plumnovel Chapter 70 Profiting from the Tiger's Mouth
Chapter 70 Profiting from the Tiger's Mouth
"Wouldn't it be the same if your navy handled this themselves?"
Chen Feng immediately refused, cursing inwardly.
joke!
Having just raided the Independent Army's supply depot, they're now attacking their Malolos stronghold and causing damage. Isn't this like an old man eating poison, tired of living?
No matter how skilled I am, the city of Marolos is completely surrounded by the Independent Army, and there is absolutely no way I could come out alive once I got in!
Connor gave a wry smile and lowered his voice, saying, "Let's find out what's going on."
Openly breaking promises to Aguinaldo caused the indigenous people of all Luzon to turn against him.
What the United States should do now is to use the independence movement to wear down Spain, not to force them to unite!
"Only you Chinese are suitable to step forward. Even if the negotiations break down, it will only be a conflict between the Chinese and the independence army, and it has nothing to do with us!"
He leaned forward and threw out bait: "Don't worry, the Navy won't let you work for nothing!"
After the deal is done, I will allocate you an additional 200 LaGG-Jorgensen rifles and 10 rounds of ammunition, and open the trade channel in Manila Bay to you. Your merchant ships will be exempt from tax on entry and exit for three years!
Furthermore, I can guarantee that the subsequent combat missions the army will give you will all be easy tasks involving harassing the Western Army; we will absolutely not force you to take on any tough challenges!
Chen Feng remained silent, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cool surface of the teacup.
Rifles and bullets are necessities, and of course, the more the better.
Tax exemption for merchant ships would further revitalize the foundation of the Chinese Free Army, saving a significant amount of money on subsequent transportation of immigrants and trade of goods.
But Marolos and his group ultimately faced a perilous situation with a slim chance of survival.
Aguinaldo, who would fight to the death with even his allies, would surely turn on an enemy like himself.
Connor seemed to see through his concerns and added a crucial sentence: "Don't worry, Aquinado is currently in a hurry to win over various forces to support his position. He would never dare to touch you, the leader of the Chinese community. At most, he will just argue with you. You can go and talk with peace of mind."
Furthermore, in the name of safeguarding democracy and freedom, I would proactively propose that the U.S. Marine Corps provide security guarantees for all participants, allowing everyone to speak freely, so he wouldn't have a chance to take action.
Chen Feng felt somewhat relieved and looked up to ask, "How many soldiers will you take with you?"
"At least a battalion! All elite Marines, equipped with heavy machine guns and mortars, they can absolutely guarantee your safety," Connor assured him.
"Does the Zheng family know about your plan? Did they agree to it?" Chen Feng pressed further.
Connor's eyes flickered, and he said vaguely, "We've already had preliminary discussions, and this matter is also in their interest, so I don't think they'll object."
Chen Feng remained silent for a long time, then shook his head and said, "There's an old Chinese saying, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' I want the rifles and the duty-free channel, but I need to pay in advance. I also need two more things: five Spanish steam-powered merchant ships with a displacement of over 500 tons, and a production line for the Kragjogensen M1892 breech-loading rifle."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Connor immediately waved his hand. "The merchant ships are easy to deal with! After our Marines captured Manila, we seized a large number of Spanish colonial merchant ships. You can send people to Cavite Port to take delivery right now. But the rifle production line? Forget about it!"
His tone suddenly turned serious, his eyes filled with vigilance: "Do you intend to produce your own weapons after the war to fight against the United States? Even if I agreed, the War Department and the Secretary of State would never consent!"
The implication in those words couldn't be clearer!
The US military will never relinquish its control over core military technologies, not even through bribery.
Chen Feng frowned slightly, quickly finding a plausible excuse, and said sincerely, "Colonel Connor, you should know how adept the natives are at hiding in the mountains and waging guerrilla warfare. The Spanish colonial army struggled for several years but failed to eliminate the independence army. Are you so confident that you can wipe them out quickly?"
"I want the production line because I think that once your army lands, the navy's aid to the Free Army will definitely be reduced. At that time, I don't want to be at the mercy of those greedy army guys. I just want to be able to manufacture some weapons and ammunition myself and continue to help you contain the remaining forces."
Connor hesitated for a moment, then softened his tone: "I can't really make a production line, but Spain still has a lot of maintenance equipment at its ordnance factory in Manila."
Aside from lacking core equipment like barrel rifling machines and bolt forging machines, all other repair and assembly tools are complete, and ammunition can be reloaded. I can make the decision right now: after we capture Manila, I'll hand over the entire repair facility to you and assign you a team of skilled workers.
"Can you guarantee that it was your Marine Corps that captured Manila, and not the Army?" Chen Feng asked directly, getting to the heart of the matter. Only when the Navy is in power can a promise be kept.
"certainly!"
Connor patted his chest and laughed, "The army's landing site is set on the Bataan Peninsula; their main focus is the northern front. After all, our navy was the biggest contributor to the Philippines campaign. How could we possibly let the army take this prize of Manila?"
"Then the exclusive trading rights to Oronapo City promised by General Dewey have fallen through?" Chen Feng's face darkened, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
Olongapo is located on the other side of the Bataan Peninsula. Not far from Subic Bay is Scarborough Shoal. He originally planned to use it as a naval base for the Chinese Free Army to open up shipping routes in the South China Sea.
Connor touched his nose, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes: "I need to talk to General Dewey about this and see if we can find you a different coastal city. The main problem is that someone in the Navy has proposed building a naval base in Oronapau, so it's really difficult to give it to you."
Chen Feng frowned. It was something that the Navy's top brass had decided, and General Dewey probably couldn't change it.
He thought for a moment and then said, "Aren't there many merchant ship repair yards in Cavite? Get me one first."
"This..." Connor looked troubled. "The rest are all spoils of war from the Navy. The repair depots that could be allocated have already been seized by officers of all ranks. This is going to be very difficult!"
It's difficult, but not impossible!
Chen Feng immediately understood his implication and said bluntly, "I'll give you 20% of the repair shop's shares. If you want me to risk my life in Malolos, how can you justify it without offering some benefits?"
"make a deal!"
Upon hearing this, Connor's face instantly lit up with a smile. He slapped his thigh and said, "Chen, you really are a straightforward man! When it comes to working for America, you'll never be wasted your time! Leave the merchant ships and repair shops to me. Send someone to Cavite in three days to take over, and I'll personally lead your men to select the best ones!"
"Okay then."
Chen Feng nodded. "I will arrive in Malolos before June 12th. I hope you will keep your word and fulfill all your promises, especially the security guarantee."
Connor's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Don't worry, as long as you don't conflict with the interests of the United States, you will always be our friend. Aguinaldo wants the independence of the entire Philippines, a condition that even the president wouldn't dare to agree to. We will deal with him sooner or later."
These words sound like both a reminder and a blatant warning.
He can ask for benefits, but he must never let himself be out of control.
Chen Feng, however, didn't care at all; he already had a plan in mind.
We must take advantage of the chaos in Luzon to accelerate our development, expand our forces, open up trade routes, and establish bases. Only after the independence army is completely suppressed by the US military will we have enough leverage to negotiate with the United States.
After chatting for a few more minutes about the details of the handover of merchant ships in Manila Port, Connor got up to say goodbye, taking Frank and other instructors with him.
Watching Connor's departing figure, Chen Feng's lips curled into a cold smile.
The US military wanted to use him as a pawn to disrupt the situation of the independence army, but wasn't he also using the US military to frantically hoard resources and strengthen his power?
Malolos's declaration of independence was both a perilous gamble and an opportunity for him.
If they can return alive, the strength of the Chinese Free Army will surely experience a qualitative leap.