Zeng Yousheng, the comprador of HSBC Bank, is very snobbish and likes to use the influence of foreigners to gain self-respect.The main reason why he flattered Hu Xueyan was that Hu Xueyan and the "Taipan" of HSBC Bank, no matter whether they knew each other before or not, could go straight in and deal with him, so he dared not disrespect him, but Hu Xueyan didn't like this person very much, so he Because of snobbery. But this time he came to discuss with Hu Xueyan under the order of their "big class". He had just received 500,000 cash and needed to "digest it", so he asked Hu Xueyan if he wanted to borrow it?

"The position in the market is very tight now. You can lend the money to others. Why ask me, who is a banker?" "The position in the market is indeed very tight, but the situation is not very good, and customers have to pick and choose. In terms of credit, you, Mr. Hu Da, are the number one gold-lettered signboard in Tianzi." Zeng Yousheng said with a smile, "Mr. Hu Da, It is rare to have such an opportunity, please pick me." "Brother Yousheng, you are serious. The compradors of HSBC can only pick others. Who is qualified to pick you?" "You, Mr. Hu Da, are enough." Zeng Yousheng said, "Don't tell lies in front of a real person. Except for you, HSBC dare not release the money to others, so only you can pick me."

"Since you say so, being a friend can help, as long as it can be done, it is worse than life. But, I don't know how to choose?" "It's all about the interest, let me wear a hat a little bit." Zeng Yousheng said straight to the point, "Mr. Hu Da, have you used all the five hundred thousand, okay?" "You are afraid of risks, and I am also afraid of risks." Hu Xueyan deliberately asked Gu Yingchun, "Wang Zhongtang has 200,000 silver, which must be placed with us. Can you return him?" Gu Yingchun didn't even know who the "Wang Zhongtang" he was talking about was, but he understood what Hu Xueyan meant to show that Fukang's position was very ample, so he deliberately pretended to be confused and asked: "Ah! Uncle, yesterday Beijing Didn't you see the incoming telegram?"

"No! What did the telegram say?" "Half of Wang Zhongtang's 200,000 silver is deposited in Beijing and half in Tianjin." Gu Yingchun added, "Could it be that Lao Mi didn't tell you?" "Lao Mi is very busy today, so I probably forgot about it." Hu Xueyan looked at Zeng Yousheng and said, "It's almost time to close the thread, so it's a bit embarrassing." "Mr. Hu Da, with your strength, it's not a big deal to have hundreds of thousands of positions in your hand. There are many rumors in Shanghai, and the market in the mainland is not bad. When the five shortages are in June, when there is no money, Fukang has money. Don't be afraid that you won't be able to let it out, you should think about it again. Taking this position has only advantages and no disadvantages."

Hu Xueyan nodded, paused and asked, "How much is the interest?" "A round number." Zeng Yousheng said, "But I only quote eighty-five. Mr. Hu Da, is this fair?" "Annual or monthly interest?" "Naturally, it's monthly interest." "The monthly interest is one cent, and the annual interest is one cent and two cents. This amount is not fair at all." "The current money, Mr. Hu Da, you can't compare it with what it used to be, and the government has a discount, it's not like you received the money in real time."

Of course, Hu Xueyan would not believe his words, but in all fairness, the loan was not uneconomical, so after discussing with each other, they finally agreed on an annual interest of 1 cent, paid every six months, and a term of two years, with a one-year extension upon maturity.As for HSBC, Hu Xueyan didn't ask how many hats Zeng Yousheng should wear, but only admitted according to the amount Zeng Yousheng opened. Hu Xueyan had already thought of borrowing the money from HSBC, and HSBC also intended to lend it to Hu Xueyan.They both had the same thoughts, and Hu Xueyan was not greedy for small profits, and it was a beautiful move to repay in advance. The HSBC executives felt that Hu Xueyan was indeed a first-class customer, so Zeng Yousheng got the loan without any difficulty. First withhold for half a year, Zeng Yousheng's benefits, when the money is transferred to Fukang, Hu Xueyan makes a note himself, and Gu Yingchun transfers it to Zeng Yousheng. Even Mi Benchang doesn't know that there is another black market for this loan.

The information in the company was very good, and the next morning at the "big peers" tea party in the Yuyuan Garden of the Town God's Temple, Mi Benchang's table was very lively, and everyone wanted to borrow cash.But Mi Benchang's hands were very tight, because Hu Xueyan explained that besides making up for Gu Yingchun's late account, he had other uses for the rest of the money. "Doing business depends on the opportunity." He said, "The market is not good, but it is also an opportunity. Of course, it depends on the vision. If you are right, you will make a lot of money, but if you are wrong, you will lose everything. Now money is tight, and everyone is selling goods for cash. How do you think this money should be used?"

Gu Yingchun advocated hoarding tea, and Mi Ben often suggested buying land, but Hu Xueyan disagreed. The only reason was that whether it was good for tea or land, investment would depend on the evolution of the situation, and it would not work immediately. "Mr. Big," Mi Benchang said, "The situation is bad, and nothing will happen. I think it's best to lower interest rates." "There is no need to talk about the interest rate. We opened the bank, and our intention was not to make money from our peers. As for the effect, of course there are situations, but the main thing is to look at the strength. If the strength is enough, add a little more, and it will have an effect." Hu Xueyan casually After taking three teacups, he filled one of them and said, "There is only half of the tea in these two cups. It is like tea leaves and land. It is far from being full. For a full cup, just pour the tea down. It will flow outside immediately, which means that you have enough strength and can take effect immediately."

Gu Yingchun quite understood, "This is the principle of four or two." He said, "Uncle, your cup of tea is full, not just one cup, which one do you want to be effective?" "What do you think?" "Silk?" "good." Gu Yingchun didn't think so.Because Hu Xueyan hoarded a lot of silk, and this year's "Yangzhuang" was in a downturn. Foreigners collected silk and the bids were not high. Hu Xueyan was unwilling to sell it. "No! Yingchun." Hu Xueyan said, "The price is not high. It's because the foreigners made a wrong calculation, thinking that I want to get rid of the goods for cash and plan to buy cheap goods. Moreover, there are still goods in the market, so they are not in a hurry. What about me! Do you think I'm in a hurry?"

Such a sentence came out suddenly, Gu Yingchun and Mi Benchang didn't know how to answer it. "Tell me, why don't you speak?" "I don't know how Mr. Da is doing." Mi Ben often said, "But I'm in a hurry." "If you are anxious, I am also anxious. Why am I not in a hurry, but the more anxious you are, the worse things will be. People know that you are anxious, so they wait to ask you to look good. For example, the sum of money from HSBC, I would say that Wang Zhongtang deposited a large amount of money in it. , the position is very rich, Zeng Yousheng will lend you more and more, and the interest rate is also very attractive, as long as you reveal that you really want to borrow this money, then you will see that he will have a face again."

"It seems that this cannot be generalized." Gu Yingchun always felt that his calculation was wrong, but he didn't know where to refute it. "You said you shouldn't generalize, but I said the reasoning is the same. Now I take advantage of the falling market price to collect all the silk on the market. If foreigners can't buy silk, they will naturally come back to me." "In case everyone is frozen there, if the price is not good, don't sell it, and if the price is too expensive, don't buy it. Uncle, at that time, you have to think about it, it's you who suffer, not him." "Why am I the one who suffers?" "Don't silk turn yellow?" "That's right, the silk will turn yellow. But that's all there is to it. It takes a little bit of bleaching, but it won't be useless, and it will be thrown into the ocean." Hu Xueyan added, "Keep fighting, I'm a landlord here. There is always a way to think about it. The foreigner who came to receive the goods went back empty-handed. There is no raw material, and his factory is going to close. I don’t believe he can beat me. If they really want to kill me, I still have one last chance Remember the immortal work of seeking survival from death." Everyone wanted to hear him explain what that means of survival was, but Hu Xueyan pretended that it was just a "babble" to cover up his shortcomings, and stopped talking with a smile. But when he was only with Gu Yingchun, his attitude was different, "Yingchun, I haven't thought about what you're saying." He seemed a little excited, "Foreigners, especially the British, do business. They are the first class. Here, the scholars, farmers, businessmen, and businessmen are called "the end of the four peoples". Now it is even better, and it is called "no business, no rape". If I don't know the tricks of being an official, I won't There is today. Tell me, am I being honest?" "Not necessarily." Gu Yingchun replied, "Young Master and Uncle only talk about business, so he must be a first-rate person." "The first-rate you mentioned is just the first-rate in business, not the first-rate among the 'four peoples'. Ying Chun, don't be 'dizzy', really think how good you are in business! I told you Tell me, no matter how big you are, it is no bigger than a foreigner, especially the British. Why? He is a country doing business with you, like borrowing foreign money. Everything has been negotiated. Business, if you don’t pay back the money owed to the British businessman, it is equivalent to not paying back the money owed to the Queen of England. If you really don’t pay it back, try it, if it’s soft, the customs are in their hands; if it’s hard, his warship will come to you Outside, the cannons are aiming at the bustling places in your city. Ying Chun, this is the same as the 'Yan Wang Zhang', do you dare not pay it back? I don't want your life!" Hu Xueyan's tone of voice was always calm, never seen him so sharp.Therefore, Gu Yingchun didn't dare to agree, but he also didn't dare to refute, because no matter whether he agreed or refuted, it would only make him more extreme. Hu Xueyan didn’t care about why he was silent at all, but felt that “the words can’t be kept on the tongue”, so he wanted to say it happily: “I heard Wu Xiucai talk about the British government selling opium that day, and I felt a lot of emotion in my heart. On the surface, it seems that The East India Company grows and sells opium. In fact, the British government is manipulating it. As long as it is a little unfavorable to the East India Company, the British government will come forward to negotiate. The surplus of the East India Company belongs to the British government. That's all. However, what about silk? The British merchants are doing business on their own, and the profits and losses have nothing to do with the British government. They actually want to intervene, saying that the donations you collect are too high, and the cost of collecting silk for British merchants has increased. , so we need to reduce it. The government of other people speaks for businessmen everywhere, what about us? Ying Chun, tell me!" "Do I need to say that?" Gu Yingchun replied with a wry smile. "As the saying goes, don't be afraid of not knowing the goods, just be afraid of comparing goods. The government is the same. Some people say that our Qing Dynasty is much better than the Ming Dynasty. The absurd methods of the emperor and eunuchs in the last years of the Ming Dynasty will not perish. There is no reason for it. However, you have to compare your products with three companies. The so-called comparison of products with three companies does not hurt you. It is true that the Qing Dynasty was better than the Ming Dynasty, but it is also better than other countries. Which country, not only Britain, France and Germany, is inferior to Japan in my opinion—" "Uncle," Gu Yingchun interrupted, "You're talking too far." "Okay! Let's talk about business when we come back. I, Mr. Hu, have a place where the imperial court can help me today. I know, like a bank, where official money with low interest is deposited in. That's where I have an advantage over others. However, this I got it in exchange for helping the imperial court. The imperial court takes care of you, a certain Hu who wears a red cap, and does not take care of you, a Hu who does big business. There is a difference. Do you think so? ?” "Uncle, the discussion you made today is too profound." Gu Yingchun rubbed his temple with his thumb and said, "Let me think about it." "Yes! We can only talk if you think it through." After distinguishing the difference between the two carefully, Gu Yingchun asked: "Young uncle, what do you mean, the imperial court should take care of the big business?" "That's right." Hu Xueyan said, "However, I'm referring to the big business that competes with foreigners. The imperial court should take care of those who sell foreign villages, because this is 'war' with foreigners, but not Just use real swords and guns." "Yes, yes. Recently there is a new term called 'commercial war', which is what my uncle means." "Exactly." Hu Xueyan said, "I have a 'commercial war' with foreigners, and the imperial court is there to watch the fun, and even make cold remarks and drag my feet. Do you think I can win this battle but not others?" "Of course I can't beat it." "Here!" Hu Xueyan suddenly said loudly, "Ying Chun, I, Hu, feel that I am different from others. This is where I know that I can't fight, but I still want to fight. And," he said clearly, "I We must try to show it to the imperial court, and teach those grown-ups to feel ashamed." "Then," Gu Yingchun said with a smile, "that's not fighting for anger, it's being angry." "It's the same thing to be angry and to be angry. Those who can be angry are just to be angry, and those who don't know how to be angry will become angry." "That's a good point. Don't gossip, little grandpa, I want to ask you, how can you fight for the law with this tone? If you can't win, you can lift the stone yourself, and then you can't even talk about getting angry." This brings us to the so-called "immortal works seeking survival from death".Hu Xueyan was always reluctant to talk about this plan. In fact, he had never seriously thought about it, but now he had to talk about it. "At worst, I bought several new silk reeling factories and made silk myself." As soon as these words came out, Gu Yingchun couldn't believe his ears.Hu Xueyan has always disapproved of the new-style silk reeling factories, and now he is doing the exact opposite, which is really incredible. But when I think about it a little more, I feel that this is really clever.Gu Yingchun's attitude has always been different from Hu Xueyan's in this regard. He knows foreign languages, has spent a lot of time dealing with foreigners, and has a better understanding of Western trends.Indigenous silk production is costly and poor in quality, so it should have been phased out a long time ago, just because Hu Xueyan has always been concerned about the livelihood of silk households in the countryside, and has always rejected the new silk reeling. Now it is rare for him to change his mind. If you want to do it yourself, why not teach people to be surprised and delighted. "Uncle, even if foreigners don't fight against you, you should do the same. You want to—" Gu Yingchun very enthusiastically pointed out to Hu Xueyan the reasons why Chen had to change course. The first was that the new silk reeling machine was several times faster than the hand-operated "earth machine". You might as well collect the cocoons as much as possible and transport them to the factory immediately To make silk, you don't need to store dry cocoons in a stack, and you don't have to worry about the chrysalis in the cocoons biting their heads out; To make silk, sell foreign farms by yourself, and "one whip" to the end, there is no need to be afraid of competition from foreigners. In fact, foreigners can't compete. These three reasons, especially the last point, quite tempted Hu Xueyan, but he couldn't give up for a while, so he just replied: "Let's see again! This is not an urgent matter." But Gu Yingchun had a different idea. He believed that this matter should be carried out immediately.Hu Xueyan has a large number of dry cocoons in his hand. If silk is made by local methods, the price cannot be negotiated with foreigners. If it is placed in the warehouse, the silk will turn yellow. If you have your own factory to make silk and sell it directly for export, there will be no risk. Therefore, he actively ran around to inquire about the situation of the new silk reeling factories. There were five of them. The third one opened last year, named Gongheyong, and the owner is Huang Zuoqing from Huzhou.In addition, the two foreign firms of Jardine and Fairness, like Qichang Foreign Firm, also have silk factories attached to them. These five silk factories are all about the same size and do not make money. There are two reasons: first, the supply of cocoons is not smooth, and the machines often stop working and waiting for materials; good.It is said that Gongheyong, Jardine, and Fair plan to jointly hire a famous Italian technician to manage the project.The other two have no intention of operating them. If Hu Xueyan wants to buy them, this is the opportunity. Gu Yingchun was very keen on this matter, so he discussed with Grandma Qigu first to see how he should speak to Hu Xueyan. "I don't know much about the situation of the new silk reeling factory, but foreign silk is better than native silk, that's obvious to an outsider, and if the product is good, there is no fear of being unmarketable." Gu Yingchun said, "What kind of business does my uncle do? , want the best, and now there are obviously the best things out there, but he doesn’t want them, which is a bit strange.” Grandma Qigu thought for a while and said, "I'll tell him."