64: Chapter 64 Training for Prospective Bank Staff: Mental Arithmetic

Zhao Fusu also developed Oil-wax paper as a type of waterproof paper.

The process was simple: applying a layer of oil-wax mixture to the surface of the paper to achieve a waterproof effect.

This type of paper possessed excellent water resistance and moisture-proof properties.

Besides using it as wrapping paper, Zhao Fusu's purpose in creating this paper was with an eye toward making hot air balloons in the future.

He remembered that manned hot air balloons were originally developed by paper manufacturers.

With hot air balloons, soldiers could spot enemy targets from the sky.

Once the reconnaissance soldiers on the hot air balloon discovered the enemy's position, they would relay the message via flag signals and then open fire with cannons.

The Great Qing had even practiced combined operations between hot air balloons and cannons back in the early 1900s.

Zhao Fusu instructed the craftsmen to pack a large quantity of paper using the wrapping paper.

Napkins and toilet paper were also packed using the waterproof wrapping paper.

He even turned the napkins into boxed tissues.

After everything at the paper mill was on the right track, Zhao Fusu left the factory with a large amount of paper, toilet paper, napkins, and boxed tissues.

"Take me to look around the bank branches."

Zhao Fusu said to Zhang Han.

He was going to inspect the progress of the bank's construction.

"Yes, sir."

After returning to Xianyang City, Zhang Han took Zhao Fusu to inspect the bank branches.

A sign for the Great Qin Empire Bank was hung directly above the main entrance of the shop.

Several long benches were placed in the bank lobby, providing seating for dozens of people.

The counter was a cubicle; ordinary people could not enter. They could only communicate with the personnel inside through a small window and a grille window made of auspicious metal.

A large amount of auspicious metal was used inside the bank, making it look magnificent and full of nobility.

All of these arrangements were set up by Zhang Han according to Zhao Fusu's descriptions; he was afraid that if he arranged it himself, Zhao Fusu would be dissatisfied.

Therefore, he watched Zhao Fusu with some trepidation.

"Very good."

"Well done!"

Zhao Fusu looked at the familiar bank style.

Compared to modern bank decorations, it certainly couldn't compete.

But to be able to decorate it like this in the Qin Dynasty, Zhao Fusu was already very satisfied.

After hearing Zhao Fusu's positive response, Zhang Han breathed a sigh of relief.

"For the counter staff, select beautiful young women."

Zhao Fusu said, "The counter staff must have a good attitude toward customers. They should have a slight smile on their faces, preferably without showing their teeth."

He chose women for the counter because women were more patient and had gentler temperaments than men.

In the martial-oriented Qin Dynasty, people would start fighting over the slightest disagreement.

Depositing money was also extremely tedious work; if two grown men were talking there, they might end up drawing swords for a duel.

"Yes!"

Zhang Han held a notebook made of paper and took out a small brush to record Zhao Fusu's requirements.

"Take me to see the people you've selected who have a foundation in arithmetic."

"Yes."

Zhang Han took Zhao Fusu to a manor.

There were over a hundred arithmetic experts carefully selected from the army.

Since all of these people had been imprinted with the Thought Steel Seal by Zhao Fusu, they were incredibly excited when they saw him.

Their hands were raised high, and their faces were almost manic as they stared at Zhao Fusu, shouting in unison with hysterical intensity, "Fuhrer!"

"Fuhrer!"

"Fuhrer!"

...

Looking at how frenzied they were for him, Zhao Fusu knew that even if he told these people to jump into freezing seawater, they would do so without hesitation.

Zhao Fusu couldn't help but marvel at how terrifying the Thought Steel Seal was!

"Quiet, quiet."

Zhao Fusu signaled for them to quiet down.

Zhao Fusu began to test these people's arithmetic abilities.

They had all memorized the multiplication tables, and they could quickly answer addition and subtraction within a hundred.

For addition and subtraction over a hundred, they had to use Counting Rods for calculations.

Counting Rods were small bamboo sticks.

Zhao Fusu watched as they used the Counting Rods to calculate the correct numbers.

Their arithmetic abilities were much more impressive than Zhao Fusu had imagined.

It made sense; in the great battles of the Qin Army, the fodder and provisions needed for men and horses all required calculation by quartermasters.

The amount of grain and fodder needed for hundreds of thousands of men and horses was massive.

The fact that the Qin Army could avoid mistakes and know exactly how much grain the army needed and the rate of consumption was enough to show how strong their arithmetic abilities were.

Zhao Fusu's purpose in meeting these people, besides testing their arithmetic skills, was to train them.

"Assign numbers to the customers."

Zhao Fusu used Arabic numerals here.

He also gave examples of the formal Chinese numerals that corresponded to these Arabic numerals.

When Zhang Han saw these simple symbols used to express complex numerical characters, his eyes lit up.

The look with which he watched Zhao Fusu became increasingly respectful; he really didn't know how the Fuhrer's brain was wired to be able to think of things that ordinary people could not.

Zhao Fusu continued, "Register the customers' detailed information."

"Residential address, occupation, fingerprints, and their specific appearance."

"For their portraits, select people skilled in painting to draw them and register them into the records."

"Customer information registers should not be recorded randomly, but categorized by region, specific street, and surname."

Everyone, including Zhang Han, was noting down the key points Zhao Fusu mentioned.

"Besides customer numbers, I will have the Forging Workshop create exclusive Steel bank cards for the customers."

"The bank card number has a total of 19 digits. The first 6 digits are the Issuer Identification Number, used to identify the specific issuing bank."

"Digits 7 to 9 are the internal account identification codes of the issuing bank, representing the identifier for the issuing bank's internal accounts, used to distinguish between different accounts."

"Digits 10 to 18 are user-defined by the issuing bank, used to identify the customer, region, business, etc."

"The 19th digit is the check digit. The last digit is the check digit used to verify the accuracy of the bank card number. It is calculated through a certain algorithm to ensure the validity of the bank card number."

"When depositing money, a six-digit password needs to be set. When withdrawing, in addition to presenting the bank card, the six-digit password must also be provided."

"If the six-digit password is forgotten, it can be changed by bringing relevant proof."

"The teller receiving the money and the auditor cannot be the same person!"

"Also, you must master the Mental Abacus!"

"Mental Abacus?"

This was another blind spot of knowledge for these prospective bank personnel.

They turned their curious gazes toward Zhao Fusu.

Mental Abacus refers to Abacus-style mental calculation.

Abacus calculation is a method of performing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square roots using an Abacus as a tool.

When Zhao Fusu was in school, they still taught how to use an Abacus.

His family also ran a pharmacy business, so he knew how to use an Abacus and was very proficient at it!

He also knew the Abacus formulas by heart.

"One up one, two up two, three down five remove two, four remove six carry one..."