The next day, Hong Chengchou took only a few close staff members, rented a VIP car for double the rent of 1,000 silver dollars, and headed straight to Xujiazhuang Harbor City.
…
In the tenth year of Chongzhen, March 1st.
Xujiazhuang, Harbor City.
It only took Hong Chengchou more than a day to arrive at this largest city in the Ming Dynasty, which is said to have a population of 3.5 million and is now far larger than the capital.
Looking at this extremely advanced modern city with countless high-rise buildings, neat and reasonable internal layout, no clutter, clean and beautiful.
"It would be great if I had a city like this."
Hong Chengchou sighed secretly.
In fact, he is very familiar with Harbor City. He comes here two to three times a year, either to purchase supplies, to discuss cooperation, or for travel and vacation. He even spends 200,000 silver dollars in the core area less than 3 kilometers away from White Castle.
At a sky-high price, I purchased a three-and-a-half-story villa with a construction area of 366 square meters. In addition to the decoration fee, home appliances and furniture, etc., I spent a total of 500,000 silver dollars as a real estate investment and for my children to study and live abroad.
He himself comes to stay for more than ten days every year, and he and his family have obtained long-term green cards. To a certain extent, he is also from Harbor City and a member of Xujiazhuang. What if one day he loses power and has nothing?
, if Hong Chengchou is allowed to make a choice, he will not return to his hometown in Nan'an, Fujian, but will return to this villa in Harbor City, treating this place as his last resort.
By the way, does he trust Xujiazhuang too much and think too well of Xujiazhuang? What if one day he really fails and falls into despair? If Xujiazhuang does not agree to accept him, but instead adds insult to injury and confiscates his property and villa, then
Wouldn't it be completely finished?
It is not that Hong Chengchou has not considered this possibility. Xujiazhuang is a businessman and not a good person. He pursues profit rather than good reputation. As long as it is profitable, it is not impossible to add insult to injury.
But even if there is such a risk.
He still bought the sky-high price villa in Harbor City.
Most of the deposits are also placed in Tianxiatong Bank.
Railway investment bonds were also bought.
All aspects have been deeply tied to Xujiazhuang.
If Xujiazhuang really planned to mess with him, he wouldn't have to wait until he was in ruins, he could make his life worse than death now and make him miserable.
In this case, he can only have the best wishes and wishful thinking that Xujiazhuang will follow the rules and keep the bottom line, and he is not the only one who bought a villa in Harbor City, Cao Wenzhao, Yang Yufan, Wang Hong, Deng Qi, Zuo Liang
Fifteen generals including Yu invested in real estate in Harbor City, including Qin Liangyu, the chieftain of Shizhu, who also spent thousands of silver dollars to buy a cheap real estate, leaving a way out for his family.
If Xujiazhuang adds insult to injury to him, Hong Chengchou, then everyone will be in danger. Anyone with power will immediately distance themselves from Xujiazhuang, withdraw bank deposits, sell off assets, etc. Xujiazhuang cannot afford such losses - thought
In this regard, Hong Chengchou believes that the risk of deep binding with Xujiazhuang should not be high, and Xujiazhuang will not destroy the Great Wall.
I settled down in my villa and rested for half a day, relieving myself from the fatigue of traveling.
In the afternoon, Hong Chengchou took his staff and cronies to Baibao in person, handed over his identity certificate, and asked to see Master Xu to discuss important matters.
However, Master Xu is not here today.
I only saw Li Jin, one of the six rotating consuls, who took some time to talk to him in the tea hall.
After a brief greeting.
Hong Chengchou got straight to the point: "Li Zongli, Hong came here this time because he has a very big thing to ask for. Shaanxi now has a small population and poor land, constant natural disasters, and very little development potential. If we want to develop, we can only expand externally.
I think the potential of the Western Regions is great. "Oriental Times" has specially introduced it before. The Western Regions are rich in coal mines, iron mines, copper mines, gold and silver mines, jade mines, as well as oil and gas resources that can be used as energy sources, farmland, pastures and forests.
There are quite a few. We can develop the agriculture and animal husbandry industry and plant melons, fruits, cotton and other cash crops in large areas to feed at least tens of millions of people. The only thing that restricts us from entering the Western Regions is the Gobi Desert that stretches for thousands of miles, but now Xujiazhuang
With the ability to build heavy-haul railways, inconvenient transportation will no longer be a problem. If we build a steel road into the Western Region..."
It took more than half an hour.
Hong Chengchou introduced his plan to regain the Western Regions in detail and systematically, which can also be called the plan to conquer the Western Regions.
That is, as long as the heavy-haul railway can be built, he will lead tens of thousands of elite troops into the Western Regions, defeat the unyielding and uncompromising forces, and then use Xujiazhuang's scientific and technological strength to develop various resources in the Western Regions on a large scale, thus making a profit, then
In the future, it is impossible for the Western Regions to escape, and will only become firmly a part of China, which will not only greatly expand the living space of the Chinese nation, but also bring countless benefits.
It's just that Hong Chengchou doesn't have the ability to conquer the Western Regions alone. Unless he gets the full support of Xujiazhuang, he will have enough confidence.
For example, based on the "Haishan Railway", a new heavy-haul railway will be extended from Luoyang, first to Xi'an, then from Xi'an to Baoji, Tianshui, Lanzhou, and then through Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan (i.e.
Hexi Corridor), reaching Hami, Turpan and other places, and penetrating into the interior of the Western Region. The total length of this railway is about 5,000 miles (2,500 kilometers). The cost of road construction is estimated to be about 250 million silver dollars.
expensive.
Although this railway feels very expensive, no one except Xujiazhuang can spend so much money, and the construction period of the railway is estimated to be more than five years, and the payback period is more than ten years, which can be said to be very long.
, not many people have the patience to wait for such a long time.
but!
The Western Region covers an area of at least millions of square kilometers.
It is equivalent to the land area of the entire Ming Dynasty.
Even though there are mostly deserts, Gobis, plateaus and other terrains with few livable areas, the development potential of mineral resources is huge. If you can’t farm the land, you can at least mine a variety of minerals. But in this era of great industrial development, mining
It’s much better than farming.
Therefore, as long as you can conquer the Western Region, it will definitely be profitable, recover all investment costs, and make a lot of money!
After listening to Hong Chengchou's inflammatory introduction.
Li Jin listened to everything.
He listened with great fascination, nodding his head repeatedly, saying "not bad", "makes sense", "I think so too" from time to time, and even directly said: "Your plan is very feasible, I personally support it, but...
"
He changed his words and said: "Such a big thing, such a big investment, the risks in all aspects are not small. My personal support does not count. Once something goes wrong, I cannot bear such a big responsibility, unless the owner of the village
Only by nodding, or if the six rotating governors and their wives all think it is good, and all support and agree, can it be passed."
"When will the owner of the village come back?"
Hong Chengchou asked quickly: "I want to talk to the owner of the village in person. He has always supported external development and should agree."
"I don't know. I may come back tomorrow, or I may come back in ten days and a half month. This is uncertain. However, I will discuss this matter with the other five governors and my wife. If we agree, then
At least half of it is done, and the owner of the village will usually nod."
"Okay, then please let me meet all the governors and ladies, and I will explain my plan again."
"Can."
…
The next day, afternoon.
White Castle, in the high-level strategy conference room.
The six governors of Xujiazhuang: Li Jin, Yang Zhongyuan, Zhao Jinfu, Wu Dabao, Xie Tianqing, and Xu Sheng.
In addition, his wife Fang Qingyan is sitting in the top position.
They were all present today and gave Hong Chengchou an opportunity to explain his plan to conquer the Western Regions, including specific implementation steps, risk factors, profit points, etc., and accepted their questions.
Hong Chengchou had made full preparations in advance, his ideas were very clear, and his plan was extremely feasible. The leaders who listened nodded repeatedly, thinking that it was very good, had great potential, and could definitely be done.
However, Fang Qingyan was not so tolerant of being persuaded, and instead asked several extremely difficult questions in succession.
"Since this project has great potential, and the return is more than ten times and a hundred times, but except for us, Xujiazhuang, you and your Qin army can't accomplish it. In this case, what is your value? Why doesn't Xujiazhuang leave you alone and do this project alone?
?Is there anything irreplaceable about you?"
Such a straightforward and merciless question made Hong Chengchou's face turn red and he felt a little speechless.
But after pondering for a long time, he still raised his head and said honestly: "For Xujiazhuang, I have nothing irreplaceable, but I am the governor of the Qin Army, I am quite powerful in Shaanxi, and I am closest to the Western Regions.
I can get things done more efficiently, so I am definitely the most suitable partner for the development of the Western Region!"
"Okay, even if you are the most suitable candidate."
Fang Qingyan nodded and added: "But the huge investment of 250 million silver dollars and the return cycle of more than ten years show that the rate of return is not very high. It is not even a little bit worse than the other three railway lines, and the various risks are not small. Even if
Xujiazhuang is rich and dare not put such a huge amount of funds into this project with slow results and not particularly bright prospects. We will only consider this project unless we wait a few more years, when the time is more mature and the technology is more advanced."
"Madam, if it's a money problem, I can find a way to solve it myself!"
Hong Chengchou gritted his teeth and said: "Give me three months to half a year, I will find a way to raise 50 million start-up funds, build a thousand miles of railway first, and then raise 50 million next year to build another section of railway...
...Constructed in five-year phases, this Western Region Railway can also be built."
"Fifty million a year? Are you sure you can raise so much money?" Fang Qingyan was surprised. This is not half a million or five million, but a huge sum of fifty million! How can it be so easy just by talking?
Raised?
"I'm sure!"
Hong Chengchou said with a confident look: "The Ming Dynasty's economy has developed rapidly in the past few years. Including Xujiazhuang, the total GDP has increased from two to three billion silver dollars to seventy or eighty silver dollars. This year it will definitely exceed one
Ten billion silver dollars, in three or four years, will it exceed 15 billion or even 20 billion? I think this is completely possible, and the GDP of one to two tens of billions of silver dollars every year, I will find a way to leverage 50 million.
There shouldn’t be much of a problem, but I hope the Oriental Times in Xujiazhuang, which also has a news broadcast, will allow me to place a few promotional ads on it, which will get twice the result with half the effort in terms of fundraising.”
Fang Qingyan nodded. If the ads were advertised using platforms such as "Oriental Times" and News Broadcasting, it would be equivalent to Xujiazhuang's endorsement. It would definitely attract countless funds, inspire people's hearts, and remind the people of the Ming Dynasty of the prosperous times of the Han and Tang Dynasties.
With ambitions and thoughts that transcended the Han and Tang dynasties, people would naturally invest money in this project.
Even if every citizen of the Ming Dynasty supported 1 silver dollar, the land of the Western Regions would have returned through crowdfunding.
Fang Qingyan, who was influenced by Xu Yuan's many views, knew that this trick would definitely be very effective, because national pride is an urgent need for the citizens of a big country.
It can be done.
Hong Chengchou's plan has a high probability of success.
And if he personally completed this Western Region Railway, would Xujiazhuang still make a cent? Xujiazhuang must account for more than 50% of the huge benefits.
After thinking about it, Fang Qingyan said to him: "Let's do this. It's enough for you to personally find a way to raise 50 million silver dollars, which will account for 20% of the shares of the railway and 20% of the operating dividend rights. We, Xujiazhuang, will invest 100 million silver dollars and provide technology.
Support, occupy 80% of the shares of the railway and 40% of the operating dividend rights, and then issue 100 million silver yuan of railway bonds, allowing the merchants of the Ming Dynasty to purchase, accounting for 40% of the operating dividend rights... As for the operation and management of the Western Regions, in addition to allowing
Apart from building a hundred manors in Xujiazhuang, how about leaving the rest to you and Qin Jun? Do you agree with this cooperation plan?"
80% of the railway ownership shares (i.e. controlling interest).
One hundred collective estates.
Regarding these two conditions, Hong Chengchou thought for a moment and nodded without hesitation: "Yes, Hong can agree to this plan!"
He is a person who pursues reality very much. Although most of the controlling rights of the railway are in the hands of Xujiazhuang, without the technical and talent support of Xujiazhuang, it is impossible to build the Western Region Railway. It can only be a fantasy in his mind, so even if
Even if Xujiazhuang takes away 100% of the controlling interest, he will not have any objection.
As for the one hundred manors, they occupy at most three to five million acres of land. The land that can be used for agriculture in the Western Regions exceeds 100 million acres, which is only 23% of the available land. There is no need to feel bad at all.
Nod in agreement.
"Okay, we enjoy working together."
Fang Qingyan was also very satisfied and said with a bright smile.
Li Jin, Yang Zhongyuan and other six rotating consuls also expressed their approval and happiness, but they were a little uneasy because this project was decided and negotiated together with their wives without the owner of the village present.
The various terms are definitely better than those negotiated by the owner of the village in person. The owner is too kind-hearted and easily gives away more benefits. His wife Fang Qingyan is very carefree, but she is more popular with them.
When the village owner comes back and sees them making arbitrary decisions, I wonder if he will get angry and even overturn this project?