Chapter 6: Information and the Future

After much contemplation, Sima reluctantly discovered a fact: given the current circumstances, the only viable option was to continue with his watch business. There were no alternatives; otherwise, he would have to risk his life by engaging in the drug trade. The thought of the opium dens on Sun Family Village Street even led Sima to briefly entertain the idea of entering the drug business. Fortunately, this was merely a fleeting thought, as Sima felt he had not yet descended into madness to that extent.

After searching for some information online, Sima discovered that there is still a certain profit margin for many materials. In particular, the profit margins for chemical raw materials are generally several times, even more than ten times, which is likely due to the revolution in the chemical industry in modern society. Although he was very willing to engage in such business, Sima sadly realized after careful consideration that this type of business was simply not suitable for him at the present time

Whenever Sima recalls the moment he feigned an inquiry on behalf of a friend to ask the company owner whether the warehouse was for sale, he remembers the owner's somewhat disdainful gaze, which was unusual given that the owner had generally treated him well. Perhaps it was a subconscious sensitivity developed over the past few months since leaving a leisurely yet powerful government position that made him particularly averse to such looks. After hesitating, Sima quoted a price he could afford, which in reality represented all of his savings. Perhaps it was a subconscious sensitivity developed over the past few months since leaving a leisurely yet powerful government position that made him particularly averse to such looks. After hesitating, Sima quoted a price he could afford, which in reality represented all of his savings.

The reason is quite simple: the characteristics of this type of business are high volume and low price. Its profit margins are built upon demand, yet this is precisely its greatest shortcoming at present. First, the issue of large quantities of goods entering and exiting becomes problematic. Although it is possible to procure goods at night, there is no wall that does not let the wind through. Once this information leaks, it may turn into rumors of privately renting warehouses. At that point, no matter what happens, one cannot stay here any longer, and it would truly be a case of losing a watermelon to pick up sesame seeds.

Haha! Indeed, newspapers from the Republic of China period are quite different from those of today; they hardly carry any political flavor. This is what a newspaper should be. Current affairs news mostly critiques the government's gains and losses, while the majority consists of reports on national affairs and people's livelihoods. In contrast, today's newspapers, even local evening papers, are filled with reports on meetings or glorifications of certain figures, or they resort to so-called "people's news" just to fill space. Sima is carefully examining the newspapers one by one, as there is no easier way to understand the information of an era than by reading its newspapers. At least the amount of information contained in these is far richer and more authentic than what is found online. From the subtle hints in these newspapers, Sima has already discovered dozens of usable pieces of information.

"Young Master, this is the account book for this month, please take a look." Gao Chuanliang respectfully placed the account book with both hands, then stood aside with his hands slightly lowered and his back slightly bent. Gao Chuanliang knew that everything he had was built upon the presence of this young master, whose background could even be described as mysterious. Over the past few months, Gao Chuanliang had successfully expanded his business to several major cities outside the province, as well as to a few cities in Shanxi, and even to large metropolises like Beijing and Tianjin. Out of curiosity, Gao Chuanliang had once cautiously investigated the background of this Sima young master, only to find himself increasingly perplexed, as the more he searched, the more chaotic the information became. This chaotic information only deepened Gao Chuanliang's confusion regarding the identity of this young master, and this inexplicable confusion made him even more in awe of him.

In today's information-rich society, there is nothing more convenient for a modern individual to learn about the history of an era than the internet. However, it is only when one is in need that one realizes the scarcity of resources available online domestically. Currently, Sima finds himself in such a predicament, as the limited information resources hinder his ability to effectively utilize the resources he possesses. Although he has earned a sum of wealth from his watch business over the past few months—wealth that he could only dream of in the past—he discovers that this considerable fortune is still insufficient for many endeavors when the need arises. Sima is currently trapped in this dilemma due to the constraints of information resources, making it impossible for him to effectively leverage the resources at his disposal.

Sun Yan could only smile beside him as he watched his repeated refusals. He calculated in his mind that over the past two months, this "Boss Li and his books" had come nine times and completed transactions of over 400 kilograms. At this volume, he would definitely rank among the top in the city, yet no one had ever heard of his name. If it weren't for the fact that there had been no reports of any robbery cases in the city, Sun Yan would have genuinely considered reporting it. Although he was somewhat concerned about the questionable origins of this money, he was even more worried that if he reported it and the police found nothing, he would not only lose a major client but also tarnish his reputation in this industry, which was the most important thing. Every profession, in any case, has its own rules.

"Oh! Boss Li has time to come again today." As soon as Sima entered the silver shop, the shop owner welcomed him. Over the past few months, Sima had evidently become a regular at these more than ten silver shops. Every week, Sima would bring gold and silver ingots to sell at these shops in exchange for cash. Over time, it was only natural that he became familiar with the faces in these more than ten silver shops.

Is there anything more profitable than arms trade during wartime? While I do not have the courage to be an arms dealer, I am quite willing to engage in the business of raw materials for munitions, such as steel, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid, as mentioned in the newspapers. After all, these materials are nothing more than ordinary civilian goods. If the prices are right, I would be eager to explore a new market beyond watches. I am very interested in opening a new market, but the premise is that it must be profitable. If the money earned from transporting goods to the year 1915 does not exceed the costs, then this is not a business I would be inclined to pursue. I am very interested in opening a new market, but the premise is that it must be profitable. If the money earned from transporting goods to the year 1915 does not exceed the costs, then this is not a business I would be inclined to pursue

Young Master, as per your instructions, this month's regular silver has been converted into gold at a rate of 60%, all of which is authentic American pure gold. The remaining 40% has been exchanged for 99% silver ingots at the silver shop. I will have the staff carry it for you when you leave. Over time, Gao Chuanliang has grown accustomed to the peculiar preference this young master has for cash and silver, although he still finds it strange. Unlike other businessmen who primarily use wire transfers or checks for their transactions, this young master insists on cash and personally brings the funds each time. Initially, he used silver dollars, but later switched to gold bars and high-quality silver ingots. I will have the staff carry it for you when you leave. Over time, Gao Chuanliang has grown accustomed to the peculiar preference this young master has for cash and silver, although he still finds it strange. Unlike other businessmen who primarily use wire transfers or checks for their transactions, this young master insists on cash and personally brings the funds each time. Initially, he used silver dollars, but later switched to gold bars and high-quality silver ingots.

"Young Master, this is the rule; you are the owner, and no owner bypasses the accounts." Although Gao Chuanliang felt a sense of trust from the young master, he was also slightly fearful of this trust. It was not due to the young master himself, but rather because of the unclear background of this young master, especially the family behind him. Everyone knows the consequences of offending a powerful and somewhat secretive family. Sometimes, Gao Chuanliang even felt that the name of this young master, Sima Xing, might not be his real name, but merely an alias.

Boss Sun is also here! The ingot weighs thirty-six kilograms. Sima said as he placed the packaged silver ingot on the counter. Sometimes, Sima truly wondered whether he should be grateful to those merchants who extracted gold and silver from the three wastes. Although they polluted the upstream river, it was precisely because of their existence that specialized silver shops for exchanging gold and silver were formed. Without these silver shops, it would likely become very difficult for Sima to sell the gold and silver he acquired.

Upon contemplating the potential consequences of a secret being uncovered, including the possible intervention of authorities or other unforeseen events, it becomes clear that such matters are beyond the control of an ordinary person like Sima. Consequently, Sima develops an urgent desire, and in pursuit of this aspiration, he even relinquishes his long-held dreams of purchasing a car and a house, which would have fulfilled his ambition of joining the ranks of those who own both. He further abandons the need to flaunt his possessions in front of others to prove that he is not at the end of his rope.

Although there have been hundreds of thousands in income every week for several months, it is ultimately earning money on someone else's territory. If an unexpected event occurs one day, Sima may have to say goodbye to this nearly risk-free, highly profitable business. More importantly, how many times have the workers loading and unloading goods in the warehouse only finished their work close to midnight? Almost every time, Sima is drenched in cold sweat, fearing that outsiders will discover the enormous secret hidden in Warehouse No. 3. More importantly, how many times have the workers loading and unloading goods in the warehouse only finished their work close to midnight? Almost every time, Sima is drenched in cold sweat, fearing that outsiders will discover the enormous secret hidden in Warehouse No. 3.

Moreover, even if www.hetushu.com is not an issue, it is likely that similar problems will arise at the other end of the space-time corridor. Although the exit on one end is said to be a wilderness, the import and export of large quantities of goods will inevitably encounter various inconveniences. The best solution would be to construct a similarly large warehouse, but there are various issues concerning the confidentiality and security of the warehouse.

I only saw the boss freeze for a few seconds before bursting into laughter: "Even if I rent out this warehouse for a year, I could earn a rental income of over a million. Your friend wants to buy it for a few million; are you sure that guy isn't dreaming"

In fact, Mr. Li doesn't need to go through such trouble every time he delivers goods; for major clients like Mr. Li, we usually collect the goods at their location. Sun Yan couldn't recall how many times he had suggested this idea of collecting goods on-site, as he genuinely wanted to develop clients like Mr. Li into regular customers for his silver shop. The cash register business is quite different from a few years ago; competition has become increasingly fierce, and securing a major client like this is far more advantageous than acquiring a hundred casual customers.

Haha! Not a bother, not a bother. Anyway, there's nothing much to do, so it's just right to come out for some fresh air. You know the environment in the factory. " Sima, while watching them test the quality and authenticity, joked with Boss Sun. "When it comes to collecting goods, what do I have to do with your refining factory? If you come to collect goods, wouldn't you just report me as a thief?" "Haha! Boss Li is joking. If I had your skills, I probably wouldn't be here collecting cash. I would have changed careers long ago." When it comes to collecting goods, what do I have to do with your refining factory? If you come to collect goods, wouldn't you just report me as a thief? "Haha! Boss Li is joking. If I had your skills, I probably wouldn't be here collecting cash. I would have changed careers long ago.

"Lao Gao, how is the matter I mentioned last time?" Sima Lin asked at the end. "Young Master, as per your instructions, I have prepared one copy each of the newspapers 'Shen Bao', 'Da Gong Bao', and 'Shang Bao' from June to yesterday, and they are all here," Gao Chuanliang replied. Although Gao Chuanliang found it somewhat strange that the Young Master had asked him to prepare the newspapers during his last visit, he still complied with the Young Master's request. Having spent a lifetime in business, Gao Chuanliang understood that there are many matters one should not inquire about, and it is best not to ask. Moreover, this Young Master is very concerned about others prying into his affairs, so Gao Chuanliang felt it was wise to ask as little as possible and do as much as he could.

To be honest, Sima is increasingly enjoying this feeling of being respected, a sensation he has not experienced for a long time. This feeling, especially the genuine respect he receives, is completely different from the temporary respect he encountered in his previous bureaucratic job from those who came to handle affairs. He recalls the second time he delivered the form to this Boss Gao, who showed such deference and even proactively requested to lower the commission to 15%. Although Sima is somewhat greedy, he understands the principle that to make a horse run, one must feed it grass. Ultimately, after some negotiation, Boss Gao reluctantly accepted an 18% commission. After several months, Sima increasingly feels that his initial choice was indeed correct. Not only does Boss Gao run a successful business, but the most important point is that he is also very easy to manage, at least based on his current performance.

"Hmm! Lao Gao, I have always said that I believe in you." Sima took the ledger and merely glanced at it, verbally expressing his thoughts. However, he felt a deep frustration that he could not articulate. The reason was quite simple: Sima fundamentally could not understand the bookkeeping method of this old-fashioned ledger. Even with modern ledgers, Sima felt somewhat bewildered, as he had never been involved with accounting or similar matters in the past.

Hmm? The Ordnance Department of the Army discussed yesterday how to respond to the sharp rise in military raw materials. A sharp rise in military raw materials? Sima furrowed his brow as he looked at the few small black characters in the little box. The news indicated that due to the European War, the prices of imported military steel and explosives had surged by several times, placing immense pressure on domestic arms factories. European War, World War, Sima suddenly recalled a line from a movie.

Every time Gao Chuanliang watched hundreds of pounds of gold and silver being loaded onto the young master's cart, he felt anxious about the young master's safety on the road. Once the bandits from outside learned that this young master was carrying several hundred pounds of gold and silver, they would surely swarm around him like cats drawn to blood. What would these bandits, who dared to rob trains, not be willing to do? If anything were to happen to the young master, his family would blame him, and his own family would be doomed.