A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

The Germans work very quickly. After getting the land title, they were ready to start planning, designing and building the factory.

Li Yu will need to find more people of his own in the future.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to go out by himself, someone will contact him, because medicinal materials are a big business, not only the sales volume is large, but the profits are also high.

Someone came to Yuyuan with several advertisements for Japanese "Rendan" and found Li Yu.

The person who came was Huang Chujiu, an early tycoon in Shanghai. The famous "Shanghai World" was founded by him.

But Huang Chujiu made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry.

"Master Emperor, you're polite!" Huang Chujiu said politely.

Li Yu invited him into Yu Garden: "It's said inside."

After a brief exchange of greetings, Huang Chujiu placed the advertisement for "Rendan" on the table: "The emperor must have seen this advertisement. Nowadays, the dumping of Japanese Rendan is so fierce that the advertisements are overwhelming, making everyone feel as if they don't have a few bottles at home." Ren Dan', you can't be emergency."

Huang Chujiu took out several bottles of "Ren Dan" and continued: "The Japanese also started a price war. Such a large bottle of 400 pills costs [-] cents; a small package of Ren Dan only costs [-] cents."

Today's nine cents can be converted into more than 900 yuan, which is not a particularly small amount.

However, relying on the advantages of publicity, it has so many so-called effects such as "specialized in treating heatstroke, mild cold, acclimatization, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, stroke and fainting, headache and dizziness, drunkenness and seasickness", and "only sells" it for [-] cents, which is already a bargain. .

At this time, ordinary people did not have particularly good means to identify authenticity, let alone market supervision, price departments, and quality inspection departments. What was said in the newspapers was almost what it said.

What's more, the Japanese also promoted Rendan everywhere as "the number one in Japan, the holy medicine for emergencies", which convinced the common people.

Therefore, ordinary people in the late Qing Dynasty still spent money to buy Rendan under the difficult life.

Historically, the sales of this drug in China were excellent. In 1910 alone, it contributed 45 yen in sales to Hiroshi Morishita, equivalent to more than [-] taels of silver.

By 1916, sales even exceeded those in Japan.

A few years later, according to the then US Consul General in Shanghai, the sales volume of Rendan in China was almost equal to the total sales volume of all other foreign drugs in China.

But if you really say it is a panacea, that is pure nonsense.

The United States later sent Japanese Nidan to the Pharmaceutical Association for analysis, which showed that Nidan "does not contain any effective ingredients" because "it lacks effective alkaloids" and most of its ingredients are sugar.

That is to say, what Morishita Hiroshi produces are completely fake and shoddy products, and there is no imitation at all.

To sum it up in one sentence, it is all due to marketing that it sells so well.

Huang Chujiu said: "I hope the imperial master can explain the Japanese intentions using scientific means."

Li Yu sighed: "It would be fine if it were Western medicine, but the Japanese keep saying it is a Chinese patent medicine."

"Not at all!" Huang Chujiu said, "Based on my many years of experience in selling medicinal materials, even if it really has the therapeutic effect as advertised, it would still require dozens of medicinal materials, so it would be impossible to have such a low price."

Li Yu thought for a while: "We can let a famous old Chinese medicine doctor speak out about this matter, and then we also need to publish it in newspapers. Our past thinking of 'the deepest wine is not afraid of the darkest alleys' must be abandoned, otherwise we will not be able to compete with the new marketing methods. .”

Huang Chujiu sighed: "This is also the first time I know that business can be done like this. It is overwhelming and menacing. It was like dark clouds covering the sun just after it came out."

Li Yu said: "Marketing really needs to be studied carefully."

"Marketing is also a Western theory?" Huang Chujiu asked.

Li Yu nodded: "That's right."

Huang Chujiu was stunned: "We have been doing business for hundreds of years, but we are lagging behind in this aspect?"

Li Yu spread his hands: "And it is far behind. I even feel that this backwardness is as terrible as the backwardness in science, politics and law."

Huang Chujiu clenched his fists hard: "I'm in a hurry! Where are you going to learn?"

Li Yu said: "Aren't there many masters in the concession?"

"Concession? Master?" Huang Chujiu asked doubtfully.

Li Yu said: "Those Jews."

Huang Chujiu shook his head repeatedly: "No, no! Their way of doing business has no bottom line, even the God of Wealth can't stand it!"

As a traditional Chinese businessman, he does have professional ethics in doing business.

Li Yu felt that he couldn't say anything. Although there was no treachery or businessmanship, no matter what, when the country was ruined and the family was destroyed, people with a bottom line were the people that society needed more.

It is better than making the country difficult to make money.

As for the Jewish businessmen in Shanghai, such as Sassoon, they really went too far, and it was normal for Huang Chujiu to be unable to stand it. ——Even Europeans can’t stand it.

Huang Chujiu asked: "I heard that the emperor's master can make huge sales in the distant country of America. He must have a unique know-how. Japan cannot be more difficult to deal with than the United States. Do you have any ideas?"

This question really bothered Li Yu.

The reason why Li Yu was able to do it so smoothly was not because he understood business, but because his concept as a time traveler was too far ahead of his time, and his products were even more epoch-making, so there was no need to use any marketing strategies at all.

After all, strategy is the weapon of the weak.Li Yu had so many things in his mind that he even had to control his own rhythm.

Huang Chujiu is doing purely competitive business, so a business strategy is needed at this time.

Li Yu thought for a while and said: "I can only give a general suggestion. I don't know the specific details. At present, it seems that sir, you can only use tricks. What the Japanese do, you do too, and then develop a The product is more effective than the Japanese Ren Dan. It doesn’t need to be much better, just a little bit is enough. It uses the name of the royal doctor in the promotion, and it also invests heavily in advertising, and it is even better than the Japanese.”

"But isn't this false propaganda?" Huang Chujiu said.

"I can't control that much! At least the effect is better than theirs," Li Yu said. "Besides, I am planning to set up a Western medicine factory with the Germans. Are you interested, sir?"

Huang Chujiu said: "I have some interest, but I don't understand Western medicine."

"It doesn't matter, it's enough to know how to sell." Li Yu said.

Huang Chujiu does not reject Western medicine: "If the medicine is effective, high-quality and low-priced, it is indeed worth operating."

Li Yu said: "After the factory is put into production, Mr. Huang can come and take a look."

Huang Chujiu cupped his fists and said, "Definitely!"

Huang Chujiu later did a lot of business, but after the establishment of the big world, he switched his main focus from industry to the entertainment and real estate industries.

The real estate industry 100 years ago was also a financial pit, with huge demand for funds. He expanded rashly and got stuck in the quagmire.

It happened that Huang Jinrong appeared on the beach, and he kept an eye on his big world. He used some ruffian tricks to buy the big world from Huang Chujiu at a low price of 70 when he was dying.

Li Yu is still more interested in industry, such as finance, banking, real estate, etc. Li Yu knows that he can make a lot of money through these things, but he has no interest in them and knows that it is meaningless.

The real shortage is undoubtedly in industry.With so many categories of industry, he feels that he is too busy. He can only do his best to cultivate some engineering talents while pursuing profound science, and then help and promote the development of industry to the maximum extent.

-

The next day, Li Yu came to Shanghai Middle School to see the students' learning situation.

Since several Dutch teachers joined the school and Li Yu's name came to the school, the school has become famous and many people have come here.

When Li Yu arrived at school, a Dutch teacher brought over a student: "Mr. Academician, he must enter middle school."

In front of him was a boy of sixteen or seventeen years old. Li Yu asked: "What is your name? Why do you want to enter Shanghai Middle School?"

The other party politely replied: "Sir, my name is Hou Debang, and I want to enter the best school."

It was him.

Li Yu looked at Hou Debang's outfit: "Have you just come to Shanghai?"

"Yes," Hou Debang said, "I graduated from Fuzhou Yinghua School last year, and came to Shanghai this year with the help of my aunt. I originally wanted to study railway engineering, but suddenly I heard that there is a Shanghai middle school here that allows you to study in the United States. It is the greatest. It was created by the scientific giant Mr. Li Yu, so it came here.”

Li Yu asked again: "Why do you want to study railway engineering?"

Hou Debang said without hesitation: "Because I feel this is the most powerful thing for foreigners. If you learn it, you can surpass foreigners and build railways in your hometown of Fujian."

Li Yu said: "The most powerful thing about foreigners is not railways."

"Is that a ship? If it's a ship, I'll learn how to use it," Hou Debang said.

Li Yu said with a smile: "If there were only trains and ships, and no basic subjects such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry, we would be strong on the outside but capable on the inside. The Westernization Movement more than ten years ago is an example."

Hou Debang was a little confused, but quickly said: "I listen to sir."

"As for what you said about building a railway for your hometown..." Li Yu said, "It's also a good idea, but it's not a top priority."

Fujian is famous for its eight mountains, one water and one farmland. Almost the whole province is mountainous, making it extremely difficult to build railways.Regardless of the short-lived Zhangzhou-Xiamen Railway, Fujian as a whole was completely blank in terms of railway transportation. It was not until the infrastructure madman took action that Fujian's railway problems were solved in the 1950s.

Therefore, Li Yuzhen did not attack Hou Debang.

Historically, Hou Debang did study railway engineering for two years first, and even worked for two years on the Jinpu Railway which was under construction at the time.

But he eventually turned to Tsinghua University to take the preparatory course for studying in the United States.

Li Yu did this to help him avoid detours, so that he could use his expertise in the chemical industry as soon as possible and complete the start of the national industry.

Li Yu said: "You enter school first. You don't have to decide so early what major to choose in the future. It all depends on your own interests. Maybe you will find chemistry and physics interesting."

Hou Debang said happily: "So sir, you agree?"

Li Yu nodded: "Agree."

Hou Debang asked again: "Is it true that no matter what you study, you can study abroad?"

Li Yu said: "It depends on your grades. The number of places to study in the United States is limited every year. You must be among the top few to be eligible."

Hou Debang said confidently: "What I am best at is reading. It is not a problem for me!"

Hou Debang was an academically talented person. At that time, his test scores in all ten subjects at Tsinghua University were full marks, with a total score of 1000, which was very scary.