A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Nearly a month after its issuance, the legal tender had largely stabilized the Shanghai market's economy, and its rollout was proceeding in an orderly manner nationwide. During this period, there was indeed an incident where the Yokohama Specie Bank attacked the Ministry of Finance of the Southern Whale, attempting to cripple the legal tender. Fortunately, the United States increased its silver purchases to 5000 million ounces, providing the Ministry of Finance with sufficient foreign exchange, thus stabilizing the legal tender.

During this month, the market price of government bonds soared, which made Chen Guangliang sense the signal to 'make a move'.

He called Ye Ximing over and said, "Government bonds cannot maintain such high prices and will inevitably fall back soon. We should cash out the government bonds we have purchased and temporarily leave this market."

They're ready to sell once they make a reasonable profit; it's not a long-term investment, it's a short-term one.

Ping An Bank bought government bonds at the lowest point of the market this time. In just one month, the bonds rose by more than 20%, so they also gained a paper profit of more than 60 yuan.

Ye Ximing nodded and said, "Okay, this surge does frighten me. It feels like a bunch of people are just speculating wildly. I'll go arrange to cash out right away."

Chen Guangliang plans to use the 60 yuan profit to allow Ping An Bank to continue purchasing properties in Hong Kong as a long-term asset.

Ping An Bank's assets have reached over 600 million yuan, making it a truly large private bank. Its deposits now exceed 2800 million yuan, while its loans amount to around 1500 million yuan (Xinfeng Textile alone has issued a massive loan of 650 million yuan, of which 500 million yuan was used to purchase cotton; this was a short-term, low-interest loan).

Ping An Bank will subsequently control its loan-to-deposit ratio at 40%.

This is safer and at the same time ensures a balance in expenses.

Ping An Bank's main profits have shifted to investments and rental income, which are now stable sources of revenue.

If you don't rely on loan interest, you naturally have to be cautious about lending, especially lending to your own company, which gives people more peace of mind.

The four-person team from Seven Stars Company secretly gathered again in a villa in South Whale. Last time, they had made a fortune, earning millions. Now, Xu Kan had found another opportunity.

In fact, although Sister Song was the "leader" of the group of four, the one who truly played the "decisive role" was Vice Minister of Finance Xu Kan, because he controlled the issuance of currency and government bonds.

“The Ministry of Finance has been intending to issue ‘unified public bonds’ to replace various bonds on the market, and it is expected to be implemented soon!” Xu Kan said proactively.

Upon hearing this, Sister Song immediately sensed a great business opportunity; her business acumen was indeed very sharp.

“The current government bonds are being driven up very high, but they simply cannot support such prices. As soon as we spread rumors about the government cutting interest rates and extending the maturity of domestic bonds, the market will plummet.”

Sister Song's words impressed the other three as well; her quick thinking was truly remarkable.

This also demonstrates the rampant speculation of this era, where a single rumor can cause the market to change in an instant.

Xu Kan calmly said, "If they want to maliciously create something out of thin air, I'm worried that they won't be able to silence public opinion and will leave us with a great hidden danger."

Sister Song said confidently, "If we really threw something out of thin air, that would be too unskilled."

Xu Kan also realized what was happening and said, "What do you mean?"

Sister Song said, "That's right. I believe Vice Minister Xu already knows that our goal is to unify the national debt. As long as the current national debt plummets to the point of being worthless, then the unified national debt can be launched more smoothly, and we can also take the opportunity to profit. It's beneficial for both the country and ourselves."

In short, it's about plundering the wealth of the people to enrich the country and themselves.

Xu Kan nodded and said, "That's not difficult. We just need to use public opinion to make government bonds undervalued. Then we can take the opportunity to buy them up and exchange them for unified government bonds. There will definitely be a big surge in the initial stage of the unified government bond issuance because speculators in the Shanghai stock market will not let go of such an opportunity."

Can all the chives be harvested?

Of course, it can't be completely eradicated.

Sister Song said, "In the early stages of short selling, we can do a little less, just sign confidentiality agreements with the securities brokers to hide our tracks; at the same time, we can also involve Du Yuesheng, Zhang Xiaolin, and Huang Jinrong in the early stages, give them some incentives, and have them do some work. In the later stages, we naturally don't need their participation, and there's no need to tell them the plan!"

Song Ziliang nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go arrange it for them."

Chen Xing also stated, "I'm handing over the work to the securities broker."

Everything was arranged in no time.

On this day, Chen Guangliang came to Xinfeng Textile for inspection.

Currently, Xinfeng Textile has approximately 3600 workers and is expected to have 6 spindles, thousands of textile machines, and two boilers, and its business is beginning to flourish.

Chen Guangliang entrusted management to two textile experts, Tong Runfu and Li Shengbo, which also showed him full trust.

During the inspection, Chen Guangliang asked, "I heard that Yong'an Textile has invested in a large-scale printing and dyeing factory, which is already in operation?"

Tong Runfu nodded and said, "Yes, even Yong'an Textile has changed its name to Yong'an Textile Printing and Dyeing Factory, which is obviously preparing to develop a complete industrial chain in the textile industry."

Chen Guangliang is actually quite confident in investing in textiles, so he has some ideas about dyeing and printing.

Tong Runfu, however, saw through his thoughts and said, "Mr. Chen, although Xinfeng Textile is thriving, its accumulation in the textile industry is mainly in spinning and weaving. Dyeing involves new technologies, and Xinfeng Textile may not have the energy to invest in it in the short term. Moreover, instead of expanding into the dyeing industry, it would be better to expand the textile business."

The Xinfeng Textile Factory has basically laid the foundation for a big profit next year, firstly because it already has a large stock of cheap cotton.

"Okay, we'll need to hear your opinions on this."

Since its acquisition, Xinfeng Textile has undergone many changes, such as:
First, the focus should be on improving equipment and increasing cotton yarn output and quality, rather than blindly expanding production. The workers at the original Boyi Textile Factory, working 11 hours a day, were less efficient than Japanese workers working 9 hours. They used manual looms, and even skilled workers could only manage four machines; meanwhile, Japanese automatic looms at the same time could increase efficiency to 20 machines per person, five times the efficiency of Chinese yarn factories—a huge difference. After Xinfeng Textile was established, the factory equipment was upgraded, boilers were expanded, "large drafting" machines were assembled, and automatic looms were added.

Secondly, the company streamlined its operations, particularly by hiring various technical specialists without being bound by rigid requirements. For example, Xinfeng Textile offered a high salary of 500 yuan per month to attract senior textile experts, hiring Tong Runfu as Vice General Manager and Executive Director to oversee the overall operations; and also hiring Li Shengbo as Vice General Manager and Executive Director to manage production. Regarding textile workers, Xinfeng Textile began employing more female workers, as they were more familiar with the work and, more importantly, less likely to cause trouble.

Finally, there's logistics and products. In this regard, it can be said that the 'grand strategy' was guaranteed by Chen Guangliang and Ping An Bank; for example, the cotton acquisition brought Xinfeng Textile a good opportunity for development.

Looking at the busy textile workers, Chen Guangliang is already looking forward to making a fortune next year!
After the Nationalist government implemented the legal tender policy on November 4, 1935, the market price of government bonds initially soared; however, a month later, the bond price suddenly plummeted, and rumors spread in the market that the government would reduce interest rates and extend the maturity of domestic debt.

Upon learning the news, Chen Guangliang was glad he hadn't been greedy. He knew the government bond market was already in a state of utter chaos, and he should have sold off any profits he could. Although the Ping An Bank shares had already started to plummet when he sold his last bit, he still made nearly 60 yuan.

In this context, on December 15, 1935, the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce telegraphed the Ministry of Finance, requesting the government to issue a clear decree to explicitly declare the possibility of reducing interest rates and postponing principal repayment, as such discussions were rampant, in order to maintain creditworthiness.

However, in its reply on December 17, the Ministry of Finance remained ambiguous about the interest rate cut, using evasive language and even accusing Shanghai of rampant speculation, with each individual prioritizing their own interests.

Following this news, the Shanghai bond market continued its downward trend.

Ping An Bank.

Chen Guangliang was studying the situation in the government bond market, and naturally paid no attention to the contents of the Ministry of Finance's reply.

If not for personal gain, then for whose gain?

If the Commander-in-Chief isn't acting out of personal interest, he should simply avoid the civil war and implement a multi-party system!

Anything that asks you to make sacrifices will eventually lead you to discover that what you sacrificed is being enjoyed by future generations as a matter of course.

Chen Guangliang's research on government bonds suggests that they might truly be 'worthless'?
He always felt that this drop in government bonds was what "Seven Stars Company" wanted to see, and that they might even be behind it. However, the current short selling doesn't seem to be orchestrated by "Seven Stars Company," because it's clearly Shanghai Stock Exchange speculators joining the short selling, creating a vicious cycle.

So Chen Guangliang believes that 'Seven Stars Company' must be waiting in the wings, perhaps waiting to buy at the bottom?

After some thought, Chen Guangliang decided to observe further. After all, speculation was risky, and he didn't want to act rashly. If he wasn't confident, he would rather stay out of the market.

"Boss, I suggest investing the profits from this investment in residential land and properties in Hong Kong. After all, we've already invested millions of dollars in factory land and warehouses. Our immediate priority is to have a stable source of rental income, and the residential properties in Hong Kong can also provide welfare housing for our employees." Ye Ximing approached Chen Guangliang to discuss the investment.

Chen Guangliang also began to think about it.

He had only recently received the money when he decided to spend it in Hong Kong.

Currently, Ping An Bank's rental income in Shanghai mainly comes from the Ping An Bank Building and fifty villas on Xiafei Road, which generate stable rental income (the rent for the Ping An Building is also paid by Chen Guangliang's other companies and is accounted for independently). In addition, Ping An Bank has also invested in a major asset in Shanghai—Xinfeng Textile, which is expected to have a high rate of return in the future.

Ping An Bank's investments in Chongqing mainly consist of commercial land and buildings on Duyou Street, from which it can generate huge profits through rent collection and sales.

Overall, Ping An Bank is incredibly strong right now!
“Okay, let’s talk to Cheung Kong Property about this. We can buy land on Hong Kong Island and build tenement buildings, villas, etc., for rental and personal use later.”

"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away."

All the funds were spent on property, which laid an important foundation for Ping An Bank's resumption of business after the end of the War of Resistance.

Ping An Bank's loan expenditures are also high. For example, Xinfeng Textile has a long-term loan of 150 million yuan and a short-term loan of 500 million yuan. In addition, there is a loan of 150 million yuan for Times Pictures. The loan interest can basically cover the deposit interest plus employee expenses.

"dong dong"

A knock sounded on the door, and then Yan Renmei walked into Chen Guangliang's office.

More than a month after giving birth, she started coming to the company from time to time to check on things, managing to balance her career and family life.

"How about we go to Jinjiang Sichuan Restaurant for lunch and try something different?"

Chen Guangliang looked up and said with interest, "Are there any seats available? If I have to wait, I don't want to go!"

This year, a Sichuan restaurant called "Jinjiang" appeared in Shanghai and quickly became very popular because of its modified Sichuan cuisine; even celebrities like Du Yuesheng, Zhang Xiaolin, and Huang Jinrong had to queue up to go.

Chen Guangliang also went there once, but what he hated most was the waiting, so he rarely went there afterward.

Yan Renmei laughed and said, "An even bigger Jinjiang Sichuan restaurant has opened. I heard it was sponsored by Mr. Du. I just called and made a reservation!"

Chen Guangliang stood up decisively and said, "Then let's go try it."

He is also a gourmet, not only patronizing his own Shangri-La Hotel, but also frequently visiting other restaurants and eateries in Shanghai. He enjoys all kinds of delicious food.

Not a moment.

The two appeared at Jinjiang Sichuan Restaurant. The new restaurant was indeed much larger. Upon their arrival, Dong Zhujun personally greeted them.

"So it's Mr. Chen, this great sage, who has arrived! No wonder the magpies were chirping today!"

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "Miss Dong is joking. I'm here with Madam to try something different."

Dong Zhujun immediately praised Yan Renmei, and then led the two to the reserved private room.

"Paper-wrapped chicken, braised winter bamboo shoots, stir-fried shredded beef, and Chengdu-style vegetarian stir-fry."

"Mr. Chen, can you finish this?"

"I'll pack up any leftovers; I won't waste anything."

You're joking.

This is no joke. First, Chen Guangliang has always had a big appetite, and second, he really knows how to pack food properly.

Dong Zhujun chatted with Yan Renmei for a few minutes, then got up to leave without disturbing her too much, but she made sure Yan Renmei was well taken care of.

Chen Guangliang then said, "It seems that another female restaurant owner is about to rise in Shanghai. She and Ms. Wu of Meilongzhen Restaurant can be called the two major female restaurant owners in Shanghai."

Yan Renmei said, "Their experiences always evoke sympathy, and of course, I admire their resilient character."

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "That's true. But sometimes being able to endure hardship isn't necessarily a good thing, because it means there's no end to the hardships you can endure."

Just because Dong Zhujun was once the wife of a military governor, she will suffer in the future.

Yan Renmei said coquettishly, "You have your own grand principles again. There's no such thing as that. Suffering now is so that you won't have to suffer later. Dong Zhujun is now quite famous in Shanghai. She has made a name for herself by establishing the Jinjiang Sichuan Restaurant. She and her children will naturally have a better life in the future and won't have to suffer anymore."

Chen Guangliang smiled without saying anything. Just then, the waiter served the dishes, and they stopped discussing the other person.

During this time, Dong Zhujun would always come in with the waiters serving the dishes and then sincerely ask Chen Guangliang for advice, after all, he was also a master in the industry.

"I think it's delicious, the service is excellent, and I can't find any fault with it. Ms. Dong, your business will definitely grow bigger and bigger."

"Thank you for your praise, Mr. Chen. I am relieved to hear you say that. You two can come here often in the future. Just let me know in advance and I will definitely give you six seats."

"polite"

During the meal, Chen Guangliang keenly sensed that the waiter was not someone to be trifled with. So he avoided any conversation with him.

On the way back, Chen Guangliang said to Yan Renmei, "Jinjiang Sichuan Restaurant is a place that has made progress. It seems that this Miss Dong is quite good at making progress."

Yan Renmei said in surprise, "You were able to notice that? It seems we should come here less often in the future."

"It's okay, it's just a meal, it's not that serious."

"Oh"

Chen Guangliang has always been self-aware enough to avoid getting involved in politics and to keep his distance.

All he hopes for now is for the war to end soon so he can go to Hong Kong and live a peaceful life, occasionally taking a trip abroad for inspections.

But now that he thinks about it, there are still ten years left, and a very dangerous ten years at that, he feels a little uneasy. (End of Chapter)