Outnumbered? I'll conquer America with an unlimited number of suicide soldiers.

Chapter 104 Ink Sea Library

Chapter 104 Ink Sea Library

Shanghai, the British Concession.

At this time, the British concession had not yet merged with the American concession to become the International Settlement. It covered an area of ​​2,800 mu in the territory west of the Huangpu River and north of Yangjingbang.

"Wow, so many people!" Rong Hong looked at the bustling street with surprise.

The streets were teeming with people, carrying loads on shoulder poles, pushing carts, and riding donkeys, making it impossible to move. Along the roadside, there were vendors selling wontons, pear syrup candy, and needles and thread, their shouts rising and falling in a continuous stream.

He asked in confusion, "Qianyi, I remember that when the British concession was established, there was a system of separate offices for Chinese and foreigners, right? Why are there so many people here?"

Hong Ren made way for a carriage and explained, "After the Small Swords Society uprising, in order to escape the war, large numbers of people flocked to the foreign concessions and rented houses."

Seeing the soaring property prices and the potential for profit, the foreign merchants jointly proposed amending the law last July to allow Chinese residents to move in, which led to the scene you see today.

Hongwu bought a red bean cake from a roadside vendor, held it on oiled paper, and ate it as he walked: "It's not surprising that merchants are greedy for money."

As he spoke, he handed a few to the two of them: "You should try some too. These pastries are really good, but they're a bit too sweet."

Yung Wing took the red bean cake from Hongwu, ate it, and commented, "It's alright, but not as sweet as American desserts."

Hong Rengan asked curiously, "Chunfu, are American desserts really that sweet?"

Yung Wing recalled the desserts he had at Yale and said wistfully, "It was like sugar was free; one bite of a donut could make you wonder if your tongue was malfunctioning. The first time I ate one, I thought the chef had spilled the sugar jar."

The three walked and talked, passing through several bustling streets and alleys, and soon arrived near their destination.

Ink Sea Bookstore.

The library's exterior was no different from the traditional Chinese courtyards they had seen along the way, with a blue brick gate, gray tile roof, and two stone lions standing at the entrance. The only difference was the wooden plaque above the door, which read "Mo Hai Library".

But once inside the gate, a completely different world unfolds. Inside the courtyard is a typical building with an outer corridor, featuring blue brick walls and a continuous arcade.

The most peculiar sight was an old yellow ox slowly walking around the courtyard. A shirtless man followed behind, cracking his whip every now and then.

"Qianyi, what are you doing?" Rong Hong asked.

Hong Ren glanced at it and replied, "Oh, this is powering the printing press. There's no steam engine in the library, so Mr. Medhurst simply had the printing press modified by attaching a belt to an ox. When the ox moves, the printing press can start."

Hongwu laughed and said, "Wow, this printing press is still based on the Chinese learning system with Western learning for practical application."

"The saying 'Chinese learning as the foundation, Western learning for practical application' is truly insightful."

A voice suddenly rang out, and the three looked up to see a young man with a gray long robe and a braid trailing behind his head walking out of the library. He had a thin face and bowed to the three of them.

"Brother Qianyi, we meet again."

"Lazy Brother Jin."

Upon seeing the man, Hong Rengan smiled, cupped his hands in return, and said, "You said half a year ago that we'd meet again another day. I didn't expect that day to come so soon, did I?"

He stepped aside and introduced, "Oh, right, let me introduce you. This is Wang Han, Wang Lanjin, Mr. Medhurst's assistant, who helped retranslate the Bible."

He then turned to Wang Han: "Brother Lan Jin, this is Rong Hong Rong Chunfu, a top student who graduated from Yale College in the United States."

"This is Mr. Hongwu, Chunfu's bodyguard."

Wang Han cupped his hands and said, "Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Hongwu and Rong Hong returned the greeting with clasped hands, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Wang Han returned the greeting and stepped aside to greet you: "Then please follow me, the three of you. Mr. Medhurst is already waiting for you inside."

The three filed in. The room was bright and clean, with many Chinese people in long gowns and white people in Western suits sitting together, discussing something in English or Chinese, writing as they spoke. The table was covered with manuscripts and books.

"These people are missionaries in the library and assistants responsible for translating articles, such as those two over there."

As Wang Han walked, he pointed to two people talking by the window in the distance: "That is Mr. Alexander Wylie's assistant, Li Shanlan, who is translating the last nine books of Euclid's Elements."

"Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi only translated the first six volumes. The remaining nine volumes were left untranslated for three hundred years before someone finally began to continue them."

"That's Mr. Lo Wai-Lam over there, the director of Renji Hospital. He occasionally comes to the library to translate Western medical books and teach medical students his skills."

"Near the printing press were Mr. Joseph Edkins and his assistant, Guan Sifu, who were translating 'Botany' —"

When the group of people who were discussing the matter saw them enter, they all bowed and greeted them, and the white missionaries also nodded in acknowledgment.

Hong Ren and the other two returned the greetings one by one, and without stopping, they soon arrived at the back of the library.

It was an office, or rather a study, with the door open.

From the outside, you can see two rows of large bookshelves inside, stretching from floor to ceiling, completely filled with books. Religious texts, scientific books, classics, histories, and the Twenty-Four Histories—you name it, they have it.

Behind the desk leaning against the window sat an elderly man, nearing sixty, wearing glasses, intently writing something on the table.

Wang Han knocked on the door beside him and said respectfully, "Mr. Medhurst, Qianyi and the others have arrived."

Hearing the knock, Mads looked up and then smiled: "Rengan, you're here."

He spoke Chinese, with only a slight accent.

"I was quite surprised when I received the visiting card you sent yesterday. I didn't expect that you would come to Shanghai again after only half a year since you returned to Hong Kong."

Hong Rengan smiled and said, "Mr. Medhurst, as you know, I must go to Nanjing to see my brother."

"Upon learning that the Small Swords Society rebellion had been quelled and that someone was willing to send me to Nanjing, I set off from Hong Kong."

Mads looked at the two men beside Hong Ren and asked suspiciously, "Are these the two American businessmen you mentioned in your visiting card?"

Yung Wing bowed and said in English, "Mr. Medhurst, I officially became a U.S. citizen and was baptized as a Christian three years ago while I was at Yale. In terms of nationality, I am indeed an American."

Madhurst paused for a moment, then switched to English, his tone becoming warmer: "Oh? Yale? What year did you graduate?"

Yung Wing said, "I graduated last year, and I was planning to come back after graduation."

Medhurst asked, "Why not choose to stay in the United States?"

Rong Hong paused for a moment, then pondered for a few seconds before saying, "If I had to put it in a way, it would be that I was inspired by the Lord."

"1 Timothy 5:8 says: 'Anyone who does not care for his or her relatives has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever, especially neglecting the householders of his own.'"

For me, my family is my motherland, so returning is only natural.

Upon hearing this, Medhurst's expression was a mixture of surprise and delight, revealing a hint of genuine appreciation: "You have such a profound understanding of the Lord's teachings, very good, truly good."

Wang Han then brought in a few chairs and some tea, then stepped aside to listen quietly.

Medhurst gestured for everyone to sit down, took a sip of his tea, and cut to the chase: "Rengan, you mentioned in your visiting card that you wanted a map of the Yangtze River's navigation channel?"

Hong Rengan sat up straight and nodded, saying, "Yes. We want to go up the Yangtze River to Tianjing. However, the Yangtze River is a complex waterway, and the Qing army has set up many checkpoints on the river. Without a map, we dare not go in rashly."

Mads put down his teacup, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "I do have the navigation map, it's the latest one from this year, giving it to you is no problem."

Hong Rengan's face lit up with joy, and he was about to express his gratitude when Mads raised his hand to stop him.

"However, I have one condition."

Hong Rengan was taken aback: "Mr. Medhurst, please speak."

Mads pulled a sheet of paper from the stack of manuscripts on the table and pushed it in front of Hong Rengan.

It was a manuscript, with neat handwriting, and the header was written in Greek: "EπιστoλητoυAπoστoλoυ∏αλoυπρoζτoυPωμαio

uζ」.

"The Romans?"

Hong Ren asked in confusion, "Mr. Medhurst, I remember the New Testament translation has already been completed and published, so why is the chapter on the Romans specifically chosen?"

Medhurst nodded and said, "That's right. Five years ago, I worked with Wang Han to complete the translation of the New Testament, but recently I felt that some chapters were not translated perfectly, so Wang Han and I started revising them again."

"You've helped me before, so I know your skills. And this Mr. Rong is a Yale graduate, so the translation work will definitely be no problem for him."

He looked at Hong Ren and Rong Hong: "You two stay here and help me finish revising the Book of Romans. Once it's finished, you'll present the navigational charts with both hands, how about that?"

Hong Rengan said with difficulty, "Mr. Medhurst, but we really want to get to Tianjing as soon as possible."

Wang Han suddenly spoke up: "Brother Qianyi, don't worry, the revision will only take a few days. Mr. Medhurst and I are only unsure about a few dozen sentences."

Finally, the two agreed, and after lingering for a while longer, they agreed to come and officially start working the next day before taking their leave.

As soon as he stepped outside, Yung Wing sighed, "Finally out. We talked about the Bible the whole time, it gave me a headache."

Hongwu said, "Mr. Rong, you're quite good at coaxing old men. Baptism and the calling of the Lord, I saw that Medhurst's face was all smiles when he was talking to you."

"Speak human language to human language and ghost language to ghost language. How can we get the flight path map if we don't make him happy?"

Rong Hong said, "Qianyi and I are going back to get our luggage. We'll be staying at Mohai Academy for the next few days. What about you, Mr. Hong?"

Hongwu thought for a moment, then glanced around the street: "I'll walk around Shanghai first, gather some information, and make some arrangements on the ship. You all focus on the translation, don't worry about me."

San Francisco, Chinatown.

It was late at night, and Zeng Tai was lying on a recliner, but he hadn't gone to sleep yet.

With his current physique being similar to that of a death squad member, sleep is no longer a necessity for him; an hour or two of sleep a day is enough to replenish his energy.

If he wanted, he could go seven days and seven nights without sleeping now.

At this moment, he was watching what his assassins were doing.

The San Francisco spies are discussing the details of the Sanitation Act, planning to begin large-scale infrastructure construction in San Francisco, including building sewers and paving roads.

Led by Bai Yun, the Oregon Indian samurai began attacking white cities and settlements, eliminating American soldiers. They also annexed any Indian tribes they encountered, forcing the Indian men, women, and children to learn Chinese.

In the valleys of Nevada, Jingde led his band of assassins, establishing a base while simultaneously mining the mines. Silver production was steadily increasing, with tons of ore being transported out every day.

In New York, Vanderbilt's second son had fallen into Dutch's trap and was confiding in Strauss.

Honolulu, Hong Kong, Guangxi, Shanghai —

The deeds of the assassins flooded his mind until he suddenly heard some names: Wang Han, Li Shanlan, Guan Sifu —

"That sounds familiar..."

Zeng Tai recalled his memories from his past life and suddenly remembered.

He had seen these names in history books from his previous life.

Li Shanlan, a mathematician, translated Euclid's *Elements*, *Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy*, *Algebra*, and *Advanced Algebra and Calculus*.

The name "Algebraic Calculus" is a bit strange, but a different name would be more concise and clear: Calculus.

This is something that Qian Xuesen once said anyone, no matter how slow, can learn by age 14. This thing that makes countless college students suffer and have to retake exams was translated into Chinese by Li Shanlan.

Besides translation, he also wrote many mathematical works. The Li Shanlan Equation, named after him, is the world's first mathematical formula named after a Chinese person.

Wang Han, later renamed Wang Tao, was the first journalist in modern China to independently run a newspaper and a pioneer of the Reform Movement. He ran the "Circular Daily" and wrote "A Brief Account of France" and "The Franco-Prussian War," making him one of the most knowledgeable people about Western affairs in the late Qing Dynasty.

Although Guan Sifu was not as famous as the previous two, he was one of the earliest Chinese scholars to come into contact with Western science. He translated Western medical works such as "A Brief Discussion on Western Medicine", "New Theory of Internal Medicine", and "New Theory of Gynecology and Infant Medicine", and was proficient in both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine.

"They're all talented people."

Zeng Tai got up from the recliner and began to think.

Su Song was organizing documents nearby when he saw him suddenly sit up and asked, "My lord, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, just that there are a few talented people in Shanghai," Zeng Tai said. "We might be able to use them in the future."

Su Song put down the documents in his hand: "Talent?"

Zeng Tai nodded and said, "Yes, those people at the Mo Hai Bookstore who translate books for white missionaries are among the best minds in China today."

Su Song thought for a moment: "Does our lord intend to bring them to America?"

"That's unnecessary. America has enough of you."

Zeng Tai shook his head. "They're more useful there translating Western science, medicine, and mathematics than they are in America."

He paused for a moment, then said, "However, I plan to set up a base in Shanghai."

Su Song asked, "Like Hong Kong?"

"No, no, no, it has to be different from Hong Kong."

Zeng Tai quickly waved his hand: "Although it's quite good to rob several hundred thousand pounds from Hong Kong, this time we're doing something legitimate."

"What do you think about opening a trading company in Shanghai under Pakistan's name, specializing in import and export business?"

Shanghai, Hongkou Wharf, Chengfeng.

After receiving Zeng Tai's instructions, the group gathered together and began to discuss the matter.

"Our lord has ordered the establishment of a new stronghold in Shanghai."

Inside the cabin of the Chengfeng, Hongwu looked at Baki: "My lord said that in your name, a trading company should be opened near Hongkou Wharf to recruit Chinese laborers to go to America."

"You're white, which makes things easier for you in the concession."

Bucky nodded in agreement: "No problem. What's the name of the trading company?"

Hongwu said, "The Pacific trade has two forms: overt and covert. On the surface, it's legitimate recruitment, but secretly it's smuggling arms to Nanjing."

One of the loyalists said, "It's a bit difficult for foreign firms to recruit workers in Shanghai."

He paused, then explained, "Unlike places like Guangdong and Fujian, Shanghai doesn't have a long tradition of venturing overseas. People from Guangdong going to Southeast Asia and people from Fujian going to Taiwan are things that happened hundreds of years ago."

Shanghai was different. People there were attached to their homeland and few were willing to leave their hometowns for overseas destinations. Therefore, the recruitment of Chinese laborers here relied entirely on deception and fraud.

Some people get drunk and drag them onto ships; others set up gambling dens on the docks, leaving people with mountains of debt; still others simply tie them up and stuff them into the ship's hold.

"To put it another way, there's a word in English called 'shanghai,' which means to use underhanded means to trick someone into doing something."

Hongwu was stunned: "Are these foreigners really that badly regarded?"

Another henchman said, "The missionaries are alright, but the ones with bad reputations are mainly the foreigners in the trading companies. Besides them, there are all sorts of scoundrels who are under the protection of the foreigners. They are the ones who are the main perpetrators of kidnapping people."

Hongwu rubbed his temples, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Let's do it both ways."

"First, recruit workers legitimately. Post notices, pay wages, sign contracts, and send more people to promote the program among migrant worker communities so that those who want to go to the United States can sign up themselves."

"Second, eliminate our competitors. Clean up all those trading companies that make a living by kidnapping people and their rats."

Bucky grinned. "In the end, it still comes down to force. I demand that the Wavebreaker be left to me, and I also need to rent a piece of land in the American Concession. After all, registering a trading company requires both. What kind of trading company is it without ships and land?"

Hongwu said, "No problem. I'll have them move the things from the Broken Waves to the Wind Chaser later. You go and take care of it first."

Bucky and a few others disembarked from the ship and headed familiarly toward the American consulate.

The American Concession in Shanghai was only officially established seven years ago, and its boundaries have been fluctuating ever since, still expanding outward from Hongkou as its center.

In the past two years, more and more American businessmen and missionaries have settled here, opening trading companies, building churches and schools, so land rents have been rising all the way.

"Let's split up. I'll go to the consulate to submit the application and get the trading company's license first."

Bucky said, "Go outside and look for signs for land for rent or sale, compare them, and pick the best one."

"it is good."

Two hours later, they met outside a somewhat dilapidated courtyard.

"Right here?"

Bucky looked around and clicked his tongue. "It's a bit run-down, and the rent is expensive. Is this the best it can be?"

The assassin who found the land shrugged: "That's how it is with places that aren't rented out. If you want something already built and ready to use, you'll have to buy it from another trading company. Not only will it be more expensive, but they might not even be willing to sell."

Bucky replied matter-of-factly, "Then let's not buy, let's just rob them."

After saying that, he contacted Hongwu on the ship and said, "Hongwu, find any small foreign firm, burn its goods, bankrupt the company, and then we'll buy it."

Now all you can do is buy bad land and build it yourself, which is too much trouble. It's better to just get a ready-made one.

"No problem, wait for my message."