Chapter 344 Come for the Living Water from the Source (1)
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Under Chen Ke's promise regardless of the cost, the unhappiness of the Arab scholars finally disappeared. But they are calm scholars after all, and they soon realized that this gold would not be available in a short time. The most practical problem is,
Do you have to learn Chinese first?
Although most of them are proficient in several languages and are not afraid of mastering another language, the most optimistic estimate is that they will have to work hard for a year or two before they can barely cope with reading and writing. In the past two years, they have been drinking from the northwest.
go?
"It doesn't matter," Chen Ke said: "While you are learning the language, I will provide you with free accommodation and give you a monthly allowance of ten thousand dollars, which is enough for your family to live happily in this metropolis." Ten thousand dollars a month.
Yuan is definitely not enough to go out to restaurants every day, but it is definitely very nourishing to live a normal life.
When scholars figured out the purchasing power of ten coins, they no longer doubted his sincerity. In fact, the coquettishness of these guys had long been worn down by the Seljuqs, and now they just want to have sex.
A stable and worry-free environment allows them to concentrate on their studies.
And Chen Ke can obviously satisfy them.
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After appeasing these guys, Chen Ke came out of the inn, got on the carriage, and said apologetically to Aziz: "I'm sorry, my friend, for letting you take the blame."
"Although in their eyes, I will always be a liar," Aziz said with a grimace, "but it's worth it to be able to fulfill your orders."
Chen Ke rolled his eyes in his heart, you are just a liar, okay? But he smiled on his face and said: "Don't be so frustrated. You know I have never been a stingy person."
"Yes." Aziz smiled and said: "If I hadn't studied for a few years, I would have stopped traveling around the sea and changed my career to translate books with them."
"It's too hypocritical," Chen Ke said with a smile: "Is the 20% share of Sihai Company and the director who is solely responsible for Western trade less attractive than a few pieces of gold?"
"My God," Aziz said with wide eyes after hearing this: "Sir, are you talking about me? Are these all for me?"
"If you don't want it, I can give it to someone else." Chen Ke said with a wicked smile.
"No, no, no, no, no, I love this job so much." Aziz said with a wide smile.
When he met Chen Ke three years ago, he was still a pauper with a huge debt. Later, Chen Ke helped him pay off the debt and reunited him with his family. According to the Persian custom of retribution, he served Chen Ke for free throughout his life.
It is also appropriate.
Now Chen Ke has made him one of the bosses of Sihai Trading Company, and also made him fully responsible for the trade west of India, which undoubtedly gave his family a chance to revitalize.
No one knows the potential of Sihai Company better than him. This Chinese and Ahebi Company possesses the most advanced shipbuilding technology and navigation technology in the world. It has an exclusive port in the Song Dynasty and exclusive trading rights in Axum.
.
Especially the last point will determine the brilliant future of Sihai Trading Company - for centuries, the Arabs have been embedded in the middle of the East-West trade routes and have made huge profits. However, the contradiction between the Christian world and the Arab world has become difficult to recover, and Westerners
How could the Arabs be allowed to continue to make profits? The trade routes that the Arabs relied on for survival were cut off, and trade between the East and the West was in danger of stagnating.
At this time, Aksum became the savior of East-West trade - the only Christian country in the Arab world. Because it contained the legendary 'Ark of the Covenant', it would not be attacked by Christians or Arabs. Of course, the most important original intention is that the Arabs urgently need to re-establish trade channels to maintain the operation of the empire.
However, in order to avoid giving excuses to the Christian world, Aksum did not dare to trade directly with the Arabs. Therefore, when Li Fan, on behalf of the Sihai Company, appeared in Axum and expressed his willingness to act as an intermediary between the Christian world and the Arab world, the two parties hit it off. Sihai Company He became the only agent for East-West trade.
With such unique conditions, Aziz and his family are underdeveloped, which is why they are in trouble.
"But..." Although he was happy, he also asked with some worry: "Boss Li and Shopkeeper Zhou, will they be unhappy?" Boss Li is Li Fan, shopkeeper Zhou is Zhou Dingqian, these two are the founders of Sihai Trading Company. , is also Aziz’s superior.
"No." Chen Ke shook his head and said: "Sihai Company will be divided into four semi-colonies in the future. Boss Li will manage Beiyang, Shopkeeper Zhou will manage Nanyang, and West Asia will be given to you... This is all agreed upon."
Chen Ke's initial business was too big, so the subdivision of the Sihai firm was inevitable. After careful study and decision by the shareholders' meeting, the firm implemented strategic contraction and focused on Beiyang and Nanyang, with Beiyang being the most important.
In Beiyang, companies will invest a lot of manpower and material resources, regardless of temporary profits and losses, and operate in the long term and work intensively to achieve long-term strategic goals.
In Nanyang, economic penetration was strengthened, turning the countries in Nanyang into raw material production areas and product sales places for the Song Dynasty.
As for Xiyang, he boldly delegates power. As long as the profit target can be achieved, Aziz can do whatever he wants.
"Is there another Dongyang?" Aziz asked curiously.
"Eastern Ocean belongs to the category of Beiyang," Chen Ke said lightly: "The fourth semicolon is called Yuanyang, and it does not participate in trade..."
Seeing that he didn't want to say more, Aziz shut up knowingly.
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In fact, Xiyang was originally given to Leye people. This was discussed at the beginning of the establishment of Sihai Trading Company. The reason for the change of heart was not due to Chen Ke, but because Yiyi Leye people changed their minds.
Three years ago, because he learned about the Ark of the Covenant, Lan Bi asked Zhou Dingqian to lead a group of tribesmen to go to Axum to pay homage, and then to Jerusalem for a pilgrimage. But this was just a cover. They had a more important goal, which was to inspect , how many tribesmen there are in the local area, and how likely it is to return.
Zhou Dingqian and his people stayed there for a year. After returning, they reported what they saw. The previous news was not wrong. Under the enlightened Abbasid dynasty, many Jews did return to live in Jerusalem. However, That's all from the old almanac... Ever since the Seljuks occupied the magpie's nest and became the masters of the Arab Empire, they began to exclude pagans, and the Jews were naturally among them.
However, when they arrived in Jerusalem, they still contacted some tribesmen. Those people told them that most of the Jews had fled to Spain in Western Europe and sought refuge with the white-coated eaters who had been driven to the Iberian Peninsula.
And Jerusalem itself has become a battleground between the Christian world and the Arab world. A protracted war is inevitable...
Hearing that they were from the Song Dynasty, those Jews who were unwilling to defect to the Arabs packed their bags without hesitation and asked to go back to the Song Dynasty with them.
Zhou Dingqian was taught since he was a child that the Jews in the world are one family, so he agreed without hesitation. He returned to the Song Dynasty with thousands of his people. Of course, he did not dare to take them back to Bianjing, and settled most of them in Quanzhou. He only took a few people back to Bianjing to return to Lanbi.
After learning the true situation in his hometown, Lan Bi was completely disappointed. Although his ideals remained unchanged, he could not push his people into a pit of fire! Other Jews had fled the Holy City, so how could he lead his people with him? Why don't you go back and die?
Lan Bi completely gave up his obsession with returning. As soon as Leye people's interest in the Western route dropped sharply, they turned their attention to Nanyang, which gave Aziz a chance.
Chen Ke naturally welcomed their decision with both hands. After all, no one wanted to cooperate with a group of people who always wanted to leave. If the Leye people did not choose the West and developed in Nanyang, it showed that they planned to completely integrate into the Song Dynasty. , the relationship between the two parties will naturally become closer in the future.
Back home, Zhou Dingkun had been waiting there for a long time. As soon as he saw Chen Ke, he sneered and said, "I heard from my brother that Aziz brought back two full ships of books. Have you prepared millions of gold?"
"Don't worry, you don't need to prepare for a year and a half." Chen Ke knew that being the financial officer for him was really stressful. He then smiled and said: "I calculated that by then, I should have the gold of Sado Island. I don’t do anything with my share, I just use it to give them prizes, so I should be able to withstand it.”
"Your Excellency, you have worked so hard and spent so much money to obtain the Sado Gold Mountain," Zhou Dingkun said with wide eyes, "Just for this?"
"What do I need so much money for?" Chen Ke raised his hands and the Japanese girl took off his robe. After he sat down, the Japanese girl took off his boots and put his cold feet into her arms to warm them up: " You see, my life can no longer be luxurious, and it is no longer possible to spend more money on myself."
"How can you think that you have too much money?" Zhou Dingkun muttered, "Then why are you still working so hard to make money?"
"This is the difference between me and you Jews." Chen Ke smiled and said: "Although we are both passionate about wealth, our understanding of money is completely different."
"Money is money, what's the difference?" Zhou Dingkun asked puzzledly.
“Aristotle said that money has different meanings at different stages.” Chen Ke taught his financial officer a lesson: “When it is used to indicate value, it is a measure. When it is used for buying and selling, it is circulation. When stored, they are numbers."
"No matter how big the number is, it is your personal wealth. If it is not circulated, it is just scrap metal and useless. Only by spending it can wealth be used to its full potential." Chen Ke said slowly and confidently: " I accomplished what I wanted to do and made others rich, so I am not guilty no matter how much money I make. But you Jews, who earn more without spending it, accumulate more and more sins. If you don’t use it quickly, you may be punished. …”
Although it was the simplest currency knowledge, Zhou Dingkun was stunned for a moment. He found that although he had dealt with money all his life, his understanding of it was too superficial: "It seems that when they translate the book, I have to read it carefully too."
When he came back to his senses, he suddenly understood what Chen Ke meant, and regained his resentful expression and said: "Sir, if you want us to pay, just tell us. Why do you have to beat around the bush?"