1928: The rise of giant merchants

"The foundation of a country is its people, the root of the people is learning, and the source of learning is education. As long as education is done well, the quality of the people will inevitably improve. When the people are no longer ignorant and have their own opinions, their own thinking, and their own decisions , then this country will have long-term peace and stability.”

Ye Luo made it very clear on the phone.

He attaches great importance to national education, so he hates the current warlords' behavior of curbing education, suppressing students, and blocking progress. On this point, whether it is Zhang Hanqing, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang in the north, or the principals, Bai Chongxi, and Lu Yongxiang in the south, they all insist They have the same attitude, not caring much about student movements and education.

Zhao Pilian believed this, and he also felt that if we did not improve education and only rely on generations of large-scale soldiers to fight the war, sooner or later the Republic of China would end under the iron heel of imperialism like the former Qing Dynasty.

"The education group I want to build must cover all stages of education, from preschool to university, and even later master's degrees, doctorates, study abroad, etc. There must be corresponding companies responsible for it. After we establish the education group, we can cooperate with The National Government has set up national schools, and we are willing to teach anyone, regardless of age or gender, who is willing to learn, and we will try to keep the cost of education as low as possible so that everyone can afford to study.”

Ye Luo instilled the education system and various group models in his mind into Zhao Pilian. It didn't matter whether he could digest it or not. Anyway, he served as a guide and left professional matters to professionals.

Zhao Pilian was greatly shocked when he heard this. He originally thought that Ye Luo only valued the benefits of education and the value of those passionate students, so he started to engage in education in a big way. Unexpectedly, the second young master saw it so thoroughly. It is so far-reaching and links education with the destiny of the country. It is so resonant and thought-provoking!

"There will be a lot of troubles and difficulties in starting up an education group, but I believe Mr. Zhao can overcome it and do a good job. Whether it is a problem of human resources or funding, you can apply directly to the Ministry of Finance of Yip's Investment, and I will review and approve it as appropriate." Ye Luo smiled and dismissed Zhao Pilian's series of doubts, "In the early stage, I donated 10 million yuan in the name of the Ye family. Mr. Zhao will use it as he sees fit."

10 million oceans!

Zhao Pilian was frightened by Ye Luo's wealth.

All his life, Jinjin Yeye worked for Yan Xishan. Before his arrest, the family had a bank deposit of about 100,000, which was considered wealthy. They could at least be considered middle class in Peking. Now Ye Luo can give him 100 times the money just by giving him. Even an honest official like Zhao Pilian was a little moved.

"Mr. Ye, you are not afraid of me," Zhao Pilian sighed in his heart. He finally understood why his friend Zang Qifang said that Ye Luo was a dragon among men and the number one businessman in the Republic of China.

"Don't be suspicious of those you employ, and don't trust those who are suspicious." Ye Luo said with a smile, "This is my employment principle. And even if Mr. Zhao really makes money and runs away, I can guarantee that you will never leave Tianjin Port."

"Indeed, haha." Zhao Pilian smiled and said, "Then it's better to be respectful than to obey."

"Chen Youde, the person in charge of Tianjin Port Yip's Department Store, is one of the backbones of our company. If Mr. Zhao encounters any problems, you can contact him first." Ye Luo said before hanging up the phone.

Today's Tianjin is the second largest industrial city in the Republic of China, second only to Shanghai, and the largest financial and trade center in the north.

However, the most important customs tax and salt tax in Tianjin do not go to the local finance. The salt tax is handed over to the Changlu Salt Department, while the customs is controlled by foreigners and is finally collected by the so-called central finance.

At that time, Yan Xishan controlled this place, and the money basically fell into his pocket and became his military expenditure to support the Jin army. Now that Yan Xishan has fallen, the British and French are enthusiastic again, calling for a salt tax. and customs taxes returned to them.

Tariff independence has been negotiated long ago, and even the Japanese have relented. Now these clamoring foreigners are pure scoundrels, and they just want to put as much money into their pockets as possible.

But this is all wishful thinking.

Because before the Central Plains War, Yan Xishan had mortgaged the Tianjin City Customs tax and the Changlu Salt Department salt tax to YB Bank for 20 million US dollars, and an American notarized it. Now Yan Xishan has run away, including those who had previously invested in shares. The other warlords of the three major commodities are all facing large fines due to breach of contract, and Ye Luo may not give them the dividends he originally promised -

Anyway, these people are dying and running away, and no one dares to ask for money.

At this point, the merchants in Tianjin City and some upper-class people in the Republic of China finally realized that from a war in the Central Plains, the biggest beneficiary among the warlords was Zhang Hanqing, and the biggest beneficiary among the merchants was Ye Luo!

Customs tax and salt tax are national revenues, and naturally cannot be entrusted to a businessman. The foreigners in the concession fiercely protested.

This part of the income will nominally belong to the Jinling National Government, but in fact it will be controlled by Zhang Hanqing. After taking control of Peiping, Zhang Hanqing also heard the news from several confidential secretaries.

Everyone knew about his relationship with Ye Luo, so no one dared to really fall out with Ye Luo's investment and forcibly recover the customs tax and salt tax.

But with the tax settlement coming up in the fourth quarter, YB Bank can’t really let YB Bank take away such a large amount of money, right?

"This is a serious matter, sister, what do you think?" Zhang Hanqing also had a headache.

On the one hand, he is also jealous of this extra income, and if these taxes are taken away by businessmen, he will lose face as a person in power.

On the one hand, the opponent is Ye Luo, and he has already lost more than 20 million U.S. dollars due to Yan Xishan and others, which is more than 100 million US dollars. It is not a small amount, and Ye Luo cannot be cheated in vain.

Yu Fengzhi took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "What are you worried about? A Luo obviously didn't think highly of Yan Laoxi and the others before the war started, and deliberately set up a trap. He must have a proper solution."

"Sister Yu is right, Brother Luo is very good at business." Zhao Yidi agreed. As one of Zhang Hanqing's nominal confidential secretaries, she happens to be in charge of finance. It is estimated that she will soon go to work with Ye The investors talked about it.

"The trouble is still with those foreigners, who won't let go until they die." Zhang Hanqing had a headache. Even as a commander, he did not dare to fight with the foreigners in the Tianjin Concession. Who has the support of the great empire behind them? .

"I think this matter is nothing. Didn't Arlo say that the notary is a high-level politician in the United States? The British and French people who caused the trouble have no background. How can they bypass the notarization and rob?" Yu Fengzhi added. smiled.

She has a very good relationship with Bai Xiuzhu, and Ye Luo has helped the couple many times, and even saved Zhang Hanqing's life. In Yu Fengzhi's view, money is an extraneous thing, and it is not worth falling out with Ye Luo over taxes.

Therefore, she prefers Ye Luo's side.

Just when they were struggling, Ye Luo, who was preparing to merge the newly acquired industries in Tianjin City and start new businesses after tariff independence, quickly sent a telegram to give a solution to the matter. (End of chapter)