1928: The rise of giant merchants

Fengming Building is located on Nanjing Road in the British Concession, which is later known as Nanjing East Road in the Bund. Not far away is the Sassoon Building, which was built by the British Jew Elias Sassoon and is still under construction!

Fengming Building covers an area of ​​more than 20,000 square meters and adopts traditional Chinese architectural style. It was designed by Wang Jixiao, a well-known architectural design master. Master Wang Jixiao served as the chief architect of the China Pavilion at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, USA. He was an important figure in the Republic of China. A leader in the architectural field of the period.

Thinking of the time ten years ago when she was only 12 years old, she stormed into Wang Jixiao's office with a snakeskin bag of silver dollars and asked him to help design Fengming Building, Ye Luo couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth slightly.

That's right.

In Ye Luona's well-known story of "a millionaire earns a building", that building is the Fengming Building in front of him!

Ten years ago, Ye Luohui, who was only twelve years old, had an eye for pearls and spent a lot of money to buy a remote piece of land in the British Concession that no one was optimistic about. She also asked Master Wang Jixiao to design the drawings of Fengming Tower. In less than half a year, The Fengming Building was completed and became the first teahouse opened by a Chinese in the British Concession.

Six years ago, 16-year-old Ye Luo went to study in England and the United States, leaving young Ah Qiao to run Fengming Tower alone. At that time, Fengming Tower was still losing money year after year, and no one was optimistic that it would skyrocket.

Six years later, I didn’t expect Fengming House to be the most famous brothel in Shanghai!

The girl who once had a hint of childishness and innocence on her face has transformed into the eldest sister that everyone in Shanghai knows and knows!

Later, everyone learned that before Ye Luo left, he gave Xiao Aqiao a business guide he had compiled in detail. After ten years of dormancy, Fengming Building finally became a major landmark building in the British Concession as he expected.

The car turned into the parking lot, Hua Mei got out of the car, and immediately ran to open the door for Ye Luo, then took his arm and walked towards Fengming Building, where business was booming.

"Hello, Sister Mei'er~"

"Hello, Sister Hua Mei!"

"Hello, Second Young Master!"

The male and female employees of Fengming Building who were coming and going stepped out of the way and welcomed the real big boss into the building with respect on their faces.

"Be careful with the stairs, Second Young Master~" Hua Mei led the way with a smile, leading Ye Luo all the way to the outside of little A Qiao's room on the second floor.

Standing at the door was a tall, beautiful woman wearing a white cheongsam and a cold appearance.

She is Xue Leng, one of the "Four Beauties" who is the most effective under Xiao Aqiao.

As his name suggests, he is unparalleled in his coolness.

Seeing Ye Luo, there was a faint expression on her cold and frosty cheeks. She bowed slightly and shouted: "Second Young Master."

"Second Young Master, why are you here? Have you eaten? Do you want Rou'er to make some snacks for you?" Another petite and lovely girl came from behind. She is Feng Rou, one of the four beauties, wearing a cyan cheongsam. , with two big balls on her head, cute and playful.

"Little Ah Qiao's medicine?" Ye Luo glanced at the porcelain bowl Feng Rou was holding.

"Yeah! It's freshly fried, and the doctor said it will be effective if the elder sister drinks it while it's still hot." Fengrou nodded, with a hint of helplessness on her cute little face, "But the elder sister always dislikes taking medicine because it's bitter. "

"Okay, let me do it. Leng'er will stay outside, you two go and do your work." Ye Luo took the porcelain bowl, the strong smell of Chinese medicine hit his nostrils, and the dead memory began to attack him.

Chinese medicine is very bitter.

"Yes, Second Young Master!" Neither Hua Mei nor Feng Rou wanted to cause trouble to little Aqiao when she was sick, so they got the order and went downstairs with a smile.

Xue Leng turned around and knocked on the door: "Sister, the second young master is back to see you."

"No! No! No!"

A sweet and charming voice came faintly from the back room.

"Since you don't want to see me, eldest sister, I'll leave." Ye Luo was not angry, turned around and pretended to leave.

Hearing footsteps outside the house, there was a heavy "bang" in the house.

Then came the woman's low moans and moans.

Ye Luo pursed her lips, smiled at each other and Xue Leng, then pushed the door open and entered.

"It hurts me to death. Oh, oh, oh, why did you come in?!"

On the bed, little A Qian, who was only wearing a silk petticoat, was rubbing her forehead with a light red mark while staring at him with her beautiful eyes wide open.

She was still feverish, and her charming cheeks were as red as a big apple, adding an extra layer of cuteness to her previous charm and sexiness.

Little Ah Qiao, who is already twenty-six years old this year, is four years older than Ye Luo. She is at the age when she is most mature and feminine. On her head is the most beautiful woman in Fengming Tower, the only female Taibao in Shanghai, the eldest sister, etc. With her bright aura and the huge Shanghai Beach, countless men want to marry her and take her home as a concubine.

Some time ago, some powerful people even came to her door and offered to marry her as their official wife.

For countless romantic women making a living on the beach, Xiao Aqiao is their most admired idol!

Xiao Aqiao naturally rejected all these messy men.

But she was also anxious.

In the Republic of China at this time, she was already an "old girl among old girls". If it were any other woman, her children would be able to make soy sauce.

Counting the beauties during the Republic of China, she was probably the only one who remained unmarried until she was twenty-six.

The man who "brought" her to this embarrassing state was the handsome young man in front of her, holding a porcelain bowl.

Ye Luo looked at the resentment that almost overflowed from Xiao Aqiao's eyes, and walked to the bedside with a smile and sat down.

Before her butt was lowered, her waist was gently twisted a few times.

"Hey, how come the second young master of the Ye family, who is the most famous four young masters in Shanghai, has time to visit a little girl like me?" Little Aqiao reached for the cigarette case placed beside the bed, and then stretched out her soft little hands. Halfway through, he was held by Ye Luo.

"Take the medicine before smoking." Ye Luo brought the porcelain bowl to her, scooped up a spoonful of Chinese medicine, blew it, and brought it to her mouth thoughtfully.

"I don't want it, it's so painful." Xiao A shook his head like a rattle.

"So, is it still painful?"

Ye Luo put the Chinese medicine into his mouth, and then moved it over, mouth to mouth, into little Aqiao's mouth.

Xiao Aqiao looked at him with wide eyes, her head felt dizzy all of a sudden, as if she was in a panic and couldn't react to anything.

She obediently opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue, took the medicine, swallowed it, and repeated these actions mechanically.

Before he knew it, Ye Luo had given him a bowl of medicine.

When she woke up, she realized what a bold move Ye Luo had made.

Even during the Republic of China period when folk customs were relatively open, Ye Luo's behavior was shocking enough!

She had never seen this kind of flirting before.

"You, you got it all on my petticoat! I hate it so much." Xiao Aqian blushed and lowered her head. There were a few drug stains on her chest. The petticoat is worn under the cheongsam. The silk version is similar to pajamas and is a close-fitting garment. , difficult to clean.

After saying that, she reached out and pulled out a tissue to wipe the corners of Ye Luo's mouth before going to get the cigarette.

Bada——

After flicking the kerosene lighter and showing the flame, Xiao Aqiao first lit a cigarette for Ye Luo, then rolled up the slender cigarette holder and lit one for herself.

The smoke is curling up and the atmosphere is just right.

Women during the Republic of China, especially those in the entertainment industry, were addicted to cigarettes, and some were even more addicted to cigarettes than men.

They think smoking is a fashionable behavior that can especially highlight their feminine charm.

After the two of them smoked a cigarette, Xiao A, who was a little dizzy, snuggled quietly into Ye Luo's arms, resting his forehead on his chest, and gently twisted his hair into several circles with his fingers: "When you come back this time, you won't go out again. Alright?"

"I'm not going out. I'm going to open my own investment company and do business." Ye Luo hugged her and whispered.

"Invest in a company?" Xiao Aqiao looked at him in confusion.

This term hasn't appeared yet, so Ye Luo simply explained it.

"So, I am also an investment for you?" Xiao Aqiao looked up at him with a smile hidden in her eyes. She was very smart and understood quickly.

The only thing I don't understand is why he, who has returned from studying abroad, has a high degree of education, and a background from the Ye family, chose to go into business?

Today's Shanghai seems peaceful, but in fact there are undercurrents, especially in the commercial area. Foreign firms run by foreigners have a near-monopoly. On the Chinese side, Chinese businessmen are struggling. They are exploited by warlords and local gangs at the top, and compete with various competitors at the bottom. If you finally make a little money due to product competition, all kinds of inexplicable taxes will come to you and drain you dry.

She was in the brothel business herself. She took over the management of Fengming House when she was sixteen years old. Six years ago, she took full power at the age of twenty. She knew better than anyone how difficult it was along the way.

If he is short of money, there is no need to go into thankless business by himself.

Xiao A quietly blinked her eyes and waited for the answer. The expression on her face was exactly the same as that of the big guys at the wedding banquet. The only difference was that no matter what Ye Luo wanted to do, as his woman, she would fully support her, without any thought. follow.

"You can say that. Talent investment is also a direction of investment." Ye Luo lit up another cigarette and took a deep breath. "I came here today just to talk to you about doing business."

"Well, you said it, I'm listening." Xiao Aqiao knew that he was not a man who didn't understand amorous feelings. Since he came here at this time, it meant that the matter was very important.

"I'm going to register a new company at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau tomorrow. I heard that Chinese people who want to buy property in the British Concession must obtain permission from the British Consulate. At the consulate, I need you to help me arrange my trip."

Ye Luo flicked the cigarette ashes into a red and white iron box.

"Also, I need you to help me date two people."

"One is named Zhou Xiangsheng, who should be running a small company called Xiangsheng Automobile Co., Ltd., and the other is named Alfred Sloan. He is a foreigner from the United States. He should have arrived in Shanghai by now, but I don't know where exactly he is. clear."

"Okay, I remember." Xiao Aqiao used to learn English from Ye Luo, and later took the time to study and study on her own. Most outsiders only thought of her as a female gangster with strong communication skills, but they didn't know that the ink in her belly was even More than many female college students.

Zhou Xiangsheng later became the famous taxi king in Shanghai and a famous Zhejiang businessman during the Republic of China.

Alfred Sloan was even better.

He succeeded Mr. DuPont as president of General Motors in May 1923.

When he joined General Motors, it was in the midst of a severe economic crisis.

But in the decades he led General Motors, GM not only surpassed Ford Motor Company to become the world's largest automaker, but also became an important symbol of the American economy.

The first battle for his turnaround was the Chevrolet 490 car that was about to enter the domestic market.

What Ye Luo has to do is to first buy Zhou Xiangsheng's Xiangsheng Automobile Co., Ltd., and then use it to become the sole general agent of Chevrolet 490 in Shanghai.

After some exchanges, Xiao Aqiao got a rough idea.

In short, both the young boss named Zhou Xiangsheng and the foreign devil named Alfred Sloan are having a hard time, but her man is optimistic about them and is ready to pay them to do business first.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Xiao A quietly lay in Ye Luo's arms, her voice soft and waxy. After listening to so much, she didn't know whether it was because of fatigue or the medicine. She was a little sleepy and yawned repeatedly.

Ye Luo pinched her cheek, which was still a little hot, thinking that he would not disturb her recovery and rest, and prepared to stand up and leave.

Aware of Ye Luo's movements, the half-asleep Xiao Aqiao suddenly woke up, grabbed the corner of his clothes, and looked at him lovingly with eyes that seemed to be watering: "Second Young Master, here you are. Take a nap."

"You have a severe fever. I'm afraid I'll hurt you." Ye Luo tapped her nose, a little helpless.

"I'm not afraid!" Xiao Aqian pouted, struggling to get up, her charming eyes staring straight at him, "I just like when you torment me."