1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 133 If you want to get rich, cut your braids first!

Wu Yuanhua was the one who knew California best among these businessmen. Both Guangzhou merchants and Fujian merchants gathered around Wu Yuanhua to talk, hoping to learn more about Liang Yao from Wu Yuanhua.

Especially the content of Wu Yuanhua's conversation with Liang Yao on the road just now, this is what they are most curious about and concerned about.

"This good brother of mine is so promising."

Hu Jinchen crossed his legs and sat on the sofa in the living room with a tea cup. He was very lucky that he had been to California earlier than others and successfully established a relationship with Liang Yao.

"The lieutenant governor of California is the ruler of half of the state. The states in the United States are similar to the provinces in the Qing Dynasty.

Brother Liang was a governor-level figure in the Qing Dynasty, and he also held the military power in California. His future is limitless. You must be as polite to him as an imperial envoy from the imperial court, and you must not neglect him."

The Chinese businessmen repeatedly said that they were new here and should be polite to others on their territory.

Hu Jinchen, who was greeting them from the side, couldn't laugh or cry. Liang Yao was not only the lord of half of the state now, he had the final say on almost all matters big and small in California.

"Liangyi (Wu Yuanhua's nickname is Liangyi), you and I are fellow townsmen in Quanzhou Prefecture. From now on, we must help and support each other in California."

Fujian businessman Zeng Jinsong came up and said to Wu Yuanhua.

"Niece Liangyi, we are all from the thirteenth generation. I hugged you when you were a child. Don't forget about me. You will have to say a few words to me in front of Mr. Liang later."

A businessman from Guangzhou with a somewhat gray beard and hair said.

"Since you have a close relationship with Mr. Liang, you must know Mr. Liang's preferences. You can also tell us some of Mr. Liang's preferences so that we can prepare another gift for Mr. Liang that suits his heart."

Another Guangzhou businessman said.

Although it was their first time to visit Liang Yao's house, these Chinese businessmen did not come empty-handed. The accompanying servants all brought gifts.

It's just that they don't know Liang Yao's preferences and whether these gifts are suitable.

"To be honest, I don't know what gift Mr. Liang likes."

Before setting off from Guangzhou, many people had asked this question, which made Wu Yuanhua a little annoyed.

These businessmen always thought that he was hiding something. In fact, Wu Yuanhua didn't know Liang Yao very well. Wu Yuanhua still looks at Liang Yao and feels that Liang Yao is a very mysterious person who can't be seen through.

"Gold, silver, wealth and silk are the things Mr. Liang is most in need of. If you want to give them, you can give them some special gifts. Maybe Mr. Liang will be interested." Wu Yuanhua prevaricated.

"Where are the beauties? Since ancient times, heroes have struggled with beauty. Mr. Liang is still in his prime of life. I heard that Mr. Liang has passed his prime and has not yet married a wife."

Zeng Jinsong tugged on his sparse beard and said while looking at the young white maids coming and going in the living room.

"I just don't know whether Mr. Liang likes foreign women or women from my Qing Dynasty, or does Mr. Liang have a habit of cutting off his sleeves?"

At the age of twenty, in the Qing Dynasty of this era, he was already an out-and-out unmarried young man.

While the Chinese businessmen were talking, Liang Yao had already changed his clothes and walked down from the second floor.

"You don't have to think about it blindly. What I like most in life is making friends, especially reliable friends like you."

After changing his clothes, Liang Yao walked down the stairs. Just now he heard the conversation of these Chinese businessmen.

"Master Liang."

Seeing Liang Yao coming, the Chinese businessmen immediately stopped their discussion and stood up one after another to bow to Liang Yao.

Several Chinese businessmen actually knelt down subconsciously.

"Meet Vice Governor Liang."

This made Liang Yao couldn't help but laugh: "The United States does not practice the ritual of kneeling and worshiping. When we meet in the future, you can do as the Romans do. Just say hello and shake hands. If you are not used to it, just bow to me."

"I am in Quanzhou Prefecture, Zeng Jinsong. I hope Mr. Liang can take care of his future business in California. I heard that Mr. Liang is a frontier official of the United States?"

Zeng Jinsong, who was wearing an official robe of the fifth rank of the Qing Dynasty, climbed up from the smooth floor awkwardly, patted the hem of his clothes habitually and said.

"The feudal officials can't say, but on one-third of an acre of land in California, I, Mr. Liang, still have the final say."

Liang Yao found a seat and sat down. After sitting down, he waved and said to these Chinese businessmen.

"Everyone, please take a seat. Don't be restrained."

After hearing this, the Chinese businessmen each found a place to sit down.

They looked at Liang Yao curiously, especially the back of his head. They were a little surprised to see that Liang Yao had no braids.

However, when they thought that Wu Yuanhua had told them that Liang Yao had become a naturalized citizen in the United States, the laws of the Qing Dynasty could not restrain Liang Yao. Thinking of this, they felt relieved.

"Master Liang, I am traveling with Pan Zhengwei. Before coming to California, brother Liangyi told us that Mr. Liang has a ready-made shop in Jinshan that can be sold to us?" Pan Zhengwei asked.

"Of course." Liang Yao said after taking a sip of tea.

"I have a lot of shops in Jinshan City. The best vacant shops on the commercial streets of Jinshan City are all available for you to choose from, whether you want to buy them directly or rent them.

This commercial street is the most prosperous shop in the entire western United States, and many foreigners may not be able to buy it if they want to."

Liang Yao is not exaggerating. Don't look at the current urban population of San Francisco City (Jinshan City), which is only 50,000 or 60,000, but it is not an exaggeration at all to say that it is the most prosperous and affluent city in the western United States.

Perhaps the few rising central cities like Chicago and Kansas City will have larger populations than San Francisco.

However, the wealth and prosperity of San Francisco are unmatched by Chicago and Kansas City.

There are already several millionaires in San Francisco alone. And these millionaires would be the richest people in the so-called big cities in the middle of the country!

Currently, the only state in the Midwest of the United States that has so many millionaires is California!

The millionaires of this era are not the millionaires of later generations. They are very valuable. Even in New York, where rich people are everywhere, a millionaire is still a very famous person.

Of course, the "gold content" of millionaires in California is higher, because they do have a lot of gold.

"Thank you, Mr. Liang. I heard that Mr. Liang is involved in a wide range of businesses and does all kinds of business in California. I would like to ask, are there any taboos about doing business in California?" Pan Zhengwei asked tentatively, "Do you want to join the Chamber of Commerce?

"

Pan Zhengwei heard that Liang Yao's business in California was extensive and he was involved in almost every industry.

He wanted to know what kind of business he could do in California and what kind of business he couldn't do, so as not to accidentally conflict with Liang Yao's interests.

When Pan Zhengwei was young, due to his youth and ignorance, his father asked him to go to Songjiang to collect cotton cloth. When he saw that the cotton cloth sold by small merchants was relatively cheap and of good quality, he became greedy and forgot his father's advice before leaving.

The local wealthy merchants in Zhejiang collected cotton cloth directly from local small merchants.

As a result, not only were these merchants unwilling to sell cotton cloth to him, he was also given a lesson by the cotton merchants in Songjiang Prefecture and was beaten and beaten in vain.

This incident is still fresh in his memory. Fortunately, the beating was not in vain. Pan Zhengwei learned the lessons of this beating and was extra cautious when doing business in Guangzhou.

"I was just about to tell you about this. You are all in business. It is inevitable to make profits and losses in business, especially in this foreign country, where you have to face more difficulties. I want to establish a relationship with you.

What do you think of a Chinese Chamber of Commerce that helps each other?" Liang Yao put down the tea cup in his hand.

Pan Zhengwei was very knowledgeable, and Liang Yao also knew more or less about businessmen from all over the country. The most profitable activities in each place were basically controlled by the local gentry and wealthy businessmen, and it was difficult for outsiders to get involved.

Not only was the Qing Dynasty like this, America was not doing well at this time either.

Almost every state in the United States has trade barriers, which are even worse than those in the Qing Dynasty.

After all, the Qing Dynasty had centralized power and could directly exercise jurisdiction over local areas, while the United States was a federation. The powers of the states and the federal government were parallel. The federal government had no power and could not exercise jurisdiction over the states, even indirectly.

The people who hold the actual local power in each state are nothing more than a consortium composed of gentry and wealthy businessmen in each state, and the state government has naturally become a tool to serve them.

Let alone talking about the distance, these eastern consortiums who came to California to prospect for gold basically hugged each other on a state basis to keep warm.

"Very good, very good, that's exactly what I meant."

Wu Yuanhua stroked his hand and said, this is a good thing that he can only ask for.

Other Chinese businessmen also agreed, and they had no reason to refuse such a good thing.

"I propose that Mr. Liang be elected as the president of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Liang is young and promising, and he is an official in the United States. It is most appropriate for Mr. Liang to serve as the president of the Chamber of Commerce."

Zeng Jinsong suggested.

Although everyone knows that Zeng Jinsong is flattering Liang Yao, Liang Yao is indeed the most suitable candidate for the president of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Chinese businessmen had no objection to this, and they unanimously recommended Liang Yao as the president of the Chamber of Commerce.

"What do you think Mr. Liang?" Pan Zhengwei looked at Liang Yao with a smile. He also agreed with Liang Yao as the president of the Chamber of Commerce.

"Since you are all so enthusiastic, I will be disrespectful." Liang Yao did not act coy, and said after thinking for a moment.

"The name of our chamber of commerce is the Huaxia Chamber of Commerce. Tomorrow I will let people free up a place to be a hall. But if you want to join the chamber, I have two conditions."

"What's the condition? Mr. Liang, it's okay to say it?"

All the Chinese businessmen asked in unison.

It is reasonable for Liang Yao to set the threshold for membership. Not everyone can join the chambers of commerce in various provinces of the Qing Dynasty. Each chamber of commerce has a higher or lower threshold.

It's just that the Chinese businessmen didn't know how high the threshold was to be set by Liang Yao, and some businessmen with relatively weak financial resources began to feel nervous, fearing that Liang Yao would exclude them from the chamber of commerce.

"Cut your braids and become a citizen of the United States. These are the only two conditions I have." Liang Yao looked around at these Chinese businessmen with sharp, knife-like eyes.

Upon hearing this condition, some decisive Chinese businessmen expressed their willingness to naturalize, while others were hesitant.

There are even more people who resist the idea of ​​cutting their braids.

Keep your head but not your hair, keep your hair but not your head.

Cutting off braids is a capital crime punishable by beheading

Only a few of these Chinese businessmen have the idea of ​​staying in California for a long time, such as Wu Yuanhua.

Many people still hold on to the idea of ​​​​making a fortune in California and then returning home with a rich life.

If all these people did this, wouldn't Liang Yao's work be in vain?

He hopes that California can develop a large financial group like the New York Group, rather than a group of speculators who come to California to make a fortune and leave.

"I am doing this for your sake. Just now, Brother Liangyi asked me if I could donate my official status in California. I am here to answer you all together. Yes, you can, but if you want to be an official in the United States, you must first become an American citizen."

Liang Yao stood up and walked to the hesitant Zeng Jinsong. He stared at the fifth-grade crown on Zeng Jinsong's head and said, "Officials from the Qing Dynasty are not useful in America, not to mention that your official position was donated."

Then Liang Yao waved his hand, and Hu Jinchen called for a group of maids to come up with a plate, and a pair of sharp scissors was placed on each plate.

(End of chapter)