A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

In the days that followed, Chen Guangliang was based in Chongqing, directing the nationwide "Ping An Group" business empire. At the same time, he inspected several air-raid shelters in Chongqing. Wherever he felt there were loopholes, he personally supervised the Air Defense Command to carry out repairs and improvements. Because he had received a handwritten order from the leader, his words carried a lot of weight. Of course, he also donated a considerable amount of money, about 60 yuan, to make improvements.

At the same time, the Ning'an Foundation not only engaged in charitable work, but also purchased military supply bonds and anti-Japanese war bonds, indirectly returning the profits from the factories in the rear to the country and the people.

at this time.

The Japanese had been launching the '102nd Bombing' for a little over a month, during which time the entire city of Chongqing was shrouded in Japanese bombing. Of course, the scene in London was actually quite similar.

During the bombing, the people in the rear held the view that if you bomb today, we will repair tomorrow, and we will never compromise.

In fact, the Japanese bombed primarily targeting industrial areas, commercial districts, and government buildings in the rear.

Even the Xinfeng Textile Factory was bombed, but Chen Guangliang had known this day would come and naturally made many preparations—for example, Xinfeng Textile had production workshops in seven locations, some even imitating the cave dwellings of Shaanxi.

Therefore, although Xinfeng Textile lost some machines, it was not fatal, and it can basically resume normal production in one or two months.

1941年6月5日，这一天的18时18分，日本飞机24架分三批经湖北宜都、松滋等地突然夜袭重庆。

Explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped in various locations in Chongqing, including Shangqingsi, Zhongsan Road, Lianglukou, Datianwan, Huangjia Pass, Guanyinyan, Shenxiandong, Qixinggang, Tongyuanmen, Baxian Middle School, Nan'an Danzishi, Xuantan Temple, and Jiangbei.

Japanese invaders' planes bombed Chongqing in turn, looking as if they wanted to level the city.

Since it was evening, people entering the city and those who were not hiding in the cave were caught off guard after the emergency alarm was issued.

So people sought refuge nearby, and the cave management personnel did not check or verify the credentials or try to accommodate them, resulting in a large number of people in the large tunnels around the Xiaochangkou area exceeding the permitted number.

In the past, the Japanese bombings did not last long, but today they seemed to last exceptionally long.

Li Wangzhong is a member of the 'guard team'. He is responsible for maintaining order inside the cave and guarding the telephone inside the cave.

This telephone was recently installed; I heard it was donated by the Ning'an Foundation. The information is written on the telephone itself.

"It's too crowded, I feel like I can't breathe!"

"Yeah, what's going on? Usually the bombing would be over in one or two hours, but today it's been three or four hours already."

"I need to get out! I don't want to suffocate!"

Seeing that a disturbance was about to form, Li Wangzhong quickly said, "Everyone, please don't crowd. We have blowers for ventilation and lighting. Please wait a little longer."

These two aspects are much better than in the previous life, but this air-raid shelter, which originally held 5000 people, now probably holds tens of thousands.

The unrest continues to spread.

Li Wangzhong quickly dialed the phone: "This is Li Wangzhong from section 06. There are too many people inside, the air is starting to become insufficient, and everyone is starting to crowd. Please arrange for evacuation at the tunnel entrance as soon as possible."

"Nonsense, the bombing is still going on outside. Going out now is a death sentence."

At that moment, someone shouted, "We'd rather be blown up than suffocate!"

Li Wangzhong hurriedly said, "Quickly, the people inside are getting out of control."

Such telephones were not only for Li Wangzhong, but also for other sections. With these telephones, one could learn about the situation inside the cave.

Immediately, the guards outside were simultaneously repairing the ventilation shafts and opening all the main gates.

In fact, there are multiple ventilation openings, and the air inside is only relatively thin in terms of oxygen. What's more prevalent is people's anxiety, which leads to chaos.

Because of the availability of telephones and electric lights, all the cave entrances were opened this time, and a large number of people crowded out of the caves.

The next day, the leader brought Mayor Wu Guozhen, Garrison Commander Liu Zhi, and others to inspect the area.

"How many people died exactly? And how did they die?"

Looking at the boss's gloomy face, Liu Zhi knew that in order to keep his job, he had to shirk responsibility and stick to what he had agreed to.

"Sir, the bombing last night lasted for more than five hours, the longest in history. Everything in our air-raid shelters was fine; there was electricity, telephones, and the blowers were working properly, so we didn't experience oxygen shortages. However, the shelters, originally designed to hold 5000 people, were crammed with over 10000. Eventually, some people felt unwell, leading to overcrowding. The guard regiment said we maintained communication by phone and opened all the gates immediately."

The leader's expression softened. Since the work had been done properly, it couldn't be considered a dereliction of duty, and therefore the Nationalist government's work couldn't be said to be inadequate.

"How many people died?"

This time, Liu Zhi knew he might have saved himself, and he quickly said, "There were only a few dozen people, all because of the stampede."

"How many people exactly?"

Liu Zhi was momentarily unsure, but fortunately, the guards added, "There were a total of 102 bodies, all caused by overcrowding. We kept our phones on and did our best to manage the situation, but it was because there were too many people."

The leader nodded and said, "You did a good job. You need to manage public opinion well regarding the reporters outside!"

Wu Guozhen quickly replied, "Yes, yes."

Next, everyone inspected the equipment inside the cave.

The leader looked at the sponsorship information on the telephone and said, "I remember that Mr. Chen said that these air-raid shelters had great hidden dangers. He also asked me for a written order to personally supervise the facilities of the air-raid shelters."

Jiang Kui quickly stepped forward and said, "Yes, the Ning'an Foundation has sponsored 60 yuan in legal tender for air-raid shelters in Chongqing. We have also made many improvements, including installing telephone lines inside the shelters, paving the exits with cement and gravel, and keeping the ventilation fans running smoothly, etc."

"If it weren't for them, you would have been in big trouble!"

The leader understood this perfectly well; he left after uttering a single sentence.

The next day, the newspapers reported the disaster, stating that 21 people died and 58 were injured in the stampede. The air-raid shelter's facilities had all functioned at their maximum capacity. The cause of the accident was simply that the air-raid shelter had more than double the number of people it was supposed to be, and some people inside the shelter incited and rioted, which eventually turned into panic.

As a result, people naturally wouldn't blame the Nationalist government for this, but instead praised it highly.

As for the deceased, that is also acceptable.

If it were to happen like in the previous life, with the death toll roughly equal to the total number of people killed during the bombing of Chongqing, it would surely become a global tragedy. This is why the leader came to inspect the air-raid shelter, which housed tens of thousands of people, immediately after hearing about the large-scale riots and numerous deaths.

The leader was very satisfied with the final result. He heard from his subordinates that if the Ning'an Foundation hadn't insisted on making phone calls, providing electricity, and turning on the blowers, and had insisted that the Air Defense Department inspect and accept the machines as soon as possible, the death toll might have been dozens of times higher.

Although reporters captured images suggesting that more than 21 people were buried, some media outlets and members of the public speculated that the death toll was around 100. Based on descriptions of the scene from relevant individuals, this death toll is accepted.

More importantly, the ventilation system was not the problem; the person's agitation was caused by the disturbance. They had been inside for more than four hours, which led to their emotional distress.

At the same time, a large amount of equipment donated by the Ning'an Foundation was also reported by the media, which made Chen Guangliang famous overnight.

Chen Guangliang was somewhat taken aback when he saw the death toll reported in the newspaper. There were still quite a few deaths. But then he thought about it and it wasn't surprising. Too many people were crowding in, and the incident lasted too long, so a stampede was bound to happen.

Fortunately, no one suffocated directly, which fully demonstrates that the ventilation fans in the vents played a significant role. In fact, when he intervened, the entire air-raid shelter was not yet powered, so the ventilation fans would naturally be useless. Given the procrastination, in his previous life, most of the ventilation fans would have been blocked due to the lack of power, and some vents might have been blocked by bombing.

"When will this Japanese bombing end?" Yan Renmei complained from the side.

She also realized that the Ning'an Foundation had made a great contribution this time, but she had already taken it for granted. After all, her husband's many "foresights" had already shown that they were extraordinary, which made her remember some of the things her husband had told her.

"It should be over soon. In short, the children can probably go back to school normally next semester. There have been sporadic bombings, but large-scale ones are rare. This is because the Japanese are probably going to attack Southeast Asia, and China will no longer be fighting Japan alone."

To be honest, while the couple were somewhat worried about the bombing, they were more concerned about the safety of their children.

"This is good news!"

Chen Guangliang smiled and said, "Let's face it optimistically. After all, compared to many others, our conditions are much better." "Mm."

the next day.

Chen Guangliang arrived at Duyou Street, where the traces of bombing were still visible. Fortunately, the Ping An Bank Building was not hit, which was probably due to Chen Guangliang's good luck.

"boss"

Zhao Tieyi, along with several executives and senior seamen from Global Shipping, was waiting for Chen Guangliang.

"Good, it's good that you're here. Where are your family members?"

Zhao Tieyi said, "Some have arrived in Chongqing, and others will arrive soon. Thank you for your concern, boss. There are also some management and senior seamen who do not want to come to Chongqing and want to stay in Hong Kong. I told them that they can go to Macau if necessary, where they can also stay."

"Okay, let's go to the conference room to discuss this in detail!"

Soon, everyone arrived at a conference room, where Zhao Tieyi gave a detailed report on the situation.

"Due to the situation on the European front, Jardine Matheson and Swire needed ships, so they sold four 5000-ton vessels for US$50. Manager Wu and I went to Chase Bank to deposit this money into the company account of Global Shipping and then transferred it to the United States."

Money was everywhere; it can only be said that Chen Guangliang's strategic planning was ahead of the curve, making it difficult for him to lose money.

Take the sale of the ships, for example. The value of these four ships actually increased rather than decreased due to the war. If Chen Guangliang hadn't sold them in advance, they would likely have been bombed or requisitioned by the Japanese.

"Yes, these funds are the capital for our post-war recovery and operation. It's fine to transfer them to the United States."

Regarding the security of funds, Wu Xinhe and Zhao Tieyi, who completed their advanced studies in the United States last year, are in charge. Since it is done in the name of the company, there is naturally no concern about embezzlement.

Afterwards, Chen Guangliang inquired about the situation of everyone and their families one by one.

This time, less than 4% of the management and senior seamen came to the rear for refuge (many senior seamen did not come). The rest decided to stay in Hong Kong for the time being, and Worldwide Shipping will still keep its office in Hong Kong.

The management and senior seafarers who remain in Hong Kong continue to enjoy the benefits of Worldwide Shipping – employee dormitories and subsidies for rice and oil, indefinitely, until they can no longer afford it.

Moreover, on the eve of Hong Kong's fall, Chan Kwong-leung would definitely have sent a telegram to them, telling them to seek refuge in Macau, where Chan Kwong-leung also had some properties and supplies.

In short, boss Chen Guangliang had already thought of a way out for everyone.

“Alright, you’ve come to Chongqing not without business opportunities. I happen to have two cruise ships operating a tourist route on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Why don’t you join me? It’s a small business, but it’s good to be bored at home all day at headquarters.”

Everyone readily agreed.

Upon their arrival in Chongqing, their accommodations and living arrangements were already made up, and the conditions were quite good. They knew that even if they didn't work, the boss would provide them with basic necessities like rice and oil to support them; but of course, it would be best if they could find something to do.

The first wave of management has been recalled to the rear, mainly to the port of Yangon. The Japanese are already quite domineering; they can bomb British ships if they want to. The Japanese also know that some ships belong to Chinese, but they are just flying a flag.

Shipping should start as soon as possible, since it involves heavy assets.

In the afternoon, Zhang Shounian, Guo Deming, and others accompanied Chen Guangliang to the textile factory for an inspection.

The bombing caused further damage to Xinfeng Textile, and the staff are currently working hard to repair the damage and organize the resumption of work.

Zhang Zhiyu immediately reported: "Boss, we lost twelve looms and 200 spindles of yarn, but the rest have been repaired."

Chen Guangliang nodded. Since the bombing, the Chongqing Xinfeng Textile Factory has only been operating at 70% capacity. They rush to repair and save the spindles after each bombing to minimize losses.

In fact, he also understood that it would be good if the textile factories in Chongqing could survive until 1943, because prices soared rapidly in the later period. In addition, the Nationalist government's policies of unified procurement of materials and unified price setting dealt a devastating blow to the industry in the rear.

Seeing that some people were cleaning up the mess, Chen Guangliang joined in and started chatting with a female textile worker. Zhang Zhiyu tried to offer some advice, but Guo Deming stopped him.

"What is your surname, madam?"

"Ah, Mr. Chen, my surname is Liu!"

"Hello Ms. Liu, don't be nervous. I'm about your age, and I don't eat people. I just want to know a few things from you!"

"Um"

Just by looking at this female worker, you can tell she was transferred from Shanghai, and is at least a team leader. Without these skilled female workers, the overall efficiency of the factory would decrease, and it would be difficult to improve the overall quality of the workforce.

"Let me ask you, taking the most ordinary worker in the factory as an example, how much salary and benefits does he receive each month, and does he have any financial difficulties?"

Looking at Chen Guangliang's kind expression, the textile worker calmed down and said, "Workers in other factories have a hard life, but we at Xinfeng Textile can support ourselves. In fact, everyone says that one worker in Xinfeng can support two people because we mainly provide rice, oil, and cloth as daily necessities. In addition, ordinary workers usually receive about 10 yuan in cash."

Chen Guangliang wasn't there to hear praise, but to find out if the management was mistreating the lower-level employees. They couldn't be like the corrupt officials of the Nationalist government, who had already ruined the economy and prices.

This month, the price of medium-grade rice in Chongqing has risen to 42 yuan per dou (a unit of dry measure), which is equivalent to 3.5 yuan per jin (1 dou is 12 jin, and 10 dou make 1 shi). Before the War of Resistance against Japan, a jin of rice only cost 1 mao (0.1 yuan).

This means that Mijia's value has increased 35 times.

Nowadays, 100 legal tender can only buy a bag of flour.

Workers in other factories earn only 35 to 48 yuan a month, which is enough to buy about 12 kilograms of rice.

The rice and oil produced by Xinfeng Textile are enough for two people to eat, and they also produce a lot of clothing every year. You should know that even many soldiers have difficulty changing their clothes.

After clapping his hands, Chen Guangliang walked over to his senior executives.

"We need to stockpile rice and oil for the workers, which will also help reduce the impact of rising prices. Of course, it would be best to transport the rice from other regions and purchase it in bulk."

Prices are going to skyrocket, and the fiat currency will continue to depreciate.

Zhang Shounian nodded and said, "We have always centralized procurement in this regard to ensure the supply of rice and oil for the workers and increase everyone's enthusiasm."

They have boats, trucks, and fuel alcohol; they have no shortage of resources.

It is no exaggeration to say that the management of these factories had higher legal incomes and benefits than the officials of the Nationalist government.

"In short, the legal tender will continue to depreciate, and the prices of daily necessities will continue to rise, so everyone should make more preparations. Moreover, in a few months, a large number of people will come to Chongqing, and the concessions and Hong Kong are already on the countdown."

He wasn't worried that his subordinates would think he was talking nonsense, since some things were already showing signs of trouble, but no one could be as decisive as Chen Guangliang.

Zhang Shounian quickly replied, "We need to make some preparations, since many colleagues are coming."

Guo Deming also said, "We've been making preparations lately, as many colleagues are indeed coming to Chongqing this time."

Chen Guangliang nodded. Everyone knew his style: when management came, they had to ensure housing and living supplies.

At the same time, since he had already donated the profits from the factories behind the scenes to a charity fund, he certainly wouldn't mistreat his workers. The workers in several factories all enjoyed a salary plus allowance, which was basically enough to support two people (including himself).

This level of competence is already comparable to that of civil servants in the Nationalist government!

In late June, the leader issued a commendation order to the Ning'an Foundation to praise its contributions to the city's air-raid shelters.

Many citizens now know that if it weren't for the various equipment donated by the Ning'an Foundation, a much bigger accident might have occurred, with unimaginable consequences.

Since its establishment more than six months ago, the Ning'an Foundation has been praised for its large donations. Some people say that Chen Guangliang is foolish; why did he go through all the trouble of building the factory in Sichuan if he donated all the profits from such a profitable factory?

Little did these people know the immense wealth hidden behind Chen Guangliang, wealth that, of course, had been earned from speculators. (End of Chapter)