Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 32 Men Must Learn and Grow
Xuehuatang, Zhang Yucai.

Zheng Yi had heard this name many times.

The true heir to the power of Loke Yew, once the richest man in Southeast Asia, he owns many industries including tin mining, banking, shipping, shipbuilding, rubber, opium, hotels, real estate, casinos, dance halls, and even gold and silver mines. He is the most powerful Chinese in Kuala Lumpur.

He is the leader of the so-called old-school Chinese businessmen and Lu You's successor.

In the current Kuala Lumpur, it is difficult to say who is more powerful and influential between Zhang Yucai and Li Xiaoshi.

But one of them was in his sixties, the other in his early thirties, one used piglets and the other used machines, one relied on the brotherhood and the other relied on the Colonial Bureau, one monopolized opium and the other operated a large production line.

Who represents the past, who represents the future, who represents decay, and who represents the new era? Anyone who is not blind should be able to see clearly.

He had always been leading the discussion, calling him and Li Xiaoshi traitors, especially for his assassination. Even now, he hardly dares to go out without bodyguards. Although there is no evidence or clear pointing finger, it is still related to him.

"Why did he look for you? Isn't the birthday party in three days?"

After returning to Li's house, Zheng Yi asked Li Xiaoshi in confusion.

Li Xiaoshi: "He should also know that during the birthday banquet, the most elite Chinese from all over Southeast Asia will come to celebrate my father's birthday. The matter of the machinery factory will be completely settled after the birthday banquet. He will not be able to change the situation."

"No matter what he wants to do, he must discuss it with me before the birthday party. If he comes on the birthday party, he will be far inferior to Mr. Chen, Mr. Yi and others."

"So I think he wants to negotiate with me, or even wants to buy shares in the machinery factory."

"Will you allow him to invest?"

"Honestly, I don't know either. As the saying goes, a tree with deep roots has deep roots. Even if it is a remnant party that is destined to be abandoned by the times, it is still a centipede that will not die.
He may not have the ability to accomplish things now, but he definitely still has the ability to do bad things. He has tens of thousands of people under his command, so he can still do it."

"Besides, no matter what, the development of the production line has indeed caused hundreds of thousands of rubber workers across Southeast Asia to face unemployment. When we Chinese are in a panic, we instinctively turn to our hometown gangs and secret societies for help."

"Ultimately, these forces dissatisfied with us, facing the panic caused by the machines, will definitely converge on Xuehua Hall and Zhang Yucai, becoming the forces standing in opposition to us."

Zheng Yi: "So they are enemies?"

"It's hard to say. Perhaps they need to transform. The wheel of time won't be stopped by a mantis stretching out its arms. Don't they understand this? They, too, need to transform, but they don't know how."

"In business, harmony brings wealth. There are hundreds of thousands, perhaps even more than a million rubber workers in Southeast Asia. We can't really ignore them completely. We have to give an explanation.

If he wants to be friends, I welcome it, but if he uses coercion or bribery... well, it depends on what conditions he puts forward."

To put it bluntly, at this time, Zhang Yucai, as a representative of the old-school forces, actually has four attributes: a traditional business leader, a local underworld leader, a union representative of poor Chinese workers, and a local tyrant in Kuala Lumpur's civil society.

It can even be said that he is the real Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, the true local chief executive, in the Chinese community of Kuala Lumpur.

In Kuala Lumpur, when there are conflicts between families, from small fights and conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to big fights such as murder, arson and gang fights, the Chinese people do not file lawsuits with the British colonial bureau, but with the Selangor Chinese Chamber of Commerce, where Zhang Yucai is the chairman.

It is similar to the "Tea Hall" in Goose City.

It's certainly possible for such a person to acquire a stake and get a piece of the action; the key lies in the price they offer and their appetite. In Zheng Yi and Li Xiaoshi's scenario, the British already held a 35% stake in the machinery factory, a position they couldn't avoid, and it wouldn't be diluted.

Li Xiaoshi must hold at least 33% of the shares and have a veto power.
Although Zheng Yi has no shares, as the founder and manager of the factory, he must have a stake, with 18% of the dividend rights and voting rights.

In this way, he and Li Xiaoshi joined forces. Although their ownership was only 33%, their voting rights exceeded 51%, which ensured that they could control the future development of the company.

The remaining shares are only 32%, which will be issued as stocks and distributed to the Chinese who have come to Southeast Asia. The dividend rights and voting rights will also be diluted by Zheng Yi.

If Zhang Yucai wanted stocks, he and the forces behind him could only give him 5% even if they spent a lot of money, and he would have to pay for it.

Zheng Yi: "So you want to take me with you?"

Li Xiaoshi: "No, I want you to go... for me."

"Ok?"

Zheng Yi was stunned and said, "What do you mean? Should I take the knife for you? If you go, Zhang Yucai will definitely not dare to hurt you. But if I go, he may not dare to kill me."

Li Xiaoshi: "Don't worry, he won't dare to kill you. At most, at most, he will just scare you.

And don't worry, I've found you a distinguished guest who will definitely help you intimidate them and prevent them from being presumptuous to you."

As he spoke, Li Xiaoshi placed his hand on Zheng Yi's thigh, squeezed it, and said, "I'm not going because, first of all, I really have something else to do later and can't leave."

"Secondly, you've always been in charge of the machinery factory. It was you in the past and it will be you in the future. If I don't go, you can make the decisions. You make the decisions on major matters, and in the eyes of outsiders, you, as the general manager, are powerful.

Think carefully. If I show up, it will be detrimental to your authority. I trust you, and your decision is mine. But in the eyes of outsiders, your decision and mine are two completely different things."

"Third, since this is a negotiation, there's naturally a game of chance. If you go talk to him, I'm sure he'll definitely try to scare you. You might as well be frank with him. Even if it ends in a bad mood and we end up having animosity, I can still give you a buffer."

"So I think it's best if you go in my place today. As the general manager of the company, you'll have to face these people and deal with them sooner or later. Of course, if you really don't want to go, I can also let Lao Huang or Ah Ming go in my place today."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi began to ponder with his head down.

To be honest, he really doesn't want to deal with this kind of people. He still prefers to work on technology.

But what Li Xiaoshi said made sense. After all, he was now the CEO and not just the CTO. He was no longer just a technical manager like in his previous life.

In the adult world, there are some things that you still have to do even if you don’t like them, and you even have to try hard to learn how to do them well.

This is called growth.

Men always have to learn to grow up.

"Since you said so, I'll go."

(End of this chapter)