Chapter 0009 The Admiral's Attitude
"General Wiggins, your government is truly magnanimous." The admiral nodded in appreciation with a smile, then turned to Huang Feihong and said: "Huang Feihong, this British General Wiggins and Mr. Jishan from the American merchant ship, both are very magnanimous and will no longer pursue the matter of the vegetable vendor trespassing on the ship. You should also stop insisting on seeking compensation for the vegetable vendor. Let this matter rest, what do you think?"
Huang Feihong opened the menu, only to find that it was entirely in foreign language. After a brief moment of surprise, he closed the menu and said to Ye Xuan and Ya Ca Su: "A Xuan, A Su, you two decide, just order a few snacks at random!"
The three waited for nearly an hour, at which point the newly appointed admiral finally entered with the American businessman Jishan and British Navy General Wiggins, accompanied by several soldiers, chatting and laughing. Ye Xuan, however, noticed a foreigner with long dyed hair dressed in a red suit following closely behind the American businessman Jishan.
Half an hour after another half an hour, the admiral chatted with the two foreigners for half a day, and finally, as if in casual conversation, mentioned an incident from a few days ago when someone mistakenly boarded a British merchant ship
The last three people ordered two cups of coffee, one cup of tea, and several snacks, eating while slowly waiting.
Foreigners are delineating boundaries in our territory and have established various restricted zones. If we, as nationals, continue to harbor mutual suspicion while yielding to foreigners at every turn, we will soon find ourselves without even the flour needed to make steamed buns
Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!
Standing behind Huang Feihong, Ye Xuan listened to the words of Supervisor Zheng, his hands slowly clenching behind his back. The fact that a human life was being referred to as a trivial matter was infuriating, this corrupt official
Just as Ye Xuan was about to step into the Western restaurant, a sudden task prompt from the system echoed in his mind. Upon hearing this task, Ye Xuan's expression darkened, indicating that today's negotiation would not go smoothly.
"Gentlemen, this way please!" Upon hearing that these three individuals had an appointment with General Wiggins of Britain and Mr. Jishan of the United States, he immediately retracted his condescending attitude, extended his hand in a gesture of invitation, and led the three of them to the reserved table.
Two days passed, and Huang Feihong finally arranged a meeting with the new governor, Lord Zheng, along with the representatives from Britain and America at the Guangdong Jiangxi Restaurant, seeking compensation for the injury suffered by Uncle Jiu.
Public outrage? Upon seeing Huang Feihong questioning him, the commander's face flashed with a hint of anger as he coldly replied: "Huang Feihong, which government office are you from? You are merely a commoner; what qualifications do you have to discuss decisions with the authorities? Currently, the capital is engaged in the Self-Strengthening Movement, and relations with the foreigners are quite harmonious. Do not disregard the greater principles of the court for trivial matters. Huang Feihong, endure for a moment and the storm will pass; take a step back and the sky will be vast."
The appointment with the foreigner was at 10:00 AM, but when Huang Feihong and the others arrived at the Guangdong Jiangxi Western Restaurant, it was just past 9:00 AM. However, since they had arrived early, it was naturally impossible to wait outside, so Huang Feihong took the two of them into the Western restaurant
With a confident smile, Yacasu took two steps forward and said to the waiter in English: "Excuse me, may I interrupt for a moment? We have an appointment in this restaurant with Mr. Jishan from China Pacific Company and General Wiggins from the British Navy. I believe they have reserved a table for us so that we can engage in our discussions at leisure." After a brief pause and a slight smile, he turned to introduce Huang Feihong, saying: "This is our master, Huang Feihong. Please take us to the reserved table, thank you!"
Taking a deep breath to calm the anger within, Huang Feihong picked up a piece of bread in front of him and said to the admiral: "My lord, this bread is made from our flour"
Ha ha ha! Huang Feihong's eyes widened, and his fists slowly clenched, producing a series of cracking sounds from his knuckles. It was evident that he was extremely angry, as if he were about to unleash a punch onto the head of the admiral opposite him at any moment
Ye Xuan stood behind Huang Feihong, listening as the admiral alternately inquired about British customs and American scenery, seemingly here today merely to engage in idle chatter with the two foreigners, completely forgetting the matters Huang Feihong was discussing. A sense of frustration had been building up within him. In contrast, Huang Feihong appeared unfazed, as if the three individuals seated across from him were merely air, leisurely sipping tea in a relaxed manner.
"My lord, Uncle Jiu merely boarded the ship to sell vegetables; he did not force his way on. He simply could not distinguish between the British and American flags. My lord, if Britain does not provide compensation, it would be unfair to Uncle Jiu. The common people of Foshan are already aware of this matter; how will you appease their anger?" Upon hearing the admiral's words, Huang Feihong furrowed his brows and, with clenched fists, questioned the admiral.
Seeing Huang Feihong daring to reprimand him, and in front of two foreigners no less, he felt that his authority was being provoked, even though the two foreigners could not understand Chinese. His expression darkened: "Huang Feihong, I know you are closely associated with Liu Yongfu of the Black Flag Army. He thinks that he is beyond the reach of the southern court and acts in opposition to it at every turn. Now the court has sent me south to keep an eye on you all, looking for someone to make an example of."
Admiral! Upon seeing several individuals, Huang Feihong quickly rose and walked in front of the middle-aged man dressed in Qing Dynasty official attire, cupping his fists in greeting.
Huang Feihong was evidently angered by the commander's words, his breathing suddenly becoming heavy, while the nearby Yacasu quickly fanned him to help cool his temper
Ding! System task: Defeat Mr. Jishan, the American businessman, and his bodyguard Tiger. The system will determine the task rewards based on Tiger's injuries: a light injury will yield 1,000 cultivation points, a serious injury will yield 2,000 cultivation points, and failure to complete the task will result in a deduction of 1,000 cultivation points
Huang Feihong raised his eyebrows, but did not explode in anger. Instead, he said to the person beside him, Yacasu: "Asu, please explain this to the shopkeeper."
As both Ye Xuan and A Ca Su have returned from studying abroad and are proficient in foreign languages, while Huang Feihong himself does not understand foreign languages, he brought the two of them along for this meeting to facilitate communication regarding the compensation matters with the foreigners
Please take a seat! The three individuals sat down, and an Arab waiter approached, handing each of them a menu. He said to Huang Feihong, "Sir, here is your menu!"
"The ship that intruded into our British Empire should have been shot down. However, for the sake of the relationship between our two countries, we, the British Empire, have decided not to pursue this matter any further. This is the position of our British Royal Family. Admiral, let this matter rest; what do you think?" General Wiggins of Britain glanced at Huang Feihong beside him and spoke淡淡的to the Admiral.
In the eyes of these foreigners, these Chinese people are considered an inferior race. The Western restaurant is a place where the nobility dine, and these impoverished Chinese cannot afford Western cuisine. In fact, some Western restaurants even display signs stating, "No Chinese or dogs allowed."
As the words fell, he slammed his hand on the table fiercely, casting a sinister glance at Huang Feihong. The warning was clear: if Huang Feihong continued to be uncooperative and insisted on seeking compensation from the British, he would face legal consequences.
After several months of interaction, Huang Feihong and Ye Xuandu have come to understand that Ya Ca Su does not know why he always gets tongue-tied when speaking Mandarin, while he is very fluent when speaking English. Therefore, when they are at Baozhilin, Ye Xuandu communicates with him in English. Speaking Mandarin is simply too frustrating.
Seeing the gaze of the foreign lobby manager, Ye Xuan felt a surge of anger in his heart, and a glimmer of cold light flashed in his eyes
As everyone took their seats, neither the admiral nor the two foreigners cast a single glance at Huang Feihong. The admiral was particularly attentive to the two foreigners, showering them with admiration and engaging in continuous laughter and cheerful conversation
A flicker of displeasure crossed Huang Feihong's face, but it was quickly concealed. The foreign powers are now formidable, and even the government fears them to some extent. Although he is determined to serve the people, he is ultimately just a martial artist and a commoner.
"Sir, I apologize, what do you need?" As the three entered the hall, a foreigner dressed in a white suit approached with his arms crossed, casting a disdainful glance at Huang Feihong and the other two, and spoke in English.
"What, do you also appreciate Western cuisine?" The admiral was quite puzzled by Huang Feihong suddenly bringing up bread.
"Hmm, Huang Feihong, you have arrived so early." The admiral ignored Huang Feihong's greeting, merely nodding casually, and then warmly invited the two foreigners to take their seats.