Wang Shengde is in his early forties, somewhat thin, wears a pair of black-rimmed eyes, his lips and chin are clean and slippery, and he wears a well-fitting dark gray suit.

After cutting braids, there was a spontaneous trend of shaving and cutting nails in Shanghai, the reason is naturally that the top is good, the bottom must be very bad, easy to know that content has not grown a beard, no matter when the beard is shaved clean, the same is true for nails, never leave long nails, returned international students and domestic college students have followed suit, and gradually led the whole Shanghai atmosphere.

He is not only the chairman of the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce, but also the deputy director of the Jiangsu Consultative Bureau, although he was born in a family of businessmen, but he also returned from studying in England, and now Shanghai's political and business circles have paid more and more attention to the new academic qualifications.

When he entered the room, he saw Yi Zhengxing and Zhao Liewen were also there, Wang Shengde hurriedly bowed down one by one, and Yi Zhizhi smiled and said, "Chairman Wang doesn't need to be formal, sit." ”

After he sat down, he said: "Serious economic crises have broken out in the United States and Germany one after another, should you have heard of this?" ”

The economic crisis of the three countries of Austria and Germany, and the repeated reports of newspapers in Shanghai, Wang Shengde did not know the reason, and immediately bowed slightly and said: "I wonder if this economic crisis is likely to turn into a world economic crisis?" Will it have a huge impact on our country? ”

"In recent years, China's industrial and economic development has been rapid, and the impact is inevitable." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "The imperial court implemented the First Five-Year Plan in order to deal with this economic crisis. After a pause, he continued: "The purpose of measures such as increasing wages and improving welfare is also to stimulate the economy, stimulate domestic demand, and avoid an economic crisis." ”

What is the purpose of today's summons? Wang Shengde's heart couldn't help but tighten, and he hesitated for a moment before he spoke: "Lord Wang, it is difficult for workers' wages to increase, and it is even more difficult to fall, and increasing wages means increasing costs, which will undoubtedly weaken the international competitiveness of my industrial products, and will also affect the sales ...... in China." ”

In fact, in his opinion, it is impossible to stimulate the economy and stimulate domestic demand by increasing wages and improving welfare, and workers will mail their rich money back to their hometowns, or deposit it in the bank and not consume it at all.

Yi Zhixiang glanced at him, turned to look at Yi Zhengxing, and said, "Let's talk about it." ”

Hearing this, Yi Zhengxing smiled and said, "That's a long way to say." ”

Yi Zhizhi said: "Then make a long story short. ”

"Yes." Yi Zhengxing pondered for a moment before he spoke: "What is the reason for the outbreak of the economic crisis?" Is it relative overproduction, why is there relative overproduction?

To put it simply, the profit is equal to the selling price of the commodity minus the wage, in other words, the selling price of the commodity is equal to the profit plus the wage. In other words, wages cannot buy all goods, but profits must also be added to the purchase, so that production and sales can be balanced.

But only a small part of the profit is actually added to purchases, that is, consumption, and the richer the person, the lower the proportion of consumption in total income. This is the root cause of the emergence of relative overproduction, and the root cause of the outbreak of the economic crisis!

Raising wages and reducing profits, although it cannot fundamentally eliminate the economic crisis, is conducive to alleviating the economic crisis, which is the real reason why Yuanqi has been continuously raising wages. ”

Although Yi Zhengxing's words were very concise, they were quite thorough, and Wang Shengde understood the meaning of this as soon as he heard it, and he smiled and said: "What about farmers, farmers have no wages, but they also have the ability to consume. ”

"That's a good question." Yi Zhifen said with a smile: "This theory is aimed at countries with a high degree of industrialization, and it is not applicable to agricultural countries, in fact, in the absence of external reasons, agricultural countries will basically not have economic crises."

It has been 30 years since China developed its industry, and its industry has already reached a certain scale, but there has been no economic crisis, because the proportion of industrial output value is not large, and the huge peasants in the country have digested a relative surplus of commodities.

However, China's industrial development is getting faster and faster, and the proportion of industry will become heavier and heavier, and it will eventually replace agriculture and leap from an agricultural country to an industrial country, but the wage growth of workers must have a long process, and it cannot be achieved overnight. ”

Wang Shengde was not reconciled, and said after a deep sigh: "If the wages of workers increase to a certain extent, will they not all be used for consumption?" ”

"It's nature." "However, the current wage level is far from that level, and there will be no need to think about this issue for at least a few decades. After a pause, he continued: "Raising wages is not only to alleviate the economic crisis to the greatest extent, but also to promote the needs of China's industrial development.

Too low labor costs, will lead to stagnation, will hinder the development and application of advanced technology, is now in the first industrial revolution to the second industrial revolution transition stage, China must actively develop and apply the popularization of new technologies, otherwise there is the possibility of being pulled down by the West again.

The industrial age is a never-ending era of constant pursuit of innovation, and the second industrial revolution will be followed by the third industrial revolution, the fourth industrial revolution, the fifth and sixth ........

Once we rest on our laurels, we will quickly catch up and be eliminated, and we must lay a good foundation for sustainable development from the beginning. ”

And the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or even the industrial revolution that keeps coming? Several people in the room looked at him stunned, and it took a long time for Wang Shengde to come back to his senses, he knew in his heart that since it was easy to be content, even if he was unwilling, he couldn't change it.

After a slight sigh, he said worriedly: "The owners of factories and mining enterprises invest in factories to chase profits, and I am afraid it will not be easy to convince ........" ”

"How many factories and mines will be closed down in an economic crisis?" Yi Zhicontent said coldly: "The Qing Dynasty has developed industry for thirty years, large and small factories and mining enterprises have sprung up, Yuan Qi does not mind launching a man-made economic crisis to survive the fittest, remove the chaff, and if there is opposition, make a list, Yuan Qi will carry out an all-round blockade, cut off his raw materials, capital, technology, market, and transportation!" ”

If you really want to be blocked by Yuanqi, how can you survive? Wang Shengde's heart tightened, and he hurriedly said: "I will truthfully convey the meaning of the prince in the future." ”

Yi Zhishu nodded, reached out to take the teacup, and was about to serve the tea to the guests, Wang Shengde saw this and hurriedly said: "Lord Wang, other provinces are building railways or water conservancy projects, but Jiangsu is .......building two roads, and many members of the Advisory Bureau have a lot of complaints about this. ”

Hearing this, Yi Zhi's outstretched hand paused and said: "In the First Five-Year Plan, Jiangsu can be said to be the first to get close to the water, and its engineering projects and allocated funds are much higher than those of other provinces. ”

After a pause, he continued: "Shanghai-Nanjing, Shanghai-Hangzhou two highways are additional, the importance of the highway is no less than the railway, with the development of the automobile, its importance will be more than the railway, do not have eyes to know the gold and jade." ”

Under the high pressure of Yuanqi, the news that the Federation of Industry and Commerce has preliminarily agreed to raise wages by a large margin spread far and wide, and soon spread the news that the workers were happy to talk about it, although it was not the first time that wages were raised, but the wage increase was always a very pleasant thing, but before the workers' happiness passed, prices in Shanghai began to rise, and clothing, food, housing, and transportation all appeared to rise in different levels.

"Tick Ring" The crisp phone rang, Zhao Liewen took the phone and asked, then turned around and said, "Big shopkeeper, King Gong's phone." ”

Yi Zhishu listened to Yi Yi's slightly anxious voice before he took the phone, "Brother Guocheng, Shanghai is arguing for a salary increase again?" It's only been a few years, how many times have you raised your salary? ”

"This move is also to deal with the impact of the economic crisis." Yi Zhizhi said without hurry: "The First Five-Year Plan only focuses on heavy industry, even if the project is in full swing, the benefits are limited, and it cannot achieve the effect of leading from point to area, and the combination of raising wages is enough to drive ....... in an all-round way." ”

"The wages of workers in Shanghai have risen, and Tianjin will inevitably be affected, and the wages of workers have increased, and school teachers, court officials, and officers and soldiers will not rise?" Yi Yi's voice sounded a little dull, "The income of the imperial court, Brother Guocheng won't be unaware?" ”

"Rise, of course it must rise, don't suffer from inequality, how can it not rise?" Yi Zhishu said in a relaxed tone: "The imperial court's finances are tight, Yuan Qi can borrow money first, and now the provinces are vigorously developing industry, and the imperial court's annual income is about to usher in a sharp rise, and there is no problem with this idea of expenditure at all." ”

Yi Yi on the other end of the phone was silent, this is the truth, now all provinces are building factories to actively develop industry, the imperial court's annual income will definitely increase significantly, this idea of wage increase is indeed paid, slightly groaning, he said: "How much is the increase this time?" I asked people to budget first. ”

"Twenty percent."

"How much?" Yi Yi suspected that he had misheard, a one-time increase of 20 percent, how would he live in the future?

"Twenty percent increase." Yi Zhifen said in an aggravated tone: "I need to use this wage increase to stimulate price increases, especially agricultural ......." ”

Yi Yi also knows that this economic crisis is different from the past, Yi Zhishu has already analyzed it for him, and the serious economic crisis in the United States, Germany, and Austria has also partially confirmed the judgment of the other party, as the first prime minister, he does not want to have any mistakes, and with Yuan Qi's financial support, he has nothing to worry about, without much thought, he said: "Okay, Brother Yiguocheng." ”

On the first day of December in the Western calendar, the Zhennan Wangfu took the lead in announcing that starting from the first month of the Western calendar, the wages of all employees of the factories and mines under the name of Yuanqi will be increased by 20%, the rest time will be increased from one and a half days a week to two days, and the minimum wage will also be increased accordingly.

The next day, Emperor Qixiang of the Qing Dynasty also issued an edict that all officials, officers and soldiers, and officials and scribes issued by the imperial court would be raised by 20%, and other benefits would also be subject to Yuanqi.

The Federation of Industry and Commerce also officially issued a decree that the wages and benefits of all employees of factories and mining enterprises will follow Yuanqi.

Such a drastic adjustment of wages and benefits caused an uproar in the government and the opposition, and prices all rose overnight, but the magnitude of the increase varied, and the grain prices that Yi Zhixiang was most concerned about directly rose by 20%.

Zhennan Wangfu, Changle Book House.

Zhao Liewen walked into the room with a smile on his face with a copy of the price list of the provinces that had just been counted, "Big shopkeeper, the prices in various provinces have generally risen by one to three percent, and after January, they may continue to rise by ......." ”

After taking the statistical table and looking at it carefully for a while, Yi Zhizhi said: "The effect seems to be better than expected." After putting down the statistical table and lighting a cigarette, he said: "I remember when I was in Manila, Huifu asked us how to deal with the economic crisis, which can be imitated by all countries in the West, and how can we quickly surpass it?" ”

Zhao Liewen said thoughtfully: "What does the big shopkeeper mean is that Western countries dare not issue more banknotes like us?" ”

"Not bad." Yi Zhizhi said: "Western countries have a perfect and strict banking system, whether it is the gold standard or the double gold and silver standard, they do not dare to issue additional banknotes at will, because every banknote they issue must have enough gold or silver as a reserve behind it.

Due to this restriction, the number of banknotes issued by Western countries is also limited, and unless there are more gold and silver reserves, no more banknotes can be issued, because there is a risk of being run on and going out of business.

But in fact, the issuance of a certain amount of currency, to maintain a moderate and benign inflation is more conducive to economic development, in the case of the outbreak of economic crisis, more need for the stimulation of inflation, as long as we can do this, we can achieve the curve surpassing, every economic crisis in Western countries, for us is an opportunity - to catch up and surpass! ”

After hesitating, Zhao Liewen said: "At present, the banknotes issued by Yuanqi are not exchanged, once the gold standard is implemented, free exchange will inevitably be allowed, and the additional banknotes will inevitably cause the risk of a run........" ”

"With the Transvaal gold mines, we will soon be able to make up for the shortfall in the extra banknotes." Yi Zhizhi said: "We are just issuing additional currency in advance, with the strength of Yuanqi, this is not any risk at all, but Western banks cannot do this, even the central bank cannot do this." ”

This is indeed the truth, Zhao Liewen nodded, Yuanqi Bank is not only a central bank, but also Yuanqi is not only a bank, almost half of the industry of the Qing Dynasty is controlled by Yuanqi, it is no exaggeration to say that the economic lifeline of the entire Qing Dynasty is in the hands of Yuanqi, this high degree of monopoly, no country in the West can compare.

Last year's run, this year's First Five-Year Plan, and the adjustment of wages and benefits are enough to show that today's Yuanqi is fully capable of turning the clouds and rain, and it is an unshakable existence in the Qing Dynasty, and it is really nothing to issue a certain amount of banknotes.