Five days later, at the market.
In front of the Great Tang Royal Bank, a nearly two-hundred-meter string of firecrackers was arranged in the shape of a copper coin at the intersection.
For the past few days, the bank, which had only hung its sign but not yet opened, had already attracted everyone's attention.
Although most people speculated it was a silver shop, some still couldn't quite believe it.
After all, who had ever seen Fang Er engage in such ordinary businesses?
Newspapers, glass, Drunken Immortal Brew.
Logistics, tobacco and sugar, bicycles.
And so on and so forth.
From Chang'an to Shenyang, which of his ventures was not a unique business?
Therefore, some of the more astute individuals firmly believed that the Great Tang Royal Bank was not merely a business dealing in silverware.
However, Fang Er had not personally offered any explanation, so upon seeing the grand display at the bank's entrance, countless shopkeepers left their establishments to their assistants and came to join the excitement.
Fang An, the Duke of Shenyang, possessed a Midas touch and was considered a living god of wealth.
Even a mere taste of his success would bring endless benefits.
Fang Er stood on the steps in front of the bank, with Zhang Bo by his side, and the twenty students lined up on either flank.
Zhuzi led a camp of soldiers, scattered throughout the market.
The local security was originally the responsibility of the Second Division, but since Ma Chao had taken them to the Western Regions to cultivate grass, the duty had fallen to the First Division.
The auspicious hour arrived, light the firecrackers!
Zhang Bo glanced at the sky and then shouted to Yan Shuangying, who was waiting by the firecrackers.
Yan Shuangying, holding a fire starter, ignited the firecrackers on the ground.
Crackling, crackling, crackling, crackling~
The long string of firecrackers exploded for a considerable time before finally quieting down, leaving the red paper fragments scattered across the ground like a red carpet.
Once the firecrackers ceased, the merchants gathered at the periphery surged forward.
Fang Er stood at the entrance, watching them and smiling slightly.
"To all merchants, whether from afar or near, and to all shopkeepers in the market.
I presume you are all curious about what the Great Tang Royal Bank does. Therefore, I shall personally explain it to you today.
Blah, blah, blah~~~
Money deposited here will earn interest, just like government bonds!
Furthermore, it is more flexible than government bonds; you can deposit or withdraw at any time, or choose to deposit for a fixed period.
Additionally, provided the conditions are met, you can also borrow money from here!
Money deposited in Shenyang can be withdrawn in Chang'an, Bianzhou, Yangzhou, and Dengzhou, without any transportation fees!
While earning interest on deposits might not greatly attract these merchants, the ability to deposit and withdraw in different locations would attract them immensely!
Most of these merchants came from various prefectures and counties; there weren't many true natives of Shenyang.
After earning money, it was natural to send it back home.
Transporting it oneself carried too much risk, and encountering bandits on the road often resulted in the loss of both money and life.
Therefore, after Fang Er introduced logistics, merchants would have their money escorted via logistics, but this required paying shipping fees.
Now, not only do they no longer need to pay shipping fees, but they also earn interest, which is a win-win situation.
This is great! If we deposit our money here, we can go back to Chang'an to withdraw it, which is so convenient!
I'm from Kunshan, and I can go to Yangzhou to get my money. It's so convenient!
Fantastic! Bianzhou is only dozens of li from my place!
Hey? What if the bank lends out our money and can't get it back?
Suddenly, someone in the crowd questioned.
As soon as these words were spoken, countless people stared at him as if he were an idiot.
Are you out of your mind? This is an enterprise of the Duke and the Emperor! Do you think it can go bankrupt just because you say so?
What kind of food do you eat?
Exactly! Do we not know if the Emperor has money? Who is the Duke? A single leg hair from him is thicker than your waist! Would he care about your little bit of money?
The person from the south is right. With the Duke's Heavenly Fire Army around, who would dare to owe money and not repay it? They'd beat him to death!
The person who had spoken and questioned immediately shrunk his neck and fell silent upon hearing the mockery from those around him.
In Shenyang, no one dared to say a single negative word about Fang Er. Before the Heavenly Fire Army could even act, these merchants who relied on Fang Er to make money would have devoured him alive.
Beneath the bank's sign, Fang Er stood on the steps, listening to the discussions of the crowd. A smile curved his lips as he raised his hands to signal everyone to be quiet, then announced loudly.
"This is what the bank is. I have clearly explained what we do.
I declare that the Great Tang Royal Bank, Shenyang Branch, is open for business starting today!"
Zhang Bo turned and pushed open the bank's doors.
The interior furnishings had been altered over the past five days.
The previously arranged shelves were gone, replaced by dozens of chairs in the main hall for the waiting customers to rest.
The previously open counters were now sealed with iron railings, leaving only windows about a foot wide.
Those students, as instructed by Fang Er, went through a small door to their positions behind the counters and sat down.
After Fang Er and his group entered the bank, the merchants gathered outside looked at each other, unsure whether to enter or not.
"Make way, make way!"
Suddenly, a gruff voice boomed from the back of the crowd.
Liu Huizi, leading his employees, squeezed through the crowd carrying baskets of copper coins towards the bank's entrance.
"Wow! Shopkeeper Liu must have earned a lot!"
"That's true, he kept seventy percent of the furs from the Liaodong region for himself!"
"More than that! You guys don't know, but the canned sea fish on the market is also his!"
"Right, right, I know. I heard it was a recipe gifted to him by the Duke."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. When will the Duke bestow a path to fortune upon us as well?"
"Hmph! You guys? *Ptooey!* You're nothing!"
Liu Huizi, walking ahead, suddenly turned to look at them and disdainfully spat a mouthful of aged phlegm at their feet.
"A bunch of idiots! The opportunity is right in your shops, and you don't go and embrace it, but instead stand outside watching the show. No wonder you'll never get rich!"
After expressing his contempt for the crowd, Liu Huizi changed his expression and looked fawningly at Fang Er inside the shop.
"Duke, I've come to deposit money!"
"A total of one thousand guan! I just received a batch of furs a few days ago, and this is all I have left. With it here, I feel at ease!"
"Hmm! Very sensible!"
Fang Er gave him a thumbs-up: "Shopkeeper Liu shows great courage!"
With that, he said to Li Yongfei behind the counter.
"Dafei, process the paperwork for Shopkeeper Liu!"
"Yes, Duke!"
Li Yongfei, looking at the baskets of copper coins, picked up his ledger and left his seat, walking out through the small door.
A thousand guan was not a small sum, and handling it back and forth through the window would take time.
Large deposits were handled in a separate room.
Li Yongfei walked up to Liu Huizi and bowed, extending his hand: "Shopkeeper Liu, please."
Liu Huizi looked bewildered: "Where to?"
"Shopkeeper Liu may not know, but all large deposits are handled in the VIP room inside. Please follow me."
With that, Li Yongfei led the way for Liu Huizi.
Liu Huizi chuckled, grinning broadly.
Listen to what they're saying!
"We are VIPs, the Duke's VIPs!"
Can a thousand guan buy this kind of prestige?
Therefore, those idiots outside can only remain idiots!