In 1889, a Chinese was discriminated against while riding a German steamship, and he was so angry that he almost bankrupted the German company and had to plead for forgiveness.
The details of the matter are as follows:
In 1889, Zhang Zhenxun, the founder of Zhangyu Wine, and his family took a German company ship from Singapore to Hong Kong, he was rich, of course, to sit in first class.
However, the infuriating thing is that the conductor does not sell tickets to him, and the foreigner has a disdainful face, saying that Chinese can only sit in a low-class warehouse.
At that time, the Qing government was corrupt and incompetent, cut land and paid compensation, lost power and humiliated the country, so the status of the Chinese in the world was extremely low.
This will change someone else, maybe he can't bear to swallow, but Zhang Zhenxun was furious, said that he would not take this company's ship, and left a harsh word, "In the future, my steamship company will not allow Germans to sit!" ”
When Zhang Zhenxun's family heard it, they were a little confused - Zhang Zhenxun did not have a ship-related industry under his name, so he thought he was confused.
But how can a capable person like Zhang Zhenxun casually talk and do it when he says it! He spent a lot of money to establish two steamship companies, "Yuchang" and "Guangfu", and the shipping routes were highly overlapping with the German steamship company.
Don't look at the same route, the service provided is similar, but Zhang Zhenxun's ship fare is only half of the German company's fare, of course, no one wants to take a German ship.
The Germans panicked and protested to the two steamship companies of "Yuchang" and "Guangfu" - aren't you doing something, what good is vicious competition for you! Now my fare is twice yours, and the fool has come to me to take a boat!
But Zhang Zhenxun ignored this set - Lao Tzu is to do things, you do the first one, I will do fifteen, see who is more cool!
Under this ferocious oppression, the German company suffered serious losses, and seeing that it was about to go bankrupt and close its doors, it had no choice but to lower its proud head, find Zhang Zhenxun for peace, and promise that it would never discriminate against Chinese again.
In the end, let's look at Zhang Zhenxun's legendary life -
Zhang Zhenxun (1841-1916), zibishi, number Zhaoxie. Born in Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, to a poor family, he only studied for 3 years, and at the age of 15, he went to Batavia, Indonesia to make a living (now Jakarta).
Zhang Zhenxun first worked in a rice shop, and a boss surnamed Wen at a neighboring shop saw him working diligently and with a smart mind, so he recruited him as a son-in-law. With financial support, Zhang Zhenxun began to make great plans, establish good relations with all parties, contract liquor tax, pawn tax, and harvest huge profits.
Subsequently, he entered the wine industry, planting industry, medicinal materials industry, tin picking industry, shipping industry, and his business spread throughout Singapore, Malaya, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, becoming the richest man in Southeast Asia at that time.
After 1892, the Qing government continued to add zhang Zhenxun to the rank of first consul of Penang, consul general of Singapore, general director of the China Commerce and Commerce Bank, general office of the Guangdong-Han Railway, and general office of the Foshan Railway. In 1903, he was awarded the title of waiter and waited for Sanpin Jingtang. In 1905, he was awarded the title of HeadPiece, and was awarded the title of Taibu Temple Zhengqing, serving as the Minister of Commerce of the Ministry of Commerce to inspect foreign ports and the Minister of Railway Supervision. He enjoyed the privilege of kneeling at the Cixi Birthday Feast.
After the establishment of the Republic of China, Zhang Zhenxun served as an adviser to Yuan Shikai's presidential office, a senior adviser to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and a nanyang propaganda envoy to organize the Sino-AMERICAN Bank.
During this period, he founded and invested in Yantai Zhangyu Grape Brewing Company, Guangsha Railway Company, Guangxi Sancha Silver Mine, Huizhou Fuxing Glass Factory, Leizhou Kenmu Company, etc. in China.
One of the most commendable is that in 1894 he invested 3 million silver dollars to establish the Zhangyu Wine Company, which has been operating until now.
In 1915, at the "Panama Pacific Exposition", Zhangyu's KOYA Brandy, Red Rose Wine, Gewurztraminer and Riesling White Wine won four gold awards and best prizes, and Zhangyu wine became famous.
Zhang Zhenxun's wealth is beyond ordinary people's imagination, such as the Kasawang Reclamation Company he founded in 1878 in Japan, employing more than 10,000 workers. At one of the rubber plantations, he walked in a straight line in a carriage for 4 hours before leaving the park.
He set up pharmacies in Bacheng, Singapore, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, purchasing valuable Chinese medicines from China, transporting them to Singapore and Bacheng, wholesale to foreign countries, and shipping Chinese medicines back to Western medicines from abroad.
Overseas Chinese markets, such as Bangkok, Tokyo, Hanoi, San Francisco, New York, the Philippines, Honolulu and other places, all purchase goods from Zhang Zhenxun's medicine stores, forming a huge wholesale network of medicinal materials at home and abroad.
As early as 1869, Zhang Zhenxun's wealth reached 80 million taels of silver, more than the Qing government's fiscal revenue (70 million taels of silver) that year, and he was the richest man in China.
In 1916, Zhang Zhenxun died in Batavia, and when his coffin passed through Singapore and Hong Kong, the British and Dutch colonial governments lowered their flags to half-mast to mourn, and the Governor of Hong Kong personally went to pay homage. Dr. Sun Yat-sen sent a special representative to send a bang lian: "The fine wine won the gold medal, and the fragrance of the world was fragrant; the strange master won the hearts of the people and flowed through the ages." ”
(End)