A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Chapter 215: Speculation is Profitable

In late March, the Times Cinema officially broke ground.

Currently, Chen Guangliang and Sheng Qi are collaborating on a plan to each contribute 50% of the capital, totaling 80 yuan, to build the Times Cinema. Later, the Times Cinema will consider raising 20 to 40 yuan in capital to establish the Times Film Company and produce the film.

It will be carried out in batches. After all, Chen Guangliang’s idea is that after the production business completes the first film, it must be screened for the first time in Times Cinema.

At the construction site, Sheng Qi said to Chen Guangliang, "Mr. Chen, I heard that Gu Liancheng and others have decided to break ground next month to build the Paramount Ballroom. Will this affect our cinema?"

Zhuang Zhujiu just watched from the side, seemingly letting his fiancée do whatever she wanted.

Of course, Sheng Qi was also investing his own money, so he naturally didn't need Zhuang Zhujiu's approval.

Chen Guangliang looked at the land across the street and said, "A ballroom and a cinema—what kind of impact can that have? But what I find strange is that my Shangri-La Hotel has already opened, and they're even planning to break ground on the Paramount Ballroom."

Although the Shangri-La Hotel does not have a dedicated dance hall, the lobby on the first floor retains this function. If someone organizes a dance party, it can naturally be used as a dance hall. In addition, there are usually "jazz band" accompaniment three times a week, so those who like to dance can dance while eating.

Sheng Qi said: "It seems like they are trying hard."

The implication is that Gu Liancheng is trying to "compete" to see who has the best business.

Chen Guangliang nodded and said, "Don't worry, Miss Qi. Since I dare to intercept, I am naturally very confident in this business."

Sheng Qi immediately felt relieved. She wanted both fame and profit, that is, both fame and profit.

'Fame'. If she really built a one-stop industry of production, distribution and cinemas in Shanghai as Chen Guangliang said and succeeded, she would also become famous in Shanghai; after all, the film business is more influential than the dance hall business.

'Profit', as long as the cinema and production are successful, they will definitely make more money than the dance hall.

As for why she was sure that Chen Guangliang could lead her to success, it was also because she saw that Chen Guangliang was very good at business, at least better than the third-generation rich like Gu Liancheng.

Soon, some guests and friends came to congratulate the start of construction. Although the start of construction was not grand, Chen Guangliang and Sheng Qi were well-known figures in Shanghai, so naturally they had no shortage of friends to support them.

After attending the groundbreaking ceremony, Chen Guangliang invited everyone to have dinner at the buffet restaurant of the Shangri-La Hotel. A group of about 40 people were arranged by car to the Shangri-La Hotel on the same main road.

There were already quite a few guests in the buffet restaurant on the second floor, but the hotel had prepared five tables for them, which were slightly separated by screens.

Recently, this "buffet restaurant" has been highly hyped by the Shanghai media, and many celebrities have visited it. Since the food is a combination of Western and Chinese cuisine, and Chinese cuisine includes Cantonese, Sichuan, and local cuisine, it is very popular in Shanghai.

Many wealthy people come to this restaurant to check in, feeling that it is particularly "high-end". Perhaps everyone does not know that buffets in later generations have become the standard for "poor people".

In this era, only the rich come to patronize!
At the dinner table, Chen Guangliang simply took some and then started chatting with everyone.

"Mr. Lu, our Times Pictures needs a professional manager, and I hope you can take this position!"

Lu Hanzhang was stunned. He wondered why Chen Guangliang had noticed him recently. He either had dinner with him to discuss movies or invited him to visit the cinema to celebrate its opening. It turned out that he wanted to poach him.

Indeed, Chen Guangliang needed an excellent professional manager, skilled in production and administration. He had heard good things about Lu Hanzhang from friends. He was a senior manager at Lianhua Film Company, but not a shareholder. His abilities were highly praised by those in the industry.

"Mr. Chen, film production is a real challenge for the industry, especially now that the three giants, Lianhua, Mingxing, and Tianyi, have formed a monopoly. Other film companies have gone bankrupt, and it's difficult for small workshops to become big."

This is the truth, and it also allows Chen Guangliang to show his cards.

After all, professional managers like Lu Hanzhang understand the key points here very well.

Chen Guangliang said with a smile, "Our Times Pictures and Times Cinemas are pursuing a one-stop industry of production, distribution, and theatrical distribution. In the subsequent production business, we will invest at least 400,000 yuan to recruit people, purchase equipment and sound film equipment, and acquire small film companies. Therefore, we are definitely not a small workshop."

Four hundred thousand dollars in this era is not a small sum, and the promise of continued investment made Lu Hanzhang quite convinced.

Seeing this, Miss Sheng Qi took the opportunity to say, "Mr. Lu, the person who made the offer to you is a Shanghai tycoon. Every business he does is a huge success, so don't worry!"

Real estate, finance, newspapers, and transportation, these four should all be tycoons in the industry.

Sugar making, shipping, beverages, and coal are also well-known industries.

The point is, it’s only been four short years, which is legendary enough!

It was because of these achievements that Miss Sheng Qi turned the money she had invested in Paramount into Times Cinema.

Lu Hanzhang still had some concerns and said, "Mr. Chen, money is certainly a factor in success, and the film industry has its own professionalism."

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "When I first invested in newspapers, I remember many people said the same thing about me. What about now?"

Everyone laughed.

Chen Guangliang added, "My understanding of film may not be matched by established veterans. Furthermore, I've conceived a new genre of film that will surely elevate Chinese cinema to new heights. Mr. Lu, please join us. I'll make you the head of the production department and give you a 5% dividend on any production profits."

Although cinemas and production companies will be one entity, they will operate independently. Therefore, giving production companies a 5% profit dividend is also a form of incentive.

Lu Hanzhang's face flushed slightly, because Chen Guangliang's aggressive behavior prevented him from impulsively saying, "Okay, Mr. Chen is so sincere, it would be wrong for me to be rude!"

"Haha," Chen Guangliang laughed. "Great, I'm glad to have a great general. To be honest, I like to offer advice, but I don't like to do everything myself. Just like when the Oriental Daily News got on the right track, I handed it over to others to manage. I only needed to supervise and occasionally offer some suggestions."

Everyone praised him a few words, after all, Chen Guangliang was really successful.

Afterwards, Chen Guangliang said to Zhuang Zhujiu, "Mr. Zhuang, you are the general manager of Times Cinema. You can consider this! Inside this is Miss Seven's dowry."

Zhuang Zhujiu was teased by Chen Guangliang, and he said honestly: "Thank you Mr. Chen for your trust."

He is honest, but not without talent, and his honesty is only in front of Sheng Qi. To put it bluntly, it is because of his deep love; of course, if he fails to catch up with her, he is just a bootlicker.

Afterwards, everyone praised the deliciousness and fun of the buffet.

The next day, Chen Guangliang appeared in a field on Chongming Island, accompanied by agricultural expert Xu Caijin.

After Guangdong Province imported the first batch of three sugarcane varieties from Indonesia and Malaysia, Shanghai also took a small portion, enough to cultivate about 50 mu of land. This part of the funds was personally invested by Chen Guangliang, and even the 50 mu of farmland was leased by Chen Guangliang.

As for how to recover the cost in the later stage, it is not difficult. As long as the sugar factory in Shanghai is established, these sugarcane seeds can be sold to the sugar factory at a high price.

Chen Guangliang is so passionate about sugar making because he naturally considers the issue of time urgency. Huaxia Sugar Industry must race against time.

"Master Xu, how many pieces of sugarcane are there in total in this batch?" Chen Guangliang asked with concern.

After returning from Guangdong Province, Xu Caijin has been stuck in the farmland here for the past two days, hiring farmers to plant sugarcane, which must be completed before mid-April.

At this time, he said with a little fatigue: "One acre is 3000 stalks, and I brought back a total of 15 sugarcane stalks. If everything goes well, I can harvest 50 to 60 stalks in the first year, which is almost tons."

It’s not bad. The amount of seedlings brought back to Shanghai was 40 tons, a fifty-fold increase.

Chen Guangliang asked, "If we use potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, will the yield increase?"

Xu Caijin's eyes lit up and he said, "We can try this out and see the difference by comparing."

Chen Guangliang nodded and said, "Okay, the import of sugarcane to Shanghai will be handed over to Master Xu. I will be in charge of the funds for the time being. If Master Xu has any questions, you can come to me directly!"

Xu Caijin said admiringly: "Mr. Chen is righteous, I will do my best."

It's not just Chen Guangliang's righteousness, he also knows that this kind of thing will be rewarding, so he did it first.

Moreover, once the Nanjing government decides to build a sugar factory, Chen Guangliang does not need to invest in it, but he will be one of the consultants after the sugar factory is built. Where will the raw material, sugarcane, come from then?
It will definitely take some time for the crops here to bear fruit, so the only option is to import them from Southeast Asia. By then, Chen Guangliang only needs to take on the shipping business, which will be enough for him to make back his investment.

"By the way, I heard there's news about the equipment and machinery?" Chen Guangliang asked with concern.

He could hear all the news from Guangdong Province, after all, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang consortium had sent people there.

Xu Caijin said happily, "Mr. Chen, you guessed it right. There are two American machinery companies interested in competing. One is Honolulu Iron Works, but they're planning to dismantle the factory machinery in the Philippines and are asking $80. But then another giant in the world of machinery manufacturing, Czechoslovakia, showed interest and offered $75 for a complete set of new equipment. It hasn't been long before the two companies have already agreed on a price. The Guangdong Provincial Construction Department is still negotiating, so I guess we can get a lower price."

Chen Guangliang had also heard about this, but he did not yet know the specific price and progress of the negotiations.

But what is certain is that equipment that can crush 1000 tons of sugarcane per day can be purchased for US$70. Of course, each factory must also have a supporting alcohol plant, which will be built and start distilling alcohol.

As for the factory, it can be built with hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"Well, we can definitely continue the discussion, and Guangdong Province isn't in that urgent a situation!"

With Guangdong Province as a reference, building a factory in Shanghai will be much smoother. If it weren't for the fact that this business involves the government, Chen Guangliang could consider investing now.

Once the tariffs are announced, domestic factories will be able to make huge profits even if they import sugarcane from Malaysia and Indonesia.

After a brief discussion with Xu Caijin, Chen Guangliang left the fields, leaving them in his temporary charge. He would also frequently visit Guangdong Province, where they had hired a Filipino-American sugarcane expert to select sugarcane seeds, earning him a monthly salary of 1800 yuan. It's worth noting that the highest salary in state-owned enterprises under the Nanjing government was only 500 yuan, with the average salary being 300 yuan, such as for positions like the general manager of Huaxia Bank.

Of course, officials in the Nanjing government do not rely on salaries.

Some are businessmen who have entered politics. They have huge wealth themselves and can get some business conveniences by being an official. Some naturally rely on gray income and live a good life.

On the way back, Chen Guangliang became a little worried.

Since he ended his "speculation on gold", he has accelerated the pace of investing in real estate. He used to be a "cash king", but now he is in danger.

Especially when he decided to increase the investment in shipping to 200 million oceans, his cash flow was only about 200 million.

The return period of investing in real estate is relatively slow, but if you encounter a good market, it can be very profitable.

For example, the Tongchang Automobile Manufacturing Factory that Chen Guangliang had invested in had already distributed dividends of 10 yuan to him, but Chen Guangliang gave it directly to Vitasoy to repay his debts.

Sad reminder!

Vitasoy is actually quite profitable, but unfortunately, it has already consumed a lot of funds by building warehouses and stockpiling soybeans.

Another business, Jierui Coal Briquette Factory, is now profitable thanks to its sales network in Shanghai, but it also seems that it will not be able to become a big business due to competition. It is not difficult to make a small profit, but it is difficult to make a big profit.

Chen Guangliang decided not to spend the remaining 200 million in cash flow recklessly. One must maintain sufficient cash flow.

At this time, Chen Guangliang missed the days of speculating in gold. Making money back then was so exciting and his wealth was increasing rapidly.

No wonder Shanghai people like to "speculate", and the same is true for Hong Kong in later generations. The charm here is irresistible.

"Speculation"

"Yes"

Chen Guangliang suddenly remembered something. In the second half of this year, it seemed that the United Kingdom was the first to announce its withdrawal from the gold standard and announced a 30% devaluation of the pound.

You can do some foreign exchange operations!

The specific operation is not a problem. With his current influence, he can borrow pounds directly from HSBC. Of course, he must have property as collateral, which is hard currency.

His property is worth 300 million pounds. How much mortgage can he get?
Currently, 1 pound is worth about 4.8 US dollars, and 100 taels of silver are worth 24.5 US dollars.

It is equivalent to 1 taels of silver for 19 pound, not dollars.

But with the mortgage of high-quality properties and Chen Guangliang's credibility, there is no problem in getting a loan of 15 pounds.

After taking out the loan, you can invest in the bidding money and make 100 million.

Thinking of this, Chen Guangliang couldn't help but laugh.

There is still money to be made in speculation!
(End of this chapter)