A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Chapter 205 Understanding the General

Yan Renmei came to Kong Lingyi's house to play, and Miss Song happened to be there too.

"Madam," Yan Renmei greeted respectfully.

Miss Song sat on the sofa and said, "You and Lingyi are close friends and classmates. From now on, you don't have to call me Madam. Just call me Mommy like Lingyi does."

Yan Renmei looked up in surprise, but was too embarrassed to say it out loud, as she was not the type of girl to curry favor with powerful people.

At this time, Kong Lingyi quickly took her arm and said, "I treat you as a sister. Besides, Mommy has always liked you. I have wanted to say this for a long time!"

Yan Renmei then shouted: "Mommy"

Miss Song then said happily, "Okay, good boy. Wait a minute, I'll go get something!"

After a while, Miss Song found a piece of jewelry and gave it to Yan Renmei.

"It's not a very valuable thing, just consider it a gift for changing your mind."

"what"

"Here, let me put it on for you."

This is a jade bracelet, which looks quite high-end.

After putting it on, Miss Song looked at it again and again, unable to let it go, and said, "Such a beautiful girl, how could she be betrothed so early? Your parents didn't even think to wait a little longer!"

Yan Renmei blushed immediately and whispered, "Father's ideas are rather feudal. He has never liked us girls to study too much."

Miss Song immediately said, "Your father is too feudal. He's the eldest son of Duke Yibin, and your grandfather is so open-minded! Of course, I heard that your fiancé is Chen Guangliang. He's a good match."

Yan Renmei was a little surprised. She knew that Brother Liang was great, but she didn't expect that Miss Song also had such a high opinion of him.

"Thanks, Mommy!"

Miss Song took Yan Renmei's hand, then sat on the sofa and said with concern, "If you get married, won't you be able to finish your studies?"

Yan Renmei immediately said, "Yes, he can. He said he supports me in continuing my studies!"

"That's right," Miss Song said with a smile, "Judging from his writing, he is also an open-minded young man."

At this time, Kong Lingyi smiled and said, "Mommy, you haven't even met him. How can you know what kind of person he is based on just a few articles? Why don't you just bring him out to me someday, and I'll check him out for you!"

Recently, she discovered that her best friend Yan Renmei was deeply in love, which piqued her interest.

"Good daughter," Miss Song smiled inwardly, and then said, "Just bring him to our house. It just so happens that your father wants to talk to him about something."

Kong Lingyi was careless and didn't think much about it.

But Yan Renmei was very thoughtful and had some ideas in mind, but she was too embarrassed to refuse, so she could only say, "Okay, then I'll talk to him!"

Miss Song nodded amiably, then smiled and said, "Go and have fun. I won't disturb you two sisters anymore!"

Kong Lingyi immediately pulled Yan Renmei and walked towards the garden.

Here, the Gu brothers, descendants of one of the "Four Elephants of Nanxun" - Gu Chongqing (former comprador of the French Banque de l'Indochine) and Gu Liancheng, approached Sheng Qi to discuss investment.

Sheng Qi was accompanied by his cousin Zhuang Zhujiu, who was the nephew of Old Lady Zhuang.

"Aiyi, what about the news I asked you to inquire about last time?" Gu Liancheng asked anxiously.

This year, the Gu family purchased the land on Nanjing West Road, and with the renovation of the Dahua Hotel, they decided to build a dance hall.

Several major families in Nanxun have joint ventures and are also related to the Sheng family in Changzhou.

Because Sheng's sixth sister Sheng Jingyi married Liu Yanting of the Nanxun Liu family (the head of the "Four Elephants" of Nanxun), and Gu Liancheng's nephew Gu Qianlin married a young lady from the Liu family... Since everyone is a relative, and I am in you and you are in me, it is not difficult to join hands.

Sheng Qi suddenly changed his tone and said, "I've heard the news. They don't plan to specialize in dance halls. However, I've decided to withdraw from the investment in the Paramount!"

Although he had only met Chen Guangliang twice, Sheng Qi was more willing to believe in Chen Guangliang's vision. The first reason was that he was a true 'first generation who started from scratch', and the second was the feeling they had when they met.

Gu Liancheng was stunned and immediately said, "Why are you suddenly not investing? Isn't this going back on your word?"

Hearing Gu Liancheng's accusatory tone, Zhuang Zhujiu said unhappily, "There's no signed contract for this investment, so they can withdraw at any time. What's so strange about that?"

Zhuang Zhujiu is a capable man, but he's too down-to-earth and doesn't quite know how to sweet-talk people. However, this year, Sheng Qi fell seriously ill because of Song Ziwen's situation, and it was Zhuang Zhujiu who stayed by her side the entire time, winning her heart.

But Sheng Qi also approved of Zhuang Zhujiu's performance at this time. Sometimes it is indeed inconvenient for women to do business. She also plans to get married in the future and let her cousin be her business representative!
Gu Liancheng quickly said, "That's not what I meant. It's just that we were all talking well at the beginning. Ai Yi, if you want to withdraw, there must be a reason, right?"

Sheng Qi then said, "I'm the godmother of Chen Guangliang's fiancée. He gave me a piece of advice—that dance halls don't make money. He also invited me to invest in cinemas and film companies."

When she said this, she felt a little proud. After all, Chen Guangliang was a well-known figure, and what's more, wasn't the film company even more attractive?
The Gu brothers were stunned. This turned out to be the problem!

Although the Gu family is one of the "Four Elephants of Nanxun", the family has become large by the third generation. An investment of one million oceans is already a huge investment for individual family members; in addition, they also want to borrow Sheng Qi's name.

"Chen Guangliang said that we can't make money in dance halls. Does that mean he understands cinemas and film production?" Gu Liancheng said somewhat unconvinced.

Sheng Qi smiled and said, "I don't know about that, but I think his idea is better!"

"Okay, then let's wait and see which business is more profitable!"

If we can't reach an agreement, we can only part ways on bad terms.

After leaving, Sheng Qi casually said to Zhuang Zhujiu: "Cousin, do you think what I did was right?"

Zhuang Zhujiu immediately said, "Of course you're right! When doing business, it's most important to work with the right people. Who in Shanghai doesn't want to cooperate with Chen Guangliang these days? I didn't expect my cousin to have such a connection!"

Sheng Qi was immediately very happy. It was good to have someone who supported her unconditionally. At this moment, her heart opened up a little more.

"That's perfectly normal. Speaking of which, if Chen Guangliang marries Renmei, he'll also be connected to the Liu family of Nanxun Sixiang (Yan Zhiduo's deceased first wife was a granddaughter of the Liu family, and Gu Liancheng's nephew Gu Qianlin married a young lady from the Liu family)."

Chen Guangliang didn't expect that when he made an appointment with Sheng Qi, she also brought her fiancé Zhuang Zhujiu.

Of course, he also brought Yan Renmei with him today, so Sheng Qi was also a little surprised.

She brought her cousin along not because she was afraid of what others might say, but because she wanted her cousin to participate in the business investment.

But she could see that when Chen Guangliang took Renmei with him, he must have taken some of the consequences into consideration.

The two sides met in the restaurant of the Cathay Hotel. Chen Guangliang didn't mind coming here because sometimes he came here to "learn skills"; however, his skills were not necessarily worse than those of the Cathay Hotel. After all, he had been to many five-star hotels and high-end restaurants in his previous life, so he had some experience.

As soon as he finished the introduction, Chen Guangliang said with a smile, "Miss Seven, congratulations! Of course, congratulations to Mr. Zhuang for winning this beautiful woman!"

Zhuang Zhujiu quickly bowed and said, "Thank you."

He seems quite honest, this is Chen Guangliang's evaluation.

Sheng Qi laughed and said, "After all, I am considered Renmei's elder. You are her fiancé, and you even dare to tease me." Then she took the initiative to say, "So, what are you congratulating me for?"

It was obvious that he didn't mean it on the surface, because Chen Guangliang had a joking look on his face. Chen Guangliang replied: "Of course, I want to congratulate Miss Qi on finding happiness and forgetting the past. Right? Otherwise, why would you bring Mr. Zhuang to discuss business with me today?"

If you let someone interfere in your business affairs, it means you are preparing to marry into the family.

Sheng Qi sighed and said, "I've figured it out after a serious illness, but I warn you, don't let Renmei down!"

Chen Guangliang grabbed Yan Renmei's hand and said, "It's always right to cherish the people in front of you. It's the same for Miss Seven, and it's the same for everyone."

Yan Renmei blushed, waited for three seconds, and then retracted her hand.

Sheng Qi whispered, "Cherish the people in front of you." Then his expression brightened and he said to Chen Guangliang, "It's a pity that you don't become a philosopher!"

At this time, Zhuang Zhujiu also looked at Chen Guangliang with gratitude. He knew that his cousin had not yet come to terms with it, but Chen Guangliang's words just now were obviously very effective.

In fact, after hearing what he said, Sheng Qi felt a little relieved towards Song Zaiwen. After all, it is true that "cherish the person in front of you". He was the one who refused to go with him in the first place.

After chatting about some trivial matters, everyone started talking about business, which made everyone feel closer.

Chen Guangliang began, "Just west of the Paramount plot (across a small street), there's a three-acre plot of land. The owner's asking 30, and I'm planning to buy it. Furthermore, investing in a first-run cinema would cost 30 for construction, renovation, and equipment. Finally, for production, 120 is about right. So, this trinity company will need at least 100 million. But we can raise million for an IPO and finance the rest with a loan."

He also plans to open a bank, which would be a good place to lend money.

Sheng Qi said with some concern: "How much do you know about this production?"

Chen Guangliang said with a smile: "I just understand the market. I will let people make the kind of movies that the market needs most."

"Okay," Sheng Qi said without hesitation, "How about I invest 40 yuan?"

Chen Guangliang said readily, "Okay, I'm also prepared to invest 40 yuan, and I'll raise the rest through a separate share offering."

What he wants is fame, not profit!
Because even if movies and cinemas can make money, the rate of return won’t be that high!
For example, the most powerful "star company" currently has an annual revenue of only 600,000 to 700,000 yuan. It is unknown how much profit it can make, but it will not exceed 200,000 yuan.

With this little money, Chen Guangliang can speculate on other things later and make a lot of money!

To make money in Shanghai, you either have to "speculate" or "engage in gray industries", and the most profitable one is "speculation".

On the way back, Yan Renmei said in the car: "How dare you make jokes about your godmother and hold my hand in front of them?"

A pair of beautiful eyes look upwards, either shy or affectionate, and the pretty willow-shaped eyebrows add to her beauty.

If this girl is developed properly, she will be amazing, truly stunningly beautiful.

Chen Guangliang deliberately said: "Maybe you like a fiancé with feudal thinking, that's not impossible!"

Yan Renmei immediately said: "No!"

She felt deeply disgusted when she thought of her father's feudal ideas.

"Haha," Chen Guangliang laughed, "That's right. We're all young people, and your godmother isn't married yet. Besides, we're doing business together now, so it's natural for us to get along more naturally. Besides, I'm just trying to enlighten her. Don't you see how grateful she is to me?"

Yan Renmei suddenly felt happy and said, "You can let go with anyone! But I don't think my godmother will let go of Song Zaiwen so easily. I feel quite resentful."

Women, gossip is everywhere!

The point is, the gossip news of this era is no worse than that of the previous life, and it is still at the high end.

After all, whether it is Hong Kong or the mainland in later generations, they are actually the things that Shanghai played in this era.

Chen Guangliang smiled and said, "I think Song Zaiwen is not wrong, it's your godmother who is wrong."

Seeing Yan Renmei getting anxious, Chen Guangliang said with a smile, "Think about it, she didn't have the courage to go to Guangdong Province with them. Now Song Zaiwen and Zhang Leyi are living well. What's the sin in cherishing the people in front of her?"

After saying that, he took Yan Renmei's hand again.

In this era where etiquette has not yet collapsed, holding hands is still acceptable, not to mention that the two are already engaged.

Yan Renmei mustered up the courage to ask, "Then can their previous romantic past be written off?"

Chen Guangliang said: "What is romance? This is what we call romance. They just met the wrong person at the wrong time."

Yan Renmei immediately said, "Then we met the right person at the right time, right?"

At this moment, her heart already belongs to Chen Guangliang.

Chen Guangliang joked, "The timing is right, but I don't seem to be the right person for you from the beginning!"

Yan Renmei immediately held Chen Guangliang's arm tightly and said, "It's not like that. Actually, when we first met, I had some feelings for you."

To explain it hastily, it was nothing more than the worry that it would be a feudal marriage, coupled with the interruption of studies.

Chen Guangliang then said, "So that's how it is!"

Yan Renmei immediately realized that Chen Guangliang was teasing her, and immediately withdrew her hand, clenching her fist and saying, "Remember, don't mention this matter again next time, or I won't come out if you ask me out."

Bringing up this matter feels like adding bitterness to this relationship.

Chen Guangliang hugged Yan Renmei and said, "Don't say it."

At this time, you can use some appropriate body movements to increase the feelings between the two people.

Yan Renmei did not resist, but said: "By the way, I felt embarrassed at the time, so I agreed to pass the message to Kong Lingyi's mother. If it is inconvenient for you, I will pass the message to them again. Don't consider my reasons."

This made Chen Guangliang look at her with new eyes. This girl actually had such a 'sensible' side.

"What's the inconvenience? I've met Mr. Kong before, so what's the big deal about meeting him again?"

"Really?"

"Qian Jin is really good, and I also know that this meeting will not be a bad thing."

"That's good"

Chen Guangliang thought about it for a moment and felt that it was most likely about "sugar making".

Chen Guangliang was not originally doing this for "profit", and he would not object no matter how Kong Xiangxi interfered.

On the contrary, Chen Guangliang was still wary of interacting with Chen Jitang because he knew that after Chen Jitang's downfall, his economic advisers would also be unable to escape.

For example, Feng Rui, the "founder of sugar production in Guangdong Province" in his previous life, was shot by the Nanjing government after Chen Jitang fell.

Of course, Feng Rui was the director of the Guangdong Provincial Construction Department and his contributions were great, but he also had some problems: first, he was involved in Chen Jitang's smuggling of white sugar, which reduced tariff revenue, which naturally displeased Chiang; second, Feng Rui was already very corrupt and even kept a concubine, which led to him being reported.

To sum up, Feng Rui is very talented, but he should not be involved in official affairs.

Chen Guangliang naturally would not get involved in Chen Jitang's affairs, after all, he is a businessman.

(End of this chapter)