After sending Zhang Lingpu on a passenger ferry to Hong Kong, Hu Chuyuan returned to Yongyuan in a carriage.

Along the way, he still had a few questions in his mind.

Yan Shizhang sat across from him with a leisurely expression, as if he was also thinking about something.

After a while, Yan Shizhang suddenly asked: "Dongjia, in your opinion, who is superior and inferior between Tan Zhonglin, the governor of Jiangsu, and Mei Qizhao, the governor of Zhejiang?" ”

Hu Chuyuan replied: "Lord Tan is ruthless and shrewd, and naturally he is better, but he is too reluctant to Western affairs and Western studies, and I want to build a silk factory in Suzhou, and I have negotiated with him several times through letters to no avail." Mei Qizhao Mei is meticulous, pragmatic and hard-working, interested in foreign affairs and Western studies, and greatly supports me in opening a silk factory, but it is a pity that ...... The way of being an official is a little stiff, not as shrewd and sleek as Lord Tan. ”

Yan Shizhang clapped his hands and said, "What the owner said is very true. But I think it's better for the owner to unite more with Master Mei and give less help to Lord Tan. Even without the financial support of adults, with the ability of Tan Zhonglin, he will be able to ascend to the throne of the governor of Liangjiang sooner or later. Master Mei can't do it, unless it is supported by the owner, I think, Tan Zhonglin and Mei Qizhao both understand this truth in their hearts. Therefore, Tan Zhonglin is mainly a messenger to the owner, and Mei Qizhao is dependent on the owner. ”

Hu Chuyuan understood it as soon as he heard it, and said with a smile: "That's it." ”

He also discovered that Tan Zhonglin was not polite to him at all, he used what he should use, and he sent him when he should be on a mission, and Mei Qizhao was courteous to him and relied on him everywhere.

Yan Shizhang didn't need to continue, he knew that Hu Chuyuan knew it in his heart, and he knew what to do.

Back in Yongyuan, Wu Shuzhen came to him.

She is still that beautiful woman with a graceful posture, elegant temperament, bright eyes, smooth and fair skin, and hair like ink, she looks like a smart and noble woman, and she is wearing an orange dress, which is even more graceful and graceful, which makes people fall in love at first sight.

When she saw Hu Chuyuan, she said with a smile: "Hu Shao, I admire you more and more, and now the entire foreign industry in Shanghai is now respectful and afraid of you, and they all say that you are better than Ling Zun." ”

Hu Chuyuan sat down on the sofa in the study with a smile, made a pot of tea, poured a cup for her, and asked, "Really?" ”

Wu Shuzhen smiled: "Knowingly asking, of course it's true." You've taught everyone a lesson in this year's raw silk buying war, and it seems that I'm really going to learn more from your side in the future! ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "It's not easy, then you can stay by my side to help, however, in terms of business, I don't seem to have too many things recently, and I need you to help me do one thing now." ”

Wu Shuzhen asked with a little curiosity, "What's the matter?" ”

Hu Chuyuan said seriously: "I want to entrust you to buy an Oriental newspaper company, and you only invest in it for others to do it." After we have gained a firm foothold in the Chinese Oriental Weekly and the English Asia Weekly, we will consider setting up an Oriental Weekly, mainly in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and then expand to other places. I set up another "Consultative Reference" under the Jiangnan Commercial Bank to face officials from all over the world. These four publications are compatible with each other, and they are all relatively moderate news media, and we secretly fund some radical and conservative newspapers to gradually influence the speech of the whole society. ”

Wu Shuzhen is a very smart woman, and she is not the slightest surprised in the face of this very majestic plan.

She knew that with Hu Chuyuan's ability and open-mindedness, such a thing might not be a big deal.

She thought about it for a while and said, "Okay, then I'll find a way to ask a few people to do it, if it doesn't work well, don't you blame me?" ”

Hu Chuyuan laughed and said, "As long as you find the right person, how can you not do it?" It doesn't matter, it's not in a hurry for the time being, anyway, it's spending my money, and the loss will be lost first, at least it must be done first, and I will spend time sorting it out slowly in the future. ”

"This rich man is just different." Wu Shuzhen sighed interestingly, and said to Hu Chuyuan: "I found that you have a very powerful characteristic. ”

Hu Chuyuan asked, "What?" ”

Wu Shuzhen sorted it out a little and said: "Either you don't make a move, or if you make a move, it will be a series of tricks, which makes people unguardable." This is the case with salt and raw silk, and the same is true with entering the newspaper industry, which really makes me admire. ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and did not answer.

He thought that the Jiangnan Telegraph Bureau, the Steamship Bureau, and the CITIC Bank in the plan were not tricks. Those people in the shopping malls and officialdom are pedantic, but they are all human spirits, and it is not easy to kill them.

Wu Shuzhen said again: "Another thing to tell you, I discussed with Pfister in the morning, and I want to borrow a debt of 5 million foreign yuan from Jiangnan Commercial Bank for the capital increase of Wanqi Silk Factory and the preparation of Wanqi Bank. ”

Before the formal acquisition, Hu Chuyuan reached an agreement with them, and Wanqi Foreign Company will still be operated and managed by Pfister-Delano in the future, but in terms of the general direction and final decision-making, Hu Chuyuan has absolute rights, and Wu Shuzhen is responsible for coordinating between them.

Hu Chuyuan thought for a while and said: "Yes, as a condition, in addition to preparing for the establishment of a technical bureau to provide technical assistance to Jiangnan Commercial Bank, Wanqi Foreign Bank must also train technicians for commercial banks in silk factories and other industries. ”

"Heh......!" Wu Shuzhen giggled and said, "Hu Shao, you are ruthless enough...... Okay, then it's a deal, I'll help you get these things done, and you can send some people to help me. However, the interest of this 5 million foreign yen should not be too high. ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "The surname Suo will take out an interest-free loan, as long as we sign this contract justifiably, no one can say half a word of gossip." Mr. Pfister also has a statement for the foreign industry. ”

"That's right!"

Wu Shuzhen was slightly distracted and thought of other things.

Personally, she really wants to help, but in the entire foreign industry, no one is willing to help China solve these problems, unless there is a special huge profit.

The two men discussed these matters all afternoon before calling Pfister Delano III over and signing the contract together.

In the evening, Hu Chuyuan wrote a letter to Zuo Zongtang, firstly to inform Zuo Zongtang of the matter, and secondly, to tell Zuo Zongtang that he didn't want to be completely out of office. In addition, he also wrote a longer letter to Mei Qizhao, and asked Hu Rong to send it personally.

Thinking about the long term, Hu Chuyuan very much hoped that Mei Qizhao's vision could be broadened, and his ability to handle practical affairs would be better than Tan Zhonglin's, so he specially asked Hu Rong to send Mei Qizhao some very important books on Western studies.