Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Hua Ruohan's heart stirred. He was very interested in the young Qing official in front of him. This man was simply an outlier among the Qing officials! He had a clear understanding of all Western affairs, a clear grasp of world affairs, and was proficient in the languages ​​of England, France, Russia, and Germany. He was sharp-tongued and proficient in Western firearms. What could such a person possibly want from him?

Hua Ruohan smiled and said, "General Liu, feel free to speak up. We are friends, aren't we?"

Liu Ye nodded and replied, "I'd like to ask if you have any acquaintances in your country's military industry?"

Hua Ruohan smiled and said, "General Liu, are you more interested in our American weapons and want to increase your purchases? Don't worry, although my position is not very high, I am familiar with various American military industrial enterprises!"

Liu Ye shook his head and replied: "This time it's not procurement, but cooperation!"

Hua Ruohan was stunned. Cooperation? How? Although Hua Ruohan admired Liu Ye very much, he didn't think Liu Ye had the capital to cooperate with American military enterprises! That would require mastering sufficiently advanced technology or a huge amount of cash, and Hua Ruohan didn't think Liu Ye could come up with either of those!

Liu Ye continued, "I've developed a new rifle. It's breech-loading, rifled, and capable of continuous fire! I believe it will absolutely shine in future wars and be sold worldwide! However, you know, there are no suitable military-industrial enterprises in the Qing Dynasty right now. There aren't even any companies that produce a single screw. How can we produce rifles? So I'd like to find an American military-industrial enterprise to collaborate on production!"

Ah!

Hua Ruohan was shocked. He developed a new rifle! Liu Ye is really amazing! Even in the United States, there are not many people who master the technology of rifle development. It is the lifeblood of a country!

Hua Ruohan murmured, "General Liu, you are not kidding..."

Liu Ye smiled and shook his head, then took out a blueprint from his arms. This was a drawing he had already drawn a long time ago, and he had always wanted to sell it at a good price. However, after traveling for nearly a year, he still hadn't found the right person or the right opportunity. Today, he finally met Hua Ruohan again, so he might as well give it a try!

Liu Ye smiled and said, "Mr. Hua Ruohan, look, this is the sketch I drew of a new rifle. I named it the Liaoyuan No. 1 Rifle!"

The rifle Liu Ye drew is none other than the Mauser, the world-renowned king of rifles from the late 19th century, from another time and space! As a military leader, Liu Ye is already familiar with the history of the development of firearms worldwide. The structural principles of any firearm are no problem for him, so sketching a diagram like this is a simple task!

Ruohan Hua took the sketch doubtfully, and Huggins beside him also came over and looked at it carefully.

"Oh my God! This is so classic. Oh my God, this is so amazing. General Liu Ye, you can do anything!"

Although Hua Ruohan was not a general, he was also obsessed with guns. He saw the great value of this rifle at a glance. It was breech-loading, rifled, fired five rounds in a row, and had a sophisticated trigger structure. It was definitely an extremely classic rifle!

Hua Ruohan's eyes shone with admiration, and he praised him endlessly. Huggins beside him was stunned and dumbfounded! Was this general in front of him Chinese? Could such a smart person exist among the ignorant Chinese? Unbelievable!

Liu Ye reached out and put the blueprint away, saying, "Mr. Hua Ruohan, Mr. Huggins, how is it? Are you satisfied with this sketch?"

Hua Ruohan's eyes flashed, and he asked anxiously: "General Liu, how do you plan to cooperate?"

Liu Ye replied, "First, I will apply for technical patent protection for this rifle in various countries. If any military enterprises in your country are interested, you can negotiate the patent fees with me. These patent fees are very expensive, and I will not be polite. I know that the huge profits from arms are unmatched by any other industry. Second, we can jointly establish a military factory to produce this rifle. I will provide the technology and site, and your country will invest in the equipment and technicians. However, there is one prerequisite: the factory must be in China! Third, using the technology as collateral, I can obtain a loan from a bank in your country. My plan is to borrow no less than one million US dollars!"

hiss……

Hua Ruohan gasped. "Wow, this guy is so arrogant! These three conditions, none of them are simple! The price is high!"

Hua Ruohan said in a deep voice: "General Liu, the first way is patent licensing. Although this is attractive to our American military-industrial enterprises, the profit will not be very high. If you pay a certain patent fee for each gun you sell, the company's profit will not be much; the third way is a loan of one million US dollars. This is an astronomical figure. Even in the United States, there are not many banks that can come up with one million US dollars at a time! It is too difficult to get such a large loan with just a rifle patent. Even if we succeed, we won't get much benefit, right? As for the second way, it is feasible, but your country lacks sufficiently advanced technical workers and lacks sufficient protection for industry and commerce. I think it would be more appropriate to set up the factory in the United States. General Liu, you should know that we Americans attach the most importance to the spirit of contract. As long as a contract is signed, you will never lose a penny! I suggest you consider opening a factory in the United States! I guarantee that those military-industrial enterprises will flock to it!"

Liu Ye smiled and shook his head, then replied, "My dear Minister, if I didn't trust Americans, I wouldn't have discussed this matter with you specifically. There are other foreigners in Beijing. Can't we try to cooperate? I chose you because I absolutely believe in your business spirit. However, this factory must be built in China, even if I lose some of the profits!"

Hua Ruohan frowned in embarrassment and asked, "Why? General Liu, why do you insist on setting up a factory in China? Your country's business environment is absolutely not suitable for such a thing!"

Liu Ye replied, "The environment can be changed. Building military factories in China is precisely to accelerate this change. Mr. Minister, if we can accelerate the improvement of China's business environment, the benefits to your country's trade will be obvious to you, needless to say. The future commercial profits will definitely exceed your imagination! Mr. Hua Ruohan, are you willing to help me with this?"

Hua Ruohan smiled bitterly and said, "General Liu, you've already thrown out such a big bait. Do I still have the right to refuse? Don't worry, I will give you an answer in a month at the least, and two or three months at the most. The head of the American military-industrial enterprise will definitely come to China in person!"