195

Although a verbal agreement was made with Lu Jian, the preparation of a new bank was not such a simple matter. It required building a framework, determining the asset size, calculating the share capital, and selecting suitable shareholders. Cheng Xi could not decide on a long list of preparatory matters alone, and he had to wait for Tian Yu to come back for advice.

But there is one thing that can be decided in advance.

"Erlang, now that the Red Flag Gang has won a great victory, there are no more obstacles in Panyu. I want to send someone over to open up the situation and be responsible for collecting tolls for ships. Are you willing to go?" Without any polite words, Cheng Xi asked straight to the point.

Sun Erlang had been summoned from the main camp, and he had not expected to face such a major event. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "I am a fool, and I am afraid I cannot handle this important task..."

Cheng Xi smiled and waved his hand. "You've managed such an impoverished place like Dongning so well. You'd be considered a capable person anywhere. Now is the time to hire people. Panyu is different from Dongning. The situation is more complicated, and we need a reliable person to take charge. Of all the big bosses, I trust you the most."

She spoke with such sincerity that Sun Erlang's breath caught. Unlike the Lin and Li families, as one of the original three families, the Sun family had not actually received any life-saving grace. His decision to join the Red Flag Gang was entirely his own. This decision also made him a true confidant of the gang leader. He was even one of the first to know his identity.

However, the bigger the Red Flag Gang grew, the more uneasy he felt. Could a captain from a fishing village truly control the affairs of such a large gang? But now, the gang leader said he could, and that she trusted him the most. This naturally meant something different to Sun Erlang.

She had changed into a dress, but her demeanor remained the same, becoming even more aggressive. To have her favor was truly a blessing. Suppressing his excitement, Sun Erlang took a deep breath and said, "Since the leader has said so, I shall obey."

"Don't be too stressed. This time when you go to Panyu, you'll have Manager Zhong assisting you. In the future, when Master Lu takes charge of bank affairs, he can also help you. If you really encounter something you can't solve, you can send someone to deliver a letter." Cheng Xi smiled slightly. "You are the leader of the Red Flag Gang, and you are also the one acting on my behalf. You must not bring shame to our reputation."

If she were facing Li Niu, she certainly wouldn't say that. Sun Erlang was steady enough, but lacked a bit of momentum. However, the guard dog, though seemingly silent, was actually the most ferocious. Cheng Xi was quite confident in him.

This teasing made Sun Erlang laugh as well: "Don't worry, Boss. I still know how to bully others with my power."

"Haha, that's the kind of spirit we should have. Our Red Flag Gang has earned its reputation through hard work. Others who want to cause trouble have to think twice before making trouble." Cheng Xi laughed and clapped his hands.

Her movements were still as free and unrestrained as ever, without a trace of womanly reserve. However, after changing into a red dress, she looked not only heroic but also bright and beautiful, making her unforgettable. As if scalded, Sun Erlang immediately withdrew his gaze and headed towards Panyu. This might actually be a good thing.

After arranging Sun Erlang and waiting for two more days, Tian Yu also rushed back from the island. As soon as he saw Cheng Xi, he said, "There's news from Panyu that General Xu has been exiled to the border. Do you want to kidnap him back?"

Cheng Xike didn't expect him to say that, but he still shook his head: "I met Xu Zixin in person, and he refused to join the Red Flag Gang."

Tian Yu became anxious when he heard this: "This is a different time. He was still in the army then, but now he is a criminal. Why not..."

Cheng Xi interrupted him: "No reason, it's just that he can't have both loyalty and righteousness, so he chose one."

Tian Yu, a former soldier and victimized by treacherous officials, naturally couldn't understand Xu Xianrong's choice. Cheng Xi, however, did understand, and didn't even feel sorry for him. Even when a dynasty is about to fall, there are still patriots, and this isn't simply a case of "blind loyalty." Xu Xianrong wanted to defend something he'd believed in all his life, and such a belief, so worthy of his life, wasn't something he could easily be persuaded to.

They have never been the same kind of people.

Tian Yu's expression darkened. He had suffered wrongful imprisonment and was a descendant of General Qiu, so he couldn't help but empathize with Xu Xianrong's experience. After a long moment, he sighed, "For those people in the court, it's not worth it."

"Yeah, it's not worth it." Cheng Xi also sighed.

This echo actually cheered Tian Yu up, because everything he was doing now was worth it. No longer paying attention to General Xu, he asked, "Is everything arranged in Dongning? It's time to go to Panyu to collect customs duties."

He had already mistaken the pass for customs duties, showing that he really didn't take the imperial court seriously. Cheng Xi smiled and said, "I have already arranged for Sun Erlang to go, so there is no need to worry about this matter. On the contrary, there have been some problems with the opening of a bank in Panyu."

This made Tian Yu startled: "Wasn't it arranged a long time ago? What happened?"

"Mr. Lu wants to invest and take charge of Panyu's banking affairs." Cheng Xi said.

What?! Tian Yu's expression changed. "Lu Jian is cunning and treacherous. How can we let him get involved in the bank?"

This concerns the foundation of the Red Flag Gang. How can a profit-seeking guy like Lu Jian be qualified to preside over the overall situation of the bank?

"Everyone has their own strengths. He is a genius in business, so he will definitely be useful." Cheng Xi didn't care about Tian Yu's reaction and carefully repeated what Lu Jian said.

Although Tian Yu's temperament was a bit awkward, he was quite smart and quickly understood the deeper meaning behind it, and he also understood why Cheng Xi agreed to this matter. However, the more he understood, the more worried he became. Lu Jian was not a simple person. Not only was he scheming, but he also had some tricks up his sleeve. What if he was plotting something bad?

His face suddenly turned cold, and Tian Yu said: "In that case, I have to discuss this with him..."

The next day, Lu Jian received a call from Gang Leader Cheng, inviting him to discuss bank matters. Was Tian Yu back? He now understood the Red Flag Gang's structure and was even more aware that Tian Yu was in charge of bank affairs. The only problem was that this guy wasn't very easy to get along with, so he was likely to have more arguments today.

But he wasn't afraid. He had already mastered the bank's affairs, so how could he be stumped by others' questions? He just changed his clothes and went to the meeting room without hesitation.

Tian Yu, sitting upright, saw the Second Young Master Lu stroll in, dressed in finery and smiling warmly. His demeanor and bearing were even more impressive than when they first met. His face darkened instantly. This man and Shen Feng were not of the same style, but both made him feel uneasy. He had to be on guard!

Tian Yu had no intention of giving him a good face, but Cheng Xi didn't care at all. He smiled and said, "Brother Lu is here? Please take a seat."

Lu Jian smiled and saluted the two, then took a seat at the guest table, casually glancing at the little girl standing behind Cheng Xi. Cheng Xi was straightforward, introducing her directly, "This is my trusted confidant, He Ling, the head accountant at Minsheng Bank. Since this involves the bank, she naturally has to attend as an observer."

Lu Jian had long inquired about the internal affairs of Minsheng Bank and naturally knew that there were some female accountants there. This method of inserting confidants was not surprising, but even he had not expected that Cheng Xi would ask her to come and sit in. Was he planning to plant spies in Panyu as well?

Facing Lu Jian's scrutinizing gaze, He Ling didn't try to avoid it. On the contrary, like Tian Yu, she was also wary. The bank didn't allow outsiders to meddle in it, so how could she not be on guard when such a well-behaved guy suddenly appeared?

This is exactly the same, treating him like a thief. Lu Jian didn't care and smiled first, "I have sorted out my thoughts in the past two days and have drafted a bank structure. I would like to ask Boss Cheng to review it."

As he said this, he handed over the document, again in duplicate.

He knew he would be in attendance, so he'd already prepared. Tian Yu muttered to himself, reading even faster, almost like he could read ten lines at a glance. Soon, he frowned, "Isn't the bank's price of 100,000 taels too high?"

The first thing to consider was, of course, the share capital. Lu Jian envisioned one hundred shares, totaling one hundred thousand taels. The minimum shareholding limit was five shares per person, which amounted to five thousand taels, a figure unimaginable to most people. With such a large sum of money, one had to invest it to earn interest, but where could one find a business worth one hundred thousand taels and still generate such a huge profit? Furthermore, not to mention the others, even they, just to get the lion's share, would have to invest sixty thousand taels, a significant sum.

Facing Tian Yu's doubts, Lu Jian smiled and said, "One hundred thousand taels may seem like a lot, but it's actually just to raise the threshold. If you want to join, you can also invest in industrial enterprises. For example, if the Red Flag Gang has a fleet, 60,000 taels wouldn't be worth much. There are also many people in Panyu City who want to take advantage of the situation, and it's easy to attract a vote."

This is easy to understand. Some people have a family business but no backing. They would definitely be exploited on a normal day. However, if they rely on the Red Flag Gang, they don't have to worry about those dignitaries. They only need a small share of the profits, which is considered a good deal.

However, Tian Yu disagreed. "This bank isn't about guaranteeing people; its main business is earning interest on investments. If these partners can't make money, the bank's reputation will be severely damaged. Even though the South China Sea is now entirely owned by the Red Flag Gang, it's not easy to expand overseas. Isn't Mr. Lu being too hasty?"

They all said that they had invested in the fleet, so they were definitely planning to go the ocean route. Now Lu Jian had the talent to manage the ocean-going fleet, and the Red Flag Gang had the ships. It seemed that they could succeed, but how could they sail out to sea? In addition, the vicious enemy, the Long Whale Gang, was eyeing them covetously. If they were robbed, wouldn't the bank go bankrupt as soon as it opened?

Lu Jian smiled slightly and said, "If the fleet is not safe, you can also invest in some large-scale business, such as copper mountains and silver mines. You can also make it by using some connections."

Tian Yu's eyes suddenly became sharp: "Can you really take over Tongshan?"

They were in great need of weapons and artillery, and if they could really get involved in smelting and forging, the profits would be huge. However, there weren't many mines in Yuezhou, so wasn't this a bit too far-fetched?

Cheng Xi suddenly said, "There's no need to go far away. We can first build a weaving plant, either for silk or cotton, and expand the scale. We can also use cash, tens of thousands of taels are still available."

This was beyond Lu Jian's expectations, and he couldn't help but say, "Although weaving is profitable, there are already many merchants, so it may be difficult to make a profit."

Cheng Xi smiled and said, "There are wars everywhere now. The amount of raw silk and cotton shipped to Panyu is increasing, but the amount of cloth and silk is decreasing. It can be seen that there is still profit, but the sea route is dangerous and the prospects are not predictable. The Red Flag Gang has occupied so many ships, and they can try to export any goods."

This was true. For the leader of a major maritime gang, textiles and porcelain were always the most profitable. The Red Flag Gang dominated the South China Sea, so even if they barged into an established industry, few would dare to say anything. They might even attract some major merchants to invest.

After a moment's thought, Lu Jian understood and nodded: "This is easy to handle."

This is the finalization of the basic structure. Cheng Xi did not waste any words and continued, "It's just that your arrangement for the goods transaction is a little lacking. It's best to revise it."

The transaction setup was Lu Jian's most confident part. Hearing her say that, he couldn't help but be curious: "How do you want to change it?"