A three-story modern building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan is the home of Zhou Hexuan's third uncle, Zhang Yuannan.

Zhang Yuannan now controls the condominium business and marries the illegitimate daughter of the Lawrence family, thus becoming a peripheral member of the Boston consortium. It is in this way that Zhou Hexuan's sleeves can continue to sell well, otherwise they would have been hacked by other sleeve manufacturers in the United States.

While gaining the support of large conglomerates, the price is of course indispensable. Mr. Zhou, who signed several share swap contracts in the United States two years ago, has only 28 percent of Durex shares, the Zhang family holds 23 percent, and the Lowell, Lawrence, Adams, Lodge and Kennedy families hold a combined 49 percent stake.

Not only that, Durex has also hired retired senior U.S. government officials as deputy general managers and senior business consultants. The future President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, who had just dropped out of Stanford Graduate School of Business due to illness, was also placed as an intern at the Durex branch.

Durex's 49 percent stake was not given for nothing, and Zhou Hexuan received a stake in a number of companies owned by the Boston consortium — a 0.6 percent stake in Boston First National Bank, a 5.5 percent stake in Mutual Life Insurance Company, a 0.8 percent stake in Turbo & Co., and a 1.1 percent stake in Recion.

Cross-shareholding, joint monopoly, this is the usual trick of American conglomerates after the 30s.

If it weren't for the world economic crisis, which caused the Boston consortium to suffer heavy losses, and the business of the set of sets bucked the trend during the Great Depression, people would not have brought Chinese people to play with them.

At first, Zhang Yuannan resisted this kind of deal, but he couldn't withstand the double pressure from the American political and business circles, and finally chose to compromise, and now he has fully integrated into it. But he is only a peripheral force of the Boston consortium, and he is only married to the illegitimate daughter of the Lawrence family, at least he has to have children and grandchildren to really enter the upper class.

"Brother-in-law, is the family okay?" Zhang Yuannan poured wine for Zhou Hexuan and asked.

Zhou Hexuan said: "It's okay, your father's body is very tough." ”

Zhang Yuannan held a red wine glass in one hand and a cigar in the other, and his suit and leather shoes were quite stylish. He crossed Erlang's legs and said, "Hey, I asked my dad to immigrate to the United States with the whole family a long time ago, but he didn't listen and wanted to stay in China." What's so good about China? It was bombed by Japan every day, and even the safety of life could not be guaranteed. Now that the immigration policy in the United States is becoming more and more relaxed, although I have not yet opened my mouth to the Chinese, I definitely have a way. ”

This man has changed!

When we met two years ago, Zhang Yuannan was still very patriotic, and he opened his mouth and closed his mouth to how much money he wanted to donate to the Anti-Japanese War, but now he showed a disdain for the motherland.

Zhou Hexuan glanced at the bodyguard outside, then looked at the foreign girl (Zhang Yuannan's wife) who was making fruit salad, and said with a smile: "You have a very good life this day." ”

"Generally speaking," Zhang Yuannan complained, "after all, if you are Chinese, even if you have money, it is inevitable that you will be discriminated against in the United States." A few days ago, I attended a cocktail party, and I was ridiculed by a rabbit cub of the Addams family, who actually scolded me for being a Chinese monkey, and Lao Tzu slapped him on the spot. Grass, a descendant of the collateral family dares to look down on me, it's really easy to mess with Lao Tzu! ”

Zhou Hexuan said: "After all, this is someone else's country. ”

Zhang Yuannan said angrily: "I am also an American citizen now!" I can't get used to their faces, a bunch of white-skinned pigs, and I really think that I am some noble race. Let me tell you, these American tycoons are not remarkable, and they are reincarnated well, which is nothing more than the collusion between officials and businessmen. Many family leaders, that brain is not as good as mine, how can they compare with the wisdom of our Chinese? ”

Zhou Hexuan didn't want to talk about these boring topics anymore, and asked: "What do you think about acquiring Coca-Cola's shares?" ”

"That's not easy, Coca-Cola's stock price is too high right now." Zhang Yuannan shook his head again and again.

"Isn't that saying that Coca-Cola is in trouble right now?" Zhou Hexuan was a little puzzled, could it be that the information in his head was wrong? Those materials are all read from idle books, and it is normal for problems to occur.

Zhang Yuannan said: "Coca-Cola is indeed facing difficulties now, their stalls are too large, and it is difficult to turn over funds. But Coca-Cola's brand is too strong, and the stock price is frighteningly high. ”

Zhou Hexuan said: "What is the specific situation, you can talk about it." ”

Zhang Yuannan said: "Coca-Cola, like our sleeve business, was one of the few money-making industries during the Great Depression. They ......"

After Zhang Yuannan's detailed explanation, Zhou Hexuan finally understood the cause and effect.

Since its establishment, Coca-Cola has gone bankrupt twice and changed several owners, but business has become more and more prosperous.

When Coca-Cola went public in 1919, its stock price was $40, and a year later it fell to $19. But the U.S. stock market in the '20s was so crazy that Coca-Cola's stock price soared to $200 at one point, and it was still $147 when the economic crisis hit.

The economic crisis caused the U.S. stock market to crash, and Goldman Sachs, for example, had a stock price of $222 in 1929 and 50 cents three years later. But Coca-Cola was very strong, although it also fell below $100, but after Roosevelt's New Deal, it began to soar again, and in 1935, Coca-Cola's stock price even exceeded the $200 mark again.

Fortunately, in 1938 and 1939, the United States broke out again in the economic crisis (known as the "Roosevelt Depression"), and Roosevelt even extended the Christmas holiday to promote consumption, and Coca-Cola's stock price fell below $150.

Zhou Hexuan asked: "Coca-Cola's stock is so popular, why are they facing a predicament again?" ”

Zhang Yuannan said: "First, the competition of Pepsi. Pepsi played a big price reduction card, and at its worst, its price was half of Coca-Cola's, and the portion was twice that of Coca-Cola. Although Coca-Cola slandered Pepsi as a 'black drink', it still grabbed a large number of markets, forcing Coca-Cola to continue to sell at lower prices, and its profits were reduced exponentially. Second, Coca-Cola is riddled with lawsuits. From 1935 to the present, Coca-Cola has been litigated every year, and has been investigated for containing cocaine and other drug ingredients, and every now and then social groups have called on the government to ban the sale of Coca-Cola, and Coca-Cola's public relations expenses are frighteningly large every year. Third, the cost of advertising is too high. Coca-Cola is now hyping itself as the national drink, but at the cost of spending more than 40 percent of its net profits on advertising each year. Fourth, the stall is too large. Coca-Cola has been trying to open up the European market for the past decade, but its sales in other countries except Germany are very poor, and it has not even made back the money invested in the construction of factories, and the advertising expenses in Europe have been a mess. ”

Zhou Hexuan nodded and said, "Go on." ”

Zhang Yuannan concluded: "In other words, Coca-Cola's sales in the United States are now very good, and the apparent performance is amazing, which has led to its inflated stock price." But in fact, its profits are not as rosy as they seem, and because of the unfavorable overseas expansion, the capital chain has been very tight. Some time ago, the president of Coca-Cola also personally visited the Lowell family, and I was standing next to them for a drink, and Coca-Cola wanted the Rowell family to invest. ”

Zhou Hexuan asked, "Did the Rowell family agree?" ”

"Of course I don't agree, Coca-Cola's stock price is too high, and pulling investment is also a lion's mouth, whoever gives money is stupid." Zhang Yuannan said with a smile.

Zhou Hexuan smiled: "I am very optimistic about Coca-Cola, so I want to be a fool." ”

"I advise you to think again," Zhang Yuannan said of the U.S. economic situation, "Two years ago, Roosevelt felt that the U.S. economy was improving, and he was overly optimistic, and he actually promulgated a series of austerity policies. This was the stupidest trick of Roosevelt's administration, and the results of the New Deal were almost ruined in a few years, and the economic situation at that time went straight back to 1935. In the past two years, it has barely eased up, but the situation is still very bad, and more than seventy percent of the companies are struggling to operate. Don't look at Coca-Cola's sales to record highs, but their profits are declining year by year. In particular, last year, the minimum wage for workers was raised, and many bosses were so depressed that they wanted to jump off the building, and Coca-Cola was very, very affected. You see, in two years at most, Coca-Cola's performance bubble will be punctured, and the stock price will fall below $100 in minutes. ”

Zhang Yuannan's speculation is very correct and in line with the facts. But he didn't know that the United States was about to enter the war, and Coca-Cola would sweep the world with the American GIs.

Zhou Hexuan said: "Help me contact the helmsman of Coca-Cola, I want to talk to him." ”

"Alas, whatever you want, I've said everything I should say, and I can't help it if you really want to jump into the pit." Zhang Yuannan shook his head helplessly.