After staying in the East China Sea for a few days, Lu Ming hurried to Antigua and Barbuda because of the urgent situation.
The special plane refueled twice, the second time at Hanzhou Airport. After takeoff, it flew southwest for more than an hour and landed in Ferman, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.
Antigua, literally translated, means "Land of Lakes and Seas", and Fermanagh, literally translated, means mirage.
The terrain of the Antigua region is also extremely peculiar. It is a huge inland lake with an area of one million square kilometers. There are inhabited islands scattered all over the place. Some islands have virgin forests, and some islands have mountains.
Only the city of Ferman is connected to the outside world by train. It is like a peninsula extending from the inner lake. On this huge peninsula, there are tens of millions of people, which is about a quarter of the population of the entire state of Antigua.
The remaining three quarters of the population are scattered across the islands.
Many islands are ruled by families and tribes. They are not autonomous, but better than autonomous. The islands that are rich in poppies are large islands where a very powerful tribe lives. There are millions of people living on them. The local police station and security forces can do nothing about the tribal armed forces, and corruption is rampant. Local officials who are not bribed are often assassinated.
Antigua is also a rare populous province in the empire, with a population of 40 to 50 million, almost on par with Longbei Province, which has a smaller population among the four provinces in the northern region.
Due to the terrain and the difficulty in communicating with the outside world, most of Antigua is extremely poor, but the city of Ferman is abnormally prosperous.
It is known as the Little East China Sea of the Southwest. With a population of over one million, it is an extremely prosperous lakeside tropical city.
Feldman is surrounded by lakes on three sides. The eastern section of the central block is called "Santoro" Street. The word in Lu Ming's mind automatically converted into "Chinatown".
Because all the people living here are from Central Asia, the buildings also have the beauty of combining the ancient oriental charm with the tropical lakeside city here.
The observation team stayed at the Santoro Hotel in Chinatown, because Chinatown is one of the most prosperous and high-end communities in Ferman.
The Zhongzhou Chamber of Commerce warmly welcomed the observation group.
In fact, there have been undercurrents in Antigua and Barbuda recently, and the wealthy people in Central Asia are in extreme unrest.
In Antigua, Central Africans are almost synonymous with rich people, and many industry leaders are from Central Africans.
Ever since the civil unrest in the imperial capital, rumors have gradually spread in Antigua that the Central Asians, who make up 2% of the state, control 80% of the province's economy.
Although this is definitely a rumor, from what Lu Ming knows, there are more than 500,000 Central Africans living in Antigua, which is 1% of the state's population, and their economic share may really account for 30 to 40% of the state.
In fact, Westerners also account for a high proportion of the economy in Tiguara State, and several large families have deep-rooted status here.
Moreover, the people of Central Asia have always been cautious and stayed away from politics, while the Western families have close contacts with the ruling families and tribal leaders of the Mitai and Yasia peoples, and have great influence on the local area.
The political status of the people of Central Continent was very low, and they made a fortune in silence. However, with the development of information today and people with ulterior motives spreading rumors, the rumor that the people of Central Continent controlled the economy of their state became more and more intense. Many lower-class Mitai and Yasia people believed it firmly and blamed the people of Central Continent for their poor lives.
During last month's military coup, Chinatown was already hit by a small-scale attack by mobs who took the opportunity to cause trouble, but fortunately the incident was quickly quelled.
The entrepreneurs and businessmen in Central China are now like frightened birds. The observation team came at the right time and gave them temporary reassurance.
In fact, Lu Ming came here because he knew from the history of his previous life that the people of Central China here were in a very dangerous situation. Because there were very similar precedents in his previous life, he could not let the tragedy of his previous life happen again.
Moreover, if the local Central Plains merchant community could be utilized by himself, it would be a great help.
Lu Ming brought a lot of entourage with him, and they had to pay for their own accommodation. Although no one here knew who Commissioner Zhang was, the local Zhongzhou businessmen were very enthusiastic about helping Lu Ming with his food and lodging. There were many good value for money options, and one wealthy businessman even offered a newly built villa that had never been lived in to Observer Zhang for free.
But Lu Ming still chose to stay in the super luxurious suite on the top floor of the Santolo Hotel. However, it certainly could not be compared with the 1,500-yuan suite at Shengjing Red Rose.
But it is also over 500 square meters in area, with various luxurious rooms and a small garden balcony from which you can enjoy the sunset lake view.
Lu Ming was naturally accompanied by Granny Tuolong and Da Guo and Xiao Guo, as well as Erika, Mrs. Pei, Mrs. Zou and Mrs. Audrey.
The rest stayed at Red Rose's 1500.
For people like Becky and her daughter, it would definitely be better for them to stay in Shengjing, as that is their social circle.
Xueruo and Becky's daughter Maggie have a very good relationship. Becky takes care of Xueruo as if she were her own daughter. Although Erika is also very good to Xueruo, she is just a little girl after all, and is not as good as Becky in taking care of people.
Yuluan also lives in 1500, so there is nothing to worry about as she is looking after them.
Pei and Zou were the ones that Grandma Tuolong wanted to take care of because they, like the Fourth Lady, were women of the Fire element.
As Grandma Tuolong said, even if you don't use it to warm your feet, staying in the same room all the time can still benefit you in some way and keep your vitality from being damaged.
In fact, Pei had a good job in the bank there, but now he has to change to a new environment.
Even Mrs. Audrey IV had told them that they could return to their hometown.
But I don’t know if it was Grandma Tuolong who secretly forced them, but in any case, no one left.
However, most of the dozen or so Westerners who were originally sentenced to death in Shengjing were pardoned, but they are still imprisoned. They are supervised by observers from the Montenegrin Human Rights Organization, so their treatment is relatively good.
There were also a few people who were actually executed, all of whom had committed many crimes.
…
Room 1801 of the Santoro Hotel, which is the top-floor presidential suite where Lu Ming lives.
In the reception room, Lu Mingzheng was sipping tea and chatting with a local Central Plains tycoon.
The slightly plump man in his fifties is called Chen Huanxing, a very capable person. He came here to make a living at the age of sixteen and started from scratch. Today he is a famous banker in Antigua and the largest shareholder of Southwest Bank, the second largest bank in Antigua. However, he is very cautious and does not serve as the chairman of the bank himself, but uses an agent.
Originally, according to the local laws of Antigua, only Westerners or people from the two local ethnic groups could serve as chairman of the board of directors in the banking industry. Although this law has been abolished today, Chen Huanxing still maintains his usual low profile and caution.
It was Chen Huanxing who planned to provide Lu Ming with a new villa as a residence.
Even now, he still cares about his parents' well-being and even considers every aspect of life that Lu Ming could not even think of.
Perhaps it was because during the first meeting between the observation group and the representatives of the Zhongzhou Chamber of Commerce yesterday, although Lu Ming did not say much, every word he said was to the point. He understood very well what was happening here and was aware of the general concerns of the Zhongzhou business community.
This made Chen Huanxing immediately realize that only Observer Zhang could truly understand their demands.
But now, Chen Huanxing might be a little disappointed, because after chatting for a while, he learned that Observer Zhang came from a special zone in the Northern Territory. In the Eastern Alliance, this alliance member is obviously the least influential. The Northern Territory? What's the difference between it and the Wilderness? I don't know how this special zone made up the numbers to enter the alliance.
But Chen Huanxing was still very enthusiastic in helping Observer Zhang consider the difficulties he might face in his future life.
He doesn't have much political sensitivity at the imperial level, and is even more indifferent to the Northern Territory, but he is obviously very graceful and will not change his attitude just because he thinks he may not be able to use you.
"Mr. Zhang, I heard that you have a lawyer's license. Are you a lawyer by profession?" Chen Huanxing asked with a smile.
Lu Ming did use the identity of Commissioner Zhang to get a lawyer's license, but it was only used to register the professional identity of the observer. The selection of observers basically requires lawyers, journalists, writers, social group members, etc. At this time, he smiled and said, "No, in fact, my main job is a spy and secret police."
"Commissioner Zhang is joking!" Chen Huanxing smiled and asked, "Can the observation group stay here permanently?" Obviously, this was the issue that concerned him most, and his face was full of anticipation.
"It depends on the situation. It's temporarily set for one month, but I will make it permanent. The Antigua State Government and Congress hope to get assistance from the Eastern Alliance. I think we need to observe and investigate for a period of time." Lu Ming smiled and said, "So, please help me contact a school. My wife should be in the second grade of middle school."
I always felt that Erika was too lonely and should be exposed to the outside world.
In fact, Erika received a good education and didn't need to go to middle school. The reason we sent her to school was just to hope that she would have her own social circle and her own friends.
If it were Shengjing, I wouldn't feel comfortable asking her to go to school. It was too chaotic, and there were no suitable schools. Ethnic conflicts were also serious, and the relationship between the Japanese and Central Asian people was even more delicate. The problems faced by the schools there would cause her troubles.
As for Donghai, it would not be appropriate for me to take her there myself.
The Chinatown here seems to be a good choice. The teaching quality of the Chinese schools is good, and there are not so many ethnic conflicts. It is very comfortable to go to school here, and you will have the opportunity to make many good friends. It is also very safe.
Even if he was not there, with Grandma Tuolong and Xiaoguo and Daguo around, there would be no danger even if a riot broke out.
What's more, in fact, his own guard company has already entered Antigua and Barbuda state under different identities.
Disguised as a newly registered flight service company, it provided helicopter flight services.
In this way, the guard company officially owns a helicopter, and there are two armed helicopters hidden in the warehouse.
The helicopter pad rented by the flight service company is near the airport, so it is extremely easy to control the airport.
Even if I am not there, if a major disaster occurs, the guard company will have no problem evacuating their entourage.
Of course, after coming to Antigua and meeting with representatives of Central African businessmen here, I became more determined to guide them to work for me.
Therefore, this place might be one of my temporary stays for a long time, and it would be nice for Erika to go to school here.
On the other side, Chen Huanxing heard that Mr. Zhang's wife was in Form 2, his eyes sparkled, and he immediately smiled and said, "That's easy, Mingde Middle School is the best middle school in the Santolo community, and my granddaughter is also in Form 2, so I should be able to take care of Mrs. Zhang to adapt to the environment here."
Lu Ming smiled and said, "That's great. Besides, I also want to investigate this place. In fact, I have always wanted to invest here, but I know that Antigua's economy has been self-contained over the years, and it is difficult for outsiders to integrate. Now that we have this convenient condition, let's see if there are any opportunities."
Chen Huanxing's eyes lit up, but he still shook his head. "Mr. Zhang, of course I hope you will invest. That means you have confidence in the investment safety of the local environment. But from what you said yesterday, I think you understand the current situation of our Zhongzhou investors. Now is really not a good time."
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Not really. Maybe there are better projects right now, but our Zhongzhou investors are backing out, so I can take over. Crisis brings crisis, and where there is danger there is also opportunity. That's how I understand it."
Chen Huanxing's eyes flickered, and he nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, it is. Baitai Commercial Bank is a time-honored brand here. It has five floors of real estate and hundreds of thousands of goods. It has almost no foreign debt. They are willing to transfer it for 500,000. I will take you to inspect it tomorrow?"
Lu Ming was helpless. "Brother Chen, you misunderstood. I don't want this so-called investment. I'm from the Northern Territory. Do you think I'm asking for a bribe? And Brother Chen is really generous. I didn't promise anything at all, and I may not even be able to help Brother Chen in any way. Brother Chen is willing to give me hundreds of thousands of benefits?"
Chen Huanxing was startled and said with a smile: "You are the one who misunderstood, right?..."
Lu Ming waved his hand, "I really want to invest, about 10 million, I think. I have 20 to 30 million. Can you help me think about it? Are there any suitable industries and opportunities?"
This investment has nothing to do with "General Lu"; it is all from the account of "Commissioner Zhang".
Chen Huanxing was surprised, and after sizing up Lu Ming's expression, he nodded, "Of course, there's no rush. I actually have a few projects I want to invest in, but I'm a little unsure recently. Let me think about it, sort out my thoughts, and talk to you tomorrow. It's getting late today, why don't you go to bed first?"
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Okay, thank you Brother Chen for your help."
Chen Huanxing was surprised and doubtful, happy but also somewhat puzzled. He really had no idea of the observer's approach and true intentions, but he would just make plans based on his sincere intention to invest locally and then wait and see what would happen.