A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

On this day, Chen Guangliang invited textile industry tycoons and banking tycoons to visit Xinfeng Textile Factory No. 2, including Rong Zongjing from the textile industry and Chen Guangfu from the banking industry.

The invitation was made under the guise of welcoming everyone to visit Xinfeng Textile, which has overcome its difficulties and resumed factory operations.

After all, at this crucial point, less than 30% of textile factories were able to start operations; and Xinfeng Textile was originally Boyi Textile, which had already ceased operations and was in a state of being swallowed up by the Japanese at any time.

Of course, it's worth celebrating!
But in reality, after Chen Guangliang led everyone on a tour of the factory, they held a secret meeting in a conference room. There were about twenty people in the conference room, all of whom were tycoons in the textile or banking industries.

At the start of the meeting, Chen Guangliang stated directly: "According to our investigation, cotton production will be significantly reduced this year, and the specific results may be quite surprising."

Upon hearing this, people in the textile industry immediately felt a pang of despair.

Last year, China produced a total of about 11 million dan (100 jin per dan), but the Japanese alone took 40% of it through various means.

Therefore, the textile industry's predicament was already apparent last year due to the cotton shortage, and it was in a considerable crisis.

Rong Zongjing remained silent. He was in dire straits, and the South Whale government intended to annex his "Shenxin Group." He had no external financial support.

The Shanghai Commercial Savings Bank was the largest creditor of the Shenxin Group. Later, when Song Ziwen wanted to take over the Shenxin Group at the end of the year, Chen Guangfu vetoed the idea.

As one of only two people in China capable of negotiating with the U.S. Federal Reserve's Morgan Stanley (the other being Song Ziwen), Chen Guangfu is also known in the industry as "China's Morgan Stanley".

Chen Guangfu then asked, "So what do you mean?"

He was one of the few people who knew that Chen Guangliang had imported a large amount of silver reserves for the three official banks. Because of this foresight, he was always valued by the South Whale government and was hired as a senior economic advisor.

Chen Guangliang then said, “Since investing in Xinfeng Textile, I have been studying the reasons for this wave of turmoil in China's textile industry. The first reason, of course, is that the machinery and equipment are not as good as those of the West and Japan. But there is another important reason, which is that the Japanese have bought up more than 40% of China's cotton, coupled with the decline in cotton production in recent years. So my idea is to form a ‘cotton purchasing’ team by the textile and banking industries to reach a ‘pre-purchase’ agreement with farmers and buyers in the Yangtze River Basin as quickly as possible. There are still a little over two months before the cotton harvest in the Yangtze River Basin. Our purchasing team will advance the funds to farmers and buyers, based on last year's price, and if necessary, we can even adjust it by up to 5%. In this way, cotton farmers can get funds in advance, which must make them very happy. By the time the Japanese react, the cotton in the Yangtze River Basin will have been basically wiped out, and the Yellow River Basin is too far away. If necessary, we can even contact North China.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was very excited. This was a secret operation by the Jiangzhe financial group to strike at Japanese imperialism. If successful, Japan's domestic situation and its textile factories in Shanghai would obviously be in trouble.

“Funding is the biggest problem,” Rong Zongjing said, his face showing hope as he also wanted to get involved, imagining that a bank might promise him a loan.

However, no bank dared to lend to the "Shenxin Group" anymore, and even Chen Guangfu chose to remain silent.

Rong Zongjing was greatly disappointed; he couldn't raise the funds now.

Chen Guangliang said, "Textile factories facing financial difficulties can sign a 'special fund' agreement with the bank. The loan for purchasing cotton is short-term and will be repaid immediately after production and sales. At the same time, the bank will supervise the use and channels of this batch of cotton to prevent it from flowing into other channels. Cotton is definitely a safe investment; at least from this year to next summer, the price will not fall."

Now the bankers were relieved. As long as they had the cotton and it was under their surveillance, they could get the funds back smoothly.

Soon everyone raised their hands to participate in the 'cotton purchasing team'. Currently, Nantong is a major cotton-producing area in the Yangtze River basin, and Li Shengbai, the 'new director' and 'technical expert' of Xinfeng Textile, had already made arrangements for it.

Driven by the desire to purchase cotton, Xinfeng Textile, in addition to the 150 million yuan loan from Ping An Bank (for its Hong Kong factory), also obtained 400 million yuan in special funds. In total, it could utilize approximately 500 million yuan.

Last year's cotton price was around 40 silver dollars, equivalent to more than 10 dan (a unit of weight) of cotton.

At the entrance of Xinfeng Textile's No. 2 factory, there was a group of Japanese spies who had witnessed a group of Chinese textile tycoons and banking tycoons walk in.

Upon receiving this report, Japanese textile groups in Shanghai immediately made arrangements to monitor the situation, as they were very worried that Chen Guangliang was up to something big.

Those who were monitoring them included not only the Japanese, but also traitors.

A traitor peered into the factory from the gate; he looked like a clueless scoundrel, but was immediately stopped by the gatekeeper.

"What are you looking at? Go away! This is a production area; outsiders are not allowed to enter or spy on this!"

Seeing the guard's fierce appearance, the traitor knew that Chen Guangliang's men were not to be trifled with, so he said with a grin, "I'm just curious, with so many big bosses here today, is your factory having some kind of celebration?"

The gatekeeper was Zhou Xinggao in disguise. He snorted coldly, seemingly a tight-lipped man who wouldn't listen to a word.

At this moment, a Japanese man took the opportunity to slip a bag of silver dollars to Zhou Xinggao.

The traitor quickly said, "We were just curious, that's all!"

Zhou Xinggao's attitude changed abruptly. He even looked around, and the guards quickly pretended not to see him, meaning—Boss, you should accept it!

How could I possibly refuse the money for this door-to-door service!
Zhou Xinggao weighed it in his hand, estimating it to be a dozen or so silver dollars, and then lowered his voice to say, "Since Xinfeng Textile started operations, our boss has been in a very good mood. Today, he invited these big bosses to visit, and he's prepared lunch at the factory later. I heard he brought a lot of imported liquor to celebrate. They might already be drinking! Tsk tsk, our boss has invested several million silver dollars this time, how could he not make a big splash!"

Seeing this, the Japanese exchanged glances, then left one Japanese and two traitors to continue monitoring, while he went back to report first.

There are only nine Japanese textile companies in Shanghai, but each one is enormous, employing nearly 9 textile workers in total. The largest of these is Yufeng Textile Factory, a subsidiary of Osaka Toyo Co., Ltd. of Japan; the second largest is Tongxing Textile Co., Ltd.
In a Japanese-style pub, Yamada Hideichi of Yufeng Textile, Harada Tadao of Tongxing Textile, and others were eating and discussing textile business. There were seven general managers from textile companies in total, and the two who were absent were not in Shanghai.

A short while later, a Japanese man who had been keeping watch came in and reported the situation.

Yamada Hideichi immediately laughed and said, "So you're just a big shot. I thought these Chinese-owned textile entrepreneurs had gathered together to weather the storm!"

According to his subordinates, today Chinese textile entrepreneurs and bankers gathered at the Xinfeng Textile Factory to tour the factory and hold a lavish banquet. Isn't this just Chen Guangliang's vain desire for glory—he thinks the factory's reopening is a cause for universal celebration?

Tadao Harada then added, "Nowadays, more and more Chinese-owned enterprises in Shanghai are collapsing, and the number of those ceasing operations is increasing. China's economy is in ruins, which is exactly what we, the Great Japanese Empire, want to see. Now that we are all sitting together, we should certainly do something for the Great Japanese Empire!"

Not wanting to miss out on this opportunity to make a name for himself, Yamada Hideichi immediately said, "Of course, there's a lot we can do. For example, the cotton harvest season in the Yangtze River basin is just two months away. We can join forces and buy up large quantities of cotton, leaving them without any cotton to use."

For a long time, cotton has been a very important part of China's economy, and Japan is also very dependent on Chinese cotton. The Japanese used 4% of China's cotton in China, and after spinning this cotton into 'cotton yarn', some of it was shipped to Japan, while the rest was dumped in China.

Because the Japanese had always had superior spinning technology compared to China, their costs were lower. Combined with government subsidies, this created the capital for dumping.

The situation of "expensive cotton and cheap yarn" has greatly restricted the development of China's textile industry.

Of course, in the 1930s, China's textile technology also gradually improved, but major enterprises did not receive government subsidies.

Tadao Harada then said, "China's cotton production is not high to begin with. If several of us join forces to buy cotton, or even raise the price a bit, then it will be even more difficult for these Chinese companies to operate!"

“I agree with this view, and I know that China’s cotton production this year is unlikely to be high, and may even fall. Therefore, we should purchase cotton in large quantities to raise cotton prices, and then use our technology to dump yarn at low prices.”

"Yes, for the Great Japanese Empire!"

Soon, these people reached an agreement: before the cotton harvest, they would unite to buy cotton on a large scale in the Yangtze River basin and compete with Chinese companies for raw materials, even if the price was a little higher.

While driving up cotton prices would benefit rural China, it would also lead to the collapse of many Chinese textile companies. Once the Japanese textile industry takes the lead, they will be able to dictate cotton prices.

Both sides are taking action, but Chen Guangliang's side is acting secretly ahead of time, while the Japanese side is still waiting to act.

"Clap"

Yamada Hideichi clapped his hands, and then a group of women in kimonos walked in. They were Japanese entertainers, and their group in Shanghai was quite large.

There were quite a few foreign prostitutes in Shanghai, the most numerous being from Eastern Europe such as Russia or Belarus, with a peak of 4000. The second most numerous were Japanese prostitutes, also numbering in the thousands.

In fact, during the Great Depression of the 1930s, prostitutes from Britain and other Western countries flocked to Shanghai and Hong Kong in the Far East in search of opportunities. At that time, countless wealthy Chinese patronized these women's businesses.

Most of these wealthy Chinese people have a certain mentality: they are usually subservient to foreigners, but now they can finally find the feeling of conquering the world with foreign women.

Later, it was precisely for this reason that the British Empire, which had always considered itself the 'Greater British Empire,' felt it had lost face—how could British women be allowed to sleep with Chinese people? So, they carried out a large-scale closure of brothels in Hong Kong, and even began to control the concessions.

Textile merchants in Shanghai had already foreseen that Shanghai would become the next Qingdao, the domain of their Japanese textiles.

The year was approaching the second half of 1935.

On this day, Lu Gen, the "King of Theaters," hurriedly approached Chen Guangliang and said, "Mr. Chen, I am willing to sell Phoenix Film Studio!"

The business world is like a battlefield; it has always been the most brutal place.

It is said that Lu Gen is a very hardworking person, often arriving at the office early in the morning and leaving late at night, and he is the kind of person who does everything personally.

However, Chen Guangliang also knew that Lu Gen was extremely strict with his subordinates, had poor interpersonal relationships, and was not very approachable.

At that moment, no one was willing to help him.

Chen Guangliang said, "If you are willing to sell, we need to send people to investigate Phoenix Pictures' assets and operations to confirm that it is what we need before we proceed with the transaction!"

Lu Gen said somewhat anxiously:

“Mr. Chen, I have invested a total of 200 million yuan in Phoenix Film Studio, including a brand-new soundstage, new movie projectors and recorders, and a mobile recording van made by RCA, which can be driven to any location for recording. This is unprecedented at this time.”

"Phoenix Pictures also has enough film talent, including well-known screenwriters, directors and actors from Hong Kong, such as director Hou Yao and actor Wu Chufan, who have joined Phoenix. On the other hand, we recruited a large number of well-known film workers from Shanghai to work in Hong Kong. Among those who applied to come south were directors Li Yingyuan and Mo Kangshi, actors Wang Yuanlong and Wang Cilong, and technicians Li Wenguang and Wan Dihuan."

"There are also actor training classes; we trained 200 students at once."

Chen Guangliang said unhurriedly, "I don't understand these professional matters either, so I need someone from Times Pictures to investigate. Don't worry, it won't take much time. I know you need the money."

Lu Gen quickly replied, "It's not that I need the money, it's that Phoenix Pictures is worth this price!"

Chen Guangliang did not immediately try to bargain, but said, "We'll talk about the price later."

Lu Gen was also helpless. He knew that if he didn't sell Phoenix Pictures in time, it would affect his "cinema kingdom". The final result would be that he would go bankrupt, and his "cinema kingdom" and "Zhenye Company (which was responsible for purchasing film equipment)" would be controlled by others.

Selling Phoenix Pictures now will at least preserve the remaining assets.

After Lu Gen finished speaking, Chen Guangliang couldn't help but shake his head. Lu Gen was destined to be a tragic figure.

It's very simple. Even if Lugan manages to preserve the cinema industry for the time being, it will all be confiscated by the Japanese in the future. The key point is that after 1937, it would be inappropriate to show any kind of film in the Japanese-occupied war zone.

It can be said that after 1937, there were basically no films left in the mainland Chinese film market. Either Western films could be shown, but the distribution rights for these films were directly controlled by Westerners.

Chen Guangliang also hoped that after 1937, Era Films would continue to be screened in the concessions, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia, which would allow the company to survive for another four years.

Of course, as long as the film equipment is moved back to Macau, the business can resume quickly after the war.

Chen Guangliang convened a meeting of the core members of Times Film Company to discuss the acquisition of Hong Kong Phoenix Film Company.

In recent years, Zhuang Zhujiu has become the vice president and executive director of Times Pictures, effectively taking charge of all of Times Pictures' operations; Lu Hanzhang is also the vice president and executive director, but is mainly responsible for production and distribution.

"This acquisition of Phoenix Pictures has already secured a loan of 150 million yuan from Ping An Bank, and there is also cash in Times Pictures' account. As for the purpose of acquiring Phoenix Pictures, I don't need to elaborate further. If a company doesn't even have a sense of crisis, it won't last long. So right now, Director Zhuang and Director Lu are going to Hong Kong to inspect Phoenix Pictures, determine their asset situation, and then prepare to negotiate the price with Lu Gen!"

In just a few words, the tone was set, which also confirmed that Chen Guangliang has always been a rather 'autocratic' boss in the company.

Established in 1931 with an initial capital of 120 million, Times Film Company now has a net worth of approximately 350 million silver dollars, nearly doubling in value. Although it has raised funds during this period, it has also distributed dividends every four years, so the two are roughly the same.

Such great success is not due to the fact that the film industry has been profitable in recent years, but rather to the huge success of Chen Guangliang's 'commercial films'.

Lu Hanzhang then said, "We have been developing in Hong Kong for a little over two years, and all aspects are quite well-established. After acquiring Phoenix Pictures, the scale of Hong Kong has more than doubled, especially in terms of personnel."

He did not directly object, but he did point out that Hong Kong could suddenly support a large population.

Chen Guangliang said, "It's not a big problem. I believe you can integrate them well. There's never a surplus of talent; the more people we have, the higher our output will be. We'll temporarily transfer the Hong Kong staff to Shanghai. In arts and culture work, traveling around is normal. As for the finances, I'll keep an eye on everything; there won't be any issues!"

"Ok"

No one had any further opinions, since Chen Guangliang said there would be no financial problems, and therefore there would be no problems.

To be honest, Phoenix Pictures was indeed overstaffed. To realize his dream of becoming a film mogul, Lu Gen not only poached many talented film professionals from Shanghai to Hong Kong at high salaries, but also recruited 200 trainees. These 200 trainees were paid 10 silver dollars a month during training and 30 silver dollars a month after becoming full-time employees.

Of course, this was Lu Gen's promise. After Phoenix Pictures was acquired, these trainees would either leave or be prepared to accept a base salary of 10 yuan, with the rest settled according to their 'work attendance'.

In other words, Chen Guangliang implemented the employee management methods of the later Shaw Brothers.

Ten yuan will keep you from starving. The more you work, the higher your salary. Of course, those with the lowest contract level won't earn much even with perfect attendance. Only by working your way up and gradually increasing your contract level can you earn more money.

After dinner, with nothing to do, Chen Guangliang took Jiang Meiying out for a stroll.

It was summer, and the evening breeze was gentle, making it quite cool.

Stroll west along Xiangsi Road to Zhejiang Road, then south until you reach the area near Aiduya Road and Dongxinqiao, where you'll find many unique business opportunities.

Along the roadside, there are vendors selling martial arts, magic tricks, open-air stages where men and women perform Peking Opera together, clapping clappers and singing folk songs, fortune telling and character analysis, and even chess betting—all sorts of things, a wide variety of activities.

This area is the boundary between the International Settlement and the French Concession. Originally, there was a 'Yangjingbang' (meaning a small river) as the boundary. Later, the British and French discussed and simply filled it in, naming it 'Edward VII Avenue' after the British king. The Chinese called it Edward Road.

Where else in the world can you find such a bustling place besides Shanghai, the "Paris of the East"?

The appearance of Chen Guangliang and Jiang Meiying attracted a lot of attention; handsome men and beautiful women are indeed rare. Jiang Meiying, in particular, with her voluptuous figure under her cheongsam, her dignified and pretty face, and the clatter of her high heels as she walked, drew greedy and cautious glances from behind.

Although the couple had bodyguards—three men and one woman—they weren't actually providing close protection. Instead, they maintained a certain distance, and their clothing was rather indistinguishable. This was a way to ensure their safety without spoiling their shopping experience.

Moreover, Chen Guangliang was confident that he could protect himself and Jiang Meiying, and had no worries.

Arriving at a crowded area, Jiang Meiying was curious about the performance inside. Chen Guangliang gestured, and two bodyguards cleared a space for them. Then Chen Guangliang and Jiang Meiying stood in front.

Those who had been separated from the crowd dared not say much. Judging from Chen Guangliang and Jiang Meiying's attire, they were not to be trifled with, not to mention that they were accompanied by servants when they went out, so they must be either rich or noble.

Seeing the performance inside, Chen Guangliang explained, "It's drunken boxing."

Jiang Meiying wouldn't normally be interested in this kind of performance, but since she has acted in kung fu films before, she now watches it with great interest.

Drunken Fist is one of the martial arts passed down from our ancestors. It seems to imitate the staggering of a drunkard, but in reality, the form is drunk but the mind is not. It is a routine composed of strict martial arts techniques, footwork, and body movements.

"This Drunken Fist has some tricks up its sleeve. It looks simple, but it actually requires a solid foundation in martial arts and good physical fitness."

Jiang Meiying casually linked arms with Chen Guangliang and joked, "Don't you always say that brute force can overcome any technique?"

Chen Guangliang smiled but didn't refute. He didn't want the performers to overhear, as that would be disrespectful to someone with skill. In reality, however, given his physical abilities, he could easily take on ten people unarmed.

"it is good"

As Chen Guangliang shouted a loud cheer, cheers rang out from all around, and everyone noticed the arrival of this distinguished couple.

After the applause, Chen Guangliang tossed out five silver dollars as a reward.

This scene naturally stunned everyone, as the reward money was only a few coins (1 silver dollar equals 1,000 coins).

"Thank you, boss. Thank you, madam."

The performers and their assistants picked up the money while bowing and expressing their gratitude.

"Master, come here for a moment!"

The drunken boxing master, who was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, immediately stopped picking up the money and came to Chen Guangliang.

"What are your orders, boss?"

"How many years have you studied Drunken Fist, and who was your teacher?"

"Education from a young age is a family tradition."

Chen Guangliang nodded and said, "If you're interested, you can go to the film company 'Times Films'. The location is [location missing]. Leave your contact information, and we'll ask you to do some martial arts instruction work later."

He suddenly wanted to film a drunken boxing movie, which might not necessarily affect Jack's future career, since each era has its own filming methods and scripts.

Just like the "Once Upon a Time in China" series, Era Films has produced as many as seven films and is planning to continue making more; so will other companies make films in the future? The answer is yes, and there will be many.

Classic things have different versions for each generation. Even though Time Pictures has already filmed a version in the style of Jet Li (the main characters are different, so it will be different), later generations can still make all sorts of changes.

The Drunken Fist master hesitated for a moment and said, "How should I explain this when I visit?"

Making movies is great, it sounds high-class.

"Mention my name," he said in a low voice, "Chen Guangliang."

The drunken boxing master was startled and quickly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, boss."

Regardless of the treatment over there, just knowing this expert is already a stroke of good luck.

Then, Chen Guangliang and Jiang Meiying turned and left.

"Master Gao, what did that person just tell you? Was he a big shot from the film company?"

Some regular customers became curious.

Master Gao quickly replied, "They're from the film company."

He then said no more, which aroused the curiosity of many people.

In this era, celebrities are at most famous by name; their actual appearance is never public knowledge. Occasionally, it might appear in the newspaper, but it's always in black and white and blurry, and besides, how many ordinary people actually read newspapers?

On the way, Jiang Meiying asked, "Did you have an idea that led you to recruit that master?"

She had also worked in the film industry and knew that Time Pictures had no shortage of martial arts instructors, let alone someone who could be just grabbed off the street.

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "I'm in a good mood tonight, so I can do whatever I want. How about that reason?"

Jiang Meiying immediately replied happily, "Of course!"

Shopping together is an interesting activity in itself. Of course, Chen Guangliang told Jiang Meiying about his ideas for "Drunken Fist," but she didn't continue to show interest. Instead, she looked around like a little girl.

Although the two looked like easy prey, an experienced person could tell at a glance that they were not to be trifled with.

However, although there was no thief, a rogue did whistle at Jiang Meiying. After all, when faced with such a beauty, there are always people who are bold enough to be lewd.

But this thug soon got slapped by Chen Guangliang's bodyguard.

"I'm fucking..."

The thug who was squatting down stood up, ready to fight the bodyguard, but when he saw the dark muzzle of the gun, he immediately became docile.

"What the hell?"

Do you know whose side I work for?

“I don’t care who you work for. If Mr. Du were here, my boss would have a chat with him.”

"Brother, I was blind to your greatness. Who exactly is your boss?"

"You don't deserve to know."

A few words were enough to subdue the thug, and the bodyguard quickly followed.

Chen Guangliang's bodyguards all have a kind of "killer aura." This is firstly due to long-term training, and secondly because Chen Guangliang started his business in the car dealership industry. Although he does not admit to having any gang affiliation, everyone understands that Chen Guangliang has the ability in that area.

Jiang Meiying linked arms with Chen Guangliang and laughed, "That man has no taste at all, daring to flirt with Mr. Chen Guangliang's woman!"

Chen Guangliang said, "These places are like that. You can find all sorts of people, so there are also people who lack discernment. Don't worry about it."

"I don't care."

The female bodyguard said from the side, "Brother Jun slapped him, brandished his weapon, and he behaved himself!"

Good emotional intelligence.

He said it in front of Jiang Meiying, indicating that the boss had stood up for his wife and that his colleague had handled the matter efficiently.

The key is that the bodyguard who assaulted the person, Ah Jun, can't be directly mentioned, since the boss didn't instruct him to do so; of course, as a bodyguard for the Chen family, if he doesn't even know how to handle this kind of thing, then all those years of training have been for nothing!
Jiang Meiying turned around and said, "A-Jun, thank you!"

Ah Jun quickly said, "Miss Jiang, this is my job, no need to thank me. Besides, in Shanghai, who dares to mess with the boss?"

I held back what I wanted to say next; I wanted to say 'woman,' but I felt it was vulgar and didn't dare to say it.

Chen Guangliang smoothed things over, saying, "Alright, alright, I was actually thinking of going up and slapping him, but you stole my chance. There's no reward, and you even stole my thunder!"

That's a relief!
Ah Jun then smiled and said, "Yes, yes."

He knew his boss wasn't joking. His boss had actually gone into battle with his brothers, armed with guns, killing four bandits and seriously wounding two others. This fact alone had been circulating throughout the security company.

That night was quite interesting.

The following day, Chen Guangliang went to work at the Ping An Bank Building as usual.

Six first-tier enterprises—Changjiang Real Estate, Shangri-La Hotel, Changjiang Taxi, Global Shipping, Ping An Bank, and Xinfeng Textile—all have their headquarters located here, except for Shangri-La Hotel.

Other companies, including Vitasoy and Changjiang Auto, have departments here.

The joint ventures in which we hold shares—Times Pictures, Jierui Coal Bricks, and Tongchang Auto Sales—do not have departments set up here.

Originally, there were office spaces in this building available for rent, but Chen Guangliang did not allow them to be rented out. He preferred a 'clean' environment and did not want other companies to be mixed in.

In his office, on Chen Guangliang's desk were financial documents submitted by his companies.

The most important of these are, of course, the six first-tier enterprises:
Cheung Kong Properties: This reinvestment of 200 million silver dollars was mainly used to purchase land in Hong Kong and Chongqing (150 million and 50 respectively). Subsequent construction costs are not included (loans). The asset value is approximately 250 million silver dollars (including some scattered rental properties in Shanghai). If it had been 1938, the asset value of Cheung Kong Properties would probably have exceeded 500 million silver dollars (due to the surge in Chongqing and Hong Kong prices).

Shangri-La Hotel: There is currently 28 yuan in cash flow in the account that has not been touched. Since its opening, it has maintained high dividends every year, and the shareholders have made a fortune.

Yangtze Taxi: Currently owns 225 taxis and 12 trucks, and can generate 400,000 to 500,000 yuan in profit every year; however, it must be sold before the first half of 1937, otherwise all those years of work will be for nothing.

Global Shipping: Still operates 11 ships with a deadweight tonnage of 4.3 tons, with assets valued at over three million. Profits in the first half of this year reached 35. Ships hold their value much better than cars, and in good market conditions, profits can be substantial.

Ping An Bank: Ping An Bank's current assets are at least 550 million, and its own strength is still very strong.

Hsin Feng Textile: Both factories have resumed operations. Compared to the 50% of textile factories that have collapsed, Hsin Feng Textile can at least operate normally. It is estimated that it will start making money next year.

Of the six companies, only the Yangtze River Taxi Company's situation remains unresolved; the others have been largely established. After the start of the War of Resistance in 1937, these companies will not allow the Japanese to take them away or bomb them. If we act quickly, the Japanese will have no chance.

In my previous life, during the "isolated island period" in Shanghai, although the Japanese had a lot of say in the International Settlement, it was not their occupied territory, and they could not come and go as they pleased.

In fact, the rate of return on capital during the isolated island period was several times (more than four times) that before 1937. During that period, the population of the concession increased from 170 million to 450 million, and they were basically the richest people in the country. They lived a life of debauchery and had plenty of money. The key was resources.

Currency devaluation and soaring prices made hoarding and reselling the most profitable activities. Gold, foreign exchange, real estate, securities, and even grain, cotton, cloth, and coal, especially goods that were heavily reliant on imports before the war, all became hot commodities for speculative hoarding, from which huge profits could be made. Not only soap, kerosene, and candles, but even toilet paper and matches became targets for hoarding.

Chen Guangliang would also store grain in advance, but not for profit. Although he would not be in Shanghai at that time, he would still have businesses and employees in the concession, and the grain could serve as a kind of welfare for everyone.

Of course, things like cotton yarn should still be stored, as these can generate direct profits. In short, the more you can earn, the better. (End of Chapter)