What is the most important thing in doing business? Of course it’s cash flow. Why do many capable businessmen fail? In fact, the failure is not due to ability, but to failure of cash flow.
The statue of Napoleon was exchanged for 70,000 francs in cash. Although it was just a promissory note from Standard Chartered Bank of England and not a real gold coin, whoever owned the assets of the Bank of England at this moment was undoubtedly the highest quality asset.
With the credit endorsement of this promissory note, Eugene and Andrew easily borrowed 100,000 low-interest francs in cash from other businessmen, and most of them were small-denomination coins.
Although Paris is currently surrounded by heavy troops, the rich still have a lot of money in their hands. As long as you find the right connections, you will always have the courage to lend money at any time in exchange for a small amount of interest.
There are even some businessmen who give Eugene interest-free loans and give you thousands of francs for free to use. Why is this?
In the final analysis, it is still a matter of financial security. These businessmen who did not flee Paris for various reasons have a deep worry in their hearts.
That is the rise of the violent revolution again, and then the whole city will be robbed. Can you hold on to the money you have in your hands? Even if it is buried in the ground, what if thugs like lunatics torture and extort confessions?
Money is not safe to keep around, and the banks of France are not safe at the moment. Who knows if the Republic can hold on? Even the Reichsbank may not be insured. Rumors have long spread that insiders of the Reichsbank have stolen millions of francs.
It’s not safe to keep around you, nor is it safe to keep in a bank, so where is the safest place? Of course it’s the UK!
The international reputation of the Empire on which the Sun Never Sets at this time is the same as that of the United States in later generations. No matter whether this country is bad or not, after all, this is the most powerful military country in the world, bar none!
Strength also represents safety, and funds are sought for hedging. Who doesn’t want to put money in a safe place when the war is in chaos?
There are too many such examples. The prosperity of Shanghai in modern China is inseparable from China's civil war!
When the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was attacked once, a large amount of funds fled to Shanghai. When the Nien Army was attacked again, a large amount of funds fled to Shanghai. Then there were the Sino-French, Sino-Japanese War, the Boxer Rebellion...and then the warlord separatism during the Republic of China. !
Whenever a war breaks out, a large amount of safe-haven funds will flow into Shanghai. The more wars there are, the richer Shanghai becomes, and it gradually becomes the largest financial and trade center in East Asia at that time.
Looking back, when the United States is unilaterally dominant, if a war breaks out anywhere in the world, funds will definitely rush to the U.S. market as soon as possible. This does not necessarily mean that money will be made anywhere, at least that place can guarantee safety to some extent. !
The same was true in Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. Private funds were in urgent need of a safe channel, and they were eager to enter Britain for safety.
In fact, before the war, many far-sighted businessmen began to sell off their belongings and move to London, but the proportion was only small.
The reason is still because of the arrogance of the French!
They never think that they will lose. If they can still lose against a small Prussian and Chinese people, wouldn't it be a sign of God's disdain?
But they didn't expect the final result to be jaw-dropping!
More importantly, they never thought they would lose so quickly. The war started in July and it was only September, and Paris was already surrounded!
In such a short period of time, all the capital in Paris had no time to adapt, and countless wealth was suddenly trapped inside!
It’s so uncomfortable to hold it in! Seeing the internal fighting between the left and the right, looking at the eyes of all the poor and the rich on the streets, all the capitalists in Paris were trembling like lambs waiting to be slaughtered!
In this context, Eugene and Andrew suddenly appeared. They actually had the ability to obtain the real cashier's check of the British Standard Chartered Bank during the siege!
In other words, these two people had the ability to conduct financial exchange business with the United Kingdom during the war!
Oh, God! These are simply two angels. If you don’t lend money to them, who will you lend it to?
There was no resistance. As long as Eugene secretly revealed the promissory note with a very recent date to his old friends, those experienced businessmen would be able to tell the authenticity immediately!
Once they found out that this was true, they would not hesitate to take out funds and lend them to Eugene at low interest rates. In the end, someone even proposed an interest-free loan!
You can take the money and use it for any number of months, as long as you ensure that I don’t lose my principal by then!
One hundred thousand francs in cash was just the beginning. Eugene and Andrew knew very well that as long as they clung to the Chinese line and could ensure the smooth flow of this underground financial official channel during the war, their future could be It’s about to be developed!
One promissory note can stabilize the hearts of so many people, but what if there are ten? What about a hundred sheets? It’s unimaginable!
With sufficient cash flow, Andrew's two pawn shops were opened against the wave of bank runs in the city...
It was such a spectacular day that all the pawnshops in the city didn't dare to open their doors. As a result, only Andrew's two dared to open their doors, and the people who owned the pawnshops came in droves!
People can take the pawned items for less than 15 francs directly!
The people redeemed the 30 franc pawn item at half price!
In just one day, Andrew lost 18,000 francs in cash, but he was not afraid. He knew that as long as he dared to open his business, the opportunity to make money would come.
Whenever a poor person redeems their pawned items with a smile on his face, the pawn shop staff will whisper, "This place will be open for a long time. Please bring over the old items you can get to pawn..."
"Especially oil paintings, sculptures, works of art... if you have old things, send them to me. I guarantee you a good price!"
"Also...the oriental cultural relics stolen from China back then...if we can get them, we will charge them at a high price...remember, if you don't have money, this is a way to make money!"
Of course Eugene and Andrew knew that these poor ghosts definitely did not have good cultural relics in their hands, but they knew even more that these poor ghosts were all a group of red-eyed robbers and thieves!
Just pass these messages on, and when they are too hungry to eat bread, they will think of this way to make money!
I don't care if you stole it or forced it, even if you killed someone and took it, it's stained with blood... As long as it's good, we'll take it all!
What is this place? This is Paris! The center of European culture and art, with countless art treasures!
While waiting for the new baby to arrive, Eugene and Andrew discussed, "Okay, let's send all the cultural relics we have as pawns out of the city and send them to the Chinese in exchange for money..."
"Don't be afraid that someone will redeem it in the future. After this war, many pawn tickets will become dead pawns!"
"Even if a few lucky people come to redeem it with a pawn ticket, we will just say that it was damaged or lost in the war... Anyway, the compensation will be double at most!"
"When we sell to the Chinese, we not only get twice the profit!"
"Okay, let's do it like this, let my men check the warehouse immediately... I'll ship out a batch tonight..."
