After hearing what the shop owner said, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but look at him with admiration. The shop owner was not that amazing in appearance, and his stomach was not full of lion heads and crabs. He had only been working in this business for many years before he understood the bank's tricks. The shop owner can speak clearly and logically, and regardless of his practical ability, he must have a good vision. Thinking of this, he decided to test whether the other party was a person who could only talk about big things. "But my business is very big. I'm already halfway through it. I've invested a lot of money in it and I can't get out. What do you think I should do?" "If that's the case, that's going to be troublesome!" The shop owner frowned. Just when Chen Zaixing was secretly disappointed, the shop owner suddenly said: "Then why don't you try a foreign bank? They have two systems with the local banks in Shanghai, and maybe they don't need guarantees." "Foreign bank?" Chen Zaixing frowned. He frowned. The shop owner's suggestion was unexpected, but no matter what, in this situation, it was always a dead end. Chen Zaixing thought for a moment, raised his hands and said with a smile: "I have been chatting with my brother for a long time, but I have never asked you about your name and celebrity. How rude!" "Xiao Ke's surname is Chen!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile, but he didn't say his name. "It turns out to be Mr. Chen. Thank you for meeting me!" Chen Zaixing stood up and said, "Brother Ziji, I have benefited a lot from coming to Jufeng Pavilion tonight. I will definitely come back to visit you someday. It's getting late, so I'll say goodbye!" "Then! Just wait and see!" Tan Yunsong laughed and sent Chen Zaixing out the door. There was silence on the carriage, only the crisp sound of horseshoes hitting the bluestone roadside could be heard. Jiang Zhiqing looked at Chen Zaixing's face, finally couldn't bear his temper, and asked in a low voice: "Master, do you really want to go to a foreign bank?" "Huh?" Chen Zaixing didn't say anything, just hummed noncommittally, Jiang Zhiqing After hearing this, Zhiqing didn't know whether the other party agreed or objected, so he had to continue: "Master, I don't know much about banks, but I also heard you say that the foreigners on the Yunnan-Burma Railway will definitely not like them. If we go to them , Isn¡¯t it inviting a wolf into the house?¡± ¡°Zhiqing, foreigners are not monolithic. You have dealings with Gillins and several other foreign companies. Now that Liu Qingyang is trying to get in trouble, you can¡¯t just let him do whatever he wants. Let¡¯s deal with the bills first. Take a look!" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing sighed and lowered his head. Shanghai, Standard Chartered Bank Shanghai Branch. This British bank was founded in 1853 as a royal chartered bank. From the beginning, its purpose was to serve the lucrative Far East trade. Its first three overseas branches were established in Calcutta, Bombay, and Shanghai. As one of the three earliest overseas banks of Standard Chartered Bank, the headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank in Shanghai is located in a four-story Baroque-style building built of light yellow marble. With two large stone pillars in the Ionic style. The gorgeous stone carvings on the front arch of the building seem to show off the strength of Standard Chartered Bank to passers-by. "Mr. Belfort, we have arrived at the Shanghai branch of Standard Chartered Bank!" Gillings carefully opened the car door and stretched out his hand to help Belfort in the car, but Belfort jumped off the carriage with the unique agility of an athlete. , smiled and said: "Mr. Gillings, I think it will take some time for the bad weather in London to damage my joints." "Of course, of course!" Gillings withdrew his hand in embarrassment and passed through London not long ago. An old friend, he has learned that the big shots at the top are not so satisfied with his work in Myanmar and intends to replace him with a younger and more ambitious newcomer. Gillings was very frightened by this news. Of course, his cooperation with Chen Zaixing in recent years has gained him huge wealth, especially the ongoing rubber plantation. If successful, it will bring him a rolling river of wealth. It even pushed the Gillings family to the throne of the richest people in Britain. But it is precisely because of this that he is even more unwilling to leave Myanmar at this time and be replaced, because Gillings knows in his heart that everything he does now relies on his position as the Consul General of the British Empire in Myanmar. If he loses this position, Chen Zaixing will definitely I will kick myself away and cooperate with others instead. Therefore, he tried his best to please Balfour in front of him, trying to get this big man who had a great say in front of the Prime Minister to say a few good words for him. "Mr. Gillings, I think your life in Myanmar is not bad!" Belfort looked at Gillings' slightly swollen belly half-jokingly and half-seriously: "Compared to the last time I met you, your The waistline is at least two sizes too big!" Gillins's face turned slightly red, and the other person's words had a richer meaning in English.??meaning. Obviously, the big man in front of him was not ignorant of what he was doing in Myanmar. He quickly explained: "Yes, Mr. Balfour, I did make several successful investments in the past few years, but not Forgetting the sacred duties laid upon me, all this is but a small preparation for a life of humble retirement by Her Majesty's faithful servant. You should know that I am but the third son in my family, and of my father's legacy. There is not much hope." "Mr. Gillings, please do not interpret what I just said as doubt about your loyalty and diligence. Her Majesty's servants do not mean poverty. Even old Cato has spent a lot of money. Just focus on your own estate, as long as his wealth does not conflict with the empire's cause." Balfour smiled and patted his shoulder: "We can go in now. Mr. George must be waiting for us very anxiously." Gillings's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a smile on his face and said repeatedly: "That's natural, that's natural!" Belfort and Gillings walked into the door, and there was Best, general manager of Standard Chartered Bank Shanghai Branch. George was a tall and thin Irishman. He stood in front of the door and carefully observed Belfort with the dark green glasses behind his monocle. After a moment, he slowly took off his monocle and gave Belfort a reserved smile. Bowed, stretched out his right hand and said: "Welcome, Your Excellency!" "Please call me Belfort!" Belfort held the other person's right hand and whispered: "I came to Shanghai in a completely private capacity. "I understand!" George made a gesture of invitation and whispered: "So, Mr. Balfour, what can I do for you? The headquarters in London has sent me a message. In the telegram, the Chairman asked me to wait for your orders!" "No, no!" Balfour said with a smile: "Mr. George, you don't have to be so formal. I just came to this country as an observer. If possible, wait. I'll ask you to answer a few questions for me alone. " "Yes, Mr. Balfour!" George nodded, then he turned around, gently opened a door, and said to Gillings who was following Belfort. : "Sir, this is our waiting room. There is coffee and sherry. You can stay here for a while!" Gillings stood there awkwardly, watching George and Belfort disappear into the corridor. corner. "Mr. Balfour, I don't know why you came to Shanghai with Gillings!" George poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Balfour: "It's not that I want to say bad things about him behind his back, but in the past few years, , this Mr. Gillings has made a fortune, made a fortune. Do you know, he cooperates with the Chinese to operate rice, tin mines, teak, and kerosene. All of this used to belong to us British, but now the Chinese He stepped in. Last year alone, he remitted no less than 150,000 pounds from Standard Chartered Bank to London." Belfort took a sip of wine calmly and said with a smile: "Mr. George, I thought I was a manager of Standard Chartered Bank. You will be more loyal to your customers' secrets!" George waved his hands impatiently and said, "Come on, Belfort! Throw those bitch codes and ethics aside. You should know this very well. What did Gillings do? He gave up the territory that originally belonged to British businessmen to the Chinese, and then made huge profits from behind. What kind of business ethics should we talk about for such a traitor? " "Mr. George, let us first separate patriotism and business? Put aside the issue of the relationship between morality!" Belfort smiled, obviously he did not want to discuss how to deal with Gillings at this time: "As a senior banker in the Far East, I would like to ask you a question. , What is the current financial situation of the Dashun government? Do they have enough strength to complete its railway construction in Northeast Asia within five to ten years? " George did not answer immediately. He walked to the sofa and sat down slowly, taking off his shirt. He took out a deerskin handkerchief from his pocket and began to slowly wipe his glasses. Finally he whispered: "Mr. Balfour, your question is very broad. It is difficult for me to answer you in a short time. China is a very huge country. , her population and territory exceed the total of the entire Europe, which determines that the Dashun government cannot adopt any single method to rule and manage this country. I think it was God who enlightened the emperors of China and gave them wisdom to rule. And maintain this huge empire." Belfort keenly sensed the unfinished meaning in the other party's words and asked, "So you mean that the financial situation of the Dashun government is very bad? They are unable to complete the railway construction in Northeast Asia?"