese market may also bring him much more income than the current market…

…Shiki Takahashi took an entourage and walked slowly down the Alberto gangway. He raised his head and squinted at the New York Tower, not far from the New York Pier. This is the first time he has returned to North America since he left United States in 1869, and it is also the first time he has seen the tallest building in the world.

To be honest, Takahashi didn’t expect United States to come at all. Because when he was still young, this country did not leave him a good impression. In 1867, when he was 13 years old, Takahashi, who was working as a helper at Osaki Masaoji Temple, met the Sendai Clan Resident Officer in Edo who came to sweep the grave. The older boy found that Takahashi was clever and smart. He thought that the Sendai clan was short of talents who could speak English, and recommended him to study English in Yokohama. Soon after, he was arranged to study in the United States.

Datong entrusted Takahashi and a child named Suzuki Ronosuke to one of his business partners, Eugene, a United States merchant who sells arms. Who knows, that United States guy brought these two children to United States. Before long, they resold them like slaves to a man named Brian in Oakland. Although slavery had been abolished in United States at that time, Eugene used deception to get two children who had not yet learned English to sign a three-year employment contract.

Takahashi, who was only thirteen years old, was so knowledgeable that he ran to the Japanese consul for help. However, at that time, this kind of overlord clause was the same, placed in a contract that is absolutely illegal now. At that time, it was actually legal. In addition, the people from United States at the time did not put Japan in one’s eyes, so although the consul tried his best to negotiate, the result was still not ideal. Poor Takahashi, who wanted to come to study with all his heart, could only be in United The States people have been a servant for three years.

With such an experience, Takahashi’s sense of United States is of course a complete mess. However, it must be admitted that Takahashi is indeed a very smart and easy-to-learn person. Even under such conditions, Takahashi still learns English and many other cultural knowledge by self-study. So although I haven’t studied in any formal United States school, let alone get a diploma from Claydon University (in “Siege”, Fang Hongjian’s Pheasant University .), but after returning to Japan, Takahashi, who was just 17 years old, found a job as an English teacher in a school in Edo. Using it as a starting point, he finally became a teacher in 1899 decades later. Vice President of the Bank of Japan.

Today, he is even more entrusted by the Meiji government to raise funds for the upcoming war as a finance officer stationed in the UK. This is extremely important work, and it is also a matter of testing ability. Considering that until the 21st century, Japan is a country that is very particular about birth and likes to play the “hereditary system of parliamentarians.” Yukiyoshi Takahashi, who was born in humble but was just the son of a small servant (later Takahashi’s mother bought him the identity of the adopted son of the Zuqing family, and let him go to Takahashi with his surname), he was able to climb to In this position, even in the original history, he also obtained the title of baron, and served as Japanese Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. This alone is enough to explain how outstanding Takahashi’s ability is. (Of course, even so, Takahashi’s background still makes him look down upon by the big bosses in the government. It is said that there is a fellow in Shanxian County who is not polite, and even laughed at him for his experience of being sold to a United States as a servant. Saying “Xiaosi’s son shouldn’t be a servant” or something.)

Takahashi doesn’t like United States, but Takahashi is a very smart person. He knows that in Japan, where he is born, the son of a small servant like him can climb up because he has two big brothers. Advantages: First, be good at dealing with crooked nuts, especially crooked nuts in Europe and the United States. Second, be good at dealing with financial issues. These two points are actually closely related to his hardship in United States. Nowadays, Japan needs money very much. Takahashi knows that as long as he can help the government solve this very difficult problem, maybe he can also become a Chinese (meaning Japanese nobleman), but by then, he will still be ” The son of the young man”, but his son will no longer be said to be the “son of the young man”.

“Mr. Takahashi, Mr. Kawaguchi, let us come to greet you!” A young man with short hair in his twenties greeted you with a few people. “The car is over there.”

“Ah, it turned out to be the dragon.” Takahashi has a very good memory. He can remember almost anyone who has met once or heard the name once, even after several years. Speaking of which, Uncle and I have not seen each other in seven or eight years. The last time I saw you, you were still a student. Now Uncle is working with you in the consulate?”

“Yes, Uncle Takahashi. Uncle has always missed you.” The young man said with a smile. At this time, another entourage who followed him graciously reached out and took it from Takahashi’s entourage. Big box. Then they took Takahashi out of the port and boarded a McDonald limousine with a diplomatic license plate.

…

“Kawaguchi-kun, how was your contact with the United States people before?” Just sitting down in the Japanese consulate in New York, Takahashi asked the consul Kawaguchi about this before he had time to wash away the dust.

“Takahashi-kun, why are you so anxious? Isn’t the situation in the UK not so good?” Kawaguchi was about to pour a glass of wine for Takahashi, and asked instead when he heard his question.

Kawaguchi has been a friend of Takahashi for many years. He knows that Takahashi is a playboy in Life. In other words, he intentionally made himself a playboy. Among their generation, Takahashi is the most able and favorite to play. When he was an English teacher in Edo, he even took the students in his class out to experience the Edo customs industry. One important reason that Takahashi can get up is that he got acquainted with a large group of second generations in the process of playing.

Nowadays, such a person starts to ask about work before he gets it done. Kawaguchi thinks that this may mean that the fundraising is not going well in Europe.

“Europe is not particularly good.” Takahashi sat down on the sofa and sighed and replied, “The British are planning to subscribe for some, but there is still a gap between the total amount and the domestic expectations. The French side At best, I can only interfere with them to give aid to the Russians. There are also Germans, and they are very Damn it. The Germans may hope that all the Russians go to Manchuria, so during this period of time, they have been cheering up the Russians overtly and secretly. However, at least for now, they will not lend money to the Russians. Otherwise, what if the Russians get the money and use it in the Balkans. Therefore, although I worked very hard, I also signed a lot of documents, and my hands were swollen. , But each amount is not large, so it is still far from the target. How about Kawaguchi on your side?”

Kawaguchi poured two glasses of wine, then walked over, handed one of them to Takahashi, and then sat down on the sofa opposite.

“Takahashi-kun, I have been in contact with MacDonald and Morgan. They all have some interest in this, but the asking price is higher. Because they think it is very risky to put Bao on our side. So it must be high enough. The rate of return is good.”

“What kind of rate of return do they require?” Takahashi asked, frowning.

“Morgan said that they need more than 6 percent interest, or 3.5 percent interest plus a considerable degree of openness in the Japanese banking market. Full national treatment is given to Morgan Bank.” Kawaguchi replied.

“Greedy United States guy!” Takahashi shook the goblet, watched the ruby ​​red wine spin in the glass, and said with a sneer, “Having promised such a condition, wouldn’t the benefits of our battle change completely? It’s theirs.”

And although Takahashi has not been to United States for a long time, he is very careful about the changes in United States over the years and the economic power of United States. He knew that if Morgan’s banking system were allowed to enter Japan, it would simply be a big black fish in the shrimp pond. Moreover, if you open a mouth to Morgan, then the British banks who follow HSBC will definitely ask for the same treatment. If that’s the case, it’s better not to fight this battle.

“How about McDonald’s reaction?” Takahashi asked next.