Manhattan, New York.
At the magnificent, sprawling Astor Estate, the somewhat plump Lauren was sitting under a parasol, dripping with sweat.
Liu Ren walked over to his side and had just sat down when a maid brought over a cup of coffee.
Looking at Liu Ren, who seemed even sharper than before, Lauren could not help remarking, "Buddy, you look in much better shape than me!"
"Lauren, you really ought to pay attention to your health! Being overweight isn't good for you!"
Liu Ren took a sip of his coffee as he gave the advice.
Hearing this, Lauren chuckled and said, "If a man can't enjoy and cook good food in life, what's the point of living?"
Shrugging helplessly, Liu Ren did not bother to argue with him.
After all, he knew that everyone had their own choices, and forcibly interfering in another person's thoughts was immoral.
Of course, that was assuming Liu Ren saw no amusement in you; otherwise, he would gladly watch your life spiral into a complete wreck!
After chatting for a short while, Lauren asked in pleasant surprise, "You mean the first rifle has already been made?"
"That's right, my friend!"
Liu Ren explained with a snap of his fingers. An attendant immediately stepped forward and set a Garand rifle down in front of him.
Regarding the rifle's name, Liu Ren had originally thought about changing it, but in the end, he decided against it. After all, there was nothing wrong with it!
Moreover, alongside the Garand rifle, the Silver Rock Arms Factory had already begun developing submachine guns, mortars, and other weapons.
When the Great War broke out next year, that would be the moment Silver Rock Arms made its name across the globe!
Liu Ren understood that with his identity alone, it would be difficult to protect the arms factory. But Lauren was different.
He was a member of the Astor family and hailed from a top-tier financial titan. Even if someone had malicious designs, they would have to weigh the consequences of crossing him!
Still, this was only a temporary measure. Once his Silver Rock Group grew large enough, he would be able to say no to anyone!
"Good heavens! My God, this is practically a work of art!"
Looking at the gold-plated receiver bearing the Astor family crest, Lauren could not contain his excitement.
Yet hearing Lauren's words, Liu Ren tapped on the table and said, "The gun may be made, but we need an awful lot of paperwork, not to mention getting it shipped overseas for sale..."
Lauren looked at Liu Ren in silence, naturally understanding what he meant.
"I'll find a way to reach out to contacts. But as for the military, they might not choose to adopt new equipment!"
Lauren was well aware that the current Silver Rock Arms Factory was "too small"; the military would never agree to partner with them.
"Isn't Germany gearing up for war? We could ship this batch of weapons straight to Europe. What do you think?"
Liu Ren looked at Lauren, a playful glint in his eyes.
Hearing Liu Ren's proposal, a smile instantly spread across Lauren's face. "That's a fine idea. I'll get in touch with the right people!"
Once the two finished discussing their next steps, Lauren invited Liu Ren to join him for lunch.
Watching Lauren devour heaps of delicacies brought in from all corners of the world, Liu Ren could not help breaking into a cold sweat.
He truly needed to accelerate the pace of his expansion. With an appetite like that, he was genuinely afraid Lauren might drop dead at any moment!
Within half a month, massive gun battles erupted in Brooklyn.
One day it was the Jewish mob hitting the Irish; the next, the Irish were planting bombs in the Jewish mob's sedans.
For a moment, it made Liu Ren feel like he had traveled back home for the Lunar New Year, with firecrackers popping in every direction!
Yet as he watched the two sides tear into each other, Liu Ren still felt their tactics were pitiful. When you're running the streets and the shooting has already started, you have to show some spine! What was the point of mere drive-bys? You had to toss bombs straight through their front doors!
Sitting on a soft sofa, Liu Ren rubbed his brow, his expression turning solemn.
The financial statements from the arms factory gave him a massive headache.
Still, Liu Ren was studying hard. He was no business prodigy to begin with, so he could only learn one step at a time.
Under the tutelage of professional managers, he had already learned how to run the business, which was quite a solid step forward.
Of course, his idea of management meant simply tossing out "spent" parts and snapping in new ones!
Don't ask where he learned it—the British taught him!
The British could grind down their own people like the Japanese, and when dealing with outsiders, their methods were even more ruthless.
While plantation owners across the ocean were still raising the next generation of their "cotton machines," the British had already figured out the cold arithmetic!
After all, raising a newborn "cotton machine" took over a decade, but bringing in a replacement cost a mere few dozen pounds. That kind of ledger wasn't just obvious to ordinary folk; even a "kindhearted" soul like Liu Ren understood it clearly!
And so, he rigorously adhered to the British practice of treating workers like subhumans. He recruited far and wide, promising handsome wages, free board, and lodging upon arrival.
One could say he maxed out the perks for these modern-day "cotton machines."
The trouble was, what was promised during recruitment was entirely different from what happened on the floor!
Workstations were grueling, sleep was strictly rationed, food was dirt-cheap, and life itself came with no guarantee!
Though there were no fields to till, the factory sat right beside the Hudson River!
If any problem cropped up, you could simply pick up the body and toss it into the river. Hadn't he learned that well enough?
If fields could grow crops, why couldn't the river float "cotton machines"? That was blatant discrimination, and Liu Ren deplored it deeply!
"I think those Black workers have caught on to something. They won't come to our factory anymore! And a bunch of people are holding up signs outside, protesting. Robert called yesterday, saying it looks terrible!"
Standing beside Liu Ren, A Chao looked rather troubled.
Every time a large-scale protest broke out, it brought a slew of unexpected headaches.
Hearing A Chao's report, Liu Ren frowned deeply. "Haven't I told you bastards not to shear sheep in the exact same spot? You just wouldn't listen! Sure, the Brooklyn folks might be simple, but you could at least share the love elsewhere! Take Queens, for example—isn't that pretty close too?"
A Chao stared at Liu Ren in bewilderment, struck dumb.
Brooklyn and Queens weren't that far apart either—what difference did that make?
Tapping his fingers on the desk, Liu Ren tilted his head and asked, "Do you know what that protest at our gates means?"
"What?" A Chao asked suspiciously, completely at a loss.
"It means they aren't your run-of-the-mill unruly rabble anymore! They need a double beatdown—both physical and spiritual! Protesting, of all things! Don't they realize how much money their missing relatives have cost my arms factory?"
At that thought, Liu Ren picked up the landline phone on the desk. "Tell the boys downstairs to grab their gear and head out! Strike hard, hit everyone in sight, and really beat them to a pulp—mingle with the crowd and uphold our arms factory's tradition of 'winning people over with virtue'!"
A Chao stared at Liu Ren in shock. "Isn't that... a bit much?"
"What the hell is wrong with it? If the DuPonts can blow people sky-high and Rockefeller can mow them down with machine guns, why can't I get down in the dirt and trade blows with them?"
With that, Liu Ren slammed his hand on the desk. "Right now, immediately, at once—let them feel the benevolence and righteousness of the Silver Rock Group firsthand!"
*Clatter!*
The heavy gates of the arms factory swung wide.
The moment the Black protesters holding banners saw this, broad smiles broke out on their faces, assuming the owners had finally caved.
Yet the very next second, men wielding clubs, pipes, and weapons charged out, swinging mercilessly at anyone in their path.
It was a relentless, no-holds-barred beatdown!
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, Liu Ren watched the chaos in the street below, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. "Damn it all... I was just too merciful. That's why you got so cocky!"
Rockefeller: That's amateur. You have to sweep them with machine guns!
The DuPont Family: There's nobody a trip on a homemade rocket can't fix!
Zhang Cheng: Are your bombs meant for fireworks? Send people to charge inside!
Chapter 28