People in the Republic of China era began to rise from industry.

With the preliminary theoretical data in hand, Lin Yi didn't delay. He gave Jing Zhizhong some instructions and began preparing for the commencement of construction.

As for himself, once he had arranged all these things, it was time for him to leave.

There's still a lot of money waiting for him to make in the US stock market. In addition, he needs to plan ahead for exporting and then selling domestically to enhance his image.

Fan Zhongxu has sent a new telegram.

Because the negotiations had been stalled and Jinling could not find Lin Yi, the person in charge, they were unable to reach an agreement.

In the end, they decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Two ships carrying more than 3,000 tons of iron ore were detained at the Yangtze River docks, and the metallurgical plant's production has been affected.

If I can't have you, you won't have a good time either.

Although Lin Yi had anticipated Jinling's actions, he was still extremely displeased when they actually happened.

If we don't embarrass them, we'll really think we're made of clay.

Saying goodbye to Yang Zihui and her sisters-in-law, the sisters-in-law were tearful and reluctant to part.

Who would want to let go of a card-playing partner who loses money every day?

Liu Jing accompanied him, and Fang Chang led his men to follow, preparing to safely put him on the ship back to Shanghai and then turn back.

It's only a two-day journey, which won't delay the mercenaries' construction.

Leaving Qu County, we passed through Guangnan.

The group was stopped as soon as they entered the 21st Army's defense zone.

The person who came forward was a lieutenant colonel.

After confirming which one was Lin Yi, he immediately stepped forward and saluted: "Mr. Lin, the supervisor requests your presence."

Lin Yi chuckled and turned to Fang Chang: "Remember to give me next month's salary."

Fang Chang tilted his head and glanced at him, then nodded helplessly.

Just after passing Guangnan, Lin Yi proposed a bet.

Liu Yuanfu, the governor of Sichuan Province, would definitely invite him to the governor's office.

Fang Chang accepted the bet without much thought, given that it happened so unexpectedly.

He wagered a month's salary on Lin Yi's lies.

Now that the results are in, he has to admit that, compared to Lin Yi, he is somewhat inferior in terms of intelligence...

The officer from the governor's office led the way, and the rest of the journey was uneventful.

That evening, Lin Yi arrived in the mountain city and entered the headquarters of the 21st Army, which also served as the governor's office.

"I had heard that Mr. Lin was young, but after meeting him today, I realize that he is truly a promising young man."

Upon meeting, Liu Yuanfu began with a somewhat sentimental and flattering remark.

Yang Zihui's 20th Army headquarters had its own spies, so it wasn't difficult for them to find out Lin Yi, Yang Zihui's financial backer.

The attendant spoke with a Shanghai accent.

At present, Fenghua Textile Equipment Factory is in the limelight, and the affairs of Fenghua Metallurgical Plant and Yongli Alkali Plant are also making headlines.

Lin Yi has already gained considerable fame in Shanghai's business circles.

A telegram was sent to the Sichuan Provincial Government's Shanghai office, and Lin Yi's background was quickly clarified.

He studied in the United States, inherited the family business, and is quite adept at running a business.

The Fenghua bicycles, which have just been launched in Chongqing and Pingdu, are also part of his business.

In short, he is young, wealthy, and a rising star in Shanghai's business world.

Only when he saw the man in person did Liu Yuanfu realize that this young man was much younger than he had imagined.

For a moment, he felt a pang of emotion, realizing that he was truly getting old.

"I am just a businessman, doing small-scale business, not comparable to Governor Liu who manages major affairs in Sichuan Province."

Lin Yi was being polite.

Liu Yuanfu smiled and didn't correct him, explaining that he was actually only the nominal number one in Sichuan Province.

People like Deng Jinkang and Yang Zihui only nominally submitted to him.

Each has its own territory.

They neither obeyed orders nor listened to pronouncements, and were even secretly preparing to oppose him.

In this instance, he quickly sent his youngest uncle back to Xikang.

They didn't give these people a chance.

If the war drags on, these guys will definitely take the opportunity to cause trouble.

He invited Lin Yi to sit down and then had his adjutant serve tea.

Liu Yuanfu then got to the point: "I heard that Mr. Lin is planning to open a mine in Qu County. As the provincial supervisor, I am sincerely grateful to Mr. Lin for his contribution to the benefit of our hometown."

"However, Qu County is too small. Mr. Lin is a businessman who does big business. How can he miss out on a big city like Pingdu, a mountain city?"

Before Lin Yi could speak, Liu Yuanfu continued, "I know Mr. Lin has some concerns, but I can guarantee that as long as Mr. Lin comes to Sichuan Province to start a business, we will not take any harm from him."

As he spoke, he sighed, "In recent years, Sichuan Province has been plagued by war, its industry, commerce and agriculture have declined, the people are suffering, and there is widespread discontent."

"As the supervisor, I feel a great sense of responsibility."

"To be honest, Mr. Lin, everything else is a small matter to me right now."

"The only thing that cannot be delayed is benefiting our hometown."

"So whether you are secretly helping Yang Zihui or you are wary of me, as long as what you do is beneficial to the people of Sichuan, I will support you in everything."

“These are my heartfelt words, and I hope Mr. Lin will believe them.”

When he said his last words, Liu Yuanfu looked at Lin Yi with utmost sincerity.

This made it difficult for Lin Yi to determine whether these were truly heartfelt words or a well-intentioned trap.

But it doesn't matter much.

For a businessman, the population base of 50 million in Sichuan Province is an absolutely irresistible temptation.

Limited spending power is not a problem; if you earn even a penny from each person, that adds up to five million.

The steel and military industry is of vital importance and is easily coveted by others.

That's why he would try to support a warlord's proxy to protect his own interests.

However, ordinary business operations do not need to be made so complicated.

This is why he guessed that Liu Yuanfu would know about him and would try to stop him, yet he still dared to take the mountain city route without hesitation.

As long as he was willing to invest money to start a business in Liu Yuanfu's territory, he was not afraid of being made difficult by the other party.

Befriending Liu Yuanfu would also be a means to check and balance Yang Zihui in the future.

He had considered this before.

So, since Liu Yuanfu had already said all that, Lin Yi simply chose to back down.

"The supervisor's concern for the people of Sichuan is truly touching."

"No doubt about it, I'll invest the money."

"Andao Textile Factory was planning to expand its production in Shanghai."

"But now I've decided to choose the mountain city. Judging by the scale, it will probably cost about one million."

Lin Yi made his decision to vote without hesitation, so decisively that Liu Yuanfu was caught off guard.

He originally thought that even if the other party didn't refuse, they would at least have to think it over carefully.

After all, I did this rather abruptly.

Although it was said to be an invitation, the act of stopping people halfway through the journey seemed to carry a threatening connotation.

"Of course, this is just the first step. If things go smoothly, I will invest in some other industries next."

Lin Yi threw out another bait.

Once he came to his senses, Liu Yuanfu burst into laughter, his face crinkling with wrinkles.

"Alright, then I'll be waiting for Mr. Lin's good news."

Liu Yuanfu laughed heartily, then turned to his adjutant and said, "Prepare a banquet! Today I want to have a good drink with Mr. Lin!"

The banquet was a joyous occasion for both hosts and guests.

However, Lin Yi, who was slightly drunk, did not stay overnight in the mountain city.

That very night, they boarded a ship back to Shanghai.

As for developing businesses in Sichuan Province, that was entirely entrusted to Liu Jing.

This greatly excited Liu Jing.

He also attended the dinner.

Liu Yuanfu confidently stated that if any problems arose during the construction of the textile factory, people could directly contact him at the governor's office.

Although this was probably just a polite remark.

However, he was fully in charge of building the textile factory, so it would be easy for him to deal with Liu Yuanfu's men in the future.

After years of struggling, he's finally made it big and entered the inner circle...