1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 76 The Decline of Merchant

"Brother Wu, what do you think is the most important thing for a businessman?"

Liang Yao opened the cigarette case, took out a Cuban cigar from the cigarette case, cut it and handed it to Wu Yuanhua.

"Vision, means, credibility, and opportunity."

Wu Yuanhua held his cigar and said slowly.

"Let's just talk about reputation. What does Brother Wu think of Yihexing's reputation?"

"I am not boasting about Haikou, but in terms of reputation, the merchants of the Thirteen Banks in Guangzhou are the best, and among the thirteen merchants in Guangzhou, the one with the best reputation is my Wu family's Yihe Bank." Wu Yuanhua said very proudly,

"When my father was alive, the most important thing was his reputation. It's sad! It's hateful!"

"Why is it sad? Why is it hateful?"

"What's sad is that my father is very trustworthy, but foreigners are not. The Wu family does not expect the foreign businessmen who have helped in the past to repay the Wu family's favor. They only hope that they can return the Wu family's debts.

What I hate is that the British businessmen established a Jardine Matheson Company in Hong Kong eight years ago, and the following year they opened a Jardine Matheson Company in Shanghai to make profits in the name of my Jardine Matheson Company. But my Wu family couldn't do anything and others couldn't do it. You think it's irritating.

No?

If this continues, within a few decades, people at home and abroad will only know Yihe Foreign Trade but not Yihe Bank."

"It's annoying, it's annoying!" Liang Yao also felt the same way, "Just the three words Yihexing are worth thousands of gold, so I said, Brother Wu, the name of Yihexing can be upright and upright in the United States.

, do business in an honest and fair manner, and don’t have to resort to crooked ways.”

Having said this, Wu Yuanhua took out a pile of bills from his sleeve as if he remembered something.

"This is a property purchased from an American businessman when my father was still alive. Can you please help me get the details? Brother Fool doesn't know much about foreign properties."

Liang Yao took the bills from Wu Yuanhua, put them on the table and looked at them.

Wu Bingjian's investments in the United States are quite extensive, involving railways, securities, and insurance.

Liang Yao has also done some research on the major railroad companies, banks, securities dealers, and insurance companies in the eastern United States, and he knows more or less about them.

What is certain is that these assets owned by Wu Bingjian are not junk assets, but are most likely high-quality assets.

At least Liang Yao has heard of the names of these railway companies as well as brokers and insurance companies. They are all reputable companies in the east.

Among them, the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company is now a relatively strong railroad company in the east. Perhaps it was when Wu Bingjian purchased the shares of the railroad company that the railroad company was just getting started, so the Wu family owned the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company.

Xun Railway Company has so many shares.

"Mr. Wu really has a unique vision." Liang Yao sighed as he put down the bill in his hand.

Wu Yuanhua was overjoyed when he heard this: "Brother Xian, you mean that these bills are not all waste paper?"

Wu Yuanhua came with the worst plan. According to Liang Yao, these bills are still worth some money, which has exceeded his expectations.

"It's definitely not waste paper." Liang Yao said with great certainty.

"Brother, can you give me an estimate of the price?" Wu Yuanhua asked.

"It's hard to say. It requires a specific assessment, which will take some time." Liang Yao said.

Wu Bingjian's assets were all purchased more than ten or twenty years ago, or even earlier. The specific value is hard to say.

"Forgive Brother Yu for being presumptuous, since these notes are still worth some money, I wonder if Brother Xian intends to collect these assets of the Wu family in the United States?"

Wu Yuanhua bowed his hands towards Liang Yao and said.

"Brother Wu is too impatient. The value of these assets of the Wu family in the United States has not yet been determined. If I bid too low, your Wu family will inevitably say that I took advantage of your Wu family in the future. If I bid too high, I will

When I think about this incident in the future, I feel uncomfortable. In the end, it will be difficult for me, Liang Yao, to be a good person both inside and outside."

"Brother Fool was ignorant, please forgive me Brother Xian." Wu Yuanhua also felt that his move was too abrupt and apologized to Liang Yao.

"Brother Wu is so impatient, he must have encountered some difficulties and needs money urgently." Liang Yao guessed.

"To tell you the truth, my brother, Yihe Bank is indeed in trouble right now and needs a sum of money for turnover. Otherwise, I would not take risks and come to the United States to pursue these overseas assets. My late father purchased the assets of American businessmen for only one purpose.

It’s not because I’m greedy for the dividends, but because I want to make good friends with American businessmen and make Yihexing’s reputation known.” Wu Yuanhua said with a long sigh.

Before the five-port trade, the Wu family had special privileges granted by the imperial court. If foreign merchants wanted to buy local goods from the Qing Dynasty, they would have to look at their Yihe bank. The Wu family could be said to be making money on their own.

After the five-port trade, they had to face internal pressure from Fujian merchants, Zhejiang merchants and Lianghuai merchants, and external pressure from foreign merchants. Moreover, according to the Treaty of Nanjing, British merchants had the right to negotiate tariffs, which was very important to them.

It is undoubtedly a fatal blow.

"I wonder how much silver Brother Wu needs for turnover?" Liang Yao asked.

Wu Yuanhua shook his head and said: "We need 530,000 taels of silver."

Liang Yao came to San Francisco to hunt for gold in his own body. It has been less than a year now. Wu Yuanhua guessed that Liang Yao's financial resources were not strong.

It was rumored that Liang Yaofu was one of the three feudal lords, but in Wu Yuanhua's opinion, San Francisco was neither big nor prosperous.

Even if Liang Yao really had a gold mountain on which he could pick up money, Wu Yuanhua concluded that Liang Yao's assets would only be a few hundred thousand taels of silver at most.

It is true that the Wu family's assets exceeded 24 million taels of silver at its peak, but that was accumulated over three generations.

This was not because Wu Yuanhua looked down upon Liang Yao. In less than a year since he came to San Francisco, Liang Yao could accumulate hundreds of thousands of taels of silver with nothing, which in his opinion was already very remarkable.

It's just that Wu Yuanhua still underestimated the wealth of California's gold mines. California's gold mines are not comparable to the poor domestic mines that have been mined for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Five hundred and thirty thousand taels of Kuping silver was nothing to Liang Yao. Not to mention five hundred and thirty thousand taels of silver, he could even get it with gritted teeth, even five hundred and thirty thousand taels of gold.

Liang Yao came up with the idea of ​​​​the Wu family's Yihehang business name. In his opinion, the Yihehang business name was far more valuable than the Wu family's real estate, land, and bank.

The upper class societies in the United States and Europe also recognize the brand value of Jardine House.

As long as the product has the name of Yihe Hong on it, it is synonymous with high-end goods in their eyes, and buying these products will also give them more face.

Jardine Matheson often does this kind of thing. It often puts the name of Jardine Matheson on the inferior silk, tea, and porcelain it buys, passing them off as good, and making huge profits.

Liang Yao wanted to quickly open up the market in the eastern United States in the short term by purchasing the business name of Jardine House.

"I wonder if Brother Wu is willing to transfer the business name of Yihe Bank?" Liang Yao asked.

"Brother Xian, are you joking?"

Wu Yuanhua was shocked, Liang Yao's appetite was too big.

Although the Wu family is currently declining, the Yihehang business name will definitely not be sold. This is the lifeblood of the Wu family.

"The business name of Yihexing is the foundation of the Wu family. If it is sold, the descendants of the Wu family will go underground. How can they face their ancestors?" Wu Yuanhua shook his head and said, "Besides, I am not the one who makes the decision about the Wu family now.

"

"It's not selling." Liang Yao said with a smile, "The business name of Yihexing still belongs to your Wu family. I just bought the right to use the Yihexing business name for ten years. In this way, your Wu family can also get a sum of money to cross the border.

Get through it.”

"The trouble is very serious. I can't make the decision. I need to go back and discuss it with my brother." Wu Yuanhua said, and at the same time he couldn't help but secretly curse: Can Liang Yao really get such money? Is he really so kind?

"What's the matter? Brother Wu can make the decision right now?" Liang Yao stood up and asked.

"Open a semicolon in San Francisco to see if San Francisco is profitable. This is the purpose of my trip." Wu Yuanhua said.

"Congratulations to Brother Wu for coming to the right place. San Francisco is full of gold and is a good place to make a fortune. The business can be discussed in the long run. Brother Wu has a good rest. I will take Brother Wu for a walk around the area someday." Liang Yao said.

(End of chapter)