Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

More than ten people walked into the hall. Liu Ye had already filled a seat waiting for them. Seeing everyone's sad faces, Liu Ye felt amused.

Liu Ye said calmly, "Everyone, I thank you all for your hospitality today. Come, sit down! I've prepared some wine for you all to enjoy. Don't just stand there, come sit down. You all provide me with food and clothing, and I can't afford to neglect you. Let's sit down and talk slowly."

Seeing that the governor was in a good mood, everyone felt a little relieved. Now they could only pray that the governor was not a smiling tiger and that they would ask for mercy, even if it meant sacrificing some blood. Everyone would accept it. This absolutely could not go on, otherwise, everyone would be finished!

One of the bankers bowed and said, "We thank the Governor for his grace. I, Li Jixian, am the banker of Tianshunhao Bank. I am the most experienced in this business and have been elected as the president of the Chamber of Commerce. I would like to ask the Governor a question."

Liu Ye said with a smile, "So it's Mr. Li. Excuse me, everyone, please don't stand. If you have something to say, let's sit down and talk. It's okay. Don't be so reserved."

Li Jixian thanked them quickly and sat down with everyone else.

Li Jixian whispered, "Your Excellency, when we came in just now, we saw the notice in front of the hall. I wonder why Your Excellency proposed to pay interest to depositors? If so, all the rules of our money house business would be broken..."

Liu Ye laughed and said, "Oh? So you're worried about this? Haha, there's no need to worry."

Li Jixian and others looked at Liu Ye, waiting for his next words.

Liu Ye continued, "Everyone, you see, my bank is called a bank. The so-called bank is a term used in Western countries. Although it is somewhat similar to our money houses, it is not entirely the same. In the West, all banks that receive depositors' money must pay interest to depositors. Because their money is in our bank, whether we use it to lend or build factories and mines, it is used to make a profit. Everyone, we use the depositors' money to make money. When we make money, shouldn't we share some of the benefits with them?"

Li Jixian looked embarrassed and replied, "Your Excellency is absolutely right. Although merchants are naturally profit-driven, they still prioritize righteousness. We will not compromise on righteousness. However, this rule was passed down by our ancestors. How can we, the descendants, change the rules of our ancestors?"

Liu Ye smiled and said, "I understand. That's why I named it a bank instead of a money shop. This is also a measure to protect you. After all, if I were to run a money shop, your businesses would probably be closed down, hehe..."

Another shopkeeper nearby replied, "Your Excellency, I am Wang Youshun, the shopkeeper of Tiantaihao Money House. I dare to say that even if Your Excellency considers us and doesn't name it a money house, I'm afraid our bank will still go bankrupt. All merchants will have to withdraw our money and deposit it in your bank. If a bank run occurs, I'm afraid none of us will be spared. Your Excellency, please have pity on our difficulties in running the business and leave us a way out..."

The other shopkeepers also looked at Liu Ye one by one, their faces full of pleading. Li Jixian said boldly: "Sir, we know that you are setting up militia. According to the rules of Jiangnan, these militias are not under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. They are all recruited locally by local officials. If you have any difficulties, we here will help you one by one. We will not hesitate. You drove away the foreigners for us and have made great contributions to the country and the people. Even if you ask us to repay you, none of us will hesitate. We will definitely give you a satisfactory number. Sir, please see..."

Liu Ye slowly put down his glass and said, "My fellow shopkeepers, as I just said, you are all my breadwinners. Every penny of my salary doesn't come from you. The so-called contribution to the country is also my duty. Here, I can solemnly tell you that it is not impossible to repay the country, but I absolutely do not want you to do so. This is not my intention. I don't want you to come here to buy safety. If you don't spend money and operate legally, I will definitely keep you safe. What I want to say now is that this is a huge opportunity. If you don't seize it, you will regret it in the future, but it will be too late!"

Everyone was stunned. Huge opportunity, what huge opportunity?

Li Jixian quickly said, "Sir, I am ignorant and hope you can help me solve my doubts."

Liu Ye said slowly, "This governor has already issued an order that the entire Shandong province will be open to foreigners, and foreign banks will soon flock to Shandong. Even without my bank, you will still have to face competition from foreign banks. If your bank doesn't change, it will be doomed. The ancient sages once said that when you are poor, you must adapt, and when you adapt, you will prosper. Only by adapting can your business prosper. If you cling to the rules of your ancestors, your good days will be over."

Everyone was shocked. They really didn't know this. If it was really as the governor said, then wouldn't it be the end of the game? Foreigners, that would be even more difficult to deal with!

Liu Ye said, "Everyone, you must understand that my bank's capital is 1.5 million taels. Adding the investment from the Provincial Administration Office, it has exceeded 1.7 million taels. With the deposits from various merchants, it will not be too difficult to exceed 3 million taels within two months! However, I can clearly tell you that even with such a large scale, it is just a drop in the bucket compared to foreign banks. In England and France, almost any major bank has assets of tens or even hundreds of millions of taels of silver. Can you compete with them?"

"Sir! Please leave us a way out. Don't let the foreign bank in!"

Among them were the timid ones, who were frightened to death by Liu Ye's words. With assets worth tens of millions of taels of silver, it would be almost effortless to destroy these small banks under their names!

Liu Ye shook his head and said, "Listen, what do hunters do when they encounter a wolf? Do they just turn around and run?"

Li Jixian shook his head and replied, "Your Excellency, I know this. When you encounter a vicious wolf, you can only face it head-on. If you turn around and run away, you will inevitably become its food. There is absolutely no life. Who can outrun a vicious wolf?"

Liu Ye smiled and said, "Well, you know, the foreigners we're facing now are vicious wolves. We can handle them for a day or two, but we can't stop them for ten or eight years. Sooner or later, they'll invade China, and no one can stop them. This is the trend of the times! The only way to escape is to unite and beat them back! We must survive and develop through competition!"