The arrogance started from Chinatown

Chapter 168 Baptism and Connections (Two chapters in one)

The next day, Chen Zhengwei looked at Lin Changning with a smile, but Lin Changning had a blank expression on his face.

Anyway, the two of them have been like this for a while, and everyone else is used to it.

Only Qiao Niang looked at Chen Zhengwei and Lin Changning from time to time, as if she wanted to read something from their faces.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen it before?" Chen Zhengwei asked casually.

"It feels like something happened that I don't know about..." Chen Qiaoniang muttered.

"There are so many things you don't know!" Chen Zhengwei sneered, feeling a little surprised at Chen Qiaoniang's sharpness.

"Let's take a walk?" Chen Zhengwei said to Lin Changning after dinner.

Lin Changning didn't say anything, but he didn't refuse either.

"Xiwen, send them both to the martial arts gym later!" Chen Zhengwei said directly to Li Xiwen.

Then he took Lin Changning's hand and walked out.

Lin Changning hesitated for a moment, but did not refuse, and let Chen Zhengwei drag him.

"Weige!"

"Sister Changning!"

"Master Wei! Miss Lin!"

Along the way, whether it was Chen Zhengwei's men or the owners of street shops, they all greeted the two of them when they saw them.

Unlike Wan Yun, who was only known by people close to Chen Zhengwei, many people in Chinatown had heard of Lin Changning's name even if they had never seen her.

On the one hand it was because of Chen Zhengwei, and on the other hand it was because of Lin Changning’s appearance and temperament.

"This is my Chinatown!" Chen Zhengwei said as he walked along, raising his head.

He carries a spirit of high spirits and vigor.

Lin Changning turned his head to look at Chen Zhengwei. He had to admit that Chen Zhengwei's high spirits and sharpness were indeed very attractive.

Chen Zhengwei brought Lin Changning to the edge of the square. He came to check out the situation at the Baige Ticket Shop.

This shop is right next to the labor service company, so the Chinese workers can come and do some shopping while they are waiting for work.

From a distance, you can see five or six people buying white pigeon tickets in the store.

The earliest white pigeon tickets had pigeons picking up paper balls from the inside, but by the time of Chen Zhengwei, it had evolved into a glass roller with a small hole, which was then filled with small balls.

Each time you open it, just shake the glass roller to let the ball fall out.

Anyway, there are always a few winners in each issue, but the prizes are not big. Occasionally, the store will arrange for someone to win a big prize.

"Brother Wei, why are you here? Miss Lin!" The person in charge of the Baige Ticket Shop is from the Chen family. When he saw Chen Zhengwei, he immediately came up to him with a friendly look.

"How's business lately?" Chen Zhengwei asked.

"Brother Wei's way of making money is impeccable. He can make at least over a hundred a day!" The person in charge laughed softly.

Then he talked about the recent winning situation. Every day, about one-tenth of the bets are given to people to win prizes, which is usually about ten or eight dollars.

Occasionally, a prize of one or two hundred yuan would come out, and the day before yesterday, a prize of over a thousand yuan was drawn, but that was one of their own.

"Well! Work hard here and you will have better development in the future." Chen Zhengwei nodded. The person in charge of this kind of business will be transferred to other casinos to work in half a year.

To prevent the upper and lower levels from colluding with each other and greedily taking their own money.

This is also for their own good. Otherwise, Chen Zhengwei would have to kill them personally, which would be embarrassing for everyone.

Chen Zhengwei understands human nature too well. This kind of business is so easy to make, there will definitely be people who can't control themselves.

After leaving the store, Lin Changning suddenly said, "Nine out of ten gambling cases are frauds!"

"What nine frauds? Ten out of ten gamblings are frauds!" Chen Zhengwei laughed.

"But there aren't even many women in Chinatown. What else can they do if they don't gamble? They have to have some entertainment. Playing here is a contribution."

"I plan to use the money I earn from this store to open a school!" Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

Lin Changning turned his head and looked at him again.

"If the Chinese want to gain a foothold here, they need to be lawyers, politicians, and businessmen instead of building railways or farming for others."

"They have to go to school before they can become lawyers, politicians, and businessmen!"

Chen Zhengwei said lightly.

Lin Changning remained silent. She didn't know much about this, but she knew that running a school was a good thing.

After a round, Chen Zhengwei sent Lin Changning back to the martial arts hall. He then took a carriage to the Investigation Bureau and put the badge on his chest when he got off the car.

He liked this sheriff's badge for two days. It was a nice toy for him, but he threw it aside after the novelty wore off.

"Is the director here?" Chen Zhengwei asked, pulling a copper button at random.

After asking several people and knowing that the director was in the office, Chen Zhengwei went straight to find Director Scannell.

"Our sheriff is here!" Scannell smiled when he saw Chen Zhengwei.

"So what does the sheriff want from me?"

Chen Zhengwei pulled over a chair and sat opposite the desk. He took out a piece of paper from his briefcase, put it on the table, and pushed it over.

The director took the paper in his hand and took a look at it. It was an agreement for a 2% profit share for the club located on Montgomery Street.

"This is the largest, most luxurious, and highest-level club in San Francisco, with an investment of over $500,000. The monthly cash flow is hundreds of thousands, or even more, with a profit of at least one million dollars a year." Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

"This dividend is for life! Even if the director is no longer in this position, there will still be a steady flow of money into the account every month."

Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

Of course, if the director is no longer around, then you don’t have to pay this money.

"So what do you want?" Scannell inquired, leaning back in his chair.

"This is a gift, Mr. Director. If there is anything you want, it is the Director's friendship. Of course, maybe the Director can introduce some friends here?" Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

"You are a man with good vision, Chen!" Scannell smiled and racked his brains to find Chen Zhengwei's name from his memory.

Chen Zhengwei came to him twice to give him gifts, and he was very generous, which made it difficult for him not to like Chen Zhengwei.

"Of course, I'm also good at making friends!" Chen Zhengwei laughed.

"But you're not generous enough!" Scannell changed the subject.

"I think 5% is reasonable! 5% dividend!"

Although Chen Zhengwei did not say it explicitly, Scannell fully understood that Chen Zhengwei wanted him to protect his business, and he could even guess what this club was doing.

Then 2% is not enough.

As for shares, he didn't want them because this kind of business was likely to cause trouble.

If he gets into minor trouble, he can use his influence for the sake of money, but if the trouble is big, it will probably burn him.

"At most 3%, Scannell!" Chen Zhengwei called Director Scannell by his name.

"This business doesn't belong to me alone, and you're not the only one getting the dividends! Of course, I can give you extra dividends for the consumption of your friends at the club! An extra 5% dividend!"

"Deal!" Chief Scannell said with a smile.

Chen Zhengwei wanted to take the contract back, but Scannell held it down. "I don't need a paper contract! I'll destroy it later."

He was not afraid that Chen Zhengwei would deny it. Credit is very important when doing business in the upper class.

Especially when the other person is Chinese.

As long as he releases the news himself, no one will believe him.

"No problem at all."

"So, when does our club open?"

"Preliminary preparations are underway and will take no more than three months!" Chen Zhengwei likes the name "our club" very much.

"Notify me when the time comes!" Scannell said with a smile.

"Of course. Also, I will be baptized at Grace Cathedral at the foot of Nob Hill the day after tomorrow. Will you come to watch the ceremony and bless me?" Chen Zhengwei smiled again.

He was asking whether Scannell was a Protestant or a Christian, as Grace Cathedral is a Protestant church.

"I'm glad you informed me of such an important matter!" said Scannell.

After a while, Chen Zhengwei left with his bag, smiling.

Only interests can keep the two sides closely connected.

As long as Scannell remains as commissioner, he can save himself a lot of trouble, not just the club's.

So the money was worth it. When he was no longer the director, Chen Zhengwei would not mind continuing to pay him as long as he could show enough value.

If you can’t… this money will cost lives.

……

Two days later, in the morning, the service at Grace Cathedral was the same as usual, but after the service today, more people stayed.

Chen Zhengwei put on a white robe that symbolized purity, and deliberately pulled out his pious cross from his clothes and hung it on his chest.

Now the name of this cross is "Piety".

Looking around, he saw that in addition to Chief Scannell and Judge Brown whom he had invited, there were also several blond men and women, who were obviously community celebrities invited by Reverend Hobart.

These people all gave Chen Zhengwei friendly smiles.

Although he was just a Chinese, the fact that they were invited by Pastor Hobart showed that this Chinese was of extraordinary status.

Especially those who attended the ceremony today were all well-known people in the community, such as Judge Brown, and some people recognized the director of the Bureau of Investigation, who usually does not come to Grace Cathedral.

Obviously it was for this Chinese person.

Director Scannell looked at the people around who came to watch the ceremony. Among them were several wealthy businessmen with assets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and doing big businesses.

I also have more confidence in Chen Zhengwei's business.

This Chinese man is very capable and skillful.

As the baptism ceremony began, Pastor Hobart, wearing traditional vestments and holding a Bible, walked up to the pulpit with a solemn expression.

Then he began to talk about the significance of baptism, emphasizing that it is a process of cleansing and rebirth of the soul.

Many people present were moved.

Only Chen Zhengwei, the person involved, felt bored. He had absolutely no interest in these things.

Chen Zhengwei was then called to the front, and Pastor Hobart dripped holy water on his hand onto Chen Zhengwei's forehead.

"I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

Then he loudly announced:

"Chen, you are now a member of our church. May God bless you and guide you on the path of righteousness."

Chen Zhengwei stood up with a smile, turned around and hugged the other people who came over.

"God bless you!" others blessed him.

Chen Zhengwei is more concerned about the identities of the invited guests. Maybe they have a chance to cooperate?

Since cooperating with the Jews some time ago, Chen Zhengwei found that he liked working with people more and more.

After all, cooperation leads to win-win results.

But today is obviously not the right opportunity.

After a moment, Chen Zhengwei changed back into a red gentleman's suit: "In our place, we only wear red on good days!"

Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

"With me taking the lead, I believe that there will soon be more people of God in Chinatown, and they will spread their faith to others. This top-down approach is always the best way!"

"You're right!" Pastor Hobart nodded. He was very much looking forward to converting all the Chinese in Chinatown into believers of God.

"How is the English textbook going?" Chen Zhengwei asked again.

In fact, several brokers have now switched careers to become English teachers, teaching the people under them, such as Lin Yuchang.

However, these people themselves only have a half-baked grasp of practical English, and their level of teaching is very average.

"A part of it has been made and can be used first. The rest will be improved!" said Pastor Hobart.

"That's enough! When will they come?" Chen Zhengwei asked.

"I have contacted some volunteers and they are available anytime," said Pastor Hobart.

These people went there not only to teach, but also to preach.

"Then let's do it tomorrow!" Chen Zhengwei thought for a while and said, although the school has not been built yet, he can teach his subordinates first.

My subordinates are all very studious.

In addition, I should announce the school when I get back. I should find a few private houses to use first, and then take in all the children of school age in Chinatown.

After leaving Grace Cathedral, he went straight back to Chinatown and asked someone to find Chen Zhenghu: "Find a few empty houses to use as schools."

"Then contact families in Chinatown who have school-age children and ask them to send their children to school."

“Everyone over five years old goes!”

"Also find a Chinese studies teacher. We need to learn both our Chinese and English. Don't learn English without knowing how to write a single Chinese character."

"Let's build a bigger place, teach the children during the day, and teach the adults at night! You have to go and learn too. If you can't learn, I'll break your legs and make you learn while lying in bed!"

Chen Zhenghu agreed with a sad face. He had no objection to letting others learn.

But it would be a bit difficult for him to learn.

He finds it harder to read Chinese characters than to read hieroglyphics, let alone English.

But he had no choice but to learn. Chen Zhengwei said that he would break his legs and make him learn while lying in bed. He absolutely believed that Chen Zhengwei could do it.

After a while, Chen Zhenghu called his men and told them what happened: "...Those schools teach adults during the day and children at night. All of you go and learn. If you can't learn, I'll break your legs and make you learn while lying in bed!"

……

Li Xianfeng and his family were sitting at the table eating, and the dinner was not bad.

Li Xianfeng's heart skipped a beat when he saw someone coming in from outside, because they were two young men in gentlemen's suits, and judging from their expressions, they were obviously Mr. Chen's men.

Although since Chen Zhengwei, more and more people in Chinatown have been wearing gentleman's suits, even some bosses who usually wear Ma褂 will wear gentleman's suits from time to time.

However, Chen Zhengwei's men are still easy to identify.

No one else has that kind of toughness and ferocity.

Li Xianfeng quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks and walked over: "What materials do you two want to buy?"

"Not buying anything!" The two men glanced at the cloth shop, then looked at the two children, a boy and a girl, sitting at the table.

"How old is the child?"

Li Xianfeng's face changed, and his wife also looked nervous.

"You two..."

"Stop talking nonsense. How old is the child?" The two of them glared at each other.

Li Xianfeng became even more confused and had no idea what the other party was going to do.

"The older one is nine years old, the younger one is six years old..."

"Write it down yourself!" One of them took out a piece of paper and handed it to Li Xianfeng. "Our brother Wei has opened a school in Chinatown. All children over the age of five must go there to study!"

"There are Chinese studies and English every day!"

"Ah?" Li Xianfeng looked stunned.

"What? Let your children go to school! Brother Wei hired the teacher himself!" a young man said unhappily.

"Then...how much does it cost?"

After hearing this, the two of them were stunned and looked at each other:
"Do you want to charge money?"

"I didn't hear that!"

"I'll ask!"

He asked back after a moment.

"No, not a penny, and they even provide lunch! Brother Wei is doing a great deed, you all have to thank Brother Wei!"

After the two men left, Li Xianfeng and his wife were still a little confused.

"Is what they said true?" asked Li Xianfeng's wife.

"It should be... true, right?" When people started cleaning the streets, Li Xianfeng felt that Chen Zhengwei was a thoughtful person.

Although we now have to pay a cleaning fee of $1 per month, Chinatown is indeed much cleaner and there is no more bad smell in the air.

The money collected was not much, so although some people complained privately, most people had no objection. Instead, they felt that Chen Zhengwei was indeed the one taking the lead.

This time they are going to mess up the school again.

(End of this chapter)