1928: The rise of giant merchants

After listening to Uncle Jiang's introduction, Ye Luo finally understood why Liu Xiang in history was able to gain a foothold among the many warlords of the Sichuan Army and finally nominally unified Sichuan and Chongqing Province.

Having an expert who knows how to manage money and win the hearts of the people under his command was simply a dimensionality reduction attack on other warlords during the Republic of China.

But there was also a "thorn" in Qing City that Liu Hangchen couldn't deal with-

"Seventh Master" Huang Yunhui, who was known as the first comprador in Qing City.

Huang Yunhui's father Huang Dexuan was a businessman in his early years. He opened "Deheheng" in the lower half of Qing City and operated department stores, becoming a famous wealthy businessman at the time.

Later, Huang Dexuan spent a huge amount of money to buy a barren mountain on Nanshan from the Xia family of "Heichaomen" of Xuantan Temple on the south bank, built a villa, and cultivated a garden.

After Huang Dexuan's death, Huang Yunhui took over and set up entertainment facilities in this villa, often invited celebrities, and led the trend of Qing City. The mountain was named "Huangshan" because of his surname.

In the original history, a few years later, the Jinling National Government moved its capital to Qing City. After this place became the secondary capital, Huang Yunhui, a businessman who owned land and was self-respecting, naturally became the main target of the principal's crackdown.

After Huang Yunhui's death, the "Huangshan" villa became the principal's private residence.

Huang Yunhui started his career as a British comprador. In order to make money, he did everything he could. He not only harmed the villagers and other businessmen, but also helped the foreigners invade the Qing City Customs. He was extremely evil.

Luo Shengzhi, the first arms dealer in Qing City who was shot nine years ago, was his sworn brother. When Luo Shengzhi was still alive, Huang Yunhui was so powerful in the Qing City business community that no one could control him.

Last year, Liu Xiang took control of Sichuan and Chongqing. Huang Yunhui knew that something was wrong. He immediately made all kinds of arrangements, gave gifts and money, and bought off many of Liu Xiang's men, thus escaping a disaster.

After Pan Wenhua became the mayor of Qing City, he was shocked to find that Huang Yunhui, with the support of Thomson, the director of the Qing City Customs and Taxation Department and the general manager of Baili Foreign Company, had already taken the business community of Qing City into his arms.

Pan Wenhua asked Liu Hangchen to clean up all walks of life in Qing City, and soon achieved results, but the business community controlled by Huang Yunhui was slow to take over.

Every time Liu Hangchen led a team to the door, he was stopped by Thomson and other foreigners, and there was no way to break through.

Over time, the business community of Qing City became rotten.

No wonder the owner of the hot pot restaurant would rather set up a small stall than let his store be associated with the business community.

Once you enter the gate of the Qing City business community, it is like a sheep entering the tiger's mouth, and sooner or later you will become Huang Yunhui's meal!

After talking about these, Uncle Jiang went back to continue to manage the company's affairs. What should be said has been said. If the second young master really intends to confront Huang Yunhui, he can only risk his life to follow.

Even though Ye's Investment has the support of the Jinling National Government and Ye Luo, it is still difficult to beat Huang Yunhui in Qing City.

This is why Uncle Jiang has not been able to really make Ye's Investment business after operating for a long time.

When Ye Luo returned to his residence, he just sat down and picked up the tea brewed by Xiao Aqiao, and an employee rushed to deliver an invitation.

"Honey, it's an invitation sent by Pan Wenhua, inviting us to have dinner at Qingdu Hotel in the evening."

Xiao Aqiao said to him after reading the invitation,

"The people who will have dinner together are Liu Hangchen and Lu Zuofu, who Lao Jiang mentioned just now."

"That's good, it saves us the trouble of looking for them one by one." Ye Luo smiled and nodded, "Then you get ready, we will take Lingjun with us for dinner later."

"I want to go too?!" Kong Lingjun, who was practicing calligraphy at the desk, had sharp ears. When he heard Ye Luo's words, he suddenly became sad and asked repeatedly.

"Why stay here if you don't want to go?" Ye Luo glared at her. "Since you promised your parents to discipline you, you can't be as casual as before."

"Godmother~" Kong Lingjun rolled into Xiao Aqiao's arms like a little raccoon, and acted like a spoiled child while signaling her to speak for him with his eyes.

"Don't beg for mercy for her." Ye Luo said with a stern face, "This little girl has been getting worse and worse since she came home. If she doesn't get beaten up for three days, she should be punished."

"Lingjun, you heard it, it's not that godmother doesn't want to help you, it's that your teacher is determined to make you follow him around and accompany him." Xiao Aqiao pinched the little devil's chubby cheeks and smiled helplessly.

This kind of dinner party with all the top dignitaries in the Republic of China is actually very boring.

Either drinking and bragging, or talking about politics with dirty jokes.

For a twelve-year-old girl, it is really tormenting.

But Ye Luo has been determined to let Kong Lingjun inherit his "business skills" and doesn't care about her wishes at all.

Kong Lingjun was so angry that he made faces at Ye Luo, and then ran outside to learn martial arts from Aunt Shi Jianqiao.

After she left, Ye Luo smiled: "I didn't expect that forcibly exploiting children would be quite pleasurable. No wonder my parents always ignored my wishes when I was a child and insisted on me doing this and that."

"The dragon-slaying boy eventually became an evil dragon." Xiao Aqiao also smiled.

"By the way, will that Seventh Master come too?" Ye Luo asked.

Xiao Aqiao looked through the invitation again, and nodded after confirming: "He will come, and the foreign director Thomson will also come."

"That's perfect, let me meet this big boss of the unified Qing City business community and see what he is capable of, which can make Pan Wenhua, Liu Hangchen and others helpless."

The corners of Ye Luo's mouth curled up slightly.

Since the three tycoons of Yongxing were beaten by him, he has rarely met business rivals again. This Huang Yunhui who suddenly appeared aroused a little interest in Ye Luo.

I hope he can be a little more powerful and not be knocked down by me in a few moves.

Qingshi at night is obviously different from other cities. There are almost no rickshaws here, and there are very few modern cars.

It’s a mountain city, and pulling a rickshaw is so exhausting!

As for cars, the road conditions here are poor, which greatly tests the quality of the cars and the driver's skills. Most people really don't dare to buy a car and ride in it.

The first car in Qingshi was a Chevrolet 490 imported by Huang Yunye from Ye's Automobile Co., Ltd. in Shanghai in 1929.

It was a sensation at the time, attracting countless mountain people to watch.

To this day, the usual means of transportation here is still the sliding pole.

An ancient vehicle made of two strong long bamboo poles tied into a stretcher with a bamboo deck chair in the middle.

Ye Luo and Xiao Aqiao sat on the sliding pole, and the bearer carried the sliding pole up the slope, which was very comfortable as it swayed.

The two of them suddenly remembered the time when Yu Likui dragged them all over the beach.

But at that time, Ye Luo acted mischievously and deliberately let little A Qiao sit on his lap. As the rickshaw bumped, little Ye Luo kept hitting little A Qiao.

Unconsciously, three years have passed and the two have become an old married couple and have children of their own.

Every time she thinks about the past, Xiao Aqiao feels like she is in another world.

Three years ago, I would never have imagined that one day I would be able to ride on a slide with him to meet the big shots in Qing City! (End of chapter)