1928: The rise of giant merchants

When Ding Guomao's words were thrown out, the representatives of Western medicine could not refute them. Both sides just criticized each other with their words, without any rules.

Ye Luo was bored at the scene, and increasingly felt that the dispute between Chinese and Western medicine had changed from a struggle for power in the medical community to a struggle between political factions.

Nowadays, the veteran faction of the National Government supports traditional Chinese medicine, while Wang's reorganization faction strongly opposes traditional Chinese medicine. Originally, Feng Yuxiang's faction has always maintained a neutral attitude, but recently due to the issue of troop reductions, Feng Yuxiang has a tendency to part ways with the principal. His health staff Minister Hu Dingan turned to criticize traditional Chinese medicine and published an article in newspapers and periodicals titled "Hu Dingan Kills Relatives for Righteousness", calling for the outlawing of quack Chinese medicine practitioners.

A few days ago, Ye Luo specifically inquired about the voices within the National Government.

In this debate, merchants of traditional Chinese medicine materials joined forces with the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce to put pressure on the city hall in the name of the business community. They wanted to use the power of the veteran faction to attack the restructuring faction that advocated the abolition of traditional Chinese medicine, so as to make the Ministry of Health controlled by Feng Yuxiang surrender.

The veteran faction took advantage of the situation and used the power of the General Chamber of Commerce to attack the city hall, and even wanted to continue to dismantle Feng Yuxiang.

At this time, the New Deal Department, which supports the principal, has the same interests as the veteran faction. Both want to kill Wang's reorganization faction and Feng Yuxiang's faction. With the prelude to the Central Plains War, the Jiang-Gui War is about to break out. The principal's attitude is self-evident. .

What made Ye Luo feel speechless was that the three major chairman members of the Shanghai Bund General Chamber of Commerce, Feng Shaoshan and Zhao Jinqing, were all true patriots, but they did not have the slightest power in their hands. However, Lin Kanghou, who later became a traitor, held great power and was a villain. Successful.

There have been several changes within the General Chamber of Commerce. With the collapse of the three tycoons of the Yongxing Company, Yu Qiaqing successfully took over, and along with them, the people from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Chaebol Group also got into good positions.

But this group of people were clamoring for troop reductions and supporting the Northern Expedition, but in the end they were unprofitable and did all kinds of idiots who only looked at immediate interests.

At first, the principal relied on their wealth, so he swallowed his anger and behaved modestly. Now that he has straightened up, it is ridiculous that these plutocrats still try to ride on the head of a tiger.

The principal estimated that he would raise military funds from the business community for the Chiang Kai-shek war, but the General Chamber of Commerce had already rejected it, and it also supported the reorganization faction's move to abolish traditional Chinese medicine. It was really looking for death.

Ye Luo yawned. When he thought that this meeting would last for two more days and would only officially end on the afternoon of the 19th, he felt bored and panicked.

The debate between Ding Guomao, Yu Yunxiu and others lasted all morning. After lunch, it seemed that the two groups would continue to quarrel in the afternoon. Ye Luo found an excuse and ran away without being accompanied.

In the afternoon, he returned to No. 32 Xiafei Road, which he had not seen for a long time. Looking at the former headquarters of Ye's Investment Company, Ye Luo felt quite emotional.

It was in the office area on the second floor of this small bungalow that he led Zhou Xiangsheng, Wu Liande and others to establish the huge Ye family.

Today, Ye's Investment has become the largest group in Shanghai and has built an impressive headquarters building in the downtown area of ​​the public concession.

In addition, he has done all the industries that Ye can be involved in, including automobile companies, Ye's World, movie theaters, cafes and dance halls, electronics factories, etc. Now, every month, Ye's total investment net profit is nearly 100 yuan. Wan Dayang was able to earn all the profits from the Chevrolet 490 in one month.

The total valuation of Ye's Investment at the end of February was approximately NT$47 million, surpassing established group companies such as Yongxing, Big Four, Shengjia, and Rongshi, becoming the leading large group company in Shanghai and even the entire South.

The amount of liquidity in the hands of Ye Luo and the Ye family is even more exaggerated. Ye Luo himself has deposits of about 12 million yuan in HSBC, about 20 million yuan in Citibank, and about 15 million yuan in deposits at Ye's Joint Venture Bank. Ocean!

Lin Lin is finally together, and Ye Luo is fully worthy of the term billionaire.

At this time, he had a net worth of over 100 million and barely entered the top class.

Of course, compared with the Kong family's current assets of one billion US dollars, it is still nothing worth mentioning.

The four major families took advantage of the nearly 20 years of war from 1930 to 1949 to abuse power for personal gain. They relied on selling off U.S. economic aid and the "National Advancement and Private Retreat" movement to amass wealth. By the time they left the country, their total assets exceeded US$20 billion.

They have deposits in almost all banks around the world!

"The road is long and long." Ye Luo sighed and walked to the third floor, ready to take a nap.

Not long after he lay down, Shi Jianqiao knocked on the door and said in a panic: "Second Young Master, Song Ziwen is here!"

"What?" Ye Luo was also startled. He quickly got up and put on his clothes and ran to the office area on the second floor to meet Song Ziwen.

Aren't we preparing for war now? How come he has time to come here?

Ye Luo's heart sank. Could it be that the military expenditure was raised on his own head?

"Haha, Aluo, you're fine." Song Ziwen gave him a warm hug.

"Brother, long time no see."

"Tsk, I always feel like you don't mean what you say, big brother." Song Ziwen teased, then looked around and asked doubtfully, "Why is there no one? Also, isn't that little girl from the Kong family following you? Gone?"

"The employees here have all moved to the headquarters building in the public concession, and this place is deserted. As for Lingjun, she has been doing housekeeping with my two wives recently. I will take her around in a few days."

Ye Luo replied with a smile and asked Shi Jianqiao to make tea.

Song Ziwen did not bring anyone with him this time, which shows that this meeting was a secret meeting.

But Ye Luo also really admired him. Now that Song Ziwen was in a high position and had great power, he still had such a big heart.

No wonder he was later assassinated at the train station, making Tang Ying's brother Tang Fulu the scapegoat.

"This time I came here to receive the 'imperial edict.'" Song Ziwen joked and said with a smile, "You have become famous overseas. It's really amazing."

"Haha, it's just a small paper, it's not as exaggerated as it sounds." Ye Luo raised his eyebrows. Could it be that Hoover's attention made him more important in the principal's mind?

I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.

"This is not a small thing. To be praised by such a person, you can live on this for the rest of your life. Of course, the famous second young master, whoever is short of money, you will not be short of money."

Song Ziwen took a sip of tea and looked at him with a smile.

"Arlo, there's going to be a war at the end of March."

Ye Luo's heart sank and he said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"The Guangxi clique has bullied others too much and treated our National Government as if it were nothing. This war will have to be fought if not fought. What the principal means is that he hopes that your General Chamber of Commerce will contribute money and efforts. Each chairman member will have 500 yuan, and each ordinary member will have 300 yuan. One hundred for each ordinary member.”

Song Ziwen smiled and stretched out his fingers to look at him.

Ye Luo also narrowed his eyes.

You have to ask yourself for three million oceans when you open your mouth. What a big statement!