sovbooks Chapter 64 Japanese Loans
Chapter 64 Japanese Loans
A smug glint flashed in Aoki Nobuyuki's eyes. Instead of getting to the point, he changed the subject: "Mr. Chen, are you familiar with the Sino-Japanese War?"
The First Sino-Japanese War?!
Chen Feng's fingers tightened suddenly, his knuckles turning white!
The humiliating war of 1894 is etched into the very bones of every Chinese person!
The Beiyang Fleet was completely annihilated, and the ink on the treaty ceding territory and paying reparations was still wet. This old devil deliberately brought up this defeat, clearly wanting to provoke us by taking advantage of the glory of our aggression!
"Snapped!"
The sharp sound of the table being slammed made the teacups jump. Chen Feng abruptly stood up, his eyes wide with rage, and his voice boomed like thunder: "You dare bring this up? If you dare to mock the Chinese people even slightly, I'll leave your dog's life in this valley today!"
Aoki Nobuyuki trembled at the sudden murderous aura emanating from him, and hurriedly waved his hand, forcing a fawning smile onto his face: "Mr. Chen, you misunderstand! I had no such intention! I just wanted to show you the strength of my Great Japanese Empire!"
"The Free Army is newly established and will have to fight the Spanish colonial army and the independence army head-on. It will certainly lack supplies and weapons! Our empire's guns, ammunition, and daily necessities are no less than those of the great powers; you can purchase them from me from now on!"
Turns out he was a salesman!
Chen Feng sneered inwardly, instantly understanding.
At this time, Japan had just completed its industrial expansion and was eager to digest its production capacity, so they actually wanted to take advantage of him!
He deliberately suppressed his anger and slowly sat back down in his seat: "Mr. Aoki, you probably haven't found out clearly. I have a very good relationship with the Zheng family of Luzon. Military supplies have always been purchased from the Zheng family's trading company. The cooperation has been very pleasant, and there is no need to change suppliers."
"While the Zheng family is undoubtedly wealthy and powerful, Mr. Chen's expansion has been too rapid!"
Aoki Nobuzumi's smile remained unchanged, but a calculating glint was hidden in his eyes. "With the number of soldiers under his command increasing daily, the military expenses and resource consumption are astronomical. In the long run, I'm afraid even the Zheng family will find it difficult to sustain this, won't they?"
That old Japanese devil did some research.
Chen Feng feigned melancholy and sighed, "You're right. The supplies are manageable, but the military budget is really suffocating us. We're about to collapse!"
Aoki Nobuyuki's smugness deepened, his tone enticing: "The military funding issue is easily resolved! My chamber of commerce can provide loans, guaranteed to solve your immediate problem!"
loan?
Chen Feng almost burst out laughing. Borrowing money from the Japanese and then having to pay it back?
He feigned hesitation, looking troubled: "Loans always require collateral, and I don't have anything worthwhile to offer."
"Mr. Chen is joking!"
Aoki Nobuyuki's mouth stretched almost to his ears, his fake smile brimming with greed. "I've already investigated; the mountainous area you control hides a small iron mine with reserves of 800,000 tons. That's enough to use as collateral!"
Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat. The iron mine behind the mountain did indeed only have reserves of a few hundred thousand tons. In the past, the locals had been mining it sporadically. Wang Liang had just finished surveying the area with his men a few days ago and was planning to start large-scale mining. He hadn't expected that the old Japanese devil would find out so quickly.
He looked up and asked, his tone slightly probing, "How much can you borrow from this iron ore mine? Aren't you afraid that the Free Army will be defeated, this place will be taken by the Independent Army, and you'll lose everything?"
"Two hundred thousand yen can be loaned!"
Aoki Nobuyuki stated firmly, "I trust Chen-san's abilities! Even if something unexpected happens, I have a way to make the Independent Army admit guilt!"
Chen Feng quickly calculated in his mind.
According to Japan's Currency Law last year, 1 yen contains 0.75 grams of pure gold, and 1 US dollar is approximately equal to 1.125 grams of pure gold. 200,000 yen is equivalent to more than 130000 US dollars.
What a huge sum of money!
We should take advantage of the Japanese devils' good fortune!
Moreover, what about repayment?
He had no intention of paying it back!
When the deadline arrives, they'll either delay and renege on their promises, or they'll simply confiscate the goods. Even if that old devil is furious, he won't have the power to barge into the military camp to collect the goods!
Thinking of this, Chen Feng adopted a serious expression: "Two hundred thousand yen can indeed solve our immediate problem, but the interest..."
"We're friends, so the interest rate is negotiable!" Aoki Nobuyuki waved his hand generously. "Five percent annual interest, three-year term, interest paid first, principal paid later! The only condition is that all loans must be used to purchase products from my Great Japanese Empire!"
Pooh!
Who are your friends?
Chen Feng cursed inwardly, his mind racing.
Five percent interest is not high. The Qing government borrowed money from foreign powers at about the same rate, and even received the privilege of ceding territory. These Japanese devils only asked to purchase goods. It's practically a freebie!
It's a good opportunity to buy mining equipment and military machine tools, saving me the trouble of finding sources myself.
He immediately shook his head, refusing to budge an inch: "Two hundred thousand is too little, at least three hundred thousand! Lower the interest rate to four and a half percent per annum, otherwise there's no point in discussing it."
"Impossible!" Aoki Nobuzumi's face darkened. "The total value of this iron mine is no more than 280,000 yen; 200,000 yen is already the maximum!"
"Then lower the interest rate to four percent and change the term to five years." Chen Feng's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
He never intended to repay the principal, and he tried to save on interest payments in the early stages.
Aoki Nobuyuki's small eyes darted around rapidly, calculating the value of the iron ore and the subsequent control methods. After a moment of contemplation, he finally gritted his teeth and nodded: "Alright! Let's do as Chen-san says!"
The two immediately ordered a bilingual (Chinese and Japanese) contract to be drafted, and also finalized the models and prices of the mining equipment and machine tools.
After signing the papers, Chen Feng deliberately sighed, his tone filled with helplessness: "I haven't even touched the 200,000 yen yet, and I'm already burdened with debt. The pressure is immense."
Aoki Nobuyuki carefully put away the contract, his eyes crinkling into slits with a smile: "Don't worry, Mr. Chen! I'll find a way to send a telegram back home. The goods will arrive within a month at the latest! Then you'll see if this money was well spent!"
"I hope so." Chen Feng rubbed his wrist and casually tossed the contract, which was destined to become worthless, to Qian Biao next to him.
Aoki Nobuyuki's eye twitched, but he didn't dare to say anything more. He quickly changed the subject and returned to the main point: "Mr. Chen, are you aware that besides you and Liu Hengfu, there are other significant Chinese armed forces on Luzon Island?"
The old Japanese devil finally couldn't hold back any longer; he was trying to find out who was actually stealing the gold!
And the real culprit was right in front of him!
Chen Feng chuckled inwardly, feigning thought, before slowly saying, "There are quite a few ancient Chinese families in Luzon. For example, the Zheng family keeps over two hundred guards, and other families also have their own private armies. There are probably quite a few scattered Chinese armed forces. Why is Mr. Aoki asking about this?"
"To be honest, Mr. Chen, my business was attacked by a group of armed Chinese people some time ago, and we suffered heavy losses," Aoki Nobuyuki said, half-jokingly, a glint of ruthlessness in his eyes. "The leader of that group of Chinese men was extremely skilled in combat and ruthless in his actions. If you hadn't been leading troops in the attack on the San Antonio warehouse at the time, I would have suspected it was you!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Chen Feng touched his nose, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and said in a calm tone, "If Mr. Aoki has nothing else to say, Qian Biao will escort you down the mountain."
The intention to see the guest off is clear.
Having failed to gather any useful information and with no intention of lingering, Aoki Nobuzumi rose, bowed, and took his leave: "I will come to bother you again once the goods arrive!"
"You're welcome anytime." Chen Feng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and didn't even lift his eyelids.
Aoki Nobuyuki reached the door, then suddenly turned back, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Oh, right, Mr. Chen, there's something else I forgot to mention. I've heard that the Independence Army is planning to issue a declaration of independence in Malolos on the 12th of next month, and supposedly they're even preparing to invite you, this Chinese tycoon, to attend in person!"
Chen Feng's gaze suddenly sharpened.
Declaration of Independence?
Invite yourself?
What is Aquinas up to?
Is the intention to tie the Chinese Free Army to their war machine and forcibly drag them together to fight against the Spanish colonial army and the American army?
Or is there another motive, a trap set under the guise of attending the ceremony?