Time flies, Hu Chuyuan keeps going back and forth between Fuzhou and Shanghai, and has to go to the Fuzhou Shipping Administration Yamen once a month, make some decisions according to his own ideas, and then let others handle them.

The operation of the Jiangnan Cooperative on the tea industry has been steadily carried out, steady and steady, and the speed of expansion is moderate, Hu Chuyuan only gave a control over the overall situation, and established a British tea company through Swire & Co., to achieve unified operation in the three aspects of production, economy and marketing, and also continue to increase advertising investment.

More time, Hu Chuyuan still runs his own industry in Shanghai.

Most of the half year passed in such a hurry.

After spending the Spring Festival in Hangzhou, Hu Chuyuan returned to Shanghai with his two younger brothers.

The old Erhu Pinyuan followed Yu Yue to learn in the Chinese Culture Museum, he is very smart, he can learn a lot of things, and he can remember them at a glance, but he has to dabble in too much, calligraphy and painting and gold and stone studies.

Hu Yuanyuan was very low-key as an apprentice in Wanqi Foreign Bank, and rented a small house outside with a few apprentices, and only occasionally went back to Yongyuan to chat with Hu Chuyuan and Hu Pinyuan about the interesting, strange, and troublesome things he had experienced recently.

As soon as Hu Chuyuan returned to Shanghai, merchants from Huizhou, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and foreigners all took this opportunity to visit Hu's house, give him some gifts, pay homage to him for a New Year, and have to meet him in life and death to talk a few polite words.

Until the Lantern Festival passed, Hu Chuyuan was rarely quiet for a few days, so he didn't go to work in the commercial bank and stayed in the Yinghua Pavilion to read books.

In the evening, when the sun was setting, it was almost time for dinner, and Wu Shuzhen came to look for him.

The weather was very cold, she wore a snow-white fox fur coat, her black hair was naturally tied into a bunch, hanging down at the back of her neck, and she was wearing a pair of black suede boots, which made her look more beautiful and noble.

The two checked the general ledger in the study and sorted out last year's dividends.

After talking about the money, Wu Shuzhen said with admiration: "As you said, the profits of the jewelry business are really high, we only invested tens of thousands of taels of silver, and when the general account is cleared next year, we will almost be able to recover the principal." The situation of the watch shop is also very good, it can sell more than a dozen pieces every day, and the gross profit is also 20%. Although there are many accounts in and out of the silver building, the profit margin is very average, so you can think about the tricks. ”

Hu Chuyuan asked her: "Do you know why the profit margin of Yinlou is not high?" ”

Wu Shuzhen said: "The competition is too fierce, there are more than ten silver buildings in the Shanghai Concession, and there are a lot of them in the Chinese world, everyone's business is almost the same, that is, they rely on craftsmanship to eat, although you have dug up a few skilled masters for me, the conditions are a little higher." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Yinlou is a traditional business, relying on craftsmanship and word-of-mouth, others are century-old shops, but our Kimberley Yinlou is a new store and new number, without word-of-mouth, it is untenable." Therefore, it is necessary to spend a little more money at the beginning and hire a few skilled masters. ”

Wu Shuzhen was a little puzzled and asked: "Then can we stop doing business in Yinlou, concentrate our capital, and open new jewelry stores in Tianjin and Hong Kong." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Although the business of the jewelry store is highly profitable, the current audience is not large, and if your Kimberley firm wants to grow in today's domestic market, it must do the business of gold and silver buildings." ”

Wu Shuzhen said: "The problem is that it is difficult to do a big silver building business, you can't do work without a silversmith, and you can't recruit a job without a good silversmith, a silversmith will have to stay from an apprentice to a teacher for at least ten years, and the master still refuses to take it, and he can only bring a few in his life." The two of us, I'm afraid that if we get old, we may not be able to open many silver buildings, just by digging people's corners, sooner or later we will offend all silver buildings, so why bother, do you still lack this money? ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "You are a talented woman who came back from the United States, why can't you think of a suitable way?" I'll give you a trick, you choose one of those powerful masters, negotiate the price with him, ask him to be responsible for training silversmiths in the future, and set up a goldsmith school to train apprentices, and we will provide their own silver materials for them to exercise, and they will be able to become teachers in two or three years. During this period, you will continue to dig up some skilled masters to support the scene, and it doesn't matter if the cost is high. ”

Wu Shuzhen praised repeatedly: "This method is really good, then you can open as many stores as you want." ”

Hu Chuyuan suddenly laughed out loud and said, "Do you really expect to make money by opening a silver building?" ”

Wu Shuzhen said seriously: "Yes, why not? You think, as long as a silver building is handled well, it can earn at least a few thousand taels of silver a year, and if you open hundreds of stores in the five provinces of Jiangnan, it will be a profit of hundreds of thousands of taels a year! ”

Hu Chuyuan said with a smile: "The profit is on the jewelry, how much can you earn by just opening a silver building?" The role of the silver building is only to train more craftsmen, and as the demand for jewelry gradually increases, the Kimberley will become more and more profitable. In addition, the silver building can play a role in hoarding gold and silver speculation, which is also a use. Third, as Swire, Wanqi, Wanbao, and Chanchen shifted their focus to other foreign colonies, there would inevitably be a large supply of jewellery and gold, and Kimberley was a good distribution channel. ”

Wu Shuzhen couldn't help but smile and said, "There's really no way to compare with you, you can always see so far." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Small business can be big, big business can also be small, the key is to see what you think." China's business is still the most profitable. When you are more and more comfortable with Kimberley, you will open a high-end department store on Nanjing Road, specializing in luxury goods, not only in Shanghai, but also in Tianjin and Hong Kong. ”

Wu Shuzhen couldn't help laughing out loud anymore and said, "This is my favorite business!" ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled silently, he was very happy that Wu Shuzhen could be so happy, this woman is different from ordinary people, she likes to run her own business, and she is indeed a person who can do business.

Compared with many traditional businessmen in China, she pays great attention to marketing, not only advertising, but also renting billboards in the most prosperous sections.

Thinking of this, Hu Chuyuan's heart suddenly moved, and Wu Shuzhen said: "Actually, there is another business that you are quite suitable for, if you do it well, it will also be very profitable...... Wrong, it should be said that it is two. ”

Wu Shuzhen immediately became more interested, and asked eagerly and curiously: "What is it, tell me quickly!" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Advertising marketing and agency. To be precise, you have to set up a very special foreign company, which is responsible for advertising, designing marketing strategies for others, designing a business name and brand. At the same time, the company is also engaged in the agency of various high-end personal consumer goods, such as watches, cigars, cosmetics. ”

Wu Shuzhen suddenly couldn't help but punch Hu Chuyuan lightly, and said, "Oh, you guy is really too smart, this is really a special good idea!" ”

Immediately, she asked urgently: "Then tell me, what is the name of this foreign firm?" ”

Hu Chuyuan thought for a moment and said, "It's a pity that Jardine is a business opened by your family, but now it is occupied by others." Otherwise, it would be good to use the business name Jardine, but if Jardine is not good, then it will be called Le Yi Yangxing. ”

Wu Shuzhen smiled leisurely, seemed to be very open, and said: "I don't care, the past is over, my father always told me, don't always carry the past, a family wants to be young, let alone the past." ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded silently, feeling that this was very reasonable.

It seems that he also has a new understanding of Wu Shuzhen.

Wu Shuzhen thought about it herself, and asked him: "How about Jetta Foreign Bank, Jiezhi, fast, quickly help people succeed, isn't this a good idea?" ”

Hu Chuyuan always felt that she must have a little sadness in her heart, and just wanted to echo her and make her happy, so he laughed and said, "Jetta...... It's really good. Let's call it Jetta Foreign Company. You can go to the bid quickly, but be sure to find a good partner. Unlike running a jewelry store, you used to just sit behind the counter and keep your accounts in check. If you want to open this foreign bank, you have to deal with all kinds of people, especially with foreign bank managers and Chinese businessmen, girls are not very convenient, I don't mean that women can't do it, it's really not suitable for you to play your talents! ”

"Alright, don't talk to me so carefully!" Wu Shuzhen actually had a bit of a coquettish charm, and said with a smile: "I know, I'll go back to the United States in a few days and ask my former classmates to help introduce a person who works in the advertising industry." The U.S. advertising industry is also decades old, and it is growing very fast, so it should be possible to find the right people. There should also be a shopkeeper in the country to help take care of it, even if it is a comprador, can you recommend someone for me? ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Yang Hongbin is good...... But he doesn't necessarily want to be a comprador, wait and see......! ”

Before he finished speaking, Hu Rong hurriedly ran in, holding a telegram in his hand, and said, "Young Master, Lord Zhongtang has sent you a telegram, and it is a particularly urgent telegram!" ”

Hu Chuyuan sighed, immediately got up and took the telegram in his hand, opened it, and saw that it was written with ten words: "Emergency telegram, the overall situation has been decided, and everything is feasible".

Seeing these words, Hu Chuyuan felt a burst of joy in his heart, he knew that what he had been planning for nearly two years had finally come to pass.

He couldn't help laughing, and instructed Hu Rong: "Go, go and call Chen Xiaobai, Tan Yiyun, Liu Chengxiang, and Zheng Xitai, the four big shopkeepers, and call Ye Tongguang to me alone in the evening, just say it's a great joy." ”

"Good, good!"

Hu Rong saw that Hu Chuyuan was happy, and he was also very happy in his heart, so he immediately agreed, and hurriedly turned around and ran out of the study.

Wu Shuzhen asked Hu Chuyuan curiously: "What's the matter, making you happy like this?" ”

Hu Chuyuan laughed again, waved his arms, and said: "My dream of CITIC Bank is finally coming true, although Zhongtang did not explain the specific situation, it seems that the imperial court has already approved, otherwise it must be approved." ”

Wu Shuzhen was puzzled and said, "I've always wondered, if you want to open a bank, what's so difficult?" I've been quietly preparing for the past two years, and I've really been in a hurry. ”

Hu Chuyuan laughed out loud and said, "You don't understand, what I want is not an ordinary bank, but a bank with the right to issue banknotes." In order to achieve this goal, I have taken many detours and come up with many ways to avoid the avoidance of many Qing courts. Not to mention anything else, for this matter, I have asked Shen Furong to secretly spend more than 1.4 million taels of silver in the Beijing Division in the past two years, just Prince Gong, the minister of the military aircraft foreman, Prince Su in charge of civil affairs, and the greedy Prince Qing have spent more than half of the silver, plus the large and small officials of the household department and the official department, and the eunuchs around Cixi, I have made a little bit of it all the way, is it just for a money village that has changed its appearance? ”

Wu Shuzhen sighed: "It's really difficult to do something in China, even you have to make so many detours and spend so much money, let alone others." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "I eat crabs, and I always pay the most." When I finish this, other official firms will rush to follow suit. In the past two years, they have copied me vigorously, what do I do, they will do, because of this, I have been quietly preparing for so long, and when I handle it, they can't copy it if they want to! ”

(To be continued)