nucmednet Chapter 143 Attracting Investment
Chapter 143 Attracting Investment
The First Shandong Provincial Investment Promotion Conference was officially held on the tenth day of the first lunar month in 1901.
The location was actually "Fragrance Pavilion," the largest brothel in Jinan? Shen Lian chose this place mainly because it was the most suitable venue. There was a stage in the center, surrounded by three-story pavilions.
Today, the Fragrant Pavilion has lost its usual feminine air and gained a more solemn atmosphere. The entire building has been taken over by the guard regiment, and new army soldiers with weapons are stationed everywhere.
All the girls were required to stay in their rooms; the investment promotion company only borrowed their facilities and staff.
Every businessman attending the meeting was subjected to a rigorous search. Now that Shen Lian's identity was extraordinary, there was nothing he could do.
Whether it was rectifying the officialdom in Shandong, suppressing bandits, or fighting to defend the emperor, he offended quite a few people. He couldn't make things difficult for his subordinates, so Shen Lian had no choice but to cooperate with them.
At nine o'clock in the morning, Shen Lian led Yang Du and the others into the venue. It seemed he should build a large auditorium or something similar. Otherwise, when there were many people, there wouldn't be enough space for a meeting.
It's okay in hot weather, at least you can stay outdoors. But in winter, there's no way!
"Greetings, Lord Marquis!" The merchants on the surrounding pavilions all stood up and bowed when they saw Shen Lian take the stage.
Merchants like them usually kneel before even a minor official, let alone a marquis. Looking down at Shen Lian like this made them feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Thank you everyone! Thank you all for coming to our investment promotion conference!" Shen Lian bowed to the surrounding merchants. The merchants repeatedly said they didn't deserve it.
"Please have a seat, everyone. You are all my guests today, so please don't be too polite!"
"To make a long story short, the reason we invited you all here today is that we hope you will invest and start businesses in Shandong. To this end, we have put forward a total of 123 projects for your investment."
"This includes mining, railway construction, dock construction, textiles, metallurgy, luxury hotels, and more. Hopefully, there's one that suits your needs!"
"In terms of investment, you can invest independently, jointly, or cooperate with the government."
"You can raise the funds yourself or take out a loan from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. Every one of our projects has bank approval to ensure your funding needs are met."
"In addition, if you invest in projects and need machinery, the government will help you negotiate with foreigners to ensure you get the best machinery at the lowest price."
"The government can assist you in selling your products or coordinate their export to the West. We guarantee you'll make money!"
"I guarantee the safety of all your lives and property, and that no one will infringe upon them. I have only two requirements: that you operate legally and pay taxes according to regulations, and that the workers' income and safety be guaranteed."
"Alright! That's all I have to say! Feel free to ask me any questions you have right here!" Shen Lian nodded with a smile.
The room fell silent for a moment; everyone had many questions. However, none of them had experienced anything like this before, and they were unsure whether to speak up.
"Lord Marquis, can we really open a coal mine?" Zhou Shunda stood up with a smile and asked. He was an old acquaintance of Shen Lian, so he spoke more casually.
"Mr. Zhou, your judgment is still as accurate as ever! That's right, you can invest in any of the projects presented this time." Shen Lian nodded.
"But as far as I know, there are quite a few bosses who want to open coal mines. Your competition is fierce! Hehe!" Shen Lian said with a smile.
"Hehe! It's a good project if someone's vying for it. Let's compete fairly!" Zhou Shunda is now a big shot in Shandong's business circles, so he can't just put on a show.
Everyone knows that Shandong is about to open a steel plant, a power plant, and build a railway. The coal mined there will definitely be no shortage of buyers; nobody's stupid. Isn't this practically free money?
"Are you all wondering why such a great project would be given to you?"
"I can only say that I have too much business right now, and I can't handle it all. I hope we can all make money together, haha!" Shen Lian nodded seriously.
"Thank you, Lord Marquis!" The group of merchants rose to express their gratitude.
"I won't say any more! Think it over yourselves! I, Shen Lian, always keep my word." With that, Shen Lian turned and left.
Numerous booths had been prepared in the hall, and Shen Lian had instructed local government officials to attend to each booth and answer inquiries from merchants.
These officials were very unaccustomed to it, but they had no choice but to come under Shen Lian's pressure. Although the documents were poorly prepared, and most of those who came were deputies.
Shen Lian didn't press the issue; it was too early to talk about a service-oriented government. Let's take it slow!
At least it showed the businessmen the sincerity of the Shandong government. It can also reassure them to invest.
Shen Lian's identity naturally prevented him from going down to explain things to them; naturally, his specially organized investment promotion bureau personnel were in charge.
"My lord, our Industrial and Commercial Bank now has over 80 million taels of silver in deposits. We have to pay tens of thousands of taels of interest every month. Should we continue to attract deposits?" Nie Yuanshan stood in front of Shen Lian and reported cautiously.
"Why aren't you inhaling? Keep going! We've only just begun!" Shen Lian waved his hand.
Nowadays, traditional banks offer very low interest rates on silver deposits, some even offering none. However, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has introduced a service offering interest on silver deposits, currently offering 0.1% monthly or 0.15% annually.
This interest rate would be slightly higher than the current account interest rate in modern times, but still lower than the one-year term interest rate. However, it was attractive enough in this era.
Currently, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) only accepts large deposits of 50 taels or more. Once its branch network is fully established and staff is sufficient, it will gradually relax restrictions on smaller deposits.
"Go ahead and take it! There are plenty of places where you need money! I'm just worried that you don't have enough money in your bank!" Shen Lian waved his hand.
Currently, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) offers loans with a monthly interest rate of 1%, which is 12% annually. Compared to the exorbitant monthly interest rates of 3% to 5% offered by other banks in the market, it's practically free.
Not to mention those exorbitant interest rates that snowball or accrue interest at an exorbitant rate.
Interest was secondary; Shen Lian's main goal was to lure out the silver hidden in the cellars of the wealthy landlords. What's the difference between silver that doesn't circulate and stone?
Shen Lian has too many things to do; tens of millions of taels are hardly enough. He wouldn't mind receiving hundreds of millions of taels.
While the investment promotion conference was in full swing, embassies from various countries formed special teams. With investments worth tens of millions of taels of silver, which country wouldn't want a piece of the pie?
The American envoy, John Rockhill, was the most proactive, personally leading a trade delegation from Beijing to Jinan. Upon arrival, he immediately sent people to request an audience with Shen Lian.
"Special Envoy of the United States of America, Mr. Rookie, pays his respects to His Excellency the Marquis!" Rookie bowed deeply to Shen Lian, placing his hand on his chest.
"Special Envoy, please don't stand on ceremony. We're all old acquaintances! Please have a seat!" Shen Lian waved his hand with a smile.