NFBE Chapter 123 200 Million
Chapter 123 200 Million
"Oh! By the way, I wonder what brings Mr. Licheng here to see me today?" Shen Lian certainly didn't think that he was the one who was suddenly struck by a great talent like Licheng.
"Hehe! I just found out that an old friend of mine is also in the Allied Forces, and I wanted to come and see him. As for the other one, I am quite fluent in several Western languages and have a good understanding of their customs and traditions."
"Ahem! The imperial court is about to negotiate with the foreign powers, isn't it? If it can be of any use, I'm willing to do my part for the country." The old man chuckled awkwardly.
"Hahaha! That's great! It would be even better if Mr. Licheng could participate in the negotiations! Here's what we'll do: you stay in the capital for now. I'll discuss it with Prince Qing and Minister Li after they arrive."
“I think it’s very appropriate for you to participate in the negotiations as our negotiation assistant,” Shen Lian said earnestly.
"Hahaha! Thank you very much, Your Excellency Governor!" The old man left happily.
Shen Lian shook his head. The old man clearly wanted to show off in this kind of setting. If he were to angrily berate and mock the foreigners during the negotiations, he would surely feel incredibly pleased.
This opportunity to achieve worldwide fame and be remembered in history is not something everyone can have. For traditional scholars like them, the temptation was simply too great!
In recent days, Shen Lian has received numerous requests, both overt and covert, all from people wanting to infiltrate the negotiation team. Even if they can't go on stage, they'd be happy to serve tea and water from the sidelines.
Shen Lian scoffed at this! Damn it, you ran faster than rabbits when the Allied Forces invaded, and now you want to make history? Get the hell out of here!
The first to arrive in the capital were Qiao Zhiyong and his entourage, who set off immediately upon receiving news of Shen Lian's recapture of the capital. Merchants, naturally, reacted much faster than officials.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!" Upon seeing Shen Lian stride in like a dragon and a tiger, the group of business owners hurriedly knelt down.
"Haha, esteemed guests, please rise! I hope your journey has been smooth?" Shen Lian, dressed in military uniform, walked to the seat of honor and sat down.
He really didn't want to wear the zombie costume, so the military uniform he designed himself was a little more comfortable. However, it wasn't appropriate to wear a military uniform for every occasion, so Shen Lian had already found the best tailor in the capital to make new clothes.
What kind of clothes? It has to be a Chinese-style stand-up collar! Add a dragon over the shoulder, so majestic and imposing. It blows away all current clothing!
Of course, Shen Lian doesn't dare to use the five-clawed dragon pattern yet, but for an official of his rank, using a four-clawed dragon is perfectly fine.
"Thank you for your concern, sir! Our journey to the capital has been relatively smooth." Qiao Zhiyong stood up and cupped his hands in thanks. The other major business owners also looked extremely respectful and humbled.
This Marshal Shen was a man who single-handedly mended the nation's woes, turned the tide, and rendered a great service to the court. He also commanded the strongest army in the land, and had killed countless foreigners.
Although Shen Lian wore a gentle smile, the merchants were still terrified and dared not make a move.
"Don't be so formal, everyone, please sit down!" Shen Lian invited everyone to sit down and had tea served.
"Everyone here is very busy, and I am also very busy. So I won't stand on ceremony and will get straight to the point."
"The main reason I invited you all here is to pool our collective strength to establish our own bank and compete with the foreigners."
“Our private capital is no less than that of foreign trading companies, and may even be stronger. However, in the past, we were all scattered and it was difficult to achieve great things.”
"Furthermore, your old way of operating a money exchange was too simplistic. It's outdated for the current economic situation..." Shen Lian spoke eloquently, and the major owners below listened intently. This involved a massive amount of money, so they had to be careful.
"What you said, sir, is very true! You have taught us nouveau riche a great lesson, from which we have benefited greatly! We never imagined that you would be such a brilliant strategist, invincible on the battlefield, and that you would annihilate the allied forces of the great powers."
"Such profound insights into business truly make us feel ashamed!" Taking advantage of Shen Lian's pause to drink tea, Qiao Zhiyong stood up and showered him with flattery.
"I wonder how we will manage this bank after it is established?" Seeing that Shen Lian was in a good mood, Qiao Zhiyong boldly asked the question that everyone was most concerned about.
"Of course, we should leave it to professionals to manage," Shen Lian said matter-of-factly.
"For example, if we publicly raise 100 million taels of capital, you can contribute your bank accounts, manpower, and cash. Other merchants can also contribute cash."
“Once the bank is established, of course the most professional people will be hired to manage it. And we investors will become shareholders, and according to our respective shareholdings, we will send people to form a board of directors.”
"Then the board of directors can be responsible for overseeing the bank's operations!" This is common knowledge in modern times; there's nothing strange about it. Shen Lian said casually.
"One hundred million taels? Is it even possible to raise that much?" The major business owners looked at each other in disbelief. They were all millionaires, and they had never even dared to dream of raising one hundred million taels before.
"Don't be fooled by the fact that many ordinary people outside are starving; we, the common people, are certainly not short of money. We'll also be screening those who want to invest! Not everyone is qualified to invest," Shen Lian waved his hand.
"Of course, it doesn't matter whether you like it or not. You are free to come and go. If you want to join, I welcome you. If you still want to continue running your own bank, that's fine too. You should have heard some things about me."
“However, I think this is the best opportunity for you. If we wait until our bank is established, your banks may have a hard time surviving,” Shen Lian said confidently.
"My lord, may we have a few days to discuss this?" Qiao Zhiyong stood up and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Of course! It's understandable that everyone should think about such a big matter carefully. But I hope you can do it quickly, because I might not have much energy left to focus on this matter in the future." Shen Lian nodded.
"Yes! Thank you for your understanding, Governor. We will give you a reply as soon as possible. You are very busy, so we dare not delay. We will take our leave now!" The group of merchants stood up to say goodbye.
"Alright! Then I won't see you off. Tell Yuanshan what your decisions are! I'll discuss it with you all in detail when I have time. Yuanshan, please see you all off for me." Shen Lian stood up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.
"Boss Qiao, what do you think?" Several big bosses walked out of the Prime Minister's Office and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let's find a place to chat! I've heard the food at Zhengyanglou is pretty good, how about I treat everyone to a drink today!" Qiao Zhiyong said with a beaming smile.
"Alright! Then I'll be indebted to you, Mr. Qiao!"
The group of merchants boarded their carriages and headed towards Zhengyang Tower!