America 1881: Legend of the West

Chapter 647 Epilogue
Rockefeller Sr. was pruning his precious flowers and plants in his back garden.

Even though some of these flowers and plants are not adapted to the cold weather in New York.

However, the old Rockefeller always believed that as long as he cultivated them carefully, there was no flower that could not bloom in New York.

Therefore, every once in a while, there will always be many bare flower pots in the old Rockefeller's courtyard.

"Father, my condolences!"

Danny looked at the flower pot held in his father's hand.

There were only a few dead leaves hanging on the plant in the flower pot, which could no longer be identified as to what type it was.

A gust of wind blew by and two more pieces fell.

"It will grow again next spring," said the elder Rockefeller.

Older people, facing the yellowing and dilapidation, will inevitably have some sympathy and a sense of sadness in their hearts.

So the old man chose to lie to himself.

"I heard that you have started negotiating business on behalf of your family in New York in the past two days?"

The old man placed the flower pot in his hand in a corner and turned to the other pot.

"Yes, father, there is a lot of pressure from the government now, and we have to find a solution together." Danny said.

Old Rockefeller slowly turned around and looked at Danny, his eyes like swords and his voice majestic:
"Who gave you the courage and power?"

The old man suddenly became angry.

However, facing his aggressive momentum, Danny didn't panic at all.

"I think if it were you, you would do the same thing." He said, "Your health is not good and you shouldn't let this kind of thing disturb your retirement life."

Old Rockefeller stared at the "eldest son" in front of him.

If it were in the past, little Rockefeller would either be gibbering after a hangover, or cowardly and say nothing.

But today, not only did he dare to look directly into his own eyes, he also spoke tit-for-tat.

Finally it wasn't in vain.

Old Rockefeller's eyes became cloudy again.

He turned around and continued playing with his flowers and plants.

And Danny stood behind him quietly with his hands lowered.

The father and son just maintained a delicate silence.

"Aren't you going to continue having trouble with that woman?"

Finally it was the bent old Rockefeller who broke the silence.

"Women will only affect our judgment of the situation. As a mature man, you should learn to control your desires." Danny replied.

Old Rockefeller straightened up, turned around, and looked at his eldest son with surprised eyes.

He always felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

This feels so strange.

He felt strange, yet familiar.

What was unfamiliar was the eldest son in front of him, but what was familiar was that he seemed to have seen this feeling in someone before.

A gust of wind blew by, and the old Rockefeller coughed one after another and couldn't stop it.

"Father, the wind is picking up." Danny reminded from behind.

"I'm old, and this cough hasn't gotten better since last winter."

The elder Rockefeller's tone became rarely kind.

"Your mother is not in good health and comes back often to see her."

"It would be great if my brother was still here, and you wouldn't be so lonely." Danny said suddenly.

Old Rockefeller slowly raised his head, his eyes flashing:
"Don't always mention a deceased person. He had talent but went astray."

Perhaps he once thought about his little son who was a concubine from time to time.

That's because the eldest son is useless.

Now that the eldest son seems to be increasingly reliable, the younger son who has died is not so important.

It would be better to die, at least there would be less worries about fratricide.

As for his eldest son's former peeing, he was no match for his rebellious son.

Old Rockefeller walked up to Danny and patted him on the shoulder:

"Looking forward, the Rockefeller family now has only one heir, and that is you. You determine the future of the Rockefeller family."

Danny took a deep breath.

"Please take care, father."

After saying that, he turned around and left the old Rockefeller's yard and walked out of the villa's door.

A new Ford car was parked at the door of the villa.

The driver poked his head out of the car and waved at him.

"Master! Here, get in the car!"

Danny recognized the driver.

This man had been following Rockefeller Jr. and was the spy placed by Rockefeller Sr. around his son.

During these days, he has been avoiding too much contact with this person to prevent too many flaws from being exposed.

He hesitated for a moment, then got into the passenger seat.

"Master, are you still adapting to life in New York?" the driver turned around and asked with a half-smile.

"It's okay, me."

Danny's heart suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

Why did the driver suddenly ask this question?

When was his identity revealed?

Sweat poured down Danny's back.

"Winter in New York is about the same as in Denver, don't use the layman's word, Schrader."

A voice suddenly came from the back seat.

Danny turned around and saw a man in a black coat sitting in the back seat.

He slowly raised his head, revealing a yellow-skinned face under his hat.

"Let me introduce, this driver's name is Schrader, a senior undercover agent from the Border Detective Agency. If you have anything in the future, just discuss it with him and he will assist you." Chen Jianqiu pointed at the driver and said.

The driver smiled so honestly that no one could see any flaws in his smile.

Danny couldn't say a word.

He really couldn't imagine how many chess pieces the man behind him had hidden in the shadows.

And he may also be one of these pawns.

Winter in New York is extremely cold.

For those Wall Street monopoly tycoons, winter is coming.

Northern Securities was broken up without mercy.

Next, there is the American sugar industry and American tobacco.
Danny, who had transformed himself, quickly took control of the entire Standard Oil Company with the acquiescence of the old Rockefeller and the secret help of Chen Jianqiu.

Standard Oil Trust shareholders experienced a new way of holding board meetings.

According to one of them, who was a member of the board of directors of the Santa Fe Railroad Company, he had only seen the current rule of the board of directors of Standard Oil Company in a certain chairman named Chen.

He recalled the fear of being dominated by two groups of heavily armed men in black.

When the old Rockefeller started, he would occasionally ask about the company's affairs.

But later on, he never appeared in front of everyone again.

Because his illness is getting worse.

Although the old Rockefeller's personal doctor has always been optimistic about the old man's condition, the fact is that when Danny gradually came to power, the old man's condition took a turn for the worse.

The doctors had no idea what was going on.

Because this is beyond his inherent knowledge.

It would even be bold to say that the old man's symptoms looked more like a case of chronic poisoning.

But he didn't dare to talk nonsense about such things.

Two years later, his wife Laura became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Old Rockefeller is dead.

Died in another winter.

He died at the right time, for others as well as for himself.

Because he did not live to see the collapse of his empire.

President Roosevelt originally thought that there was no way to dismantle Standard Oil during his term in office, and was ready to entrust this great task to his successor Taft.

Rockefeller Jr. took the initiative to dissolve the Standard Oil Trust.

This shocked the entire United States.

Some people cheered for it.

They believe the government's efforts have not been in vain.

The source of social contradictions stems from the emergence of trusts, which is a dark cloud hanging over the United States.

When the trust collapses, there will be a clear sky.

Some people began to summon the spirit of the recently deceased old Rockefeller.

Most of these people are old folks who have benefited from the dividends.

In their words, monopoly is the result of industry integration and a kind of order.

It is this order that has allowed America to soar and stand at the top of the world in the past few decades.

If order is gone, chaos will return.

If old Rockefeller were still alive, he would never let this situation happen.

But this statement can't change anything at all.

The Rockefeller family's successor, Rockefeller Jr., didn't care at all about their opinions.

He never mentioned his father again in public.

no more.

Even just a few words.

Most people didn't care what they thought, because as Standard Oil collapsed, dozens of new companies sprang up in every state.

Most people in the industry are busy making money and seizing the market.

For example, Chen Jianqiu has acquired shares in several of these companies.

Who would pay attention to a bunch of complaining people?

The grave of old Rockefeller also became deserted.

At best, he can rest in peace and no longer be disturbed.

But on another level, he is no longer missed.

"Father, you were the one who told me not to always mention the dead."

Danny glanced at his father's tombstone.

He threw a flower on it and walked away without looking back.

If there is any monopoly or quasi-monopoly company in the United States that has not made any moves, it is probably only Chen Jianqiu's Gunpowder Association.

It’s not that no one within the federal government has tried to take action against this association.

However, people from many military departments, including the General Staff, soon stood up and raised objections.

According to them, the military needs a stable supplier of arms.

They warned politicians.

If you don't want the United States' overseas interests to be greatly affected, then don't have too many crooked ideas.

The Secretary of State held the same view.

The Panama Canal is still under construction!
Boss Chen put up the money and provided manpower to carve out a future for America.

You guys will burn down Boss Chen's backyard! Are you still human?

The finance minister also jumped in and launched a swearing tirade at a private gathering of politicians.

The Federation still owes Boss Chen a huge debt!
If the government really has the ability to overturn the table and eliminate the creditors, then writing off the debts is also a solution.

But the facts in Texas last time proved that they didn't.

So why are you flirting with her at this time?!

Besides, who will lend you money in the future if you do this?

Borrowing money is one thing, paying only the interest is another, but taking action against the creditor is another.

As a result, those plans to target the Gunpowder Association and Chen Jianqiu's industries were once again shelved.

However, Boss Chen's family unexpectedly left New York and returned to Roswell, and his son also went to California to study at Stanford University.

In the words of Chen Jianqiu, the overall situation in the East has been determined and it is time to return to the West.

In 1913, winter passed and spring came again.

The Spring Festival is here.

Roswell was as usual, with lights and decorations all over the place, and men, women and children were busy hanging lanterns and pasting up Spring Festival couplets.

Chen Jianqiu is no exception.

He stood outside the gate of his courtyard house, holding a bright red couplet and gesturing at the door.

On the table beside him there was a basin of paste and the lower half of the couplet.

"Dad, I'm back!"

A voice came from behind.

Chen Jianqiu turned his head and found that his son Chen Pengkun appeared behind him carrying a large box.

Next to him stood a blonde girl.

"I'm very sorry about your father."

Chen Jianqiu put down the couplet in his hand, walked up to the girl, and looked at him with pity.

"But this is your home now, no one can bully my Chen family's daughter-in-law!" he said.

The girl nodded.

Her name was Susan Astor.

Her father, King Astor IV, who was also a good friend of Chen Jianqiu, boarded the famous ship, the Titanic, with his second wife last year.

Chen Jianqiu didn't know about this.

He has returned to the West.

He even felt a little regretful.

If I had known this and given some advice in advance, perhaps things would have been completely different.

According to the will.

The bulk of Astor Jr.'s estate would be inherited by his son, Vincent Astor.

However, the young man did not have much affection for his sister. In addition, the family factions were complicated, and all kinds of people were eyeing the share in Susan's hand.

The girl was in a tough situation.

Susan and Chen Pengkun had already been engaged.

Chen Jianqiu had no intention of avoiding suspicion and let his son marry Susan shortly after little Astor's funeral.

At the same time he also spread the word.

He didn't want to touch a penny of the other Astor family's property.

But who dares to touch Susan's heart or disrespect this girl?

Then he will make that person pay the price he deserves.

"Don't be stunned, help dad put up the Spring Festival couplets!" Chen Pengkun returned to the house and put the box away, then walked out and said to Susan.

Chen Jianqiu was happy to have some free time, so he handed the Spring Festival couplets to the two of them, took a few steps back, and stood aside, gesticulating with his hands folded.

"Boss!" Another voice came from behind.

Chen Jianqiu turned his head again, wondering why it was so lively here today.

The man dismounted from his horse and was wearing an American military officer's uniform with a silver star prominently displayed on his epaulettes.

"Oh, you were promoted to brigadier general? I remember someone complaining to me that he had no chance? General Li?" Chen Jianqiu glanced up and down at the visitor and joked.

"Hey, don't mention it. When I first entered West Point Military Academy for advanced studies, I couldn't understand the textbooks at all."

Li Sifu shook his head.

"Don't mention General Lee. Those guys in the General Staff have always thought that I have some relationship with the Confederate commander during the Civil War."

"You guys keep posting, I'll come back and check the results!"

Chen Jianqiu gave a warning, then turned to Li Sifu and gestured to the door to invite him in:
"Chief of Staff Li, please come in and have some tea."

The tea room is located in the west-facing room of the courtyard. The furnishings are antique and the paintings hanging on the wall are lifelike.

Chen Jianqiu and Li Sifu sat facing each other on both sides of the tea table.

He lit a stick of incense, then began to heat the tea set and make tea.

The aroma of tea and tobacco soon intertwined and filled the entire tea room.

Li Sifu respectfully took the cup of tea handed to him by Chen Jianqiu and took a sip.

"I think a war will break out in Europe soon," Li Sifu said, "all it needs is a reason."

Now as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the newly established U.S. General Staff, he naturally speaks out the research conclusions of the General Staff.

"Yes, I know this." Chen Jianqiu poured boiling water into the teapot.

Who knows better than arms dealers where wars are happening and where wars are about to break out in the world?

Chen Jianqiu's arms factories are already producing weapons at full capacity for export.

"But the Federation may not plan to intervene in the war for the time being," said Li Sifu.

"Believe me, it's only a matter of time before we join the war." Chen Jianqiu took a sip of tea. "This will be two world wars, and no one will be immune."

"Two?"

Li Sifu has always believed in his boss's judgment.

He took a deep breath.

"Well, maybe it is one, I can't say for sure." Chen Jianqiu smiled.

Due to some of his "inadvertent" actions, the timeline has changed, and he is not sure if the future will be the same.

"There is another thing. Japan's influence has extended to the edge of Hawaii. I think they may be a little unwilling to accept this." Li Sifu said.

"Your judgment is correct." Chen Jianqiu nodded. "These lunatics will not be content to sink on their own island. Instead, they will follow the example of Britain and compete with other countries for the world."

"They may not declare war on the United States for the time being, and may even stand on the same side for a period of time, but it is only a matter of time before they become enemies of the United States."

Chen Jianqiu added.

"I think if we want to make a breakthrough in the Far East, we might as well find an opportunity to beat them up."

"It's good to let these Japanese see the world." Li Sifu agreed with Chen Jianqiu's opinion, "These country bumpkins just found some confidence from the Russians."

The two began to chat about other things.

"Boss, if someone had told me when I first came here that Chinese people could have a bright future here and I could become the Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, I would have thought that person was crazy."

Li Sifu looked at the lush crops and fields not far from the window and sighed.

The fact that Chinese people have gained a foothold in America is as incredible as the Chihuahuan Desert in Roswell turning into an oasis.

But Chen Jianqiu did it all.

"Maybe we just arrived a little late. I didn't expect that Chinese people could integrate into this society in a bloodless way." Li Sifu tapped the table with his fingers.

However, Chen Jianqiu did not reply to him immediately, but stared out the window.

"No, you are wrong, Sifu," he said slowly.

"In this land, there is no such thing as early or late, there is only strong or weak."

“Whoever is strong will have the right to speak on this land.”

“National issues involve customs and beliefs, and may be the most difficult issues to resolve in the world.”

“Integration is mutual, not one-sided. It requires a process and time.”

“Abandon unrealistic fantasies and be prepared for bloodshed and sacrifice. It will take many generations, many years, and firm beliefs to truly carve out a new future for ourselves on this land!”

Chen Jianqiu closed his eyes.

The sound of firecrackers was heard outside the window.

When he opened his eyes again, everything outside was red.

(Complete)

(End of this chapter)