Chapter 11

On February 16, 1908, at the Fuhua Building on West Street, one of the most luxurious and renowned restaurants in Baotou, Yang Yuanzhao arrived in the afternoon. Yang Yue accompanied him, and they settled into the premier private room. By this time, Yang Yuanzhao was no longer wearing his down jacket; instead, he was dressed in a Qing-style padded coat over his thermal underwear, which, despite its warmth, still fell short in the cold.

On the outside, he had adapted to the era's fashion, donning a new leather coat and a melon-shaped hat. At first glance, he looked no different from the merchants passing by on the street.

"Here they come!" There was a commotion outside the door, and Liu Shu entered with two well-built middle-aged men, walking briskly. Without needing to look, Yang Yuanzhao knew these must be Wu Guangren and Zhao Shuming, two of the largest landowners in Baotou. The 2,100 hectares of land they owned was just a part of their vast holdings. The Wu family had nearly 12 manors and over 5,000 hectares of land, while the Zhao family, though slightly less, still owned 450 hectares.

While he had known that land concentration was common in the late Qing dynasty, it was rare to find such large landowners even in the inland regions. However, in the area outside the Great Wall, especially after the start of the Mongolian reclamation, the combination of money and power made it possible to own thousands of hectares. Examples of overnight wealth were abundant.

Liu Shu quickly introduced the two men. The slightly shorter one, who looked more like a small landowner, was Wu Guangren, wearing glasses and appearing more scholarly than a landowner. The other, Zhao Shuming, had a more refined air about him.

Yang Yuanzhao hurriedly stood up and greeted them according to the proper etiquette. Although their shares were not significant, they owned the most crucial land. This was no longer the early days of the Mongolian reclamation; as long as one maintained a good relationship with the Mongolian Reclamation Company, one could acquire as much land as desired. The land had already been divided, especially the land along the Yellow River, which was scarce. Such a large and contiguous plot of land was rare, and with the convenience of irrigation from the Yellow River, it was one of the best places in Baotou for growing cotton.

Wu Guangren was rather aloof and didn't say much, but Zhao Shuming asked a few more questions, mainly about the situation in Britain. Yang Yuanzhao, though not well-versed in the current state of Britain, managed to bluff his way through thanks to the advanced information age of the 21st century.

Just as they settled down with a cup of tea, there was another commotion outside the door. Liu Shu smiled and said, "Wenju has arrived!"

As he spoke, a young man in a dark blue robe, exuding the air of an old merchant, entered, bowing to everyone. "Brother Zelun, Brother Jitang, Uncle Zhao, Uncle Wu, I'm late because of some business at my shop. Please forgive me."

Everyone stood up, and even the aloof Wu Guangren seemed to show respect. Yang Yuanzhao took note of this, recognizing the influence of the Wei family in Baotou and even Shanxi. A mere manager in Baotou could command such respect from a large landowner, which was a testament to both their capabilities and their background.

"This must be Brother Yuanzhao, indeed an outstanding individual!" Wei Ming looked at Yang Yuanzhao, his glasses adding a scholarly air, but his eyes behind them were sharp and calculating, hinting at unknown thoughts.

"Alright, we are all here for the same purpose. Have you all reviewed the prospectus? We are gathering to establish the Baotou Reclamation Company. Let's be straightforward and discuss any issues directly."

"I have no problem with it. It's just about growing cotton. After the wheat harvest, I have no other plans, so I'll give it a try," Wu Guangren said first. Zhao Shuming followed, and for them, a silver dollar per three acres of land was a fair deal, whether paid directly or as shares. The Liu and Yang families were as influential as the Wei family, and even though Liu Shu and Yang Yue were young, they wouldn't easily tarnish their reputation. The only concern was this new arrival, Yang Yuanzhao, but he seemed trustworthy.

With no objections from Wu and Zhao, Liu Shu and Yang Yue had no issues either. All eyes turned to Wei Ming, who remained silent, sizing up Yang Yuanzhao.

"Brother Zelun, Brother Jitang, according to the contract, Yuanzhao is to take 40% of the shares? The 500 yuan for the planting technology is fair, even a bit low according to your plan, but what about the remaining amount?"

Yang Yue and Liu Shu were taken aback. They had been so busy for days that they had forgotten to investigate Yang Yuanzhao's financial background. After all the discussions, they had focused more on future development. If Wei Ming hadn't mentioned it, they might have forgotten that Yang Yuanzhao had confidently pledged to take 40% of the shares, a significant amount of over 10,000 silver dollars, enough to buy 300 large livestock or establish a large business.

Wu Guangren immediately fixed his gaze on Yang Yuanzhao, trying to detect any signs of deceit.

"It seems there are still some doubts!" Yang Yuanzhao laughed. "Since we are forming a company, we should choose a bank. Since Manager Wei is here, let's use the Wei family bank. I'll also deposit my share of the funds there."

With that, Yang Yuanzhao pulled out a large leather suitcase from under the table and opened it on the dining table. The golden and silver gleam was dazzling. Over the past four days, he had converted 10 kilograms of gold into 32 large gold bars, neatly stacked. Even Wei Ming and Yang Yue, accustomed to luxury, were momentarily blinded, not to mention the landowners Wu Guangren and Zhao Ming. On the other side were stacks of silver dollars, 100 in each stack, totaling 40 stacks.

Each large gold bar was worth 250 yuan, so 32 bars amounted to about 8,000 yuan. The 40 stacks of silver dollars added up to 4,000 yuan, enough to cover Yang Yuanzhao's share.

Wei Ming had never doubted Yang Yuanzhao's financial capability, but this display was truly impressive. A student who had studied in Britain, with a distinguished family background, had brought cash, which was rare even in Baotou. Only a few families could produce such a sum of cash at once, and even the Wu and Zhao families would have to mortgage their land and property for more.

"Yuanzhao is indeed wealthy!" Wei Ming said. "Our bank is just next door. Shall we proceed there?"

"Sure!" Yang Yuanzhao nodded. Storing the cash in the all-in-one device was safe, but now that it was out, the best place to keep it was in the bank.

The Fuhua Building was in the bustling part of West Street, and the Wei family bank was nearby. Carrying so much cash was inconvenient, so it was better to deposit it. Yang Yuanzhao also wanted to see the bank of this era. In the future, banks would replace the draft banks, and the draft banks, facing competition from foreign banks, would struggle. The Jin merchants had established large draft banks in the northwest, which spread across the country, demonstrating their foresight and capability. Later, the northwest draft banks combined to form the Northwest Bank, which played a significant role in the rise of Shanxi under Yan Xishan.

Yang Yuanzhao's gold bars were standard, often used as official silver, but the markings had been removed for convenience. The Wei family bank was powerful, handling millions of yuan annually. The managers quickly verified the 32 gold bars and 4,000 silver dollars.

"May I ask what kind of draft you prefer?"

A draft, he assumed, was a deposit slip or cash check. Yang Yuanzhao thought for a moment and said, "Brother Wenju, give me a 1,000-yuan draft."

Wei Ming worked quickly, producing 12 drafts for Yang Yuanzhao to sign and stamp, then splitting them in half. "With this draft, you can withdraw funds from the Baotou and Taiyuan banks. Outside Shanxi, you need to notify us in advance."

Yang Yuanzhao nodded, took the drafts, and left the Wei family bank.

The process of depositing the cash and obtaining the drafts took little time, mainly because Yang Yuanzhao's items were neatly organized and of uniform size, similar to official silver. Experienced managers quickly verified everything. Even the drafts were expedited due to Wei Ming's influence, and the entire process was completed before seven, while it was still light outside.

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