Chapter 185: Bark
“Yes.” Ma Shiqi retreated outside the door with his bodyguard.
After Guo Linshuang and the others left, he said with a faint smile, “Director Gu, are you here for the shares?”
“Correct.” Gu Yansheng raised his hand; “Sit down and talk.”
“If it’s about the shares, then there’s no need to talk. Guo doesn’t lack money.” Guo Linshuang smiled faintly, stood with hands behind his back, keeping people at a distance.
Gu Yansheng was not in a hurry, pouring a cup of tea for himself and his tea cup, “Capital has no nationality, but capitalists do. I wonder, Mr. Guo, what nationality are you?”
Guo Linshuang’s tone did not soften, “I am Chinese, but does Mr. Gu represent the Chinese? Threats, fake identification documents—some things don’t need me to spell out so clearly, right?”
“Does it matter who I represent?” Gu Yansheng chuckled lightly: “I take the shares from your hands, and you will be safe in Shanghai. Your company can expand operations, not just in Chinese Territory, but also sell goods directly to Nationalist controlled area.
You know very well how short Nationalist controlled area is on supplies, since you are in this line of work.”
“I know, but so what? I don’t want to sell. I’m content with my own plot of land. The revenue from the concession is enough for the Guo Family to live comfortably. We’re not short that bit of money from Nationalist controlled area.”
Gu Yansheng was not angry, very calm, “So that’s why I ask you, what nationality are you? If your capital represents the Chinese, this matter benefits China’s resistance war. You have a chance to contribute, so you must seize it.
When poor, one looks after oneself; when prosperous, one aids the world. Some who are poor as church mice send all their sons to the war, while you are dripping with wealth. Selling some scarce supplies to Nationalist controlled area is just a small effort.
I’m not going overboard or making things difficult for you, right?
If you represent Australia, where you made your fortune, then no problem—you truly have no reason to contribute. Be your rich man in the concession, earn foreigners’ money, earn Chinese people’s money—very reasonable.
Then I’ll tell you in advance: within three months, I will make Yong’an Department Store vanish into thin air.”
Guo Linshuang let out a scoffing laugh, then burst into angry laughter. After laughing, his expression changed to a frown as he said: “Director Gu, you are a division chief of the city government. You come to talk to me about patriotism—don’t you think that’s funny?”
“Funny? I don’t think so.” Gu Yansheng took a sip of tea and said: “I also said, it doesn’t matter who I represent. Does it concern you who I work for? Because I work for the government in Japanese Occupied Area, you refuse to sell goods to Nationalist controlled area—is that the logic?”
Guo Linshuang frowned slightly, paused, and said: “My enterprise is not just the Guo Family’s. There are other overseas Chinese as shareholders. If I can’t sell shares to you, you won’t force me out, right?”
“Yong’an was founded by your Guo Family. The most valuable thing is this twenty-two-story mansion we are in now. If one day this mansion is gone, Yong’an’s market value will collapse in an instant, and the shares will be worthless. Right now, it’s on the eve of collapse.
Do the overseas Chinese behind you want worthless share certificates, or real gold and silver?
If you can’t convince the shareholders, I don’t think so.”
Guo Linshuang finally sat down, frowning as he said: “How many shares do you want?”
Gu Yansheng took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and said: “Fifty percent. I want the right to act as a banker for the stock.”
Guo Linshuang’s expression changed drastically: “Impossible! Fifty percent stock—what kind of joke is that? I’d have to sell you almost all the stock. What would I do then?”
“I must act as a banker. How much will you give?”
Guo Linshuang thought carefully, considering Gu Yansheng’s appetite, gritted his teeth and said, “Ten percent, at most.”
“Deal.” Gu Yansheng agreed very readily.
Guo Linshuang felt uncomfortable with the ready agreement—damn, he had offered too much.
Thinking it over, he sneered, but with things as they were, there was no way out. “Director Gu really drives a hard bargain.”
“Clearly, you drove a hard bargain.” Ask for the sky, settle for a bargain—Gu Yansheng didn’t have much money anyway.
Guo Linshuang wanted to recoup something, said cunningly: “We haven’t discussed the price yet. Director Gu, don’t get too happy too soon. According to today’s closing price plus two silver dollars.”
“How much is that?”
“Don’t know, not closed yet.” Guo Linshuang checked his watch. “Half an hour left.”
Gu Yansheng thought about it and smiled, “Fine, at that price.”
“A gentleman’s word.”
“A swift horse’s whip.”
“Good!”
Guo Linshuang smiled with a sense of triumph, immediately stood up, went out and opened the door, saying: “Little Wang, notify our broker to sweep Yong’an’s stock and pull the price up by eight silver dollars—not more, not less than the current price.”
“Yes.”
After giving the order, Guo Linshuang sat down as if nothing had happened. “Director Gu, if you don’t want it, you can back out. Today, consider it me treating you to tea. You’re welcome to come for tea anytime in the future, but no other business.”
“Just one cup of tea—I can afford it.” Gu Yansheng was magnanimous, didn’t mind being fleeced a bit of wool, soothing the pain in his heart—he’d get it back later.
“This cup of tea isn’t cheap.” Guo Linshuang was a bit smug, wanting to taunt him.
“It isn’t cheap.” Gu Yansheng nodded. “What’s Yong’an’s market value now?”
“Over 25 million silver dollars.”
“Total shares?”
“312,500 shares.”
“Ten percent is 31,250. Earning me ten silver dollars per share—over 300,000 silver dollars for one cup of tea.” Gu Yansheng drank his tea.
Although stock could still be bought from the stock market, sweeping would drive up the price, so buying from Guo Linshuang was still a good deal.
Half an hour later, the stock market closed.
His subordinate came in to report, “Before the action, 81.88. Now closing price, 89.88.”
Guo Linshuang raised his hand and arched his brow. “Director Gu, is this price acceptable?”
“That makes it 91.88—a very auspicious number. At this price. Tomorrow I’ll have someone bring the money to complete the share transfer.”
Gu Yansheng’s magnanimity made Guo Linshuang quite admire him—not a word of complaint even after being pitted right in front of him.
Gu Yansheng arranged matters. “I’ll send someone to be a director and arrange a position for her in finance, but don’t reveal her relationship with me. I won’t interfere in other operations—you remain in charge.”
This was foreseeable, and the non-interference was very straightforward. Guo Linshuang nodded. “No problem.”
“Can you get medicine here?”
“Of course, Yong’an Department Store has everything.”
“Quinine too?”
“Yes, but not in large quantities.” Guo Linshuang joked: “Heard about the Nanyang gangs being robbed? Don’t know what got into these Shanghai businessmen—they went and robbed them, so now Nanyang’s inventory is gone. Quinine is very scarce now.”
“Haven’t heard.” Gu Yansheng shook his head. “If I want a large amount of quinine, any way?”
Guo Linshuang frowned. “That’s harder. Nanyang’s quinine is for sale worldwide. Previously, East Asia was blockaded, so they stockpiled. Now after being robbed once, their production line can’t keep up. For large quantities, you’d have to wait again, unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you buy cinchona bark directly and process it yourself.”
Gu Yansheng raised his brow. He had indeed heard from Mitsui people that Japan lacks quinine because they can’t get cinchona bark. Buying raw materials himself was feasible.
Good, an unexpected gain.
“Can you get it?”
“Can definitely buy it, but hard to transport in. Look, who buys this for procurement besides pharmaceutical companies or in the name of a country? Ordinary people don’t use it—even pharmacies and druggists buy finished products, right?
But internationally, it’s contraband to Japan. So can’t ship large amounts to Shanghai—afraid you’ll sell to Japan, afraid ships will be confiscated by Japanese, so very difficult. Small amounts are possible, but small amounts won’t meet your demand.
Small amounts might as well buy medicine directly.
Unless shipping to Chongqing—that’s possible.
But Chongqing is blockaded too—goods can’t get in. Has nothing to do with us.”
“How could it have nothing to do with us.” Gu Yansheng perked up. Good idea—buy in Chongqing’s name, crudely process and sell high to Japanese.
Then his original version medicine could be sold in Nationalist controlled area. If Chongqing can buy bark, dumping original medicine into the black market would be normal.
Very good.
As for the blockade, isn’t it the Japanese blockading themselves? For him, just approach Mitsui—no blockade.
Plus there are smugglers crossing mountains and ridges—very bold.
Good. Gu Yansheng looked at Guo Linshuang—nice, this channel alone is worth 300,000 silver dollars.
“Won’t you open an enterprise in Chongqing?”
“I…” Guo Linshuang’s eyes widened. “For one medicine, I’d go to Chongqing to open a pharmaceutical company? Too much trouble—hard to manage, and if the factory gets bombed by airplanes, it’s total loss. No, no.”
“No need for you to open a pharmaceutical company. Open a company in Yunnan to handle receiving the bought bark. I’ll handle the rest, including pharmaceutical company production.”
“How to get the goods in? Not via the Burma Road in Yunnan, right? Japanese bomb there every day—truckloads of bark bombed, how much loss? How many deaths?”
“You know quite a bit about smuggling.”
Gu Yansheng chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry about passing customs. Normal border passage, main roads—Japanese issues, I’ll handle.”
Quite capable. Guo Linshuang looked at Gu Yansheng. Since he dared make such a claim, solving Japanese army problems showed how high Gu Yansheng’s status was with the Japanese.
He couldn’t help sizing him up with a sneer: “Didn’t Director Gu just say to support the resistance war? Are you supporting Chongqing or Japan? After producing this medicine, you won’t sell it to Japanese, right? Otherwise, I can’t believe why Japanese would let you through.”
“Opening a pharmaceutical company in Nationalist controlled area—even if I want to sell to Japanese, don’t I have to put on a show, sell half to Nationalist controlled area people? They’re not blind, right?” Gu Yansheng arched his brow: “Judge by actions, not intentions. As long as part of the cinchona bark you buy saves Chinese, for you, Mr. Guo, that makes you a patriotic Chinese capitalist—isn’t that the reason?”
