In a homogeneous industry, such as selling coal, which is concentrated in one market, such as the Fuchengmenwai Coal Market, price cuts can easily avalanche and have a strong chain reaction.
And there are two chain reactions at the same time. One is that if a certain company lowers the price, others will have to follow suit, and eventually all will be lowered; second, the price will also drop again and again, until the limit is reached and most businesses cannot hold on and die. Li You knows this
Yes, those coal shop shopkeepers also know this in their hearts, and the boss of the meeting, Mr. Ye, is even more aware of this.
Han Zong, who was assigned to play the role of Taisheng coal shop clerk, had already set his sights on the third company according to his boss's instructions. He stood outside the Rongchang coal shop with a backlog of 130,000 kilograms of coal, dancing around and talking nonsense to a group of customers.
Preach:
"Buy Qingtian Coal and be a clean person! Buy black-hearted coal and help the black-hearted! But I, Taisheng Coal Shop, still have good-hearted coal!"
"For the same price of four cents, why not buy the charity coal from my Taisheng Coal Shop? If you do good deeds and accumulate good deeds, you will be blessed by the gods and receive good rewards in the next life. Why not!"
"Our boss fought with eunuchs over the coal market and was framed and lost his official position. Isn't his character still trustworthy? He comes with a coal coupon and will be given priority to subscribe for two cents of Qingtian coal tomorrow!"
The words are still the same, the routines are still the same, just try it and it will work. For a normal person, there is no need to think too much. If the money is the same, of course they will choose the option of adding Yincao merits and Qingtian coal stamps.
The chief shopkeeper of the Rongchang Coal Shop stood behind Han Zong, his face turned blue. If he hadn't been concerned about the several armed soldiers and horse officers hanging around, he would have gone there in the morning to beat this blind young man to death.
Disabled!
As Han Zong spoke, his eyes secretly glanced at the big shopkeeper. According to his experience in the first two stores, the big shopkeeper would shout out after three breaths: "The coal in our store is three cents per catty!"
However, this time Uncle Han Zong miscalculated. At this time, a boy ran from a distance, as if a vicious dog was chasing him. As the boy ran, he shouted to the shops on both sides: "The old shopkeeper said it!"
All the great shopkeepers have suspended the sale! All the great shopkeepers have suspended the sale! See you at the Coal Industry Office! See you at the Coal Industry Office!"
On December 19, the end of the ninth year of Jinghe, the Fuchengmenwai Coal Shop Alliance started selling coal for the first time in ten days. In less than an hour, there were signs of significant price cuts... and was urgently stopped.
In the afternoon, shopkeepers and stewards from sixteen coal shops once again gathered at the Coal Mining Office for a gathering. This was already the third time in three days.
No one spoke for the time being, and the atmosphere in the lobby was very depressed and angry, but there was also an aura of restlessness.
Their faces were completely tarnished. There were sixteen large coal shops with millions of kilograms of coal in stock, a dozen industry bosses with at least ten years of experience, and an old man who had been involved in the coal industry for fifty years.
The leaders united and swore an oath to force coal to be sold at high prices. However, they were easily defeated by a latecomer in the shopping mall, and the defeat was still so easy.
If they can't sell it, they can only keep it in their hands. They continue to advance the money, and there are only eleven days until the New Year! Not to mention the possible changes in the situation, even they need to get the money back to celebrate the New Year!
Finally, someone broke the suffocating silence and asked quietly: "Yesterday, the oath was still in my ears. Today, two companies took the lead in cutting prices, almost causing a catastrophe. How should we deal with it?"
Fourteen looks with various meanings were directed at the two people below. Shopkeeper Tian from Yuanfeng Coal Shop and Shopkeeper Kong from Changqing Coal Shop were like little daughters-in-law who had been angered. They lowered their heads deeply. Their hearts were full of grievances.
, but I don’t know how to tell it.
These are the first two families where Mr. Han Zong pretends to be a clerk and blocks the door to intercept customers and sell them to customers to accumulate "charity coal".
The two shopkeepers kept lamenting in their hearts, they were really unlucky for eight lifetimes! There were sixteen shops in total, so why did Li You come to them first? Who could withstand the scene at that time? If he didn't lower the price, he would be jealous.
Not even a single business can be done, everyone is buying so-called merit and kindness coal!
The big shopkeeper of Rongchang Coal Shop was very happy. Fortunately, when the broom boy of Taisheng Coal Shop found Rongchang Coal Shop, Mr. Ye decisively sent a message to all coal shops to stop selling coal, otherwise he would also be forced to cut prices.
And sitting here being judged.
The boss of the industry association, Mr. Ye, looked back and forth between Shopkeeper Tian and Shopkeeper Kong. He couldn't make up his mind for a moment. Those who violated the oath should be dealt with as a warning to others. But he also knew that dealing with these two families would not solve the problem.
Any problem that causes people to change their minds may not be a good thing.
At this time, the servant outside reported loudly at the door of the lobby: "The owner of Taisheng Coal Shop, Mr. Li Daguan, and the chief shopkeeper Mr. Gao have arrived!"
The whole hall was in an uproar. Did you come here specially to watch the show?
Shopkeeper Ye, who was struggling between the rule of law and the rule of man, quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone's attention was diverted, and the price reduction at the two coal shops was no longer confused. He immediately greeted: "Come in!"
Then I saw a young man with a brocade hat and light fur coat stepping into the lobby with his head held high. He looked majestic and majestic. He was none other than Li You, a high-ranking official who had recently started business. Many people present saw Li You for the first time. Even though they were full of hostility, they could not help but
Not a word of praise for "a good person"!
Shopkeeper Gao and Yourong Yan followed closely behind, secretly saying that in the story of the Three Kingdoms, this is how Zhou Cang waited for Guan Shengren to attend the meeting alone?
Li You walked up to Mr. Ye as if there was no one around, and stood with his hands behind his back without saying a word. While others were still confused, Mr. Ye, who was directly face to face with Li You, understood that he was asking him to give up his seat.
At present, the old shopkeeper Ye is sitting on the main seat in the middle, but now that Li You has arrived, according to his status, he should be replaced by Li You, a gentleman with a lifelong official certificate. The etiquette of the country is such that the old shopkeeper has no choice but to get up and go to the left
.
Li You sat down in the middle and glanced around several times. There was silence in the room, and you could hear a needle drop. He then said: "I have been in charge of Taisheng Coal Shop for a few days, and I have never met any of my colleagues. I am happy to hear that my colleagues are gathering today.
Why didn't you tell me? Is it possible that among the seventeen coal markets that are still open now, my Taisheng Coal Shop is gone?"
Some of the people here looked up at the beams and some looked down at the floor tiles. They turned a deaf ear to Li You's words and did not respond. However, there were many slanders against Li You. You knew that this party was meant to deal with you, but you still came here to act stupid.
, it’s too ignorant!
Seeing the cold scene, Li You, under the guidance of shopkeeper Gao, turned his attention to shopkeeper Tian from Yuanfengpu and shopkeeper Kong from Changqingpu, and nodded slightly. "These two must be shopkeepers Tian Da and Kong Da.
?I heard that colleagues in the industry are very dissatisfied with you two? If you have no intention of continuing to engage in business, I would like to acquire your two stores. I wonder if you will sell them or not?"
The two people looked at each other in surprise, and everyone else felt strange. Shopkeeper Tian politely declined, "Our store is owned by the proprietor. We will make further inquiries after we inquire."
"Go and ask if you have time! I want both stores." Li You replied. This once again aroused the suspicion of the major shopkeepers in the lobby. At the same time, the purchase of two not too small coal shops would cost at least
Spend ten thousand taels of silver! Does Li You really have this kind of money?
Li You drank tea quietly and looked on with cold eyes. When the crowd's discussion gradually died down, he coughed and suddenly came up with a new acquisition plan. "From today on, our Taisheng Coal Shop will purchase coal from our peers. There is no limit to the quantity, and there is no limit to how much we can collect."
How much! The price is two taels of silver per hundred catties! I will pay you all in cash!"
One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and Li You's statement made everyone feel horrified! The whole hall fell into a deathly silence.
Sixteen of them have four million kilograms of coal in stock. If they all sell it to Li You at 2 taels, Li You will have to spend 80,000 taels to buy it! And it's not 80,000 taels on credit, it's 80,000 taels real money.
of silver!
Eighty thousand taels is an astronomical sum of money for a coal dealer in the coal city. As mentioned earlier, the average working capital of an ordinary coal shop may only be two to three thousand taels. The sixteen shopkeepers here have as much as
The total amount of current silver is far less than 80,000 taels.
You must know that in order to hoard these four million kilograms of coal, half of it shipped earlier cost one tael, and the other half shipped later cost about two taels. After that, the owner of the Xishan mine had no inventory, and there was no inventory in the event of an accident.
Mining was prohibited in France, so the supply of coal was cut off. Of the total investment, the coal dealer invested 30,000 taels, and the officials involved invested 40,000 taels, for a total of 70,000 taels, which almost wiped out all the family wealth.
And this Li You was sitting here alone, and he easily asked for 80,000 taels of cash, which exceeded the combined funds of the 16 largest coal shops and several eunuchs. If it is true, this financial resource can be called
Extremely terrifying! How can we not shock the big shopkeepers here?
After waking up, the big shopkeepers who suddenly felt that they were being teased began to question him.
Someone shouted: "This is impossible!"
Some people shouted: "Even the Lu family of Shanxi merchants can't spend 80,000 taels in one go!"
Some people even shouted: "This must be a lie to me!"
After all, this is incredible. It is probably Li Daguan's bluff and deliberately bluffing!
How could a person in his early twenties who was not from a super wealthy business family ask for a huge sum of eighty thousand taels? Even if it was a loan, no rich man would be willing to lend such a large amount to Li You rashly, at least they had never heard of it.
thing.
Shopkeeper Gao, who had been standing quietly behind Mr. Li, stood up, bowed his hands to everyone, took out a receipt, and handed it to the people next to him for circulation. Five or six people immediately gathered around and stretched their necks to read the contents of the receipt.
I can see clearly that this is a loan note. The main content is: "Huichang Bank, Qipan Street, Beijing, borrowed 100,000 taels from Taisheng Coal Shop to finance the purchase of coal from the coal shop and other expenses. The loan will be repaid after half a year."
"
One hundred thousand taels! The crowd had not yet digested the 80,000 taels in front of them, and an even bigger number came into their eyes. Before they had time to ponder the relationship between Huichang Yinhao and Li Daguan, they could not help but take a breath of air at the one hundred thousand taels.
Everyone was in a daze. If Li You really had the ability to mobilize such a huge amount of funds, wouldn't it be easy to kill them in the end if he engaged in a business war with them at all costs, especially a war of attrition? They don't have any cash at all at the moment!
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