1905: Beer Hall Speaker

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1905: The Beer Hall Speaker Author: Officer Yibu

Arriving alone in 1905, Zhao Yan looked around blankly with his sword drawn, but his eyes lit up when he saw the beer hall in the distance.

A world-renowned orator has taken the stage.

The moment he opened his mouth, dark clouds began to gather over the world...

Chapter 1 The Beer Hall Begins

September 11, 1905, Shanghai, foreign concessions.

I came with nothing!

Zhao Yan stood on the unfamiliar street, looking bewildered at the cheongsams, mandarin jackets, and Western suits passing by, as well as the rickshaws speeding by.

Zhao Yan realized that he had transmigrated, and judging from the situation, it wasn't to some prosperous era.

Zhao Yan is thirty years old this year. He is not old, but he has already been to the police station many times. His criminal record with the public security authorities is as thick as a meter.

He was abducted when he was six years old. He learned a skill from then on, and when he was thirteen, he found the trafficker. Instead of calling the police, he sold the trafficker to an illegal coal mine and earned his first pot of gold.

After that, Zhao Yan started to commit fraud by talking. When he turned eighteen, he opened a company, but was arrested and imprisoned that same year for illegal fundraising.

After being released, he seized the opportunity of the times and started engaging in pyramid schemes. Unsurprisingly, he was caught again for a bizarre reason: other pyramid schemes involve recruiting downlines.

He was a specialist in recruiting people, and he brainwashed them one by one until they couldn't take it anymore and turned themselves in. Then, he confessed to writing twelve volumes of books, each bearing his name, and he was arrested again.

While in prison, he remained positive and motivated, continuously studying various subjects of psychology and success, and researching the success stories of historical figures.

After his release from prison, he transformed into a success guru, relying on lecture after lecture to impress groups of high-ranking officials and wealthy people, and built his empire on his words alone.

But before he could abscond with the money, he got drunk, let his guard down, and ended up sleeping with someone else's wife.

But he was discovered the next day. Her husband hired a heavy truck and a terminally ill driver, and Zhao Yan was sent to Shanghai in 1905!

"What kind of world is this? I'm focused on my career, how could someone as outstanding as me end up time-traveling by sheer luck?"

Zhao Yan was completely baffled and could only lament, "Wine and women have ruined my plans! From this day forward, I will abstain from alcohol!"

After making up his mind, Zhao Yan spat and then wandered aimlessly through the streets of Shanghai in 1905, looking for new opportunities.

Fortunately, Zhao Yan did not transmigrate to another place, otherwise, with his current suit and tie and his braidless hairstyle, he might have been caught and beheaded.

However, in Shanghai, especially in the concession area, this outfit became perfectly reasonable.

Zhao Yan was 1.8 meters tall, burly and strong. With his pale face and gold-rimmed glasses, he was the epitome of a refined scoundrel. Foreigners on the street greeted him as if he were one of their own, while his compatriots would lower their heads when they saw him, not daring to look him in the eye.

"This place is full of poor people, there's no point in trying! Should I try dating foreigners? But I only speak German, not English!"

Zhao Yan looked utterly dejected. The soil here was simply too unsuitable for his talents. He had no other choice but to resort to deceiving foreigners. These days, his fellow countrymen were too poor.

Wealthy Chinese people are mostly officials. If an official sees that someone doesn't have a queue (braid) and is Han Chinese, he'll chop off their head in a heartbeat. There's no way to communicate with them.

Back then, in order to deceive a female boss of a foreign trade company, Zhao Yan studied German extensively, which was also the only foreign language he knew.

As he walked, darkness fell, but Zhao Yan had nowhere to stay. He was penniless, and the RMB in his wallet was not recognized by this godforsaken place.

Just as he reached a street corner, Zhao Yan's eyes suddenly lit up as he discovered the perfect spot for him: "A beer hall!"

No matter how times change, the presence of alcohol and men remains constant. He believed that with his silver tongue, as long as he was among a crowd, he would never have to worry about food or drink.

These days, foreign things aren't exactly affordable for the common people, especially things like beer halls. In other countries, that's considered affordable for the common people, but in the Qing Dynasty, even in Shanghai, it's not considered affordable for the common people.

Sure enough, there were two Chinese security guards standing guard at the entrance of the beer hall, holding batons in their arms, with whips coiled around their heads and wrapped in two layers of white cloth, making them look like Indian men.

As Zhao Yan walked to the door, the two security guards immediately bowed and greeted him. His outfit was so eye-catching that it was clear he was someone who didn't care about money.

Zhao Yan pulled up his sleeve to reveal a high-quality replica Rolex, then picked up a Furongwang cigarette. The security guard immediately stepped forward, struck a match, and lit it for him.

"You've got a good eye, here's a reward for you!"

Zhao Yan took out two hundred-yuan bills and threw them to the two men before walking into the beer hall.

The two security guards were stunned as they held the bright red hundred-yuan bills. They were illiterate and had no idea what it was, so they just put it away for now.

Zhao Yan swaggered into the tavern, only to be immediately choked by a strong smell of tobacco and alcohol, mixed with an indescribable stench, as if someone had vomited.

The bar is on the left as you enter, where a foreign bartender is busily pouring drinks, and several people are sitting at the bar.

Looking towards the center, you see rows of round seats, all made of oak tables, with some high stools next to them, where groups of two or three men sit together drinking.

The bar was bustling with about fifty or sixty people, most of whom were young Chinese men who clearly had plenty of money, while the foreigners seemed to lack that something.

The foreigners in the bar were either dressed as sailors, soldiers in military uniforms, or factory workers from nearby, all of them burly and strong.

This is the norm. In the eyes of Chinese people in China, beer halls are high-end places abroad, but foreigners see beer halls as places frequented by people from the middle and lower classes.

Zhao Yan glanced around and immediately spotted his target: the young men in silk robes behind the bar. Two of them didn't have whips, while the other three all had long braids.

They were the loudest people in the entire bar, seemingly complaining about something, which was definitely good news for Zhao Yan.

Seeing that she comes from a wealthy family and is young, and most importantly, she harbors a lot of resentment and has fluctuating emotions, this is an opportunity.

"Gentlemen, would you mind if I sat down too?" Zhao Yan, acting as if he were already familiar with them, squeezed into the middle of the five of them and sat down, then snapped his fingers at the bartender.

"A stout, please!"

The five young people, whose average age was around twenty, were suddenly displeased when they saw Zhao Yan squeeze in.

"Brother, who are you? Do we know each other?"

"Yeah, who are you? You just sat down like that?"

Who is Zhao Yan? He's notoriously outgoing and shameless, a total social phobic. He retorted directly, "Who I am isn't important. What's important is what you want?"

The bartender handed over a beer, and Zhao Yan took it, drank a large gulp, and said with a hearty laugh, "Old friends from the martial world, why bother with past acquaintances?"

A single sentence left the young men speechless. The one in the lead, who didn't have a whip and had thick eyebrows and big eyes, said, "That makes a lot of sense. Are you a scholar, brother?"

Zhao Yan shook his head and said, "I'm not."

Disappointment immediately appeared in the eyes of the group. Why should they sit with people who weren't scholars?

Zhao Yan continued, "Could it be that you are..."

These words immediately angered the young men, who each took out their diplomas, such as Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination) or Juren (a scholar who passed the provincial-level imperial examination), which meant they were just a step away from passing the imperial examination.

Zhao Yan said, "But you're still sitting here feeling miserable, like a girl, only able to drown your sorrows in alcohol. I may not be a scholar, but I never said I hadn't read any books."

Zhao Yan's words left the group increasingly confused, but that was exactly the effect he wanted. Young people are the easiest to fool, so he had to strike while the iron was hot, keeping their minds constantly filled with questions and curiosity, so that they would follow his lead.

"Brother, you say you've studied, what books did you study, the classics?" The young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes who was in the lead was more composed and knew to ask a few more questions.

Zhao Yan remained completely calm: "I travel thousands of miles and read thousands of books along the way!"

The young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes said, "Ha, empty words, nothing but a show-off!"

Zhao Yan laughed and said, "So what if I'm just trying to attract attention? I'm not reading the books of sages, but the books of my travels around the world. Each country is a book in my eyes."

"Throughout the past ten years, even enduring hardship has not cooled my burning passion."

These days, young people don't listen to such words. Before Zhao Yan could finish speaking, another chubby young man with a whip immediately slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"Ten years of drinking ice cannot cool the burning passion in one's blood; these words are truly enlightening!"

Another person exclaimed excitedly, "One country is a book, you've traveled to many countries and read countless books. You're truly remarkable, brother! I admire you!"

Zhao Yan smiled happily. Now he was in a good position and his persona was established. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I am Zhao Yan. I have no father, no mother, no home, and no occupation. I take heaven and earth as my parents and the four seas as my home and occupation!"

"Good! A true man indeed!" The chubby young man slammed his fist on the table again: "I am Liu Shangsheng, from Yangzhou!"

The young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes had no choice but to cup his hands and say, "I am Wu Zifu, from Songjiang!"

The other man, as thin as a bamboo pole, stood up and said, "I am Zhang Xinghua, from Huguang!"

The other man, who didn't have a whip, had a square face, and a calm demeanor, hadn't spoken a word the whole time, but now he also stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "I am Wang Dingyun, from Huguang!"

The last young man also stood up: "I am Qiu Xingxun, from Zhejiang!"

Zhao Yan shook hands with everyone: "Great! It is a great honor to meet you all, so many young talents, today. I, Zhao, will drink first!"

Zhao Yan was starving, so he didn't care about anything else. He just wanted beer and a good night's sleep. He planned to get these newbies drunk and steal their money later. That would be the first step in getting out of there!

Chapter 2 The Amazing Chemical Reaction Between Men

After the group introduced themselves, Zhao Yan fabricated a bizarre backstory for himself. He said that his grandparents had fled to Southeast Asia by ship to escape the Taiping Rebellion.

Later, his father was oppressed by the local colonists and went to Europe to escape the trouble. Zhao Yan said that he was born on a ship bound for Europe.

Zhao Yan lived in Europe with his parents, but later his family fell into poverty and was robbed. His parents died in a fire set by the thieves, and all their property was burned to the ground.

After that, Zhao Yan wandered from country to country, working and experiencing life. When he grew up and reached the age of thirty, he remembered his father's last words to him before he died: to return to his roots. Only then did he return to China.

After hearing Zhao Yan's legendary experiences, everyone was amazed. The more mature Wu Zifu even asked a few more questions about the customs and culture of other countries, but Zhao Yan perfectly evaded them all.

Zhao Yan even spoke fluent German, which dispelled any doubts the five young men had. Since Zhao Yan was the oldest, they all called him Brother Zhao.

While bragging, Zhao Yan kept ordering food and drinks, including a bunch of dishes like ham and fried eggs, bacon and cheese, and mashed potatoes. He wolfed down his food while trying to appease the young men.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Zhao Yan patted his stomach and said directly to the few young men who seemed hesitant to speak, "Since you all call me elder brother, then I won't stand on ceremony. My dear brothers must have some troubles. Why don't you tell your elder brother what's on your minds?"

Wu Zifu spoke first: "Brother Zhao, to be honest, the imperial court issued an edict this month, declaring that the imperial examination system is hereby abolished!"

Zhao Yan pointed to the back of Wu Zifu's bare head: "You're taking the imperial examinations too?"

Wu Zifu smiled awkwardly and said, "Brother Dingyun and I have already cut off our queues as a sign of our resolve. We have no intention of taking the imperial examinations in this life, and we only seek to serve our country!"

"But the other three brothers have no way to pass the imperial examinations and no way to serve their country. The five of us met in Shanghai and made a pact to travel together to find a way forward, but we have searched in vain and can only come to the tavern to drown our sorrows. It is truly shameful!"

After they finished speaking, everyone looked at Zhao Yan, their eyes filled with hope for their elder brother. After all, he was a ruthless man who had traveled all over the world, and he must have his own ideas.

Zhao Yan did not disappoint. He picked up the beer and drank it all in one gulp. The bartender next to him was stunned. This was a high-proof dark beer. The unscrupulous boss had added alcohol to it in order to make money. This was the fourth glass. Could he handle it?

After finishing his beer, Zhao Yan was completely out of control. He forgot all his previous vows to quit drinking. Under the influence of alcohol, he slurred his words and his mind was filled with impulsiveness.

"You want to pass the imperial examinations to get into the capital? That's a joke! Getting into the capital is too troublesome; it's much easier to fight your way in!"

Fatty Liu Shangsheng immediately sobered up considerably and tried to cover Zhao Yan's mouth, but was stopped by Wang Dingyun, who had been silent all along. At this moment, the usually calm Wang Dingyun's eyes were full of light.

On the other side, Wu Zifu also did not react at all. After hearing Zhao Yan's words, his hands even started to tremble, and his face turned red with excitement.

Zhao Yan snatched another cup of wine from the fat Liu Shangsheng, and stood up while drinking it: "You are so young, yet you become lax and slack off as soon as you encounter setbacks. You only know how to lament like a woman in her boudoir, drowning your sorrows in wine in this tavern. How can you talk about serving the country with such behavior?"

We are all men, why act like women? No way to serve our country? Then forge a way! No path through the imperial examinations? Then blaze a trail!

Now the court is ruled by Manchus, treacherous officials abound, and hen crowing at dawn! How can we possibly realize our ambitions?

Wu Zifu stepped forward excitedly, as if he had met a kindred spirit: "Brother Zhao, please tell me, what should we do?"

Zhao Yan raised his cup and took another big gulp, his courage growing even stronger: "How to do it? Haven't you all already had the idea in your hearts? You just didn't dare to put it into action."

"Why should we Han people serve the Manchu court? To serve the country? Whose country are we serving? The Manchus regard us Han people as slaves. What reason is there for slaves to serve the country?"

Empress Dowager Cixi once said, "I'd rather give to friendly nations than to my own people." She used all of China's resources to win the favor of foreign powers, and the court squandered the people's hard-earned money on foreigners while the Chinese people starved for food. What use is such a court and such a country? How can we repay them?

"I believe that China today has entered a period of great change unseen in a century. At this critical juncture, change means survival, while stagnation means death."

We, the young generation, are at the heart of change. The future of the nation must be determined by us. We must bring about change. Rather than simply serving as a patriot, we should strive to improve it!

Wang Dingyun stood up abruptly: "Brother Zhao is absolutely right! No wonder we couldn't understand it. That's why. Such a court is not worth our service. We should create our own country and then serve it!"

Wu Zifu agreed, saying, "If the Manchus don't consider this country their own, then we'll take it back. This is our country, this is the Han people's country!"

The other three young men, even the most timid Liu Shangsheng, stood up and surrounded Zhao Yan, saying, "Me too!"

"Brother Zhao, please continue. We'll all listen to you!"

Zhao Yan took another big gulp of wine: "The affairs of this world are subject to the cycle of time. From ancient times to the present, since Qin unified China, have you ever seen a dynasty that lasted more than three hundred years?"

The wheels of history keep turning, and the Qing Dynasty is about to reach its end. What we need to do is help nail the last coffin lid shut!

Such a task is impossible to entrust to those incompetent old bureaucrats; only we young people can do it. We are like the rising sun at eight in the morning, the world is ours, the future is ours, everything is ours!

I believe that as long as we take action, we will have everything we want. This is the mission history has given us, and the important trust that the country and the nation have entrusted to us!

Gentlemen, if we cannot stand up and continue to watch this country decline, and if foreign powers invade again, we will all be helpless and waiting to die, and our great China will continue to be occupied by foreign races.

They would point at our bones and say: "These are slaves!"

The skinny Zhang Xinghua immediately shouted, "No, I absolutely refuse to accept this! If we do, how can we face our ancestors?"

Zhao Yan let out a burp, then forced a serious expression and said, "This is the future. If we don't take action, this is our destined future!"

If we cannot stand up, our descendants will continue to be enslaved and slaughtered!