America 1881: Legend of the West

Chapter 555 Meeting is fate

There are various things on the grid behind Chen Jianqiu, including ceramics, knives, and even animal skulls, all of which are famous products.

But most of them remain empty.

These empty grids look like there are gaps in the middle of a row of teeth, and they look really ugly.

"Mr. Chen, why are the grids behind you empty?" Hanna looked at the grids and couldn't help but ask.

"Those grids will soon house a batch of things from my hometown." Chen Jianqiu said calmly while scalding the tea cup. "Some bandits will kidnap them from their original place."

"I don't want them to be like children without a home, wandering away. These grids are their home. They will stay here for many years, and then return to their hometown one day in the future."

Hanna and McKinley seemed to understand.

This Chinese man talks so eloquently, like, a prophet?
Chen Jianqiu poured a cup of tea for each of the two guests in front of him.

He himself turned around, took out a delicate small box from a grid behind him, opened the lid, and took out two sticks of incense.

He took out the match, lit the two sticks of incense, gently put them into the box in front of him, and closed the lid.

A wisp of green smoke floated out from the cutout on the lid.

The whole room was suddenly filled with a refreshing aroma.

Hanna sniffed:
"What kind of fragrance is this? Mr. Chen?"

"This is a handmade incense stick. In my hometown, people grind the fragrant leaves into powder, add some Chinese medicine, and then go through more than ten processes to reshape it into a finished product. It can refresh the mind."

Chen Jianqiu took a sip of tea and said slowly.

"These two sticks of incense can burn in just ten or twenty minutes, but they may take several years to make."

McKinley lamented:

"The wisdom of the working people of the East is truly unparalleled."

He took his eyes away from the exquisite incense box.

"Mr. Morgan mentioned you to us and praised you highly; Mr. Roosevelt did the same, but he told us that to see you, we need a little, um, 'fate'?"

McKinley considered his words.

He chose to use the word "luck."

However, Chen Jianqiu still had an enigmatic smile on his face and shook his head slightly:

"No, Mr. McKinley, what we Easterners call 'fate' is not the same as what you call 'luck'."

He put the tea cup in his hand on the tea table.

"'Luck' is luck and chance, but 'fate' is inevitable in chance." Chen Jianqiu said with a smile.

"We Easterners talk about 'karma'. Causes and conditions create the world and causes and conditions destroy the world. There must be a cause if there is a destiny."

"It's fate that you and I can sit here drinking tea. Mr. Morgan is the reason, Mr. Roosevelt is the reason. But the two of you can become the leader of the Republican Party through your own efforts. It's also the reason. Everything is the reason. Everything is fate.”

Chen Jianqiu said leisurely.

Hanna's head almost exploded.

This man looked too much like a fortune teller from the East, not a prince like Morgan said.

But McKinley on the side was thoughtful.

"What about 'destiny'? Destined?" After thinking for a moment, he changed the word.

"It's somewhat similar, but not exactly the same. 'Fate' is accidental but also inevitable. It is the unity of the two." Chen Jianqiu said.

He continued to pour a cup of tea into the three empty teacups, and then said without raising his head:
"Several new states in the West joined the Union."

"Utah is influenced by California and is the territory of the Democratic Party; Republicans in the Dakotas and Montana have not yet figured out their positions; Wyoming is a wallflower, Colorado is a rebel, and as for New Mexico, it is even more of a In the Chinese state, the Democratic and Republican parties took turns taking power, and the two of them couldn't be sure."

Chen Jianqiu's tone was calm, but in the ears of the two of them, it sounded like thunder.

Is this man really not interested in politics at all, as Morgan and Roosevelt claimed?
Chen Jianqiu put down the teapot, but continued:

"Even within the Republican Party, the two of them have not yet reached a consensus with most people; except for the two rebellious guys in New York and Pennsylvania, there are also a group of supporters of the silver standard in the western states who argue about the gold standard system. thing."

He paused, raised his head, and glanced at McKinley.

"Your election campaign is full of difficulties."

Hanna and McKinley were stunned.

Chen Jianqiu's words can be said to be to the point, and every sentence hits the point.

These problems are the main problems they face outside of this period of time.

However, these problems did not appear at the same time, but gradually emerged during more than a year of campaign preparations.

The Chinese man in front of me could speak clearly and clearly in very short language.

This is so evil.

Unbelievable, but quite shocking.

McKinley's mind was racing.

The lingering aroma of tea still lingers in the mouth and nose.

He stared at Chen Jianqiu, but found that the enigmatic Chinese opposite him closed his eyes and stopped talking after finishing speaking.

Is it really like what this person said, that meeting him is the so-called "fate", the "result" in the past and the "cause" in the back.

Is the appearance of Chen Jianqiu an indispensable condition for him to ascend to the throne of president?
McKinley finally made up his mind.

He followed what the Chinese people he had seen in Chinatown did before, cupped his fists and said:
"Please sir, teach me."

His words and actions startled Hanna next to him.

The old man is old, his reaction is slower, and his brain is still dizzy for the time being.

He put his hand under the tea table and subconsciously tugged at the corner of McKinley's clothes.

But McKinley turned a blind eye and still maintained his hand-over posture:
"Please teach me, sir!"

Chen Jianqiu still looked like he was in trance.

The wisp of green smoke floated out from the incense box and rose in front of him, adding to the mystery.

After a while, Chen Jianqiu opened his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I entered a meditative state just now. What do you guys have to say?"

McKinley raised his hand again without hesitation:

"Mr. Chen, what you said is correct. Is there any solution?"

Chen Jianqiu waved his hand:
"I'm just a Chinese who came to America across the ocean. I'm lucky enough to have made some money. How dare I talk nonsense about the affairs within the Republican Party?" After saying this, his eyelids drooped again, as if he was about to enter into meditation again.

McKinley was anxious.

If the person in front of me falls into samadhi again, I don’t know when he will open his eyes again.

"Mr. Chen, you are wrong. The United States of America is a free country. Every legal citizen has the right to express his or her own opinions. This has nothing to do with skin color," he said eagerly.

"I have no more bad feelings towards Chinese people, especially after meeting you! I think they are hardworking, simple, and most of them are kind."

As a politician, McKinley had already mastered the skill of speaking differently to different people.

He is very skilled in this rhetoric, and he can replace the "Chinese" with other people who hold votes according to his own needs.

"Oh, is this really what you think?" Chen Jianqiu asked.

"Yes, this is what I really think," McKinley said "sincerely".

Chen Jianqiu turned to Hannah:

"That's what you think, too, isn't it?"

The old man was actually still in a confused state. When he saw Chen Jianqiu asking him, he hurriedly followed behind and nodded repeatedly.

Chen Jianqiu stood up.

He took away the teacups and teapots on the tea table, including the kettle filled with boiling water.

Chen Jianqiu turned around again, took out a crumpled folded paper from the grid, then turned back to his seat and unfolded the paper on the tea table.

This is a map of the West, but it is no ordinary map.

The above describes in detail the current political ecology of the western states.

The person who drew this map is Wang Qingfu, the chairman of the "Chinese Political Participation Alliance".

Over the years, he did not stay in New York or Washington, but traveled between the East and the West.

Educated Chinese people gradually began to appear in government departments of western states. Some even had Chinese people in state legislatures, as in the New Mexico Territory.

These Chinese were carefully selected by Chen Jianqiu and Wang Qingfu and have attended universities for further studies.

With the help of Chen Jianqiu's influence, they stepped onto the political stage of each state, representing the will of Chen Jianqiu and the Chinese living in those states.

"First of all, gentlemen, you will need a lot, a lot, a lot of money." Chen Jianqiu drew a big circle in the west on the map with his hand.

"I understand this. Morgan has already made a political donation of 20 US dollars, and more donations will come in the future. Based on past experience, I estimate that or US dollars should be enough." Hannah said first.

"Not enough, not enough, far from enough." Chen Jianqiu shook his head repeatedly, "Just as I told you just now, there are several states in the West that have just joined the federation."

"For the first time, the citizens of these states are beginning to truly exercise their rights and obligations in the presidential election!"

"Most of these voters in the West are not as well-educated as those in the old eastern states, so you need more money for propaganda."

"For example, traveling around the country to give speeches, or using the media to promote Mr. McKinley so that citizens know what kind of person they are voting for."

"You also need to hire a large number of people, at least thousands of people, to carry leaflets and infiltrate every constituency."

"So how much money do you think is enough?" Hannah frowned.

"More than one million and a half dollars." Chen Jianqiu said calmly, "I will also donate two hundred thousand dollars."

"Also, speaking across the country means you need to quickly move from one city to another." He gestured at a map. "The West is different from the East. This place is vast, and many places are uninhabited. If you need to travel from one city to another, it can be very tiring."

Hannah agreed with this very much, and he suddenly remembered what Morgan had said to him.

When the financial crisis hit, Chen Jianqiu and Morgan took advantage of the opportunity to buy at the bottom. After a series of complex operations including restructuring, they controlled almost all the railway companies on the continent.

"The Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads would provide special trains designed to move Mr. McKinley quickly from one city to the next."

Hannah and McKinley felt relieved instantly.

The Chinese man in front of him looked very reliable. He not only gave advice but also took part in the action himself.

Chen Jianqiu pointed at the map on the desktop:
"Next, I will talk about the specific problems in each state."

"Although there are many civilians in Utah, the Mormons have a large influence in the state, so if we handle it well, it won't be a problem to take them down."

"Colorado is influenced by the local silver association, and the 'silver coin faction' within the Republican Party, led by state legislator Kohler, will not give up."

Hannah nodded repeatedly at this point:

"Yes, that kid named Kohler threatened to withdraw from the party with all his people if we adopted the 'gold standard' system. This is giving us a headache."

Chen Jianqiu smiled slightly:
"You don't have to worry about this. The split between the 'gold coin faction' and the 'silver coin faction' exists in the Republican Party, and the Democratic Party also faces this problem. This has nothing to do with the party itself, so don't worry. The worst that can happen is a wave of personnel replacement."

"'Gold Standard' is the foundation of the Republican Party's election this time. Do not hesitate to write it into your platform. It will win you the support of many people, including me."

"Wyoming and Kansas may seem dangerous, but you don't have to worry too much. I know the situation there better than you do. I will take some measures when necessary."

"As for New Mexico and Arizona, I personally think you don't have to worry about the situation there."

After Chen Jianqiu finished speaking, he turned the map on the tea table over and handed it to the two of them.

McKinley and Hannah were stunned by what they heard. When they saw the map turned around, they hurried over to check the information on it bit by bit.

Chen Jianqiu's analysis seemed to open another door for them.

They combined the information they had and verified what he said in their minds one by one, and couldn't help but look at the Chinese man in front of them with even greater respect.

Hanna now became increasingly skeptical of Morgan and Roosevelt's earlier statements.

A businessman who doesn't care about politics?
King of the West is the real deal, all right.

After looking at the map, McKinley, feeling a little excited, raised his head and looked at Chen Jianqiu:

"Mr. Chen, please join my campaign team. We can't do without you in the election in the West."

However, Chen Jianqiu smiled and shook his head.

"I will help you, since we are destined to meet, but I will not step into the front."

McKinley didn't understand it for a moment, but he knew that Chen Jianqiu must have his own considerations.

But then he added:
"Mr. Chen, after you win the election, please join my cabinet. I hope you can become the first Chinese government official in American history!"

However, Chen Jianqiu shook his head again:
"Let's talk about it then."

McKinley was confused.

You don’t want this, you don’t want that, so what do you want?

Chen Jianqiu said slowly:

"I hope that if you can really succeed in entering the White House, that bill can be repealed in your hands."

(End of this chapter)