Chapter 20

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

"What you say is reasonable. Double Tenth Festival is an important holiday for us. The Grand Marshal's Office has already arranged a series of important celebrations. If Chen Lianbo's Merchant Corps launches a rebellion at this time, it could easily cause mass casualties."

Lv Muzhi asked: "Then should the school still return the weapons to the Merchant Corps?"

The Principal said indifferently: "If Acting Grand Marshal Hu Hanming urges me, I won't return them. But if an order from the Grand Marshal arrives, then I must return them. As for the Merchant Corps, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. If they don't move, we can't strike first either."

The Principal meant to entrap them into breaking the law. Lv Muzhi felt somewhat despondent, sinking into a sense of helplessness: he knew perfectly well that October 10th was the day the Merchant Corps Incident occurred, yet he still could not stop it. Once the Merchant Corps moved first, casualties were inevitable. Being lowly and powerless was the greatest frustration of a transmigrator.

Seeing Lv Muzhi staring blankly, the Principal pointed to his stock trading notes: "Don't think about the Merchant Corps anymore. Look at my stock trading notes. I've tracked dozens of stocks. See if there are any good speculative opportunities?"

Lv Muzhi came back to his senses and took the Principal's notebook, thinking: If I were sitting in the Principal's position, perhaps things afterward might turn around?

"Muzi... how is it? Did you spot anything?" The Principal looked eager.

"Oh..." Lv Muzhi had no mind for stock trading, and the money earned wasn't his anyway. People would still die on Double Tenth Festival, so he casually brushed it off: "This one... I think there's an opportunity."

"Hmm? Taikoo Shipping?" The Principal studied it for a while: "This stock dipped slightly last time, but has been rising recently. Oh, I remember now! Isn't this the 'Three Red Soldiers' you taught me? This curve means it will keep rising afterward! I'll send a telegram in a bit to my friend in Shanghai to buy some tomorrow morning to test the waters."

But Lv Muzhi realized Taikoo Shipping was a British stock, and this made him spot a big problem: "Principal, it might not rise after all. We should find a way to short it!"

"Short it?!" The Principal's eyes widened: "No matter how you put it, this stock has been unstoppable lately. I don't see any sign of decline."

"If there's no sign of decline, then we'll find a way to drive its price down!"

Lv Muzhi finished speaking and pointed to the period in mid-to-late August:

Principal, during this period, Taikoo Shipping dipped slightly. I don't know if you noticed, but this period was exactly when we were hunting Chen Lianbo, and the British sent warships into the Pearl River to confront us. After we lifted the wanted order on Chen Lianbo, the British sent their warships back to Hong Kong, and Taikoo Shipping's stock began to rise again."

The Principal remembered: "Taikoo Shipping is a British enterprise. Its Taikoo Dock is on the Pearl River, right in our belly. Could it be that our standoff with the British caused investors to worry about Taikoo Shipping's future prospects?"

"The British are colluding with the Merchant Corps. If we can really pull this off, we can make money and vent our anger too."

Lv Muzhi nodded: "Although the decline wasn't large, it precisely shows there is a connection between the two. Chen Lianbo is a comprador for the British HSBC Bank, and his ties with the British are countless. I think the Merchant Corps will cause trouble sooner or later. Once we counterattack the Merchant Corps, the British in Hong Kong might send warships over again..."

Lv Muzhi was halfway through speaking when he glanced at the Principal and saw that the Principal was listening seriously, so he continued: "Since conflict with the Merchant Corps is unavoidable, the Principal should prepare early. Once the incident happens, directly use warships to blockade the Pearl River waterway, stop British warships from entering, and don't allow Taikoo ships to enter or leave;"

"Then, using the safety of British merchants' assets in China as a pretext, in the name of protection but actually sending people to surround Taikoo Dock, find evidence of their collusion with the Merchant Corps, hold up their cargo for a few days, find a way to spread news of the Merchant Corps Incident to big cities like Shanghai, cause investor panic, and the Principal shorting Taikoo Shipping in advance will surely be profitable."

"Send warships to blockade the waterway? We only have four warships in total. Can they stop British cannonboats? What if British warships directly attack our warships?" The Principal rubbed his fingers, considering the feasibility.

"Principal, don't forget, the Russian communications command ship will be docked here for a long time. The sailors on board, and the powerful nation behind them, are our backers. And the Russians don't want the British to stretch their hands too far either."

The Principal's eyes lit up, as if he saw hope: Something like this... Although the Merchant Corps Incident is on the verge of breaking out, annoying the British a bit, and preparing early for the Merchant Corps Incident, is not impossible."

The next day, the Principal ordered all students to collect the Mosin-Nagant rifles donated by the Russians and immediately begin training.

The Russian 'Volofsky' communications command ship did not rush to leave. Over a hundred sailors and the instructor team on board disembarked together to teach the students how to use and maintain Mosin-Nagant rifles.

There were only over three hundred students from Whampoa Class 1 currently in school. One Russian sailor training two or three Whampoa students was fast and efficient.

After teaching the Class 1 students, the Principal gave each person thirty bullets and had them go to the shooting range for live-fire training;

Afterward, the Principal summoned the Second Phase students who enrolled in August for Mosin-Nagant rifle training, and even issued rifles to the Training Regiment new recruits who were training, sending Russian sailors to teach them.

Obviously, the Principal was preparing something, wishing he could train all these students and new recruits into elite warriors within a day, so they could immediately enter combat.

"Report! Acting Grand Marshal is accompanying the Merchant Corps' Chen Lianbo on a personal visit to Changzhou Island. They're already at the school gate!" The sentry at the school gate ran over to inform the Principal.

The Principal frowned and was about to go out to check, but unexpectedly Acting Grand Marshal Hu Hanming brought Merchant Corps' Chen Lianbo and several representatives directly inside.

Hu Hanming came up to the Principal, while Chen Lianbo and the others stood in the distance watching.

"I say, Principal Jiang, I've urged you several times to return the Merchant Corps' weapons and equipment. Why won't you let go?" Hu Hanming questioned the Principal.

The Principal pointed to the Russians everywhere in the school: "You've seen it. Recently the school is busy with affairs, busy inventorying the Russian aid. Where's the time to manage these things?"

"Hmph. I know you don't take me, this Acting Grand Marshal, seriously. Whatever excuses you used before, I don't care. Now I'm standing right in front of you. In my capacity as Acting Grand Marshal, I order you to immediately return the weapons seized from the Merchant Corps." Hu Hanming was determined to make this happen.

The Principal sighed: "The Merchant Corps coming to me for their weapons is one thing. But why are you so enthusiastic, personally leading them here? Could it be you have some financial dealings with those merchants?"

Hu Hanming snorted coldly: "It's not that I have financial dealings with them. They've already paid the fines. These fines are military funds for the Northern Expedition. Shouldn't the equipment be returned?"

"You're really not afraid they'll take back their guns and turn the barrels on you and shoot you?"

Hu Hanming didn't care: "Chen Lianbo just sent a peace telegram a few days ago, expressing support for the Grand Marshal's Office's regime. It's only been a few days. What are you panicking about? Besides, if something really happens, don't you still have this Whampoa Military Academy Principal?"

"If something really happens, I'm here on Changzhou Island. The Merchant Corps has no warships and can't do anything to me. But you yourself had better be careful!"

"Alright, I won't argue with you. Regarding returning the Merchant Corps' weapons, it has already been approved by the Grand Marshal. You handle it yourself." Hu Hanming produced a telegram.

After looking at it for a few moments, the Principal's face was uncertain: "Since the Grand Marshal has spoken... what else can I say..."