Muravyov had heard Li Xiao talk about their investment in Wallachia before. He really didn't take it seriously before. After all, Russians these days didn't know much about industry and thought they were opening a small business.
A workshop or the like is considered a factory.
Naturally, I know very little about the money-making ability of industry. I feel that this kind of thing may be profitable, but it is still unlikely to make big money.
Even the most determined reformers in Russia are actually most concerned about the land issue. For a backward agricultural country like Russia, this is the lifeblood.
Therefore, when mentioning the reforms of Alexander II, the first thing that comes to mind is the abolition of serfdom, which, to put it bluntly, means solving the land issue.
But was something of this magnitude outstanding to the great powers in the mid-19th century?
During the same period of Alexander II's reforms, the Civil War also broke out in the United States, which also abolished slavery. But if you look at the starting points of these two countries, they are completely different. It can be said that one is in the sky and the other is in the earth. The beautiful country can defeat the backward old Maozi.
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After that, the United States rapidly industrialized and gradually caught up with France and England. In the early 20th century, it became the country with the largest economic and industrial capabilities in the world at that time.
And what about the Russians? When the Russo-Japanese War broke out, it can only be said that their industrial capabilities were somewhat sporadic. The navy and even the army had to rely on foreign aid to build ships and even rifles. In comparison, they were not even close.
For Lao Maozi to truly turn into an industrialized country, he still has to rely on his loving father of steel. Without that person to push forward with an iron fist, I guess Maozi would still be relying on farming and selling food and selling petroleum and coal to make a living!
Therefore, Lao Maozi is not generally backward in industrial thinking. Even the most radical reformers of this era only focus on one-third of an acre, and have no time to pay attention to other things.
People like Li Xiao who were ahead of the curve and started to lay out industry early were really rare in Russia at this time. Naturally, the money they earned shocked the inexperienced Muravio.
husband.
He asked with suspicion and disbelief: "Is it really that profitable? I remember you don't have many farms in Wallachia, right?"
Before Li Xiao could say anything, Boris burst out laughing: "How much money can you make by digging in the soil? How much land can you enclose in a place as big as Wallachia?"
Before Muravyov could speak, he happily explained: "This money was earned from investing in railways, oil refineries and arms business, and has nothing to do with farming!"
Muravyov was stunned, because Boris's words were beyond his understanding. He had been told that land was the most important wealth since he was a child, but now someone told him that industry was more profitable than farming. This
It was somewhat unacceptable to him.
Li Xiao naturally saw Muravyov's confusion, and immediately explained: "My friend, don't be too surprised, running a factory is more profitable than farming. If you go to the UK, London, Liverpool, Manchester and see...
Look, you know how powerful the magic of industry is... To be honest, we can only be considered a small group, compared with the British, we are nothing more than children!"
He looked into Muravyov's eyes and continued with great seriousness: "If we don't catch up as soon as possible, I'm afraid we will be pushed further and further away by the British. At that time, it would be a fantasy to seek revenge!
"
Muravyov took a deep breath. He knew that Li Xiao would not deceive him, and there was no need to deceive him. He was suddenly enveloped in a sense of urgency, because according to someone, compared with the United Kingdom, it is heaven and earth now.
, and others did not stop to rest, but their own motherland is still stalling, which means that the gap will only get wider and wider. How can this happen!
He immediately asked: "Your Excellency, please let me know what factory you want to set up next time. If it is convenient, I would also like to invest!"
Li Xiao laughed, Alexei also laughed, Vishnyak and Boris also laughed. Sure enough, they were right about Muravyov. This man was indeed just like them!
"Don't worry, there are many opportunities. We are going to build a new arsenal in Tula next. If you are interested, you can go and inspect it, and then decide whether to invest together!"
Muravyov was a little strange, because according to Alexei's bill, their most profitable business in Wallachia was actually refining oil and selling kerosene. The kerosene produced in Wallachia was sold in Central and Eastern Europe, and it could be said that they made a fortune every day.
.m..
There is no reason why such a good business should not be promoted. Why wouldn't someone back in China do this business first?
Alexei explained with a wry smile: "It's not that we don't want to do it, but we can't. According to the agreement we reached with Duke Mikhail before, our technology shares in their oil production and refinery, and we can get a 10% dividend every year.
But we cannot sell kerosene produced in Wallachia within Russia, and we are not allowed to extract or refine oil in Russia for five years.”
Muravyov immediately understood that this was an exchange of interests, and it was also the current situation in Russia. Although he was a little helpless, it was understandable, and Duke Mikhail looked pretty good. After all, according to the methods of some big men in the country, he would get nothing for nothing.
All are light.
But Leonid interrupted: "Actually, I think this is very unreasonable. We obviously have the technology and enough funds. We can do this business without uncle and them. I said before that there is no need to worry about me.
, As the saying goes, brothers settle accounts clearly, and when doing business, you should follow the rules of doing business. I don’t like this approach!"
Muravyov sighed. He had known for a long time that Leonid had something like that, but now it seemed that he was really dumbfounded. Doing business in Russia, especially a business that makes money every day, is not that simple.
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To put it bluntly, even if you have the technology and funds, it would be difficult for you to go it alone without Duke Mikhail. Only a follower like Duke Mikhail can do this kind of business. This is the current situation in Russia!
But he didn't say anything, because he also didn't like this situation. Although he felt that Leonid was a little naive, he supported this naivety.
Li Xiao patted Leonid on the shoulder and sighed: "My friend, thank you for your kindness. But things are not that simple. We can't do this business. Only your uncle can control it, and he is the only one who can control it."
Only then can we continue to do it. And to be honest, extracting oil and refining kerosene is a bit too low-level. Kerosene is not an indispensable material for our country today. We should do something more critical and meaningful!"
Without waiting for Leonid to speak, he quickly added: "In addition to the arsenal, the most important thing now is steel. I am going to introduce technology from the UK to build a large-scale modern steelmaking plant. Are you interested?"