A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Chapter 190 Public
Liu Nianli came to a stove-making workshop and asked his subordinates to take out a "honeycomb coal" stove.

He said in a tone that showed he was in control, "Boss Gao, we'd like to order a furnace like this. We'd like to make 500 of them first. How long will it take for you to deliver them?"

Gao Jianqing, the workshop owner, recognized the stove immediately and quickly shook his head, saying, "Boss Liu, let alone five hundred, we're afraid we can't make even one for you!"

Liu Nianli was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "That's strange. There are businessmen in the world who would refuse to do business and drive customers away. Besides, our China Coal Briquette Factory is a leading enterprise in Shanghai. Are you just going to withdraw your business like this?"

It is well known that the China Coal Briquette Factory has always monopolized the supply of coal briquettes to Shanghai residents.

As such a monopoly enterprise, it was unexpectedly treated coldly today, which made Liu Nianli confused!

Gao Jianqing didn't care about Liu Nianli's attitude. After all, they were just a small workshop and couldn't afford to offend the big boss.

He simply said apologetically, "We have already signed a contract with the Jierui Coal Briquette Factory. We cannot produce coal briquette stoves like this for others within three months."

Liu Nianli lost his voice and said, "How could you sign such an unfair contract?"

Gao Jianqiang said: "They brought us the samples, and since the order was so large, we agreed without a second thought. After all, we didn't know who else would order this kind of furnace besides them. It's not just our workshop, but our peers in Shanghai and surrounding areas are doing the same. Everyone is now working at full capacity to produce coal briquettes for Jierui."

Liu Nianli suddenly became panicked!
Without coal stoves, it would be impossible for them to sell "honeycomb coal" because "a good cook cannot cook without rice."

Even the Jierui Coal Briquette Factory packages the "coal briquette stove and fire shears" for users to use. Although it is only free for three months, users will definitely buy the coal briquette stove after three months.

Liu Nianli asked several more workshops and came to a similar conclusion.

He hurried back to report to his father.

"Father, what should we do now?"

Liu Hongsheng frowned at first, then said, "What else can we do? If the Shanghai market doesn't work out, we can go to neighboring cities for custom orders. It's just a matter of paying more for shipping. Xie Hengchuang and Chen Guangliang are trying to delay our progress this way, but that's all. We'll be able to regain the market sooner or later."

At most it would take an extra half month or a month. He didn't believe that the Jierui Coal Briquette Factory could monopolize the entire Shanghai market in such a short time.

Late May.

In the office building of Changjiang Real Estate, Chen Guangliang was signing a construction contract with Du Yangeng, the owner of "Du Yantai Construction Factory".

Changjiang Real Estate has invested 50 yuan to build a group of high-end residential houses (20 three-story buildings) on five plots of land covering an area of ​​52 mu in the Xiafei Road area.

This batch of residences is generally more upscale than "New Town Garden" in terms of both cost and appearance, so the cost is slightly higher, but "New Town Garden" has the added bonus of the "large community" concept.

After signing his name on the construction contract, Chen Guangliang extended his right hand and said, "Boss Du, it's a pleasure to work with you!"

This is already the fourth construction company he has worked with!
In the past two years, Changjiang Real Estate has invested a total of four to five million in construction funds, accounting for about 1.5 to 2% of the total construction funds in the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Du Yangeng quickly extended his hand and responded, "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for your trust."

Chen Guangliang said politely, "You're a well-known architect in Shanghai, so of course we have great confidence in you. And although you're relatively young among builders, you already have experience in building high-rise office buildings. We might have to continue working with you in the future."

Du Yangeng immediately felt that although Chen Guangliang was young, his words and deeds were very low-key and modest, which made people feel very charming.

He then said, "The Shangri-La Hotel, invested in by Changjiang Real Estate, is also a well-known high-rise building in Shanghai. Once completed, it will become a landmark building in Shanghai."

Then, the two of them started chatting with each other in a very "like-minded" manner, and the remaining matters regarding the contract were communicated between the subordinates of both parties.

"Boss Du, the soil in Shanghai is soft, making it quite difficult to build tall buildings. What tricks do you architects have?"

Du Yangeng thought for a moment and said, "Introducing Union Baustahl 1928 steel, patented in 52, could solve the problem of Shanghai's soft soil being unsuitable for high-rise buildings."

Currently, the tallest building in Shanghai is only eleven stories high (the Chinachem Hotel), which cannot be considered a true high-rise building.

Chen Guangliang immediately said, "So, with the current level of construction in Shanghai, building a twenty-story building is no problem?"

Du Yangeng nodded and said, "No problem! More importantly, our local construction companies are already capable of building this type of high-rise building. Over the years, the introduction of modern industry has brought about new construction systems. Large spans, high-rises, and steel structures have appeared in the construction of Shanghai buildings. Our local construction companies have also fully absorbed foreign technical personnel, and their construction standards have surpassed those of foreign construction companies."

After saying this, there was a look of pride on his face.

In the early years of Shanghai, many landmark buildings were built by foreign designers and foreign construction companies. Now that local talents are studying abroad, it is indeed time to replace foreign construction companies.

Local and foreign architects should have their own strengths, and generally foreign architects design more landmark buildings, such as the famous "Wudaqian".

In the field of "pile driving" engineering, British piling companies also occupy the largest share.

Chen Guangliang also feels proud of being a Chinese!

By the 1930s, everything had gotten better. For example, the "International Hotel" at the back was a 20-story building with a total investment of several million dollars, jointly invested by the four major local banks.

It's a pity that if he hadn't known the situation after the 1950s, even at the risk of the Anti-Japanese War, Chen Guangliang would have wanted to invest in a real "landmark building" in the Shanghai Stock Exchange and go down in history.

After all, as long as they can be taken back after the war, temporary confiscation and requisition are acceptable. The only thing we are afraid of is that private property will become public property and we won’t be able to take it back in the future, which would be a waste of money.

Even though Chen Guangliang had already invested one million dollars in the Shangri-La Hotel, the hotel itself could have operated until 100, which was about five years, and it would have almost paid off. Furthermore, Chen Guangliang only needed to sell it at the end of 1937 to make a huge profit!

There is no risk. After all, even if the business continued from 1937 to 1941 (the isolated island period), it would still make money.

"Boss Du, we will give you the first installment of construction funds on time on June 6th!"

"Mr. Chen, you're too polite. Everyone in Shanghai knows the reputation of Changjiang Real Estate. Don't worry, we will officially start construction on June 6th."

"it is good"

After seeing off Du Yangeng and his group, Chen Guangliang talked about work with Guo Deming and Lu Yuantai in the office.

There are now four areas, all under construction at the same time:
Two-thirds of the projects on Yuyuan Road (almost 200 buildings) have not yet been delivered;
The total construction cost of the Jing'an Temple Road (Nanjing West Road) project, the 'New City Garden' residential and 'Shangri-La Hotel' commercial, has reached over 2 million yuan;

The Weihai Road project, although not large, is of great importance, after all, it is Chen Guangliang's 'new home';
The project on Xiafei Road is also worth more than 60 million yuan. After all, the land alone is worth more than yuan.

"We'll strive to sell these Xiafei Road projects in batches in the fourth quarter. There's no need to rush, after all, the location is advantageous!"

Lu Yuantai then said, "It's just that after the development of this project, we no longer have any new land for development, but the annual expenses for employees will not decrease."

He was not referring to 'reducing staff', but felt that there should be 'follow-up projects'.

Chen Guangliang waved his hand and said, "The second wave of real estate market activity has peaked, so there's no need to rush to buy land. Once we've completed all the projects we have, we'll consider other sites. This way, we can maintain Changjiang Real Estate and maintain a constant flow of goods. Of course, Changjiang Real Estate also has a lot of commercial assets, so there's no need to worry about future business."

"Ok"

After the January 28 Incident, although the land in the concession will fall in value, the houses in the concession should still have a strong market, after all, the concession is safe.

By then, Changjiang Real Estate will implement the model of "buying a piece of land and selling a property", which will reduce the risk a lot.

Moreover, Chen Guangliang also wants to have the opportunity to develop real estate in Chongqing.

Real estate is indeed very profitable. A conservative estimate is that by the end of this wave, profits from real estate alone could reach 600 million, far exceeding expectations. Real estate and finance are always making money in a "predatory" manner!
Chen Guangliang came to the Jierui Coal Briquette Factory again and saw three-wheeled bicycles coming in and out, indicating that the factory was very busy.

At present, "Jie Rui Coal Briquette Car" has opened four branches, which are actually the sites for "pounding coal balls" and "drying coal balls". The real factory is still on the bank of Suzhou River.

After each site produces coal briquettes, they are transported to various outlets by three-wheeled bicycles; when someone needs them, they are delivered to their homes by three-wheeled bicycles.

"Guangliang, you came at the right time. The China Coal Briquette Factory has now produced honeycomb coal, and it seems that they are preparing to seize the market in Shanghai!" Xie Hengchuang said nervously as soon as they met.

It seems that the influence of "Coal King" Liu Hongsheng in the coal industry is still very great.

Chen Guangliang said nonchalantly, "Where do their coal stoves come from?"

Xie Hengchuang replied: "Workshops in surrounding cities"

Chen Guangliang then said confidently, "Although we've only been rolling out the product for over thirty days, we've already established a sales network (branch factories and outlets) in key demand areas in Shanghai. Furthermore, our advertising has been loud and clear, so there's no need to worry about them. Besides, being able to produce is one thing, but mass production is another. Mr. Hengchuang doesn't need to worry."

Xie Hengchuang then said with relief: "Now that you say that, I feel a lot more at ease."

Chen Guangliang then said, "Mr. Hengchuang, I want to publish the 'honeycomb briquettes' technology in the newspaper, using the name of the Jierui Coal Briquette Factory."

Xie Hengchuang's heart was immediately relieved, but then he became nervous again. He said, "If we make it public, won't small workshops be everywhere? After all, our production process is manual, without any machines."

"What's wrong with keeping it secret? People will find out what they need to know if they put in some effort. Instead of doing that, it's better to speak out and build a good reputation for Jierui Coal Briquettes. Especially if the whole country can follow suit, it would be a good thing."

It was just a small business with an investment of about 200,000 yuan. For Chen Guangliang and Xie Hengchuang, it was actually not a big business.

"It's not impossible! Like you said, the technology has already been leaked, so why take it so seriously? On the other hand, with the users we've accumulated so far, we've already captured a considerable share of the Shanghai market. Making money for this factory is no longer a problem!"

In the end, Xie Hengchuang readily agreed.

After all, with their wealth, everyone basically has a sense of patriotism, especially due to the special times.

"Saving the country through industry" is the best proof of this era!

Chen Guangliang concluded, "We're making our technology available for free, so naturally we'll have to do some advertising. On the other hand, as long as we control costs, we won't have to worry about business."

"That's right, it's a deal! Oh, and since you invented this technology, why not just publish the article under your name?"

Xie Hengchuang is not such a stingy person, otherwise he would have just played a card and said he would sell a piece of land to Chen Guangliang and sold it directly.

Chen Guangliang didn't want to draw attention to the fact that the invention was published under his own name, so he said, "Just say it was invented by a coal miner, by our Jierui Coal Briquettes. It can also generate some advertising."

"it is good"

Two days later.

Liu Nianli came to his father's office with a newspaper.

"Dad, the Jierui Coal Briquette Factory has released their 'honeycomb briquettes' technology, even the drawings of the necessary equipment."

Liu Hongsheng immediately took the Oriental Daily and began to read it carefully.

After a long pause, he sighed, "What a great move! They've turned a passive situation into an active one. The honeycomb briquettes themselves are not difficult to make, and the equipment is simple. They took the initiative to publish it, no doubt hoping that everyone will recognize their invention and patent it, and enjoy the benefits of it."

It is unlikely to pay patent fees, after all, this involves people's livelihood and is not supported domestically.

Liu Nianli immediately said: "According to the current situation, anyone can choose to make coal briquettes by themselves. Unlike before, at least we can use machines to reduce costs, so everyone is willing to use our coal briquettes, after all, the cost is more cost-effective. Nowadays, honeycomb coal is different. As long as there is a place, basically anyone can make it themselves."

Liu Hongsheng thought for a moment and said, "It will be good for us in the future. We can provide coal dust, and the cost advantage is outside. But under the current circumstances, I am afraid that everyone will be more interested in Jierui Coal Briquette Factory."

At present, because honeycomb coal stoves are not yet popular among customers in Shanghai, even small workshops that produce honeycomb coal find it difficult to launch them. Only factories like Jierui Coal Briquette Factory, which have mastered the supporting facilities, can successfully launch them.

Therefore, Jierui Coal Briquettes' move is a disguised pursuit of current profits. As for the future, it is impossible for it to monopolize the market.

The recent trend of standard gold has been very strong. It has risen from more than 5 at the beginning of May to just over 530 by the time of delivery at the end of the month, an increase of more than 590%.

According to this trend, the 'first wave of gold market' is expected to reach its peak in June, that is, the 'gold-silver exchange ratio reaches 6'; of course, the benchmark gold futures are generally higher than the 'gold-silver exchange ratio', that is, it may reach more than 62 (ten taels of gold), which is generally 620 oceans higher.

The Changjiang Money House made a profit of more than 5 million taels of silver in a single month (May), with the total profit from gold futures reaching 100 million taels of silver, and the profit from spot gold was nearly 350 million taels of silver. The total profit after entering the market was nearly 150 million taels of silver, and the total assets were nearly 500 million taels of silver. These data undoubtedly made the Changjiang Money House a treasure trove.

In the conference room of Changjiang Money House, all shareholders and senior executives were present.

Chen Guangliang said directly: "Next month, buy in at the opening, no need to hesitate. If the price can reach 620, we will consider short selling to close our positions. Large-scale speculation in futures gold will also have to be suspended!"

Yan Zhiduo asked, "Guangliang, do you think the gold price will fall after it reaches 620?"

If it falls, you should short sell.

He made millions of dollars by doing business with Chen Guangliang (including Dahua Real Estate) and also made millions indirectly (holding spot gold).

It can be said that before his daughter even got married, he had already collected a lot of "bride price"!
There's nothing he can do. Who told the other party not to be in a hurry? As the 'future father-in-law', he can't rush them to get engaged and married!

Fortunately, he could see that Chen Guangliang liked his eldest daughter more. Although the two had few opportunities to meet, he would send her some study materials and books every now and then, which showed that he cared about her very much.

Chen Guangliang smiled and said, "The possibility of a decline is low. After all, the global economic depression has just begun. I think the period of growth has ended, and the possibility of a slow rise is very high."

Everyone listened with great interest, as the boss was a true financial tycoon.

There are indeed many people with assets of tens of millions in this era, but there are probably not many wealthy people like the boss who control "huge cash flow"!

The funds of the Changjiang Bank should be considered as cash flow.

Next, Yan Zhiduo asked a question: "With your financial influence, Chen Guangliang, why don't you consider setting up a bank?"

He was a little tempted. Chen Guangliang had always believed that the real rich people in the Republic of China would always be involved in banking.

Although opening a bank would lead to exploitation by the Nanjing government, Chen Guangliang, with his current wealth, would still be exploited even if he didn't open a bank. This "exploitation" was within the scope of Chen Guangliang's acceptance, because it usually meant buying "government bonds" rather than making direct donations.

Government bonds can be bought and sold in the market, and at least they are liquid assets that can be converted into cash.

"I might consider it later if I have the chance. Thanks for the reminder, uncle!"

Seeing that Chen Guangliang really wanted to work in banking, Yan Zhiduo couldn't help but feel very satisfied with this "future son-in-law".

In fact, the son-in-law's wealth is almost on the same level as that of their Yan family!

More importantly, they control public opinion.

(End of this chapter)