1850 American Gold Tycoon

Chapter 76

"What does Brother Wu think is the most important thing for a businessman?"

Liang Yao opened the cigarette case, took out a Cuban cigar from the case, cut it and handed it to Wu Yuanhua.

"Vision, means, reputation, and opportunity."

Wu Yuanhua said slowly, holding a cigar between his fingers.

"Let's just talk about the reputation. Brother Wu, what's the reputation of Jardine Bank?"

"It's not Brother Yu boasting about Haikou. In terms of reputation, the merchants of the Thirteen Banks in Guangzhou are the best. Among the merchants in the Thirteen Banks in Guangzhou, the one with the best reputation is my Wu Family's Jardine Bank." Wu Yuanhua said very proudly, "When my father was alive, the most important thing was reputation. It's sad! Hateful!"

"Why is it sad? Why is it hateful?"

"The sad thing is that my father values ​​credit, but foreigners don't. The Wu family doesn't expect the foreign businessmen who helped them in the past to repay the Wu family's favors. They only hope that they can return the debt owed by the Wu family.

What I hate is that a British businessman established a Jardine company on Hong Kong Island eight years ago, and opened a Jardine company in Shanghai the following year, making profits in the name of Jardine company.But my Wu family can't help it, don't you think it's annoying?
If things go on like this, within a few decades, people at home and abroad will only know about Jardine Matheson but not Jardine. "

"Exasperating, exasperating!" Liang Yao also felt the same way, "Just the three words of Jardine Bank are worth thousands of dollars, so I said that Brother Wu can use the name of Jardine Bank in the United States with dignity." , do business in an aboveboard manner, and don’t have to follow crooked ways.”

Having said that, Wu Yuanhua took out a bunch of bills from his sleeve as if he remembered something.

"This property was purchased from an American businessman when my father was still alive. Can you please help me to learn more about it? Brother Yu doesn't know much about the property of foreigners."

Liang Yao took the bills from Wu Yuanhua, put them on the table and checked them.

Wu Bingjian's investment in the United States is quite extensive, involving railways, securities, and insurance.

Liang Yao has also done his homework on the major railway companies, bank securities companies, and insurance companies in the eastern United States, and he knows more or less about them.

What is certain is that these assets of Wu Bingjian are not junk assets, and are very likely to be high-quality assets.

At least Liang Yao had heard of the names of these railway companies, brokers and insurance companies, and they were all reputable companies in the east.

Among them, the Delaware and Hudson Railway Company is now a relatively powerful railway company in the east. Perhaps it was when Wu Bingjian bought the shares of the railway company that the railway company was just starting up, so the Wu family owned Delaware and Hudson. So many shares in the Sunny Railroad Company.

"Old Mr. Wu really has a unique vision." Liang Yao sighed as he put down the receipt in his hand.

Wu Yuanhua was overjoyed when he heard the words: "Your brother, what you mean is that these bills are not all waste paper?"

Wu Yuanhua came here with the worst intentions. According to Liang Yao, these bills can still be worth some money, which has exceeded his expectations.

"It's definitely not waste paper." Liang Yao said with certainty.

"Brother, can you give me an estimate?" Wu Yuanhua asked.

"It's hard to say, it needs to be evaluated in detail, and it will take some time." Liang Yao said.

These assets of Wu Bingjian were purchased more than ten or twenty years ago, or even earlier, and the specific value is hard to say.

"Forgive me, brother Yu, since these bills are still worth some money, I wonder if my brother intentionally took over these assets of the Wu family in the United States?"

Wu Yuanhua cupped his hands towards Liang Yao and said.

"Brother Wu is too impatient. How much the Wu family's assets in the United States are worth is not yet determined. If my bid is low, your Wu family will inevitably say that I took advantage of your Wu family in the future. If my bid is high, I When I think of this incident in the future, I will feel uncomfortable. In the end, I, Liang Yao, will find it difficult to be a human being."

"Brother Yu didn't think well, please forgive me." Wu Yuanhua also felt that his move was too abrupt, and apologized to Liang Yao.

"Brother Wu is so impatient, he must have encountered some difficulties and needs money urgently." Liang Yao guessed.

"To tell you the truth, Jardine House is indeed in trouble at the moment and needs a fund for turnover. Otherwise, I would not have taken risks to come to the United States with the idea of ​​using these overseas assets. My late father bought the assets of an American businessman. It's not for the dividends, but to make friends with American businessmen and make Jardine House famous." Wu Yuanhua said with a long sigh.

Before the five-port trade agreement, the Wu family had the privileges granted by the imperial court. If foreign merchants want to buy local products from the Qing Dynasty, it depends on their Jardine House's face. The Wu family can be said to be lying down to make money.

After the five-port trade agreement, they had to face domestic pressure from Fujian merchants, Zhejiang merchants, and Lianghuai merchants, and external pressure from foreign merchants, and according to the "Nanjing Treaty," British merchants had the right to negotiate tariffs. Words are undoubtedly a fatal blow.

"I don't know how much money brother Wu needs for turnover?" Liang Yao asked.

Wu Yuanhua shook his head and said, "It takes five hundred and thirty thousand taels of Kuping silver."

Liang Yao came to San Francisco to seek gold for nothing, and now it has been less than a year. Wu Yuanhua guessed that Liang Yao's financial resources were not strong.

It was rumored that Liang Yaofu belonged to the San Francisco, but in Wu Yuanhua's view, the San Francisco was not very big and not very prosperous.

Even if Liang Yao really has a golden mountain and can pick up money from the golden mountain, Wu Yuanhua deduces that Liang Yao's assets are no more than a few hundred thousand taels of silver at most.

It is true that the Wu family's assets exceeded 2400 million taels of silver at their peak, but that was accumulated by three generations.

It's not that Wu Yuanhua underestimated Liang Yao. In less than a year since he came to San Francisco, Liang Yao can accumulate hundreds of thousands of taels of silver for nothing, which in his opinion is already very remarkable.

It's just that Wu Yuanhua still underestimated the wealth of California's gold mines. California's gold mines are not comparable to those poor mines in China that have been mined for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Five hundred and thirty thousand taels of silver is nothing to Liang Yao, not to mention five hundred and thirty thousand taels of silver, even five hundred and thirty thousand taels of gold, he can get it out by gritting his teeth.

Liang Yao came up with the idea of ​​the Wu family's Jardine House. In his opinion, the Jardine House's business name is far more valuable than the Wu family's real estate, land, and bank.

The high society in the United States and Europe also recognized the brand value of Jardine House.

As long as the name of Jardine House is on the product, it is synonymous with high-end products in their eyes, and buying these products is also more face-saving.

Jardine Matheson often does this kind of thing. It often puts the Jardine House name on the inferior silk, tea and porcelain it buys, and makes huge profits by shoddy.

Liang Yao wanted to quickly open up the market in the eastern United States in a short period of time by purchasing the Jardine House name.

"I wonder if Brother Wu is willing to transfer the name of Jardine House?" Liang Yao asked.

"Brother Xian, are you joking?"

Wu Yuanhua was greatly astonished, Liang Yao's appetite was too great.

Although the Wu family is now in decline, the Jardine House will definitely not be sold. This is the lifeblood of their Wu family.

"Jardine House's business name is the root of the Wu family's foothold. If it is sold, the descendants of the Wu family will go underground. How can they face their ancestors?" Wu Yuanhua shook his head and said, "Besides, I am not the master of the Wu family now. "

"It's not for sale." Liang Yao said with a smile, "Jardine House still belongs to your Wu family. I just bought the right to use the Jardine House for ten years. In this way, your Wu family can also get a sum of money to cross the border." Get over it."

"It's a big problem. I can't make the decision. I need to go back and discuss it with my brother." Wu Yuanhua said, and at the same time he couldn't help but secretly slander: Can Liang Yao really afford such money?Is he really so kind?

"Then what's the matter, Brother Wu can make the decision now?" Liang Yao got up and asked.

"Open a semicolon in San Francisco to see if San Francisco is profitable. This is the purpose of my trip." Wu Yuanhua said.

"Then congratulations, Brother Wu, for coming to the right place. San Francisco is full of gold, and it is a good place to make a fortune. The matter of the business can be discussed in a long-term way. Brother Wu has a good rest. I will take Brother Wu for a walk around some other day." Liang Yao said.

(End of this chapter)