This Tiantian Shao Ye is actually a proper official second generation plus military second generation in the later generations, and it's normal for him to like taking drugs. Unfortunately, Wang Zhenyu doesn't want to be Zhang Xueliang, and he doesn't plan to live to be 105 years old either, so naturally, he declines with gratitude.

  Having stayed in Nanjing for a while, Wang Zhenyu had handed over all the training to his subordinates and was idle. He thought that since he had come to the Yangtze River Delta, one of the richest places in China, he should do some business.

  If you want to make a name for yourself in the future, both talent and money are indispensable.

  In Wuhan, he had Ye Zuwu as his comprador, this old fellow was quite conscientious in all matters. But if a person wants to stand firm, relying solely on one leg is absolutely impossible.

  I still need one more leg, but Ye Zuwen will be coming to Nanjing soon, maybe he can help me find another leg!

  Tian Yingxu was also tired of staying in Nanjing recently, suddenly wanted to go to Changzhou for two days, so he came to invite Wang Zhenyu.

  Although the entire Yangtze River south has nominally broken away from the control of the Qing court, breaking away from the Great Qing does not necessarily mean belonging to the Republic. The actual control range of the Nanjing Provisional Government is also limited, but Changzhou is obviously within this actually controllable range.

  Nanjing gathered three hundred thousand troops from all sides, and the Northern Expedition became a mirage due to the Qing Emperor's abdication. The leisurely days passed slowly, and everyone felt bored. Towns like Zhenjiang and Changzhou, not far from Nanjing, also became popular destinations for military officers to relax.

  However, this time Tian Yingkui was clearly not on the right road. Wang Zhenyu and his party followed Tian Yingkui to a place called Ben Niutown near Changzhou, where they found it quiet enough.

  Seeing this desolate scene, Tian Yingzi scolded his own soldiers: "Bastard, didn't you say you've been here before? Didn't you say it was lively?"

  Those bodyguards were so frightened that they didn't even dare to breathe loudly and just stood there with their heads down.

  Wang Zhenyu didn't get angry, after all he was now a general. He began to consciously control his emotions, as getting angry often couldn't solve problems. He immediately dismounted and handed the reins to his guard, then walked slowly with his hands behind his back. After just over a dozen steps, he unexpectedly found that on the empty street there was still an open shop, with customers occasionally entering and exiting, business seeming quite good.

  This is a Western-style scene, and it's normal for the economy to be depressed after a war. It would be strange if it weren't.

  As they walked to the front of the store, the sign above the door read "He Feng Goods Store" in four large characters. Wang Zhenyu looked at the sign and saw that it was a general merchandise store. He pulled on one side while still scolding Tian Yingkui: "Brother Tian, look at this chaotic situation, most of the merchants have closed their doors and stopped doing business, but here is a general merchandise store that is still open for business, it's really strange, let's go in and take a look?"

  Tian Yingxu glanced at his personal soldiers again: "Hmm, go take a look!"

  A tall man swaggered in, scaring the customers who were waiting to buy things and causing them to scatter. Before long, they had all fled, and even the young shop assistants were frightened into pressing themselves against the wall.

  Behind the counter stood a young man with clear eyebrows and a melon-shaped face, who was hunched over, calculating accounts on an abacus. He soon felt that something was off in the store, why had it suddenly become so quiet?

  He lifted his head to see a group of sturdy men standing in the middle of the store, looking around randomly. The young man's heart skipped a beat. Looking at their stature and appearance, they probably weren't good people.

  He hastily brought a smile around the counter and came out to greet: "These few masters, first meeting, unfamiliar, thinking of adding some items to the small store?"

  Wang Zhenyu hummed: "Nothing, just curious to take a look. Where's your boss?"

  The fallen Wang Zhenyu of the later generation, in this life because he became a general, although it's only been one or two months, his official tone seems to have come with him since birth. No way, this is the main theme in the later generations, and it's what they've grown accustomed to hearing and seeing.

  The young man's pupils contracted: "I am the shopkeeper of this store, my humble name is Liu Guojun. I pay respects to several noble guests, and ask if there is anything I can help with? Please sit down first, I'll have the apprentice bring tea."

  Wang Zhenyu and Tian Yingkui didn't say much either, they sat down, while the guards who followed them ran to the outside of the jǐng (palace).

  Liu Guojun presented the tea, and Wang Zhenyu took a small sip: "Mr. Liu, to be honest with you, we are also just passing by this place. We found that most of the shops on the street have closed down, but your shop is still open as usual, and business is also unusual. I'm quite curious, so I came in to disturb you for a while, please don't mind!"

  Wang Zhenyu spoke very politely, which made Liu Guojun feel good. As for Tian Yingjiao, he was drinking tea on the side and didn't interrupt, but had a listless and absent-minded look.

  "Honorable guest, you may not know that since last October, due to the war, transportation has been cut off and merchants are afraid of chaos and their supply chains have been disrupted, so they have all closed down. Liu Guojun explained in detail, "In my humble opinion, whether there is chaos or not, this day still needs to be lived as usual, so I helped my fellow businessmen clear out their goods, took over their responsibilities and continued to operate, and as you can see, honorable guest, business is still booming."

  What Liu Zhuang said seemed casual, but it brought a considerable shock to Wang Zhenyu. Wang Zhenyu from the future admired the courage and insight of this young man named Liu Guojun. It's not hard to think of this point in such a turbulent time, but having the guts to do it is remarkable.

  "Mr. Liu has great courage and insight, his eyes are unique, and his bravery is extraordinary, Mr. Wang really admires him." Mr. Wang Zhenyu's words were sincere, and Liu Guojun felt very comfortable listening to them. To be honest, this decision was the most satisfying one Liu Guojun had made in his life. At first, his father-in-law strongly opposed it, but he persisted and now they have reached this point. It's rare for someone outside to praise him, so naturally, Liu Guojun felt a little proud.

  As they chatted, Wang Zhenyu became more and more interested in the young shopkeeper in front of him. He even had the idea of starting a silk factory! How could such a young man be hiding in this small grocery store?

  On this side, Liu Guojun also had a good impression of Wang Zhenyu. Although he didn't know what kind of identity Wang Zhenyu was, judging from his appearance, temperament, and conversation, he was definitely not an ordinary person. It's worth noting that among the four occupations of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants have always been at the bottom. As for himself, he couldn't even be considered a merchant, just a shopkeeper of a miscellaneous goods store. In his daily life in the countryside, except for buying things, he rarely went out or interacted with others. Occasionally, some scholars who had fallen on hard times would come to buy things, and it was not easy for him to look them straight in the eye. As for someone like Wang Zhenyu who could engage in high-level discussions with him, there were almost none. Moreover, many of Wang's views were refreshing and completely beyond his own understanding, such as chain stores, unified procurement, and unified supply. He was ashamed to think that he had always considered himself knowledgeable and experienced.

  Time flies, and the sky gradually darkens. Liu Guojun proactively suggests staying for dinner and lodging, saying that the town's inns are also closed at this time. Wang Zhenyu doesn't decline, and they spend the night at Liu's house. Tian Yingjiao isn't interested in their conversation, and after a day of rushing around, he naturally falls asleep early. As it turns out, Liu Guojun is getting more and more enthusiastic about talking to Wang Zhenyu, who has already understood his intentions. He speaks directly: "Brother Liu is a great talent, but staying here is really a waste. I have urgent business to attend to in Nanjing tomorrow, and I must confess that I also want to do some big business, but I'm short of capable people. In the future, there will definitely be places where I need Brother Liu's help. I'll send someone to invite you soon; this isn't just polite talk. When the time comes, please don't decline. People often only have this kind of opportunity in life, and it seems that our meeting here is destined by fate."

  Although they had only known each other for a few hours, they felt like they had known each other for a long time. Liu Guojun also felt that the person in front of him was not ordinary, and since he was sincerely inviting him, it involved business, and he himself was struggling with meager profits and no place to exert himself. Seeing Wang Zhenyu's attitude was very sincere, he naturally nodded in agreement and gave a piece of opened light jade pendant as a token of the visitor.

  The next morning, Wang Zhenyu did not bid farewell to the host family, but quietly left ten taels of silver and returned to Nanjing with Tian Yingke. Calculating the time, Ye Zuwen should be arriving soon.

  On February 25, 1912, at Nanjing's Xiaguan dock, Wang Zhenyu met his current partner Ye Zuwen.

  Ye Zuwen, relying on Wang Zhenyu, not only turned over a new leaf but also merged the Ye family's business with Wang Zhenyu's at his behest, operating under the name of Ye Shi Commercial Trade. Ye Zuwen serves as general manager and holds 20% of the shares, responsible for daily operations, while externally he is still the nominal legal representative.

  As a result, he naturally became the richest man in Wuhan. Not long ago, he was successfully elected as the Chinese director of the Wuhan British Concession Council's Works Bureau and is considered a "celebrity" in Hankou's concession area.

  The business of the tobacco factory was still going smoothly, and Ye Zuowen had made a small fortune by speculating on real estate in Wuhan during the war. He is now planning to set up a bank, and with over 6 million yuan in hand, it would be more than enough to support the operation of a bank. However, Ye Zuowen couldn't make the decision alone, as the money wasn't his after all, so he had already sent a telegram to Wang Zhenyu saying that he was coming to Nanjing for instructions.

  Although Ye Zuwen was a prominent figure in the Wuhan concession, he was polite and cautious in front of young Wang Zhenyu, never daring to address him directly by name, always referring to him as "General".

  This time, Ye Zuwen came to Nanjing with two purposes: one was to ask for instructions on the matter of opening a bank; the other was to act as a matchmaker and introduce his friend Liu Hongsheng, whom he had known since his comprador days, to Wang Zhenyu, in the hope that they could make some joint profits.

  When Ye Zuwen returned to Shanghai for delivery, he lived in Liu Hongsheng's house. He knew that this old friend was engaged in the coal business of the Kailuan Mining Bureau and had a very good life. Therefore, Ye Zuwen was not very confident about introducing him as a partner, so he did not mention it to Wang Zhenyu before coming.