55: Chapter 55 You are all my family. Family members don't lie to each other. (Bank promotional material)

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

"Long live the Führer!"

"Long live the Führer!"

These nobles of the Qin state were shouting in unison, their excitement coming from the bottom of their hearts.

Previously, they were dissatisfied with Zhao Fusu for having the Qin Army surround their residences in order to take power.

Now, they only wanted to say: it was surrounded well.

If Zhao Fusu hadn't taken office, how could the grain controls have been lifted!

The price of grain Inside the Pass was so high; as long as they sold their grain slightly cheaper than the government's grain stations, massive amounts of people would seek them out to buy grain!

Zhao Fusu looked at this group of nobles who were jumping for joy and naturally understood the reason for their elation.

This was exactly what he wanted to see. He needed this group of nobles to bring out their grain to drive down the market price.

Three thousand coins per dan of grain was too much.

With the help of these nobles, Zhao Fusu was confident he could drive the price from three thousand coins per dan down to two thousand!

Afterward, he would also seek cooperation with merchants to transport grain from the south to the north.

The production cycle for rice in the north was long, with most areas only yielding one harvest a year.

While southern rice didn't taste as good as northern rice, the south could produce two harvests a year!

The annual rice yield in Xiang Commandery could even reach three harvests!

He needed merchants to transport southern grain to the north to increase the supply and lower the prices.

He had obtained the "Detailed Explanation of Steamboat Construction" through his check-in; if he could create steamboats, he could transport grain from the south to the north via maritime shipping.

Maritime transport costs were the lowest, which could drive down grain prices to a massive extent!

However, whether it was the cost of researching and building steamboats or opening new shipping routes, it all required a massive investment of money.

To build steamboats, there was no way to achieve scale without an investment of over a billion.

Facing the problem of a capital shortage, Zhao Fusu was not without solutions.

That was to raise funds, open a bank, and issue national bonds.

Zhang Han had already helped him purchase shops at key locations on the streets of Xianyang, making preparations for the bank's opening.

Zhao Fusu looked at the commoners around him, all staring at him in unison. He suddenly felt it would be a pity not to take advantage of this to advertise for the Great Qin Empire Bank.

"Everyone, please be quiet."

Zhao Fusu glanced at Adjutant Pang.

Adjutant Pang had men bring over a large gong, and he struck it hard with a copper mallet.

Clang!

The deafening sound of the gong quieted everyone present.

"Everyone, listen to me."

Zhao Fusu said, "You are all my family."

"Family doesn't cheat family."

Family?

Family doesn't cheat family?

If a modern person heard Zhao Fusu's words, they would surely snort in contempt. Who didn't know that whether it was 'brothers' or 'family,' those terms were meant for scamming!

But how could people of the Qin Dynasty have heard such rhetoric? The noble Eldest Prince of the First Emperor and the Führer of the Great Qin Empire's Parliament was telling them they were family.

This wasn't just giving them face; every single one of them was overwhelmed by the favor and felt truly apprehensive.

"My Great Qin Empire Bank is about to open. As long as my family members deposit their money into our Great Qin Empire Bank, you can all earn interest—that is, money making money. When you withdraw your money, you can get not only the original amount deposited but also a portion of interest."

The people present were not as excited as when Zhao Fusu announced the lifting of grain controls; instead, they looked bewildered and cautious.

This was the first time Zhao Fusu had introduced the concept of a bank. First, they had to understand what on earth a bank was.

Secondly, they were also questioning whether Zhao Fusu was fooling them. If they gave their money to Zhao Fusu and he ran away, what would they do?

Zhao Fusu said: "The Great Qin Empire Bank is not my personal bank; it is the nation's bank."

"As long as the Great Qin Empire is not destroyed, every coin family members deposit in the Great Qin Empire Bank will be returned to everyone with interest."

The reactions were varied: some questioned, some believed, some were at a loss, and some were completely dazed.

"Brother Fan, what do you think?"

Xiang Liang's gaze turned toward Fan Zeng, who was standing beside him.

The more he understood Fan Zeng, the more he knew that Fan Zeng's wisdom was higher than mountains and deeper than the sea.

Therefore, whenever he had a difficult decision, he would choose to consult with Fan Zeng.

In any case, as long as it wasn't about fighting, he wouldn't discuss it with Xiang Yu.

After all, at this moment, Xiang Yu was like most people, in a state of complete bewilderment.

He didn't quite understand this concept of a bank.

Of course, this wasn't to say Xiang Yu was stupid, but rather that banks only appear after commerce is highly developed.

Since Shang Yang implemented the reforms emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, the Qin state had virtually no commerce, let alone the possibility of producing banks.

Without Zhao Fusu, the transmigrator, banks would only appear after the unprecedented commercial prosperity of the Song Dynasty.

Xiang Yu had no concept of banks, nor any interest in them.

What he thought about more was becoming an invincible Overlord.

Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng likewise didn't understand this 'bank,' but their minds were sharp, and they knew there was profit to be made.

"Brilliant."

Fan Zeng praised: "Prince Fusu lifted grain controls, and the Qin nobles are making a fortune."

"If the bank didn't exist, the money they earned would likely rot in their hands. But if there's interest for depositing money in a bank, they will likely deposit it to live off the interest."

"Prince Fusu's plan is ingenious; he is essentially tying the Qin nobles tightly to his ship."

"In the future, if someone wants to oppose Prince Fusu or act against him, they will certainly have to get past the Qin nobles first."

"If Prince Fusu falls, at best they lose their interest; at worst, they won't even get their principal back."

"Brother Fan, do you believe this Great Qin Empire Bank is trustworthy?"

This was what Xiang Liang really wanted to ask.

Putting money in the Great Qin Empire Bank to let money make money—he was also tempted.

Whether it was for the anti-Qin cause or living in Xianyang, everything required money.

He also wanted to take the money he had on hand and make some investments.

Fan Zeng thought for a moment and said: "This is like a game of robbing Peter to pay Paul."

"For the first group to enter, the game might end before it even truly begins, in which case they wouldn't make money and might even lose their principal."

"Prince Fusu's reputation for benevolence and righteousness is known throughout the world."

"The game of robbing Peter to pay Paul won't end before it starts."

"The first group to enter will definitely be able to get the money from the next group, so they will certainly make a profit!"

"When the third group sees the first group making money, they will swarm into the game. At that point, the second group starts making money."

"When the fourth group sees the first and second groups have both made money, they will swarm in, and then the third group starts making money."

"How long Prince Fusu's game of robbing Peter to pay Paul lasts depends on when the game collapses."