1928: The rise of giant merchants

Ye Luo's sweet dream was interrupted by a harsh sound at home.

He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and saw the clock hanging on the wall opposite showed 10:25.

After chatting with Ye Yuqiao last night, Ye Luo carefully checked Fengming Tower's account books for the past six years.

It wasn't that he was worried about Xiao Aqiao and the others making false accounts, but that he wanted to see who frequented Fengming Tower for consumption.

The people who have contributed to Fengming Tower in recent years are mainly wealthy businessmen from all over the world. Some have lived in Shanghai for a long time, and some come to Shanghai occasionally to play. Generally, they have regular mistresses in Fengming Tower.

After six years of accumulation, Fengminglou's net profit is as high as 360,000 yuan, but 120,000 yuan is used to manage various relationships, and the remaining 240,000 yuan is deposited in Citibank, because Citibank has the highest annual interest rate and can generate 3,120 yuan in one year's demand. interest.

After checking the accounts, Ye Luo stayed up late to write the company's startup project application and self-recommendation letter. It was already 2 o'clock in the middle of the night when everything was done. After sending the application and self-recommendation letter to Fengming Building, he fell asleep right up until now. .

"Second Young Master, please get up. Xiaoli is here to help you change your clothes." When the maid Xiaoli heard the noise in the house, she immediately knocked on the door with a basin in hand and came in.

"Why is it so noisy outside?" Ye Luo wiped his face with a wet towel, watching Xiaoli serve him carefully, sighing secretly that the luxurious life of the rich during the Republic of China was really enjoyable!

Ye Yuqiao assigned him a total of six maids, who were responsible for managing food, clothing, housing and transportation, as well as handling excrement and physiological needs. He was worried that Ye Luo would not be comfortable, so he assigned his most capable maid Xiaoli to him.

"The housekeeper said that the eldest sister brought a foreigner to see you, the second young master. They are waiting for tea in the living room." Xiaoli helped him get dressed quickly. When the foreigner was mentioned, she lowered her head and did not dare to say more. ask.

"Little Ah Qiao and a foreigner?" Ye Luo looked confused.

Didn't Xiao Aqiao go to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau to get approval? Is it possible that when you start a new company now, foreigners from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau will come for "on-the-spot inspections"?

"Yes. I said he was an old acquaintance of yours." Xiaoli finally helped him straighten his collar and looked at it in the mirror many times to make sure it was clean and tidy before letting go.

Ye Luo became even more confused and didn't bother to wash up. He asked Xiaoli to take him to the living room to have a look.

Little Ah Qiao and Sir George were sitting in the living room drinking tea. The old butler did not dare to neglect foreigners, but he did not understand foreign languages, so he could only stand and stare.

Fortunately, little Ah Qiao was eloquent. She guessed that Ye Luo had just gotten up and was worried that Sir George would be impatient to wait, so she kept choosing topics to chat with him in English.

The two of them were chatting about some interesting stories about Shanghai, but Ye Luoshan arrived late.

"Ye! It's really you! When we were in Cambridge, you never told me that you were the second young master of the Ye family." Sir George stood up excitedly and gave Ye Luo a bear hug.

"John, long time no see! I didn't expect to meet you here." Ye Luo was quite surprised. The Englishman's name was John George, his roommate and classmate when he was studying economics in Cambridge.

Because Ye Luo often went out to socialize and attend various dances, George was responsible for helping him deal with the teacher's roll call.

When he was studying, George admired Ye Luo's talent and social attributes very much.

A guy who basically didn't study in school actually ranked in the top three every year. He was obviously studying economics, but he was also famous in science and engineering. Many professors even asked Ye Luo to change his major to their name and specialize in science and engineering.

It can only be said that true academic masters are popular everywhere.

"Why did you come to Shanghai?" Ye Luo only knew that John George's family was quite powerful in Cambridge, London, England, and the two did not have a close family relationship.

"Well, it's a long story. After graduation, I originally planned to travel around the world, but I didn't expect that my grandfather, Sir Jordan, suddenly passed away. The family had a vacant position as a consul in the consulate in China, so I was sent here."

John George's face was full of bitterness. He was not interested in diplomacy or politics. He had a soft spot for economics and sociology. This time he came here just to catch a duck.

"I just arrived in Shanghai last month and was invited to serve as a director of the Ministry of Industry Bureau. Alas, you know, I don't understand this at all."

This British guy turned out to be the consul of the consulate and the director of the Ministry of Industry Bureau!

Little Ah Qiao's English was pretty good, but the conversation between Ye Luo and Ye Luo was too fast, and she didn't understand many things clearly, but she did understand the identity and title!

Sir George is also the grandson of Sir Jordan!

Sir Jordan, that's famous.

That was the second British Minister to China. To put it simply, he was the second-in-command of the British in the country!

Second only to the existence of the ambassador to China!

Even the consul generals of consulates in major cities are only his staff.

In 1920, Sir Jordan returned to the UK by ferry from Shanghai and retired honorably. At that time, young Ah Qiao was only eighteen years old. For the first time, he saw a huge crowd of Shanghai's bigwigs at Shiliupu Pier!

Those are all Chinese people vying to see Sir Jordan off!

Ye Luo felt happy. He didn't know that John George was the grandson of Sir Jordan.

When the two were at Cambridge University, they mainly discussed academic matters and rarely communicated about their family backgrounds.

This is also a major criterion for Ye Luo to travel overseas.

Nowadays, the status of Chinese people in the world is very low. Many foreigners look down on Chinese people. If you always talk to others about your family background and personal connections, they will look down on you and be unwilling to talk about it.

Treating people with sincerity is a powerful tool for making friends.

The two of them, Ye Luo, had a great conversation. Little A Qiao acted as a maid very virtuously, serving tea and water. She was not at all as dignified as the eldest sister when she was outside.

Knowing her old housekeeper and Xiaoli's eyes widened.

If someone outside saw how little A-Qiao looked like a good wife and mother, it would make people go crazy.

Soon, they were talking about what happened in the Ministry of Industry Bureau that morning.

"John, thank you for helping my woman out of trouble." Ye Luo said, glancing at little A Qing who was sitting quietly with her legs folded.

When she heard this, she pouted with an aggrieved look, and felt sweet in her heart.

"This is what every gentleman would do, you're welcome." George smiled and waved his hand, "Is this an investment company that you want to build?"

"Yes, as you know, I have always been interested in investment." Ye Luo nodded. He had proposed the concept of investment as early as his time at Cambridge, and even made a research topic, but unfortunately it did not attract much attention.

After all, this thing is still a bit ahead of its time.

The risk of handing over money to strangers is high and the situation is unclear. Judging from the businessman's own personality, the businessman with the bigger the money is more likely to pursue stable income. Venture capital is too risky. At a time when conservatives are the majority, It will definitely be regarded as taking the wrong approach.

But in fact, venture capital is a very deep knowledge, especially in the era of big data, the risk will be reduced, but the returns will be higher than any business.

By the 21st century, angel financing has spread all over the world, countless giants have sprung up, and every investment has created billionaires.

"Actually, I'm more interested in the application you wrote. Do you remember, in 1926, we had a topic on the real estate bubble in Florida, and we were criticized by the instructor for a long time."

George laughed,

"At that time, no one believed that the housing bubble would burst."

"Indeed, during that time, the instructor felt a headache when he saw the two of us approaching him with information." Ye Luo also laughed. He also learned a lot during his six years of schooling. He could not step into this place in his previous life. He went to a top prestigious school and now traveled to the Republic of China. He had to go and see it no matter what.

This is the obsession of a small-town problem solver!

"I have severely criticized the employees of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau regarding the investment company, and asked them to get the approval this afternoon. Ye, are you free now? I want to take you to meet someone." George rubbed his hands with excitement on his face and expectations.

"Who?" Ye Luo asked curiously.

"We'll find out when we get there! Don't worry, it won't delay your business." George stood up, pulled him and started to walk out.

"Okay, I'll treat you to a casual meal at the Licha Restaurant at noon." Ye Luo turned to look at little A'qiao, "You can handle the affairs of the Ministry of Industry Bureau this afternoon. By the way, don't forget to help those two people. inquire about."

"I understand, I won't delay your important event, Second Young Master." Xiao Ah smiled quietly and stood up to see him off.

As he approached the door, Xiao Aqiao called out to him again.

Ye Luo stopped and looked back. Xiao A walked slowly with his slender waist swaying. He reached out and stood on tiptoe to help him adjust the collar of his suit again, and then let him go with satisfaction.

"You have been wronged." Ye Luo reached out and pinched her face gently, "Don't worry, I will take care of it."

"Yeah!" Xiao Aqiao was still feeling resentful in her heart, but after hearing what he said, it immediately disappeared.

In the past ten years, he has never broken his promise to himself.

"Ye, that lady really likes you." George got in the car with him, and mentioned that when he was at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau, Xiao Aqiao personally picked up the letter of recommendation and application form from the dirty trash can, and carefully Smooth things out carefully, "Sometimes I really envy you. You are always favored by beautiful women wherever you go."

"I like her too." Ye Luo sat in the passenger seat, lit a cigarette, and replied calmly.

"By the way, what business are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to buy some cars from General Motors and run a car rental business." Ye Luo didn't hide it. Even if he stood on the roof of Fengming Building with a loudspeaker and shouted this idea, no one would think it would work.

George was also surprised: "Ye? I heard that General Motors is about to go bankrupt! And Shanghai's ability to consume cars is not that strong."

"It is true that the ability to consume luxury cars is limited to the upper class. But what I want to buy this time is not a luxury car." Ye Luo replied with a smile, "General Motors is completely suppressed by Ford in the United States. I heard that it cannot make ends meet, but This is the best opportunity for us to invest, isn’t it?”

"There is an old saying in China, 'It is better to offer help in times of crisis than to add icing on the cake.' It means that if you lend a helping hand to others in times of crisis, they will be grateful to you for the rest of their lives."

Now, both General Motors and Zhou Xiangsheng are at the lowest point in their careers, which is not the best time to invest.

"I don't understand business, so I can only wish you success." George was indifferent to such things, "but the person I'm going to meet soon is very interested in these."

Ye Luo was even more curious about who George wanted to take him to see.

George's car was a Ford Model T convertible that had just been discontinued in 1928. It was quite popular on the streets of Shanghai.

The car bumped along the way, passed some well-known buildings, and came to the west side of the Waibaidu Bridge.

Now, Ye Luo finally understood where they were going -

British Concession, British Consulate General in Shanghai, Building 1.