Gu Hegao was a rare engineering bachelor in the Republic of China. He fought in the Northern Expedition, worked as a bureaucrat, and then went into business after being completely disappointed with the political situation.
During the Anti-Japanese War, the country was in mourning and the people were in mourning, but Gu Hegao was prospering. Because a large number of refugees poured into Sichuan, he took the opportunity to build a factory to produce ink, paint, paper, leather and other commodities. In a few years, it became a large-scale enterprise.
capitalist.
But at this moment, Gu Hegao was at the lowest point in his life.
A few years ago, Gu Hegao teamed up with his classmate Yang Yueran, Ba County County Magistrate Feng Junyi, Taxation Bureau Chief He Zhaoqing, Fan Haer's Military Supplies Director Fan Zhongqu and others to establish Feifeng Paint Factory. This was the first modern paint factory in Sichuan.
As a sign of national industry, Feifeng brand paint has been widely praised since its launch.
So Japanese businessmen took action. Several major Japanese paint brands joined forces to lower prices in Sichuan, forcing Gu Hegao to switch to producing ink. The Japanese believed that Gu Hegao was a nuisance and hindered the monopoly of Japanese products in Sichuan, so they joined forces with ink manufacturers to lower prices.
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Today, Gu Hegao's ink and paint factory has ceased production, several major shareholders have withdrawn their shares, and the factory is on the verge of bankruptcy.
This was a very common phenomenon during the Republic of China. National industries were short of funds and had weak technology. They could not compete when faced with encirclement and suppression by foreign businessmen. Especially the silver crisis in the first two years caused the capital chain of major factories to break. The Japanese took the opportunity to invade the market.
Now more than half of the Chinese companies on the southeast coast have died.
The enamel factory opened by Zhou Hexuan in Chongqing is different. It uses international advanced technology and is extremely low-cost. It is not afraid of foreign companies lowering prices at all.
"Mr. Gu is ready to transfer the factory?" Zhou Hexuan asked.
Gu Hegao smiled bitterly and said: "If possible, I hope Mr. Zhou can become a shareholder."
"Can you introduce the situation of the factory?" Zhou Hexuan said.
Gu Hegao said in detail: "Now the major shareholders of the factory have withdrawn their capital, and only Yang Yueran and I are still holding on. The factory has a complete ink and paint production line, and the factory buildings and machines are worth about 100,000 oceans. But now the factory has stopped working, and there is a backlog of about
With an inventory of more than 10,000 yuan, the price of Japanese goods is too low, and our products cannot be sold at all."
After hearing what Gu Hegao said, Zhou Hexuan became interested.
When the all-out Anti-Japanese War breaks out and Sichuan becomes a strategic rear area, there will be no worries about sales of paint and ink. By then, countless government agencies and cultural scholars will move to Sichuan, and the consumption of ink will be huge. Not to mention paint, they will build houses and make furniture.
If used, it can even be used to produce weapons and equipment. This is a good business that makes a lot of money every day.
After the war started, the sales of Japanese goods were bound to be hindered, and Gu Hegao's company was the only ink and paint factory in Sichuan. Any fool knew what this meant.
Zhou Hexuan didn't even bother to look at the factory buildings and machines and asked directly: "If I invest 100,000 yuan, how many shares can I get?"
"If you invest 100,000 yuan, Mr. Zhou can exclusively hold 45% of the shares and become the largest shareholder of the factory," Gu Hegao said cautiously, "Do you think it is feasible?"
"Let's go see the factory first." Zhou Hexuan did not agree immediately.
Gu Hegao finally breathed a sigh of relief. He went all over Sichuan to attract people to invest. So far, only Zhou Hexuan was willing to take a look at the factory. If Zhou Hexuan didn't inject capital, he would have no choice but to leave the machine factory there idle, as in history.
Production was not resumed until the outbreak of the all-out Anti-Japanese War.
That afternoon, Gu Hegao couldn't wait and took Zhou Hexuan to the factory.
The location of the factory is very good. It is located in Daxigou by the river. Products and raw materials can be transported by water. However, the factory is in a very bad condition. There is only an old janitor guarding it. No one is working inside, and all the machinery and equipment are covered.
Cover with dustproof tarpaulin.
"Isn't there another shareholder?" Zhou Hexuan asked as he walked in the silent factory.
Gu Hegao smiled bitterly and said: "He is still looking for investors in Chengdu."
Zhou Hexuan opened a corner of the dust-proof oilcloth, dipped his fingers in the dust, and asked: "Has the machine been regularly maintained?"
"Clean up once every half month, and we can start work at any time." Gu Hegao said.
Zhou Hexuan covered the oilcloth and asked: "If I am willing to invest, how will you solve the product sales problem."
Gu Hegao's expression was a little embarrassed. He bit the bullet and said: "The Japanese are killing me in order to lower the price. There is almost no profit at all. It is impossible for them to not make money all the time. I believe that as long as they persist for about half a year, the Japanese will definitely
Restore the original price.”
Zhou Hexuan said sarcastically: "But the cost of Japanese goods is still lower than yours. They don't have to restore the original price at all. As long as they keep the price relatively low, your products will have no competitive advantage."
After being exposed by Zhou Hexuan, Gu Hegao said with difficulty: "Since the late Qing Dynasty, domestic products have been like this. But we cannot stop eating because of choking. Only by continuous efforts can we catch up with foreign products in terms of quality and cost. Many Chinese people also support us, as long as the prices of domestic products are not as high as
Foreign products are much more expensive, but national products can still have a place."
"But I'm a capitalist. I can't just invest without making money," Zhou Hexuan said, pointing to the empty factory. "Your factories have stopped production, and there is still a lot of inventory in the warehouse. It's hard for me to believe that we can turn losses into profits after resuming work."
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Gu Hegao thought that Zhou Hexuan was unwilling to invest, and suddenly became extremely disappointed. He wanted to say something, but he stopped. Because in the face of the cruel reality, all words seemed pale and powerless. He had no confidence in his heart, so how could he deceive him?
Zhou Hexuan?
After a long silence, Gu Hegao sighed: "Oh, my skills are inferior to others, so I have to admit defeat. Since Mr. Zhou is unwilling to invest, I can't force him. Thank you for taking the time to inspect the factory."
Zhou Hexuan suddenly laughed and said: "100,000 yuan, I want 51% of the shares. After the construction starts, we will first produce paint, and I will give you a big order."
Gu Hegao was already in despair, but now he suddenly took a sudden turn. He thought he had heard wrong, and asked in surprise: "Mr. Zhou, what did you just say?"
Zhou Hexuan had no choice but to repeat it again.
"No problem, 51% is 51%. We will sign the contract when Lao Yang comes back." Gu Hegao no longer dwells on the issue of shares. He just hopes to have a successor so that the factory can continue to exist.
Zhou Hexuan will soon start a large-scale construction project, which will consume a lot of paint. He can even open up the barren mountains and wilderness of Chongqing and build dozens or hundreds of garden villas. When Chongqing becomes the wartime capital, these villas will not have to worry about having no buyers.
It's despicable to say, but the national crisis brought unlimited business opportunities to Zhou Hexuan. He was the first to build factories and engage in real estate in Sichuan. It is estimated that by the time the Anti-Japanese War is won, the domestic industry alone will be worth tens of millions.
It is even possible to exceed 100 million.
Of course, we will probably encounter a lot of troubles by then, such as the children of powerful people and big capitalists competing for interests. The best solution is to win over the bureaucrats and powerful people to make money together. The interests are so intertwined that even Chiang Kai-shek would not dare to take action easily.
