Chapter Seventeen: The Threat Approaches

June 21, 1927 (Tuesday), 10 a.m.

On a vacant lot in Guano Alley, destined to become the future base of the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company, nine brand-new rickshaws were neatly lined up. Twenty-seven rickshaw pullers each stood in front of their respective rickshaws.

A crowd of curious neighbors from Guano Alley gathered around, their excitement palpable. To maintain order, personnel organized by Zhou Xinggao of the Northern Expedition Army kept onlookers from intruding onto the newly leased space.

The scene was grand.

Who would have imagined that in just one month since its founding, the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company would grow so rapidly?

At its current scale, the company earned nearly 300 silver dollars in profit each month, including income from merchandise sales.

Such growth was astonishing.

Chen Guangliang stood before the group and spoke loudly:

“From the moment you join the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company, you are no longer just ‘street toughs’ or ‘rickshaw pullers.’ You are shareholders of this company.”

“The Yangtze River Rickshaw Company is a business that will provide you with steady income and allow your investments to appreciate.”

“As shareholders and pullers, you have the duty to protect the company’s assets and uphold its interests. This means looking after the company’s rickshaws, maintaining and repairing them properly, attending weekly meetings, reviewing monthly business reports, and fostering unity among us...”

“Can you commit to this?”

Hearing Chen Guangliang’s earnest and passionate speech, the pullers’ spirits were fully roused.

In unison, they replied: “Yes!”

Chen Guangliang nodded and then began to assign the operational areas for the nine rickshaws.

He had been conducting research for sixty-six days, mapping out the ‘best zones’ for rickshaw activity. Thanks to this, the efficiency of the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company’s rickshaws under his management had increased.

Now, each puller worked only eight hours a day but could reliably earn between 12 to 15 silver dollars a month, a figure not only comparable to but slightly higher than before.

The nine rickshaws set off in single file, leaving Guano Alley to begin taking passengers and conducting business.

The remaining pullers stayed behind, continuing to work at the company’s base.

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Chen Guangliang said, “This place has been leased by the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company for eight silver dollars a month. I plan to establish the company’s base here. When you have free time, come help build it. This is my assistant Zhou Xinggao; he will organize you to set up the base. Don’t worry—it won’t take up much of your time each day, and once built, this will be a place for us to gather.”

“Manager Chen, you can rest assured. Even if it takes two or four hours a day, we have no problem with that.”

The pullers quickly voiced their agreement.

The base occupied nearly six-tenths of an acre—about the size of a basketball court.

According to Chen Guangliang’s plan, the perimeter would be fenced with bamboo and wood, with two small buildings erected: one as an office, the other as a meeting and rest area. The remaining open space would serve as the rickshaw repair and activity zone.

Zhou Xinggao was entrusted with organizing this task, freeing Chen Guangliang from the burden.

Moreover, Chen Guangliang no longer needed to work as a puller himself and could focus entirely on managing the company.

After all, the eighteen new pullers joining would need training, especially in merchandise sales.

Currently, the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company had three main expenses: Chen Guangliang’s salary of ten silver dollars a month, Zhou Xinggao’s temporary salary of nine silver dollars, and the rent and construction costs for the base.

Altogether, these monthly expenses totaled about thirty silver dollars.

Though expenses had increased by thirty silver dollars, income from merchandise sales more than compensated for this, even leaving a surplus. Zhou Xinggao’s salary was only temporary.

Take the first batch of three rickshaws, called ‘Project A’ by Chen Guangliang; after one month of operation, its capital had grown by eighty-five silver dollars.

The working capital of Project A was temporarily used for company expenses and purchasing goods, to be fairly settled later with Project B (six rickshaws).

Although the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company was developing well, Chen Guangliang dared not relax even slightly; he hoped for even faster growth.

He understood that rickshaw license plate prices were set to skyrocket in the coming years, with competition intensifying. To develop, one must act quickly.

However, without ‘capital,’ he could not initiate a public offering; ultimately, he needed his own funds to expand.

...

“You’re saying Chen Guangliang already owns nine rickshaws, all with official large permits?”

Wang Chengyun stared incredulously at his capable subordinate Tang Zhiqing. He never expected Chen Guangliang to develop so swiftly. In just over a month, he had acquired nine officially licensed rickshaws—truly astonishing.

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Tang Zhiqing, a former thug and rogue, had thrived under Wang Chengyun’s command, handling unsavory tasks for his boss.

“That’s right, boss. We’ve investigated thoroughly. These nine rickshaws were purchased jointly by Chen Guangliang and his partners, including someone from the Transportation Department. All the pullers who joined as partners contributed as well. Because of this, the pullers in our own company have become restless.”

Wang Chengyun slammed the table in anger. “Let them try! Tell them those plates were only obtained through the Transportation Department’s favor. They think just buying a rickshaw means they can haul passengers?”

Tang Zhiqing nodded. “Yes, I’ll keep those street toughs in check.”

Calming his fury, Wang Chengyun pondered and then said, “Chen Guangliang has been poaching our men more than once. This time he’s incited ten pullers to leave, causing turmoil inside our company.”

Tang Zhiqing immediately asked, “Boss, you want me to teach him a lesson?”

Wang Chengyun nodded. “It’s up to you to handle this. Let Mr. Chen know the consequences of crossing me.”

At this point, neither the pullers nor others knew that some of the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company’s licenses were counterfeit. Because these plates came from the Transportation Department, they were nearly indistinguishable from real ones.

Only Chen Guangliang and Li Chao knew this; He Xiangdong also knew about Project A’s status, so even patrol officers could not detect any wrongdoing.

Furthermore, the company’s rickshaws operated twenty-four hours a day under constant supervision by their pullers, making theft impossible, which thwarted Wang Chengyun’s initial plan.

Now, pressed and desperate, Wang Chengyun planned to take a hard line and punish Chen Guangliang.

Of course, Wang Chengyun was not a figure of great influence. There were dozens of companies like ‘Wang’s Rickshaw Company’ in the city.

Only tycoons like Gu Zhuxuan, the ‘Northern River Magnate’—who commanded thousands of licensed rickshaws and had expanded into theaters, restaurants, and teahouses with nearly ten thousand followers—were true power brokers.

In truth, Wang Chengyun still paid ‘protection fees’ to Gu Zhuxuan monthly.

For now, however, Wang Chengyun was a ‘boss-level’ figure to Chen Guangliang. Gu Zhuxuan’s people didn’t even acknowledge Chen, but Wang Chengyun would not allow him to rise easily.

A conspiracy against Chen Guangliang was already underway.