Chapter 40 Bleak foreign field (6-1)

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 his snobbery. But this time he came to discuss with Hu Xueyan under the order of their senior. He had just received 500,000 cash and needed to "digest it". 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 good; 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's money dare not be given to others, so only you can pick me." "Since you say so, being a friend can Help, as long as I can do it, I will die. However, I don't know how to choose a method?"

"It's nothing more than the interest, let me wear a hat." Zeng Yousheng said straight to the point: "Mr. Hu Da, can you use all the 500,000 yuan?" "You are afraid of risks, and I am also afraid of risks." Hu Xueyan asked intentionally Gu Yingchun: "There are 200,000 silver coins in Zhengzhongtang, and they must be placed with us. Can you return him?" Gu Yingchun had no idea who the "Wang Zhongtang" he was talking about was?However, he understood what Hu Xueyan meant, and he wanted to show that Fukang's position was very ample, so he deliberately pretended to be confused and asked: "Ah! Uncle, did you not see the telegram from Beijing yesterday?" "No! How to say?"

"Wang Zhongtang's 200,000 silver, half in Beijing and half in Tianjin, have all been deposited." Gu Yingchun added: "Could it be that Lao Mi didn't tell you?" "Lao Mi is very busy today, probably forgot It's over." Hu Xueyan looked at Zeng Yousheng and said, "The time for closing the silk has almost passed, and it's really a bit embarrassing." "Mr. Hu Da, with your strength, it's not a big deal to have more than a few hundred thousand positions in your hand; There are a lot of rumors in Shanghai, and the market in the mainland is not bad. In addition, when the five shortages are in June, when there is no cash, Fukang has money, and you are not afraid that it will not be released. You should think about it. There are only advantages and no disadvantages in taking this position. .”

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 percent, and the annual interest is one cent. This amount is not fair at all." "The current money, Mr. Hu Da, you can't compare it with the past, and there is a discount on the division of the family, which is no more than this amount." Son, you are paid."

Of course, Hu Xueyan would not believe his words, but in all fairness, the loan was really worthwhile, so they discussed with each other, and finally agreed on an annual interest of 1 cent, payable every six months; the term is two years, and the maturity must be extended for one year.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 with Hu Xueyan not being greedy for petty profits and returning it in advance, which was a beautiful move, the HSBC executive felt that Hu Xueyan was indeed a first-class customer, so Zeng Yousheng successfully secured the payment without any difficulty. The interest will be deducted for half a year, Zeng Yousheng's benefits, and when the money is transferred to Fukang, Hu Xueyan will make a note himself, and Gu Yingchun will transfer 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 see it right, you will make a lot of money, but if you miss it, 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 tea or land, investment would depend on the evolution of the situation, and it could not be effective. "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 the original intention was not to make money from our peers. As for the effect, of course it has something to do with the situation. The main thing is to see the strength. If the strength is enough, if you add a little bit, it will have an effect." Hu Xueyan. He took three teacups casually, filled one of them and said, "There is only half of the tea in these two cups, which is like tea leaves and land. They are far from being full; this is a full cup, as long as you pour the tea down." , will go outside soon, this means that you have enough strength and will be able to 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, and Hu Xueyan was unwilling to sell it. "No! Yingchun." Hu Xueyan said, "The price is not high. The foreigners made a wrong calculation, thinking that I want to get rid of the goods and 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?"

Suddenly seeing such a sentence, 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." Mi Ben often said, "But I'm in a hurry." "You're in a hurry, and I'm in a hurry. I'm not in a hurry, but the more you are in a hurry, the worse things are. People know that you are in a hurry, so they are waiting for you." For example, the sum of money from HSBC, I would say that Wang Zhongtang has a large amount of money deposited in, and the position is very generous, Zeng Yousheng will lend you more, and the interest is also very attractive; Borrowing this amount of money, when you look at him, he will have another face."

"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 stuck there, if the price is not good, don't sell it; if the price is too expensive, don't buy it. At that time, little grandpa, 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 lot of effort to bleach it, but it won't be useless, and it will be thrown into the ocean." Hu Xueyan said again: "Everyone fights, I am a landlord after all, 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. In case they really agree to kill my price, I still have one last chance Remember the immortal work of seeking survival from death." Everyone wants to hear him explain what is the trick to survive?But Hu Xueyan pretended that it was just a "loose word" 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 first-class people. Here, 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 didn't know the tricks of being an official, I wouldn'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 Let me tell you, no matter how big it is, it is no bigger than a foreigner, especially the British. Why? He is a country doing business with you; it is like borrowing foreign money, and everything has been negotiated; On official 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, you can try it. If it’s soft, the customs are in their hands; if it’s hard, his warship will come to you Outside the opening, the cannons are aiming at the bustling places in your city. Ying Chun, this is the same as the 'Yan Wang's Tent', how dare you not return it? Don't want your life!" Hu Xueyan's tone of speech has always been calm, and he has 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. But Hu Xueyan didn't care about why he was silent at all, only felt that "the words can't be kept on the tongue", and wanted to say it happily, "I heard Wu Xiucai talk about the British government selling opium the other day, and I felt a lot of emotion in my heart. On the surface, it seems that Those who grow opium are all owned by the East India Company. In fact, the British government is manipulating them. As long as it is a little bit unfavorable to the East India Company, the British government will come forward to negotiate. The surplus of the East India Company must belong to the British government, which is fine. However, what about silk? British businessmen are doing business on their own, and their profits and losses have nothing to do with the British government; they actually want to intervene, saying that the cocoon donations you collect are too high, and the cost of collecting silk for British businessmen has increased, so you have to Reduce. The government of other people speaks for businessmen everywhere; what about us? Ying Chun, you say it!" "Is there a need for me to say that?" Gu Yingchun replied with a wry smile. "As the saying goes: Don't be afraid of ignorance, 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. It has become unreasonable. 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; Which country, not only Britain, France and Germany, is inferior to Japan in my opinion." "Uncle," Gu Yingchun interrupted, "Your words have gone too far." "Okay! Let's talk about business when we come back. I, Mr. Hu, have something to do with the court today, I know; Qianzhuang, the official money with low interest is deposited, which is where I have an advantage over others. However, this is in exchange for my help to the court; It’s not Hu who takes care of you in big business, there’s a difference. Don’t you think so?” “Grandpa, the comments you made today are too profound.” Gu Yingchun rubbed his temples with his thumb: “Wait for me Think about it." "Yes! We can only talk if you think it through." Gu Yingchun carefully distinguished the difference between the two.Then he 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 all sales of foreign villages; because this is 'war' with foreigners, but it's not Just use real swords and guns." "Yes, yes. Recently there is a new term called 'commercial warfare', which is what my uncle means." "Exactly." Hu Xueyan said: "I am in a business war with foreigners." "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 Show it to the imperial court; teach those grown-ups to feel ashamed." "Well," Gu Yingchun said with a smile, "that's not fighting for one's temper, it's acting against one's temper." "Being angry is the same thing as fighting against one's temper. Those who know how to fight against one's anger are fighting against one's temper; those who don't know how to fight against one's anger become one's anger." "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 fight yourself, and you can't even talk about getting angry. " This brings us to the so-called "immortals who beg for words in death".Hu Xueyan has always been reluctant to talk about his plans, and in fact he has never seriously thought about it, but now he has 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. However, after thinking about it a little more, I feel that this is really clever.Gu Yingchun has always had a different attitude from Hu Xueyan in this regard. He understands foreign language and has spent a lot of time dealing with foreigners. He is more aware of Western trends. The cost of making silk by indigenous methods is high and the quality is poor. He should have been eliminated long 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, it is rare for him to change his mind now. "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 the new silk reeling machine, which was several times faster than the hand-cranked "earth machine". When making silk, you don’t need to store dry cocoons in stacks, and you don’t have to worry about the chrysalis in the cocoons biting their heads out; second, the export is more even and shiny than those produced by local methods.” Third, collect cocoons by yourself and make them yourself. Si, sold the foreign village by himself, and competed "one whip" to the end. There was no need to be afraid of the competition from foreigners. In fact, foreigners could not 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 he uses indigenous methods to make silk, the price cannot be negotiated with foreigners, and the silk will turn yellow when placed in the warehouse; if he has his 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 they are not profitable. There are two reasons: First, the supply of cocoons is not smooth, and the machines often stop working and wait for materials.Second, the utility of the machine cannot be brought into full play, and the finished product is not as good as ideal.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.