In Chen Wenqiang's opinion, it is normal for foreign capital to require mortgage. If there is no mortgage, no one is worried about the money being wasted! As for management rights, human rights, audit rights and material purchase rights, etc., if all of them are handed over to the Chinese people, whether they are government officials or businessmen, the management level is still secondary. Injury and misappropriation will greatly increase the cost of railway construction, and the validity period of the completed railway will be postponed.

After all, by the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was almost the national rule, not only officials but also the people. For example, railway companies in various places squandered their own squanders and cultivated their relatives. Under the banner of high-sounding nationalism, they harmed the people and benefited themselves, fattened up big rats, and left behind confusing accounts, but no one cared about the common people's stocks.

In fact, this was also a very depressing thing for the Qing court. The carefully designed reforms will always be "unfinished" after being implemented by the bureaucratic system: it is clearly a "benevolent government" that benefits the country and the people, but in the end it is transformed by leading cadres of all sizes into tools to disturb the people and make money. Under such huge profit temptation, the "new policy" has become a new "economic growth point", which has prompted local officials and gentry to quickly become rich.

The consequence of "benevolent government failure" is that public grievances are rising in proportion to reform. The deepening of the reform, the more public grievances are, the more "groups" there are, even far exceeding the previous dynasty under political high pressure. The gentry, who were originally representatives of public opinion, had no constraints of the identity of "civil servants", but also had authority in the countryside, and they were able to do everything, controlled official affairs, eroded funds, and even used the excuse of raising funds to collect business and the public.

The Qing court's emphasis on administration was quite deep, but in the absence of institutional supervision, there were tigers and flies at the bottom. In the face of white money, various means seemed very pale and powerless.

As for building a railway, it has a large investment and slow effect, and involves the interests of all parties. It is really a hot potato. Chen Wenqiang heard the meaning of Zhang Zhidong and Gu Hongming. He also found out the two of them, but he was very cautious about this major event and did not dare to express his opinion easily.

But Chen Wenqiang did not refuse flatly, and even had a vague idea in his mind. He tactfully expressed his desire to go back to study and discuss, and then take out the charter.

"Okay, good knife, good sword." Zhang Zhidong praised Chen Wenqiang's gift. It was originally a manganese steel sword made by the Yazhou Iron Smelting Plant. But he believed it was truly built by the Hanyang Iron Smelting Plant.

"Mr. Chen is brave and diligent in the Westernization Affairs Bureau, and I think he will definitely share the worries of the Governor." Gu Hongming took the opportunity to remind Chen Wenqiang again.

"The matter is done by man, and there is nothing that cannot be done in the world." Chen Wenqiang smiled faintly, "Although it is necessary to accomplish practical things in China, there are many entanglements and difficulties, there are also solutions. In fact, it depends on the determination and courage of the Governor, and to what extent can he support it?"

"Oh, then how do you want this governor to support me?" Zhang Zhidong looked at Chen Wenqiang in confusion.

"When I go back and recruit people to study and discuss. I will take out the regulations and ask the adults to decide." Chen Wenqiang replied vaguely, and then smiled: "This time, please ask the adults to first remove a batch of guns, thinking that it is for the Hanyang Iron Factory to protect the factory."

Zhang Zhidong originally wanted to refuse, but then he thought that it was just for protecting the factory, and dozens of guns were eliminated. With Chen Wenqiang's ability, people could buy more and better ones. This is to give him face. Asking for instructions is also a kind of respect. Besides, Chen Wenqiang wants to take over the Guangdong-Hankou Railway, and he cannot make any mistakes and be hurt by the kindness of this trivial matter.

Chen Wenqiang said goodbye, Gu Hongming gave him a look on behalf of Zhang Zhidong, and sent him directly to the gate of the Governor's Office.

"Mr. Gu." Chen Wenqiang stopped, stretched out his hand, and said sincerely: "My brothers admired Mr.'s talent, and then they realized that there were really geniuses in the world. Mr. He was well-versed in Chinese and Western learning, but his brothers only knew some strange skills, but they also had similarities. He would have free time tomorrow. Brothers wanted to have a small gathering with Mr. and talk to him and listen to his teachings."

"You're welcome." Gu Hongming was stunned, and reached out to hold Chen Wenqiang's hand and smiled, "Listen to the teachings, I'm really killing me. I want to hear Brother Chen's unique insights on the Westernization Affairs."

"A word is determined." Chen Wenqiang smiled, snatched hard, and turned around and left.

Gu Hongming looked at Chen Wenqiang's back and thoughtful. After a while, he smiled and turned back home.

…………….

Incompetence becomes instinct, perfunctory becomes the norm, but the mentality of officials and gentry is super good, pushing all problems to the so-called "system", as if it has nothing to do with oneself.

In the trend of reform of the new policy, gentry from all over the country participated. The advanced approach was to start new enterprises and businesses, but behind it, there were often invisible investments from officials and each took the needs; the low-level approach was to become various "members" or "directors" of the new policy implementation agency and directly profited from the donations and taxes of the new policy.

The relationship between people, gentry and officials in rural areas has become increasingly complex, further intensifying rural conflicts and grassroots cadres and the relationship between cadres and the masses, and has also set a precedent for the proliferation of "local tyrants and bad gentry" in modern China.

From a logical point of view, railways are the lifeline of the national economy. There are indeed inappropriate aspects in the construction and management of private countries. At least the trunk lines should be controlled by the state to be the long-term plan.

Obviously, to take over the Guangdong-Han Railway, Chen Wenqiang faced not only financial and technical issues, but also to destroy the jobs of commercial and commercial railway companies in various provinces and offend the merchants and gentry who benefited from it. In other words, they were a group of local tyrants, entrenched along the railway to be built, and best use of ignorance and blind obedience to build momentum for them.

But there are pros and cons. Chen Wenqiang is estimating his abilities and the benefits he will get. So, as soon as he came back, he immediately summoned people to conduct research and discussion overnight.

The first thing is to roughly determine the total cost, total construction period, and related construction plans of the project. Although Chen Wenqiang really wants to take over this big project, he must also be clear about it and obey economic and scientific laws.

"More than fifty years ago, when the US Pacific Railway was built, it was more than 3,000 kilometers long. Only two companies undertake the construction, but it can be completed in seven years. The Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway is only more than 1,000 kilometers, and the road is very easy. If the two companies are also built in the north and south, it can be completed in three or four years."

"According to the official estimated cost of Guangdong-Hankou Railway, a total of 56 million taels of silver. The official cost is only a lot more. If you are careful in calculations and manage well, and add the rails produced by the Hanyang Iron Factory, you will probably save millions of taels."

"When the United States built the Pacific Railway, there was a cash subsidy law, which also stipulated that all land on both sides of the tracks would be developed and utilized by the construction company. With this incentive, the construction company naturally wanted to speed up the construction speed to obtain more benefits. The Guangdong-Hankou Railway was not a barren land. It can be seen that the resistance was not in the construction, but in the local area. The cost and construction period were not comparable."

"Hunan and Hubei are under the jurisdiction of the Governor General of Guangdong and Guangxi. If the Governor General fully supports it, local resistance will be greatly reduced. Moreover, Lord Chen is a rookie in the constitutionalist party and negotiates with the heads of constitutionalists in the two provinces. It may be able to obtain the integration of the gentry of the two provinces."

Listening to the explanations of subordinates, foreigners, or Chinese, Chen Wenqiang did not express his opinion easily, but just knew it. The cost was about 50 million taels and 60 million taels were eliminated. The construction period was between three or four years, but he did not know that the Guangdong-Hankou Railway had been built for 36 years in history, which shows how difficult it was to accomplish things in China.

"The construction period is set to be seven years, and the cost is subject to the official. As for the obstacles," Chen Wenqiang pondered for a moment and said, "I will negotiate with the Governor General. If the expected support is not met, I will not take over. Of course, how much to borrow and how to raise it is in the future. I don't think the funds are the main issue and will not be discussed for the time being. Well, I will get the project plan before noon tomorrow, so it doesn't matter if it is a rough one. The meeting ends here and let it go!"

Outsiders dispersed, but core personnel remained. They were responsible for formulating the requirements and conditions set for Zhang Zhidong, involving all aspects other than engineering technology.

"Sir, this Guangdong-Hankou Railway cannot be connected." Li Weige was the one who spoke first and stopped Chen Wenqiang, which surprised Chen Wenqiang. "The Governor first redeems the right of roads at high prices by the Americans, and advocates commercial offices, and the three provinces will each take up the provinces and share the construction. Now, the commercial office companies in Guangdong, Hunan and Hubei provinces have been established. And the fundraising is raised. The Governor wants the Governor to take over, where is the commercial office companies in each province? How to deal with the road shares raised? Who is responsible for the losses caused by poor management of each company? Borrowing roads is resentful by the Chinese people, but if you don't borrow, there will be a shortage of funds. The Governor is in a dilemma, but he wants Mr. Chen to take over it. He also asks Mr. Chen to take it over again."

Chen Wenqiang nodded and smiled and said, "Mr. Li is well aware of the inside story. The questions raised are at the critical point, so everyone will discuss and study them one by one. By the way, this loan will be changed to the future and it will be called "investment promotion."

Similar behaviors have similar purposes, but different names, and different evaluations of people at that time are different. One is a problem of concepts, and the other is an operational problem. If it is a normal loan range and there are no harsh conditions, it is naturally very beneficial, and it can even be called "borrowing chickens to lay eggs".

Chen Wenqiang wanted to borrow foreign money, so he was naturally not as unaware of the interests and short-sighted as the Qing officials. He wanted to take this opportunity to strive to form the prototype or attempt to form the Sino-US-German alliance, at least to make the Germans think that this was the experimental stage of the Three Kingdoms Alliance and a period of investigation.

In addition, Chen Wenqiang also planned to take the opportunity to build an open, official armed force, and even had his name thought up. The railway patrolman was specifically responsible for ensuring the smooth construction of the Guangdong-Hankou Railway and the future operation safety.

If you look further, the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway can be included in the revolutionary cause of the Revival Association. Just imagine that if the revolution took the lead in making breakthroughs in Guangdong and Guangxi, along the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway, the revolutionary army could directly attack the three towns of Wuhan, the Chinese heart, and form a more favorable situation.

Of course, these are all ideas. Chen Wenqiang is ready to put all the difficulties out of the way, even exaggerating them in order to get the most favorable conditions from Zhang Zhidong. The so-called asking for a price everywhere and repaying the money on the spot. If Zhang Zhidong refuses to agree, then Chen Wenqiang will leave and there will be no losses.

One by one, one question was discussed, and more than one set of solutions were formulated, accompanied by the requirements and conditions that Chen Wenqiang and everyone had come up with. They were all Chinese. Although many of the conditions were a little harsh, there was no saying that they would lose their right to road. The real loss was also in the hands of Chen Wenqiang and his group.

This is a very complex and time-consuming plan. Chen Wenqiang knew that the more thorough the consideration, the more favorable and relaxed the conditions he could get from Zhang Zhidong, the more support he could get from partners including the Sino-Japanese Joint Venture Bank.

"Don't write five million taels of silver, double it, ten million taels." Chen Wenqiang squinted his eyes and reminded: "You have to leave room for bargaining, and don't be too real."

If Zhang Zhidong agreed to exchange the banknotes for the banknotes issued by the joint venture bank and use banknotes in the future activities of the government, it means that the banknotes issued by the joint venture bank have been officially recognized in both Huguang provinces and can gradually become legal currency among the people. After the banknotes becomes the reserve of the joint venture bank, it can issue several times the banknotes for credit and financial expansion.

Paper is used to pay for silver and money is used to pay various expenses. Once it is realized, Chen Wenqiang has almost no investment and has obtained at least tens of millions of road construction funds. According to the official estimate of the railway cost of 35,000 taels of silver per kilometer, about 300 kilometers of railways can be built, and the funding problem in the first year or two years can be solved.

I exchange banknotes for your money, and then issue twice the money with your money. Chen Wenqiang will take at least several million yuan in the inside and outside. But this is not obvious on the market. As long as the bank is guaranteed not to be run, or can cope with possible runs, the one dollar bill is still worth one tael of silver, or can still buy physical items worth one tael of silver.

"Railway patrols must be directly controlled by the road construction company to ensure that they are responsible and escort the road construction and protection. After the road is completed, each train plans to send five people to inspect and suppress the railway, ten people will be appointed for important stations, and five or three people will be appointed for secondary stations. A special "railway patrol coaching station" should be set up to recruit and train patrol personnel. In the future, police stations, police sections, road protection teams and other organizations should be set up in important stations and sections."

At that time, there was no such title or profession as a railway policeman. Only the "patrol" in a suit, hiring three or five people at important stations and taking responsibility for watching the platform was considered the prototype of the railway police. Even if it was not to ensure the construction of the railway or to establish an armed force for the Revival Society, the railway police would have to be established sooner or later.

"Ordering all governments along the railway to fully cooperate with the construction of the railway. Among them, it is the most important thing to make the people in the jurisdiction aware of the various matters promulgated by the railway company and avoid being incited by others. However, for deliberately disturbing the road administration and inciting resistance, the violation of the rules should not be tolerated."

This article is aimed at bad gentry and foolish people, and it is also a test and a choice for local officials. If you lack abilities or have other plans, you can withdraw and do what you should do. If Zhang Zhidong does not have such courage and iron fist, it would be fine if the railway is not connected.
Chapter completed!