Section 8: Gold Trading

  Long Jianming did not disturb the mechanical genius's focused research, providing him with the greatest convenience - opening the engine cover to let Kuang Donglin take a good look, and even if this expert suggested disassembling the H2, it was no problem at all! Because Long Jianming had too many technical materials in his hands that needed experts to turn into reality, many problems could not be solved simply by processing techniques, but more importantly, whether they were compatible with the overall level of industrial technology. Take the Hummer H2 for example, its fuel electronic injection system, computer system, electro-hydraulic automatic transmission system and so on, were not something that could be solved by the technology or professional knowledge of 1902.

  In the vice president's office of Citibank's San Francisco branch, William Wallace summoned his trusted employee, Wu Liang. This Chinese man was the only Chinese middle-level executive at Citibank, with rich business knowledge and good interpersonal skills, as well as practical experience in corporate management. Despite white employees intentionally or unintentionally excluding this young Chinese man, Wallace valued this talent highly. According to what his friend Paget, who served as Consul General in Shanghai, said when recommending Wu: "Mr. Wu is an outstanding manager with a reputation in Shanghai's business and financial circles, extremely familiar with banking operations, and loyal and reliable." For the ambitious Wallace, who was eager to cultivate his own power and climb to the top, the importance of a talented individual far exceeded that of a group of mediocre people, regardless of their skin color! What Wallace needed was performance, and only performance could support his goals and help him achieve them more quickly.

  So when Robert walked into the office and said that there were two Chinese friends who had a batch of gold to sell, Wallace first thought of Wu Liang, perhaps it would be better for the Chinese to communicate with each other.

  Western powers, which have suffered several economic crises and currency crises in a row, have attached great importance to establishing gold reserves in recent years to stabilize their monetary systems and prevent economic crises from affecting currencies again. As a result, the international price of gold has also risen all the way. Major banks also regard gold trading as an important performance indicator and source of profit.

  Wallace and Wu Liang arrived at the suburban farm in Robert's carriage, where Long Jianming, Wang Dang and Kuang Donglin were busy ending their conversation. After Robert greeted everyone and they took their seats, all eyes began to focus on a wooden box on the oak round table. Meanwhile, Long Jianming was secretly observing Wu Liang, who was wearing a dark suit and had a calm demeanor. For a Chinese person to receive attention from Americans in such a large environment, he must have some ability. This point is definitely worth referencing for Long Jianming, given the American spirit of pragmatism. Therefore, at this time, Long Jianming has shifted his focus from gold transactions to poaching talent. Without a large number of talented people, the Dragon God plan would be nothing but a useless piece of paper!

  With a "whoosh", the lid of the trunk was opened! 100,000 grams (100 kilograms) of gold were divided into 20 large gold bars weighing 5,000 grams each, lying in the box. The dazzling golden color dazzled the eyes of six people in the room. It can be confirmed that among the crowd, except for Long Jianming, no one had ever seen so much gold, including the bank's deputy general manager and the former miner who had stolen before!

  "Please verify it yourself, and I have verified that the purity of the result is 99.9999%."

  William Bust and Wu Liang took out the simple identification tools they had brought, such as a balance scale and an alcohol lamp, to identify the goods. In fact, William Wallace could already determine that it was a box of pure gold based on his experience. After all, this was the largest transaction he had ever handled, and if it were successful, he would be able to make a great contribution to JPMorgan Chase and become the general manager soon! Who would have thought that Robert had such a wealthy Chinese friend, and the beautiful "automobile" outside was also surprising! It's really strange things happen every day, and there are especially many this year!

  "Mr. Long, you're absolutely right! It's pure gold. May I ask how you plan to deal with this batch of gold? Will it be stored in Citibank or exchanged for US dollars?" William said, suppressing his excitement.

  "Mr. William, Mr. Wu, I'm not quite clear about the details of your business, please enlighten me."

  "With a nod from William, Wu Liang said slowly: 'Mr. Long, you can deposit the gold in Citibank, convert it to US dollars at the current price, and calculate the interest; or you can sell all of it to Citibank, exchange it for cash or checks, how do you want to proceed?'"

  "Then exchange it for cash! I was just planning to set up a factory in San Francisco, but I'm short of cash. What's the current gold price?" Long Jianming stared into Wu Liang's eyes, hoping to get something useful from his compatriot's gaze, and he succeeded! When mentioning "setting up a factory", Wu Liang's eyes flickered...

  "The current gold price is $339 per ounce," William Wallace replied hastily. He was afraid that Wu Liang would quote the usual execution price of $337, knowing that for such a large transaction, the other party would definitely ask for quotes from other banks. What William wanted was a successful transaction and future promotion, not a tiny profit of two dollars per ounce, let alone the fact that this price of 339 had already made Citibank a profit!

  Long Jianming also read the affirmative information from Wu Liang's eyes, and the price data he obtained when checking the computer was also consistent with William's quotation! Long Jianming didn't care about the difference of one or two dollars, after all, what is needed now is cash, a large amount of cash! "OK, I accept this price, Mr. William Wallace, I don't know how much your company can buy?"

  Wallace sneered: Does this Chinese guy look down on the Bank of America? This 100,000 ounces of gold in the San Francisco branch of the Bank of America can be exchanged for cash immediately! Or does he have more gold than that? If so, then we must seize the opportunity... The position of general manager is within reach...

  "What does Mr. Long mean?"

  "I have one ton of gold with a purity similar to what's found here," Long Jianming said calmly, revealing the astonishing fact.

  "Ah!?" "Ah!!?" "Ah!!!?" The people in the house, William, Robert, Wu Liang, Kuang Donglin, and Wang Yong, suddenly showed a consistent state - stunned!

  "Three hundred and forty US dollars an ounce, I'll take it all!" Still, it was William Wallace who reacted first. "However, Mr. Long, you have to give me some time to arrange the funds if you want to withdraw everything."

  "Mr. Wallace, I think it would be enough for me to just open an account at Citibank's San Francisco branch, no need to withdraw so much cash all at once. I believe your bank's savings regulations are also the most reasonable." Long Jianming said with a hint of playful smile, spreading his hands apart.

  A deal worth over 12 million US dollars was struck!

  $12 million in 1902 was an astronomical figure! A skilled technical worker earned only $2 a day, and even a high-ranking bank employee like William Wallace earned no more than $80,000 a year. The annual salary of a naval captain was only $4,500. Even a mid-sized company like Whitney Mechanical in San Francisco had a total capital of only $189,000! Everyone present realized that there was a big tycoon here, with assets worth tens of millions of dollars. Wang Dong felt even more certain that he had found the right person, and the small bag of gold ore he had risked his life to steal was nothing in comparison!

  Wu Liang's expression remained calm, at least on the surface. As a seasoned businessman, he had long cultivated excellent self-control and the ability to remain unruffled in the face of change. He couldn't say that he wasn't affected by Long Jianming, this suddenly risen nouveau riche, and his strange car. The young man opposite him not only had good looks, but also an air of passion in his eyes that made people involuntarily drawn to him. "This is a highly dangerous individual, his impulsiveness and passion may destroy many things, but they may also create miracles!" This was Wu Liang's most direct impression of Long Jianming.

  The next day, Long Jianming took Wang Yong out for a spin in his Hummer H2 on the narrow streets of San Francisco. The loud horn would occasionally sound, causing horse-drawn carriages to hastily move aside and watch as the ostentatious vehicle sped away. Wang Yong was now accustomed to sitting inside the speeding car and no longer looked like he had three days prior - frantic and pale.

  Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Hummer H2 came to a stop in front of the Citibank on Park Avenue with a screeching sound, going from 30 miles per hour to zero. The bank had already arranged for police to be present to maintain order, as today was the day when $12 million worth of gold would be traded. Charlie Wallace, the Chief of Police of San Francisco, also made an appearance, not wanting any trouble at this critical moment involving his brother William's future. As the bright yellow H2 arrived, many people in the vicinity were drawn to it, having heard rumors about it over the past two days, and they came to watch in front of Citibank. The growing crowd was putting pressure on the police, who under the chief's command, set up a cordon and kept the onlookers at bay... two meters away. The bank staff were also busy, with these well-dressed gentlemen moving 10 boxes full of gold under William and Long Jianming's direction. Before long, Robert Whitney arrived with his lawyer George Ogden, as after the gold transaction would be the signing ceremony for the Whitney Mechanical Manufacturing Company.

  As he watched the bank staff and Wang Yong enter the bank with the gold box, Long Jianming walked calmly to Wu Liang's side and said in a low voice: "Mr. Wu, I heard that you are very knowledgeable about corporate management, I wonder if you have any interest in establishing a large Chinese enterprise group with me?"

  The place where I dug into someone's wall corner turned out to be in front of someone else's main gate!

  "Mr. Long, it's my working hours now, I think it's best to discuss such things at a more appropriate time after work." Wu Liang responded with the standard demeanor of a manager, which undoubtedly further ignited Long Jianming's determination. Because Wu Liang did not refuse outright, and when he heard the words "large-scale Chinese enterprise group", his eyes flickered slightly. These details did not escape Long Jianming's notice, and with his understanding of modern psychology, how could he not grasp the underlying meaning?

  At the same time, Long Jianming also noticed that in front of the Citibank gate, there were many flashlights flashing in the crowd, and William Wallace was talking to a reporter-like person in a low voice. These are what Long Jianming needs... As a newcomer to San Francisco, he wants to quickly develop his business, apart from funds and technology, what he needs most is fame. When the whole West Coast knows about Long Jianming, will there be no talents coming to cooperate with him?

  The transaction was simple, with no ceremony or pretence, every step reflecting practicality and efficiency. The reporter only selectively entered a few (of course, the task of selecting reporters was completed by the bank). One ton of gold from another time and space in the 21st century represented greater value in 1902, exchanging for Long Jianming's private account at Citibank with $12 million, a thick checkbook and over $10,000 in "loose change". After leaving his signature and fingerprint, the gold transaction was officially over...

  Soon, in William Wallace's spacious office, everyone raised their glasses again to celebrate the success of another deal. With George Ogden's help, Long Jianming and Robert Whitney solemnly signed their names and pressed their seals on the contract. Long Jianming obtained actual control over Whitney Machinery, which had incredible development potential (he knew best himself), while Robert got a check for $100,000 and the position of general manager. In the simple negotiations prior to this, the position of general manager was priced at $30,000 per year by Long Jianming, and Robert had now firmly tied himself to the chariot driven by Long Jianming...

  "Mr. Long, as your friend, I will do my best to serve you and you will experience the highest level of service from Citibank." William Wallace raised his glass and made a gentle toast with Long Jianming "You are about to make a big move into the industrial sector, and Citibank's financing capabilities are also very strong, and we will be happy to provide assistance. I wonder if Mr. Long has any new projects besides mechanical manufacturing?"

  William Wallace was actually creating an opportunity for Long Jianming. As expected, everyone in the office fell silent after hearing this sentence, waiting to hear the key speech of the newly emerging golden tycoon Long Jianming. The flow of $120 million in funds is the focus of attention for every individual in this emerging industrial power.

  "Oh, esteemed Mr. Wallace, first of all, I want to thank you for your concern and support. There are still many areas where I need your help in the future. My plan is to take mechanical manufacturing as the center, gradually expand into coal, iron mining, metallurgy, electrical, petroleum, and power machinery, and ultimately complete the technological upgrading and transformation of this series of industries to serve large-scale automobile production. This will form a complete industrial enterprise chain, which may be formed through the voluntary alliance of multiple companies, forming a reasonably divided and technologically matched large enterprise group. Therefore, next I will specifically visit related industrial enterprises in San Francisco and Oakland to explore the possibility of cooperation. These still require the help of all friends present.

  Long Jianming had already made up his mind, and this speech was the most suitable for this occasion. Firstly, it directly answered William Wallace's question; secondly, it depicted the future prospects of the Chinese enterprise group, allowing the several Chinese people present (especially Wu Liang) to have a greater impact, helping them make up their minds to unite around him as soon as possible; thirdly, he could find more potential partners through these San Francisco landowners.

  Long Jianming would not be foolish enough to build one factory at a time, because apart from technical data and drawings (and now also a large sum of money), he did not have enough talent to support the construction of new factories. Therefore, utilizing the existing foundation technology, talent, and production capacity in American factories was the fastest way to achieve his goal. Acquisition and holding, combined with technology transfer, were Long Jianming's magic weapons for building an enterprise empire! Funds and technology were currently his only advantages."

  Long Jianming's approach of "using four ounces to move a thousand pounds" in modern capital operation and enterprise expansion left a deep impression on Wu Liang. Long Jianming had the egg (funds and technology), but needed a hen that could hatch eggs and continue laying eggs (existing factories and technical personnel). Acquiring and transforming factories was much more convenient than building new ones, as time and funds could be utilized, and most importantly, a large number of technical personnel would be obtained, which is the soul of a technology-based enterprise! Wu Liang, who was well-versed in corporate management, understood Long Jianming's intentions. "This man is a wild horse, his thinking is completely unconventional, yet it's the most practical solution. He's so cunning, it's scary! Once his development strategy is achieved, he will form a large entity on the West Coast of the United States that can compete with several major monopolies in the East. More importantly, from that strange car of his, you can see that the technology in his hands will be a comprehensive and innovative technology surrounding automobile manufacturing."

  Wu Liang is very optimistic about the future development prospects of things like cars, at least Long Jianming's car is already quite good in practicality! Wallace and Whitney have discussed that car before, and their conclusion was: every component's technology can make enough money! Robert Whitney is a well-known miser in San Francisco, he even gave up control of the company, it's hard to believe there isn't huge profit behind this!

  "Dragon, please consider a factor." William Wallace interrupted the crowd's thoughts. "Currently, the industrial center of the United States is in the East, in Pittsburgh. There are large steel companies there, with big financial groups like Morgan, Rockefeller, DuPont, Mellon, and Carnegie, almost all profitable industries have been monopolized by them! Once you form a certain scale, it will definitely affect the vested interests of several major financial groups, inviting their attacks, which is a very dangerous thing. These families have too much influence on the US government!" Wallace was extremely concerned about this big client, and had already started thinking for Long Jianming to make up for his shortcomings. Interests are the guiding principle of businessmen! The Eastern financial groups have no interest relationship with Wallace himself (although he owns a lot of shares in Citibank), while Long Jianming, who is standing right in front of him, and the strength he has shown, is completely worth supporting! If Long Jianming's affairs start to flourish, his own future will be bright! No bank would dislike someone with a large amount of funds and numerous investment projects...

  "Mr. Wallace, you have considered this very thoughtfully. I think the ultimate goal of an enterprise is to make money and develop, and the key lies in product quality and price. What is the core of a product? It's technology!! Different levels of technology lead to differences in product quality, price, and unit profit. Enterprise competition can be from multiple aspects such as financial strength, policy environment, production capacity, marketing means, and products, but the fundamental core is still product quality, which is technology! In this aspect, I have absolute confidence and absolute advantage! Of course, I still need everyone's continued support and help!" Long Jianming's purpose has obviously been achieved.

  Wang Yong looked at him with a face of admiration, Wu Liang furrowed his brow in deep thought, Robert couldn't hide his excitement as he walked back and forth among the crowd, while the Wallace brothers' eyes were filled with kindness and appreciation...