A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Two more months passed, and it was late August 1941.

Meanwhile, senior executives of Ping An Bank who remained in Shanghai were secretly holding a meeting in a conference room.

Xia Gaoxiang immediately said, "The boss gave instructions that Ping An Bank should create a bank run due to 'insufficient funds' and publish it in the newspaper to return the bank depositors' funds. We are also preparing to close down. The management and staff, along with their families, are to go to Chongqing in batches to take refuge. He said that in about three months, Japan will go to war with Britain and the United States, and all the staff of Ping An Bank will be in a dangerous situation. Meanwhile, housing and welfare have been prepared for everyone in the rear, so making a living will not be a problem."

Everyone was taken aback, but gradually calmed down. He knew his boss's expertise in this area and was certain his judgment was correct.

In fact, in July, there was already news in the Shanghai Stock Exchange that Japan and the United States were going to war, which caused the stock of Zhongye Exchange to plummet.

Qin Bohou said, "Since the end of last year, Ping An Bank has been gradually recovering loans, and the funds in the account are sufficient to cope with a bank run."

Wang Yaxin nodded and said, "Currently, there are only some minor debts. I'll go and follow up with them again."

Xia Gaoxiang emphasized, "We just need enough to cover the depositors' funds. Some depositors might still choose to trust us. We'll give them two options: withdraw immediately or transfer the funds to Chongqing. So, everyone hurry up and try to get this done in ten days. Afterwards, we still need to handle some factory matters. Also, Manager Ye, you need to go to Hong Kong personally. The situation there has changed slightly. Depositors' funds can be transferred to Macau. Of course, we still need to arrange for most of the management and staff there to evacuate to the rear. The boss said we must tell the local staff there the truth: after the Japanese occupy the area, they will inevitably burn, kill, and loot. If we evacuate now, there will still be channels. If we evacuate later, it will be difficult to leave."

Everyone understood that the boss wanted the entire management team and staff of Ping An Bank to relocate to Chongqing.

This shows how much the boss values ​​this bank, because the bank's employees are at least high school graduates, and each of them is a cornerstone for a future comeback.

To this end, Chen Guangliang has already prepared for everyone's food, clothing, and shelter in Chongqing, and supporting them for the next few years is not a problem. Of course, Chen Guangliang also has such a large business back home that he will naturally arrange job positions for everyone.

Ye Ximing nodded and said, "I will stay there for a while, and I will make all the necessary arrangements, including for the factory."

He frequently travels to Hong Kong and is quite familiar with the management there, making him the perfect candidate for these tasks.

Xia Gaoxiang said, "Yes, the boss has also given instructions on how to arrange the factory."

The other senior executives knew without asking that the boss was probably planning to destroy the factory, which made people admire his boldness.

A few days later, rumors spread throughout the concession that Ping An Bank was experiencing cash flow problems, and a large number of depositors lined up at Ping An Bank's headquarters and branches in the concession to withdraw their money.

This move naturally alarmed the Wang Jingwei regime. They were furious with this enterprise that had been working so hard in the rear, so they immediately arranged for thugs to join the expropriation effort and spread rumors.

"Line up, line up! What kind of mess is this!"

Lin Feng, the head of the security company who stayed in Shanghai, personally led a team to maintain order.

However, Ping An Bank specifically instructed him that this time the bank was preparing to return the deposits to the depositors, so he should not try to persuade them otherwise.

"What's so impressive about them? They're all about to go bankrupt!"

Upon hearing someone object, Lin Feng immediately said in a very rude tone, "What the hell did you say? If you don't want to withdraw money, then leave. If you want to withdraw money, then line up properly, or you won't get a single penny."

"you"

"Ping An Bank is really unlucky to have hired an employee like you!"

"Kid, don't get cocky. Do you know who I work for?"

"I don't care who you are, you have to follow the rules here."

This attitude further strengthened everyone's resolve to withdraw the money.

However, when it came time to withdraw money, many people were dumbfounded. Whenever a customer asked to withdraw money, the bank staff would only say, "The fixed deposit hasn't matured yet. If you withdraw now, you won't get any interest."

The customer instinctively said, "Withdraw it! If we don't withdraw it now, we'll lose all our capital!"

Bank employees simply hand a form to the customer that requires their signature or fingerprint, and then exchange the fiat currency for the customer; the whole process is seamless.

"Didn't you run out of money?"

The customer complained that there were originally several hundred yuan in interest, but now there's not a single penny left.

"That's what they said, but we'll try our best to deliver on it."

Hearing this, the customer left with some skepticism, but not to the point of regret.

Soon, Shanghai newspapers also published news of the bank run on Ping An Bank, causing widespread panic.

After all, Ping An Bank has always been described as "wealthy and powerful," and it owns many "money-printing machine" factories, which have earned the trust of depositors. Even if Chen Guangliang announces that he will donate the profits from the factories to charity, the cash flow from these factories will eventually converge in Ping An Bank, so there will be no shortage of money.

Large depositors began visiting senior executives such as Xia Gaoxiang, and the response they received was that Ping An Bank was short of funds in the Shanghai market, but would try its best to pay out the funds to everyone.

Many people still chose to trust Ping An Bank, and more importantly, Chen Guangliang, only to be told that they could either withdraw their money or withdraw it from the Chongqing branch, because the funds there might need to be withdrawn.

For a time, many large investors still chose to withdraw their funds.

They felt that Ping An Bank would not give up the Shanghai Stock Exchange market, so they believed that Ping An Bank might really be short of money.

In fact.

When Chen Guangliang was preparing to withdraw Ping An Bank from the Shanghai Stock Exchange (including only its savings business), he had already planned ahead. He was sure that the Japanese and the Wang Jingwei regime would find out that he was preparing to withdraw the business from the Shanghai Stock Exchange to avoid affecting the subsequent self-destruction of the factory.

When Ping An Bank was experiencing a run on deposits, several banks offered to help, since fiat currency was not a safe haven at that time. However, they understood that Ping An Bank's assets, especially those factories, were safe havens.

However, Ping An Bank politely declined everyone's help, which alerted the banking industry in Shanghai.

All indications suggest that Ping An Bank has a large cash flow, as no depositor has yet spread rumors that Ping An Bank is unable to withdraw money; in fact, there have been orderly queues of people waiting to withdraw money outside Ping An Bank.

In such situations, even some depositors couldn't help but ask, "Are you really out of money?"

The Ping An Bank employee could only reply, "There should be some shortfall."

The depositor's doubts grew, and he said, "A little bit of a shortfall? Which bank doesn't have a shortfall?" The clerk vaguely replied again, "Anyway, if you don't withdraw your money now, you won't be able to withdraw any more money in Shanghai later. Of course, we have a lot of money in Chongqing, so you can go there to withdraw your money later."

This forced depositors to withdraw their funds.

In fact, this is somewhat damaging to Ping An Bank's reputation. If Ping An Bank continues to expand its business in mainland China in the future, it will likely have a significant impact, since many people who could have earned interest are now not earning it.

Compared to Shanghai, Hong Kong did not adopt the "self-limitation" approach. After all, after the war, Ping An Bank in Hong Kong was to become the head office and continue operating in Hong Kong.

Therefore, Ye Ximing's instructions were: transfer some funds to Macau and deposit them in Banco Atlântico (a Portuguese state-owned bank); for funds held by large depositors, normal interest would be returned, and Ping An Bank was informed of its intention to temporarily withdraw from Hong Kong, naturally due to Japan's aggressive actions. Ping An Bank also offered its own financial advice to large depositors—to withdraw funds to Macau and Chongqing. As for small depositors, Ping An Bank only suspended savings services; those who could be contacted were advised to withdraw their funds, with interest paid normally.

The handling methods were completely different, which allowed them to gain everyone's trust after the war ended.

Li Hongsheng, General Manager of Ping An Bank (Hong Kong), said with some concern: "I'm afraid that if we miss a period of time, it will cause damage to our reputation. Of course, Ping An Bank (Hong Kong) will strictly follow the boss's orders."

Ye Ximing patiently advised, "If you think this way, then the management and employees will naturally think the same way. But think about it, when has the boss ever made a miscalculation? To put it another way, Japan is already backed into a corner. If they don't invade Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, how can they guarantee their resources? Southeast Asia at least has oil, and they could even occupy the entire Pacific. So, you need to do your job well and persuade everyone to gradually retreat to the rear. Otherwise, there won't be any planes to the mainland left, and even if everyone wants to leave, the boss will be powerless. As for Macau, that's certainly an option, but there will definitely be many Japanese spies there, and life there is destined to be difficult."

Li Hongsheng was taken aback and immediately said, "Okay, I will patiently advise everyone. Fortunately, the boss has given us two months. We will definitely handle it well within this time."

Ye Ximing nodded and said, "I need to stay in Hong Kong for the time being and retreat to the rear with everyone. After all, there are still companies under the Ping An Bank system, such as Xinfeng Textile Factory, Vitasoy, and Times Pictures. I also need to direct everyone's retreat."

Li Hongsheng sighed and said, "Only the boss truly cares about us subordinates. This retreat must have cost a lot of money. Once we get to the rear, everyone's resources will be depleted as well."

Ye Ximing laughed and said, "The boss values ​​talent more in this regard. He also firmly believes that Japan won't be able to stay afloat for many more years. But he also said that it is often at this time that our country faces even greater difficulties, so everyone retreats to the rear and can work together in the same boat."

"Okay, since the boss takes such good care of everyone, we'll be loyal to him for life."

For this evacuation, Ping An Bank alone had hundreds of employees and hundreds of family members who evacuated to the rear using various modes of transportation, all paid for by Ping An Bank. For example, employees and family members in Hong Kong used air travel as much as possible, but if they couldn't get tickets, they could only travel through northern Guangdong, but there were guides along the way, so safety was not an issue.

The massive scale of the retreat naturally came at a high cost to Ping An Bank, but it was all worthwhile; manpower was needed in the rear, and the ability to gather everyone together as soon as possible after the battle was crucial for joint development.

Ye Ximing arrived at Times Film Studio without stopping, met with Zhuang Zhujiu and Lu Hanzhang, and gave them the order to retreat.

"From now on, we must immediately seal up the equipment of Times Film Studio in a warehouse in Macau, suspend all film production, and have the management and cast and crew flee to Chongqing in batches. It is worth noting that we have received secret information that once the Japanese occupy Hong Kong, they will target the cast and crew and management of our Times Film Studio because we have made too many anti-Japanese war films in recent years, and the Japanese hate us to the core."

Zhuang Zhujiu inquired, "But Times Film Industry is a large and powerful company. Even if they withdraw their equipment, they still have vast properties. What does Mr. Chen think about this?"

His wife and children had long since gone to Chongqing. To repay Chen Guangliang's kindness, he remained in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, handling the development of Era Films.

In recent years, Times Films has regarded Hong Kong and Southeast Asia as its rear base, producing films, including anti-Japanese war films, as part of the war effort. Many overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia who see their films will support the war effort in China, and there are even many who directly return to China to fight.

Ye Ximing said, "The boss said that as long as the people are still alive, Times Film Studio can make a comeback as soon as the war ends. In addition, the property and such cannot be taken to Japan. After the victory of the war, we can take it back. There is no need to worry."

Zhuang Zhujiu nodded and said, "Okay, then we'll organize it right away!"

Ye Ximing added, "Yes, the evacuation must be completed within two months. If it's any later, it will be difficult to get plane tickets. Ordinary performers and staff can take their families to northern Guangdong to the rear to avoid crowding. We will also have guides for this route."

This means that all the evacuations must be completed by the end of October.

Okay, we'll get ready right away.

As orders were issued, the assets and staff of the "Chen's Enterprises" in Hong Kong and Shanghai began to withdraw separately.

Companies like Xinfeng Textile in Shanghai began selling their remaining spindles and cotton yarn, and even some machines. Some people decided to stay in Shanghai, and Xinfeng Textile entrusted their trustworthy employees to hide their textile machinery.

As for large and critical machines, Chen Guangliang's idea was to destroy them directly at the last minute.

Although this will result in many workers losing their jobs, it is still better than funding the enemy.

Although it was somewhat cruel, Chen Guangliang remained determined to destroy the factories in Hong Kong and Shanghai, and would never let the Japanese confiscate them.

On the other hand, the workers in these factories have earned some money in the past year and have also stored up food, so they can still make ends meet in the short term.

As for what happens next, I hope they can go back to the countryside and not starve.

In this day and age, human life is sometimes really worthless.

Not to mention the Chinese, even on the European battlefields, ordinary people suffered heavy casualties; that's how cruel the battlefield is.

In November, Shanghai media finally broke the news that Ping An Bank, Xinfeng Textile, and Vitasoy had all ceased operations, and that important equipment in the factories of Xinfeng Textile and Vitasoy had been damaged.

Immediately, the Wang Jingwei regime and the Japanese dispatched agents to investigate, and the results were astonishing.

The entire Xinfeng Textile Factory was deserted. The few remaining workers said, "All we know is that the factory was deliberately vandalized. All the workers were given three months' worth of rice and oil and then laid off. Even some equipment was taken away overnight and its whereabouts are unknown."

Good heavens, that's ruthless!
When some shrewd businessmen in Shanghai learned of this news, they knew that Chen Guangliang must have received some clue that the Japanese were going to take over the concessions, so he took the lead in fleeing, leaving not even his factories to the Japanese and the Wang Jingwei regime.

Of course, everyone is now faced with two choices—first, destroy the factory and seek refuge in the rear; second, continue production and leave the rest to fate.

Not everyone has Chen Guangliang's courage; most people are just hoping for the best. So, apart from being shocked by Chen Guangliang's decisiveness, no one else took any action.

On the contrary, the Japanese and the Wang Jingwei regime were furious!

Because of Chen Guangliang's decisive withdrawal from Shanghai and Hong Kong, coupled with his status among businessmen, a group of businessmen will probably have to move to the rear (of course, they will not want to destroy the factories).

At the same time, the Japanese were also worried that their plans would be exposed, which would cause unforeseen complications.

But it was too late for them to do anything, because the secret agents had discovered through their investigation that the management and technical staff of factories such as Ping An Bank, Xinfeng Textile, and Vitasoy had basically all gone to the rear.

Even at the Shangri-La Hotel, some of the management team left Shanghai, leaving only a few staff members to manage the hotel themselves, with the profits going to the remaining staff.

For a time, many people said that Chen Guangliang must have foreseen something, and countless others followed suit. (End of Chapter)