A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 125 The First Pot of Gold of Evil
After arriving in Tianjin, Tang Shaoyi still went to report to the Tax Department of Tianjin Customs first.

Li Yu was fine, so he went with him.

Tang Shaoyi was a member of the customs system, and the guards did not stop them, and they entered the building directly.

As soon as they entered the aisle, Li Yu and the others heard voices and laughter coming from the office.

Hoover said: "I received a telegram from the coal mine that the governor of Zhili in the Qing Dynasty had taken Zhang Yi away."

Detriline was confident: "Mr. Hoover, what are you afraid of? Now that the contract is written in black and white, the contract has been in effect for two years, and the British army has already infiltrated. They won't do anything."

Hoover said, "What if they're going to sue?"

Detriline laughed loudly: "A lawsuit? Your time in China is still too short. You should check their legal provisions. Is there any company law or contract law? Even if they want to file a lawsuit, I'm afraid they have to go to the UK to hold a trial , even if the judge rules in their favor, do you think it is useful?"

Only then did Hoover reassure himself: "What I'm talking about is that the judgment of the British court could not be enforced in the Qing Dynasty."

"So, don't worry about that!" De Cui Lin lit a cigar, "Let's take a look at this shareholding statement. The Molin Company we established now owns the absolute property rights of the Kaiping Coal Mine. I own 45% of the shares. You It accounts for 35%, and that poor Chinese Zhang Yi has 5%. Of course, the rest must be tribute to the British aristocrats."

Hoover was very satisfied: "You still have a way to get such a large coal mine so easily. If my friends in Australia knew about it, they would be so envious that they couldn't sleep."

Detriline proudly said: "Of course, if they know that you have earned 400 million US dollars so quickly in China, I think they will come to China by boat the next day."

Tang Shaoyi outside the door heard it clearly, frowned, and cursed secretly.

Li Yu asked from the side, "I heard there was a man called Hoover?"

Tang Shaoyi snorted coldly: "That's right, he's an American. I heard that he worked as a mining engineer in Australia before and was sent to China two years ago. He usually looks like a gentleman, but he didn't expect to have so many crooked ideas in his mind."

Li Yu was startled, my good guy, isn't this the US President Hoover during the Great Depression!
Who would have thought that Hoover, the dignified president of the United States, who was honored by the Americans as "the worst president in history" by himself, got his first pot of gold by stealing a coal mine in the late Qing Dynasty.

The conversion of 400 million U.S. dollars is about 800 million taels of silver.

Hoover continued to engage in a lot of mining in the follow-up, and accumulated a large amount of funds for his later election for the presidency.

"Boom boom boom!"

Tang Shaoyi knocked on the door.

Detriline said: "Please come in."

Tang Shaoyi pushed the door open and walked in, holding up the document in his hand and said, "This is the imperial court's approval document on customs tax revenue last year."

Detriline said: "Understood, put it here."

Hoover saw someone coming, so he said: "You talk about things, I'll go first."

"No need," Detriline stopped. "We're still talking about stocks. He's leaving right away."

For Detriline, earning money is the first priority, work, just sit in the back row.

Seeing the stocks on the table, Tang Shaoyi felt annoyed, and said, "Master Taxation Department, I will take my leave."

Detriline didn't stop him either. As soon as he walked out of the office, Detriline behind him continued to say to Hoover, "Come with me to the racetrack later. I just bought a racehorse."

Hoover said in surprise, "Racing horses? I've seen Mr. Hurd's horses. They are too short, and they are usually ridden at most. I didn't expect to buy racing horses in Tianjin."

Detriline laughed and said, "Lord Hurd? Don't be kidding, his horse only cost ten taels of silver, which is not enough for one percent of my racing horse. How can it be compared!"

Detriline is really capable of squandering, and even gambled. Hurd warned him many times, but Detriline was indifferent.Even if the annual salary has reached 12000 taels, it is still not enough for him to spend, so he has bad intentions and wants to win the Kaiping Coal Mine.

Hoover said, "Only need 1000 taels? I'll buy one too. It would be boring to race a horse alone."

The two laughed heartily together.

Tang Shaoyi said angrily: "Let's hurry back to the Governor's Mansion, these foreign liars!"

After arriving at Zhili Governor's Mansion, Tang Shaoyi immediately found Yuan Shikai: "My lord, the big thing is not good. It seems that the Kaiping Coal Mine has been taken away by foreigners!"

Yuan Shikai said: "I already knew, but unfortunately it was too late. The British military and capital have all infiltrated, and there is not much room for maneuver."

Tang Shaoyi said angrily: "Could it be that such a large coal mine was given to foreigners so easily?"

Yuan Shikai said helplessly: "I will go to the court later, and I can only think of a way in diplomacy."

Tang Shaoyi worried: "Diplomacy? I'm afraid..."

Yuan Shikai said: "We can no longer think in a bad direction, do our best and obey the fate."

Li Yu heard it in his ears, and of course he knew that they could not take back the coal mines, whether it was legal means or diplomatic means.

In fact, the Kaiping Mining Bureau (later merged with the Luanzhou Mining Bureau and collectively known as Kailuan Coal Mine) did not really take it back until the victory of the Anti-Japanese War.

Tang Shaoyi was very angry, but seemed to have no choice but to curse: "Damn foreigners!"

But Li Yu said: "We can't forget it like this, at least punish the chief culprit, and we can't let Tianjin Taxation Department De Cuilin get such a big deal for nothing."

Tang Shaoyi slapped her thigh: "By the way, Governor, I have a lot of clues against De Cuilin. This guy used to gamble around and embezzle public funds. Although I don't have much evidence, it is enough to bring him down!"

"Okay!" Yuan Shikai was so angry that he had no place to vent his anger, "I also want to read him a book, Tianjin is my base anyway, and I must not let him stay in Tianjin Taxation Department anymore! I can't even let him go to any other place. A Chinese institution, Tang Daotai, you have to go back to the capital again to put pressure on Hart."

Tang Shaoyi said: "My lord, don't worry, I know what to do. Anyway, I also spent a lot of time on the customs road. It can be seen that Hurd is already dissatisfied with De Trilin. I just need to push, and everything will be fine." It can be done."

Yuan Shikai said: "Don't mess it up again."

After arranging this matter, Tang Shaoyi continued to mention Li Yu: "One more thing, my lord, you haven't agreed to the American John's naval power plan, have you?"

Yuan Shikai said: "Not yet, but it has reached the final stage. As long as the argument is passed, 500 million taels will be worth it."

Tang Shaoyi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Fortunately, this matter has caught up! Mr. Li Yu mentioned to me that John's plan is also..."

"What is it?" Yuan Shikai asked.

"It's also a scam," Tang Shaoyi said.

Originally, I thought that directly saying that Yuan Shikai was cheated would save him face, but with such a large amount of 500 million taels, I had to say it.

"No way?" Yuan Shikai was a little disbelieving, "I have seen his drawings, and Directors Feng and Duan have also communicated with him, and I feel that there are no loopholes."

Tang Shaoyi said: "But Mr. Li Yu said categorically that John's plan was a scam, and I didn't quite understand it, so I called him here. Mr. Li Yu, tell me."

Li Yu stepped forward and said, "Lord Yuan, John is indeed a liar, because in terms of thermodynamics, the so-called perpetual motion machine is completely unfeasible."

Yuan Shikai stroked his chin and said, "But he also showed me many blueprints of powerful foreign inventors, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Boer, which were really convincing."

Li Yu said: "My lord, it's Boyle. The blueprints they designed are even more unreliable. As early as decades ago, the British and French academies of sciences made it clear that it was impossible to realize. If you don't believe it, you can let him do it." One out."

The perpetual motion machines designed by Leonardo da Vinci and Boyle belonged to the first category, which violated the conservation of energy. However, Li Yu could not explain too much physics knowledge to Yuan Shikai.

Yuan Shikai clicked his tongue: "But according to his drawings, they are very advanced."

Li Yu said: "It can only be said that they made the scam look decent, and they are high-level liars. But I'm sure that he will never be able to create the actual power system. His purpose is nothing more than to ask for 500 million taels of silver, and then run away. .”

Yuan Shikai believed in foreigners at first, especially John pretended to be an inventor and an American, which was very confusing.

However, he just experienced a scam by foreigners today, and his heart has begun to waver.In addition, he knew Li Yu's level, so it was impossible to directly call others liars for no reason.

Yuan Shikai said: "Could it be true or false?"

Li Yu said: "Sir, you should remember that I once wrote a paper on the second law of thermodynamics, which was about this matter. And Lord Kelvin, former president of the Royal Society, also discussed the second law of thermodynamics. You can directly give The adults said that one of the simplest expressions of the second law of thermodynamics is: the second type of perpetual motion machine cannot be realized. I think this American John is engaged in the second type of perpetual motion machine."

Li Yu said it in the simplest terms, and coupled with the fact that he moved out of the Royal Society, Yuan Shikai finally believed it even more. He said, "Well, today's argument just happens to be attended by you. I want to see if he is a liar or not. How did you deceive me again?"

"No problem, don't worry, my lord, I will definitely expose him. This kind of people talk about inventions and creations, but in fact they have business in their hearts, and they understand it very well in their hearts."

Li Yu has seen too many similar things in his previous life, not only those who studied perpetual motion machines, but also more powerful and more 21st century-style routines.

It’s like water-hydrogen cars... or like PPT building cars, all of which are hype-filled plans, and then they are empty-handed and empty-handed, and they just run away when they get the investment.

As for John, to Li Yu, it was a child's play.

Yuan Shikai was a little angry: "If it's really a liar, it's really abominable. A group of foreign liars dare to ride on my head! Do you really take me for a fool?"

Well, Yuan Shikai doesn't know now, he was really called "Yuan Datou" later, but it was a silver dollar...

Li Yu said, "Let's go find him as soon as possible."

Yuan Shikai said: "He is now in the Beiyang Army, in the Beiyang Armed Forces Crash School, let's go together."

(End of this chapter)