1928: The rise of giant merchants

"Oh, Boss Huang, what are you doing? Get up and talk." Ye Luo stood up and gave Huang Chujiu a little help to sit next to him.

Huang Chujiu swept away his previous image of a snobbish businessman. Now facing Ye Luo, he looked submissive, like a doormat.

It seems that Zhang Dingyao's move to sweep the traditional Chinese medicine community in Shanghai still caused him a lot of suffering.

"Second Young Master, you must save me this time!"

Huang Chu burst into tears, clasped his hands into fists, and complained endlessly to him.

Ye Luo looked at him curiously. Boss Huang didn't look like he was acting. Was he really being put under special supervision by people from the security headquarters as one of the culprits who murdered Zhang Dingyao?

Huang Chujiu dared to refuse his intention to "acquire" the Sino-French Pharmacy when he came to visit him before. It can be seen that Huang Chujiu had absolutely nothing to do with Jing Ruishan's death.

Even if the official power was far greater than the civil rights during the Republic of China, the security headquarters would not dare to directly arrest a Chinese businessman in the concession with high status and submit him to a beating.

What could possibly scare him like this?

"Have a cup of coffee and speak slowly." Ye Luo rang the bell, and a Russian waitress came over. She was dressed in a maid-like outfit. She immediately brought desserts and new coffee with a sweet smile, and helped shake and add more coffee. Got sugar.

The Black Cat Dance Queen election held by Yeluo Dance Company is in full swing these days. It seems that these cafes have also followed suit, not only letting the waiters wear clothes similar to maids, but every word and every frown Also imitating the dancers.

"After you left that day, I thought that I had done nothing bad, and the patrol room and the police department would not give in and slander me. But I never expected that a large number of soldiers with live ammunition came the next day and surrounded my house. The water is suffocating!”

Huang Chujiu's face was full of bitterness, and he held the coffee carefully, but did not dare to take a sip.

"Soldiers with live ammunition? Those are the people from the Garrison Command." Ye Luo took a sip of coffee. The 32nd Army was stationed there. Although Army Commander Qian Dajun was not in Shanghai, his connections and reputation were endless. , the current head of the garrison headquarters is Xiong Shihui.

Logically speaking, Xiong Shihui and Zhang Dingyao were inseparable in appearance. He wished that Zhang Dingyao, an important member of the Gui clan, would be assassinated or transferred out of Shanghai, so why would he still try his best to help him investigate the case?

"Yes, if the police station or the police department comes to my door, I still have some ways to save myself, but I have no way at the security headquarters!" Huang Chujiu smiled bitterly, nodded and said, "They took me back for interrogation. Day and night, I gritted my teeth and refused to give in. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore, so I told them that the Sino-French Pharmacy had been transferred to you, the Second Young Master, and I had nothing to do with the illegal transportation of cigarettes they said! That’s when they put me back!”

"Tsk." Ye Luo looked at him with a sneer.

You may say that Huang Chujiu is smart, but he is also quite stupid. He is greedy for small profits and will not repent until death comes.

You may call him stupid, but sometimes he is quite smart and knows how to move out of his own mountain to resolve crises.

"Second Young Master, I deserve death! But I really had no choice at that time! There is Longhua Prison next to me. If I had spoken a second later, I might not have seen you and would have been buried alive there!"

Huang Chujiu was still a little scared. He was only released this morning. As soon as he left the security headquarters, he went home without stopping and packed up his things. He also had a pile of documents and title deeds from the Sino-French Pharmacy. After packing, he came to Ye Luo in a hurry.

"You just said it was illegal to transport cigarettes. Is that why you were arrested?" Ye Luo raised his eyebrows. This is very strange.

Since it has nothing to do with Jing Ruishan's death, why did the other party give up as soon as he heard his name.

Ye Luo could think of only one reason.

That is, the garrison headquarters was looking for a scapegoat to take the blame. They originally wanted to recruit enough people through Zhang Dingyao's wave of sweeping the traditional Chinese medicine industry, but when they heard Huang Chujiu said that the property had been transferred to him, they were afraid that he was from their side, so they let him go. Got past him.

Looking for a scapegoat for illegally transporting cigarettes

This incident reminded Ye Luo again of the "Jiang'an Lun Incident" that happened in November!

In the early days of the founding of the Nationalist Government, the smoking and selling of opium was not completely banned. Instead, it was regarded as an important source of tax revenue.

The principal clearly stated the rules.

First, it is prohibited to import any foreign tobacco. Cigarettes produced in the mainland need to be purchased and sold by companies with legal licenses. Such retail dealers need to pay high stamp taxes.

Second, smokers must also apply for a legal license, otherwise they are smoking illegally, and smokers with licenses will be taxed more heavily than ordinary people.

Third, the government should set up smoking cessation centers to urge smokers to quit smoking. (This one has never been implemented)

Since the promulgation of the decree, Yongxing Company, the largest tobacco business in Shanghai, has become a legal enterprise and can survive as long as it pays heavy taxes.

However, these decrees and the opium cigarette business have been severely opposed by the people, especially intellectuals, who hate opium cigarettes. Therefore, the "public cigarette sales" policy was stopped this summer.

Yongxing Company's business also changed from openly legal to underground illegal.

But in fact, the opium business has been banned repeatedly, and Lu Yusheng is even one of the three permanent members of Shanghai’s anti-smoking committee!

The business of Yongxing Company is protected by Wang Hu, and 30% of the commission is handed over to the Ministry of Finance every year. I heard that it will be revised to 50% in the second half of the year, which is about 6 million yuan.

The money will eventually flow into the pockets of the four major families through non-public accounts, and is currently collected and handled by Song Ziwen.

In addition to Yongxing Company, there are also gangs such as the New Labor Federation, Bai Gang, Wuhu Gang, etc. who are engaged in the cigarette business. They are escorted by Xiong Shihui, and all of their profits are transferred to the army every year to use as military resources.

Everyone wants to take over the big smoking business in Shanghai, and they don't like each other.

This gave rise to the appalling "Jiang'an Lun Incident" that occurred in November.

Jiang'an is a cargo ship that has been eliminated by China Shipping Merchants. It is now docked at Shiliupu Pier and will be auctioned at the end of the month.

Historically, this ocean liner was bought by Ye Yuqiao.

In late November this year, the Songhu Police Department suddenly received intelligence and intercepted hundreds of boxes of cigarettes on the Jiang'an ship at Shiliupu Pier!

However, after the police officers boarded the ship, they were detained by more than 30 armed men on the ship, and the smoke was transported out of the port. These armed men claimed to be from the Security Command, and said that Xiong Shihui personally commissioned the shipment of the smoke!

After this incident was disclosed in the newspapers, the two forces blamed each other and caused an uproar in society.

"Yes, Second Young Master! I am a serious businessman, how dare I touch such a thing!" Huang Chujiu nodded repeatedly, "They said they would only let me go home temporarily, and they will ask Second Young Master for verification in person in the future. You must save me." Save me, I really didn’t transport smoke illegally!”

"If they come to me, I certainly won't sit idly by and ignore them." Ye Luo looked at him with a smile, "But, I have a few requests, and I hope Boss Huang can agree to them."

"Second Young Master, please tell me! Don't just say a few, I'm also willing to ask for hundreds!" Huang Chujiu has now clearly seen Ye Luo's status and right to speak in Shanghai, and quickly nodded and clasped his fists, as if he was afraid that he would regret it.

Ye Luo shook the spoon in the coffee cup and raised three fingers leisurely: "First, the Sino-French Pharmacy will be my property from now on and has nothing to do with you, Boss Huang; second, Boss Huang must stay in the pharmacy Continue to work for me for three years; thirdly, any employees and inventory I like in the large pharmacy must be transferred to Ye's Pharmaceutical Company unconditionally."