Chapter 329: The Bank Opens for Business
“You should be more low-key! Haven’t I told you—don’t flaunt wealth in public?”
“What’s there to be low-key about? We’re right outside our own home, aren’t we? Look around—who else is here besides our own people? Honestly, I never expected those twenty storefronts to sell so easily—it barely took any effort at all! From signing the agreement to receiving these banknotes, it wasn’t even a quarter of an hour.
And who would’ve thought that man—not only handsome, but also loaded—would just snap them all up! With this, our storefront sales have officially kicked off! In just one deal, we’ve recouped all construction costs for several streets, and now, everything else will be pure profit.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s definitely a big win—consider this an auspicious start. Now that someone has set an example by making such a large purchase, more buyers will soon follow.
Anyway, I don’t have time to chat—I need to go teach Yongcai and the others how to make those goods. You should check the underground warehouse—restock whatever is needed. As these shops gradually open, we’ll need a lot more tables, chairs, shelves, and cabinets.”
“Got it, got it! You go ahead—I came back specifically to restock anyway.”
The bank’s building had long been reserved and prepared—even the elevated teller counters had been installed.
Yu Luo summoned workers to move in desks, cabinets, and counters, then personally transferred 300,000 taels of silver and 100,000 taels of gold into the bank as operating capital.
By nightfall, the bank setup was completed, and she finalized her profit-sharing agreement with Ye Lu.
For now, Yu Luo held a 92% stake, while Ye Lu—who hadn’t invested a single coin—held a mere “dry stock” share.
After learning that Yu Luo had put up 300,000 taels of silver and 100,000 taels of gold, Ye Lu didn’t dare voice a single complaint—instead, he felt deeply guilty.
“If I were contributing normally, how much would I owe you?”
“Let’s break it down—imagine my investment is divided into 100 shares, with each share worth 13,000 taels. Since you hold 8 shares, your investment should be 104,000 taels. I’ll cover the rental costs for this bank branch, but if we expand to Dong Feng, Xi Mo, or anywhere else in the future, we’ll split rental costs evenly.”
Yu Luo’s explanation made things clear, but as a man, how could Ye Lu shamelessly accept a free share of the profits?
“Xiao Luo, to be honest, I’ve never been good at business. But since you are, I know for sure that this will be profitable. So—I’ll repay that 104,000 taels later.”
“Alright, if you give it to me, I’ll take it. I’m not a fool—104,000 taels isn’t a small sum.”
Hearing her straightforward response, Ye Lu suddenly felt less burdened.
After they parted, however, Ye Lu didn’t return to the inn—instead, he and Ah Zan headed toward the city gates.
“Master, it’s already dark—where are we going?”
“To borrow money.”
Ah Zan: …?!
“Master… are you seriously going back to the capital just to borrow money? If we leave now, we’ll miss the martial arts tournament in two days!”
“Who said I’m missing it? Xiao Luo helped me this much—how can I owe a woman money?! I, Ye Lu, have never owed anyone money in my life, let alone Xiao Luo’s! I won’t be at ease until I pay back that 104,000 taels!”
Listening to his master’s reasoning, Ah Zan couldn’t even bear to look at him.
Still, knowing Ye Lu’s personality, Ah Zan didn’t argue—he simply followed him out of the city.
The next morning, Luo City’s first bank, “Ye Family Bank,” officially opened.
As soon as the announcement board was placed outside, declaring interest payments on savings, a crowd immediately gathered!
The most excited group was Luo City’s 20,000 brothers-in-arms.
They never expected that their Miss would open a bank that paid interest on deposits.
Elsewhere, banks charged fees just to hold your money!
The bank manager, Tao Ming, had been appointed by Yu Luo the night before.
Upon hearing that he would personally oversee millions of taels, he nearly collapsed in shock.
It had taken both Yu Luo and Yu Haojie working together to convince and encourage him.
Now, as he stood at the bank’s entrance, nervous but determined, the first curious customer approached.
“Manager Tao, if I deposit 10 taels, how much interest do I get after a year?”
“It’s right here on the board—for 10 taels, you get 2 qian in interest per year. For three-year deposits, it’s 3 qian per year, but you can’t withdraw early. If you break the term before maturity, you lose the interest and only get your principal back.”
“In that case, I’ll deposit 10 taels for three years. By the time I withdraw, I’ll have 10 taels and 9 qian in total, right?”
The Luo City brothers didn’t hesitate.
One of them immediately pulled out a pouch of broken silver and started depositing his savings.
Tao Ming called over clerks to start processing transactions.
Each deposit slip was marked with an Arabic numeral and a corresponding ledger entry—ensuring that, no matter who came to withdraw later, their funds would be secure.
While few people initially deposited money, many were drawn in by the loan offerings.
Most of Luo City’s new residents were refugees with no money and no stable housing—many were still living in the temporary shelters Zhang Hu had set up.
Now, with small loans starting at 5 taels, they could borrow at just 1 tael interest per year.
For loans under 20 taels, repayment had to be completed within a year—if not, they could work off their debt by farming.
If someone borrowed 5 taels, they only needed to repay 6 taels within a year—far better than predatory lenders outside the city.
Naturally, the refugees were thrilled!
For larger loans, the bank required collateral—such as property deeds.
These secured loans had stricter terms but were still highly attractive.
In an instant, Ye Family Bank became the city’s busiest establishment.
After receiving loans, many immediately rented homes and began looking for work.
At the same time, Luo City’s businesses were rapidly expanding.
Shops were opening, craftsmen were in high demand, and job postings filled every wall inside and outside the city gates.
In fact, employers had begun setting up tables and chairs to hire workers on the spot.
With Luo City’s economy booming, the city’s rise had officially begun.
