If this continues, he can only be satisfied with being a dealer in Dongmen City, selling goods from the north and south of the mainland. Of course, the life of a rich man with dough balls is not bad. However, for an ambitious person like Lin Quan'an, how can
Are you willing to enjoy such a small situation?
Doing business also requires innovation and change!
Just as he was thinking about this, someone walked into the closet. Lin Quan'an opened his eyes and recognized his neighbor and tenant Lin Li. Lin Li was a "lucky guy" like him, and they were from the same village, and they had a bit of a relationship with each other.
Man Qin, the two of them came to Gao in the same boat to make a living. The dozens of acres of garden land and paddy fields that Lin Quan'an bought in the countryside were cultivated by tenants.
Lin Li used to be a hawker like him. After he succeeded in doing business with the Australians, many adventurous hawkers followed in his footsteps and bought vegetables, pigs and sheep for the Australians. However, after Lin Li made a little money, he
I bought more than 20 acres of rice fields, built a house, brought my wife and family to Laigao, and made a living by farming.
Of course, it was difficult for a family to live on more than a dozen acres of land. After Lin Quan'an became prosperous, he bought his own garden land and even rented it to him.
Linli saluted. He was holding a basket in his hand, and inside the basket were eggs carefully wrapped with straw rope. Two chickens, with their feet tied, were struggling beside his feet.
"Old Lin, is that you?" He said pleasantly. Lin Li was his old partner. Although he later stopped doing business and switched to farming, he was still a friend of the poor and the poor. "How are you doing lately? Isn't this spring very good?"
"Okay, okay, thanks to you, sir." Lin Li looked at the "master" in front of him with half envy and half regret - this man, like him three years ago, wore local homespun clothes, with shoulders
Wearing a thick patch on his face and a broken straw hat that no one else wanted, he carried a load and walked dozens of miles to sell goods and buy local products in each village. In less than three years, the identities of both parties had become the same.
The difference between mud.
If I had not bought land and built a house back then, but had continued to do business with him, my family fortune would not have been much smaller. After all, this old friend from the past still had some kindness, and not only gave him the garden land as a shareholding
He planted the seeds, and besides requiring him to provide daily firewood, vegetables, chickens, ducks, and rice, he received almost no rent. At last, he could make do with his life.
Thinking of this, he sighed silently - he was confused at the time, always thinking that the Australians would not stay long, and it was serious to earn a few money to buy land and build a house safely. He did not expect that the situation of the Australians would get worse and worse.
Lin Quanan knew what he was thinking. He coughed, thanked him, and started talking about serious matters.
"Are all the workers ready? Can our work be completed in three nights?"
"Everything is ready. There are enough workers - myself, my wife, and my eldest son, who is fourteen this year and can do some odd jobs." He blinked and said, "Master,
Do you really want to do this?”
"Of course." Lin Quan'an said politely and kindly, "I'm not afraid of 10,000, just in case. I can't see clearly in this situation."
He warned again: "Just do it at night, don't do it during the day."
"During the day, no one walks near my yard - it's so deserted!"
"It's better to be careful," Lin Quan'an said.
Lin Quan'an told Lin Li to do what he was going to do, which was to dig a cellar in his yard - he certainly didn't hide any gold or silver in this cellar - Lin Li was not yet trustworthy enough to do so.
He hid dry grains, pickles and bacon. Ten stones of rice, a jar of pickles, and several pickled pig legs. Enough to last for several months.
In addition to this place in the forest, he had also made such arrangements in advance in several other places. This was so that he would have a hiding place in case the government troops came to conquer and the whole county fell into chaos.
Lin Quan'an felt that the Australian army might not be able to win with the strength of the Australians, but once the war reached a stalemate, life would be very difficult for the people. Rich people like him would definitely become the target of people from all walks of life.
During the chaos, he took his family and hid in these places. With these things, he was able to survive for a few months, waiting for the situation to become clearer before reappearing.
As for the large sums of property, he has already found a suitable place for them, so that they can be hidden without a trace if there is any disturbance.
In the past few years, he has quietly bought hundreds of acres of land in neighboring counties and now all of it has been farmed out as tenants. If he really can no longer survive in Lingao, he can still escape to a neighboring county and work as a small grain farmer.
All in all, Lin Quan'an's idea was "a cunning rabbit with three holes".
After sending Lin Li away, Lin Quan'an began to think about another thing. Last night, Chief Xiong suddenly arrived at the Dongmen City Chamber of Commerce and asked to see him by name.
Along with Chief Xiong came another chief. This man's surname was Jiang, and his official title was said to be "Director." Lin Quan'an already knew a little about the Australian bureaucracy. He knew that the biggest one was called the Executive Committee, and then the People's Commissar or Minister.
Those who are called bureau chiefs or directors are slightly inferior. Chiefs without hats are ordinary people - Australians have a nice saying, called elders - although they are neither old nor round.
Jiang Shan inquired about his business situation, asked him what difficulties he had and what he needed help with. Lin Quan'an talked to him about his recent situation and his current situation - he was supported by the Australians.
, I firmly believe that I am still useful to Australians. Otherwise, there is no need to come and say such things to him.
"How big the market can be when doing business in Hainan Island," said Director Jiang. "The right way is to go to the mainland."
Director Jiang then came up with a very tempting idea: the Australians planned to support him in doing business on the mainland and opening a business. They would also provide him with various preferential treatment in terms of funds and goods. They would even seek official support for him.
.The premise is that he must completely obey the command of the Australians.
Lin Quan'an was confused by this request. Of course it is good to make money by doing business, but why do you have to come forward by yourself? He has no power on the mainland to rely on - if he had, he would not have left his family alone to come to Lingao.
Become a shooter.
"We are not people from the Ming Dynasty, and we look and talk quite differently. It will save you a lot of trouble if you come forward." Jiang Shan explained.
This explanation was reasonable, but Lin Quan'an had a vague feeling that things were not that simple.
The business Jiangshan asked him to come forward to establish on the mainland was the North-South Cargo Company - this was a big business in the commercial field of the Ming Dynasty. Not only did he need a large amount of liquid money to purchase goods from various places throughout the year, but he also needed to travel from north to south every year.
The transportation of various local products requires a lot of dealings with foot shops, boat shops, horse and carriage shops, and escort agencies. It cannot be done unless a businessman with great ability and money can do it.
Naturally, the profit here is also high. Goods from the north to the south are "two-way profits". Pay attention not to go short. Goods from the south are shipped to the north, and goods from the north are sold to the south. One trip is double the profit.
Lin Quan'an's business has expanded in recent years, and his horizons have broadened a lot. He has also learned a lot about various businesses. He estimated that if he wanted to run a business selling goods from the north to the south, he would have to invest at least fifty thousand taels of silver.
Of course he can get the money, but this is almost all his assets. If he fails, it will be difficult to make a comeback. Lin Quan'an knows that he is a "hero made by the times". He just seized the opportunity and made good use of it.
.If we fail this time, it is hard to say whether we will have such a good opportunity again.
Jiang Shan didn't ask for a reply at that time and asked him to go back and "think about it".
"I'll come for a visit tomorrow," Commander Jiang said with a smile, "I think Shopkeeper Lin won't miss such a good opportunity."
If I agree, this opportunity is indeed good. I originally wanted to go to the mainland, but I was afraid that I would not have the power behind me. Now that I have the support of the Australians, my worries in this regard will be alleviated. But how long can the Australians stay in Lingao?
Woolen cloth?
Because of this matter, he tossed and turned in bed all night yesterday, but still couldn't make up his mind.
Lin Quan'an is no longer the Lin Quan'an of the past. In the past, he was a lonely bachelor who was not afraid of anything. Now that he has a family and a career, he has begun to look forward and backward.
"Do it!" He finally made up his mind.
If he hadn't risked his life and carried a load of vegetables to Bairentan to sell, and if he hadn't been a guide for the Australians to Goujiazhuang, how could he have the family business he has today? Lin Li also did business with the Australians back then - he liked it when he saw it
Now he is reduced to a tenant, living on his own scraps.
If I didn't seize this opportunity, I would just live in a more comfortable forest in the future! After asking for ideas, I asked someone to book a banquet at the cooperative restaurant and wait for Chief Jiang to come to discuss business.
Unexpectedly, Jiangshan was not the only one to come in the afternoon. His old acquaintance Xiong Buyou and another elder he did not recognize - he introduced himself as Si Kaide.
They seemed certain he would agree to the business venture.
"Three years ago, when we first arrived in Lingao, there was a man-eating monster with red eyebrows and green beard. You dared to come to our door with a load of vegetables to sell. Don't you have the guts to do business on the mainland now?" Xiong Buyou laughed.
Let's talk.
Negotiations on cooperation with the Australians went smoothly. The two parties agreed to jointly establish a new trade company, named "Wanyou". The head office of this trade company will not be located in Lingao, and the specific location is to be determined. The convenience of the canal will be used to traffic goods from the north to the south.
goods.
The capital of "Wanyou" is set at 100,000 taels, calculated in silver. Lin Quan'an contributed 50,000 taels, accounting for 45% of the share capital, and the Australians contributed 50,000 taels, accounting for 51% - the extra 6% was provided by the Cross-Travel Group
Remuneration for various logistics and security support. The other 4% is official shares. The profits shared are used for employee benefits and entertainment expenses.
The two parties agreed that all investment funds should be deposited into the company account opened at Delong Bank within one month. All future money transactions will be conducted through Delong's bills. This approach is of course convenient and safe. But for the Cross Group, it is equivalent to
Fifty thousand taels of silver were withdrawn free of charge at one time. As for the investment from Chuan Chuan Group, it was just a debit.
In terms of business management, Lin Quan'an serves as the manager of the store, and the elder serves as the chief shopkeeper. The elders control the personnel and financial power. Lin Quan'an knows that in this business, he is mostly just serving as a Bodhisattva, and he may need to come out to socialize. So for this
There is not much debate. Anyway, the ability of Australians to make money is only greater than themselves, not less than themselves. Moreover, the other party made a promise of "guaranteed capital and dividends". That is, if the transaction loses capital, he will not enjoy the dividends, and the principal will be preserved;
If there is a profit, the dividends will be distributed in proportion. The worst result is just a loss of interest for several years - speaking of which, there is no place in Lingao for him to lend money and earn interest.
The two parties initialed a memorandum, and then agreed to formally sign the agreement three days later and have it notarized and archived—this business practice is now being promoted across Lingao.
"We don't understand the trading of goods from the North to the South. I wonder if Shopkeeper Lin has any advice?" Skade asked. As a staff member of the Ministry of Colonization and Trade, he was far more enthusiastic about this matter than the Intelligence Bureau.
"North-South goods are a very profitable business," Lin Quan'an said, "but I don't know much about it. I just heard people talk about it."
Lin Quan'an's idea was that Wanyou would set up a main account in Yangzhou, and then set up a branch office in Nanjing, Jingshi, Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Setting up a head office in Yangzhou facilitates transportation. The profit from north-south goods is the regional price difference. And this price difference is very large. You can buy a basket of dried bamboo shoots in Fujian for only a few dollars in the local area, and transport it to the capital for just a few dollars.
It’s a pound. The Dongting red oranges in Suzhou and the tangerines in Fuzhou are so abundant during the production season that they have to be dumped and transported to the north to become delicacies of the south. Sea cucumbers and shark fins, in Shandong, only cost enough money to be transported to Jiangnan and the capital to become delicacies.
tasty……
However, in the past, large quantities of goods were transported north and south by canals in addition to mule carts. Specifically, they were transported by canal boats. Every year, the canal army was allowed to carry private goods on board the canal boats when transporting grain.
, bringing goods is an important income for the Cao Army.
Yangzhou is an important port on the canal where the north and south meet. With a general number here, whether goods are transported from the north to the south or goods from the south to the north, you can contact the nearest water ship for transportation, and remittances and letters can also be delivered by water ships. It is very
convenience.
As for the location of the four branch offices, firstly, they are bustling commercial goods distribution centers. Not only is the transportation convenient, but the residents' consumption level is also high. It is used to sell goods in stores, and it is very convenient for both retail and wholesale. Secondly, you can set up a business or business here.
Send people to purchase nearby local products. Take Hangzhou as an example, not only can you purchase various local products from the Zhejiang and Zhejiang regions nearby, but starting from here via the Huihang Road, you can go deep into the mountainous areas of southern Anhui to purchase tea, dried bamboo shoots and other mountain products.
Go straight to Fujian and purchase various local products from Fujian.
“Why not go by sea?”
Lin Quanan was stunned. He had never thought of transporting goods from Jiangnan to the capital by sea. After all, the flow of materials and people between the two places had always been via canals.
"I don't know about that." Lin Quanan shook his head, "I've only heard people say that shipping by sea is difficult. If there are storms and waves, everything will go bankrupt in an instant. We would rather use water boats. Even if a few of them sink on the way, it won't happen."
completely annihilated."
"Cattle boats are very slow."
"Yes! The canal is not only slow, but also has serious drawbacks during the process." Lin Quan'an said. He has heard of many tricks on the canal. From the beginning of the shipment, there are all kinds of extortion, theft, and bad regulations. Along the way, people "rely on the water to draw water" to eat the canal.
I don’t know how many people there are.
"But the merchants can just hand it over to the Cajun army to transport the goods. They will handle all the negotiations during the period. It only costs a few extra dollars for freight."
"Isn't there money in this?" Si Kaide thought. If the freight from Jiangnan to the capital could be changed to sea transportation, and part of the cargo transportation business in the canal could be snatched away, not only would the Crossing Group be able to make a lot of money, but it would also be a good exercise.
By building a fleet across the north and south, the army will have ready-made ships and sailors available for future maneuvers at sea, and routes along the way can be developed early.
In this case, it would be better to locate the main account in Shanghai.
Shanghai is the junction of China's north and south shipping. It is very convenient for ships to go to sea, whether heading north to Tianjin, Liaodong, south to Guangdong and Fujian, or even penetrating into various inland provinces.
Going up the Yangtze River from Shanghai, you can easily reach the Huguang area, China's main grain-producing area. If you occupy this golden waterway in China, you can use the Yangtze River as a transportation hub to penetrate to both sides of the strait. You can continuously absorb the rich local products and human resources.
, sells large quantities of goods.
…
If the Crossing Group wanted to engage in trade with Japan, it would be more convenient to start from Shanghai than from the Jinxia area occupied by Zheng Zhilong.
Zheng Zhilong's goods shipped to Japan include raw silk and silk products as the largest items, followed by cloth, daily necessities and medicinal materials. These products are produced in large quantities in the Jiangnan area and can be purchased and shipped nearby. In terms of freight, they are also higher than those of Zheng Zhilong Group, which is located in a corner of Fujian.
Comes cheap...
In fact, Si Kaide is still thinking about shipping grain to the Ming Dynasty. Every year, millions of grains of grain are shipped from the south of the Yangtze River. If he can handle this, his income will be huge.
However, this idea is too far-reaching, and I'm afraid it won't be possible for a while.
The two parties had discussed and decided, and each party made preparations on their own. Lin Quan'an immediately made a request that if he wanted to go out to work in the headquarters, he would need to bring his wife, concubine, and their children, and other family members could stay in Lingao.
Of course Jiang Shan agrees - this is a reasonable request. Lin Quan'an actually has another plan: to take this opportunity to transfer part of his family's population and property - this is still a cunning idea.
"It's a pity that your son is too young, otherwise he could be your helper." Jiang Shan didn't know what he had in mind.
"I need more support from the leaders in the future." Lin Quan'an said very politely.
Wanyou established by Lin Quan'an was called Shanlu in Lingao's intelligence bureau system. It was codenamed "Golden Name". Based on many meetings and discussions between the Foreign Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Colonial Trade, and taking into account the dual considerations of trade and intelligence, the decision was made
The future mainland intelligence-trade system will refer to the organization method of Zheng Group back then.
Except for a period of time after being appeased in the late Ming Dynasty, the Zheng Group's actions at sea were suppressed by the Ming court in the early stage and blocked by the Manchu Qing Dynasty in the later stage.