GBP Chapter 155 The Hidden Hand, Stirring Up Turbulent Times
Chapter 155 The Hidden Hand, Stirring Up Turbulent Times
Sheng Laosi left Shanghai the next day.
They left in a hurry and in a very flamboyant manner.
They chartered a plane specifically for this purpose.
As Lin Yi instructed, he was to return to Hanyang now to discuss the sale of shares with the people from Mitsui Steel and get an offer from them first.
This price definitely can't be high.
But that's exactly what Lin Yi needs.
After all, the other party has priority; only if we can't reach an agreement with them can we bring in other capital.
Of course, this period of time will also be used to generate some buzz in the media.
Only when the acquisition consortium intervenes can Mitsui Steel have nothing to say.
It's not right to force someone to buy or sell, is it?
Not to mention that Chinese public opinion would not agree, international public opinion would also make them hesitate to act rashly.
Just like when nations declare war, there must be a legitimate reason for the action.
Just like when the Japanese occupied the three northeastern provinces, they had to fabricate the Beidaying incident to destroy the South Manchurian Railway as an excuse for sending troops.
The preliminary work Lin Yi needs to do now is to block this path...
After arranging things here, Lin Yi boarded a ship and headed to Guangzhou.
The construction of the auto parts factory is progressing rapidly, and the textile industry in the area is also developing at a breakneck pace.
Therefore, Chen Bonan was extremely welcoming of Lin Yi's arrival.
The proposal put forward by Lin Yi to respond to the call of the National Government and vigorously develop the agricultural and industrial sectors of Guangdong Province was also readily accepted.
The two first agreed on the investment and construction of the Yangcheng branch of Yongli Fertilizer Plant.
On the day Lin Yi left Guangzhou, Chen Bonan had a document outlining the five-year development plan for Guangdong's industry and agriculture, and sent it to Nanjing by special plane.
The framework is very large, and there are many problems to be solved.
The most pressing issue is the lack of money.
Therefore, in the appendix to this development outline, Chen Bonan, as the Director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, hoped that the National Government could contribute a portion of the funding.
Together with the Guangdong Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau and business people in Guangdong Province, they established the Guangdong Provincial Development Bank.
To provide financial impetus for the great development of industry and agriculture in Guangdong Province...
Is he dreaming?
Busy with official duties, Song Wenchang had developed a habit of listening to his secretary read documents aloud. After listening to his secretary read them, he slammed his fist on the table.
"Using the Nationalist government's money to develop industry and cultivate tax revenue for him, how could he even think of that!"
The secretary didn't dare to continue the conversation, but instead cautiously said, "Dean, we just received news that Chen Bonan has published this development outline in the Yangcheng Daily."
"They call it soliciting opinions from all parties and refining the development plan."
"This matter has caused quite a stir, and the Nationalist government will probably have to make a statement."
Upon first glance at the document, he and Song Wenchang shared the same thoughts.
He scolded Chen Bonan for daydreaming and casually tossed the document aside.
None of them had ever considered submitting it to Song Wenchang, the acting dean.
Because he knew that it was absolutely impossible for the Nationalist government to provide financial support for the development of Guangdong Province.
Even if the Song Dynasty dean was out of his mind, he would never agree to such a thing.
Even if he agreed, the Chairman would never agree.
However, Chen Bonan's lack of martial ethics and his sudden move gave him a head start in public opinion.
If the Nationalist government doesn't respond, then we'll be in a very passive position.
That's why I rushed over to report.
Upon hearing this, Song Wenchang was first stunned, then gritted his teeth and cursed, "Despicable, utterly shameless!"
The secretary sighed quietly, lowered her head, and didn't say anything more.
Shameless, truly shameless.
But it must be admitted that Chen Bonan, with such a simple move, put the Nationalist government on the brink of disaster.
Now, even if it's a useless gesture, we have to do it.
Otherwise, given the past behavior of these local warlords, they would definitely seize on this point and use all sorts of sarcastic and unsavory tactics to damage the prestige of the National Government.
Song Wenchang, who was on the verge of exploding with rage, understood this as well.
So he sulked for a while, and in the end could only sigh helplessly.
Sitting behind his desk, he twirled his fingers as he pondered a solution.
He wholeheartedly welcomed the movement proposed by Chiang Kai-shek's brother-in-law.
The so-called encouragement of private savings and capital flow is guided by the government.
That requires the government to provide initial funding to leverage the entire credit scale.
Otherwise, not to mention private savings, even banks that make a living by lending money wouldn't dare to expand their scale at will.
Without government backing, any slight disturbance would be considered a disaster.
The government is currently facing financial difficulties and doesn't have enough money, so the only remaining option is to borrow.
Moreover, it can only be done by borrowing foreign debt.
This requires using gold reserves as collateral to secure loans from foreign banks.
Putting aside his role as acting premier, his position as chairman of the National Government Bank alone provides him with considerable room for maneuver.
It's important to know that international gold prices fluctuate.
By controlling the speed of gold exports, he could easily make a fortune by simply profiting from the price difference.
Not to mention, the power he wielded allowed him to control who received these loans and who didn't, which greatly benefited his business strategy.
Everything was planned perfectly, but then Chen Bonan suddenly jumped out.
Guangdong Province was his territory, and Song Wenchang dared not casually extend his influence there.
He knew these warlords all too well; they had no bottom line when it came to doing things.
If they ever become enemies, his investment might be lost.
This is especially true when funds are provided in the name of the Nationalist government.
The most likely outcome is that it's like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone and never to return.
After pondering this for a long time, Song Wenchang, who felt that he was doomed whether he stood up or not, was starting to feel overwhelmed.
And that's not even the worst part.
Once the Nationalist government relents on Chen Bonan, local powers like Li Delin, Yan Baichuan, Long Dengyun, and Liu Yuanfu will surely follow suit.
That would cause even bigger trouble.
"Fake!"
Muttering a curse, Song Wenchang, unable to think of a solution for the moment, stood up.
There was no other way but to pass the problem on to my brother-in-law and let him worry about it.
"Prepare the car, let's go to the official residence in Lushan."
"Yes."
The secretary acknowledged and turned to leave.
However, the office door had just closed when it opened again.
The secretary, who had turned back, said, "Dean, Minister Kong has arrived."
He had barely finished speaking when Kong Yongzhi walked in.
"Wenchang, Sheng Chengze needs to sell his shares in Hanyeping."
Song Wenchang was taken aback, then waved his hand, signaling his secretary to leave.
He came out from behind his desk, gesturing for Kong Yongzhi to sit down, and said, "Isn't this just a matter of time?"
"He's just stupid, not dumb."
"Those loans are all due one after another."
“The longer it drags on, the more gruesome his death will be; he must know that.”
"That's not what I meant. This guy has already talked to Mitsui Steel, but as expected, they didn't reach an agreement."
"Guess what idea he came up with this time?"
Kong Yongzhi stared, his expression somewhat unpleasant.
"Sell it to us?"
Song Wenchang inquired.
They own shares in the Hanyang Ironworks.
In recent years, most of the pig iron produced by the two factories has been shipped to Japan.
However, a significant portion of the steel was also shipped to steel mills in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas.
The profit margins for buying ore and refining steel are significantly different.
He had been waiting to acquire some more shares from Sheng Laosi, so as to get a larger share of pig iron.
"If that's the case, then I'm not in a hurry."
Kong Yongzhi gave him an annoyed look: "This guy told the people at Mitsui Steel that he didn't agree with the equity valuation offered by Mitsui, and if they insisted on that price, he would seek a buyer from other Western countries!"