1928: The rise of giant merchants

May 15, the seventeenth year of the Republic of China (1928).

It's the fifth day that Yip's Motor Company's Chevrolet 490 has been temporarily suspended from sale.

Since the first batch of 500 Chevrolet 490s arrived in Shanghai, the popularity of this "cheap car" that positions its customer base as the middle class has not diminished.

Especially during the days when sales were about to be suspended, the eight stores of Ye's Automobile Company were overcrowded every day, with people everywhere coming to buy cars or inquire about the car's condition.

After Yeluo announced that the Chevrolet 490 was temporarily suspended for sale, many brand-new Chevrolet 490s gradually appeared in Shanghai Tang County, and conversations like this can often be heard.

"Lao Liang, is this car comfortable to drive? Compared with Ford's cars, which one is better?"

"Of course it's comfortable! This is a new car that just drove over from the dock! You said it's similar to a Ford car. But a Ford car starts at NT$3,000, who can afford it? This car only costs NT$1,000. Just grit your teeth and take it!"

"It's so cheap and it's a car sold by a Chinese businessman. Is it insecure?"

"Old Li, you must not have read the news! Ye's Automobile Dealer focuses on a VIP service experience. From picking up the car to getting the license plate to subsequent repairs, the people in the dealership can help you with it. You just have to pay. Everyone. Being Chinese makes communication easier, unlike those foreign devils who chatter and don't know what to say. And tell me, the boss of Ye's car dealership is the second young master of the Ye family, and he has set up a charity foundation. , it’s very reliable and is often reported in declarations.”

"The second young master said that 20% of the money spent on Ala's car purchase will be sent to the north as a donation. Alas, the fight in the north is so fierce now and the RB people are so cruel. It's good to do something to help our compatriots."

"It sounds good, but the 1,000 ocean is still a bit expensive."

"Is this still expensive? Look at the cars on the street. Which one costs less than a few thousand yuan? Moreover, Ye's Automobile Dealer provides installment payment. Do you know about installment payment? You only need to pay a 50% deposit, and you can find a bank later. For a loan, just pay it off slowly and it will be very stress-free.”

As Ye Luo expected, the customer base of Chevrolet 490 is concentrated in Shanghai County and surrounding areas. The wealthy people in the concession are not the mainstream consumer group. Once the popularity is over, they will not have much desire to buy.

In the public concession and the French Concession, the most common ones are those luxury cars.

But in counties and other places where people are more concentrated and the crowds are wider, you can always see Chevrolet 490 on the road.

Its high-quality service and extremely cost-effective attributes turned those customers into die-hard fans, and began to spread the word of mouth, helping Yeluo continue to expand its momentum.

Unknowingly, the Chevrolet 490 has become synonymous with the cost-effectiveness of cars. I only hear people praise it, but no one will say it is expensive.

But is it really not expensive?

Now the pork is 280 pounds.

Soap costs five cents a piece.

Sanmao brand cigarettes only cost 3.6 cents a pack.

You can have a sumptuous meal in an ordinary restaurant for just one ocean.

Why do they think buying the Chevrolet 490 is a good value for money?

Because under the overwhelming advertisements and various promotions, they subconsciously substituted the thought that Ye Luo had already preset: "Such an easy-to-use and good-looking car can be driven home with only one third of the price of a Ford car!"

Just like the milk tea shop in the previous life, when the average price is 20 yuan a cup, you suddenly drink milk tea for 10 yuan a cup. Don't you think it's cheap?

But is it really cheap?

No.

It's just that these marketing methods and the excellent quality of the products themselves give people the illusion that they are "actually very cheap."

Compared with the booming car business, the Ye family seems much deserted.

Ye Mansion.

This is the first time Xiaoli has seen her. It's already afternoon, and the master and his wife are still at home and haven't gone out.

The aunts and wives were no longer interested in playing mahjong. They were either locked in their rooms and didn't know what they were doing, or they were sitting on the sofa in a daze like wooden figures.

The once bustling Ye Mansion was now deserted, and the relatives who were attached to the Ye family also smelled the smell of uneasiness. After Ye Luo and the General Chamber of Commerce completely fell out, each one ran faster than the other.

Li Shuzhen, who has always been amiable and smiling, lost her smile. She deeply understood the feeling of the sentence in "A Dream of Red Mansions", "It's like a building falling, and it's like a dim light." Sitting on the sofa at this moment, she couldn't help feeling. Knowing what to say to her husband, she could only hold his hand gently.

Just like when he first came to Shanghai and had nothing, the two of them lived in fear every day.

"Sister Xiaoli! The young master is awake and looking for you everywhere." Xiao Cui ran out of Ye Luo's room with small steps. These days, the young master has not given anything to her, which makes her feel extremely frightened.

In the Ye family's situation, many servants have been dismissed in batches. She is one of the young master's first-in-law girls. If the young master doesn't want her anymore, she doesn't know what to do and how to survive outside.

When Xiaoli heard this, she quickly got up and ran to Ye Luo's room.

Ye Yuqiao's ashen face also turned a little red, and he looked over there with a little expectation in his eyes.

Ye Luo packed up and walked out in a good mood.

But when he saw his home like this, his good mood immediately dissipated a lot.

Since May, there has been a new change in the Northern Expedition almost every day, like a guillotine hanging over the Ye family's head, as if it might fall at any time.

Although Ye Yuqiao and the others followed Ye Luo's arrangements and slowly reduced the labor union and gave up a lot of territory, the Ye family could not escape the end of decline. "Beating the lost dog" was the traditional skill of those tycoons.

As Ye Luo said, by completely cutting off the Feng family and gaining some connections with Jinling, the Ye family would not be ruined, but it would not be able to prevent the fate of the top family from falling to a second- or third-rate wealthy family.

This kind of psychological gap is definitely difficult for most people to accept.

Moreover, some time ago, in order to promote the charity foundation, Ye Luo directly fell out with the two presidents of the General Chamber of Commerce. In the eyes of many people, this undoubtedly made the Ye family worse, and also made the Ye family have a good reputation in the family. Ye Luo began to encounter the hatred of the family members, and the Labor Federation felt that Ye Luo was pushing them into the fire pit.

"Dad, Mom, I have to go to Citibank to do some business first. You don't have to wait for me for lunch." Ye Luo picked up the suit and hat handed over by Xiaoli and greeted them with a smile.

"Are you going to deal with the foundation?" Li Shuzhen stood up, grabbed her youngest son's hand, and asked in a low voice.

When they heard the word foundation, everyone except the fourth concubine's face became unhappy.

"Well, the preliminary donation amount will be announced today." Ye Luo nodded with a smile.

"Hey, please pay more attention to your own safety outside." Li Shuzhen reached out and pinched his cheek. No matter what other people think of her little son, in her eyes, Ye Luo will always be her most loved and cherished child, no matter what she does wrong As a mother, she would tolerate anything.

"Luoluo, the Labor Union will hold an internal meeting in the evening. When you are done, remember to come to the Hudong office to have a meeting together." Ye Yuqiao suddenly said.

Ye Luo was slightly stunned.

He had never been involved in the affairs of the Labor Federation, and even at this stage he had never interfered with any of its internal affairs.

He has never been asked to attend such a meeting.

Thinking of the recent changes and the distress on his father's face now, he probably knew what the situation was.

"I know, I'll be back on time."

After Ye Luo finished speaking, he strode out of Ye Mansion. Next to the Ford V8 at the door, Ma Yongzhen had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing him approaching, Ma Yongzhen quickly spit out the cigarette in her mouth, ran over and opened the car door for him: "Second Young Master, are you going to Citibank?"

"Yes. I'm afraid they are impatient to wait." Ye Luo opened the cigarette case, took out a cigarette, held it in his mouth, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

I'm afraid everyone in Shanghai is waiting to see how much money he can donate!