Heroes of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 607
Qian Xiaobao regretted it a little, he was not used to drinking the rice wine he bought with low alcohol content.

Qian Xiaobao and Zhang Lixing talked about his purpose of coming to Shanghai this time while drinking rice wine and eating Shanghai braised meat.

"Don't people in Shanghai burn briquettes to boil water for cooking? Why are all the shops selling briquettes closed?" Qian Xiaobao asked puzzled.

"Of course they are closed. As soon as those shops open, hundreds of thousands of people rush to buy briquettes, and they are sold out in the blink of an eye." Zhang Lixing replied.

"Shanghai is so short of coal?" Qian Xiaobao asked.

"Of course it's missing. How much coal do the 400 million people in Shanghai burn every day? The Japanese supply so little coal, how could they not grab it? Besides, the Shanghainese are the most economically minded. If you buy coal back, you can wait for the price to rise and make a fortune! Now banknotes are waste paper, and only these things are real!" Zhang Lixing explained.

"Shanghai now restricts the purchase of coal. When the police see a person carrying more than [-] catties of coal on the street, they will confiscate it! So rich people hire dozens or hundreds of idlers. As soon as a shop selling coal balls opens, they will gather in groups. Hug up! I finally understand that the richer and the more powerful the easier it is to get rich when the country is in crisis!" Zhang Lixing said with emotion.

"What is the price of coal in Shanghai now?" Qian Xiaobao asked with concern.

"A few days ago, I just bought a load of briquettes and spent 40 yuan in China Reserve coupons." Zhang Lixing replied.

The central reserve certificate is the currency issued by the Wang government, and a load is fifty catties, which means that a ton of coal briquettes costs [-] yuan in the central reserve certificate.

"So a ton of coal costs [-] yuan?" Qian Xiaobao asked.

Zhang Lixing was stunned for a moment before he realized that Qian Xiaobao had never burned coal balls at all, so he didn't understand at all.

"To make briquettes here, you need to add clay and sawdust to the coal. Generally, coal only accounts for half of the briquettes. Of course, the more you add, the more you earn." Zhang Zhangxing explained.

"I brought [-] tons of coal this time, and I don't know how to sell it yet." Qian Xiaobao said.

Zhang Lixing looked at Qian Xiaobao blankly, just like looking at Hartung, the richest Jew in Shanghai back then.

"Didn't you work in the French Concession Board of Directors for two or three years? Help me find someone with strength and background to eat up these coals at a high price! Of course, I don't want China Reserve Certificates, and Japanese yen gold bars are fine. "Qian Xiaobao said.

"Five hundred tons of coal is a lot, but there are too many rich people in Shanghai. It's no problem at all to eat this five hundred tons of coal in one bite. They will all treat you like a god of wealth." Zhang Lixing said.

"Tomorrow you will go out to do this matter. Of course, the higher the price, the better. I personally don't want any favor fee. But I will order them, and you will definitely give the favor fee!" Qian Xiaobao said.

Qian Xiaobao specifically asked Zhang Lixing to do this because businessmen often habitually solve problems by lowering prices and paying more benefits when encountering such situations, which means harming the public and private interests.

Qian Xiaobao finally smacked his lips and said at the table: "Although the ribs are a bit sweet, they are quite tasty. I'm going to bed, and I have to go back to the pier tomorrow morning."

Zhang Lixing got up early the next morning.He combed his hair carefully, put on a suit and tie and walked out of the house.

Cangqiao Old Street has been the origin of water transportation since the Ming Dynasty, and water transportation is very developed.In addition to transporting food from north to south, coal from Shandong also passes through here.

Zhang Lixing stepped across the stone bridge to the gate of a compound with gray tiles and white walls.This is the location of Dazhonglian Coal Industry Company.

When he raised his leg to go inside, he was stopped by the person guarding the door.

"What do you want?" asked the man at the door.

"I want to go in and meet with your manager to discuss a business deal." Zhang Lixing replied.

Looking Zhang Lixing up and down the door, he said: "The coal has been sold out long ago, and it is useless for you to go in now!"

"I'm here to talk to your manager about selling coal, and I have coal in my hand now!" Zhang Lixing said.

Hearing Zhang Lixing say this, the gatekeeper looked at Zhang Lixing again, no matter how he looked at him, he didn't look like a rich man.There are scammers everywhere in Shanghai now, absolutely don't let this person in!
Even if the person in front of him is really talking about business, it won't do him any good if the deal goes through. If he's a liar or a gangster, it's easy to lose his job.

"Come back in a few days if the manager isn't here," said the doorkeeper perfunctorily.

He was still very polite to Zhang Lixing and didn't let Zhang Lixing go directly.

"Okay, anyway, it's the uncle who has coal now, and he's doing business wherever he goes." Zhang Lixing turned around and left after saying this.

But just a few steps away, he was stopped by a gentle-looking man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

"Sir, do you have coal in your hand? How much is it?" asked the man.

"Five hundred tons." Zhang Lixing replied.

Although Zhang Lixing hadn't seen coal so far, since it was Qian Xiaobao who told him, there must be no problem.

Hearing Zhang Lixing's answer, the middle-aged man stared into his eyes and was speechless.This is like Zhang Lixing saying that he has a cash cow.

The person in front of him is not crazy, is he?

"Did you just walk here?" the middle-aged man asked.

How could someone who was talking about the big business of five hundred tons of coal come here on foot?
Zhang Lixing came to his senses, and he hurriedly explained: "It's not that I have coal in my hand, I was entrusted by a friend to come here to discuss business."

The middle-aged man stretched out his hand and made a gesture of inviting him in with a look of sudden realization, and said, "I am Zhuang Moming, the assistant manager of the Dazhonglian Coal Industry Company. Let's go in and have a good talk."

Zhang Lixing followed the middle-aged man into the gate, and the person who opened the door hurriedly nodded and smiled at Zhang Lixing.

Walking through the front yard to the coal yard in the back yard, Zhang Lixing saw at least dozens of tons of coal piled up in the coal yard.

"Didn't you say that the coal is sold out? Why is there so much coal here?" Zhang Lixing asked.

"Brother, some coal should always be kept. If there are people with connections and backers who come to ask for coal with a note in the future, I don't know how many people will be offended if there is no coal for them!" The middle-aged man explained with a smile.

The two walked into an office in a row of houses behind. The middle-aged man asked Zhang Lixing to sit down and asked, "Now the Japanese are so strict in control. I don't know where your friend's coal came from?"

"I just came from the northeast yesterday, and the boat is now docked at Huangpu Wharf." Zhang Lixing replied.

"It seems that it is not easy to transport coal from the northeast to here now." The middle-aged man said with a smile.

"You sit here and wait for a while, I'll go out first." The middle-aged man said to Zhang Lixing.

He walked out of the office, walked down the corridor, knocked on the door, and walked into another larger and more luxurious office.

The middle-aged man told what happened just now to the 60-year-old man sitting behind the sofa chair.

"Do you think he's a liar?" asked the old man.

"It doesn't look like it to me. This young man doesn't look like a liar." The middle-aged man replied.

"Just take three or four people and follow this person to Huangpu Wharf. If you can't see the coal ship, kill him and throw him into the Huangpu River! Call me, and I'll send my brother to swallow the coal right away!" said the old man.

"Who has a strong relationship with you in Shanghai Beach? You are Chairman Wang and Mayor Chen's guest, and Director Li at No. 76 is your brother!" The middle-aged man smiled and complimented.

(End of this chapter)