Lost and Spy

Meng Shaoyuan burned the check in front of Fabio.

Fabio was not surprised at all, it seemed that Meng Shao would have done this.

Citibank’s Manila branch won’t be reopening for long.

Even when Manila was at its most glorious, which bank could immediately come up with a million dollars?

Besides, what kind of person is he who can write a check for a million dollars casually?

If such a big shot suddenly appears, then it must not be for money.

Rather, to tell the person in charge here that your big customers, your food, clothing, and parents are here!

Therefore, Fabio is not worried about this million dollar thing at all.

"Dear Mr. Charles."

Fabio never called the other party "Colonel" because it meant that Meng Shaoyuan was their most distinguished customer: "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Whose are those six rooms?" Meng Shaoyuan stopped talking in circles.

"Ah, are you talking about the six houses that were just built?" Fabio understood immediately: "Those belong to Mr. Cavelli Stanrockley."

Meng Shaoyuan frowned: "Who is that?"

He had never heard of this name.

"A very low-key man who few people in Manila have even heard of, but who has a lot of wealth and a lot of power."

Obviously, Fabio is very clear about this: "He doesn't like to be known to too many people, preferring to hide behind the scenes and control everything. You also know, Mr. Charles, there are many big families in the Philippines, and these big families in the Philippines I think you also know the energy of . However, the Stanrockley family is not among these big families.

However, this family has existed since the Spanish ruled the Philippines and maintained good relations with the Spanish. After the second time, the Americans came, and he quickly gained the favor of the Americans. Hiding behind the scenes, he helped the Americans do many things.

The land in Manila is very valuable, but no matter how valuable or rare the land is, the Stan Rockley family always has a way to get it. The smartest thing about them is that they never come forward directly, but use agents. Therefore, not many people know that these lands belong to the Stan Rockley family.

Before the Japanese attacked the Philippines, Kaveri Stanrockley had already left the Philippines with his family members early. After the Japanese army occupied the Philippines, it was strange that most of the Stan Rockley family's properties in the Philippines were not destroyed. "

"It's not surprising." Meng Shaoyuan said lightly: "There must be a secret deal between them and the Japanese, and the reward is that the Japanese will not touch the Stan Rockley family's property."

"Yes." Fabio said: "We are in the banking industry. Every time we open a branch in a place, we always try to find out as much as possible about local things. We are the same in Manila."

of course.

In this era, the banking industry will always be the most powerful class in the local area.

Who wants to offend the banking industry?

Especially European and American banks.

This is a class that absolutely cannot afford to offend!

Therefore, others may not know about local things, but the banking industry must have a way to find out.

Fabio continued: "After the Japanese occupied the Philippines, they urgently needed to plunder the local wealth. And they must find out in the shortest possible time who controls the local wealth and where to start. If it is you what will you do?"

Meng Shaoyuan smiled: "If it were me, of course I would send someone to find Kaveri and propose conditions to him to preserve the Stan Rockley family's properties across the Philippines in exchange for his cooperation. Since the Stan Rockley family has been operating in the Philippines for many years, Must know the local situation well.

The Japanese gave up one Stan Rockley family, but were able to gain the rest and much greater wealth. And what about the Stan Rockley family? Can you preserve your family's wealth, and the rest? It has nothing to do with them anymore. Honestly, this is a win-win cooperation. "

Fabio nodded: "Yes, Mr. Charles. A win-win situation. After the Japanese army was defeated, Cavelli sent people back to Manila as soon as possible to inspect and restore the family's industry.

The method they used was still that of an agent, and they still maintained their previous low profile and secrecy. It is said that behind them, supporting them is the Detroit consortium. "

Detroit Consortium?

Meng Shaoyuan curled his lips disdainfully.

In addition to the eight major consortiums, there are also some minor consortiums in the United States, such as the Dillon-Reed Consortium, the Brown Brothers-Harriman Consortium, and the Ford Consortium.

The Detroit Consortium is just a smaller local consortium.

Such a consortium, with Meng Shaoyuan's current strength, would not offend them unless necessary, but he really didn't put it in his eyes.

Of course, if you think about it again, the Stanrockley family can cling to the Detroit consortium, which is enough to run sideways in the Philippines.

Fabio did not guess what Meng Shaoyuan was thinking: "Sir, Americans have privileges in the Philippines. Therefore, with the support of the Detroit Consortium, the Stan Rockley family has made very smooth progress in restoring the family industry.

President Osmina also showed great support to them. Not only did he unconditionally return all their previous properties to them, but he also handed over many ownerless properties to them. Those six houses were like that.

Previously, the owners of these six houses belonged to the Girard family. However, before the Japanese colonized Manila, the Girard family had completely surrendered to the Japanese and became traitors. After the Battle of Manila broke out, the Girard family was actually massacred by the Japanese.

The Girard family suffered a heavy blow, and after the liberation of Manila, the remaining members of the Girard family were arrested. At this point, the family was destroyed. And the properties they left behind were all taken over by the Stan Rockley family. "

Well, that's really something.

Meng Shaoyuan was pondering there.

I am basically not interested in business matters, leaving everything to Peng Bilan and Coston to handle.

Therefore, he has basically no contacts with the Manila business community. The Stan Rockley family has always been very low-key.

President Osmina supports the Stan Rockley family, but he will not report these things to Meng Shaoyuan.

Perhaps the Stan Rockley family was very powerful in Manila, but that was before the Japanese army invaded the Philippines, and such a family was not even in Meng Shaoyuan's eyes.

Fabio suddenly smiled: "Sir, there are too many such families in the Philippines. They are intricate and complex. Even if you have lived in the Philippines for decades, you may not be able to know all of them. Therefore, you have not heard of them. It’s also very normal for the Stan Rockley family.”

Meng Shaoyuan nodded.

With the spread of Confucian culture and Islamic civilization in the Philippines, the authority of Filipino parents has been enhanced with the blessing of these two cultures. Family networks are becoming increasingly dense, extending and penetrating into all areas of Philippine society through blood ties and marriage ties.

During more than three hundred years of Spanish colonial rule, feudal landlord land ownership began to prevail in the Philippines, cultivating a group of powerful families with political privileges and socially unequal master-slave dependency relationships. This lays the foundation.

After the Spanish-American War, the United States succeeded Spain in ruling the Philippines for nearly half a century. The so-called "Americanization" means replacing the Spanish feudal autocratic colonial system with an American-style democratic political system, and then fully controlling the Philippines politically, economically, and culturally.

According to the electoral model designed by the United States for the Philippines, voting rights are only enjoyed by a privileged few who have received Western education and own property. Elections in the Philippines have been dominated by a handful of landowning families from the beginning, forming an electoral system that formally follows democratic procedures but essentially relies on nepotism.

What is even more tragic is that the vast majority of ordinary people are completely excluded from this "Americanized" political system and do not even have the most basic right to vote.

In the Philippines, there are a total of 250 hereditary political families.

Who can figure out all these families?

“Citibank still has a lot of dealings with the Stan Rockley family.” Fabio did not hide anything: “They opened several accounts with us, and there is a large amount of funds exchanged every year.

Previously, representatives from Kaveri also visited me in person. and stated their intention to continue to deepen cooperation. Just three days ago, Kaveri returned to Manila and visited me. Although the conversation was brief, it was still pleasant. "

Meng Shaoyuan already roughly understood: "Mr. Livingston, I have taken a fancy to those six houses."

"Ah, so that's it." Fabio finally understood Meng Shaoyuan's true purpose: "I think you can talk to Cavelli."

"Then I need to ask you to arrange a meeting between me and Kaveri, okay?"

"What's the problem with that?" Fabio said disapprovingly: "Don't forget, we are Americans. No matter how influential the Stan Rockley family is in Manila, they cannot do without the support of Americans. Please wait."

He walked out.

After waiting for a while, he came back again: "I called Kaveri, and he will come here to visit us in person in half an hour."

Taking advantage of this time, Fabio revisited a topic.

At the end of the 19th century, with the rise of bourgeois revolutions in Europe and the United States and the awakening of national consciousness in the Philippines, the Philippine independence war movement reached a new climax. At that time, Bonifacio, who was born as an urban civilian, established the secret revolutionary organization "Carty". Punan”.

After that, the "Katipunan" took the route of nationalization and absorbed leaders from local prominent families such as Aguinaldo.

By 1898, when the Spanish colonists were pressing forward militarily, a split occurred within the revolutionary camp. This split was caused by the internal struggle for the supreme leadership of the revolution within the "Katipunan". The focus of the struggle was whether to form another revolutionary group. The government replaced the leadership of the Katipunan.

On one side is the anti-colonial "gentry" faction represented by Aguinaldo, who comes from a distinguished family, and on the other side is the anti-colonial "cold" faction such as Bonifacio, who is born in the city. At this time, Aguinaldo has already Conspiracy began to reorganize the "Katipunan" as the prototype of the central government.

In 1897, the Spanish colonists who replaced the governor launched a more violent attack on Pola Vieja and Cavite. The Spanish general La Chabre keenly discovered the discord between Aguinaldo and Bonifacio, and he sent A letter of capitulation was issued and sent only to Aguinaldo.

At the critical moment of fighting against the colonists, the Philippine national liberation forces, which originally shared the same hatred, became more divided. At the Tejeros Conference to discuss how to deal with the bad situation, Aguinaldo and Bonifacio discussed the real issue of persuading surrender. , and there was a serious quarrel over whether to form a new government, the result of which was bloody.

In April 1897, Aguinaldo, who held military power, relied on his secret guards to secretly arrest Bonifacio. A month later, Bonifacio was secretly shot.

Forced by the general environment of the Spanish-American War, the Spanish colonists who were retreating steadily in Cuba and Puerto Rico still had an overwhelming advantage over the local rebels in the Philippines, but the sound of a cannon on May 1898, 5 gave them a decisive blow. The knell sounded. The American fleet, led by Commander-in-Chief George Dewey of the Asiatic Squadron, entered Manila.

This war could only be regarded as depressing at best for the Spanish colonists, but pathos for the Philippine national liberation movement.

Having just escaped from the wolf pack and entered the tiger's mouth again, the newly established First Republic of the Philippines faced the danger of premature death. They "moved the capital" five times, and the independence war that lasted more than two years ended in failure.

Unlike Spain's hard-fought bridges and the mutual hostility between Filipino nationalists, the Americans, who were deeply immersed in pragmatism and Protestant ethics, were obviously more clever in annexing the Philippines. They used the "treaty system" on the stage and the force behind the stage. The combination of threats avoids being attacked in all directions, both diplomatically and militarily.

Moreover, both carrots and sticks were used to win over Aguinaldo, a vested interest of the nationalists, and assassinate Luna, another independence movement leader who was educated by Spanish elites but had no roots in the army.

At that time, Luna, who had a firm anti-American attitude, was not tolerated by the compromisers. On June 1899, 6, he received a telegram summoning Aguinaldo. He only brought two security personnel to the appointment.

When he came to the convent of the Presidential Palace, he left the accompanying officers in the square and went to the Presidential Palace alone.

The next plot was like the "White Tiger Festival" in Water Margin. Luna did not see Aguinaldo, but he was attacked head-on by Hanolino, the captain of the presidential guard, who drew his sword. Luna, who was injured in the head, ran away. He went to the entrance of the Presidential Palace to seek rescue. Unexpectedly, Guard soldiers who had been ambushing him fired several shots at him and he fell in a pool of blood.

This is a very famous assassination in Philippine history.

And there is an inextricable relationship between Aguinaldo, who killed Bonifacio and Luna one after another, and the Stan Rockley family!