America 1881: Legend of the West

Chapter 534 Integration of Western Railway Company
Chen Jianqiu did not stay in New York for long.

He had to get to San Francisco.

Camilla and Xiaopengkun stayed in New York.

Xiaopengkun needs to go to school, but little Astor insists on being Xiaopengkun's godfather, either because he loves the house or for some other reason.

This is actually a very nonsense thing.

Chen Jianqiu is not a Catholic or an Orthodox Christian, and his son has not been baptized, not to mention that little Astor vouched for the baptism.

However, Chen Jianqiu did not express any objection.

After all, the world is too dangerous, and since the Astor family is willing to have a relationship with their son, he doesn't mind at all.

What's more, little Astor kept hinting to him that he wanted to set up a baby marriage.

At the headquarters of Pacific Railway Company in San Francisco, the company's management held a grand welcome ceremony for Chen Jianqiu.

Here today are not only the original management members of the Pacific Railroad, but also people from Santa Fe Railroad, Northern Pacific Railroad and other companies.

The entire building was decorated with lights and red banners to celebrate the new life of their company.

These people formed two rows on the first floor, craning their necks and staring at the intersection.

They are all waiting for Chen Jianqiu to return to his western railway empire.

During the financial crisis, everything went bad. There were a lot of layoffs, and even those who were spared from layoffs suffered significant salary cuts because of the company's poor economic conditions.

They hope that Chen Jianqiu's return will bring them more investment, and at least their salary will increase.

Also waiting there were reporters from many media outlets in San Francisco.

As soon as these people got the news that Chen Jianqiu was coming, they gathered around early to see if they could get any useful information.

"I'm coming."

Suddenly someone with sharp eyes in the crowd shouted.

A carriage turned out from the end of the street.

Behind him, there were several carriages.

These carriages come from the station.

When Chen Jianqiu was still in control of the Pacific Railroad before the crisis, his trip in San Francisco was never arranged by anyone from the railroad.

Usually Hanif and the Border Detective Agency are in charge.

The carriage stopped at the door of the building, and Chen Jianqiu got out of the carriage.

Immediately afterwards, a group of formally dressed people with serious faces walked out of the carriage behind. They all held briefcases in their hands and followed Chen Jianqiu.

Pacific Railway's general manager Cox and deputy general manager Yule greeted him.

Both of them were "former important ministers" during the time of Hopkins Jr., and they were very worried at this time.

But Chen Jianqiu didn't seem to pay attention to them.

He just glanced at the welcome banner without even stopping.

"Everyone gather in the conference room, don't hang around here!" Li Sifu waved to the crowd and greeted, "Brothers from the media, come too."

Cox and Yule were stunned.

They looked at each other and followed him upstairs angrily.

The conference room has been prepared in advance.

On the table were paper, pens, and a small pure copper ornament from the Pacific Railroad Company.

Chen Jianqiu sat down.

He waved his hands to the people following behind him, gesturing for them to sit down to his left and right.

This turned out to be Cox and Yule's position.

The two of them looked very embarrassed and at a loss at this time.

"Um, Mr. Chen, where should we sit?" Cox hesitated and asked.

Chen Jianqiu pointed to the two positions in the back row:
"You guys sit there."

At this time, the conference room was full of people, and everyone was looking for their place. When they heard Chen Jianqiu's words, they all looked over.

Cox blushed.

This is a great humiliation.

He exploded.

"You can't do this to me! Chen Jianqiu! It was with the support of Yule and I that the Pacific Railway survived the crisis and avoided bankruptcy! You are going too far! It will chill everyone! I want to resign!"

"I'll resign too!" Yule echoed behind.

There was a sudden silence in the conference room.

Especially those friends from the media. They dare not speak, but they are extremely excited, and their little eyes are shining with gossip.

Is this just a show of authority?

They were looking forward to how Chen Jianqiu would handle this matter.

Chen Jianqiu leaned on the chair with a smile on his lips.

He tilted his head and looked at the blushing and thick-necked Coxes, and said slowly:
"Okay, double happiness comes to your door, but you have to keep your word."

Cox and Yule were stunned.

They didn't actually intend to resign, they just wanted their boss to give them the respect they deserved. Unexpectedly, Chen Jianqiu didn't follow the routine and directly agreed to their resignation.

Why don't you try to save it?

Before Cox could react, Yule spoke first:

"Um, Boss Chen, what Cox meant just now is..."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Jianqiu had already waved his hand to silence him.

He now has a headache when he sees these two sleeping dragons and phoenixes.

Although he left the Pacific Railroad Company, he has maintained an interest in the company through Hanif in recent years.

At least half of Hopkins' bad idea had to do with these two people.

"Since you are no longer from Pacific Railway, nor are you friends from the media, it would be inappropriate to stay in this conference room any longer." Chen Jianqiu pointed to the door behind him with his thumb, "Both of you, Take it easy and settle the rest of your salary with the finance department yourself."

Yule was disgraced and planned to walk out, but Cox had no intention of leaving.

He gave up his upbringing and manners as a gentleman and began to act recklessly:
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just staying in this conference room. I want to hear what you have to say."

Cox stayed on the edge of the table, showing no intention of moving.

Chen Jianqiu raised his fingers at Li Sifu:

"Get out!"

Li Sifu winked at the person outside the door.

Two tall detectives in black clothes quickly walked into the conference room.

They came to Cox's side, standing on the left and right sides, one on each side, and held the former general manager in the air.

Cox's little short legs hung in the air kicking the air.

The two detectives quickly carried the cursing former general manager out.

The door to the conference room was closed.

The management and middle-level staff of several railway companies in the conference room did not dare to express their anger.

They wondered if it would be their turn next.

But Chen Jianqiu's next words reassured them.

"Except for the two guys just now, the positions and salaries of everyone else remain unchanged for the time being. Subsequent salary adjustments will depend on the specific situation of reorganization and integration."

Restructuring? Integration? What does it mean?
Everyone present, including the reporters, was stunned.

Chen Jianqiu looked around and continued:

"From now on, the Pacific Railroad, the Santa Fe Railroad, the Northern Pacific Railroad, these companies will no longer exist, and in their place will be the Western Railroad."

People in the conference room began to whisper to each other and talk about it.

This move is risky.

Although in the 19s, monopoly capitalism was the mainstream and the trend.

Trusts like Rockefeller's Standard Oil and Carnegie's Carnegie Steel emerged, but the federal government and state governments in each state were watching the emergence of such giants.

They are all worried about this.

"We need unified operating standards, including unified operating hours, unified track width, unified freight rates, and even unified service standards."

Chen Jianqiu knocked on the table and said.

He knew too well how much internal friction these chaotic operations had caused to the railway industry before the financial crisis.

The integration between the Pacific Railroad and the Santa Fe Railroad when he first took over was also the key to his ability to make money.

The preferential policies and huge profits in the early stages of railway development concealed many problems.

And these cannot exist forever.

Chen Jianqiu pointed to the people who followed him and sat on both sides of him: "These matters will be handled by the team led by Mr. Fritz. He is a very experienced manager."

A thin old man with a goatee sitting on Chen Jianqiu's left stood up and bowed to everyone.

This old man may not look impressive, but he is actually a leading figure in the American railroad industry.

He once served as general manager of the company of the famous railroad tycoon Vanderbilt, and later worked for many famous railroad companies in the East with remarkable achievements.

If Chen Jianqiu hadn't spent a lot of money to hire him back, he would have stayed at home and enjoyed his grandchildren.
"What about us?" asked a manager and major shareholder of a small railway company anxiously.

His doubts represent those of many small railway companies like his.

They were invited here, thinking that Chen Jianqiu would acquire them together.

As it turned out, their company was not included in the company name that Boss Chen just mentioned.

Chen Jianqiu looked at the questioner and smiled:
"You guys are the same, but you need to use the same standards as us."

This statement caused an uproar among the bosses of small railway companies.

You are a scumbag who wants to get involved but refuses to take responsibility.

"Um, Mr. Chen, excuse me for asking, but you don't intend to acquire our company, but you want us to follow your request?" the small company boss asked.

Chen Jianqiu knocked on the table rhythmically again:

"If the business performance is outstanding, I will consider taking a stake in it."

"Don't you think this is too overbearing?" The young boss was a little unhappy. "After all, we have been operating in the same way for many years."

The others followed suit.

Chen Jianqiu looked around, his expression still as calm as water:

"Because I don't want you to continue competing in such an unorderly manner."

"For companies that are willing to accept what I said, Sanjiang Bank will provide them with better financing services. At the same time, Western Railway Company will share customers and business with you."

Chen Jianqiu snapped his fingers.

The goateed old man named Fritz took out a piece of folded paper from his bag.

After the old man unfolded it, everyone realized that it was actually a map.

"Hang it up." Chen Jianqiu commanded.

The map was soon hung on the wall behind him.

"I have also divided your business scope for everyone. I hope everyone can keep to themselves. If you have lines in each other's territory, you can trade and exchange them."

Chen Jianqiu pointed to the map on the wall.

He paused, then continued:

"However, if you don't want to accept this and choose to run your own business, I won't stop you, but you won't get any of the previous discounts."

"Everyone, please consider this carefully."

After Chen Jianqiu finished his last sentence, he stopped talking and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest.

The managers and bosses of the small railway companies looked at each other.

In this era, capital means competitiveness.

No one says no to money.

It seemed that they had no choice but to agree to Chen Jianqiu's request.

"I'd like to express my opinion. I'm willing to do this. It's good for everyone's development." Another small boss took the lead and said, "Only by following Boss Chen can we make money."

His speech resonated with people, and others followed suit and expressed their opinions.

"That's okay with me too."

"Seattle Railway Company, no problem."

Chen Jianqiu closed his eyes.

This situation was within his expectations.

There were some objective reasons why he integrated those small railway companies in this way.

Part of his liquid funds was converted into gold bonds and deposited into the treasury. It was thanks to Belmont that he was able to control several of the largest railway companies in the West.

The remaining small companies and routes cannot be taken care of for the time being.

What's more, these small railway companies are of varying quality, and if you enter rashly, you will probably lose a lot of money.

Therefore, Chen Jianqiu decided to let them play according to the rules he set first.

If the business is doing well, let them continue to operate.

After all, if you eat the meat, you can't prevent others from drinking the soup.

For those whose business conditions are not good, wait until they have more financial resources and then let a professional team move in to carry out the reorganization.

By that time, these companies will have been operating according to standardized processes for some time and can be merged in at any time.

The overall situation on the scene has been determined.

"You two can continue to discuss the details."

Chen Jianqiu opened his eyes and said to Fritz.

Just as he took out a comic book from his clothes and was about to start reading it.

The door to the conference room opened slightly, and a detective squeezed in sideways.

He walked quickly to Chen Jianqiu's side, bent down and leaned close to the latter's ear, and whispered something.

Chen Jianqiu's expression remained calm, but he frowned slightly, which was rare.

He put away the comic book that he had not yet opened.

"Mr. Fritz, I'll leave this to you. If you're unsure about anything, contact Mr. Silas in New York. He will make the decision."

Chen Jianqiu stood up and spoke to the old man with a goatee who was about to speak.

Fritz looked at Chen Jianqiu in astonishment.

Does this boss trust me so much? He just came here to express his opinion and is ready to leave?

"Are you leaving San Francisco?" he asked.

"Yes, I have a very important matter to deal with. With your experience and abilities, there should be no problem in handling things here." Chen Jianqiu said.

Then, under the gaze of everyone in the room, he stood up and hurriedly left the meeting room.

As soon as he walked out of the meeting room, Chen Jianqiu's expression changed.

Extremely serious.

As he walked toward the door, he instructed Li Sifu who followed him out:
"Call or send a telegram to Roswell and have Aska take the militia to the Juarez Valley. We'll meet up there!"

The Juarez Valley is located on the border of Mexico and the United States, near the city of Ciudad Juarez.

Since Chen Jianqiu took over Juarez, he opened up a piece of land there for Geronimo and his people to live in.

Not only was Geronimo's tribe there, but there were other surviving Apache tribes as well.

It is located in Mexico, which protects them from harassment by the US military.

They can grow corn and cotton, and do some hunting. Chen Jianqiu also provides some employment opportunities in Juarez for young Indians who are willing to work.

So, these Indians have been living pretty well in recent years.

Still, something went wrong there.

The Border Detective Agency detective who just broke in brought Chen Jianqiu a message:
Geronimo is dead.

(End of this chapter)