The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

After the two men found a table and sat down, they got straight to the point: "Mr. Luo, how much Hongmei and Hongtashan liquor can you get by tomorrow night?"

Shen Lian has been smoking for over ten years, and in his memory, these two cigarettes are still sold today. They are also good to smoke and relatively inexpensive.

Since he's planning to go back to manufacturing cigarettes, he'll definitely want to create a couple more brands. He'll use the tobacco leaves he buys to make the lowest grade cigarettes, and then bring in Hongmei and Hongtashan cigarettes to make two high-end brands specifically for high-end customers.

"Brother Shen, you can just call me Xiao Luo. How many do you want? You know, this kind of cigarette is in high demand right now, and the wholesale price isn't cheap," Luo Chuncheng said in a low voice.

"I'll take as much as you have. If you have a lot, I can give it to you at the retail price," Shen Lian said calmly.

Luo Chuncheng's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He knew that he usually bought cigarettes at the wholesale price plus a few yuan, and then sold them to the next buyer for a few yuan or ten yuan more. After all, retailers also need to make a profit.

If Shen Lian were paid the retail price directly, his profit would at least double.

"In that case, several dozen boxes should be no problem! But the money..." Luo Chuncheng said after calculating for a moment.

"I'll give you a deposit first, and you can pay the rest upon delivery. However, you must guarantee that it's a genuine product from the original manufacturer. If you dare to try to fool me with counterfeit cigarettes, hehe!"

"Don't worry, Brother Shen, I've been in this business for several years. I won't ruin my reputation. You can ask Sister Shanshan if you don't believe me," Luo Chuncheng quickly assured her, patting his chest.

Having no other options, Shen Lian had no choice but to trust him for the time being. Not worried that he would run away, he immediately transferred 50,000 yuan to Luo Chuncheng.

"Brother Shen, have a seat, I'll make a few calls to help you source the goods!" Luo Chuncheng couldn't sit still after receiving the money. He made those calls for half an hour, and by the time he returned, Shen Lian had almost finished eating.

"Brother Shen, thank you! I'll toast you!" Luo Chuncheng opened a bottle of beer, poured a large glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

Having sold cigarettes for two or three years, this was the first time he'd undertaken such a large business. He didn't have that much capital, so he had just contacted a few friends to work together.

“This is our first collaboration. If you can maintain the quality and quantity, there will be many more opportunities in the future.” Shen Lian nodded.

"Then thank you very much for your consideration, Brother Shen. There's nothing more to say; we Sichuan people never shirk our responsibilities. You'll see in time!" Shen Lian indicated that he understood; he had a good impression of the Sichuan people—hardworking, warm-hearted, and straightforward.

Especially during World War II and the War of Resistance against Japan, Sichuanese people supplied one-third of the army's food rations. More than three million Sichuanese soldiers went out of Sichuan to fight the Japanese, but only more than two hundred thousand returned. They fought the toughest battles with the worst equipment. This deeply moved Shen Lian.

If things go well when I go back, I must train a strong Sichuan Army and a Guangxi Army; they are the best mountain warfare troops. Of course, I can't forget the Hunan Army from my hometown; it was the strongest army when I returned.

Luo Chuncheng couldn't sit still, and Shen Lian had almost finished eating. The two drank two bottles of beer and then parted ways.

"Shen Lian, thank you! I'm already stuffed from all the food you grilled for me." Bai Shanshan called out to Shen Lian as they passed the convenience store.

“Eating too much isn’t good; it’s best to exercise. Sister Shanshan, I often practice calligraphy. Why don’t you come upstairs with me and we can study how to write the character ‘Kun’?” Shen Lian said with a wicked grin.

Bai Shanshan didn't immediately grasp the connection between exercise and writing, but she knew it couldn't be anything good. She spat at Shen Lian and said, "Get lost! You bad guy! Go masturbate yourself! Hahaha."

She's a tough woman too. Shen Lian shook his head helplessly and went upstairs.

Thinking about what else he needed to do, Shen Lian took out his phone and browsed the internet. Fortunately, information technology is readily available these days, making it easy to find anything he wanted. He ordered ten primitive manual cigarette rolling machines online; these things have a simple structure, and he could simply replicate them when he got back.

Cigarette paper is also available online, pre-cut, which is very convenient. To be on the safe side, Shen Lian placed orders with several different sellers.

Hmm! Aside from the medicine and cigarettes I bought for the old man, that seems to be about it. Considering the remaining funds, I might as well pay off the online loans I owe to stop them from harassing me with calls. But it's too late today; I'll deal with them tomorrow.

Shen Lian turned off the light and fell into a good sleep.

The next morning, Shen Lian went downstairs for breakfast and bought a considerable amount of medicine from several nearby pharmacies. The old man had an old injury and was physically weak, so there weren't any particularly effective medications. Shen Lian bought some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs, which should be helpful. He didn't know if the old man could take cephalosporins, but whatever! Better to have some on hand!

In addition, Shen Lian also bought some alcohol, gauze, Yunnan Baiyao (a traditional Chinese medicine), as well as some penicillin and disposable syringes.

If they start training troops for war in the future, they will definitely need a lot of medicinal materials. However, Shen Lian does not plan to purchase them in large quantities in the modern world. Now that he knows the ingredients and manufacturing methods, he should be able to research them back home.

This is a huge industry; we can develop it properly when we go back. The next few decades won't be peaceful; there have been two world wars. Pharmaceuticals are the most profitable business.

As Shen Lian walked back, lost in thought, he was stopped by Bai Shanshan again as he passed the convenience store.

"Shen Lian, you bastard! You're rotten to the core!" Bai Shanshan grabbed Shen Lian and started cursing.

"Sister Shanshan, did I offend you today?" Shen Lian asked, puzzled.

"Hmph, it's not today, but it was yesterday. That word you mentioned, I had to look it up online last night to find out what it meant. You scholars are so vulgar!" Bai Shanshan blushed, a rare sight for her.

"Sister Shanshan, what are you saying? I don't understand. What words are you talking about? What do they mean?" Shen Lian asked innocently, his eyes wide open.

"I'll teach you a lesson you won't understand! I'll cut off your dog stuff!" Bai Shanshan was both ashamed and angry, and in a fit of rage, she grabbed a pair of scissors and chased after him.

Startled, Shen Lian burst into laughter and fled in panic.

Back in his room, Shen Lian lit a cigarette, thought for a moment, then took out his phone and dialed; "Is this Bubble's official customer service? This is Shen Lian."

"Hello Mr. Shen! How can I help you?"

"I owe you tens of thousands of yuan, and now that I've earned some money, I want to pay it back. Do you have any good policies?"

"Okay, Mr. Shen, let me check for you first." After a moment; "Mr. Shen, you borrowed a total of 68,000, and it's been overdue for 18 months. The interest plus penalties totals 98,421.50 yuan..."

"Stop talking nonsense, just tell me what the policies are," Shen Lian said, too lazy to listen to her rambling.

"Mr. Shen, we are just following the policy..."

"Looks like you don't want it anymore!" Shen Lian hung up the phone and dialed the next one.

"Mr. Shen, thank you for repaying the loan. If you settle the loan in one lump sum, Ma Xia Financial can waive all the penalty interest. You only need to repay the principal of 56,000."

"Hmm! The policy is good, but unfortunately I don't have enough money. You'll have to wait. I'll pay the next one first! Thank you!" Before the other party could speak, Shen Lian hung up the phone again.