"Hmm." Li Luoyou thought, I'm afraid the imperial court doesn't have this ability. No matter how sharp the Australians' firearms are, with the Australian defenses in Bopu and the clippers in the strait, the imperial court cannot dispatch an army of tens of thousands.
There are two hundred warships, and I'm afraid the Australians don't even bother to take a look at them.
"There's no need to worry. The Australians have strong ships and powerful guns, so it won't be easy to attack them." Li Luoyou deliberately did not lower his voice. Looking at his nephew's expression, he saw that he was not afraid, and he felt more and more that this was feasible.
"Even if there is any trouble, and Baocheng leaves the shop and leaves immediately, I will never blame you, leaving the green hills without worrying about having no firewood. This is not a shame."
"Yes, my nephew will remember my master's teachings."
The three people discussed for a while who to send to Lingao to assist, how to conduct business in this place, what kind of goods to prepare, how to escape if there is any trouble, and how to deal with Guangdong, and then they went to rest.
While the Li family members were discussing matters, Quark was quietly invited to Liu San's office in Weishitang.
He was led by a servant carrying a lantern through the dark alleys and deserted streets. As he was getting dizzy with twists and turns, he was taken to a courtyard. The courtyard was brightly lit. I had just negotiated with him.
Liu San was waiting in front of the house.
Quark was welcomed into a wing room, and he was surprised as soon as he entered. How come the lights here are so bright? The Yang family wholeheartedly supplies the yard where Li Luoyu lives. There are more than four candlesticks in the room, and the lights are turned on at the same time.
It was also very dark, but this room seemed to have dozens of candles lit.
The light source came from a lamp on the table in the room. A flame was dancing under the glass cover, and the light illuminated the entire room.
The room was very simply decorated, with a Chinese-style desk and several beautiful wicker chairs. In addition to Liu San, there was a young man in the room whom he had never seen before. He was of medium to fat build and had an average appearance, with a scholarly face.
Like this, he wore a frame on his face, inlaid with two pieces of glass. Quark knew that these were glasses, but this was the first time he had seen glasses placed directly on his face like this, so he couldn't help but take a few more glances out of curiosity.
This man was sitting on a chair, silent. He just looked at him up and down.
"Mr. Quark, please take a seat." Liu San said with a smile, "We have another deal to discuss. You must be very interested."
"Very good." Quark thought. It was obviously not a good thing to negotiate this deal with him alone.
Liu San got up and closed the door of the room, and drew the curtains tightly. Quark saw that Liu San was so secretive and didn't know what to do, so he looked uneasy.
"Mr. Quark, if we want to sit down and discuss business with confidence, we have to be cautious." The young man wearing glasses sitting on the wicker chair suddenly spoke. And he spoke in English.
Quark was startled. In this time and space, English is neither an academic language nor a noble language. It is just one of countless languages in Europe. Very few people outside the UK can speak English.
The most painful thing for him when he came to Ming Dynasty was that there were almost no people who could speak English. For this reason, he had to learn Chinese by himself. He learned Chinese to a certain extent, but after all, he was separated by a layer, and sometimes it was difficult to express meaning.
Now I suddenly heard that someone could speak English, and I felt very relaxed.
There are still big differences between Old English and modern British English. But the two can finally communicate smoothly.
This English-speaking person is Xu Tianqi. This person is a college student studying languages. He is proficient in English and German. However, he was of little use after the D-Day and has been reduced to the basic labor force. Later, Ma Qianzhu wanted to develop a mechanical card data management system and needed people.
He was seconded to the big library to translate technical materials. After the translation was completed, he became a basic labor force.
After the second plenary meeting, the majority of the basic labor force said excitedly: "Our spring is finally here." Xu Tianqi was officially transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There was actually nothing to do in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The main job was to translate technical materials. This
This is the first time I have a formal job.
"Mr. Quark, have you ever sold slaves?"
Quark shook his head: "This is a very dangerous business!"
The slave trade is a hugely profitable thing. Even if half of a ship's slaves die on the way, you can still make a few hundred percent profit. But the risk is extremely high. The ship has to stop at the slave trading station in Africa to wait for the inland goods.
During the period when slave traders brought slaves, many people would contract terrible fevers and die. The profits of this trade were too high, and people were watching everywhere. Attacks on slave ships and trading stations often happened. If you were captured on the way to South America,
If captured by the Spaniards, everyone from captain to sailor would probably be hanged alive or handed over to the religious court. Even if they abandoned their faith and converted to Catholicism, they would have to serve many years of slave-like hard labor before they had a chance to escape.
Those who dare to engage in this kind of trade are the boldest, most ruthless and most unscrupulous people. Quark never thought of running this kind of business when he was at his lowest.
"Now there is an opportunity -" Liu San explained through Xu Tianqi his business of trafficking Southeast Asian natives to Sanya. "...We will pay for the natives you trafficked to Sanya with sugar, tea or raw silk."
Quark hesitated and said: "You need slaves, I understand that. But why do you need these natives? They are short, lazy, and very cruel. They are not suitable for work."
"Are any slaves lazy or cruel?" Xu Tianqi asked.
Quark nodded: "Okay. But it's a bit difficult to capture slave trafficking."
"This calculation is within your cost." Liu San said, "I believe that British businessmen are troubled by finding a suitable trade port with China."
British merchants had no foothold in Southeast Asia and had to operate in Dutch territory. What the Dutch wanted was a monopoly on trade with China. They first caused friction in Banten and then killed eight British people in Ambon. The British
Holding a grudge, they shouted "Ambon Massacre" every day, and wanted to use this righteous excuse to retaliate against the Dutch. However, the British's strength in East Asia is negligible and they are no match for the Dutch. As for the Portuguese and Spanish,
It's so deeply rooted in East and Southeast Asia that even the Dutch can't get enough of it, let alone the British.
"You mean-"
"Please take a look." Liu San opened a map of the South China Sea.
"Did you draw this map?" Quark was greatly surprised. This map was so beautifully drawn. Not only was it exquisite, but it also mapped out many coastlines that had not been mapped before and were purely speculative.
"That's right," Liu San said. The map was a first-level controlled item and he didn't want to dwell on this issue. "This is Qiongzhou Prefecture." He pointed to Hainan Island.
"We are here." He pointed to Lingao County.
"Are you going to open this place as a free trade port?" Quark asked.
"No, not here. Lingao is still lacking as a trading port." Liu San said, "To be precise, it is here." He pointed to the southern tip of Hainan Island.
"There's nothing here," Quark said.
"No, there is one of our ports here." Liu San said, "As long as you transport the slaves there, we will pay you the best white sugar, rock sugar, and raw silk."
"You have a port there?!" Quark exclaimed exaggeratedly. Although he didn't know the name of this place, judging from its geographical location, it is the only way from mainland China to Southeast Asia. The geographical location is very advantageous.
.Compared with Formosa occupied by the Dutch, this place is closer to mainland China. It is very convenient for British merchant ships to dock here.
If a warehouse were set up in this place... the gold in front of Quark's eyes began to fly again.
"I want to go and see for myself. As for slaves..." Quark still hesitated. Slave trading is certainly very profitable, but it is not easy to start. Unlike African slaves, a chain of production, supply and marketing has been formed. This industry does not exist in Southeast Asia.
If Quark wants to do it, he has to build a chain himself.
Following the African model, you have to bribe several local chiefs to capture slaves, exchange goods for captives, and establish a local trading post for hoarding slaves. This trading post must have considerable defense capabilities to avoid jealous peers or anytime, anywhere
An attack by a local chieftain who may have stabbed him in the back.
This was a huge expense. Quark calculated the approximate cost and finally shook his head:
"I can't do this business. The initial investment cost is beyond my ability to bear." In order to prove that what he said was true, he listed the various investments needed to Liu San one by one.
"If I want to build or buy a ship, I also need to hire enough people to handle various affairs; the trading post needs to be fortified, and I need to buy cannons and weapons, equip a small garrison, and provide support to the local chiefs.
Give me valuable gifts, otherwise they won’t bother to catch slaves for me, let alone give me a place to build a trading post.”
"We will issue you a patent certificate for the slave trade." The Commerce and Diplomacy Departments have already considered this. "We will grant you the monopoly on the slave trade in Sanya for a period of five years."
Patent certificate! Quark's eyes lit up. With this patent certificate, he could use it to organize a joint-stock company, raise shares, and attract more businessmen to participate in the deal. The financial problem would be solved easily.
"How about it? If you have this, you can set up a joint-stock company." Liu San seemed to know what he was thinking.
"Yes, if there is such a patent, the funding problem will be much easier to handle." Quark is no longer interested in Li Luoyou's construction of the gun factory - this kind of thing can't be paid for as quickly as the slave trade!
"But it will take quite a long time." Quark said, "I have to go to Surat once to raise shares. I also need to buy a ship and recruit manpower. The first batch of slaves will not be transported until the end of this year at the earliest."
At the end of the year, the infrastructure construction in Tiandu will be basically completed, mining will begin, and the first batch of slaves will arrive and be put into use.
"Yes, but you have to hurry up. If you cannot transport the first batch of slaves before the end of December this year, the patent certificate will be invalid."
Quark saw that the money was ahead of him but he had to wait for more than half a year. He couldn't help but feel anxious and angry. He immediately promised: "Okay, I promise it will arrive."
"This patent certificate only covers Southeast Asian natives. Apart from this, you are not allowed to traffic other slaves. Unless we ask." Liu San warned, "As long as it is found that other people are included, the patent certificate will be invalid."
"I request to set up a warehouse in this - San...Ya." Quark then made the request.
"Yes. Since this is a trading port, merchants are welcome. As long as you act in accordance with our laws."
At the same time, at night, a state affairs meeting was held in Baiji City to discuss whether to sell arms to Li Luoyou.
Most people are opposed to selling arms: the dangers of selling high-quality weapons to a potential enemy are self-evident. In the event that the Ming Dynasty comes to invade, the people who cross the border do not want to taste the 12-pound shells of the Napoleon cannon that they cast themselves.
Taste. If Li Luoyou were resold to Liaodong, the consequences would be even more serious - it would seriously damage the balance of the mainland. In history, the Guan Ning Army was a transport team and lost many firearms to Houjin, and it would happen in a few years.
The Dengzhou Rebellion caused a large number of firearms, soldiers and technicians who used firearms to fall into the hands of the Qing Dynasty. Hou Jin then began to manufacture his own red cannons. If Li Luoyou resold, the advantage of firearms would have been gained earlier.
Leaning towards the Jin Dynasty, it is not known that the Ming Dynasty's defense that relied on firearms might collapse.
Some people think that they can make inferior cannons with slightly better performance than Hongyi cannons. In addition, they can sell better quality matchlocks in batches. They can open a weapons workshop specifically to supply the Ming Dynasty.
"Comrades, making weapons requires metal. We still rely on imports of iron and copper, which are strategic materials. How much pig iron or bronze does a cannon use? Have you calculated it? Guangzhou Station worked hard to buy it, and we have caused
Selling the cannons again - this is so strange! We are not short of this money." Ma Qianzhu said, "And the production of artillery and guns also requires energy, whether it is electricity or coal, there is no way to say that it is abundant.
situation."
"How about processing supplied materials? How much copper, iron, and coal does Li Luoyou need to produce for one cannon? And he needs to pay more than the quota..."
"It doesn't make much sense." Zhan Wuya said: "Don't forget that making cannons also consumes workers' man-hours and mechanical losses. These are all costs."
So the export of weapons was vetoed. Someone proposed to export the Type 30 revolver, which is in high production. This kind of gun consumes very little metal and man-hours, and the ammunition cannot be obtained either from Ming Dynasty or Houjin. If you want to use it,
You have to buy it from Lingao, it is easy to jam the opponent from the ammunition.
"In addition, revolvers cannot be used to kill enemies in battle. In the eyes of the natives, they are just a cunning tool. Generals and civilian officials must be very popular if they buy one for self-protection."
"That's fine, but people may not want it. You know this is a strange and ingenious thing. Li Luoyou is not stupid, so he naturally knows that it won't be of much use. You can't buy much."
"What else? I'm afraid that one day when a certain elder is watching a play, a Jinyiwei agent will quietly come from behind and hit him in the head with a 30mm revolver." Wu Mu, who attended the meeting, said.
He was acting as a representative of the General Administration of Political Security to assess the political security of arms sales.
In the end, it was decided not to sell arms. However, Wu De said that he could consider helping Li Luoyou build a gun factory.
"Aren't cannons sold to artillery factories?" Cheng Dong said he couldn't understand, "Why do I feel that I am putting the cart before the horse?"
"Strictly speaking, we sell some simple equipment and appropriate diffusion technology." Wu De's suggestion was to take advantage of Li Luoyou's opening of a gun factory and sell him simple industrial processing equipment.
"For example, the bore of the cannon is bored and rounded, which is not available in traditional Chinese cannon-making technology. If we sell a few special artillery boring machines, we can greatly improve their ability to imitate Hongyi cannons. The power has improved, but the improvement
It is limited, does not affect our own security, and will not have a great impact on the balance of the mainland."
In addition to artillery boring machines, he also suggested providing iron mold casting technology. This technology can improve the yield of artillery, make the gun body more durable, and improve the production efficiency of artillery.
"Iron mold casting is not an advanced technology in the field of artillery production. After we produce our own artillery, we mainly use the Rodman method and integral casting and deep drilling. Giving the iron mold casting technology to Li Luoyou will not have any impact on our technical advantages.
Influence."
In addition, there are blowers, which are also equipment that can improve production efficiency.
"As for power, do we still need to provide a steam engine?"
"At this stage, we will supply hydraulic turbines or windmills first," Wu De said. "Of course we must provide gearboxes, otherwise neither of these will be usable."
"What good will these equipments do to us after they are sold?" Ma Qianzhu didn't quite understand.
"Selling artillery and arms consumes resources, selling machinery and equipment also consumes resources."
"We can sell services. Given the quality of the parts we manufacture, Li Luoyou will probably go crazy when he sees the repair and maintenance bill." Zhan Wuya said.
"We can't just think about making money. As for the consumption of resources, we should look at it this way. Selling cannons to Chongzhen is a net consumption, and selling machines is a kind of hematopoiesis," Wu De said. "We can't always produce everything by ourselves, right? This is very unfair.
Economy. Sooner or later, some production fields must be opened to the private sector. Since they are open to the private sector, of course we do not want them to continue to use traditional manual manufacturing methods, otherwise our equipment manufacturing industry will never develop - lack of enough orders.
"
Anyone who has seen numerous factories will be impressed by the production efficiency of industrialization. Yang Shixiang is already eager to convert the pharmaceutical factory to mechanization, but the local economic power of Lingao is too weak, and there are very few people with funds to invest in industry.
Industry will occupy a large number of people. The labor force is already in short supply, and if the demand from private industry increases, the population bottleneck will become more prominent.
If the nearby Pearl River Delta, which has a large amount of capital and a large population, also joins this industrialization process, Lingao's equipment manufacturing industry will be greatly developed. And it will form a dependence on Lingao's industrial machinery.
The supply, maintenance and upgrade of equipment all depend on Lingao Industry.