Chapter 64 Building a Moderately Prosperous Life Together

Yuyuan Road, Yangtze Rickshaw Agency.

Chen Guangliang officially relocated the headquarters of the rickshaw agency to the new base at the intersection of Yuyuan Road and Jing'ansi Road. He would also live and work here.

As for the original rickshaw base at Fanquan Alley, it was retained to serve as the operational hub for one hundred rickshaws, handling vehicle handovers, rent collection, and maintenance.

Furthermore, Chen Guangliang stationed a four-person team at Fanquan Alley, consisting of one accountant, two administrative staff members responsible for rent collection, and one store clerk.

Similarly, the same staffing configuration was established at the Yuyuan Road headquarters, with the sole exception that the accountant here was He Xiangdong. Having become Chen Guangliang's deputy, He now split his time overseeing management and bookkeeping across both locations.

Aside from this eight-person administrative team, Chen Guangliang kept four bodyguards by his side, including Zhou Xinggao, Lin Feng, and two sturdy rickshaw pullers who had previously participated in the kidnapping of Tang Zhiqing's son.

This meant Chen Guangliang was now supporting a full household of twelve people.

Naturally, Chen Guangliang factored in that he was currently dabbling in real estate speculation; it would simply not do for him to walk around without a quartet of bodyguards.

These four bodyguards were also integrated into the management of the rickshaw pullers, serving, in a sense, as a deterrent.

"Boss, the accounts are all settled... Total dividends distributed: 4,500 silver dollars; vehicle loan repayments: 500 silver dollars... Your personal dividend share is 1,600 silver dollars. In addition, the wholesale merchandise department generated a profit of 388 silver dollars for you," He Xiangdong reported to his boss while holding a ledger.

Chen Guangliang did a quick mental calculation: his monthly profit amounted to 1,988 silver dollars.

However, he was currently burdened with heavy debts, owing a total of 26,735 silver dollars, and that was before factoring in the interest.

Out of this entire debt, 18,000 silver dollars were actually tied up in real estate investments, leaving the debt for the rickshaw business at a mere 8,735 silver dollars.

Chen Guangliang was not particularly anxious about the debt. Based on current earnings, the revenue from the rickshaws alone would be nearly sufficient to pay it off entirely within a year.

Moreover, he still had 4,000 silver dollars in cash on hand. Combined with the latest dividends, his fortune instantly swelled back up to a massive 6,000 silver dollars.

"Prepare for the dividend distribution. I will hand the money to every single shareholder personally!"

"Understood, I will make the arrangements right away!"

From the third to the sixth of every month, the Yangtze Rickshaw Agency distributed dividends in batches.

Once He Xiangdong finalized the accounts, Chen Guangliang handed each dividend payout directly into the hands of the shareholders.

Every time the pullers received their dividends, their loyalty to the Yangtze Rickshaw Agency deepened, and their devotion to Chen Guangliang grew even stronger.

Therefore, despite the fact that Chen Guangliang only ever kept a handful of people around him, a single shout from him would rally a considerable number of men willing to fight by his side.

......

"Professor Zhang, you've arrived!"

Chen Guangliang joyfully welcomed Zhang Qihua to the Yangtze Rickshaw Agency on Yuyuan Road. This man was his benefactor!

Surveying the new base, Zhang Qihua remarked with a sigh, "Guangliang, it hasn't been long since I last saw you, and you've already built up such a massive enterprise!"

Zhang Qihua might look down upon the way other capitalists made their fortunes, but seeing Chen Guangliang succeed filled him with genuine joy.

Chen Guangliang smiled and said, "I bought it with loans, but the rickshaw agency's income is quite high now. Those few loans will be paid off in a matter of months!"

Zhang Qihua nodded, and the two men sat down in the office to share a cup of tea.

Everything at the new base showed a touch more refinement; whether it was the building itself or the furniture, it was at least a significant step up.

Chen Guangliang continued to combine his office and bedroom into a single space, adhering strictly to a minimalist lifestyle.

"I've come to bring you the magazines. The fifth installment of *Camel Xiangzi* has already been serialized in *Life* Magazine."

"Yes, I've been reading every issue."

*Camel Xiangzi* was scheduled for a twenty-four-part serialization. Since *Life* Magazine was a bi-monthly publication, the run would span an entire year.

As for a standalone book edition, that would likely have to wait until a year later.

Zhang Qihua said, "The current royalty for *Camel Xiangzi* is sixty silver dollars per issue, but I honestly feel I don't deserve that much."

Chen Guangliang quickly replied, "Professor Zhang, having someone voice the struggles of our community brings us boundless joy. China desperately needs literati like you to truly awaken the slumbering masses and genuinely transform this society."

Zhang Qihua held deep sympathy for the rickshaw pullers and was undoubtedly a man of letters with a true conscience.

Yet, regarding the plight of the rickshaw pullers, leave aside a lone scholar like Zhang Qihua—even the government was utterly powerless to resolve it.

Chen Guangliang recalled that, in his past life, around 1936 or so, tricycles began to gradually emerge, finally allowing human haulers to accomplish passenger transport tasks with somewhat less physical exertion.

As for earnings, however, they could still only be described as scraping by on the poverty line.

"You mentioned last time that you plan to integrate bicycles and rickshaws to reinvent the transport vehicle. Is that project truly viable?"

"It should be a hundred percent successful. However, I lack the capital right now, so I probably need to wait another year or two. Once this succeeds, the pullers will no longer need to run barefoot on scalding asphalt; they will simply pedal from the front while dragging the rickshaw behind them. This vehicle is called a human-powered tricycle, and it requires much less effort."

This was Chen Guangliang's trump card. Facing his benefactor, he chose not to conceal it.

It was not as though tricycles had never been invented; in fact, tricycles had existed for a long time. It was simply that human-powered tricycles had not yet been put into commercial passenger operation.

"Well... rest assured, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you."

Zhang Qihua also understood that realizing such a vision required immense resources, and perhaps even societal public opinion to pressure the government into paying attention to this marginalized group.

"Boss, the dividend distribution is about to begin!" He Xiangdong walked into the room and announced.

Chen Guangliang stood up and said, "Professor Zhang, we're just about to distribute dividends to the pullers. Come along and see!"

Professor Zhang said cheerfully, "Alright."

A short while later, Chen Guangliang sat down at a desk placed outside, ready to distribute dividends to the queue of waiting rickshaw pullers.

"Project B, Huang Si, investment of twenty silver dollars, this month's dividend: exactly two silver dollars."

A thin man with a mouthful of yellow teeth stepped up to the desk and beamed broadly. "Thank you, master! Thank you, master! I never dreamed I'd see a day like this."

Chen Guangliang smiled. "Once you have the money, don't gamble it away. Buy some extra clothes for yourself and your family, or get some meat to eat!"

Huang Si hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, the master is entirely right!"

Pork cost forty cents a catty (sixteen taels), so cutting off a catty of meat was quite a luxury that could last for several meals.

Currently, the wages for the rickshaw pullers at the Yangtze Agency generally ranged between twelve and sixteen silver dollars, placing them at the top tier within the industry.

There were three reasons for this:

First, pullers had the option of working without mandatory rest days, unlike other agencies that routinely forced pullers to take time off. This allowed them to work a full thirty days a month while limiting their daily labor to eight hours. Through this scheduling, efficiency soared, while the rental fees were reduced accordingly.

Second, pullers had an additional source of income through merchandise promotion, which could net each puller an extra silver dollar or so per month.

Third, the pullers at the Yangtze Agency were all professionally trained before starting work, resulting in a higher overall level of service and a much greater chance of receiving tips from passengers.

Consequently, the income of Yangtze Agency's pullers stood at the head of the industry.

When factoring in the monthly dividends received by some pullers, their standard of living was practically approaching moderate prosperity.

After all, the standard salary of an ordinary patrolman was only ten to thirteen silver dollars, whereas a large portion of the Yangtze Agency's pullers earned a monthly income of sixteen to eighteen silver dollars.

The pullers stepped forward one by one to collect their money. Some received two silver dollars, while others received 1.7 to 1.8 dollars, adjusted due to minor increases in operational costs incurred along the way.

Even so, everyone was guaranteed to recoup their initial investment within a year.

Witnessing this scene, Zhang Qihua held Chen Guangliang in even higher esteem. This young man was not only adept at business, but also possessed a deep care for the impoverished.