Compared with slowly accumulating by himself, slowly fighting with Li Hongzhang and Sheng Xuanhuai, it is obviously faster and more cost-effective to dig up the big fish of Xu Run.

After doing the math, Xu Run is only forty years old now, and it is a good time to be energetic, and he is at a very high level in terms of ability, qualifications, experience and social relations.

Hu Chuyuan immediately discussed with Xu Run the steps and date of the merger, and the two talked about the big thing, and the time was already late at night, Xu Run said to him: "It's almost time for me to say goodbye, and I will start handling related things when I return to Shanghai this time, but it's just ...... What Boss Tang asked me to do was not done, but I made a good business by myself, and I feel ashamed! ”

Hu Chuyuan didn't want to talk about it, but after thinking about it, he still said: "Boss Xu, after you go back, tell Boss Tang that things are really not something that we people can finalize and decide." It is impossible for him to get out of the concession at the moment, but as long as he stays in the concession, the problem will not be too big, as for the property outside the concession, quickly resell it to others at a low price, and it must be someone who can keep it, otherwise he will have to be reclaimed! ”

Xu Run couldn't help but be overjoyed and asked, "Are you sure!" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Seventy or eighty percent of it." ”

Xu Run sighed: "Seventy or eighty percent of the certainty is enough, well, I'll go back and inform him now, I hope it can be as you said." ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded silently and personally sent him away.

After Xu Run left, Hu Chuyuan returned to the room, pretending to be incomprehensible Chinese, and Pan Limei, who was guarding the side, sighed: "Young master, you are so powerful, you have frustrated him in just a few words." But I don't understand, why do you want to give him 20% of the shares, then don't you only have 50%? ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled faintly and said, "You must first understand a very simple truth, money is inexhaustible, but time is limited. The second truth is that there are three conditions for doing business to be invincible, one is capital, the second is relationship, and the third is talent. ”

Pan Limei listened carefully to these words, fell into deep thought, and said after a while: "Young master, if you swallow his tea house and steamship bureau, do you get the relationship he has accumulated in the tea industry and shipping industry over the years, as well as the talents who run these industries, from the shopkeeper to the guys, all of them." ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled, he really intended to train Pan Limei, and said: "In addition, there is a third truth, you think about it yourself, if you can't figure it out, I can give you a hint, that is, refer to the share capital ratio of Shanghai Steamship China Merchants!" ”

"Oh......!" Pan Limei thought for a moment and said, "Is it to prevent the Qing court from being jealous of you?" You have a monopoly of 76% of the shares in Jiangnan Commercial Bank, which is indeed very domineering, and this is a club that operates on the privilege of official shares. ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Yes. I used to only do salt business, and I was in no hurry to change. Now it is different, after this battle, Jiangsu and Zhejiang businessmen have suffered heavy losses, in previous years and I competed with the silk industry of the two most important opponents are facing the dilemma of raiding the house, Jiangsu and Zhejiang's raw silk industry is already me. Monopolize the salt business, then swallow the silk industry, and then develop towards tea and shipping, the rice industry is also steadily expanding, and the capital is getting bigger and bigger, and the imperial court is probably very jealous! ”

Pan Limei said: "Young Master, you are indeed a very powerful man. ”

"No!"

Hu Chuyuan shook his head and said, "My level is also insufficient, Tang Tingshu and Xu Run's ability to calculate this kind of thing is stronger than mine, and several Zhongtang and Jiangsu Governor Tan Zhonglin are stronger than me." We need to understand this very clearly. Only when we are clear about these things can we take precautions and make arrangements in advance. ”

Pan Limei nodded silently.

The New Year came in a flash, the salt disaster case could not be concluded for a long time, and Hu Chuyuan did not have the heart to go back for the New Year, so he continued to live in Suzhou.

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, as Hu Chuyuan expected, Zeng Guoquan had a tough attitude and wanted to enter the concession to arrest Tang Tingshu and other businessmen on the charge of "fornicating with foreign countries", but the public concession did not agree and protested against this charge, and the two sides quarreled with each other.

The three masterminds of the salt disaster case were Tang Tingshu, Gu Shousong, and Zhang Songxian, except for Zhang Songxian, who was arrested, and the other two were hiding in the British and American concessions in Shanghai.

If the main culprit can't be caught, how can the case be tried?

By about the twentieth day of the first month, Tang Tingshu and Gu Shousong had fled to Hong Kong.

Zeng Guoquan originally had to wait until he was arrested before being convicted, but at this time he couldn't catch anyone, so Suo added two charges of "absconding in fear of crime and leaking out of Tibetan silver", and investigated Tang, Gu, and Zhang's three families.

After waiting for a few more days, Yang Changjun, the newly appointed Shanghai Daotai, came to visit Hu Chuyuan.

As soon as the two met, Yang Changjun smiled and said: "Congratulations to the cavalry lieutenant, Lord Zhongtang has appointed you as the general office of the Shanghai Procurement Bureau, in charge of the procurement of arms and materials in Liangjiang, this is an important task, and I hope that the cavalry lieutenant will handle it with heart!" ”

"That's ......!" Hu Chuyuan couldn't help but be a little surprised, because he hadn't heard any rumors before, and immediately said to Yang Changjun: "My lord's re-emergence and the new appointment of Shanghai Daotai are also gratifying." ”

Yang Changjun laughed and said, "Rejoice and rejoice." ”

Hu Chuyuan saw that he had other things to discuss, so he invited him into the Fucui Pavilion.

Sure enough, as soon as Yang Changjun sat down, he let the left and right retreat, took out a letter and handed it to Hu Chuyuan, and said solemnly: "This is a handwritten letter from Lord Zhongtang, and I ask the cavalry captain to burn it immediately after reading it." ”

“……！”

Hu Chuyuan raised his eyes slightly, and a bright light flashed in his eyes.

He opened the letter and scanned it carefully, only to realize that it was indeed to be burned, and could not be kept.

It turned out that Zuo Zongtang said three things in the letter, the first thing was that Hu Chuyuan took advantage of the situation and returned to Shanghai, so he gave him the position of the general office of the Shanghai Procurement Bureau;

The second thing, Zuo Zongtang and He Jing are discussing the matter of tax reduction for Jiangnan Commercial Bank, after Zeng Guoquan went south to try the case, Zuo Zongtang knew that the matter had been stabilized, so he exchanged secret letters with Prince Gong to discuss tax reduction.

Generally speaking, it can be negotiated, but just in case, the equity ratio within Jiangnan Commercial Bank should be slightly changed, so as not to make all the benefits of other people's tax cuts get by Hu Chuyuan alone.

There is no small matter in politics, and a seemingly simple proposal can provide an opportunity for political opponents to attack.

Even Zuo Zongtang and Prince Gong had to be cautious.

The third thing is that there are large amounts of seized assets in Huzhou and Shanghai this time, and Zuo Zongtang means to let Hu Chuyuan take the lead and buy these assets at a low price to increase the capital.

Regarding this matter, Zuo Zongtang particularly emphasized the four words "the case should be concluded quickly".

After reading the letter, Hu Chuyuan burned the letter and said to Yang Changjun: "Your Excellency is responsible for seizing the assets of the Tang family and the Gu family in Shanghai, I don't know if there is a specific list!" ”

Yang Changjun smiled, took out two folds from his cuffs, and said, "A few days ago, Lord Mei, the governor of Zhejiang, sent his son Mei Qian to me, sent me a list of assets seized in Huzhou, discussed with me, and sold these assets to the cavalry lieutenant at a discount. I went to Jiangning to ask Zhongtang, and Lord Zhongtang also meant the same. ”