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

Chapter 655 Six Sons
When Li Yu was about to leave the venue, the Japanese and several people accompanying him came over. The young man next to him took off his hat, and Li Yu recognized it. It was Zhang Xueliang.

The Japanese first said: "I am Zhuang Shige, now a senior military adviser to Fengjun. This is Mr. Zhang Xueliang and his wife."

Honjo Shige was not a good bird. He became the commander of the Kwantung Army at the most critical moment of September 18th, and was one of the main figures in planning and organizing the invasion of China. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, this old bastard was classified as a Class A war criminal, but he committed suicide early.

The Japanese bombed Zhang Zuolin to death in Huanggutun, and Ben Zhuangfan was the Japanese envoy.

However, the current relationship between Honzo Shigeru and Zhang Zuolin is very good. Japan values ​​Zhang Zuolin very much and wants to control him.

Zhang Zuolin also trusted Benzhuang Fan, which allowed him to easily learn important information such as Fengjun's strength, deployment, equipment, and personnel arrangements.

Li Yu asked casually: "Master Zhang also likes art?"

Zhang Xueliang laughed and said: "Mr. Academician, you are joking! I don't know anything about art. My father wants me to buy something to take back to Fengtian to show off the appearance."

Zhang Zuolin's cultural level is not high, but now that he has become the king of Northeast China, he definitely doesn't want others to treat him as a bumpkin anymore. Improving artistic taste is at least much simpler than improving culture. He has plenty of money, and he can spend money to get a batch of valuable antiques first.

Li Yu said: "If you want to buy art, wouldn't it be better to go to Liulichang in the capital?"

Zhang Xueliang said: "That's true. In fact, I came to Shanghai to see if there is any opportunity to go directly to the United States."

"Go to the United States?" Li Yu asked in surprise, "Why do you want to go to the United States?"

Zhang Xueliang said: "I want to study abroad and understand the culture of foreigners. It happens that Mr. Academician has a study abroad foundation, so..."

Li Yu asked: "Does Marshal Zhang agree with you to go to the United States?"

Zhang Xueliang said helplessly: "If my father had agreed, I would have gone long ago."

Li Yu said: "If the Marshal disagrees, I advise the Young Marshal to give up. The cost of living in the United States is very high. If the Marshal does not send you living expenses, do you still plan to work in the United States?"

Zhang Xueliang was industrious and pampered. Thinking that what Li Yu said was indeed true, he sighed: "Okay, then I won't go!"

Honjo Shige said: "The young marshal can attend the military academy according to the marshal's wishes."

Zhang Xueliang said: "Baoding Military Academy?"

Ben Zhuangfan said: "It's best to ask Marshal Zhang."

Zhang Xueliang has a soft personality and will definitely listen to his father. If he could enter Baoding Military Academy, he would actually be classmates with Chen Cheng.

Zhang Xueliang said: "In addition, I also want to see Mr. Academician's automobile factory. I am very interested in this and plan to build cars in Northeast China."

Zhang Xueliang has always been interested in machinery. Fengjun also has a special vehicle preparation office, and with the industrial strength of the Northeast, there is actually not much problem in developing automobiles.

Li Yu said: "Yes, cars should be able to roll off the production line next year, but limited by the fragile supply chain, production capacity is a big problem."

"It would be great if it can be built," Zhang Xueliang said. "If the next step is to build a tank, I will definitely learn how to drive it, and then set up a tank unit in the Northeast and lead it myself."

Shigeru Honjo said: "The Marshal's idea is very forward-looking. Japan has purchased many tanks from Europe, which have achieved remarkable results on the battlefield."

Before World War I was over, Japan bought one of the earliest British tanks, and then several French tanks.

Zhang Xueliang was very interested: "It's a pity that I can't see it with my own eyes."

Honjo Shige immediately gave him an idea: "Russia is fighting a civil war. It is said that the French interventionist army transported a batch of tanks and stored them in Vladivostok, but the White Army cannot use them. If you use some means, it will not be difficult to get them."

Zhang Xueliang immediately shook his head: "We can't mess with the big powers. We'd better buy it ourselves, or make it ourselves."

But in fact, Zhang Zuolin didn't care about that. Later, he got all those tanks, so Fengjun had China's first modern armored force.

Although Zhang Zuolin is uneducated, he is very smart and courageous. He seems to be acting like a rogue, but he acts in such a way that others are helpless.

Shigeru Honjo said: "Building a tank is much more difficult than building a car."

Zhang Xueliang asked: "Why, can't Japan even make it?"

"Ashamedly," Shigeru Honjo said, "The Japanese military has discussed developing its own tanks several times, but due to the difficulty, it can only be shelved temporarily."

Zhang Xueliang said: "Even you find it difficult. It seems that this idea is that I am too naive."

Shigeru Honjo said: "In my opinion, purchasing a batch appropriately is enough. After all, tanks are just support weapons for infantry."

Japan still adhered to this idea until the outbreak of the Pacific War. They buy or develop their own tanks, mainly light tanks, and they must have machine guns to deal with infantry groups that are more common on the East Asian battlefield.

The Japanese obviously also influenced Fengjun's plan to purchase tanks. What Fengjun bought were basically models such as the French Renault FT17. Fengjun even equipped tanks with only heavy machine guns and discarded rapid-fire cannons because they had no use for them.

——It seems that this cannot be called a tank, but should be called an infantry fighting vehicle.

But even so, during the Republic of China, it was still a big killer.

Japan’s Adzuki Bean tank was a joke on the European battlefield, but it was also very destructive during the Anti-Japanese War. I remember seeing some pictures before. The armor of the Japanese tanks was not thick, and it was full of bullet holes from machine guns, but it was still Cannot penetrate.

After all, there is a lack of anti-tank guns in the country, otherwise we can't be so rampant.

Zhang Xueliang and others followed Li Yu to the automobile factory. Although the area was not large, Zhang Xueliang and Honjo Shigeru were still shocked when they saw it: "It really feels like a Western factory."

Song Ziwen came over and introduced: "Because it is a production line imported from the United States."

Zhang Xueliang asked: "If I buy another production line, is that okay?"

Li Yu said: "Even if you can buy it, you may not be able to use it. The most troublesome thing is the supporting technical personnel and the entire supply chain. And I don't expect this car factory to make money."

Zhang Xueliang asked: "If you don't make money, how can you make money?"

His wife Yu Fengzhi pulled him: "Xueliang, how can you talk!"

Li Yu smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, many people have such questions. It can be seen as cultivating senior technical personnel and supporting related upstream and downstream industries."

Benzhuang Fan's eyebrows shrugged: "Mr. Academician, you really played a big game of chess."

Li Yu didn't have a good look on these war criminals and said calmly: "My chess skills are not very good."

Zhang Xueliang laughed and said: "Why don't you play chess? Are you tired of using your brain every day? Why don't you dance and play ball, it's relaxing."

Benzhuang Fanshun said: "I heard that there are good golf courses and dance halls in Shanghai. Mr. Academician, would you like to come with us?"

Li Yu wanted to refuse: "I..."

Shigeru Honjo immediately said: "I also invited Vice Chairman Iwasaki of the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce and many Japanese business dignitaries. Everyone wants to deepen our business friendship with you."

Li Yu couldn't avoid it, so he said, "Okay, I'll say hello to David Buick, Tesla, and Davis from the Morgan family, and let's get together."

Zhang Xueliang said: "It's absolutely wonderful! Mr. Yu, you must go too, I know you are a master of social dancing!" Yu Heqin said: "Yes."

Yu Heqinting was good at dancing and later published a special textbook.

Yu Fengzhi took Zhang Xueliang's arm and said, "Mr. Academician, let's go first."

-

With so many important people coming from the Japanese business community, Li Yu naturally had to follow the old routine and let Tesla and Davis act as the face figures.

In the office, Tesla was chatting with Davis about a big business opportunity he had discovered: "There is news from the United States that a very profitable investment channel has recently appeared in Boston."

Davis knew that he was good at radio and could get information faster than he could, so he asked out of professional habit: "What's the rate of return?"

Tesla said: "400%."

"How much?!" Davis said in surprise, "Did you say it wrong?"

"That's right," Tesla said, "Clearly, it's 400%! One dollar can be turned into five dollars. Now the entire citizens of Boston are making this investment."

"Impossible!" Davis said categorically. "I have been working in the financial industry for many years and have never seen such a high return on investment. Even if there were, it would not be possible to allow citizens to participate in it in such an open manner."

Tesla said: “Perhaps there are experts in the world, but it’s not necessarily the people from your Morgan family and Wall Street who know how to invest.”

Davis asked, "What's the trader's name?"

Tesla said: "Charles Ponzi."

Li Yu just walked in and felt that the name was very familiar. He paused and realized that this was the inventor of the "Ponzi scheme"!

"I've never heard of this guy," Davis said. "What financial company is he from?"

Tesla said: "It is said to be an Italian and does not belong to any financial company or bank."

Davis clicked his tongue: "400%? If it were true, the entire financial system would be in chaos."

Tesla said: "You financiers and capitalists can't just be allowed to make money, right? Maybe people on Wall Street are also joining this financial carnival now."

Davis rubbed his chin: "400%..."

Charles Ponzi can be called the top originator of financial fraud.

This guy was originally a pauper who came to the United States from Italy. When he first arrived in the United States in 1903, he only had 2.5 cents and "the dream of making a million dollars."

At first, Charles Ponzi was miserable, doing manual labor such as dishwasher, cleaner, and painter.

Later, I opened a bank with an Italian boss, but the boss was sentenced for illegally absorbing deposits. Charles Ponzi also went to jail.

After he was released from prison, it became even more difficult for him to find a job because of his criminal record.

Later, he suddenly came up with the idea of ​​starting an international magazine and making money by selling advertisements. So I wrote letters to many European companies, but most of them came to nothing, but one Spanish company replied.

The most important thing is that there is a postage stamp in the letter to express sincerity.

This kind of coupon can pay for postage in another country, which is equivalent to the company in Spain paying you the postage in advance. The coupons he received were exchangeable for 5-cent stamps.

Charles Ponzi immediately saw the "business opportunity": there was inflation in Europe after the war, and it took 30 Spanish cents to exchange for 5 cents, but now it takes 50 Spanish cents to exchange for 5 cents.

And there is a loophole in this kind of ticket: the redemption ratio has not changed.

Then you can buy a stamp coupon in Spain for 30 cents, and then exchange it for 5 cents in the United States, resulting in a price difference of 20 Spanish cents.

But having said that, it is actually very troublesome to operate. The United States and Spain are so far away, and it is not as simple as doing foreign exchange in later generations. So although there is a price difference, in reality, the profit may be a few points at most, or even no profit at all.

But Charles Ponzi understood what "financial packaging" is and what "hype" is.

He packaged the project as a project with a high return on investment and promoted it. Anyway, most people at this time could not understand economics at all.

In the first month, he only raised $1800, and he returned the capital with interest in the second month, establishing a "word of mouth."

After that, there will be crazy hype.

This Ponzi scheme is a very classic scheme, which uses the money of later "investors" to provide returns to previous "investors".

Even a hundred years later, it remains timeless and appears frequently.

In just a few months, almost all Boston residents invested money in him, and Charles Ponzi earned a fortune of tens of millions of dollars.

Of course, it won’t be long before the balloon is blown.

What’s really interesting is that during this process, there was no actual progress of any so-called project. When Charles Ponzi was arrested the following year, police discovered that he had purchased only two Spanish Post Office coupons.

This old man spent most of his time in prison. It is said that he later tried to defraud Mussolini, but failed because his reputation was too bad.

Li Yuting was worried that the Chinese in the United States would be deceived, so he planned to send a telegram to Situ Meitang and Lu Bicheng soon.

Tesla also asked Li Yu with great interest: "This financial tycoon feels unreliable. Mr. Li Yu, you are also a big shot in the US stock market. Are you interested?"

"I believe that seeing is believing. A few reports cannot impress me," Li Yu declined, and then said, "We will go out to a dance together in a while, and there should be a dinner after that. The inviter is the Japanese business community."

"Dance?" Tesla said, "But I don't know how to dance."

Li Yu said: "I can teach you, it's very simple."

Davis came with his wife and said with a smile: "Mr. Tesla, the dance must be between a man and a woman."

"Yes, we need a dance partner!" Tesla, who was never married, suddenly felt a little distressed.

Li Yu smiled and said, "Maybe you can meet a beautiful oriental girl."

Tesla had a strange expression. It took him a long time to change the subject and said, "Mr. Li Yu, your wife is not in China either."

Suddenly a graceful voice came from the door: "I can be Mr. Li Yu's dance partner."

Li Yu felt a little dizzy when he heard this voice.

Konoe Akiyuki came over slowly: "Sir, Japan is ready. It seems they still have a big deal to negotiate."

Li Yu blew a breath and said calmly: "Mr. Tesla, let's go."

(End of this chapter)