Chapter 975 Visiting the Saltworks

Although the invention and application of the steam engine was not the only factor causing the productivity gap between the two sides, Van Diemen still insisted that this was the secret weapon that enabled Haihan to rise in just a few years. If the Haihan people had not used this technology in many production sites

If it is an iron instrument, the operating efficiency of its production system should not be much better than that of the East India Company, not to mention the benefits that the use of this thing in the military field has brought to Haihan.

"Mr. Ning, do you really not consider exporting this kind of press? Our East India Company can provide a very sincere quotation for this!" Although he knew that the hope was slim, Fan Diemen couldn't help but ask Ning Qi.

An application was made.

How could Ning Qi not know the little calculation in the Dutch's belly? Hearing this, he just smiled and said: "As for this kind of equipment, our current manufacturing capacity is still very limited, and there is still a gap to meet our own needs. It will not be possible in the short term.

Consider selling to outside parties."

Ning Qi's words are not just made up casually. Haihan currently has dozens of sugar cane and oil crop plantations covering an area of ​​hundreds of thousands of acres. Only a few places use mechanical pressing equipment driven by steam engines. This is not

Because the cost of use is too high, it cannot be put into large-scale use, simply because the speed of producing steam engines cannot keep up. You must know that steam engines are needed not only in plantations, industrial production, mining, and water and land transportation, but also in many fields.

This is a relatively cheap power output device, but the scale of the existing steam engine manufacturing industry is still relatively limited. The Ministry of Industry believes that for at least the past ten years, the manufacturing speed of steam engines will be difficult to keep up with Shanghai Han's own rapid development.

As for the real purpose of the Dutch thinking about this thing, Ning Qi actually thinks it's okay. Sooner or later, the principle of the steam engine will gradually lose its mystery due to Haihan's large-scale use.

It is difficult, but if you want to mass-produce steam engines and use them to change the productivity level of the entire society, it is beyond what a manual workshop can handle. This requires an entire industrial chain from mining, smelting, to design and manufacturing.

Only in this way can the steam engine manufacturing process be smoothed.

It took Haihan almost six years to complete the construction of the entire system with all the technical data in hand. However, these competitors, whose understanding of steam engines was limited to the manufacturing materials level, wanted to establish this production system, let alone six years.

Years, even sixteen years may not be able to straighten it out. Even if the Dutch can find out some about the principles or manufacturing processes of steam engines, it will be difficult for them to have the conditions to manufacture such mechanical equipment on a large scale in the Far East. Of course, this kind of technical problems

Naturally, the longer the advantage is maintained, the better. It is best when Haihan can develop a more advanced fuel engine while competitors are still trying to figure out steam engines, so as to continue to maintain its leading edge in technology.

The rejection was actually what Van Diemen expected, so although he was a little disappointed, his mood was not greatly affected. The East India Company also has many skilled craftsmen, and sooner or later they will figure out the secret of this steam engine.

Even if the Han people did not sell, the relevant manufacturing technology would be leaked sooner or later. But what Van Diemen did not expect was that one day when Western craftsmen also developed the manufacturing method of steam engines, the Han people would not hesitate to start selling the finished products and

In order to kill the budding machinery and equipment manufacturing industry in the West.

There are more than 30 plantation areas outside Yacheng, and new investors have been joining the industry recently. The scale and types of local plantations are amazing to Van Diemen. He also knows this method of operation.

The East India Company could not copy it in its entirety, because what these investors needed was not only Haihan’s preferential policies on land use and labor employment, as well as the official acquisition conditions for plantation products that were negotiated when signing the contract, but also the official acquisition conditions for plantation products.

What's important is that Haihan people's control of planting and production technology can ensure that investors can obtain long-term and stable returns from the plantation project.

After Ning Qi took out a sample investment plan and explained it, Fan Diemen himself was a little moved. After all, this kind of investment method where you only need to pay without thinking in the early stage and just sit back and collect the money in the later stage sounds really easy.

It’s pleasant, and Haihan’s business reputation is quite good, so there is no need to worry about losing all the money after investing. No wonder there are so many foreign investors running to Hainan Island with gold and silver to actively seek cooperation with Haihan. It’s a pity that Dong

Indian companies don’t seem to have any good technology in agriculture and forestry. The only plantation project that can make a steady profit now is probably spices. However, the cultivation of spice crops has no technical content, and the East India Company also lacks deep processing technology and follow-up.

It may be difficult to attract foreign investors to join as a means of adding value to business operations.

Van Diemen is far more interested in the deep processing of agricultural and forestry products than in plantations, but the brewery he really wants to visit is not here. After the sugar cane in Yacheng is pressed, the molasses needed for brewing will be made locally in wooden barrels.

After packaging, it is shipped to Sanya, where fermentation, distillation and other production processes are completed in Tiandu's brewery. The strong-flavored sugarcane wine needs to be stored in oak barrels for three years before being sold to the market. Haihan produces

The uniqueness of Sanya Special Brew lies in the unique process of fermentation and distillation. This secret of production technology will certainly not be easily displayed to outsiders.

The oil press that was inspected next was similar to the sugar cane press. The oil press was also driven by a steam engine to squeeze the raw materials into oil at a speed visible to the naked eye. In addition to confirming again that the operation of the steam engine requires coal and water.

, Van Diemen achieved no more gains.

After seeking Van Diemen's opinion, the group ended their inspection trip here on the afternoon of the second day after arriving in Yacheng, and left the city before nightfall to board the ship and continue sailing to the next stop, Yinggehai. Van Diemen

He was in a hurry to leave. On the one hand, it was because there was no need to spend time visiting the plantations here one by one. On the other hand, he also wanted to avoid the practice wine prepared by the locals. He really didn't want to spend his entire inspection trip there.

Spent in a drunken state.

Van Diemen was awakened by the voices of sailors talking on the deck at midnight. He looked out of the porthole of the cabin and found that the ship had docked. Seeing that there were many people waiting with torches on the shore, Van Diemen

Men estimated that he had arrived at his destination. However, after waiting for a while, no one came to inform him to disembark. Fan Diemen guessed that Ning Qi might have fallen asleep, and his men did not dare to disturb him at this time. They would probably have to wait until dawn.

After they came ashore again, he fell back on the bed and continued to sleep.

Van Diemen expected it to be true. When it got light, a sailor knocked on Van Diemen's door and told him to disembark. Although there were not as many people waiting on the shore as there were in Yacheng, there were still forty or fifty people.

, and Van Diemen noticed that the leader of the welcoming team was obviously an authentic Haihan man, not a so-called naturalized cadre.

Ning Qi's next performance also confirmed his suspicion. The two held hands tightly on the pier and seemed to have a pretty good relationship. Then Ning Qi introduced this person to Fan Diemen: "This

It’s Anxi, the director of the Salt Industry Department of the Haihan Industry Ministry, who happened to be here one day earlier than us. With him as a tour guide, he will definitely be much better than a layman like me!”

Although the Yinggehai salt field was built later than the two salt fields in Shengli Port and Tielugang, its salt production is currently the highest among all salt fields under Haihan rule. During this period, Anxi was inspecting salt fields in various places, which happened to be

Then we met Ning Qi and Fan Diemen's expedition team here in Yinggehai.

Van Diemen was not surprised to see a steam engine here. The irrigation equipment driven by the steam engine continuously pumped seawater into the salt pond on the shore. Its efficiency was many times higher than that of human and animal power. And the range

Dimen also noticed that many salt ponds here are bottomed with cement. It can be imagined how widely cement is used in Haihan infrastructure projects.

“The Yinggehai Salt Farm is our largest production scale and most technologically advanced salt farm. The salt produced here every year is enough to meet the market needs of Guangdong and Guangxi and northern Annan. We use many new technologies in the production process.

Technology has not only increased production capacity, but also greatly reduced the production cost of salt. In fact, after we took over the supply of salt in Guangdong and Guangxi, the price of salt on the market has more than doubled than before, and ordinary people don’t have to worry.

I can't afford salt anymore." Anxi proudly introduced the situation of Yinggehai Salt Farm to Fan Diemen. As the founder and head of Haihan Salt Industry, he has a clear and profound understanding of the history and current situation of this industry.

He is also the representative with the most say in the salt industry.

Anxi introduced the local salt production process to Van Diemen very professionally. Of course, it is hard to say how much Van Diemen would understand. After all, there are so many different lines of work in the professional field. Even people like Ningqi and Anxi come from the same era.

, and only have a partial understanding of the industrial field.

There is also a salt field near the Batavia Port under the jurisdiction of the East India Company, but the layout and scale are much inferior to the endless salt fields in Yingge Sea. Moreover, there are no sophisticated production links and process requirements similar to those here, and the level of infrastructure and

The use of advanced production equipment is even more different, and there is not much comparability in terms of production capacity and cost. If the management level of the plantations is used as a comparison, the gap between the two sides in salt farm management seems to be even greater.

As for the very professional terms Anxi said, Van Diemen really didn't pay much attention. He didn't know the professional knowledge of salt production. The reason why he had this stop of the inspection trip was actually arranged by Haihan.

Van Diemen would naturally not object if he could see more about the operation of the production industry under Haihan's rule. But after seeing the operation here for the first time, he knew that Haihan's salt production process could not be copied back.

, because the East India Company could not provide the same infrastructure facilities and production equipment, so it did not pay much attention to the details of the production process introduced by Anxi.

Van Diemen paid more attention to the scale of production here and its impact on surrounding areas. According to Anxi, the salt produced here will be sold to Ming Dynasty, Guangdong and Guangxi and northern Annan. So it goes without saying that the Haihan people must be based on their

The consistent price advantage has eliminated competitors in these areas, including official salt farms. The important position of salt in the national economy and people's livelihood is the same no matter which country it is in. Haihan's ability to control the salt industry in this region fully illustrates

The extent of their penetration in the local area. Thinking of this, Van Diemen couldn't help but worry a little. If the Haihan people smuggled salt to Nanyang for sale, would the East India Company have any way to resist this commercial invasion?

The answer is obviously no. With the commercial channels currently controlled by Haihan, it will not be too difficult for them to transport a large amount of salt to Java Island. If the Haihan people want to mess up the local salt market price, then

It only takes one or two years of dumping at low prices, and all local salt farms will definitely go bankrupt, and they will become completely dependent on Haihan's salt supply like Guangdong, Guangxi and Annan. At that time, Haihan can use this as a blackmail in exchange for other benefits.

Thinking of this, Van Diemen couldn't help but feel a little depressed. After he came to Hainan Island, he gradually discovered that Haihan's advantages were not limited to the military field, but also in various aspects such as business operations, production organization, infrastructure, and social management.

They also did an excellent job. Compared with the East India Company, it was more like a professional colonial operation organization. He really couldn't understand how these Haihan people who fell from the sky mastered such comprehensive skills and could start from scratch in just a few years.

A powerful country has been built.

Looking back at the East India Company that I am in charge of, most of the people in the council can only talk high-spirited words and seriously lack the practical ability like the Haihan people. The East India Company has been settled in Batavia for fifteen years, but the construction

The achievements and business conditions are far less than those of the Haihan people who started eight years later. The gap in ability is evident from this. Although his predecessor, Governor Cohen, made an indelible contribution to the development of the East India Company, Van Diemen

I believe that the company's development speed is not as fast as that of Shanghai Han, which is partly related to the lack of good employment methods and long-term planning during Cohen's tenure.

If Cohen could have suppressed Haihan when he first arrived in Sanya, or even adopted more drastic measures, then this hidden danger would not have turned into the unshakable behemoth it is now. But Cohen did not take action at the beginning, which is very important.

Part of the reason is also because the people in the council believe that there is little point in mobilizing troops to go to Hainan Island to attack a civilian armed maritime merchant. If we have this time, we might as well use our resources to expand the northern route. It is not a waste to occupy an island in Hangzhou Bay.

Is the Qiongzhou Island of the Ming Dynasty hundreds of times stronger? The initial underestimate of the enemy has finally reaped the consequences. Haihan's current achievements are partly due to the short-sighted bureaucrats in the company's board of directors.
Chapter completed!