1928: The Rise of Giants

Chapter 300 The little devil who became the second young master’s tool

"It's me, it's me!" Kong Lingjun looked at Ye Luo and Bai Xiuzhu who were returning from the bicycle, running and clapping, wanting to take a ride on this novelty.

Ye Luo jumped out of the car and held her little head down: "My back seat is only for your sister Xiuzhu. If you want to sit, just find someone else to take you."

"Why?" Kong Lingjun raised his little head and asked, baring his teeth and claws.

Ye Luo smiled and said: "This is my wife's exclusive place, not for me to sit down."

"Damn it." Kong Lingjun was so angry that she was shaking all over. She had never been so angry before, and she was about to rush forward to argue with Ye Luo, but Ye Luo held her head down. She could only be furious and waved her little fists, but she couldn't beat him no matter what. To Yeluo.

The two quarreled for a while, but Ye Luo refused to be persuaded by anyone, and finally pulled the unhappy Kong Lingjun out of the bicycle factory.

After the Tangshan Artillery School opened, military advisory groups from Germany and a large number of German experts settled in Shanghai Bund and Jinling. Since the first phase of the project was bicycles and electronic equipment, a large number of experts entered Ye's Industrial Park and Ye's Radio Factory.

The three Su brothers took this opportunity to begin to absorb a large amount of knowledge from foreign high-tech talents, and relied on the huge assets invested by Ye's family to purchase equipment and replenish materials.

With the strong support of these German experts, Yeluo was fully capable of laying a perfect communications industry before the Anti-Japanese War. If nothing else, it would be of great benefit to provide certain communication equipment support to the Anti-Japanese War troops.

As for the bicycle factory, Ye Luo plans to make a quick decision.

There are two reasons why bicycles were not yet popular at this time.

The first is that the high construction cost leads to extremely high sales prices. At this time, the recent bicycle sales list in Shanghai in the hands of Ye Luo can give a glimpse of it:
[-]% new bicycles, priced at NT$[-] each

The British Five Flags brand is 620% new and sells for NT$[-].

A semi-new and old car, priced at 120 oceans

250% recruit ship license, priced at [-] oceans

Crown Blue Bell Brake, priced at NT$380

[-]% new sports car, priced at NT$[-]
A brand-new ordinary bicycle basically costs around NT$[-]. If it is a high-end car imported from the UK, it will start from NT$[-].

Nowadays, the best-selling car in Shanghai, the Chevrolet 490 produced by Ye's Automobile Company, has been reduced to NT$1000 a car, which is only a few hundred dollars away. Who with money would choose to buy a bicycle?
Unless you are a rich person who is not short of money.

The second reason is the same as the failure of ballroom dancing to become popular in the first place. It is limited by technology, cognition and application.

This is a difficult problem created by the times. It should have been an unsolvable problem, but unfortunately it encountered Ye Luo.

"We have gradually solved the technical problems. Currently, no domestic car factory in Shanghai can manufacture any relevant parts, let alone key parts such as gears and cranksets. Now our Yeshi Automobile Factory can already produce frames, bicycles, etc. Although the core components such as handlebars, chains, saddles, pedals, and spokes still need to be imported from Germany, and then combined with domestic parts to assemble a bicycle that is said to be domestic, it is much better than others."

Ye Luo smiled and said to Bai Xiuzhu and Kong Lingjun who were confused,
"Key parts such as gears and cranksets require a lot of equipment and technical support. It was originally a difficult road, but it is much easier now. I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to import a complete set of equipment from Germany, and then hired German experts Come and teach our skilled workers, and in half a year at most, a domestically produced bicycle will be ready.”

"But this thing is so expensive, how can it be popularized?" Kong Lingjun was puzzled.

"Keep prices down, make small profits but quick turnover, open up channels and monopolize the market."

This is the sixteen-character policy that Ye Luo believes in when doing business.

Kong Lingjun and Bai Xiuzhu seemed to understand, but soon Ye Luo showed them how to implement this policy.

Rolls-Royce came to the city hall, and the three of them went straight to the office of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

Since the Nationalist Government split the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the two departments have had the worst relationship with each other due to excessive overlap in work content and fierce internal fighting among officials.

The immediate boss of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is the Kong family, which controls tens of billions of domestic assets, while the immediate boss of the Ministry of Finance is Song Ziwen. The two forces do not deal with each other.

This infighting continued all the way down to the people below.Bai Xiongqi was the original Minister of Finance, and Ye Luo's head was naturally stamped with the Ministry of Finance label.

The current Minister of Industry and Commerce is Liu Weichi. The Liu family of Guangdong Province is the younger brother of the four major families. Liu Weichi is in his current position thanks to Kong Xiangxi's promotion.

Seeing Ye Luo coming, Liu Weichi, who was sitting in the office, suddenly lost his face.

People are afraid of this second young master, but he is not.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce oversees all commercial enterprises in Shanghai, and is backed by the National Government. No matter how big a businessman or tycoon you are, you will have to deal with it here.

No matter whether it is Ye's investment, the Ye family, the Bai family, or Song Ziwen behind it, as well as Ye Luo's current position as a committee member of the General Chamber of Commerce, they have no deterrent effect on Liu Weichi.

Originally, the leading power in the business world was in the hands of Yu Qiaqing and others from the General Chamber of Commerce, but since the principal began to rectify the business world, the balance of power has gradually tilted into his hands.

A few days ago, tycoons such as Feng Jingyao and Tan Si came to him to give him gifts.

"Good morning, Minister Liu." Ye Luo, neither humble nor overbearing, took two beauties, one big and one small, to sit down.

Liu Weichi raised his head and glanced at the two beauties, and then looked at him: "Hey, some kind of wind blew the second young master over."

"I came to Minister Liu to do some business. I have an application that I hope you can pass."

Ye Luo handed the bicycle promotion plan to Liu Weichi.

Liu Weichi knew his name, and when he saw it was a bicycle, he opened it curiously and took a look.

Like everyone else, he wanted to know what the second young master's current plan to make money was.

It’s actually a bicycle!

The more Liu Weichi watched, the more shocked he became. This second young master really did not regard the City Hall as an outsider. This bicycle promotion was said to link City Hall employees and many related units of the National Government. They were clearly used as pioneers to open up the market!

"I'm afraid this won't pass." Liu Weichi felt that Ye Luo was really arrogant, and that this method of changing people's inherent thinking about transportation was simply whimsical.

"Why? If you are worried about the cost, all the bicycles will be provided by our Ye's Automobile Company without any charge." Ye Luo looked at him with a smile, "The post office, telegraph office, telephone company, public utility bureau, Songhu Police Department and many other agencies , in order to improve work efficiency, employees are equipped with bicycles. Isn’t this good?”

"We have never had similar cooperation with enterprises before." Liu Weichi shook his head.

"How could it not be possible? Isn't the auxiliary police system used by the Songhu Police Department derived from the cooperation between Ye's Security Company and it?"

Ye Luo asked pretending to be confused.

"That's the Songhu Police Department, which is different from our city hall." Liu Weichi was vague.

Looking at this guy's expression, Ye Luo knew that he was setting himself up.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Finance had deep personal grievances, both public and private, and Liu Weichi was unlikely to help him. He had already thought of this.

In a few months, Zhang Dingyao will leave Shanghai.

Although he still holds the position of top leader and is actively involved in Huade military cooperation projects, well-informed people are already aware of this matter.

Zhang Dingyao's golden signboard is useless.

Ye Luo patted Kong Lingjun's little head and suddenly said: "In that case, Lingjun, let's go back and ask your father later if he has any good ideas."

(End of this chapter)