The Bund Storms, Chapter 29: A Hot Potato—and an Opportunity

Hobson was the first influential benefactor Chen Lin encountered after his transmigration.

He held a much higher opinion of this missionary than the other Westerners, who did nothing but proselytize. Hobson was experimenting with new methods of evangelism—opening hospitals and translating books. His ultimate goal remained the same, but his approach had the potential to subtly alter the decaying status quo of the Qing Dynasty. Hospitals could win over the hearts of the people, while books could culturally assimilate the Chinese, eventually leading them to embrace faith. From a nationalist perspective, this was blatant cultural invasion.

However, Chen Lin reconsidered: if China could absorb and integrate these foreign influences, it might well lead to a cultural sublimation. History was never short of such examples. The golden age of the Sui and Tang dynasties, following the Northern and Southern Dynasties, was the result of a fusion between Central Plains culture and the nomadic cultures of the north—the introspective Central Plains culture gained a touch of wildness, which gave the Sui and Tang their enterprising spirit and daring. It was only after the Song Dynasty’s policy of valuing civil administration over the military that Central Plains culture became conservative once more. Chen Lin understood that the sheer scale of Chinese culture was such that any culture attempting to assimilate it would eventually be devoured instead.

He spoke with Hobson for over two hours, ranging from Western to Eastern culture, and pointed out the contradictions between the two. Hobson nodded repeatedly, agreeing that these very contradictions were the primary obstacles to his mission. He had never expected such profound insights into East-West cultural differences from a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy.

After finalizing the time to bring Wang Libin to meet Hobson, Chen Lin hurried back to the construction site. The construction company was his foundation, and since his schedule had been relatively free lately, it was the perfect time to set up his laboratory.

The lab was tucked away in a warehouse beside the construction site, extremely rudimentary. Wooden shelves held pottery jars and bamboo pipes, sacks were piled on the floor, and a faint scent of sulfur drifted through the air. Through the channels of Dent & Co., Chen Lin was now able to procure a fair amount of experimental materials. During his recent dealings with Liu Wei, he had used up most of his ether and concentrated sulfuric acid. He had been hoarding raw materials over the past few days, preparing to replenish his supply of pepper spray. As a PhD in chemistry, he knew all too well how to cause harm, and how to save lives—when navigating the world, one must never offend someone who studies chemistry.

The attack he suffered yesterday made him realize he could not entrust his safety entirely to Pan Qiliang. He needed to prepare his own contingencies. Chen Lin poured the powder from a paper bag into a pottery jar, added water, stirred, sealed the opening, and set it over a fire for distillation. The steam flowed through a bamboo pipe into another jar; he adjusted the heat from time to time, his movements as skilled as if he had performed them a thousand times.

"Young Master, Mr. Dent is looking for you," Hu San’s voice came from the doorway, kept very low.

Chen Lin quickly extinguished the fire, took off his stained lab coat, and walked out briskly. James was standing at the entrance of the warehouse, holding a folder with a smile on his face.

"Jack, tinkering with your chemistry experiments again? Careful, or the boss will dock your pay if he finds out," James teased, his tone full of familiarity.

"James, you’re my assistant now. Careful, or I’ll send you off to lay bricks," Chen Lin replied with a laugh.

Their personalities clicked, and they had long since become friends who could joke with each other. Chen Lin liked James’s straightforwardness—he wasn't arrogant like the other Westerners and treated people with great humility.

"Laying bricks would be nice. No need to use my brain, and no need to be scolded by the boss," James sighed, his tone instantly dropping.

"What’s wrong? Is Mr. Dent angry again?" Chen Lin leaned in and asked in a low voice.

"You bet he is!" James lowered his voice. "I don't know what got into the young lady, but she took it upon herself to handle the raw silk business. I’ve told you, this is a dead end—Jardine Matheson has already blocked every path."

Over the past few days, he had scoured the silk merchants of Shanghai, and even the sources in Panyu had been bought out. Those merchants were immovable, refusing to take any orders from Dent.

Chen Lin’s heart skipped a beat. Jenny actually dared to take this on! The woman was insane. If he continued to refuse, he would certainly offend the young lady; but if he agreed, how could a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy possibly persuade those wily, old silk merchants?

"Jack, you’ve got a head for tricks, can you think of a way?" James tugged at his sleeve. "If you can help the boss solve this, he’ll definitely promote you to a comprador. Then you could open your own firm and handle procurement for the foreign houses—how great would that be!"

"James, do I look like I have a way?" Chen Lin spread his hands with a bitter smile. "I’m just a half-grown kid; who would take me seriously?"

James sighed again and said nothing more.

"Does this affect the firm that much?" Chen Lin pressed. He still had to rely on Dent & Co. as his big tree, and he didn't want it to fall. If it did, no matter which house he defected to, his value would plummet.

"Huge, incredibly huge!" James nodded heavily. "The biggest loss isn't the money, it's the reputation. If there’s no raw silk shipped to Europe, the partners there will lose faith in us."

Chen Lin frowned. Without reputation, the firm was like a body missing half its legs.

"James, why does the boss want to see me? Do you know?" he asked.

James shook his head. "Not sure. But it shouldn't be a bad thing—you’re managing the building construction, and the coagulant you provided earned the firm quite a reputation. The boss thinks highly of you; it’s likely something good."

The two chatted as they walked toward the main building of the firm.

"By the way, James, has the equipment I requested been ordered yet?" Chen Lin suddenly remembered the cement factory.

"I’ve already sent word for Calcutta to ship it," James replied. "But you’re planning to build a steel mill—where will you get the iron ore and coal?"

"Don't worry, we’re connected to the Yangtze River here," Chen Lin said with certainty. "There’s plenty of ore upstream; as long as we have the money, we can buy it. When the time comes, our cement and steel bars will be the most sought-after goods in Shanghai."

"That’s true," James nodded. "I’ve heard the French are coming to open a concession, too. Their warships are already on the way. Once the French Concession opens, there will be plenty more buildings to construct."

Chen Lin’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. The French Concession, opening this early? As a chemistry PhD, his knowledge of history was only enough to get by in nine-year compulsory education; it wasn't that detailed. Shanghai was merely a microcosm of the Great Powers carving up the Qing Dynasty, and now, it was only just beginning. Once the French Concession opened, how many more commoners would be displaced, just like him? The Qing government would only heap the pressure from the foreign powers onto the ordinary people.

But there was nothing he could do for now. The only thing he could do was grow stronger amidst this chaos and wait for a true opportunity.

Reaching the door of Dent’s office, Chen Lin took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The room was thick with smoke. Dent sat behind his desk, his brow furrowed; Jenny stood beside him, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes full of amusement, as if looking at prey.

Chen Lin thought to himself, *this is bad*—this woman was definitely planning to set him up. Last time, he had diplomatically brushed off Jenny’s attempts to recruit him; now, the retribution had arrived.

"Jack, the progress on the building is smooth; there’s a high probability we’ll finish ahead of schedule," Dent spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of approval. "This is all to your credit."

Chen Lin didn't relax—his experience in the corporate world told him that when a boss suddenly starts praising someone, it’s never for a good reason.

Sure enough, Dent changed the subject: "I don't think you need to be staring at the construction site every day anymore. Let the designers and craftsmen handle the interior decoration. You will go and handle a matter with Jenny."

He paused and took a slip of paper from his drawer: "The silk merchant Gu Fuchang is in the Shanghai county seat; you and Jenny go see him. I heard he has a batch of raw silk that was originally destined for the north. If you can secure this batch of goods, I will reward you handsomely."

Dent made it sound easy, as if the reward were already within reach. But Chen Lin knew this was simply pushing him to the front to act as a shield.

Jenny immediately chimed in, her tone tinged with smugness: "Jack, with me there this time, you just need to assist me. Trust me, we will definitely succeed."

Chen Lin rolled his eyes in his heart—*trust you? Not a chance!* It was clear this woman had made up her mind to make him do the heavy lifting.

He stood in place, not agreeing immediately. His mind raced: if he went, he would have to face the stubborn silk merchant and deal with Jenny’s schemes; if he didn't, he would offend Dent and Jenny, making it impossible to establish himself in the firm in the future.

The smell of smoke drifted into his nostrils, choking him slightly. Chen Lin looked up at Dent, then swept a glance at Jenny, and spoke slowly: "Very well, I will go with Miss Jenny."

For now, he had no choice but to agree. As for how to resolve the raw silk issue—he would take it one step at a time; he would find a way eventually.