Claude really has no other choice but to spend money like water. As a lieutenant general and honorary viscount of the kingdom, his annual salary, benefits, subsidies, etc. can add up to more than 300 to 400 gold crowns.
All generals in the war zone, even General Bolognik, have the rank of lieutenant general, but their income is only half of his. Because General Bolognik is not an honorary noble of the kingdom, he lacks a noble annuity income of two hundred gold crowns per year.
It's just that these salaries, annuities, welfare subsidies, etc. are all taken care of by Kaifuni. As an active soldier, Claude enjoys free food, clothing, housing and transportation in the legion, and rarely has the opportunity to spend money. This is not to say that Claude is
Bronchitis or something like that, his salary is given to his wife, but his extra income is higher than his salary. For example, when he led the Thunder Legion to victory in the Third Colonial War, his share of the spoils alone was nearly two
Thousands of gold crowns were deposited into another national bank account, which was kept by Claude himself.
Don’t forget the secretly hidden military expenses of the Kingdom of Hicks worth more than 350,000 gold crowns, as well as the profits obtained from selling grenades to the Legion, as well as the proceeds from the transfer of the production license for grenades and revolvers, and finally
Claude received a dividend of more than 10,000 gold crowns from Bockar's management of the Buffalo Trading Company. To put it simply, Claude once had more than half a million gold crowns in liquid cash...
But Claude also spent money quickly. He helped his sister Anna buy a ranch and build it. He spent 10,000 to 20,000 yuan. This was only a small amount. The bulk was allocated 100,000 gold crowns to his sister Anna and Mrs. Sonia to improve the laboratory.
equipment and the purchase of various test materials. Without this huge sum of money for the two of them to waste so much in the laboratory, even if Claude had clear ideas and guidance, Mrs. Sonia would not be able to do it so quickly in a short period of time.
A new rifle was produced in just two years.
In addition, Claude adopted about 160 boy and girl orphans for the Field family, and set up a small elementary school and junior high school on the ranch, intending to train these orphans to become talents and become the help of the family in the future. Spend time here
The amount of money required is not a small amount, it costs about 10,000 gold crowns a year. Food, clothing, and housing for the orphans are not a big expense. The bulk of it is hiring teachers with real talents to teach them, as well as those teaching
Utensils etc...
The iron ore workshop jointly run by Claude and Mr. Veblen is divided into three parts. The first part is to dig iron ore and refine it into refined iron, or add other metals to forge alloy steel. This part is not very profitable.
We can only maintain and continue to slowly expand the scale of the iron ore mine.
The second part is the production of grenades, from which Claude gained 10,000 gold crowns. But there is no war now, and grenades cannot be consumed in the war zone. It will take a long time for the soldiers to conduct live-fire training with the purchased grenades.
can be consumed, there is no need to expect the war zone to purchase grenades on a large scale in a short period of time.
The third part is the power machinery workshop, which manufactures power machinery such as thermal engines and steam engines. However, Claude has promised Mr. Veblen that all the profits from the power workshop in the first three years will be invested in expanding the workshop and improving the thermal engines.
and steam engine research. This is only the third year, and you have to wait another year to get dividends in this area.
The next step is to open this firearms manufacturing workshop. Although Bockar provided this complete set of firearms manufacturing machinery and equipment from the Hicks Kingdom almost free of charge. But Claude asked Master Bird and his daughter to choose the address of the workshop and purchase the land.
and black flint mining rights, recruit mechanical talents from the direct jurisdiction and wild rune mages. Transform hydraulic machinery into firepower and mechanical power, build workshop infrastructure, factory accommodation and other buildings, hire workers for training and convert the
The firearms manufacturing machinery and equipment for manufacturing matchlocks were transformed into a mechanical production line for the production of new rifles, as well as a supporting mechanical equipment production line for copper-cased bullets. Claude invested a total of 2.78 million gold crowns to have this new production line.
Rifle gunsmith workshop.
Master Bird is the nominal director of the firearms manufacturing workshop, but it is Lady Sonia who is actually responsible for the execution. After careful calculation, they told Claude that the firearms manufacturing workshop currently has more than a thousand workers and technical talents.
, the annual output of new rifles is only more than 3,000, plus more than 4 million rounds of copper-cased rifle bullets. In terms of income, this production state will still produce a certain loss. At most, it is neither a loss nor a profit, because every year the entire
The funds required to maintain a firearms manufacturing workshop, including production costs, require about 30,000 gold crowns.
The most ideal situation is to continue to hire workers for training, so that the number of skilled workers in the workshop reaches 2,000. In this way, the annual maintenance cost will increase to 50,000 gold crowns. However, the annual output of new rifles can reach 10,000, with copper shells.
There are 10 million rounds of rifle bullets. And the maintenance funds already include the production costs of new rifles and copper-cased rifle bullets. So even if the new rifle is sold for eight gold crowns, each new rifle will still have two to three gold crowns.
income.
But Claude now only has a reserve fund of about 100,000 gold crowns. He also needs to allocate test funds to his sister Anna and Mrs. Sonia. Next, he will conduct experiments on grenades and mortars, and he will also try
It is indispensable to invest in converting the light infantry field artillery equipped by the troops to fire canister-type explosive shells instead of only being used to fire solid projectiles and canisters.
Master Bird's research direction has shifted from firearms to power machinery, and Claude also needs to provide him with part of the experimental funds. Calculating it this way, the wealth of more than 100,000 gold crowns around Claude seems to be a lot.
But it's not very useful. To put it bluntly, he can't even come up with the funds to maintain this firearms manufacturing workshop for two years. Therefore, he hopes that the war zone can guarantee him a loan of one million gold crowns from the Overseas Minsheng Bank.
, to solve his urgent need.
As for the issue that General Bolognik was worried about that the issuance of overseas Minsheng Bank banknote vouchers would be boycotted by immigrants from the directly-administered kingdoms, Claude did not take it to heart at all. First, with the credibility of the war zone as a guarantee for the banknote vouchers, he could
To exchange for real gold and silver, as long as you collect one silver thaler, you can go to Overseas Minsheng Bank to exchange for a large silver coin of one silver thaler.
Second, you can use banknote vouchers to pay taxes, which can ensure the paper value represented by banknotes and enable them to circulate in the market. At the same time, market supervision will be increased. Any vendor who refuses to accept banknote vouchers will be fined.
and cancellation of business qualifications.
Third, for all troops under the war zone, whether they are two legions or local garrison soldiers, the payment of salary and welfare subsidies will be carried out in accordance with the principle of using banknotes and vouchers. As long as time goes by, the kingdom directly under the jurisdiction of the
Residents will discover the benefits of banknote vouchers. At least they do not need to carry a bulging bag of copper coins out, thereby attracting the attention of others and thieves...
General Bolognik finally nodded: "If you insist on a loan, the war zone can guarantee it for you. But I hope you can think about it again, Claude, this is not a joke, if the paper money vouchers are boycotted and become waste paper
If you take a loan of one million gold crowns and actually receive only half of the gold coins, then you will have lost half a million gold crowns first."
"Wait a minute," General Skerry said: "I don't understand, Claude, why do you insist on a loan and a million? In fact, you can share the risk with others. If you are willing to take out a small part
If you have shares in this firearms manufacturing workshop, I believe there will be many wealthy people in the direct jurisdiction who are willing to invest and purchase the shares. They will buy them at a premium, and you can easily obtain a large amount of wealth..."
Claude shook his head: "My loan of one million gold crowns is to conduct more weapons tests and study the development and changes of weapons required for future wars. Just like grenades, they were originally offensive weapons, but according to
Judging from the throwers equipped on the Nasseri Kingdom smuggling ship, although they are heavy and inconvenient to move, they can be placed on defensive positions. They can throw farther than the throwers equipped by our troops. In the future,
Encountering such an enemy will pose a greater threat to our attacking soldiers.
So I need to experiment with manufacturing newer weapons and equipment to ensure that I leave the enemy behind in terms of weapons and equipment, such as converting light infantry field artillery into explosive shells. Obviously if I sell the shares of this firearms manufacturing workshop, these
Even if the new shareholders have very few shares, they can still object to the funds I invested in the experiment. I need to disclose all the ledgers. I am too lazy to argue with them. At the same time, more than one shareholder has a very negative impact on the confidentiality of new weapons. This is also why I
Reasons why shares will not be sold.”
Claude knew very well that General Skerry's suggestion just now was also out of good intentions, but his explanation left the generals present speechless. Everyone's investment needs returns and benefits. But if Claude transfers the funds
If everyone is invested in the bottomless pit of testing new weapons, then it is obvious that no one is willing to be taken advantage of by providing funds.
"Then let's use our war zone as a guarantee and let you borrow one million gold crowns from the Overseas Minsheng Bank." General Bolognik made the decision.
If paper money vouchers can be circulated in the war zones, then Claude's firearms manufacturing workshop can produce 10,000 new rifles and 10 million copper-cased rifle bullets every year, and it will only take five years to pay off the loan.
Of course, this loan is interest-free. The war zone only needs to allocate a military expenditure of 200,000 gold crowns per year to repay the loan. What Claude wants to ensure is that so many new rifles and bullets can be produced every year.
Equip the troops in the war zone. As for the remaining money, no one can control what new weapons he wants to test.
Since the war zone is willing to provide loan guarantee for Claude, then the matter is a certainty. Claude breathed a sigh of relief: "Go to my office, there is a promising business I want to tell you, maybe you can
I am willing to take a stake in it.”
The generals were surprised that Claude was unwilling to sell his shares in the gun manufacturing workshop, but he said that there was a promising business. Is this business better than the gun manufacturing workshop? You must know that the gun manufacturing workshop has already produced
A new rifle was released that surpassed all matchlock guns. The only regret was that the cost of the equipment was too expensive. It was so expensive that the two legions were not dared to completely re-equip the equipment in the war zone. They could only adopt Claude's suggestion and use annual loan repayments to obtain firearms.
The new rifles and copper-cased rifle bullets produced by the manufacturing workshop are used to update the equipment in a small way...
Entering the office, Claude took out a roll of drawings and spread them out on the table for everyone to look at. The drawing depicts a black iron guy with a horizontal cylinder on top, and a protruding chimney on top of the cylinder.
, below is a cuboid, with a row of steel wheels on both sides of the cuboid, and long iron axles connected to the wheels. Behind the cylinder, there is a small room arranged on top of the cuboid, which looks like a carriage carriage.
There is a rendering depicting this black iron guy blowing out white smoke, with a dozen long carriages with the same steel wheels on both sides hanging behind him, driving on the plain. It is worth noting that the ground is not driven by carriages.
It is not a flat road or a road paved with gravel and then flattened, but there are two parallel rails, and under the rails are sections of thick sleepers.
"What is this? Is it a car?" General Beachlin asked curiously.
Claude nodded: "Yes, this is a train, and the road below is a railway. The most important thing about this train is the locomotive at the front. It uses a steam engine to drive the steel wheels below to rotate forward, and finally pulls the ten trains behind it.
Several carriages are speeding on the railway. Master Bird has confirmed that this locomotive can be manufactured, and has now begun experiments with initial success.
The locomotive he built drove ten trucks filled with black flint to go around the temporarily paved railway track for nearly 1,500 meters three times. In the end, the locomotive leaked due to poor casting materials. However, he promised
Solve this casting problem and improve and streamline the entire locomotive's internal structure within three months.
The area of our overseas territorial war zone is really too large. From the Vibato Port Direct Territory in the north to the Arturas Direct Territory in the south, it would take a month to travel on horseback. And it would also take 20 years to travel by boat.
However, the risk at sea is very high. Although it is offshore transportation, no one can guarantee that it will not encounter shipwrecks and pirate attacks.
And if you take the train, at a speed of 30 kilometers an hour, it only takes seven days and seven nights, no more than ten days, from the Vibato Port Direct Territory to the Arturas Direct Territory. The reason is very simple, you must ensure that you ride a horse.
For the rest and physical strength of the mount, the ship needs to be anchored in a safe place at night. The train can travel day and night. Passengers only need to sit in the carriage to rest, or they can lie down to sleep. When they wake up, the destination
It's right in front of you.
From a military point of view, trains and railways can ensure that our troops do not need to march long distances. They only need to sit in carriages to send our soldiers to the front line, which is conducive to us mobilizing troops for support. In civilian terms, trains can
Transporting large amounts of goods allows people to travel easily. And its consumption only requires the burning of black flint and the steam of water..."
In fact, Claude only needs to introduce the function of the train without describing its effects. The generals present can naturally judge the changes brought by the train to the war zone. They are convinced of what Claude said.
There is no doubt that this is indeed a very good business. As long as you can occupy a small share in it, you can bring a huge amount of wealth to your family that can be passed down.
"How do you want us to participate?" General Bolognik asked.
"You each contribute 10,000 gold crowns, and I will give each of you 2% of the shares. The four of you together will account for 8%. I will account for 12% myself. Together with your money, I will make up 10%."
Ten thousand gold crowns. Master Bird and his daughter and their technical team for manufacturing locomotives occupy 10% of the technical shares. I will use the remaining 70% of the shares to raise funds, 20,000 gold crowns per share.
This fund of 1.5 million gold crowns will be used to build railways and operate railway companies." Claude had already planned to give a clear answer to the four generals in front of him.
"But there is a Dolinibara River between the Beringana Territory and the Robistore Territory..." General Albert said.
"Two plans," Claude raised two fingers: "One is to build the railway to the banks of the Dolinibara River, with trains on both sides, and passengers can get off the train and cross the river before boarding. The second plan is
Build a railway bridge across the Dolinibara River to completely connect the direct jurisdictions on both sides. However, this method is relatively expensive and technically difficult, so I don’t know if it is feasible. Maybe we will need to dilute everyone’s equity and proceed again.
Private equity raising to raise funds to build this railway bridge..."