America 1881: They Call Me Legend

Chapter 350 Meeting in Santiago

A meeting between Chen Jianqiu and General Patricio Lynch was arranged in San Diego.

This is an ancient city with great historical flavor, said to have been built in 1541.

The entire city is built around the Santa Lucia Mountain, and various Spanish-style buildings are lined up at the foot of the mountain.

In recent years, the city has developed rapidly due to the discovery and excavation of copper mines, and its scale has become larger and larger.

In Chen Jianqiu's eyes, San Diego's construction is at least as good as Denver's during the same period.

Weng Derong took him and Camilla through the city along the main road, and then stopped in front of a luxurious mansion at the foot of the mountain.

"This is the residence of General Lynch." Weng Derong said to Chen Jianqiu who looked up at the building.

He had been here once before at the invitation of the general.

Chen Jianqiu withdrew his gaze, dismounted, and straightened his clothes.

He wore a black cloth robe today, while Camilla beside him put on a crimson dress.

Since Abiot's long stay in Juarez, this girl has become his official Spanish translator.

Compared to the general who had given instructions in advance.

When the waiter at the door saw the three people, he walked up and took the reins from their hands.

"The general is waiting for you inside," he said.

The three of them walked in through the door, passed through a long corridor filled with oil paintings, and came to an empty living room.

A middle-aged soldier in military uniform was sitting on a Chinese-style huanghuali chair.

He has a mustache, a very straight nose, and bright eyes.

This must be General Patricio Lynch.

After seeing the three people come in, he stood up and greeted them with a smile.

"Welcome, my Chinese friends!"

He speaks standard Cantonese as soon as he speaks.

Chen Jianqiu curled his lips.

It seems that no translation is needed.

"Please sit down, please sit down." He pointed to several huanghuali chairs opposite him and said to the three of them.

Everyone took their seats.

After a while, a servant brought four tea bowls and placed a bowl on the coffee table for each of the four people.

Chen Jianqiu smelled a strong aroma of oolong tea.

"I have been to Guangzhou and stayed there for a while." The general said to Chen Jianqiu, "The young businessmen there dress similar to you."

"It's just that you don't have long braids on the back of your head." He gestured with his hand on the back of his head.

"I'm a Han Chinese, and I don't like that kind of hairstyle that looks like a human being or a ghost," Chen Jianqiu said.

The general obviously didn't quite understand what Chen Jianqiu meant. He was just a lover of Chinese culture, not a China expert.

So he stopped continuing the topic.

"You must be that Mr. Chen, right? General Weng told me that under your leadership, the brown army is unstoppable?" the general said to Chen Jianqiu, as if he was talking to a junior in his own army.

"I'm just a businessman, sir, but Weng Shuai is the one who commands the best." Chen Jianqiu looked at Weng Derong, "What's more important is that the Chinese soldiers regard this place as their home, so they share the same hatred of the enemy and fight hard to kill the enemy."

"Haha, I know this, I know." The general laughed heartily.

"I don't know if General Weng has told you that the mine bosses in Peru do not treat Chinese workers as human beings." He recalled the scene when he first met Weng Derong, "If I remember correctly,

It seems that the original owner of your mine is still an American."

"In our country, we are willing to give every Chinese worker equal citizen treatment and opportunities. This is what I have always stressed to our leaders."

Chen Jianqiu said nothing, Weng Derong looked at the general, and Camilla was tasting the tea.

She is now the one person in this room who understands nothing.

"The purpose of your visit is also very clear in the letter. Regarding the first item, the Chilean government and I will fulfill our promise and hand over Iquique to your autonomous management. The Chinese have proven with their own actions that they are willing to do this for you."

This country gives of itself."

The general spoke calmly, with weight in every word.

"But number two"

The general paused for a moment, and at the same time his eyes stopped on Chen Jianqiu's face.

"Mr. Chen, if you want to purchase or cooperate with the Chilean government to develop nitrate ore, I don't dare to make a promise to you?"

"Oh?" Chen Jianqiu raised his eyebrows.

"As far as I know, you are from the United States, right?" The general's eyes were very sharp.

"Yes."

"There is a man named Mback Swanson, do you know him?" The general took a sip of tea from his bowl and then spit out a few tea leaves into the spittoon on the side.

"I don't know." Chen Jianqiu shook his head.

"According to the information we received, he and an American company behind him played a very disgraceful role in this war." The smile on the general's face disappeared, "We originally wanted to hand him over to the US government for processing.

But he disappeared."

A picture emerged in Chen Jianqiu's mind.

This gentleman's body should now be weighted down by rocks under the sea.

"We are not sure whether this is his personal behavior or whether it is on behalf of the US government, but it is obvious that there is no place for American businessmen here."

The general took another sip of tea while observing Chen Jianqiu from the corner of his eye.

"So, is this what the 'giant' behind you means?"

Chen Jianqiu asked without much concern.

The general did not answer the question directly, but stood up and said to Chen Jianqiu:

"There is a gentleman who wants to see you. Please come with me."

Chen Jianqiu gave Weng Derong and Camilla each a wink, indicating that they would wait here, and followed the general out of the living room.

After they passed through a corridor, Chen Jianqiu saw a heavy wooden door with carved patterns.

The general opened the door.

"Please come in."

Chen Jianqiu walked in, and the general closed the door behind him.

He looked around the room.

There are bookcases on both walls of the room, with all kinds of books on them, including some Chinese thread-bound volumes. On one of the bookcases, there is a large portrait of the general.

Apparently, this should be the general's study.

And there was a man in a suit standing in front of the floor-standing bed, with his back turned to him.

Hearing the movement at the door, he turned around.

This is a slender man with a goatee and a very strong London accent.

"Hello, Mr. Chen, nice to meet you." He stretched out a hand to Chen Jianqiu.

Chen Jianqiu shook his hand, but his eyes stayed on his face without moving away.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Chris Hunter, and I am the British Ambassador to Chile." The man said.

"Hello, Mr. Ambassador." Chen Jianqiu's face remained calm, but he was muttering in his heart.

Ambassador? What do you want from me?

"First of all, as an ally of the Chilean government, I am very grateful to you for your contribution to the victory of this war." Hunter said, "The bravery and good fighting displayed by you and your soldiers in this war is impressive.

profound."

This sentence surprised Chen Jianqiu.

In his impression, the old London gentlemen of Great Britain always showed the arrogance of "I am the best in the world".

Not to mention the Chinese who have no status in the world.

This ambassador from London seems to be different.

"What's the matter? Please tell me." Chen Jianqiu said straight to the point.

Ambassador Hunter hesitated for a moment and then said:

"Mr. Chen, we have sent people to study the battles you won, to investigate battlefields, such as the beaches of Iquique, and to observe traces of those scenes and even corpses."

"Study our battle?"

"Well, yes." Hunter nodded, "Because your record is so dazzling and incredible that it aroused our interest."

"After we synthesized all aspects of data and information, we came to a conclusion."

Hunter stared at Chen Jianqiu intently.

"You should have mastered a powerful weapon that did not exist in this world before!"

(End of chapter)