1928: The rise of giant merchants

February 10, the 18th year of the Republic of China (1928).

New Year's Day.

The former Fengtian Province was renamed Ln Province just a few days before the Spring Festival, while Fengtian Prefecture was renamed Sy City.

In the Marshal's Mansion.

Zhang Hanqing accompanied his wife Yu Fengzhi, his confidante Zhao Yidi and a group of children riding bicycles in the yard.

Not long ago, Ye's Automobile Company released a new product - Ye's Forever brand 28-inch flat car. Then Ye Luo sent a dozen of them all the way to Fengtian Marshal's Mansion to relieve Zhang Hanqing and his family.

Seeing the women and children having fun, Zhang Hanqing couldn't help but sigh: "Aluo's business acumen is really great. In just a few days, even the north was promoting his latest product, and many government employees called on us to order Ye Shijie permanent bicycles are said to be more convenient than trams, cheaper than cars, and unlike rickshaws, which oppress the lower classes."

"No matter what he does, he can do it with flying colors and without leakage." Yu Fengzhi squinted at Zhao Yidi, indicating something.

She had actually seen through Ye Luo and Zhang Hanqing's little thoughts.

Yu Fengzhi originally didn't care whether Zhao Yidi could get in or not. What she cared about was the majesty and reputation of the head of the family and the mistress of the family. But last month, Ye Luo saved Zhang Hanqing's life with the help of Zhao Yidi, which also made Yu Fengzhi It can be seen that this young girl really loves her husband.

After careful consideration, Yu Fengzhi decided to turn a blind eye to Zhao Yidi. This would give Zhang Hanqing a way to survive and also give Ye Luo face.

"I especially hope that Aluo can leave the south and work under me. If he dares to come, I will dare to give him a position similar to Song Ziwen. Since my father's commander passed away and we changed our flag, the situation in the north has been in a state of internal and external troubles. Very soon It’s a pity that we need someone with experience in the world.”

Zhang Hanqing frowned.

The smile on his face gradually disappeared when he mentioned the current situation.

The southern border was initially decided, but a sluggish reorganization meeting instantly broke the paper-like friendship between several big warlords.

At this time, the Japanese invaders, who were eyeing the north, asked Zhang Hanqing to fulfill the new Five-Road Treaty.

The so-called New Five-Road Treaty is the treasonous contract signed by Zhang Dashuai before his death.

The treaty agreed to the Japanese aggressors building five railways in the northeastern region: Yanhai (Yanji-Hailin), Taosuo (Taonan-Solun), Duntu (Dunhua-Tumen), and Changchun (Changchun-Dalai). Get all the rights and interests along the railway line.

In other words, once these five railways are connected, the Japanese invaders can spread out like a spider web and extend to the hinterland of the north, achieving actual control over the three provinces.

At the same time, these five railways are all borrowed railways. Although they are nominally jointly developed by the two countries, the domestic side must borrow money from the Japanese invaders' banks and pay a super high interest rate of 18%!

After changing their flags, the Japanese invaders became more eager to obtain the interests of the north. They used different methods to trouble Zhang Hanqing every day, which made him miserable.

As for this nonsense contract, Zhang Hanqing didn't bother to pay attention to it, saying that his father had always carried the contract with him and it was burned by the flames of the bomb when he was assassinated.

The Japanese invaders were in trouble because the contract was semi-secret and could only be fulfilled by Marshal Zhang who signed the contract. Zhang Hanqing had the right to refuse.

"Aluo talked about the situation a while ago. He believed that the principal would not be content and wanted to start a war with others. Sure enough, the situation in the south is now developing in the direction he said. The principal, Li Zongren, and Bai Chongxi's troops are already in Hubei. , Anhui border confrontation."

Zhang Hanqing became extremely angry when he mentioned this.

"The principal's behavior is disgusting."

In his view, the Japanese invaders were still paper tigers after all, and they did not dare to start a war easily. When necessary, he had to send troops into the pass to quell the wars among the various warlords in the south. He could not let the disaster cost people and money like the previous warlord melee.

However, the reason for that incident that shocked China and the rest of the world was that he sent troops into the country to interfere with the principal's war in the Central Plains, so that the Japanese invaders from the north took advantage of the opportunity.

The Great War in the Central Plains caused heavy losses to the country. More than 300,000 soldiers across the country were killed or injured, countless military expenditures were incurred, and prices in various places skyrocketed, leading to a total collapse.

"Look at this, Aluo is about to start the military industry that he has always wanted to do, He Ru." Zhang Hanqing waved his hand and called the adjutant, "In the name of the Marshal's Mansion, we purchased 200 bicycles from Ye's Automobile Company and distributed them to everyone. Staff at all levels of the Shuai Mansion. In addition, I will donate 50,000 yuan to the Yip Charity Foundation in my personal name and let Ta Kung Pao publish these things."

He had already packed up those arsenals and was waiting for Ye Luo to take over.

Shanghai Beach at this time.

Yu's Rickshaw Shop.

Yu Likui looked at the idle drivers gathered in the car dealership, feeling confused and helpless.

In March last year, Ye Luogang came back to set up Ye's Automobile Company, which took over half of the rickshaw market. He was forced to change from the king of rickshaws to the lackey of the three Yongxing tycoons.

They were also forced to drag Ye Luo and Xiao Aqiao around the entire French Concession.

Well now, Ye's Automobile Company launched that bicycle, priced at NT$50, which directly destroyed the rickshaw business.

At first Yu Likui didn't care.

If you sell your bicycle for 50 yuan, what does it have to do with my rickshaw, which costs a few coppers a trip?

However, the fact is that the really poor people these days cannot afford any means of transportation, and in Shanghai, those who are willing to take a rickshaw are basically the middle class and above.

Small bosses, middle-class foreign bank employees, teachers and professors, progressive students, children of aristocratic families, wealthy movie stars and singers, government employees with stable jobs, and people doing low-level businesses.

These people have all become loyal customers of bicycles.

Even those dancers who make a living by selling meat and singing are lining up to go to the photo studio to take pictures with bicycles, and they are proud of it!

Only today did Yu Likui realize that Ye Luo was destroying the entire rickshaw business!

Today he picked up a newspaper and found that it not only reported on bicycles, but also vaguely mentioned that rickshaws were the dregs of the old era. Now that the Jinling National Government advocates getting rid of the old and welcoming the new, this kind of dregs should be eradicated!

This is tantamount to borrowing the power of the National Government to directly checkmate oneself.

"Brother Yu, we haven't had any guests for three or four days. If this continues, the brothers will have nothing to eat." A coachman came closer and whispered, "How about we just go to Ye Mansion."

There was a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

Yu Likui glared at him fiercely and greeted him with a big ear: "Idiot! Kill Ye Luo? Do you know how many people are around him? Kill him! You know when we came up with this idea, and Who am I sitting with?"

"Zhang Wanlin, Lu Yusheng, Huo Tianhong, and I, the four of us, sat in the tavern to discuss. I really couldn't swallow this breath. What happened at the end? Zhang Wanlin ran to be a dog for the Japanese invaders! Lu Yusheng's life or death is unknown! Huo Tianhong was in the public Sweeping the streets in the concession! Do you want me to kill him?"

"What should we do, brother?" The beaten coachman gritted his teeth.

Yu Likui took a deep breath, clapped his hands gently, and then sighed: "Immediately prepare all the land deeds, bank books, cash, account books, and personnel lists for Yu's Rickshaw Shop, and then go to Xinxin Department Store to buy some valuables." Gifts, spread the news that I will hold a banquet at Paramount to entertain the second young master."