The prosperity of industry naturally led to the prosperity of commerce and finance. Due to the constant wars in the surrounding areas, merchants, landlords and bankers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang moved their companies and businesses to the concession. In 1938, 491 new businesses and more than 160 banking institutions were added in the concession. The year-end settlement was completed, and all banks and money shops in the city made profits except for one.

Due to the unimpeded maritime transportation between the concessions and foreign countries and the recovery of transportation with the mainland, wealthy families from all over the country brought a large amount of money to Shanghai to avoid disasters and lived a parasitic life of extravagance and debauchery, which caused the market to be false and prosperous.

At that time, the six major department stores in the Magic City were unprecedentedly prosperous. In order to further attract customers, merchants renovated the storefronts. The small Luzon department store on Jinling East Road renovated the floor of the mall and used thick glass interior lights. The lights were brilliant every night. Entering the store was like stepping into the Crystal Palace. The famous Yongan Company's average daily turnover reached more than one million yuan around 1939. According to the old staff of the store, business was booming every day, "from opening to closing every day, customers were always in a constant stream. In the afternoon, it was crowded, and the shopping mall was crowded with people, and the counter was crowded with customers. On average, each employee had to receive fifty or sixty customers in a day, so busy that he didn't even have time to eat, and often had to work overtime." Yongan Company's turnover in 1941 increased by 5.5 times compared with 1938, and its profit increased by more than 11 times.

According to Wei Feide's records, "By the beginning of 1941, the Magic City had a strange prosperity, and people could hardly book a room, so if they wanted to watch a weekend movie, they had to book tickets in advance, and nightclubs were lined up one after another."

However, all the prosperity of the "island" is deformed and eroded, and even desperate. Wealth is only related to a very small number of people, and the rest are lambs to be slaughtered.

During the "isolated island" period, prices rose for a long time and speculation was rampant. Around 1939, although production recovered rapidly and the benefits were better than before the war, many factories still paid workers' wages at 70% to 80% of the pre-war period. The situation of the working class actually deteriorated.

According to Japanese scholar Iwama Iwama's book "Life Situation of the Staff Class of the Magic City around 1940", before the war, food and rent accounted for 53.2% and 8.3% of the living expenses of workers in the Magic City, respectively, while by 1940, food and housing expenses accounted for more than 82% of the total expenditure. If the living expenses index of workers in the Magic City in 1936 was 100, then by March 1941, the food price was 774, the rent was 385, the fuel was 636, and the daily necessities were 599.

The newspapers at that time reported the following in a helpless and sarcastic tone: "The prices are like kites with broken strings, and they are like becoming immortals, as if they are ascended to the ground. All copper and silver coins have been searched, and stamps have become new uses. They are temporarily used as auxiliary coins. Unfortunately, people cannot send them as letters, otherwise the difficulty of squeezing cars can be avoided. Survival competition gradually takes off the decorations and masks, revealing the original viciousness. Shame is not honest, and many people cannot afford to maintain it..."

Therefore, for young people in later generations, if they do not understand the viciousness of capital and the oppression of the three mountains, they will not be able to understand why the Qingbai Party will fail.

The abnormal prosperity of the Mocheng economy also shows that Qin Di's decision was not wrong, just keeping the Shenlong Bicycle Factory and the IWG Watch Factory.

Both factories are supervised by managers, so Qin Di does not need to take charge of it personally.

Since Qin Di discovered that the Japanese treated ships differently and did not block ships from European countries, he breathed a little relieved. At least some of the scarce supplies could be imported. Just notify Old John to send them with American ships. It is not as he thought at the beginning, and it will take eight years to import grain and cotton yarn.

At the same time, the "Chian Surgery Hospital" in various places is still open as usual. Due to the war, many people were injured, so doctors and nurses were almost busy.

"Chian Medical College" still has 60% of the teachers and students who stayed there, and these people continued to teach as usual. Some subjects lacked teachers, which is not difficult for the Demon City, because there are many European and American foreign doctors here, such as Jews, who fled to the Demon City with their families and their families, and some of them have medical backgrounds.

Although Mingzhou Home Textiles withdrew half of its personnel, it continued to operate in the Magic City and its production scale did not decrease, which was equivalent to building another enterprise in Chongqing.

The uncle Qin and Hanliang's family are safe for the time being, because the Japanese soldiers have not yet entered the concession.

Qinjian's flour mill was blown down half of the house by a bomb falling from the sky. More than a dozen workers were killed and more than twenty were injured. It can be said that they suffered heavy losses.

Neither Cathay Cinema nor Phoenix City Casino were affected. As long as you survive this cold winter, you will be very prosperous next year.

Qin Hanliang didn't go out, and he kept it at home to read newspapers every day.

He is becoming more and more similar to the deceased old man Qin Zhaoji. As a national capitalist who has worked hard all his life, he was holding his breath in his chest and his meals were reduced by half as the Japanese occupied a large area of ​​China's land.

Hu Ying couldn't even recognize words, so she rarely reads newspapers and kept nagging: "There are more and more refugees, and the price of pork has increased. Should our house be raised? "

Qin Hanliang didn't raise his head and was too lazy to pay attention to her.

After the separation, Hu Ying still had a million dollars in her hands. Later, part of it was bought into real estate and she became a rent-collecting woman. Therefore, the more people she saw that she was influx into the concession, she became happier.

"In my opinion, the housing prices will rise sharply..."

Qin Hanliang became more annoyed the more he listened: "Why don't you go out to play mahjong today?"

Hu Ying said: "Oh, don't mention it. Mrs. Wang, who is playing cards together, has something happened at home. My husband was killed by a bullet by the Suzhou River! So I don't dare to go out. If there are bullets flying over, wouldn't it be a life?"

Qin Hanliang said: "I said I would leave the Demon City, but you refused. According to A Di, wouldn't it be nice to hide in Sichuan for a few years?"

Hu Ying looked angry: "When I mentioned that bastard, I felt angry! Do you still want to hear him? It is not safe to stay at home, is it safe to go out? You are over 60 years old, can you stand the tossing?"

Qin Hanliangyue was also angry when he heard this and left home.

Before he knew it, he walked north to the Suzhou River and saw the broken walls and tiles on the other side, without any vitality. He felt desolate in his heart. Turning his head, he saw Japanese soldiers guarding the bridge, bright bayonets, searching every person crossing the bridge, and he felt scared from the bottom of his heart.

He didn't dare to watch too much, so he had to go home the same way and eat without any appetite.
Chapter completed!