As soon as Xu Run arrived in the courtyard of Fucui Pavilion, Hu Chuyuan went out to greet him: "Boss Xu is here, and the juniors are honored!" ”

"Where, where!"

Xu Run politely arched his hands, and said with a low smile: "Hu Shao, I have something to ask for this time!" ”

"Oh......?"

Hu Chuyuan deliberately looked a little surprised, and then invited Xu Run into the house, and said, "Boss Xu, please come and sit in the house first, let's sit down and talk!" ”

"Good!"

Xu Run nodded silently, entered the house with Hu Chuyuan, and asked his subordinates to send the prepared gifts, a pair of Jiajing royal yellow glazed red pattern phoenix high-mouth porcelain bottles, a jade jade Buddha, and two real estate contracts.

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "Boss Xu, I understand your kindness." The gift is too expensive, so I'd better not accept it! ”

Xu Run smiled bitterly and said, "With your financial resources, I'm still afraid that these gifts are too shabby." I heard that you want to build a family mansion in Shanghai, and it just so happened that I bought a Shen family garden on Ningbo Road, covering an area of more than ten acres, with the layout and layout of Jiangnan gardens, as well as several French-style garden villas. This garden is next door to the Hu Mansion, and the other English-style mansion villa in the middle is also my property, so I will give you both properties, and I can also save you a lot of trouble! ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled: "That's not good! ”

What's not good, he has already decided to take it, it just depends on how high the cost is.

At this time, Pan Limei had already walked in again with a tea set, because she was wearing a kimono and combing her hair, she was as beautiful as a fairy, which made people dizzy, and her figure was even more rare and convex, and Xu Run was not just looking sideways.

Hu Chuyuan wanted her to be his assistant, not just because she was beautiful, but also because she was very smart, especially in some small details, and she was extremely smart.

When she arrived in China, she soon discovered a problem, if she wore traditional clothes and spoke Chinese, no matter how luxuriously dressed, Hu Chuyuan's guests would treat her as Hu Chuyuan's maid and concubine, and when she talked about business, she would hint to Hu Chuyuan with her eyes - let her leave first.

In this way, it seems that Hu Chuyuan is not very good at doing things.

In fact, she knew that Hu Chuyuan actually intended to keep her to listen to it, and increase her knowledge and experience.

In order to avoid such trouble, she only wore a kimono and only spoke Mandarin, so that others thought that she could not understand Chinese.

This time, did she repeat her old tricks, or just speak the language, and invited Xu Run and Hu Chuyuan to tea.

Xu Run really didn't care about her existence, and said to Hu Chuyuan: "Hu Shao, I am going to the Three Treasures Hall for nothing, and I came to ask you for a favor this time!" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Please speak!" ”

Xu Run nodded silently and said: "Hu Shao, killing people is not enough, now Li Zhongtang has abandoned his pawn to protect the car, and has thrown Tang Yanshu out, and even the general office positions of Shanghai Steamship China Merchants Bureau and Kaiping Coal Mining Bureau have been removed." In any case, Yanshu is still very influential in Shanghai, and his relationship with Jardine Matheson is even more extraordinary, can you see if you can talk to Lord Zhongtang and let him turn to work for Lord Zhongtang? ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "I know that there are three big compradors surnamed Tang in Jardine Matheson, and Mr. Tang Yanshu are all clan brothers and cousins. Boss Tang's ability and influence are even more incomparable to me, but unfortunately, there is only one way to many things, and I am afraid that I can't do anything. ”

Xu Run continued to persuade: "Boss Tang and I are like brothers, for many years, except for this salt frying, I have not participated, but all businesses, we are working together...... ”

Before he could finish speaking, Hu Chuyuan sneered: "Including opium, I heard that the two bosses are still selling opium, and they are the largest opium suppliers in Shanghai...... It's not easy. That's all, I don't think Boss Tang and Lord Zhongtang are all the way! ”

"This ......!"

Xu Run didn't know what to say, someone planted it, someone sold it, and besides, the imperial court agreed to a large variety of special opium.

In any case, he still sells domestic opium!

Xu Run thought for a while and asked, "Hu Shao, can you think about it again, as long as Lord Zhongtang is willing, we will immediately transfer the opium business to others!" ”

To some extent, this is already the biggest concession Xu Run can make, once he loses the opium business, he and Tang Yanshu will lose a lot.

Hu Chuyuan shook his head and said, "It's a pity that I still can't do it." I don't think Boss Tang will die, I don't want to say why, but it's not necessarily much better than dying. ”

Xu Run sighed silently and said, "Then Xu will leave first!" ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "Let's have a cup of tea first and talk about something else." ”

"Oh?" Xu Run was noncommittal, but he didn't leave.

Pan Limei made tea for the two of them, sent it one by one, took a sip, and Xu Run said: "Good tea, the top of Hangzhou Longjing!" ”

Hu Chuyuan said with a smile: "Sure enough, he is worthy of being the tea king of Shanghai!" ”

Xu Run smiled bitterly again and said: "I see that there are so many stores in Jiangnan Commercial Bank, so big, I'm afraid that sooner or later I will also kill the silk industry, maybe even tea will have to be made." Childe has the support of Zhongtang and Governor He, who can compete with you, it won't be long before the title of Shanghai Tea King will be yours. As for me, I've lived for a few more decades, and I want to say something to my son. ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "You say! ”

Xu Run said: "Money can't be earned, the son doesn't have to do too much, he always has to leave a way for others to live!" ”

"Oh......?" Hu Chuyuan was noncommittal and asked: "Then who leaves a way for our country to live, and I won't tell you that what I want to do today and tomorrow is to support the army with business, and how much the business bank earns, two or four percent of the profits are military salaries." Half of what I earn will be used to support education and public causes. Recently, I plan to invest a total of 10 million taels of silver in three years to upgrade the silk and tea industries in the five provinces south of the Yangtze River. ”

Hearing this, Xu Run was silent, and only sighed after a long time: "It's still a great son, Xu should retreat bravely!" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "That's not necessarily. Boss Xu only thinks about saving Boss Tang, and his affection is so much, which makes me admire, but why doesn't Boss Xu want to think that he is also a mud bodhisattva crossing the river? ”

Xu Run was puzzled, he felt that he was still very safe, because he did not participate in the salt frying.

The reason why he did not participate in this matter was that he knew this matter very well, and knew that in the end, it was a dispute between Zuo and Li, and the businessman could easily be torn to pieces by both sides; the second is that he made a fortune in his early years from the Hunan army, which is not suitable for this; The third is that his funds are mainly trapped in Shanghai's real estate industry, and he will not be able to withdraw them for a while.

But whatever the reason, he just didn't get involved.

After thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but ask: "Why do you say that, I am also a person who has experienced storms and waves, and I know my current situation very well!" ”

He likes to talk in circles, hiding a layer of meaning.

The meaning of what he said was very simple, I, Xu Run, was scared, don't come to deceive me with your little tricks!

It's a pity that Hu Chuyuan really didn't scare him.

Hu Chuyuan asked him very seriously: "Okay, may I ask Boss Xu, which is more important between you and Sheng Xuanhuai in Li Zhongtang, who is the person who is trustworthy, and who is just the person who needs to be used for a while?" ”

"...... this?"

Xu Run didn't know how to answer, and felt that Hu Chuyuan was going to play a trick, so he said: "Lord Zhongtang has always treated me with a heavy ......!" ”

Hu Chuyuan couldn't help but laugh evilly, and teased: "You don't have the confidence to say this yourself, Sheng Xuanhuai is Li Zhongtang's staff, his father was once reused, and you are a foreigner comprador." Boss Tang is a very capable and influential person, and he is also very important to Li Zhongtang, but he can give up. In my opinion, Sheng Xuanhuai will squeeze you out of Shanghai Steamship China Merchants one day sooner or later, and the country you have worked so hard for will be handed over to Sheng Xuanhuai in the end! ”