"No! Who do you think you are? Can you do whatever you want?"
Grieg was caught on the same foot and rushed to Gao Bin and screamed.
Carson wanted to hold him, but Gao Bin reached out to stop him.
"What? You still want to accuse yourself of attacking a noble?"
Grieg was like a crazy clown, stomping his feet in anger.
"I don't believe you don't care about your family's reputation. I know you big shots all too well. You value your reputation more than anything else!"
Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, Sybil's face changed drastically, she stepped forward and took Gao Bin's arm, and whispered:
"Why don't you give him some money and send him away."
When Grieg heard this, he looked proud!
"This beautiful lady is very sensible."
Gao Bin stopped talking nonsense to him:
"Anna, go to the police!"
He suddenly didn't follow the routine, which not only stunned Grieg, but also confused everyone else.
"Wait!" Greg's sharp voice suddenly sounded when he saw Anna turning around without thinking.
"What? Are you scared?" Gao Bin teased.
"Asshole! Do you really not care about your reputation?"
"Mr. Grieg, I'm afraid you don't quite understand how nobles view reputation. In other words, the person who gives you advice takes himself too seriously!"
Grieg's pupils were trembling, and he couldn't notice it if he was far away, but Gao Bin was very close to him, so close that he could grasp this detail immediately.
He just said it casually, but he didn't expect Grieg to feel guilty. Sure enough, there was someone else behind him.
"Quiet, I don't believe that you really don't care about your family's reputation!"
"You are indeed suitable to play the role of a clown. You are completely in your true colors. Do you know how ugly your image is?"
"You don't need to worry. You should worry about yourself. If your parents know that you are behaving like this, they will definitely deduct your pocket money."
Grieg mocked Gao Bin for being a child.
But Gao Bin told him with practical actions that children can also make you lose face.
"Anna! Call the police!"
"Okay, Master!"
"Wait!" Grieg was furious, why didn't this kid play his cards according to the routine!
"50 pounds, give me 50 pounds, and I will never show up again from now on!"
"5 pounds, tell me who is behind you!"
Grieg subconsciously took a step back:
"What are you talking about? No one ordered me."
"Your performance has proven my guess. Tell me. If you don't tell me, not only will you not get 5 pounds, but you will be eating potatoes in prison for the next ten years!"
Grieg knew that he had trusted the wrong person. This family was not that easy to bully. Instead of going to jail, it would be better to buy a bus ticket with 5 pounds and find a job elsewhere.
As for Thomas, the two have just met, so there is no relationship at all.
So, this shameless clown decisively abandoned his teammates and left with 5 pounds.
"Thomas, Thomas Barrow!"
Carson was shaking with anger:
"Thomas! This hateful little man!"
Sybil also turned blue with anger:
"Our family treats him well, right?"
Grieg gloated:
"Who knows, I feel quite wronged."
Gao Bin took out the banknotes from his wallet and threw them on the ground:
"Get out of here, don't let me see you again."
Grieg was able to bend and stretch, and he did not feel humiliated. He bent down, raised the banknotes, and flicked them:
"Thank you, noble lord, for the reward."
Gao Bin sneered and said nothing.
After Carson personally sent him out, Gao Bin said to Anna:
"Go to the police and tell them that the manor was stolen and 300 pounds were lost."
Anna didn't hesitate, she always carried out Gao Bin's words unconditionally anyway.
Sybil was stunned for a moment and asked quickly:
"Why call the police?"
"This kind of villain has no credibility at all. He can do it once but he can do it a second time. He must be punished."
"But..."
"Anna, go quickly, I will be responsible for whatever happens."
Anna no longer hesitated, picked up her skirt and ran out.
There is one thing that Gao Bin did not say clearly. Only by catching Grieg can we have a chance to convict Thomas. That bastard, don't think that you can escape this situation if you are behind the scenes. If you come out to mess around, you will have to pay back sooner or later!
If he doesn't say it, others will naturally not think of this level, but there will be no shortage of topics in the castle in the coming week.
Gao Bin's style of doing things will definitely be talked about by everyone.
As Downtonians, both masters and servants are both prosperous and disadvantaged. Having a strong boss is undoubtedly a good thing.
Carson came back. He was ashamed, lowered his head and said:
"Master, please allow me to resign. I don't deserve to stay in Downton. I have brought shame on the manor."
"Carson, don't say that. All of us can trust your character. If you don't deserve to stay in Downton, who else does?"
Carson was deeply moved by Gao Bin's words and choked up:
"Master, but I..."
"No but, I will report this matter truthfully when my father comes back. Even if you want to resign, you have to tell him. Okay, Carson, go change clothes. Before that, you are still the butler of Downton."
."
Carson straightened up:
"My pleasure, Master!"
...
Robert stayed in London for half a month before coming back. Of course, he came back with good news.
Don't underestimate the influence of an earl. The intricate relationship chain between nobles is itself a huge network of contacts.
Coupled with his experience in serving in the military, he has accumulated huge resources and wealth.
In the past half month, he had been active in the military, and finally got an order for 1,000 gallons of alcohol and 50 tons of compressed dry food.
1,000 gallons of alcohol is enough for production for a while, but 50 tons of compressed dry food may sound like a lot, but once the production line is started, it is only a week's output.
However, when fighting a war, the consumption of compressed dry food is very large. For hundreds of thousands of people, 50 tons is enough.
But when you are just starting out, it is not easy to get so many orders. Gao Bin is very satisfied.
Robert went to London this time. In addition to bringing back orders, he also brought his cousin and his family over.
"Gao, this is Matthew, he is older than you."
Gao Bin shook hands with this handsome blond guy who looked reluctant:
"Welcome to Downton."
Gao Bin has no hostility towards this competitor for property and title.
"Thank you."
In comparison, his mother seems to be looking forward to all this even more.
"Good morning Mrs. Crawley, welcome to Downton."
"Good morning, what should I call you?"
Gao Bin didn't know how to answer such a straightforward question.
After all, it’s quite shameful to have people call me young master.
At this time, Carson took the initiative to stand up and said:
"Mrs. Crawley, you can call him Master."
Cora smiled:
"We are all a family from now on, so there is no need to be so polite. Just call him Gao."
Gao Bin nodded in approval. After all, he was an elder and his relative, so he couldn't be too pretentious.
"Mary, Edith, Sybil, my three daughters." Cora introduced them.
After getting to know each other, we invited them to sit down and drink tea in the living room.
Mary pulled Gao Bin behind and whispered:
"What did father think? Why did he invite his cousins and his family over?"
"I don't know. I'm only responsible for doing my own thing. You know how busy the factory is."
"It's about your title and property, so you're not worried at all?"
"It doesn't matter what I said. I think Matthew is quite handsome, but you don't like it at all?"
"Looking at the way his nostrils are turned up in the sky, it is obvious that he is like those who despise the nobility and thinks that we should give up the glory of the nobility."
"Normally, the middle class and the aristocracy are always antagonistic."
"However, the people who want to become nobility the most are the middle class."
The two of them were talking and laughing in the back, which made Matthew in front feel heavy.
Compared with Mary's disdain, Edith, who has always been in love, thinks that this cousin is good, at least he is very lovable.
...
In the afternoon, Gao Bin took Robert to inspect the factory. There were two factories on the left and right, one producing alcohol and the other producing compressed dry food. The planning was very neat, and the production lines were being assembled and debugged intensively.
"How is the recruitment of workers going?"
"Residents in the town responded positively, including people from some towns outside who heard about it and came to sign up. So far, 54 people have been recruited, which is enough to cope with the current orders."
Robert shook the civility stick regularly in his hand and greeted the workers as he walked. The aristocratic style still needs to be controlled.
"How is the preparation of raw materials going?"
"The wheat in stock has been taken out. It should be enough to cope with the production of compressed dry food. The problem is the alcohol."
"What's wrong?"
"Alcohol requires corn as raw material, but..."
The UK has never been a big corn-producing country. Wherever you go, what kind of corn can you get?
"Does it need to be brought in from outside?"
"Yes, I contacted several suppliers, but the price has never been lowered. Corn produced in continental Europe is too expensive!"
"What about other regions? America? Africa?"
"Actually, we can introduce it from India. After all, it is also our colony."
Asan is a major corn-producing country, and the climate there is suitable for corn growth.
The most important thing is that in India under British rule, Asans have not let themselves go yet, and the quality of food is still guaranteed.
"What do you mean?"
"Look for someone you know, it's best to avoid middlemen making the difference!"
The production of alcohol requires the fermentation of a large amount of corn. The specific amount that can be produced depends on the starch content of the corn.
If the starch content can reach 60%, then one ton of corn can produce about 5 gallons of alcohol.
1,000 gallons requires 200 tons of corn!
This is only a rough conversion. The losses in the actual production process, including problems such as insufficient corn starch content, cannot be predicted.
Now the average price of one ton of corn is about 50 pounds, and 200 tons is 10,000 pounds. The price is too high.
"Are there no other raw materials that can be substituted?"
"Wheat and soybeans are more expensive, but there is a crop called sorghum that can be substituted, but I don't know where to get it. Maybe it is available in the Americas, but I'm not sure about the price."
In later generations, the largest sorghum-producing areas were not in China, but in Africa and America.
There are a large number of farms under Downton's name that grow grain. Although Robert does not have to go to the fields himself, his familiarity with grain is beyond Gao Bin's imagination.
"I know sorghum is a good feed crop."
"That's right."
"How much corn have you bought now?"
"I only bought 20 tons, which is enough for the time being."
"Well, I'm trying to find a way to find out about corn in India, and I'm also looking for someone to ask about the price of sorghum."
"Thank you for your hard work, father."
"It's not hard, I also want the investment to be successful. After all, this time we took out all the cash from Downton. If it fails, the consequences will be disastrous!"
Gao Bin knew the pressure on Robert and said with relief:
"Now that the order has been given, when will the funds arrive? As long as the funds arrive, everything will be fine."
The worst thing is to make less money.
They are trying every means now, just to make more money. If they just want to meet the order requirements, they will follow the current price, at least they can earn some money for their hard work.
But this is not what Gao Bin wants. Now that he has started working, he must try his best to make more money!
And if you want to get more orders, you must pay attention to costs and reduce costs. On the basis of ensuring profits, you can quote lower prices than others, and thus win more orders.
And then form a monopoly.
By that time, the military will no longer have the final say on re-setting prices; whoever has the monopoly will have the final say!
Why is it said that shopping malls are like battlefields? This is the truth.
The ultimate goal is to defeat all opponents. When one's own family becomes the dominant one, a huge amount of profits will naturally enter his pocket.
"The funds will take some time, and it is impossible to pay it all in one go."
"Do you have 30% of the down payment?"
"Of course, it has been decided that the payment will be made in three installments according to the ratio of 3:4:3."
"emm~This is also good news."
The order for 1,000 gallons of medical alcohol is valued at fifteen thousand pounds, and the order for compressed dry food is valued at ten thousand pounds.
After these two orders are completed, the investment cost can basically be recovered, and then it will be pure profit!
Robert has obviously calculated that it is impossible to lose money, the only difference is making more or less.
"Start production and shipping as soon as possible. Once the finished products are ready, I can go to London to win more orders." Robert instructed.
"Of course, I will speed up."
The two left the factory and walked back. On the way, Robert asked:
"Matthew and the others are here, aren't you unhappy?"
"No, but I think Edith is more interested in Matthew."
"Oh?" Robert was surprised. His original intention was to bring Matthew and Mary together so that Matthew would inherit the title, Gao Bin would inherit Downton Abbey, and Mary would inherit Cora's dowry. This would be fair to everyone and was the best thing he could think of.
Good idea.
The title is inherited by the blood of one's own family, and it is not considered as a disgrace to the ancestors.
Downton is left to Gao Bin to take care of it. With his mind, he can definitely make Downton stand on the land of Yorkshire forever.
On Mary's side, inheriting Cora's dowry can also ensure that she has enough food and clothing.
It seems like this is the most reasonable arrangement, but plans don’t change as fast as they do, and Robert can’t see clearly how the future will go, so he can only take it one step at a time.
Isn’t this? A change has come. Mary doesn’t like Matthew, but it seems that the second daughter does?
"According to my observation, Edith showed excessive attention to Matthew."
Robert felt a headache:
"Forget it, let them do whatever they like. I've presented the opportunity to them. It's up to them whether they can seize it or not."
Indeed, most of his energy is now involved in the factory, and he is somewhat unable to cope with the marriage of his children.
...
Before the welcome dinner for Matthew's family, Anna found Gao Bin, who was not the sneaky kind.
"What's wrong?" Gao Bin subconsciously wanted to hug her, but was pushed away and said angrily:
"Don't make trouble, I have something to do."
"Oh, then you say."
"Gwen bought a typewriter and enrolled in classes to study. She plans to be a secretary. She doesn't want to continue to be a maid."
Gao Bin nodded:
"Everyone has their own choice, Downton will not force anyone to stay."
"I know, before I finished speaking, O'Brien pulled out the typewriter. I felt like she was going to take the opportunity to cause trouble."
"The lesson I taught her last time was not enough. She is going to cause trouble so soon, this old woman." Gao Bin was very unhappy with this person's existence.
"What I'm thinking is, isn't your factory recruiting workers? Is there a shortage of administrative staff? If possible, could you recruit Gwen? She is a good girl."
Gao Bin had other ideas:
"How about I enroll you in a class and learn typing? Rather than serving others, I would rather you serve me."
Anna never thought of helping Gwen find a job, but instead got herself involved.
"Can I?"
"There's nothing wrong with it. It's not difficult to learn typing. You're just a skilled worker."
"But...I want to stay in the castle and stay with you."
"There are too many restrictions in the castle, not to mention that you can stay in the castle as my secretary, and we can date outside every day without worrying about being caught."
The more Gao Bin talked about it, the more he felt it was feasible, so he made the decision directly regardless of whether Anna agreed or not:
"That's it, you and Gwen learn typing together, and I'll pay for it."
"What about her job?"
"You two can sit with my secretary. She will be responsible for the administrative aspects, and you will be responsible for the daily life. Well, it's such a happy decision."
Gao Bin praised himself for his cleverness.
After separated from Anna, Gao Bin entered the living room, and everyone changed into formal clothes and waited for the dinner to begin.
Matthew is chatting with Edith, but it feels like an awkward chat.
Gao Bin took the champagne from William and walked over:
"What are we talking about? Edith."
"We are talking about Matthew's previous job. The job of a lawyer is very boring."
"But it's challenging, isn't it? Matthew?"
Matthew smiled helplessly:
"Indeed, there is a lot of paperwork to do every day."
"Haha, how's it going? You've spent a whole day in the castle today, are you still used to everything?"
"Tell the truth?"
"Of course, no one likes to hear lies."
"The truth is, it's no wonder that people outside are jealous of the noble life, but if they really come here, they will definitely not be able to stand it."
Gao Bin and Edith looked at each other and smiled, and he said:
"There is no way, this country's system is like this. It is precisely because of various privileges that the nobles have developed a picky character.
This pickiness makes their taste in dressing, eating, drinking and playing become traditional standards.
Gentlemen and ladies who are defined as aristocrats do not need to work, and the meaning of the existence of aristocrats is even to provide jobs for society.
So, just get used to it."
It was the first time for Matthew to observe and experience the life of aristocrats at such a close distance. Regardless of whether it was good or not, he felt uncomfortable all over, as if there were ants on his body. If he could, he wouldn't want to be here for a minute.