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

Chapter 657 Distance
Ballroom dancing isn’t difficult, it’s more of a way to relax.

Konoe Ayuki specially sprayed expensive perfume. She is a beautiful woman with great charm, and it is difficult to resist close contact.

"Your eyes seem to be evading." Konoe Akiyuki said.

"I'm just observing."

"Observe what?"

"Observe the Marshal Feng, Mr. Tesla, and Mr. Iwasaki."

"Why observe them?"

"China's current situation is somewhat special. It is at a tense point and has to maintain a high degree of attention."

"You mean the aftermath of the student and labor movements?"

Li Yu nodded: "This is a major event that completely overturns the perception of the Chinese people. However, China's rise will inevitably encounter various internal and external resistances. The Fengtian faction where the young marshal belongs is one of the key internal and external factors. Japan’s focus.”

"So you are really observing," Konoe Akiyuki said vaguely, "Now many students are clamoring to learn from Russia in the north, shouting 'Unite the deprived of the world and fight for all mankind around the world' "Fight for justice and humanity' slogan, are you not worried at all?"

Li Yu asked: "Why should I worry?"

"Because they want to revolutionize the lives of the class, and you are also the target of revolution."

"No, you don't understand completely. I am their friend."

"Friends?" Konoe Akiyuki stepped forward lightly, "It is very dangerous to be friends with them. In their eyes, capitalists from Britain, France, the United States and Japan are all enemies."

Li Yu smiled slightly, pushed her away and turned around: "Because I am not a capitalist."

Konoe Akiyuki turned back and said, "You are, I can see that."

"That means you still don't understand me."

Konoe Akiyuki raised her face: "I want to know more."

"understand what?"

Konoe Akiyuki put her hand on his chest: "Understand your soul."

"It was chaos there," Li Yu said.

"But you said that chaos is chaos and order."

"You have done a lot of research on my "Fractals and Chaos"."

"I want to peek into your soul through your works."

Li Yu's eyes met hers, "What did you spy on?"

Konoe Akiyuki thought for a moment and said, "I spied a... black hole."

Being able to say these words that were extremely unpopular in the 20s shows that Konoe Akiyuki really studied hard.

Li Yu raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Your spying is somewhat accurate."

"It's all based on female intuition," Konoe Akiyuki said, "You are the most profound person I have ever seen, bottomless. As soon as I stare into this black hole, there seem to be countless pairs of eyes staring at myself. I have no place to hide."

Li Yu took the opportunity to say: "So, you'd better stay away from the black hole. It's very dangerous. It will swallow everything without spitting out bones."

"It's really scary," Konoe Akiyuki said with a smile, "I also want to ask, after this year's solar eclipse, is there a formula for freezing time in this world?"

She has never forgotten Li Yu's words.

"Have."

"Really?"

"But it does not correspond to a certain person. This formula has a strange relative law."

"...I don't understand that much."

The music stopped and Zhang Xueliang applauded: "Mr. Li Yu, you danced so well!"

Li Yu said: "Far inferior to the Young Marshal and Mr. Yu Heqin."

Zhang Xueliang was in a good mood: "I will pay for all the expenses today!"

Iwasaki Koyata immediately said: "No! We Japanese must treat us! We have prepared a banquet at an authentic Japanese restaurant in Hongkou, and everyone can go together."

Zhang Xueliang said: "Didn't you invite Mr. Li Yu? I won't go. I want to play here for a while longer."

"You are our important guest," Iwasaki Koyata said, "Northeast China has always been the place that the Japanese Empire pays most attention to."

Zhang Xueliang's eyes twitched: "What is the most concerned about?"

Iwasaki Koyata nodded and said, "The president of Manchuria Railway Company will also attend the banquet soon."

"Nakamura?" Zhang Xueliang asked.

Iwasaki Koyata said: "Yes, he is our business partner."

Zhang Xueliang glanced at Yu Fengzhi, who nodded and said, "Okay."

There were many Japanese in Hongkou at this time, but the management was much inferior to that of the Shanghai Public Concession and the French Concession.

The Japanese restaurant prepared grand puffer fish and other seasonal seafood, and several chefs from Japan performed live puffer fish cooking.

Li Yu had long known from Zou Rong and Yao Hongye that the president of Mantetsu, Yujiro Nakamura, was still the governor of Kanto.

It is said that the Japanese set up the post of "Kwantung Governor" in Northeast China so grandly, it is impossible for Zhang Zuolin and the Beiyang government not to understand their intentions.

At this time, Japan's Kwantung Governor had been divided into two: the Kwantung Governor was only responsible for civil affairs, while the military department was independent and became the notorious Kwantung Army.

The first commander of the Kwantung Army was Koichiro Tachibana, who had participated in the Russo-Japanese War and went to Portsmouth to participate in the peace talks. He was also a bastard.

Nakamura was only in charge of civil affairs, including Manchuria Railway Co., Ltd., Japan's core enterprise in Manchuria.

Mantetsu Company was very powerful, and Koyata Iwasaki introduced Yujiro Nakamura to Li Yu.

Li Yu said hypocritically: "It's really majestic."

Nakamura thought it was a compliment to himself and said modestly: "It's just routine."

Then he continued: "Japan is now China's most important ally. The Americans' false claims at the peace conference were just to seek favor from the Chinese. But after they portrayed themselves as saviors, they collapsed instantly. On the other hand, Japan Japan, without any excessive request, is said by the Americans to be the main culprit in encroaching on Shandong. I hope you can see that under the rule of Japan, it will definitely be a hundred times better than the Germans. If you don’t believe it, you can come here. Take a look to the northeast.”

Li Yu felt sick to his stomach when he heard it. It was like a villain complained first and put money in his own face. No wonder he became the governor of Guandong.

Mitsui General Manager Masuda Takashi said: "So we want to deepen our cooperation with outstanding celebrities in your country. Mr. Li Yu is a person who favors us. Today I specially let the kitchen use the MSG you exported."

MSG has long been a best-seller in Japan, after all, they like to drink soup.

Li Yu said casually: "I just make things that the general public likes."

Zhang Xueliang is also very interested in Li Yu's products: "MSG, instant noodles, soap and aspirin are all popular items in Fengtian, but the price is a little expensive."

Li Yu said: "There is no other way. I have to pay more and more money. Young Marshal, you should know."

Zhang Xueliang said: "It is better to listen to President Xu, Zhang Taiyan, and Liang Qichao, and simply engage in federalism to avoid all the trouble today." Xu Shichang had a great affection for the late Qing Dynasty. From the moment he became president, he wanted to restore local autonomy. . In his view, local autonomy is in line with national conditions, because China's territory is too large and the development of various provinces is extremely uneven. It is difficult to implement unified policies and local autonomy should be given.

Zhang Taiyan and Liang Qichao believed that since the North and the South were now in confrontation, the Beiyang government could not eliminate the military government in Guangzhou, so it was better not to fight the war. The provinces should be autonomous first, take care of their own affairs, and then implement "federalism", so that they could avoid using force. To achieve national unification.

These ideas are of course fanciful, a bit too naive and idealistic.

However, until 49, Chiang Kai-shek and the major factions still had a sense of federalism and were unable to completely check and balance the country.

The Feng clique obviously likes this differentiation strategy, but in Zhang Zuolin's mind, he may still want to hide his power and bide his time, and then one day enter the customs and sweep away the Zhili clique and Anhui clique.

As for the Anhui and Zhili cliques, this is not the thought in my mind.

Anyway, they all have their own agenda.

Nakamura said: "Sir, by building a factory in Harbin, wouldn't it save you the trouble of Lijin?"

Li Yucai didn't want to pay taxes to them and refused directly: "The production capacity is enough, there is no need."

Nakamura said: "Where's the radio?"

Li Yu said: "No matter how expensive radios are, they still have sales."

Zhang Xueliang smiled and said: "Mr. Li Yu is so right! But fortunately, the price set by Mr. Li Yu is low enough, and it is still acceptable after adding 100 cents."

Nakamura said: "Mr. Li Yu, can you tolerate those officials making more money from your goods than you do through gold?"

Li Yu shrugged: "I only do what I can do, and I won't bother with what I can't do, so as not to get upset."

Nakamura didn't expect that Li Yu wouldn't come in, but he couldn't offend him.

Masuda Takashi said: "Regardless of whether Mr. Li Yu will set up a factory or not, we have decided to jointly make the next round of capital injection into Manchuria Railway Company with Mitsubishi Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation."

When Nakamura heard the good news, he temporarily forgot about Li Yu's rejection and replied: "Mantetsu will not treat the empire badly."

Li Yu could not stop Manchuria's development, but anyway, his capital had penetrated into Mitsui through the shell of American capital.

In the future, Manchuria's plunder in the Northeast will be able to secretly inject blood back into the country.

On the other side, Tesla and Su Ying were already eating pufferfish meat without caring about what they said.

It is estimated that Tesla does not want to leave China.

Konoe Akiyuki sighed in a low voice: "The appearance of love is really enviable to others. It turns out that Americans are so open-minded."

Iwasaki Koyata continued to say to Nakamura: "There are many Russians in the Northeast, and the governor must be careful about the entry of Russian revolutionary thoughts."

"I'm not very worried about the Russians, but today's Chinese people like revolutionary ideas the most, so that's something worth worrying about," Nakamura said, and then suddenly asked, "Is it possible that Mr. Li Yu was worried about this and refused to open a branch factory in Northeast China? I know that there have been large-scale demonstrations and strikes in your factories and schools in Tianjin and Shanghai.”

Li Yu wrote lightly: "You guessed it wrong. I am not opposed to their demonstrations and strikes, and I have not even stopped paying wages."

Iwasaki Koyata smiled and said: "I can testify to this. Mr. Li Yu actually tolerates the existence of the labor union. Can you believe it?"

Nakamura warned: "Mr. Li Yu, don't you also have left-wing thoughts?"

Li Yu spread his hands: "I'm just doing what the president of the industrial association should do. There are many places with trade unions now."

Li Yu's explanation is perfect.

Iwasaki Koyata raised his glass: "Don't just chat, everyone should drink such a good wine!"

Zhang Xueliang picked up the wine glass: "I heard that Mr. Iwasaki's drinking capacity is the best in Tokyo. I will give it a try today."

Iwasaki Koyata said: "Mr. Zhang, even though you are young, you may not be able to outdrink me when you drink."

Zhang Xueliang couldn't stand the provocation: "I don't think so!"

The two of them created a drinking atmosphere. These people were all people who often stayed at the wine shop, and Li Yu's drinking capacity could only be said to be average in front of them.

Konoe Zhaoxue helped Li Yu fill up the wine: "The five-flowered horse and the golden fur will be exchanged for fine wine. Sir, it's rare to relax. Please drink a few more glasses."

Tesla was also in high spirits, with a cheerful face: "That's right, that's right! Let's all drink up!"

More than two hours later, the house was already shaking.

Li Yu stood up and wanted to go out and get a rickshaw back to Yuyuan. When he got to the door, he slipped and almost fell.

Konoe Akiyuki stretched out her hand to support him: "Sir, don't leave today."

Li Yu's eyes suddenly became clear: "Let's go, we must go."

Konoe Akiyuki also drank some wine and said, "Sir, why do you keep rejecting me thousands of miles away?"

Li Yule said: "Who can bear to have a beauty like you by your side every day?"

Konoe Akiyuki said: "Then you are resisting your own heart."

Li Yu stretched out his hand and made gestures: "I joined President Cai Yuanpei's Bajie Society at Peking University. No, it was the Five Jiehui."

"you……"

Li Yu pushed her hand away and said decisively: "Stop it, I'm leaving."

The night wind made her wake up instantly, and a thought of disappointment and pain made her unable to control herself.

She completely understood that she was just an ordinary person in Li Yu's heart.

Li Yu called a rickshaw and said to the driver: "Yuyuan, let's go."

The coachman said awkwardly: "So far? Sir, don't you play with girls here?"

"Playing with your sister," Li Yu scolded with a smile, "I'll give you three times the fare."

The coachman immediately became energetic: "I can't run even three times, but I can ask my brothers to take over my shift in the middle."

-

The next day, Konoe Akiyuki reported the situation to Toyama Mitsuru and Aoki Nozumi.

Tou Shanman expressed deep disappointment, but he had no choice but to say: "Maybe it's because he's in Shanghai. We'll find a solution when he goes to Japan."

Aoki Xuanjun heard another meaning: "I always feel that Li Yu, although everything does not affect the empire, can sometimes pinch an artery of the empire."

Toyama Mitsuru said: "Furthermore, his attitude towards Russian newism was too bland, and he even had an element of appreciation."

Konoe Akiyuki said: "Yesterday, Supervisor Nakamura asked that Li Yu only has left-wing ideas in the conventional sense. After all, his greater identity is a scientist. In the entire scientific community, most people are left-leaning."

"You are speaking for him again." Tou Shanman said.

Konoe Akiyuki said: "I am just stating the true situation yesterday."

Toyama Mitsuru said: "No matter what, I want to go back to Tokyo first. You will go to the capital in a few days to report to Mr. Sakata; then go to Dalian to discuss work with Mr. Kawashima."

"You want to contact Kawashima again?" Konoe Akiyuki was puzzled.

Toyama Mitsuru said: "Mr. Kawashima has always been a talented person when it comes to cultivating spies and identifying spies. It seems that we have not done enough in recent years. Mr. Kawashima is right. Only Chinese people understand Chinese people best."