Newborn 1927

The next day, Yang Jiefang climbed off Liu Yamei, feeling completely relaxed. In his previous life, he had dated many girlfriends, all of whom were young and naive girls; now, sleeping with a mature and sensible older sister, he felt cared for and enjoyed it very much.

The two quickly dressed and began packing their clothes together. Liu Yamei had rented the apartment, and Yang Jiefang didn't plan to cancel it. He intended to send an intelligence team over, and the apartment would come in handy. He admitted that he hadn't paid attention to Weihaiwei before, which was an oversight, and now he needed to take it seriously.

While helping Liu Yamei pack her clothes, Wang Dali and Chen Ergou had already arrived downstairs, so they called the two men up to help with the things. The two large suitcases were handed to the two laborers, and Yang Jiefang simply took Liu Yamei's hand and headed out to the port. They would be taking a ship to Qingdao.

The fishermen from the small fishing village had already set off by land. Gui Liqiu led a special operations team to guide and protect them along the way. Yang Jiefang originally wanted Liu Yamei to go to Yantai by boat with Qi Xiaobao, and then take a horse-drawn carriage to Qinglongzhai. However, Liu Yamei insisted on going with Yang Jiefang, so he had no choice but to take her to Qingdao.

Yan Donglai led a special operations team to Qingdao on the same ship as them. However, they split into two groups and would not meet unless absolutely necessary, and even if they did meet, they would pretend not to know each other.

The journey from Weihaiwei to Qingdao is 200 nautical miles, which would take a whole day at current ship speeds. Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened along the way, and Yang Jiefang spent the entire day enjoying the sea views with a beautiful woman in his arms, showering everyone with affection. Passing Laoshan, they spotted another fleet in the distance: the First Fleet under the Northeast Bohai Fleet of the Beiyang Government. Compared to the fleet at Weihaiwei, this fleet was far too meager. The First Fleet only had six old warships, far inferior in both tonnage and number. This further strengthened Yang Jiefang's resolve to build and develop the navy.

Upon arriving in Qingdao, Yang Jiefang first took Liu Yamei to a hotel to stay in. A day at sea had been arduous. Yan Donglai and his group didn't receive such treatment; they had to work. The next day, when Yang Jiefang took Liu Yamei out, Yan Donglai had already passed on the location of Dehe Foreign Firm and some of Cheng Jiaju's personal information to Yang Jiefang through Chen Ergou.

Cheng Jiaju was from Zhangdian and studied in Germany in his early years. Although he had eaten buttered bread, he couldn't shake the common Chinese habit of marrying two wives. His first wife was an arranged marriage from his childhood, which they got married before he went abroad; his second wife was a female student he met while working in Qingdao. As Liu Yamei once said, he truly had one virtuous wife at home and a romantic and charming one outside.

The two men went to the Dehe Foreign Firm to meet Cheng Jiaju, who quickly received them in the reception room. At their first meeting, Yang Jiefang didn't say much, simply stating his needs as usual. The textile factory under construction in Xujiadian needed to purchase machinery and equipment; the fertilizer plant he was cooperating with the Mou family also needed machinery, equipment, and technicians; furthermore, Yang Jiefang wanted to set up a machine shop to prepare for firearms production, which also required machinery and technicians. Cheng Jiaju carefully noted down Yang Jiefang's needs and replied that he would need two days to give him an answer. Yang Jiefang didn't mind the two days; since he was there, he wanted to get things done. Yang Jiefang left his hotel address and then took his leave.

Since they had nothing better to do, Yang Jiefang took Liu Yamei sightseeing. When they returned to the hotel in the evening, they were surprised to find Cheng Jiaju and his wife from Qingdao waiting there. Yang Jiefang felt embarrassed and asked, "Mr. Cheng, you've got the results so quickly?" Cheng Jiaju replied, "It takes time to exchange telegrams. This is Mr. Yang's first time in Qingdao, and I'd like to extend a small gesture of hospitality by inviting you both to a simple meal. Would that be convenient?" Yang Jiefang responded, "Mr. Cheng and his wife's invitation is too kind to refuse! We'll have to trouble you then."

At Cheng Jiaju's invitation, the four of them went to a Western restaurant. According to Cheng Jiaju, the restaurant was relatively quiet. Yang Jiefang, of course, knew that he had something to discuss, so he went along with it. This Mrs. Cheng was about the same age as Liu Yamei, but Yang Jiefang was much younger than Cheng Jiaju, so Liu Yamei introduced herself as the younger sister and started chatting with Mrs. Cheng. Cheng Jiaju and Yang Jiefang naturally wouldn't be idle either, and the two of them also started talking.

Cheng Jiaju asked, "Mr. Yang plans to set up a factory in Yantai, so why are you coming to Qingdao to purchase equipment? There are also compradors from various countries in Yantai." In his later years, Yang Jiefang often heard the term "bureaucratic comprador"; these individuals colluded with foreign capitalists, using their power to suppress the development of Chinese national enterprises for personal gain, which was deeply resented. However, there were also many conscientious compradors who introduced advanced foreign machinery and technology to China, playing a positive role in promoting the development of Chinese industry. Cheng Jiaju should be considered one of the latter.

Yang Jiefang didn't mince words, replying directly, "I actually came here specifically for you, Mr. Cheng. I've heard you're a conscientious Chinese who dares to fight against those unscrupulous compradors. If I need to purchase so much machinery, why would I go to those unscrupulous compradors instead of someone like you?" Cheng Jiaju smiled and replied, "Mr. Yang, you flatter me. I was just doing what I should do. There are conscientious Chinese people everywhere; they're not lacking. I think I can find them even in Yantai." Yang Jiefang nodded in agreement, "You're right. There's another reason. I want to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with Germany, which isn't something just anyone can do." Cheng Jiaju asked疑惑地, "Why is that?"

Yang Jiefang replied, “China’s industrial base is weak. We lack not only advanced machinery and equipment, but also skilled technical workers. Germany, on the other hand, possesses these very things. You should know Germany better than I do; they have the world’s most advanced technology and a large number of skilled workers. Because of their defeat in the European war, their domestic economy is currently in recession, and many skilled workers are unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. Wouldn’t it be a win-win situation if we could establish a long-term cooperative relationship with Germany?”

Cheng Jiaju nodded, then asked again, "Mr. Yang, if I may be so bold as to ask, what exactly is your identity?" Yang Jiefang replied, "I am also a conscientious Chinese, a Chinese dedicated to revitalizing the nation through industry. I also want to do what I should do." This answer was clearly not what Cheng Jiaju wanted; it was tantamount to no answer at all. Cheng Jiaju didn't press the matter further, and nodded in response, "I will also do what I should do." The two then chatted about some ordinary topics, and the dinner ended pleasantly.

Although telegraph machines existed, communication in this era was still relatively backward. Telegraphs had to pass through several transit stations to reach Europe from China. Yang Jiefang waited three days before Cheng Jiaju informed him of the reply from Germany. The machinery wasn't a problem; Cheng Jiaju would provide Yang Jiefang with a preferred option based on price and performance. Technicians from Germany would also be sent to install it. The key issue was finding skilled operators after the machinery was installed. The unemployed workers were willing to come, but they didn't speak Chinese, making communication a major problem. Yang Jiefang considered that directly hiring a group of skilled workers for rapid production was clearly impractical. He had to choose another option: establishing skills training classes. He would hire senior technicians from Germany as instructors, providing them with translators to train Chinese workers. This would take longer initially, but would be beneficial in the long run. Cheng Jiaju accepted this plan and began processing it. After agreeing on contact information with Cheng Jiaju, Yang Jiefang decided to return to Qinglongzhai.

Yan Donglai and his special forces team hadn't been idle; in the past few days, they had roughly figured out the military deployment in Qingdao. The commander of the First Fleet was Shen Honglie. Besides the First Fleet, the troops stationed in Qingdao also included two Marine Corps battalions, a training battalion, an aircraft squadron (with only one aircraft), and a security battalion. They didn't dare to act recklessly, treating it merely as a reconnaissance exercise. Yang Jiefang was fairly satisfied with their performance and had already decided to establish an intelligence station there.

Ships sailed from Qingdao to Haiyang County, so Yang Jiefang decided to take one and disembark there. The journey from Qingdao to Haiyang County was only about 70 or 80 nautical miles, taking about half a day. When Yang Jiefang's ship docked, the Haiyang County wharf was bustling with activity. A large cargo ship was anchored near the shore, and several small boats were unloading cargo around it. A young figure on the cargo ship was directing the unloading. Although Yang Jiefang was far away, he immediately recognized Jiang Tingxuan. The wharf wasn't deep enough for the large cargo ship to dock, so small boats had to take turns unloading. On the wharf, Gao Yao was directing people to unload crates of cargo from the small boats and load them onto horse-drawn carts for transport to the city. Bai Lang personally led a team of fully armed security personnel to maintain order. Yang Jiefang was very pleased; judging from the shape of the cargo, he knew the weapons and ammunition he needed had arrived.

When Yang Jiefang walked onto the dock, Gao Yao and Bai Lang both saw him and were slightly taken aback. Yang Jiefang shook his head imperceptibly, and the two ignored him, pretending not to know him, and continued with their own business. Yang Jiefang took Liu Yamei into the city and first found a hotel to stay in. Liu Yamei was very surprised and asked, "Why don't we go directly to the hospital?" Yang Jiefang explained, "The hospital is located in the countryside. We can't make it today, but we can set off tomorrow." Liu Yamei exclaimed, "You didn't build the hospital in the county town, but in the countryside? What were you thinking?" Yang Jiefang smiled wryly, "There's nothing I can do about it. You'll understand when you get there." Liu Yamei asked doubtfully, "Is this hospital just an empty shell?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Not exactly an empty shell, but there are a few too few doctors." Liu Yamei shook her head and said, "Never mind, we're already here, let's take a look first."

After dinner, Yang Jiefang told Liu Yamei to rest first, saying he needed to go out for a bit. Liu Yamei said, "You stay inside all day, and now you're going out at night? Are you going to see your old flame?" Yang Jiefang replied, "That's right, it really is my old friend." Liu Yamei blocked Yang Jiefang's way, saying, "Want to go out and see your old flame? You'll have to get past me first." Yang Jiefang asked suspiciously, "What do you want to do?" Liu Yamei smiled mischievously and said, "Feed me first before you go out!" Without another word, she grabbed Yang Jiefang and pushed him onto the bed.

Yang Jiefang had been through a lot these past few days and was starting to get scared. He secretly resolved that once he reached Qinglong Village, he would stay far away from it no matter what. When he went out, it was already completely dark. The county town at this time was nothing like the towns of later generations. Forget about the lights in every house; apart from a few wealthy families, ordinary citizens often didn't turn on their lights. Fortunately, the moon was very bright, and he could still see the road. Led by Wang Dali and Chen Ergou, Yang Jiefang arrived at Gao Yao's residence. Gao Yao and Bai Lang were already waiting for him there.

Yang Jiefang asked, "Is all the cargo unloaded?" Gao Yao replied, "Not yet, we'll continue unloading tomorrow. Warehouse space in the city is limited, so while unloading, we need to arrange for people to move the goods away." Yang Jiefang said, "Didn't I say we'd use small cargo ships? Why is so much coming at once?" Gao Yao replied, "Brother Jiang said that transporting goods in batches with small cargo ships could easily attract attention and cause trouble. It's better to bring the goods over all at once; even if someone notices a problem, it won't be enough time to take action." Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "That makes sense. You all need to be careful! Brother Bai, what's the situation here with the security team?"

Bai Lang said, "We currently have about 800 men, all of good quality, and we're intensifying our training. The only problem is the lack of weapons and ammunition." Yang Jiefang laughed, "This batch of weapons will all be transported to the mountain stronghold, prioritizing those remaining there for re-equipping. I'll send you the weapons the stronghold is replacing. Don't misunderstand! This isn't treating you like stepchildren. If your security regiment suddenly receives a large influx of brand-new weapons, it'll be hard to avoid attention. It's not the right time yet. Focus on training the troops first; the weapons and equipment can be replaced at any time." Bai Lang replied, "I understand. Let the brothers train with the old weapons first." Yang Jiefang patted him on the shoulder and said, "Brother Bai, as I said before, this small county town isn't our final destination. It's just a starting point. Our future achievements will depend entirely on the strength of our forces." Bai Lang immediately puffed out his chest and said, "Don't worry, Little Boss! I will definitely train a strong and elite force." Yang Jiefang nodded and added, "When you have time, keep an eye on Rushan Stronghold; that's our next target!"

Yang Jiefang chatted with the two until late at night before returning to the hotel. Liu Yamei was already asleep, so Yang Jiefang didn't wake her and quietly went to bed. The next morning, after waking up, he was tormented by this vixen again. Afterwards, Liu Yamei lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and said, "We're arriving at our destination today, right?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Yes." Liu Yamei continued, "Don't blame me for tormenting you these past few days. I know that once we arrive, you won't belong to me anymore, right?" Sure enough, this woman was right; she understood everything. Yang Jiefang smiled bitterly, "I have many things to do. I can't put all my energy into romantic feelings." Liu Yamei said, "I can see that you want to do great things, little brother. If you need my help, just ask! I'll do what I'm supposed to do."