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

Harvard actually attaches great importance to this medical school established in Shanghai, and has sent six or seven professors to teach different majors.

Harvard representative Edwards brought part of the funds raised in the United States, and according to Harvard's plan, it provided $2.5 per year.

These were obviously not enough, so Edwards gave Li Yu a budget sheet. He needed more than five thousand US dollars per year, and Li Yu had to fill the hole.

But five years later, U.S. funding will be cut off, because World War I happened at that time and many U.S. policies changed.

The reason why Harvard Shanghai Medical School is like a flash in the pan in history has a lot to do with the lack of funding.

But at that time, Li Yu could take over the school and merge it into the university he built.

Of course, the funding problem will all be solved by Li Yu by then.You can also use your own influence to ensure that you will not cut off your teaching ties with Harvard.

The location of the school also ensures that it will not be affected by wars between warlords for a relatively long time.

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Since the first sales of instant noodles, MSG and other daily necessities to Japan were initially successful, Wang Yiting, the general agent of Shanghai Nissin Company, approached Li Yu again. At the same time, Zhang Yiyun, a tycoon in the Shanghai sauce garden industry, also came.

Li Yu had met them before.

After the greetings, Wang Yiting said: "I have been doing business for many years, and the foreigners I deal with the most are Japanese. This is the first time I have seen products other than silk, tea, and porcelain that are so convenient for opening up the Japanese market."

In the future, making money from the Japanese will disrupt the pace of Japanese business.

Li Yu said: "The price of instant noodles was too high at the beginning, and it was mainly purchased by the military. However, the sales of MSG in the Beijing-Tianjin area are very good."

Zhang Yiyun said: "When Dishi builds a factory in Shanghai for production and radiates to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, sales will be even wider."

Li Yu had mentioned it to them in previous meetings, but there had been no time to implement it, and now it was time to speed up the process.

Wang Yiting said: "I know the president of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce and many businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If you want to do something, it is easy to do it. The key is to have the skills of the emperor."

Li Yu said: "Don't worry about technical issues, as long as it benefits the people and makes everyone taste a little better every day."

A voice suddenly came out of the door: "The Imperial Master really doesn't speak like a businessman."

Wang Yiting looked outside and said, "Qia Qing is here."

The person who arrived was Yu Qiaqing, who later became a famous representative of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang consortium in the early Republic of China.

Principal Jiang's early success in becoming bigger and stronger was inseparable from the support of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Consortium. However, after later supporting the four major families, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Consortium became a vassal of the four major families.

Yu Qiaqing is now a wealthy businessman. To be honest, his business acumen is very good, no worse than those wealthy Jewish businessmen in Shanghai. It's just that the British behind Hartung and Sassoon are a bit more powerful.

Li Yu must know Yu Qiaqing.

After Yu Qiaqing lifted up her skirt and entered the house, she continued: "Master Emperor, this is not how business is done. I used to find it strange that Master Emperor could open such a big factory in the United States. It is said that he is a very clever person. But after reading the newspaper, I found out that the Imperial Master was actually a scholar, and he was engaged in foreign science, which is very rare, but after all, he was a scholar. So I thought that the Imperial Master was a Confucian businessman? But looking at recent practices, it is not He looks like a Confucian businessman, but he looks like a philanthropist, don't you think it's strange?"

Wang Yiting said: "Qia Qing, you don't understand this. This is called an elephant being invisible."

Yu Qiaqing cupped his hands and said, "I don't understand."

Li Yu smiled and said: "The people are too miserable. I didn't want to make money from the people, so..."

"Wait a minute!" Yu Qiaqing raised his hand and interrupted, "Master Emperor, if a businessman can't even make money, what kind of businessman can he be? If he can't make money, how can he turn around operations and expand production? Even if he does charity, he can't do it. It should be so.”

Li Yu said: "Of course there is profit, because domestic sales and Japanese sales are not the same price."

Yu Qiaqing said: "I have read reports that even though we mainly make money through sales to Japan, the price is still too low."

Li Yu said: "Small profits but quick turnover."

Yu Qiaqing said: "It doesn't matter if you add a little bit. As long as the increase is less than [-]%, the profit can be greatly increased."

"I'm thinking more than that," Li Yu said. "Only if the profit is low enough and can be accepted by ordinary consumers in the market, the Japanese will not think of producing it themselves, but will only buy our products."

"Oh!" Yu Qiaqing rubbed her palms and said immediately, "That's it! The emperor's master is indeed as wise as a fool, but I am as foolish as a wise man. Sorry, sorry!"

Li Yu's approach is typical of being condescending. He does not need any business strategy, but relies on advanced ideas to lead the opponent. This gap cannot be quickly bridged by some conspiracy.

Of course, small profits but quick turnover are not intended to benefit the Japanese.This is the same as the business strategies of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in later generations. They have reduced Coca-Cola's profits to a minimum, almost close to cost, so that others cannot invest in this industry to compete with them.

Li Yu relied on the fact that he had a patent and would not allow the Japanese to use it conveniently. Therefore, during the patent protection period, the price of products produced in Japan would never be lower than his own.

In this way, domestic large-scale production can also drive the development of many domestic national industries upstream and downstream, achieving multiple goals with one stone.

Wang Yiting said: "Let me tell you, Qia Qing, you must not underestimate the emperor just because he is young."

"I was negligent," Yu Qiaqing said, "but as several people mentioned setting up a factory in Shanghai and selling it to Japan, I do have some thoughts on getting involved."

Wang Yiting did not stop him: "There is strength in numbers."

After Yu Qiaqing made his first pot of gold as a comprador for foreigners in his early years, he has been engaged in the shipping industry for many years.Although most of his current business is passenger transportation between Shanghai and Ningbo, he still has experience in shipping enterprise management.

Yu Qiaqing asked Li Yu: "Can the emperor accept it?"

Li Yu said casually: "I basically entrust the trade matters to Director Wang. If he agrees, there will be no problem."

Yu Qiaqing said happily: "It couldn't be better!"

The evaluation of Yu Qiaqing is quite complicated and somewhat polarized. Many people called him a lackey of foreigners. Later, the reputation seemed to have improved a bit.

The main thing he did was quite strange, and his poor reputation was mainly because he struggled to make money during the Anti-Japanese War.But this guy did help in the war of resistance. For example, he shipped duty-free rice from Southeast Asia and sold it at a low price; it was just that while transporting it, he also brought some high-priced goods for sale.

Even if you do positive things, you don’t forget to make some money along the way. You can’t help but make some money from the national crisis...

He is a typical businessman.

Wang Yiting said to him: "Qia Qing, your shipping company has sufficient funds in its account. Why not buy a ship specifically for the trade from Shanghai to Yokohama."

Yu Qiaqing smiled and said, "You already knew about my three melons and two dates."

Wang Yiting said: "With millions of shares in capital, how can I not know about such a big thing?"

Yu Qiaqing is very similar to the previously mentioned Stanford in this regard. They are both empty-handed wolves.

Originally, the Shanghai-Ningbo passenger line market was already saturated, but Yu Qiaqing forced his way in and squeezed out foreign shipping companies with the support of businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Most of the capital he recruited came from businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Yu Qiaqing was a bit like a middleman, but he happened to reap the biggest benefits.

Yu Qiaqing said: "If it is profitable, Director Wang thinks I won't buy it?" Wang Yiting laughed and scolded: "Then you can't buy old ships anymore! You might as well place an order with Fujian Mawei Shipyard."

Yu Qiaqing promised: "I will not be confused about important matters, and I will never make mistakes."

Yu Qiaqing's ability to survive in the Red Sea market of the Shanghai-Ningbo Passenger Transport Line relies on the patriotism of passengers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, and the low-price strategy.

At first, the British company Taikoo's passenger ship charged 1 yuan per trip, and Yu Qiaqing paid 5 cents.

Later, the foreigners couldn't bear it and lowered it to 5 cents. At the same time, the conditions on their ships were better.

But Yu Qiaqing immediately dropped it to 3 cents below the cost.

Then the foreigners also followed up and lowered the price to 2 cents and 5 cents, hoping to kill Yu Qiaqing.

However, Yu Qiaqing had already found the Jiangsu and Zhejiang consortium. Everyone shared the same hatred. Not only was the price cheaper, but small items such as towels were subsidized. At the same time, the attitude of the crew was better than that of foreign crews.

Companies such as Swire eventually had to withdraw from the competition.

——In fact, everyone has experienced this kind of business war. Back then, a certain company or group relied on this method to establish its status in the world, and then the winner took all.

Yu Qiaqing actually staged the Internet thinking model 100 years in advance.

After this battle, Yu Qiaqing became famous and expanded his shipping company. Businessmen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang were even more enthusiastic when raising capital, which soon reached 200 million.

During this period, Yu Qiaqing hardly used his own money.

But even if Wang Yiting asked him to buy a new boat, with Yu Qiaqing's style, he would probably buy an old boat and then repair it.

Wang Yiting could probably guess it, but he thought that as long as there was no problem with the operation of the ship, it would be fine. After all, the shipping company was under his control.

Yu Qiaqing said: "Directors Wang and Director Zhang are responsible for buying land in Shanghai to build a factory for production. The emperor is responsible for developing technology. I help with sales. It's a great cooperation between us! I must have a few drinks today and hold a banquet. Everyone must appreciate it."

Anyway, when it was time for dinner, everyone went to the hotel under his arrangement.

Wang Yiting also called Zhou Jinbiao, the current president of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce (it is not called the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce yet, but for convenience, let’s call it that, it’s actually the same thing).

Zhou Jinbiao naturally supports national enterprises and has nothing to say.

He said happily: "There are all good men here. Businessmen like us should have the courage to be as courageous as the foreigners!"

Everyone raised their glasses together.

Yu Qiaqing sighed: "Foreigners still make more money."

Wang Yiting said disdainfully: "You mean Sassoon Company? They make a lot of ill-gotten gains, even opium can be used as trade!"

Zhou Jinbiao added: "Now that the World Anti-Smoking Conference has just been held, opium has no future."

Yu Qiaqing said: "But the Sassoon family has known the news for a long time and has hoarded a large amount of opium. I even suspect that they planned the anti-smoking treaty so that they could make the last profit from opium."

Li Yu naturally understood this truth.

The Sassoon family developed with the support of the United Kingdom, and Britain was a key participant in the International Anti-Smoking Conference. It must have known the key terms and disclosed them to the Sassoon family in advance.

The Sassoon family also understood that the opium trade was not going to last long. The British, their main backer, had begun to decline many years ago, and the empire on which the sun never set was unexpectedly defeated in the Boer War.

Moreover, a man named Gandhi who was working in South Africa suddenly led a "non-violent non-cooperation" movement, which has already affected India.The British themselves have been fooled. What kind of new trick is this?
The actual output of poppy plantations in India has declined, and it has become increasingly difficult for Jews to buy cheap opium in India.

In short, Britain is basically unable to cover the Sassoon family's drug trafficking business.

But the Sassoon family could not give up this hugely profitable opium market. The anti-smoking treaty made it difficult for them to buy opium from overseas. However, they stockpiled a large amount of opium in the Shanghai Concession in advance and no longer shipped it to agents in various places.Then rumors spread, claiming that there would be a shortage of opium.

This move successfully caused opium prices to skyrocket.

Sassoon & Co. would release a batch of opium when the price of opium soared to a certain high level.

Then they waited for the next new high price to come out, and the cycle started over and over until 1917.

In just a few years, one of Sassoon's main opium varieties has increased five to six times.

It can be said that the opium trade was drained of the last drop of blood.

Therefore, after the anti-smoking meeting, Edward Sassoon and Irene Rothschild had a pleasant conversation with Li Yu, without feeling any nervousness at all.

Li Yudao: "We can only hope that the cigarette market will crowd out the opium market."

"It makes sense!" Yu Qiaqing said, "We are also building cigarette factories in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as well as Fujian, Yunnan and Guangxi. Large areas of cheap land are available."

As Yu and Qin talked, they began to dream of a beautiful blueprint.

Wang Yiting said: "Don't forget about freight."

Yu Qiaqing smiled and said: "Of course! But building a cigarette factory is indeed a good idea."

Wang Yiting said: "I am afraid that I will be labeled as the sick man of East Asia."

Yu Qiaqing asked Li Yu directly: "Master Emperor, you are the most knowledgeable about science. What are the dangers of cigarettes?"

Li Yu said: "Cigarettes are also harmful to the body, but they are much smaller than opium, and there are also many foreigners who smoke."

"It's over now!" Yu Qiaqing said, "Director Wang, don't have so many worries!"

Wang Yiting said: "But we must declare the dangers of cigarettes in advance."

Yu Qiaqing said: "We can't be allowed to write on cigarette boxes that cigarettes are harmful to health, right?"

Wang Yiting said: "It's not a bad idea."

Yu Qiaqing laughed: "Director Wang, do you also want to try a trick of being as wise as a fool? Isn't this the place where there is no silver 300 taels, which is more attractive. I want to buy a few packs and smoke it now."

Yu Qiaqing thought again: "What a clever plan! I was half a beat too late."

Wang Yiting said: "As long as we can get rid of opium first, it is inevitable to pay a price."

Yu Qiaqing said: "I heard that most of the people building cigarette factories are from Beiyang. President Zhou, you have a personal relationship with Mr. Sheng Xuanhuai. Ask him what are the taboos in building cigarette factories. Don't make any mistakes."

Zhou Jinbiao said: "I will make a special trip to visit you."