Chapter 86

" Hmm? " Gao Yang was slightly taken aback.

"Feng's army has already been completely reorganized. Since you are still willing to act under the name of the Beiyang government, Marshal Zhang can do you a favor by giving you these already disbanded units. He won't lose anything. After all, even without these units, you can still follow Marshal Zhang's example and reorganize your troops directly. This way, Marshal Zhang is still your nominal superior!" Yuan Dian explained.

"Oh, I see." Gao Yang nodded slightly in agreement with Yuan Dian's explanation.

He picked up his teacup, stood up, and walked to the window, saying lightly, "It's not the time to be the first to stick your head out. The Beiyang government in the north is recognized internationally! With this nominal recognition, many things will be less troublesome, and besides..."

He took a sip of tea, turned to look at Gao Feng, and said with a light smile, "Don't you think the Beiyang government is good at taking the blame?"

"Hehe..." Gao Feng laughed appropriately.

Gao Yang shook his head helplessly and said, "Your emotions are becoming more and more like a natural person's."

Gao Feng smiled and said, "Boss, I have something to report to you."

Gao Yang sat back in his chair, put down his teacup, and said, "What is it? Go ahead."

"Boss, we have a lot of funds tied up in Citibank. I suggest we withdraw the money, convert it to gold, and start our own bank! This will greatly alleviate our financial pressure and also squeeze out all the various banknotes in circulation." Gao Feng said with a hint of excitement.

Gao Yang raised his head slightly, glanced at him, rubbed his forehead, and said softly, "You can be considered an excellent economic expert. The plan you proposed does indeed have various benefits on the surface, but you are only considering economic matters."

"First, I made several hundred million dollars in 1925! But this money can't be used in the modern era; they are all old versions! Besides, they have depreciated too much. As for converting them to gold, that's just nonsense. Who would sell me gold worth several hundred million dollars in 1925? Do you know how much gold the world's countries have in reserve? You must understand that this era is on the gold standard!" Gao Yang explained with a hint of excitement.

"To the world's countries, gold is the foundation of all economic and trade activities. Look at the British; they would even sell their grand fleet for money! They don't care about the Washington Naval Treaty! But if I told them I wanted to buy several hundred million dollars worth of gold, they would spit in my face!" Gao Yang said with a mocking tone.

"As for starting a bank, you are right; it would benefit me a lot. But you haven't considered other things. Speaking of which, I want to ask you, do you know what the economy is?" Gao Yang relaxed and asked with a smile.

Gao Feng nodded slightly and said, "The economy is a game of exchange!"

Gao Yang stroked his chin, neither confirming nor denying Gao Feng's answer. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a slight frown, "It's cold!"

Gao Feng quickly stepped forward to pour tea for Gao Yang.

"Indeed, I can issue a large amount of banknotes using gold as reserves. But there's nothing to buy! The main consumption on this land is food and cloth! Other industrial products are so scarce they can be ignored! Moreover, many places still use barter trade. Where can you go to buy things with money? Abroad? They won't recognize your banknotes at all!" Gao Yang said, slightly raising his voice.

"Starting a bank and playing with finance is just a game of money making more money. For an extremely backward country, what is needed is not starting a bank and issuing banknotes. What is needed is industry! A variety of abundant goods! Without things to buy, banknotes are just prettier paper!"

Gao Feng held the teacup with both hands and respectfully handed it to Gao Yang. He took a sip and continued, "You say that many foreign banks are issuing banknotes, and the market is chaotic, which is true. But you must know, where are those banknotes? In the hands of ordinary people! If you drive these banks to extinction, the ordinary people who hold the banknotes will suffer! They will be left with a pile of waste paper!"

Gao Feng said softly, "But this way won't work either, right?"

Gao Yang waved his hand and said loudly, "Of course not! But there are many methods. What I am doing now is issuing a large amount of standard silver dollars. I pay the salaries of the army and government officials entirely in silver dollars. Silver dollars are precious metals, and between banknotes and silver dollars, people generally prefer silver dollars. With more silver dollars, banknotes will naturally be squeezed out of the market."

"The demand for silver dollars is now very high, so it is necessary to purchase a batch of industrial silver in the modern era. We also need to start our own bank, but not to print banknotes! What we need to do is provide convenience to people. I can pay all salaries through this bank, which will无形中打击滥发钞票的外资银行." Gao Yang took out a cigarette and lit it, continuing.

He exhaled a thick smoke ring and said lightly, "Do you know why the British started the Opium War with a vast empire they barely understood at the time?"

Gao Feng, standing beside him, shook his head slightly.

Gao Yang explained calmly, "Why did the British cross thousands of miles, thousands of miles in the 19th century, and at great cost, to fight a war with a vast empire? Because the Qing Dynasty's foreign trade was only imports and no exports! Over the past few hundred years, they had exchanged silk, porcelain, and tea for countless precious metals from Western countries, and the British could not sell anything there except opium! When the only trade that could bring money back, the opium trade, was banned, it strangled the British foreign trade economy! What could the British do? They had to use force. Similarly, if I sell a large amount of industrial products to the Americans and take away a large amount of funds from them, and if I also only import and not export, the Americans will certainly do the same as the British!"

He changed his posture and continued, "Business is a game of exchange. I make so much money from the Americans, but I can't use it in the modern era, so I have to spend it. Fortunately, I need the Americans' oil and various goods. I can spend the money I earn back in America, buying various American industrial products. I can sell the oil to the modern era, exchange it for money, and buy industrial products to sell back to the Americans. This forms a cycle. With industrial production and foreign trade, the Americans won't say anything. If..."

Gao Yang crossed his legs and continued, "If I only make money from the Americans without spending it, the Americans will first impose trade protection, refusing to buy from me! Then they will impose trade sanctions, and if that doesn't work, they will send warships to take what they want! No country can accept a trade relationship where they only import and never export! If economic means don't work, they will resort to violence."

"I keeping my money in Citibank is also a gesture of goodwill, telling the Americans that they will eventually earn this money back. After all, what I need are essential industrial products, not money! Do you understand what I'm saying?" Gao Yang looked at Gao Feng, who was listening obediently, and asked.

"I understand!" Gao Feng answered immediately.

Gao Yang nodded in satisfaction.

"Can you explain your economic activities in the modern era?" Yuan Dian, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked.

Gao Yang shook his head slightly and asked softly, "You were created for war, why consider the economy?"

Yuan Dian remained silent.

Gao Yang sighed lightly and said, "There's a reason I sell oil to the Koreans in the modern era. The global oil market is a crucial tool for the Americans to control the world's economic lifeline, and it's not easy to intervene. Any country, organization, or individual that shows any intention of challenging the American oil economy will be ruthlessly suppressed by the Americans!"

He paused and continued, "Among the countries that need oil worldwide, the European countries each have their own territories, with complex interests that I can't intervene in! North America is too dangerous and will definitely attract American attention, which I can't afford now."

He stubbed out his cigarette and continued, "As for East Asia, the Japanese won't buy. Besides, Japan is the Americans' backyard, and I don't have the strength to challenge the world's top oil tycoons! Among the emerging economies, only South Korea can afford to spend a few hundred million dollars a month on oil. Although South Korea is also the Americans' backyard, the Americans' control over South Korea is not as deep as it is over Japan! Moreover, 4.2 million barrels a month is already the limit; any more will attract high attention from the Americans!"

Gao Yang smiled and continued, "Moreover, this is also a way for me to enter South Korea. Without benefits, why would the Koreans let me into their market? Without offering them the supplies they need at a discount, why would they invite me in politely? And how could I establish myself in South Korea? There are many things that money alone can't accomplish!"

He stood up from his chair, lit a cigarette, and continued, "As for the world's factory, it's the same as with the Americans! I'm afraid of being traced."

He paused and continued, "My purchases of various industrial products from the world's factory are also a gesture of goodwill. After all, a significant part of the world's factory's economy relies on exports. My orders help absorb some excess capacity and increase export earnings. Otherwise, do you really think they know nothing? My company is in the north!"

He curled his lips with a hint of mockery and said, "I don't have that kind of status yet!"

He turned the page to the beginning of the AD.

He turned the page to the end of the AD.