Chapter 164: Historic Cooperation

Liang Yao's courage comes from his foresight of the future.

Railways are the future of transportation, and this has been proven by history.

Liang Yao is a time traveler. Seizing the opportunity of the times and becoming a trend-setter of the times is a basic operation for a time traveler.

Standing on the cusp of the times, even pigs can take off.

Moreover, the investment of more than 10 million US dollars is not all he has, and he can afford the gamble.

Vanderbilt is a native of the time, and more than 10 million US dollars of liquid funds is all he has.

Not all entrepreneurs have the courage to step out of their comfort zone and devote all their life's efforts to a new industry.

Vanderbilt was born in the late 18th century, an era of constant war, economic slump, and social unrest.

Vanderbilt grew up in the 19th century, an era when America gradually moved from an agricultural society to an industrial society, the economy underwent tremendous changes, and a large number of new things emerged like mushrooms after rain.

Throughout the 19th century, he seized almost all the development opportunities of this era, made the most correct choices in every major social change, and seized the most correct time to go all in.

In the 1830s, when sailing ships and steamships were changing, many ship owners were wavering between sailing ships and steamships and could not make a decision. Vanderbilt decisively sold the sailing fleet he had accumulated with great difficulty and went to work for the steamship owner Thomas Gibbons, entering the steam industry.

In the late 1840s, facing the gold rush in California, he resolutely chose to confront the government head-on, personally opened up the Nicaragua route and competed with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company with official background, diverting the crowds going to Panama to the transportation channels he opened.

Now, he has made the decision to invest all his working capital in the railway transportation industry.

If such a person cannot make a fortune, it would be unforgivable.

Liang Yao and Vanderbilt drank this glass of wine on the train.

At this time, colleagues on the other side of the continent were still living in their comfort zone, unaware that at this moment, the two future railway tycoons of America had reached a cooperation in an ordinary train car.

The railway transportation industry in the United States is about to usher in a bloody storm.

Regarding the cooperation between Liang Yao and Vanderbilt, later historians commented as follows:

The cooperation agreement reached by Mr. Liang and Mr. Vanderbilt in April 1851 disintegrated the remnant power of the aristocracy in the 18th century, shook the conservative merchant elite, and destroyed many monopolies; it was they who made the concept of freedom and fairness more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

It is particularly noteworthy that their railway empire destroyed the barriers set by the states on interstate trade, promoted free trade in America, and defeated the 18th century culture of obedience and privileged class thinking.

Strong courage and determination are the common points of Liang Yao and Vanderbilt, and the two also have very different characteristics.

That is, Vanderbilt only intervened in politics but did not participate in politics, while Liang Yao both intervened in politics and participated in politics.

There is no way around it. Vanderbilt is of Dutch descent, and the Dutch are a strong ethnic group that has been accepted by mainstream American society.

Liang Yao is of Chinese descent. Except for California, no state in the United States has accepted this ethnic group. They are a disadvantaged ethnic group in the mainstream American society.

Before the Civil War, the United States was a one-country, two-system society with American characteristics. The North practiced capitalist democracy, and the South practiced slavery. The whole society was in a serious state of division.

In short, the American state system was not determined, and the cohesion was not strong. If Liang Yao wanted to gain a foothold in America, he still had a chance.

When the American state system was determined, the whole society formed a relatively strong centripetal force and cohesion, Liang Yao and the Chinese behind him would no longer have the possibility of turning over in America.

The ten years before the Civil War were Liang Yao's last chance. This is why Liang Yao, as a businessman, wanted to strongly participate in California politics, become a political leader in California, and even unconstitutionally concentrate power.

Amid the clinking of glasses, the Pioneer train arrived in San Francisco.

Although the Pioneer was fast, its speed was only 35 miles (56km), not as fast as the high-speed trains of later generations that could easily reach more than 200 kilometers per hour.

When everyone got off the bus in San Francisco, the night sky was already dotted with stars.

"Sven, you look a little unhappy."

Liang Yao looked at Sven, who looked unhappy.

"If you were a sailor, you might understand my feelings." Sven said sadly.

"It is my honor to have a race with the famous ship king. It is the dream of all sailors to win the ship king, but I don't want to win this race in this way. It is an insult to me."

"I can understand your feelings, but Vanderbilt is more of a businessman than a sailor. Sailors are not his main business." Liang Yao said.

After returning to Tingtao Garden, Connie took out a check for $60,000 and handed it to Liang Yao.

"Sir, I still owe you $230,000. I will pay you $60,000 first, and I will pay the rest later."

Since following Liang Yao, Connie's life has gradually got on the right track. He quit his drug addiction and rarely lingered in brothels.

His construction company was also very successful and he had accumulated a considerable amount of assets.

As for the debts that Connie owed Liang Yao, they were all gambling debts. Some of them were gambling debts he owed to Brannan Casino, and some were gambling debts he owed after returning to California in 1850.

"I hope you can learn a lesson in the future. I will show you a clear way to pay off your gambling debts." Liang Yao accepted Connie's check for $60,000.

Connie is a man with a strong sense of self-esteem. Forgiving his gambling debts is an insult to him.

"What clear way? What is your way to make money?" Connie's eyes lit up and he said expectantly.

"Invest in Umbrella Company and become the original shareholder of Umbrella Company." Liang Yao said mysteriously.

Umbrella Company is the gold mining company he has set up in Australia. Liang Yao has not publicly raised funds for this company.

"Umbrella Company?" Connie said, touching his chin, "Is it the Australian gold mining company that you discussed with the British? Aren't you not open to the public for fundraising for this company?"

"It is not open to the public, but you are my assistant, I can give you a little privilege." Liang Yao said lightly.

"Thank you, sir!" Connie said gratefully, "If possible, I would like to extend our employment contract."

"Didn't you say before that you wanted to terminate this slave contract as soon as possible?" Liang Yao joked.

"I was ignorant at that time, but now I finally understand why Senior Strauss and Senior Jones both hope to stay with you as assistants. They can learn a lot from you." Connie said very frankly.

"My father is a very proud man, and he often looks down on others, but I can see that he admires you very much."

"When you have my wealth, your father will also admire you."

Liang Yao remembered that Vanderbilt treated Connie as an air person almost all the time today, and never looked at Connie straight in the eye.

There is no deep hatred between father and son, and Vanderbilt's behavior is indeed a bit too much.

"Today, your father not only didn't look good to your brother, but also didn't look good to you."

"I don't care, I have figured it out, I live for myself, not for my father." Connie said with relief.

"It's my brother William. This poor guy still wants the attention of that hard-hearted old man. I feel so sad for him."

"Maybe your father is a person who is not good at expressing his emotions."

Before Liang Yao finished speaking, he saw Connie's eyes rolled up, revealing the whites of his eyes, making strange sounds in his throat, and white foam flowing from the corners of his mouth.

Liang Yao habitually reached out his hand and supported Connie's stiff body.

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