Those who do business are afraid of encountering cliques and monopolies. This is the situation in Tanggu now. It has only been four years since the Second Opium War. Business in newly opened commercial ports is basically monopolized by the British and French. Although the United States They can also participate, but due to the war in the country, they have not been deeply involved.
Under such circumstances, British and French businessmen naturally united together and formed a price alliance. Just like this bristle trade, it seems that the price of one silver dollar per kilogram is not low, but as long as it is shipped back to Europe, the profit will be at least four times or more.
This is a typical example of beauty brought about by distance. The long sea route not only causes transportation inconvenience, but also extremely high profits on the goods, which is really painful and happy for the merchants.
It's not that the businessmen of the Qing Dynasty couldn't see through this. No one can underestimate the intelligence of the Chinese people. This kind of price alliance and monopoly to make money is not new at all. However, due to various reasons, merchants in the Qing Dynasty could only act as local merchants. Without their own ocean-going trade, they were naturally controlled by others. Even if they encountered a monopoly, they would suffer the loss. Please come to more and faster chapters.
Now Xiao Letian actually said that he would break the price alliance between Britain and France and introduce fresh faces to the business field. This would definitely be a great benefit to the businessmen in Tanggu Port. And with Xiao Letian's reputation as a second-guessing devil, he might actually be able to do it.
There were already eager looks in the eyes of the businessmen present. Xiao Letian was very familiar with this look. He knew what these businessmen really needed. As long as he took the right medicine to win over these people, it would be a simple matter.
The strange atmosphere in the foreign bank made Huang Ju and Xiao Zhusun very uneasy. Their dog-like sense of smell made them smell a smell called betrayal. They knew that these businessmen must have been persuaded by Xiao Letian. The greed and hesitation in their eyes deceived them. No one.
Pigtailed Sun held his hand on the steel dart on the pigtail's head and stared at the allies with cold eyes. Even a fool could understand the threat.
"Hahaha, what you say is better than what you sing. Don't forget that Tanggu is the territory of the Qing Dynasty. Even if foreigners come, they have to act in accordance with the rules of the treaty. You said that new foreign merchants can come? You put the court Where did you put them with the emperor? Where did you put Master Tongzhi and Master Xietai? You are really arrogant..." Huang Juren had to speak, and he chewed the words Tongzhi and Xietai. very heavy.
On the surface, he was questioning Xiao Letian, but in fact, he was threatening those businessmen. The subtext was that no one should be a traitor, or he would be left with nothing to eat.
How could Xiao Letian care about such a dirty threat? He didn't even bother to answer his words. He just turned around and asked Fan Jian, "Is the auspicious time coming soon?" Fan Jian took out his pocket watch and looked at it. "In another quarter of an hour, it will be auspicious." It’s time…”
At this moment, a slightly embarrassed voice suddenly sounded from behind Xiao Letian, "Mr. Xiao, from Shopkeeper Fan, the Guibao account has been opened. We colleagues have nothing to say. According to the old principles, why should everyone take care of you?" It is necessary for your business to open today..."
"I have some bristles down there. I know that you have already discussed it with the French, so I won't bother and will forward it to you today. Please come to me for more and faster chapters. It's not much. According to foreigners' calculations, it's seven tons. More, more than 7,000 kilograms... As a favor to you, if you don’t count the change, let’s settle the bill as 7,000 kilograms..."
The person who spoke was a businessman surnamed Wang. He was just a third-rate boss in Tanggu. He opened a small cargo station and took over bits and pieces of business from big merchants. There were many things about making a fortune but not being discouraged. Basically, everyone present Anyone can scold him.
Xiao Letian and Fan Lian had known that businessmen would come to discuss the bristle business today, because they had made internal arrangements with many businesses before the opening of the business, and it was for good luck. However, when they were overjoyed, they discovered how the boss Wang looked. So embarrassing?
"Boss Wang Gaoyi, I'm sorry, I will toast you three big glasses later..." Before Fan Qian could finish being polite, Boss Wang's face suddenly turned red and he whispered, "Don't dare, don't dare... but My business is not big, I have a small profit but I still need to make a purchase today, I hope shopkeeper Fan can reward me with the payment first..."
Fan Jian's face was stunned at that time, and he thought to himself, what kind of rules is this? There is no such thing as buying and selling? But Xiao Letian suddenly smiled and said, "Boss Wang, do you want a banknote or cash?"
"Cash money, cash money. I only accept cash money. I'm really ashamed. I'm so ashamed..." Boss Wang's face turned red this time. He knew that he was the smallest and smallest businessman. Mr. Huang and the others couldn't afford to offend him, and Xiao Lotte and the others couldn't be offended. But after all, Huang Juren had a large number of people on his side, and he was forced to shoot in the head, so Boss Wang had no choice but to bite the bullet. Update as soon as possible
"Come here! Give Boss Wang 7,000 yuan..." Xiao Letian roared, and two big men walked out of the accounting room at the back, holding a large lacquer plate filled with red foreign money rolls. The paper is rolled into a roll, with a total of seventy heavy rolls, which is pleasing to the eye.
Xiao Letian grabbed a roll of eagle ocean and broke it gently. The bright silver dollar fell into the lacquer plate with a clatter. The logo of the double-headed eagle was clearly visible. This was the very famous coin that influenced Wanqing's Chinese financial market. Species, Mexican Eagle Ocean.
"Boss Wang, take a look. There are seven thousand Mexican eagles. Do you need to break them apart one by one and count them..." At this time, Boss Wang didn't have the nerve to break them apart one by one and look at them. He quickly waved to the clerk in his store. Come up and take it away.
Boss Wang wiped the sweat from his head, bowed and said, "I'm really sorry. I have a small business, so don't blame me..." Xiao Letian had already seen the problem, patted Boss Wang on the shoulder and said frankly, " It’s okay, you also have your own difficulties. We will cooperate for a long time in the future. The road knows the horse power and the time goes by the people..."
At this moment, another big shopkeeper stood up and gave a slight salute to Xiao Letian: "Mr. Xiao is indeed very generous. I can't help but support your business today. I also have 8,000 kilograms of bristles in my hands, and I want to transfer them to Mr. Xiao." …But we also need cash. I’m really sorry that the business needs turnover and made you laugh…”
Xiao Letian laughed and said domineeringly, "What are you talking about? Everyone who comes is a customer. Since you support my business, how can I not appreciate it? Waiting on the accountant, preparing the contract, how many bristles are there today? We will eat them all at Tongle Yangxing" …”
In an instant, the entire foreign company was like a pot going crazy. The businessmen who had colluded with each other stood up one by one and kept shouting.
"Mr. Xiao is very generous. There are 12,000 kilograms in my warehouse... I have 30,000 kilograms... 60,000... 80,000..." Each number turned somersault and soared upwards, but Xiao Letian always had a wavering look. He looked calm and showed no emotion at all. Update as soon as possible
In the accounting room, Ying Yang carried out boxes one by one. After writing each contract, he immediately ordered the cash. Xiao Letian was not worried at all that these people would default on their debts. If these small-time businessmen dared to cheat him, he would not want to Still alive.
The people of Tanggu have had their eyes opened today. They have never seen anyone buying and selling like this. They receive the full payment without even seeing a contract, and why don’t all the banknotes be cash? The most peculiar thing is that the only currency Rakuten Trades is the Mexican Eagle.
"Master Huang... this, this, this, this doesn't feel right. Oh my God, Xiao Le got so much foreign money from foreigners? Could it be that he really has the support of foreigners behind him?" The little braided grandson now has no arrogance at all, and his confidence in speaking is weak. .
Huang Juren was also a little dumbfounded. Although he was a big landowner in Tanggu, most of his property consisted of land and other physical objects. In terms of cash, his family's living expenses were only about 100,000 taels. He had never seen anyone spending money like this. In just one cup of tea, Lotte and Yangxing had already sold hundreds of thousands of dollars to the ocean.
"Look again, look again... Anyway, we won't suffer, so I don't believe this. He is possessed by the devil Xiao Letian, the God of Wealth? How can he amass so much money in just over half a year after returning to the Qing Dynasty? Is it a conjuration?" Huang Juren Sweat was also visible on his forehead.
At this time, people on the street outside the door were already dumbfounded. They saw clerks from various shops carrying large red cloth rolls to each house. In the end, even the foreigners were alarmed. Many Westerners looked at this wealth from a distance. During the feast, I secretly sighed at the wealth of the Qing Dynasty.
At this time, shopkeeper Fan Yan pulled Xiao Letian aside and whispered, "No, we can't last long if this goes on? This is obviously because they have joined forces to fight for our wealth. There are only more than 400,000 eagles in the bank behind." Yang, if you continue to spend like this, you will probably bottom out in one day..."
Xiao Letian rolled his eyes and calculated, "Four hundred thousand pieces, four hundred thousand kilograms, that's four hundred tons of bristles... Damn, it's already piled up into a mountain. No matter how much goods these businessmen have, they can't exceed this number, right?" "
"Oh, my good Mr. Xiao, please don't be impulsive and confused. Do you know how big the cargo throughput of maritime trade is? The merchant ship Lucky alone can carry more than 1,000 tons of bristle, and now Tanggu's The warehouse is already filled with bristles from Zhili, Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi. Let alone one Lucky Ship, as long as there is enough time, it will be no problem to fill two..."
Xiao Letian took a breath of air when he heard this. He still underestimated the huge scale of ocean trade. This era was the heyday of the development of sailing merchant ships. Huge merchant ships with a cargo capacity of more than hundreds or even a thousand tons can be seen everywhere on the sea. The trade volume of several hundred tons of bristle that I had estimated in advance really underestimated the merchants at that time.
Fan Qian understood the strange look in Xiao Letian's eyes. He frowned and whispered, "It seems that these businessmen have made it clear that they want to compete with us for wealth. This is a collective effort to put pressure on us. There is no other way. This is the only way we can do it today." , hold on until the opening, and then start the banquet as soon as possible. We will stop collecting bristles in the afternoon. Starting from tomorrow, we must limit the amount every day until the cash from Taibaiding is allocated..."
Xiao Letian smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. This is not a simple businessman's fight for wealth. This is what the people named Huang are doing. They are trying to force me to bow my head here. They want me to be embarrassed in front of all the people, and even let me be embarrassed." Foreigners look down on us..."
"If the famous Erjiizi in Beijing and the leader of Shanxi merchants, Shopkeeper Fan, can't even cough up more than one million taels of silver, who will dare to do business with us in the future? Damn it, I hate this kind of conspiracy the most. , the most difficult to deal with..."
Xiao Letian is right. One million taels of silver is not much for Xiao Letian and Fan Jian. Taibaiding has saved more than one million taels of silver in the past few months, and Fan Jian still has a little secret hidden in Beijing. One million in cash.
Money is not an issue, but time is a big issue. If you have money, it won't come, and these grandsons don't want banknotes. This is deliberately ruining the business, but when the business is successful, you can't fall out with them.
Just when Shopkeeper Fan was frowning, a voice rang out, "Lotte Mathematics is really extraordinary. The merchants from all over the world admire it. Mr. Niu has 300,000 kilograms of bristle here. He wants to transfer it to Shopkeeper Fan in a lump sum... I want cash." Silver, no banknotes..."
At the most critical moment, Shopkeeper Niu finally took action and locked his throat. If Xiao Letian took over this business, the foreign bank's cash reserves would immediately bottom out, and the merchants lining up behind would not be able to get a single piece of silver. But if you don't take this business, you will be completely submissive in front of all businessmen. I am afraid that even foreigners will look down on this Lotte Company in the future.
"Shopkeeper Niu is indeed very wealthy. I dare not compare with him, but I also have 100,000 kilograms in the warehouse. I hope Lotte Matheson can eat it..."
"I have 120,000 catties...I have 150,000 catties...I have 130,000...I have 210,000..."
As soon as Shopkeeper Niu takes action, it means that Tanggu's first-line merchants have begun to join the battle. This group of people is no better than those second- and third-rate small businessmen. The least they have in their treasury is more than 100,000 kilograms of bristles. Once these people join the battle group, they will instantly The transaction volume has reached a terrifying figure of more than 700,000 silver coins.
Huang Juren looked at Xiao Letian with a sneer, and said to himself, "You are awesome! I think you will continue to be awesome? The total stock of bristles in Tanggu is now 1.4 million kilograms. Do you think we will tell you a stranger? You If you can come up with 1.4 million in cash, I will flee Tanggu immediately and avoid you for the rest of my life..."
