16 Settle Down
Zhu Wencong completed his first metamorphosis in life as he draped himself in the tiger skin, forever leaving behind his once slave existence.
Looking at the San Francisco citizenship certificate in his hand, Zhu Wencong knew that from then on, he was a member of California.
"Let's go! Time to buy a house!" Zhu Wencong strode down the streets with his gang, swaggering along.
The earnings from the small silver mine were all converted into British Pounds, amounting to two thousand pounds, not a particularly high profit.
It wouldn't be until the stock prices surged that the real harvest of "leeks" would happen, by then far exceeding the figure of two thousand pounds.
Now, Zhu Wencong's heart was set on the big Silver Mine, where just a ticket to entry cost a thousand pounds and was virtually priceless.
Many wealthy people were discreetly seeking information, hoping to qualify for a share in this wealth banquet.
"Mr. Zhu! This estate was recently built and is not too far from the city center; moreover, the roads are unobstructed," the agent introduced the house in front of them.
In America, land was often vast and sparsely populated, making land inexpensive and houses incredibly spacious.
In big cities, people piled into high-rises, while in the countryside, each person had their own little estate, and it was convenient to travel by car.
Zhu Wencong very much liked the attached garden; with a good environment, people's mood would improve as well.
If he bought it now, they would throw in a coach as a complimentary gift along with the house.
"Then we'll live here from now on!
One coach is too few; whoever is free, go buy a few more coaches.
Hu Zhongshun! I'm leaving the renovation to you; invite over the carpenters and stonemasons you know.
This garden is too good for just viewing flowers; the Chinese courtyard style is much better," Zhu Wencong instructed Hu Zhongshun.
"Should we cultivate a few acres of land?" suggested Hu Zhongshun, noting the wasteland outside the garden was too good not to be used for planting vegetables.
"Are you too idle or what?" Zhu Wencong gave Hu Zhongshun a disdainful glance.
Hu Zhongshun chuckled awkwardly: "Being wealthy means having a home and fields, right... "
Zhu Wencong exchanged a cheque for the agent's keys and land deed and entered the house with his gang.
Everyone looked up at the lavish decor; most houses in America came semi-furnished or fully furnished.
This house could comfortably accommodate twenty to thirty people, or even over a hundred if bunk beds were used.
Chefs, coachmen, servants, gardeners, and other such positions would need to be hired—these were the social responsibilities of the wealthy.
"Alright! Everyone, sit down where you are; let's have a brief meeting," Zhu Wencong called everyone to attention.
"The small Silver Mine is now officially on the right track, as you can all see from the bustling activity in the black market.
We shouldn't sell too many stocks; we need to make them scramble for them, thereby driving up the share price.
Right now, you can sell the stocks in your hands to pour cold water on them, then boil them with a big fire!
Their capital alone won't bring us much profit; it's the difference in price that's the real deal," Zhu Wencong explained.
Everyone appeared to half understand, only knowing that they were about to make a fortune again—harvesting "leeks" was too thrilling!
Originally, no one expected the silver mine stocks to resonate in the black market; after all, items from there are nearly always traps.
It was mainly during the first week of dividend sharing that many witnessed and spread the word, leading to a frenzy of buying.
The world is never short of people green with envy nor those who are presumptuous—they are perfect "leeks."
Zhu Wencong rubbed his forehead: "Hu Zhongshun, you can leave the small Silver Mine to others for now; you stick with me.
That Japanese guy has managed to secure a Silver Mountain through official channels; we can only keep diluting their share of stocks."
After half a year or a year of operation, I almost had the capital to start a bank, and issuing currency was a necessity.
"Use this time to study paper money, you can refer to British Pounds, francs, and how our bad money drives out the good,"
Hu Zhongshun's eyes lit up; he had indeed never studied the paper money in circulation, mainly because he had been too timid in the past.
With Zhu Wencong as his solid backing, Hu Zhongshun believed he should no longer remain conservative but must strive to achieve great things!
"I... I will protect you! A few of us discussed it, and your safety is of utmost importance right now.
Because... the things we do are somewhat unscrupulous and could easily provoke retaliation, so safety comes first.
In this godforsaken place, once you leave the urban area, you enter the desolate mountains.
On the road, if it's not bandits, it's robbers. Your safety is extremely important, boss, and our fortunes are in your hands," Zhao Da took the initiative to say.
Zhu Wencong nodded, acknowledging that public security was indeed a major problem these days; death was commonplace.
The West Coast used to be Spain's territory (Mexico was a colony), and any place under Catholicism was always in chaos.
Just look at the countries in South America to understand: extremely backward religious thinking has created a populace of fools.
Although England plucked feathers as they went and never really treated people well, they still went about building and developing their colonies as needed.
"You think you can protect me with that big machete? Form a small squad, and then arm each person with a gun. Practice a lot.
By the way, I recommend you go learn from Lawrent; he's like a godfather over here," Zhu Wencong advised.
"Hahaha!" Zhao Da laughed awkwardly; he couldn't afford a gun in the past and could only use a machete.
Zhu Wencong looked at Luo Chu, "Your performance is the highest, which proves your talent and luck are top-notch.
I plan to hand over the small Silver Mine project to you. If you want to grow and strengthen, you need more manpower.
You are responsible for recruitment, and I'll arrange the work; you take care of the rest.
Sun Ji, you can also form a separate team to compete with Luo Chu. I hope you surpass him."
Luo Chu and Sun Ji exchanged glances, both with expressions of disbelief, not expecting the other to be capable as well.
Luo Chu thought he could monopolize everything, but suddenly a competitor arrived, and the pressure unknowingly intensified.
Sun Ji, who thought he was being eliminated, realized there was still a chance; he must surpass Luo Chu.
"The small Silver Mine is just a practice project for you, and the money earned isn't much; don't disdain it.
If you want to improve, I suggest you study more and elevate your cultural knowledge.
Take the stock market, for example; you're still half-baked in this area. How can I trust you with major projects?
People must read more books and gain more knowledge. It's not too late for you to start learning!" Zhu Wencong didn't want his team to be illiterate.
With a bunch of illiterate people, you can't accomplish great things; often, they can even ruin your plans.
The two men felt instantly overwhelmed by the prospect of learning, wondering how people in their thirties could still take it in.
"If you don't study, you can only perform menial tasks because most of the work will be beyond your ability.
If you want to make money, to become somebody, to live an extraordinary life, then you need to struggle with yourself. If you don't go crazy now, you'll soon be old!
Let's get this straight; I won't be providing for you in your old age. If you want to go back to your old life, you'd better start begging.
In America, there are no starving spirits, only poor people and rich people. The luxury of your latter life is all down to your own choice," Zhu Wencong admonished.
Zhu Wencong did not expect them to be extremely knowledgeable, but at least they should have the attitude to learn and become proficient in foreign languages.