Returning to the room, after washing up, Li Yi’an went to bed.
The spring bed was very soft and comfortable, almost letting his whole body sink into it.
Relaxing his nerves and brain, he complied with his brain’s thoughts and soon fell asleep.
When he woke up again, the bright sunshine of the Caribbean Sea shone through the window into the room.
Looking at the beautiful seascape outside the window, Li Yi’an’s eyebrows rose slightly, and he said to himself.
“Alright, let’s see what today brings.”
Over an hour later, in the hotel’s open-air cafe, Li Yi’an looked at Li Dijun and Song Chengjun in front of him, remaining silent all along.
Seeing that he hadn’t spoken for a long time, Song Chengjun said directly.
“Mr.
Li, I know this matter must make things very difficult for you.
But right now, the Americans want to use their monopoly on shipping to force us Chinese merchants to sell our sugar to them at a low price.
If we compromise, then in the future, we Chinese merchants will definitely be at their mercy.
Therefore, for the interests of hundreds of thousands of compatriots, please lend a helping hand, Mr.
Li.”
At this point, Song Chengjun said solemnly.
“The Americans asked us to sell the sugar to them at a low price of 15 cents per kilogram.
If Mr.
Li is willing to purchase, I, surnamed Yang, am willing to let Mr.
Li purchase at 10…
13 cents per kilogram.
No matter how much, as long as we Chinese merchants have a catty, we will sell it to Mr.
Li at this price!”
13 cents per kilogram!
In other words, about 6 cents a pound!
Calculated against the official price, that’s roughly a tenfold profit.
If it’s the black market price, that’s a nearly twenty-fold profit!
What did Boss Ma say again?
Forgot.
But this is a twenty-fold profit!
Moreover, this will be a stable market in the future.
Although he definitely couldn’t swallow a six-billion-dollar annual market by himself, even eating a fraction of it would fill his pockets to the brim!
Despite this, Li Yi’an still didn’t speak.
He just picked up his cup, took a sip of coffee, and looked at the other party.
“Worthy nephew…”
Opening his mouth, Li Dijun didn’t continue.
After all, they had just met and didn’t have any deep friendship.
After thinking for a moment, he said.
“All this is to lend our compatriots a hand.
Being of the same blood, if we can help, we naturally should.”
“Uncle.”
Li Yi’an smiled.
Turning his gaze to Song Chengjun, Li Yi’an said directly: “Why wouldn’t you sell to the Americans when they offer 15 cents a kilogram, yet you are willing to sell to me for 13 cents?”
“Mr.
Li, if I said you and I are compatriots, why let outsiders take advantage, you definitely wouldn’t believe it.
Actually, you can also guess.
The reason I am unwilling to let the Americans get a cheap deal is ultimately for long-term benefit.
If we let the Americans bully us like this, then in the future, for ten, twenty years, we Chinese merchants will definitely never have a chance to stand out in Cuba.
Rather than being bullied by American merchants, I would rather sell the sugar to Mr.
Li at a low price.
As long as we get through this difficult hurdle, we Chinese merchants can gain a firm foothold in the sugar industry.
Only then will we have a chance to stand out in the future.
Mr.
Li, ultimately, this is for the future of our Chinese merchants.
Our ancestors came here as slave laborers.
For nearly a hundred years, transitioning from slave laborers to small peddlers, and then to the present, has been truly difficult.
If we miss this opportunity, we Chinese merchants will forever remain just small peddlers.
So, for the future of Chinese merchants, let alone 13 cents a catty, even for 10 cents, I am willing.
Even if it means taking a loss, I must take it.
What I, Yang, am doing is for nothing else but the future of our Chinese merchants, to have a place in the sugar industry!”
Following his resolute words, Song Chengjun let out a long sigh, not knowing whether he was feeling helpless for himself or for the future of Chinese merchants.
Looking at the man in front of him, in this instant, Li Yi’an seemed to understand why in that era, Chinese merchants were able to rise in Nanyang.
From French Indochina to Malaya, to the Dutch East Indies, to the Philippines.
Wherever there was an opportunity, Chinese merchants would definitely rise.
It wasn’t just one individual becoming the richest man locally, but the rise of the entire ethnic group.
What did they rely on?
It was exactly this ambition deep in their hearts, unwilling to fall behind others.
They would always seize every opportunity to develop themselves.
And right now was precisely their opportunity to elevate themselves.
Helping them was also helping himself!
In this instant, Li Yi’an seemed to understand everything.
The way he looked at Song Chengjun changed, and he nodded slightly.
“Mr.
Song, since this is the case, why would I purchase at 13 cents a kilogram…”
Before his words were finished, Song Chengjun’s expression abruptly changed, and even Li Dijun’s face became somewhat ugly.
Just at this moment, a delicate shout came from the side.
“Dad, I told you, a person like this is definitely unreliable!”
Before the voice faded, a…
well, a pair of long legs entered his sight.
Looking up, he saw a young woman wearing a long dress walking over from the next table, staring at him with eyes full of anger.
“The foreign devils are hateful, but fake foreign devils are even more hateful.
Don’t you just want to take full advantage while the foreign devils are oppressing us!”
Looking at the girl who popped out of nowhere, Li Yi’an didn’t know what to say for a moment.
The girl in front of him was visibly mixed-race.
Her appearance seemed somewhat familiar.
It might be a man’s habit to feel like he has seen a beautiful woman somewhere before, but it seemed like he had seen her in a movie.
But she is really tall!
At least 175 cm or above!
Looking at the furious girl, Li Yi’an frowned.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard Song Chengjun say.
“Bing’er!
Who told you to interrupt!”
“Dad, I…
he…”
The girl pouted her lips with a face full of injustice and said.
“He clearly wants to…”
“Take advantage of a crisis?”
Li Yi’an laughed.
“Business.
Taking advantage of a crisis is what a businessman should do, otherwise, how can one be called a businessman?”
The girl’s eyes widened instantly, and she said in astonishment.
“You, you…”
She had seen shameless people, but never someone this brazen.
He wasn’t even pretending anymore; this was simply shameless to the extreme.
In contrast, Li Yi’an appeared very calm.
Turning his gaze to Song Chengjun, he asked back.
“What do you say, Mr.
Song?”
Song Chengjun forced out four words.
“Business is business!”
“What Mr.
Song said is quite right.
But a gentleman loves wealth, and acquires it in a proper way.
Business is business, true, but…”
Looking at Song Chengjun, Li Yi’an smiled.
“Some money can be made, but some money cannot.”
?
Before Song Chengjun, Li Dijun, and the girl beside them could react, Li Yi’an said.
“Market price!”
His words made Song Bing ask in surprise: “What?”
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends.