Zhong Yi smiled and said, "Actually, we have a third choice!" ”

"The third option?" Hearing this, Li Qimo's pupils shrank slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "What do you want to do?" ”

Commodus and MacJoseph's eyes also fell on Zhong Yi's hand, or more precisely on the Browning pistol in Zhong Yi's hand.

Zhong Yi put away the pistol with his backhand and said with a smile: "Don't misunderstand, ministers, I won't kill you." ”

After a pause, he said to Richmore: "Even just now, it was just a joke with Minister Richmore, no matter what, the three of you are diplomats and enjoy the right of diplomatic pardon, and it is impossible for me to attack you." ”

Commodus, Joseph MacJoseph, and Richmore were suddenly confused by Zhong Yi's soft and hard methods.

However, Commodus suspected that what Zhong Yi said at the moment should be false, and his previous harsh words were his true nature, and he had no doubt that if they were engaged in the opium trade again, this guy would definitely secretly kill the three of them, and he would definitely make the case seamless and not find any flaws.

At that moment, Commodus said: "Your Excellency, what do you mean? ”

"yes." Joseph also frowned and said, "What do you mean by the third option?" ”

"It's very simple, everyone cooperates and makes a fortune together." Zhong Yi spread his hands and said, "Isn't the reason why you want to risk losing your reputation and colluding with Chen Jinmu to smuggle opium just to make money?" If there was a better way to make money, and without risking disrepute, without having to carry the shackles of conscience and morality, why not? ”

Commodus was stunned: "Oh Tfak, what else can be more profitable than smuggling opium?" ”

Joseph said, "And it's a legitimate business? Don't need to risk disrepute? ”

Li Qimo also said: "And this is still a win-win business, and it is also good for the Chinese?" So we don't have to bear the shackles of conscience and morality? ”

"All in the middle!" Zhong Yi smiled, "That's it. ”

Commodus took a deep breath and said urgently: "Your Excellency the Mayor, don't sell your business, what kind of business?" ”

"Finance!" Zhong Yi no longer played tricks, and directly revealed the mystery, "To be more specific, it is to open a bank!" ”

"It turned out to be about opening a bank." Richmore, Commodus, and Joseph MacJoseph were stunned at first, and then disappointed.

Richmore shook his head and said: "It is indeed easier to make money in the financial industry than to smuggle opium, but then again, it is not so easy to engage in the financial industry, especially to open a bank, it is even more difficult!" ”

Commodus also said: "It is not so easy to open a bank, the system, the place, the management personnel, and even the capital are all easy to solve, but the business, especially the lending business, is not so easy to carry out!" ”

Joseph MacJoseph also said: "Yes, if the lending conditions are too relaxed, it is difficult to recover the funds, and it is easy to form a large number of bad debts and bad debts, but if the restrictions are too strict, it is difficult to get the lending business, especially now that the Sino-Japanese war is in full swing, resulting in the withering of the entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang industries, and the lending business is even more difficult to carry out!" ”

Zhong Yi shook his head and said, "My opinion is exactly the opposite of you! ”

"Crisis, crisis, crisis is the only opportunity!" Speaking of this, he paused, and said, "The three of you think about it carefully, is it really because of the war that caused the withering of all industries in Jiangsu and Zhejiang?" ”

Joseph MacJoseph and Richmore said blankly, "Isn't it? ”

Commodore frowned and said: "Academically speaking, the reason for the withering of all industries in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is really not the war, but because of the severance of trade routes caused by the war, as well as the loss of confidence in the business environment of Jiangsu and Zhejiang by the banking industry, especially the latter, which hit the industry and commerce of Jiangsu and Zhejiang the hardest, even greater than the war itself!" ”

"Goode!" Zhong Yi couldn't help but give Commodus a thumbs up.

It seems that Commodus understands political economy, so he knows why.

But Richmore and MacJoseph were still confused, and couldn't figure out why.

Commodus gave an example and said to the two: "For example, Shanghai was indeed affected by the war in the second half of last year, but it has not been affected by the war for the whole year this year, right?" ”

"Yes." Richmore and MacJoseph nodded at the same time.

Commodus added: "Shanghai has a population of more than four million, and more than four million people eat, drink and lazar, which is a big market in itself, right? ”

"Yes, that's right." Richmore and MacJoseph nodded again.

Commodus added: "Shanghai is not short of funds, right? ”

"Of course there is no shortage." Richmore and MacJoseph shook their heads at the same time, "Don't talk about the local consortium in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, that is, Citibank and UBS both have branches in Shanghai, how can they be short of funds?" ”

Commodus added: "There is no shortage of factories in Shanghai, from hardware, chemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, food processing to heavy industry, there are basically industrial categories, right? ”

"That's right." Richmore and MacJoseph nodded again, "Shanghai's industrial categories are very complete, even if a considerable number of factories have responded to the call of the national government and moved to the rear, but there are even more factories left in the concession!" ”

"Then here's the problem." Commodus spread his hands and then said, "Shanghai has a market, production capacity, and capital, so why is it still withering?" ”

"This market is fake!" "The four million Chinese refugees who took refuge in the Shanghai Concession were penniless and had no purchasing power at all!" ”

"I'm afraid not." Commodus shook his head and said, "As long as the factories in the concession are opened, there will be a large number of jobs, and with jobs, the four million Chinese refugees in the Shanghai concession will have income, they will have purchasing power, and a huge market of more than four million people will appear." ”

"Hey, it's true." Richmore scratched his head and said, "What is the reason for this?" ”

"The reason is that because of the war, the banking industry has lost confidence in Shanghai's business environment, and is unwilling to lend their funds to industrial and commercial owners, who have no principal and cannot purchase raw materials, let alone recruit workers to resume production, so all industries have withered!" ”

"To put it bluntly, it is a lack of confidence in the future of China or Jiangsu and Zhejiang." Zhong Yi said, "But it is precisely because these bankers lack confidence in China's future that there will be a market vacuum, and new banks will have opportunities, otherwise how will the newly established banks compete with banking giants such as Citigroup and HSBC?" ”

Commodus said: "That being said, but doing finance is not charity, and with the current situation in China, others really can't have confidence in him." ”