A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Chapter 185: Grabbing Chips
At an intersection on Nanjing East Road, Wu Guangsheng, the driver of Yunfei Taxi, did not take the company's words to heart and continued to park illegally to prepare to drop off passengers.

At this time, a Chinese patrolman immediately stopped him.

“No parking or drop-off allowed here”

"Sir, I'm from Yunfei Taxi Company. Isn't it written on the car?"

"Yunfei Taxi is not allowed either. Accept the fine immediately."

Wu Guangsheng said in disbelief, "Sir, are you new here? Do we at Yunfei Taxi have special privileges here?"

At this time, another patrolman came up and said seriously: "Stop talking nonsense. From now on, all taxi companies that violate the rules will be punished. This is an order from above."

Wu Guangsheng suddenly became depressed and could only accept the punishment obediently.

After the taxi left, the two patrolmen looked at something not far away and started discussing.

"Those people over there seem to be reporters, right?"

"Of course he is, isn't he holding a camera?"

"Well, I don't know what happened, but now the higher-ups are demanding that we treat foreign taxi drivers the same. Violations will be punished!"

"I heard that people from the Chinese Automobile Merchants Association came to the police station, demanding fair treatment. Unable to bear the pressure, they issued the order. Look, these past few days, there have been reporters filming at many intersections. If a patrol officer dares to let him go, these reporters will take pictures and publish them in the newspapers the next day. It's really annoying."

"This is a good thing. We are Chinese too. If it weren't for the order from above, we would not show mercy to the foreign taxi companies."

"That's right. Now those 'red-headed Indians' don't dare to show favoritism!"

It turned out that Chen Guangliang still had some doubts that the concession police would treat the issue of "Chinese taxi violations" fairly, so he sent several reporters to stake out major intersections, so as to obtain news materials and monitor the attitude of the patrol police in handling the matter.

This is a disguised way of putting pressure on the concession police!
As a result, foreign-funded taxi drivers no longer dare to act recklessly and begin to get used to obeying traffic rules.

This is of course related to Chinese-owned taxis, because if foreign-owned taxis have privileges, it will first be an "influence inequality" - many customers will wonder why foreign-owned taxis can get on and off in this place, but Chinese-owned taxis can't, then their preference will be unfair;
The second reason is naturally that foreign-funded taxis have such privileges. They have more advantages in operation and can obtain better profits. This is also unfair to Chinese capital and increases the cost of Chinese-funded taxis in disguise.

The third is the issue of national self-esteem. This is on Chinese territory. We can’t say that we should take care of the Chinese people, but at least we should treat them fairly.

Chen Guangliang was not afraid of offending the foreigners in the concession. After all, sometimes someone needed to stand up, just as he was not afraid of offending the Japanese.

Of course, there is a premise here, that is, Chen Guangliang has great influence and pays high taxes, and the foreigners in the concession will not target him specifically because of this kind of thing.

At the beginning of April, Changjiang Bank began to buy gold futures at a "lightning speed".

Gold futures are essentially a hedge. Some speculators initially believed that gold prices had risen by over 10% from October last year to the end of March this year. Such a massive increase is rare in a decade. Consequently, many believed that after the gold futures price exceeded 3, it might fall back.

So at the beginning, there were quite a few people who short-sold with Cheng Linsheng!
As a result, the 'buying price' of the Changjiang Bank was only a little over 500. After three days of continuous buying, it had acquired 9% of the chips, which was quite smooth.

On the morning of April 4, Chen Guangliang took time out to visit the Biaojin Exchange.

"Boss, it's going quite smoothly. We've already bought all the chips, and the price won't exceed 502," Hu Jinshun said with a smile. "Also, the short sellers haven't established an advantage in these four days. It looks like they'll run out of steam soon, and the bets will reverse course."

Chen Guangliang was glad that he was decisive and did not spend too much time on Cheng Linsheng, otherwise he would continue to miss the market.

"Well, I've bought it, and I'll just wait for the delivery at the end of the month!"

The cost reduction step has been completed, and the next step is to wait for the price to rise!

This rise is mainly due to the increase in international gold prices, and secondly to the "bull-short battle" among gold speculators in the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Hu Jinshun nodded!

As the two were talking, some telephone operators in the atrium turned their eyes over, and then many of them picked up the phones on the wall and called back to the headquarters.

"Boss, Chen Guangliang came to the exchange today, and it looks like they've already bought all the chips!"

"Tell Amin to buy in quickly and don't waste time!"

"it is good"

As instructions were conveyed one after another, the enthusiasm of buyers in the gold trading area increased greatly, and the price of gold rose step by step.

Hu Jinshun said with a smile: "Boss, if you come here every day, I wonder how many people will follow you to buy."

This is influence!

Chen Guangliang's influence is not only due to his possession of the public opinion power of Oriental Daily and Capital, but also because he himself is an "economic authority".

Thanks to his initial articles, Chen Guangliang is now a business tycoon and economic expert in Shanghai.

A particularly striking example is that while Shanghai's gold prices are based on those in New York, London, and Paris, they are actually 10% higher than those in these three locations. This has been the case since December of last year.

This has led to many people smuggling gold and coming to the Shanghai Stock Exchange to cash in and make a profit.

Chen Guangliang looked at the hundreds of people in the first-floor patio, and suddenly he had a feeling of "controlling the gold standard of the Shanghai Stock Exchange" and couldn't help but sigh in his heart - so this is what power feels like.

Of course, he was operating in line with the trend, rather than going against it like Cheng Linsheng did.

If international gold prices really fall, then no matter how much public opinion he has, it will be of no avail.

"When some people make money, naturally some people lose money!" Chen Guangliang said calmly.

Hu Jinshun gave a look and said, "Here comes the one who lost money!"

Chen Guangliang looked to the side and saw that Cheng Linsheng had also reached the second floor and was walking towards them.

"Boss Chen"

"Mr. Cheng"

Cheng Linsheng still showed no signs of decline at this time, not at all like someone who had lost five million. He said in a rather strong tone, "Boss Chen, there is no such thing as a market that only rises and never falls. The winner between us has not yet been decided!"

Chen Guangliang said casually: "Mr. Cheng must have misunderstood. My opponent in gold speculation is the market, not people."

Cheng Linsheng immediately retorted: "The market is controlled by people. Without people, where would the market come from?"

Chen Guangliang replied: "Although the market is controlled by humans, it is more affected by external factors. Insiders may not be able to see clearly. They are just flags!"

If he had not known about the general environment of the "Great Depression of the World Economy" and "the surge in gold prices and the plummet in silver prices", he would never have clashed with big capital like Cheng Linsheng. It would have been like the "cutting leeks" of capital institutions in later generations.

Cheng Linsheng came here and asked for trouble, so he left immediately.

In fact, what Cheng Linsheng said was not without reason, but he may not understand that his current opponent is not only Chen Guangliang, but also the bureaucratic capital of the Kong and Song dynasties and the siege of social forces.

According to Cheng Linsheng's understanding, not only Kong Xiangxi's own capital entered the market, but also the bureaucratic capital led by Song Ziwen, as well as the money houses headed by the Ningbo Gang.

It can be said that Cheng Linsheng had no idea how many people he was facing, and how many people were eyeing his wealth. Of course, there were many "losers" like Cheng Linsheng, he was just the richest one.

Gault, the general manager of Yunfei Taxi, and Shi Lane, the general manager of Tailai Taxi, had recently been troubled. Their drivers were in a habit of violating traffic rules in the concession, and they had recently been fined a considerable amount. As a result, they had to intensify their warnings to the drivers, and the two companies met again to discuss countermeasures.

Shlain said with regret, "I didn't expect that we would be under pressure from the Chinese in a Western territory. The Municipal Council is really vulnerable!"

In the past, British, American and other companies received various preferential treatments when they came to the concession. Now that some of them have suddenly disappeared, they are naturally not used to it.

Galt said, "Now that things have come to this, blaming the Municipal Council for its weakness will be futile. The problem now is that we are about to face a strong competitor - the Yangtze River Taxi Company. What good countermeasures do you have?"

silence!

Recently, everyone has become familiar with Changjiang Taxi. Its management and service are of high quality. Coupled with its owner's adept advertising skills, it quickly gained market share.

Shlain blurted out, "If I had known, I wouldn't have lowered the price. We've just faced a formidable competitor and we've already suffered considerable losses!"

Originally, the fees were high and the profits were huge.

Nowadays, the fees are cheap and the 'loss' is huge.

Galt frowned and said, "That's not the way to say it. If we don't bargain, we will lose our biggest advantage."

Afterwards, the two families parted ways unhappily, each seeking peace.

Of course, Yunfei and Tailai have a good foundation after all, so they will not be without business.

Moreover, as the 1930s approached, the taxi business in Shanghai was also growing, so everyone was making money.

But the problem now is that everyone wants to defeat their competitors.

The Changjiang Car Dealership Base on Yuyuan Road.

Nowadays, although Chen Guangliang has a very successful business, he still comes here occasionally to sit for a while, and he has a very deep affection for this place.

This three mu and seven fen plot of land was the first piece of land he purchased, and it was also the place where his first business, the "car rental company", took off.

There are a total of eight brick and wood bungalows in the base, which are usually used as offices for the Changjiang Vehicle Dealership. It is also the base of the security company and a place for repairing rickshaws.

So it is not wrong to call this place a "jianghu", because security companies often conduct training here, and all kinds of drivers also come here.

"Brother Zhou, how many official bodyguards and peripheral members do we have now?" Chen Guangliang asked while standing in the yard.

Normally, the security company is managed by Zhou Xinggao and Lin Feng. He occasionally works with everyone, but he still trusts Zhou Xinggao and Lin Feng very much.

Chen Guangliang was Zhou Xinggao's "savior" and a "good boss" who helped him make money, so his "loyalty" was naturally impeccable. Furthermore, Zhou Xinggao was married and had children, which essentially eliminated the possibility of him betraying him.

As for Lin Feng, he was Chen Guangliang's childhood friend from Fangua Lane, a former fighting partner and his loyalty was undeniable. And now, Lin Feng had just gotten married, and his wife was already pregnant.

Of course, the greatest loyalty of these bodyguards is that Chen Guangliang kidnapped everyone with his 'pension'.

Just imagine, becoming a bronze-medal bodyguard and after working for fifteen years, you can retire gloriously, and the company will support you until you die of old age. What a temptation this is.

"We have 28 official bodyguards, including 10 ordinary bodyguards, 16 bronze bodyguards, and 2 silver bodyguards. Of course, we also have dozens of backup bodyguards (property security) and hundreds of informants outside. By the way, among the ten ordinary bodyguards, there are 4 female bodyguards who are currently undergoing training." Zhou Xinggao answered seriously.

Female bodyguards are naturally trained for future family members, and usually they mainly train in physical fitness, shooting, alertness, close combat and other courses.

Chen Guangliang said with satisfaction, "You should come here to practice more often. We also have the world's most advanced protective equipment, such as bulletproof vests, so you can consider purchasing them. You can also look into whether there are better security experiences abroad. Why not hire a coach and share some ideas with everyone? I'm a big businessman now, and there are some things I have to be prepared for. Funding is not a problem; what's important is the professionalism and loyalty of this team."

In the past few years, Zhou Xinggao and Lin Feng have been forced by Chen Guangliang to learn and grow, and they are no longer incompetent people.

After hearing the boss's words, the two also expressed their desire to make the security company bigger and stronger.

In fact, Chen Guangliang's "security company" is quite famous and many people know about its existence. Everyone also knows that Chen Guangliang is a wealthy man who made his fortune from rickshaw business, so how could he not have a violent organization?
The advantage of this is that people in the underworld won't easily try to take advantage of him, and prominent people are afraid of his newspaper opinions, so no one is so foolish as to mess with him.

After chatting with the bodyguards for a few words, Chen Guangliang called the management of the car dealership to his office.

"How about it?"

This question is very vague, and it is difficult to answer if you are not a subordinate who has worked with him for a long time.

He Xiangdong, however, clearly knew what his boss was asking, and replied, "The Changjiang rickshaw company has switched to three-wheeled rickshaws. Coupled with the rent reduction last year, our 1500 drivers are all very satisfied. Compared to the situation outside, our company is undoubtedly doing very well."

The rental fee is 332 cents () a day, and you can work eight hours a day (you can choose to work all year round, or have someone to take over the shift). You don’t have to pull a cart, you can ride a bike instead (which greatly reduces physical effort), and basically you get dividends.

"anything else?"

Others may be a little confused. Could it be that the boss has changed his personality and likes to hear people praise him?
He Xiangdong alone continued to report, "Of course, with the proliferation of illegal rickshaws and the rapid development of trams and taxis, this industry is facing some difficulties. Furthermore, the high price of a license in Dazhaohui (a large-scale business) is 750 yuan, further increasing competition. This is also the case in other cities across the country. In some cities, rickshaws have even banded together to boycott buses and taxis. This industry seems to have reached its peak, and some licensed individuals have simply sold their licenses."

This is what Chen Guangliang wanted to hear. He Xiangdong analyzed the situation of this industry from a manager's perspective.

"I won't sell the shop, don't worry. But if the shop encounters new difficulties, I plan to change the three-shift system to a two-shift system, and then reduce the rent by another ten cents, to seventy cents a day. It's not easy for the drivers, so you should also report your difficulties to me."

"Yes, boss"

As for shareholders, the drivers naturally don't care, after all, they are the direct beneficiaries of the rent reduction; as for Chen Guangliang's subordinates, they all currently enjoy high salaries, so the impact is not significant.

For example, He Xiangdong's salary has increased to 180 yuan per month, and he also has a family dormitory arranged by the company.

Finally, there is the shareholder Li Chao, but he is now also a deputy section chief, and he has already made a lot of money before, so he is very understanding.

After the meeting, Chen Guangliang kept He Xiangdong.

"Are you still reading now?"

“Yes, I’m always learning.”

"How's English?"

"There's no problem communicating, and I can even understand the English newspaper."

He Xiangdong has become more calm and experienced. As one of his earliest subordinates, he must be envious of some of the senior executives in his boss's other companies, after all, they have big careers.

But he still managed the Changjiang Car Dealership in an orderly manner, frequently communicated with the owners of other car dealerships, and never gave up studying.

"Well, you can also buy some management books. After all, you are still young and there is no end to learning. Also, I have a coal company in partnership with someone, as you know, and I plan to have you manage it part-time as my representative."

The main operators of the coal enterprise that cooperated with Xie Hengchuang were naturally Xie Hengchuang's people, but Chen Guangliang was naturally worried and wanted to send his own people to participate in the management.

He Xiangdong immediately said, "Okay, thank you for your training, boss!"

"What are you thanking me for? Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared."

He Xiangdong was already quite capable in both management and finance; after all, the accounts of the Changjiang Car Dealership were complicated enough, and he had never made a mistake.

(End of this chapter)