Chapter 25: Opportunity

"Boss, it’s a disaster! All 24 of the unlicensed rickshaws we sent out have been impounded by the joint task force of the Traffic Division and the police station. They’re demanding you go and pay the fines."

Tang Zhiqing rushed to find Wang Chengyun, who was drinking tea at the Wang residence, to deliver the shocking news. Upon hearing this, Wang Chengyun’s teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the tea table with a loud thud.

"All 24 vehicles were seized?"

Seizing one or two was normal; it had happened before. You paid a fine, greased the palms of the patrolmen, and business went on as usual. But having the entire fleet of unlicensed vehicles from the Wang Rickshaw Firm impounded at once? Even a fool knew this wasn't simple.

Tang Zhiqing nodded and explained, "The Traffic Division led the raid. They staked out the intersections near our firm. As soon as our unlicensed vehicles left the premises, they were all rounded up. Paying the fines on the spot didn't work either; they said they intend to impound the vehicles and are looking into holding the Wang Rickshaw Firm liable for other violations."

Wang Chengyun cursed venomously, "The Yangtze Rickshaw Firm! Chen Guangliang! It has to be that dog-son of a bitch!"

He began to regret provoking Chen Guangliang. He had known from the start that Chen was working with the Traffic Division, but he hadn't considered the consequences. Now, he realized that the man was even more ruthless than he was.

Losing 24 rickshaws in one go meant a loss of at least a thousand silver dollars in depreciation alone. With the Traffic Division threatening further legal action, it was clear they intended to crush him. He was so angry he could spit blood. Thinking of his recent losses, he felt a tightness in his chest and struggled to breathe. He was a stingy boss who had scraped his fortune together coin by coin; even with assets exceeding fifty thousand silver dollars, the loss of nearly two thousand was enough to make him lose his appetite for days.

"Wait—how does the Traffic Division know so much about our unlicensed vehicles? Is there a traitor in our firm?"

Tang Zhiqing thought to himself, *Does he even need to ask? How many pullers in the firm are actually loyal to you?* Especially with the Yangtze Rickshaw Firm’s recent "shareholding" scheme, the Wang firm was in a state of panic, with everyone’s hearts already flown to the competition. However, Tang immediately echoed the sentiment, "It must be those ungrateful pullers! I knew they were bad news!" He wanted to deflect blame away from his own security team and avoid getting burned. In reality, their security team also handled odd jobs, including vehicle repairs; they were not full-time thugs.

Wang Chengyun’s face turned sinister. "Hmph, if they dare to bite the hand that feeds them, they’ve grown tired of living. Prepare to raise the rent immediately: sixty cents for the day shift, fifty for the night. If anyone dares to make trouble, handle them mercilessly!"

The Wang Rickshaw Firm had originally operated on two shifts with rents of fifty and forty cents respectively. Now, with an extra twenty cents per vehicle per day, and one hundred and twenty legitimate rickshaws, that meant an extra twenty-four dollars daily, or several thousand a year. He would make up for his losses in no time! Wang wasn't afraid of the poor wretches causing a scene—if they didn't want to work, there were plenty who would. Unemployed people were everywhere; there was no shortage of legs to hire.

Tang Zhiqing quickly replied, "Don't worry, Boss. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, I'll make their life a living hell." If he couldn't handle the Yangtze Rickshaw Firm, he could certainly handle the miserable wretches at the Wang firm. He wanted to show off his prowess so his boss wouldn't lose faith in him.

...

Chen Guangliang and Li Chao were walking down a street in the Concession, heading to a restaurant for a small meal.

"Just as you predicted, the constant stream of people from all over the country heading to Shanghai is making these streets busier every day," Li Chao noted, gesturing to the bustling traffic.

On the streets of the Concession, while trams and cars were still relatively rare, rickshaws were as numerous as hair on an ox. Most were occupied by passengers, a testament to the industry's vitality. By this year, 1927, there were only about five thousand cars in the Concession and roughly ten thousand in all of Shanghai—only eighteen thousand in the entire country. With a population of 2.8 million in Shanghai, car ownership was still very low, which was ironic given that Shanghai’s industry accounted for 50 to 60 percent of the nation's total.

"Shanghai has the best opportunities for development, but it's a pity our capital is so limited," Chen Guangliang said. He always carried a sense of urgency, and Li Chao could feel it too.

"The Yangtze Rickshaw Firm is growing fast enough... but our section chief talked to me. He said the Traffic Division might consider partnering with you by contributing licenses as equity, provided you buy enough rickshaws as soon as possible."

Chen Guangliang was surprised, then his spirits lifted. Partnering with the Traffic Division was like obtaining an imperial sword; it meant having a real backer. However, he had already exhausted his resources and was struggling to secure more capital.

Li Chao understood and said mysteriously, "Don't worry, there's still time. Besides, we have no intention of returning the vehicles we seized from the Wang Rickshaw Firm, and we’re still going to collect fines from him. In a while, we can handle that batch and sell them cheaply to your Yangtze Rickshaw Firm."

It was a pleasant surprise—a godsend. With the Traffic Division providing licenses as equity and selling him a batch of rickshaws at a discount, it was a golden opportunity.

"Why is your section chief so generous?"

Li Chao laughed. "He highly approves of your management style, and with my connection, he chose the Yangtze Rickshaw Firm as a partner. After all, with a good partner, our Traffic Division can make some extra money. Plus, I analyzed it for him: rickshaws have potential for appreciation, so there's no need for us to sell them off cheaply."

It made sense. Under normal circumstances, the Traffic Division would only issue a license to a puller for two silver dollars. But in the Concession, every department wanted extra income, and every foreigner wanted to get rich. So, the Traffic Division would collude with rickshaw firms to sell licenses at high prices, splitting the proceeds among the department. Everyone was happy.

As for where the Traffic Division’s licenses came from? Since 1924, no new licenses had been issued, with the total fixed at ten thousand. These were essentially recycled licenses; because they had expiration dates, the Traffic Division had the right to reclaim them.

"Good. I will definitely seize this opportunity, and I won't forget your share."

Li Chao waved his hand. "I don't have the means to raise any more money. Don't worry about me for the project; I'll just take my cut from the Traffic Division's extra earnings. Also, our section chief is interested in you. I'll introduce you to him one day so you can get to know each other."

"Alright, many thanks."

He certainly wouldn't forget Li Chao’s help, but there was no point in saying more now, especially since his funding wasn't settled yet. Fortunately, there was still time. Chen Guangliang was confident he could find a way. A modern mindset already put him ahead of many in this era, not to mention he now had a solid foundation.