allonlinenovel Chapter 604: Pressing forward and bringing up old scores
Chapter 604: Pressing forward and bringing up old scores
Su Zhengyang put down his teacup, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips, as if hinting at the next development of the situation. He slowly said: "My people have gone to the concession, and will use tough measures to solve these problems for you. In this way, you don't have to feel embarrassed about this matter. The role of the 'bad guy' will be played by me, Su Zhengyang, and Hua Guo."
Before he finished speaking, he gently waved his hand to Fu Jiang behind him. Fu Jiang immediately understood, took out a heavy file bag from his arms, and handed it to Su Zhengyang respectfully. The file bag was printed with the logo of the Chinese government, which looked solemn and serious.
Ambassadors from various countries watched this scene, and their hearts were filled with turmoil. They knew very well that the "solving of the problem" mentioned by Su Zhengyang would never be handled in a gentle manner, but would intentionally or unintentionally stir up some disturbances, and might even cause chaos in the concession. But at this moment, they dared not speak out, because in the territory of the Chinese president, any disrespectful words might prevent them from leaving here alive.
The air was filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere, as if a storm was about to come. Ambassadors from various countries looked at each other, thinking about how to deal with this sudden change. They knew that the solution to the concession issue would no longer be a simple diplomatic negotiation, but a contest involving the interests and dignity of all parties.
Su Zhengyang didn't seem to care about their reactions. He gently opened the file bag and took out several documents.
At the signal of Su Zhengyang's deep and majestic gaze, Fu Jiang quickly took the file bag from Su Zhengyang. He gently pulled out a document, then cleared his throat and began to recite the contents in standard Chinese.
"In the second year of the Republic of China, in the French Concession of Jinggang City, Dubois, the general manager of the French Trading Company, openly used Jingkou Port to transport a large amount of opium from the mainland and sold it in Jinggang City and the northern border area. This behavior was extremely bad and the illegal profit exceeded 200 million oceans. Dubois's actions seriously undermined the social order of China and endangered the health rights and interests of the Chinese people."
Fu Jiang paused, and his eyes swept over the ambassadors of various countries. Their faces were already filled with astonishment and uneasiness. He continued to read: "In 1917, Eric Wallace, the president of Jules Trading Company and the son of the British aristocrat Sir Charles Wallace, shot and killed four people in the Yanyu Tower in Jinggang City because of personal grudges. The means were extremely cruel and bloody, causing great social panic. Afterwards, Eric Wallace immediately hid back in the concession. The British concession refused to hand him over on the grounds that the Northern Frontier did not have the right to manage and enforce the concession, and injured six police officers from the North City District Police Station, openly challenging China's sovereignty and laws."
As Fu Jiang recited word by word, the atmosphere in the courtyard became more solemn. The faces of the ambassadors from various countries turned pale. They realized that the documents Su Zhengyang showed were not groundless, but real cases and facts.
Su Zhengyang's eyes flashed with a cold light, as if telling the suffering and indignation of the Chinese people. He said calmly: "These are just the tip of the iceberg. There are more crimes and criminals who are at large in the concession. The Chinese people will never forget these humiliations and pains. Today, I solemnly declare here that China's sovereignty and dignity must not be violated, and the concession issue must be completely resolved."
His words were firm and powerful. Ambassadors from various countries looked at each other, knowing that Su Zhengyang's attitude this time was unprecedentedly tough and firm. Su Zhengyang's series of actions meant that he was going to dig up old accounts, using these old events as a starting point and using tough means to cause chaos in the concession.
The British ambassador, Charles Wilson, looked anxious. He stood up suddenly and said nervously, "President Su, these are all past events. It seems inappropriate to mention them now. Moreover, the Northern Xinjiang government did recognize the legitimacy of our concession back then, and we both conducted exchanges in accordance with the treaty at that time."
Although his words were calm on the surface, there was a hint of panic in his tone. He knew very well that once Su Zhengyang started to dig up old scores, it would be a huge blow to the interests of the British Empire in China.
As one of the top ten foreign companies in China, Jules Trading Company is also one of the representative chambers of commerce of the British Empire in China. The real controllers behind it are some old nobles of the British Empire. These nobles have deep interests in China. Once Su Zhengyang takes action against Jules Trading Company, their status and interests in China will be greatly threatened.
As one of the behind-the-scenes controllers of Jules Firm, Charlie Wallace is famous for his bad temper. His son Eric Wallace inherited his father's bad temper and acted arrogantly in the concession. If Su Zhengyang really wanted to touch Eric Wallace, it would definitely cause a fierce reaction from Charlie Wallace, and it might even lead to further conflict between the two countries.
Ambassadors from other countries also began to panic. They had occupied the concessions for nearly half a century, and when China was backward and weak, they did whatever they wanted, sucking blood unscrupulously and doing some shady business. The expatriates and merchants in the concessions regarded themselves as superior citizens, bossing around and oppressing the Chinese at will.
At this moment, they realized that if Su Zhengyang really started to dig up old accounts, then many people would be held responsible.
Su Zhengyang stared at the ambassadors of various countries, his eyes were firm and deep, and he said in an unquestionable tone: "I want to tell you that the choice of the Northern Frontier government not to pursue these old events does not mean that these crimes will disappear. China is no longer a country that allows others to bully us. The crimes committed by these foreigners on our territory must be punished accordingly. This is my bottom line, Su Zhengyang, and it is also China's bottom line."
Ambassadors from various countries were shocked by these words, and they all lowered their heads and remained silent. They knew that the young president was not joking, and every word he said was like a heavy hammer, hitting their hearts.
However, the Austro-Hungarian ambassador Joseph Redmond was extremely anxious at this time. His eyes were full of anxiety and uneasiness, because he knew that his younger brother, Joseph von Redmond, was also involved in the crimes recited by Fu Jiang.
Joseph von Redmond, a royal noble of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, like Joseph Redmond, showed contempt for the Chinese in his bones. He had a special habit, which was to forcibly abduct some beautiful Chinese girls into the concession and violate them. His behavior was extremely cruel and even caused many deaths.
Joseph Redmond knew clearly that if Su Zhengyang really pursued the matter, his brother would probably not escape the law.