Of course, the three-section settlement does not mean unlimited credit release. [Read the latest chapter] The Ministry of Finance and Delong Bank mean that there is a certain amount of loans, which is equivalent to export credit. The quota is subject to adjustment at any time based on import and export conditions. But the credit is interest-free.
As for the currency used for settlement between the two parties, it is designated as Lingao Circulation Notes.
This made Li Luoyou a little embarrassed, and made Master Han even more at a loss - he didn't need free money, but what kind of currency notes did he need? Besides, there is no place to find this thing except Lingao.
Li Luoyou said: "I don't have circulation certificates. Don't you, the nobles, accept money?"
"Our settlement currency here is circulation coupons. Silver or gold is just a commodity." Chen Ce said, "It doesn't matter if you don't have circulation coupons. You transport the goods from the mainland to Lingao for sale, and we pay Isn’t that all you need is the circulation coupon?”
This former employee of the bank's credit evaluation department volunteered as the director of the bank's planning department after the separation and restructuring of Delong. He has been a bank credit reviewer for 7 years. In terms of professionalism, it is normal for him to serve as the director of the credit management department. But he really didn't want to continue with the paperwork work all day long, so he simply applied for a position in the Planning Department.
"This -" This is something new. It doesn't require free money, but goods. What kind of business philosophy is this? When doing business, real gold and silver are important. It is best to have gold and silver. It does not take up space, does not get moldy, and is very convenient for spending or storing.
Those who don’t accept cash are either able to switch to something more profitable locally, or there is no cash at all in the local area. Australians have really strange ideas.
"Is this what you mean," Li Luoyou sorted out his thoughts, "I will transport the goods to Lingao to sell them, and I will use the circulation coupons I earn to buy your goods?"
"Exactly."
"Isn't this unnecessary?" Li Luoyou shook his head, "Why don't we just exchange the goods?"
"Okay, how many pounds of ginseng would you exchange for a mirror?"
He was suddenly speechless. Without the equivalent of coins, it would be difficult to calculate the price at all.
"If this is the case, I have to set up a local store and build a warehouse." Li Luoyou hesitated, "The additional expenses-"
"We will provide you with the land for your business. You only have to pay for the construction of the house, and we will build it." Li Mei was very generous. "In addition, we have an underwriting catalog. As long as you deliver it, we will divide the price according to grade. Buy, no matter the amount.”
As he spoke, he was given the latest version of the package catalogue, which listed thirty-one package items and package prices.
"These thirty-one goods are exempt from all import taxes, and they are all purchased by us at the guide price."
Li Luoyou took a look and saw that coal ranked first. Many of the following were metals: pig iron, wrought iron, copper, lead, Japanese lead, tin, etc.; followed by grain, cloth, cotton, grease, wood, etc. People's livelihood supplies... His eyelids twitched when he saw the last one - horses, donkeys. What do we need horses and donkeys for in Hainan?
"Most of these goods are large in quantity and low in price, and transportation and sales are extremely troublesome." Li Luoyou still has the traditional idea of being a sea trade merchant, and likes things of high value and small items.
"The profit is not big, but the cost for you, the proprietor, is not big either." Li Mei continued to analyze, "Most of these goods can be bought in various places in the south, and you can make money by shipping them over. Besides, the quantity is also large, and you can only make a profit from one package. How many cents you earn adds up to a big sum. Isn’t this profit-free deal good enough? We have based the guide price on Guangzhou’s market price and added a 10% gross profit in it.”
Calculated this way, my profits are not low. Moreover, goods can only be transported to Lingao, which can be transported dozens of times a year, and small ships can also be transported. It's no different than sailing to the South and West. You have to wait for the weather, build a ship that can withstand wind and waves, and spend a lot of money to hire a helmsman who can lead the way.
"As for the goods other than the package purchase, you can transport them for sale. Currently, the customs exempts most goods from import taxes." Li Mei said.
The general merchandise transaction between the two parties was concluded in this way, and it was confirmed that Li Luoyou opened a branch of Liaohai Bank in Lingao to be responsible for local business contacts.
"In addition, we will provide you with export credit."
"Export credit?"
"In case your quota is not enough and you don't have enough cash on hand, and you need to purchase a large amount of goods, we can provide additional export loans with favorable interest rates. However, if it is a product on the restricted export catalog, you cannot get a loan."
With Li Luoyou's money, Guangdong could mobilize more than 100,000 taels of silver at any time with just a note. He originally dismissed the red tape of so-called lines of credit, but since they only accept so-called circulation notes, this set of things has become very useful to him.
The two parties also negotiated on the specific matters of Liaohai branch. Li Luoyou believes that in addition to being used for contact purposes, this semicolon can also be used for some retail business. Judging from the current situation in Lingao, the retail business will have great potential in the future, and now it is time to lay the foundation.
Li Luoyou had already figured out the business habits of Australians during his negotiations with Li Mei and others. When Australians talk about business, they have no feelings, only rules, and don't pay attention to any hints. Everything must be explained clearly in person, and everything must be documented in writing. Therefore, when negotiating, it is necessary to be thorough in all the details of the semicolon. Talk it over.
He already knew that the best market in Lingao was in Dongmen City, so he made it clear that the land must be in Dongmen City.
"Yes, but there are certain area restrictions." Li Mei immediately agreed, "Only 200 square meters of land for construction can be given."
"How big is this?"
"About a third of an acre."
"How are you going to build a cabinet house?" Li Luoyou was very dissatisfied. He didn't want to build a three- or four-story house without even a yard and a pigeon house. "I'll just pay for it."
Li Mei said: "The land price in Dongmen City is very high..."
"How much is one acre? I'll buy ten acres."
"It depends on which plot you want."
"What?" Li Luoyou thought that this group of Australians were really profiteers.
"Dongmen City is now a first-class area in Lingao. Originally, the land price was the highest," Li Mei lost no time in unfolding the Dongmen City planning map. "Look, these streets belong to Class A in the first-class area. The land prices are the highest." The highest. And the plots are generally small. The proprietor wants to buy a plot that is less than ten acres." She pointed on the planning map with her fingers, "If you want to buy a larger plot, why not buy it here? Just now After repairing the road, it will be a little deserted now, but it will be lively in a few months. It has great potential for appreciation."
"Appreciation?" In Li Luoyou's concept, except for rent-collecting fields and profitable forests, ordinary land will not have major ups and downs. Moreover, he bought the land to create a score, so what if the land increased to tens of thousands of taels per mu? Did you sell the semicolon?
After some bargaining, Li Luoyou bought a ten-acre plot of land next to a newly opened street in Dongmen City. One acre of it was donated free of charge by Li Mei on behalf of the Ministry of Commerce.
Chen Ce immediately proposed a request for the two parties to establish a joint exchange business.
Li Luoyou pondered for a while. The money orders issued by Guangzhou Delong Bank have become increasingly popular in Guangdong recently. Their method is nothing more than to adopt a joint account model to establish joint operations among merchants who need to move large amounts of money and pay each other. It is indeed very convenient for users.
However, this joint exchange has great risks. Li Luoyou thought. In the final analysis, a money order is just a piece of paper, which can be used to move funds. There is already such a trend that some merchants will not cash the money orders they receive but re-transfer them for payment. This is certainly convenient, but some people will definitely think of increasing working capital by issuing fake bills of exchange - one hundred taels of silver principal can be used as one thousand taels of liquidity. This kind of trick of spreading flowers by drumming is based on credit. Once there is a problem with a certain issuing firm or accepting firm, there will be a risk of collapse.
This matter cannot be done without caution. He thought twice and decided to refuse. The reason for rejection was not only the financial risks involved. It’s also because the political risks are too great. The Australians can protect themselves in Lingao - he is quite sure of this, but it is hard to say what their industry is on the mainland. If the government turns its back and seizes and confiscates Lingao's properties on the mainland, the losses that the joint company will bear will be devastating.
Of course, whether the government will fall out and to what extent is another matter. After all, neither Delong nor the businesses under Guo Yi's name have ever claimed to be Australian businesses. If Australians have done enough homework and spent their money well, it is possible that the government will ignore these industries or openly promote them, but open them up privately.
But now that the direction of the wind is unclear, there is no need to rush to get involved.
So he declined politely.
This answer surprised Chen Ce. In his opinion, although joint exchange has risks, the benefits it brings to Li Luoyou are greater, and it can definitely be regarded as a "win-win".
However, even if he repeatedly explained to him the risk control and potential benefits of this business, Li Luoyou remained unmoved and looked away from him.
Liu San, the slippery man, was secretly worried, and among the other four goals... he successfully reached a consensus. Only the most important business of Delong Bank has been rejected. Isn't it because of poor negotiation? He winked at Li Mei repeatedly, asking her to join the battle group.
Li Mei is a veteran in the business world. Seeing this situation, she knew that it was useless to talk about it, but instead exposed her own weakness. On the contrary, the other party became suspicious, thinking that there was something wrong with Delong, and was eager to find a strong partner to inject capital.
If shopkeeper Li thinks so, he may have to reconsider even the trade agreement, let alone cooperation with Delong.
So Li Mei intervened and slowly changed the topic to discussing business with Quark.
Quark also received a trade agreement: Quark has the right to sell any kind of Indian and European goods to Lingao, and enjoys the same rights as other traders to exempt some goods from tariffs.
The crossing group stipulated that every ship he brought to Lingao must carry no less than one-third of the total cargo capacity of Indian saltpeter and lac. In addition to this, he must bring in unlimited quantities of woolen wool, carded and dressed wool, tanned sheepskins and cowhide, cotton cloth, cotton, and jute. In addition, 500 boxes of Indian opium are shipped to Lingao every year, packed according to the standard of 20 pounds per box. A total of 1,000 pounds.
"Excessive shipments of opium are not allowed. The quantity must be 500 boxes. The entire amount will be confiscated." Li Mei said, "In addition, opium is not exempt from import taxes."
"That's no problem." Quark thought that opium was not something in short supply. It was trafficked to Ming Dynasty by British businessmen decades ago, and could sell up to two to three hundred boxes a year.
"In addition, there are still several transactions to be made with Mr. Quark, but it is not the time yet." Li Mei said.
"Okay, we'll talk about it later." Quark was very excited.
The terms of trade lifted Quark's spirits. He, a British man, has never found any goods that Ming Dynasty needs. What he can sell is nothing more than spices, seafood and some rare treasures from India and Southeast Asia. His several attempts to sell British woolen cloth and Indian cotton cloth all ended in disastrous failure. Now it was finally possible to export bulk commodities.
The only thing that dissatisfied him was that he had to pay with the required circulation coupons, but when Li Mei told him that he could use the circulation coupons to purchase sugar at the store, the British man rubbed his hands in excitement. Sugar is so popular, and it doesn't need to be transported all the way back to England. It can be obtained by transporting it to Surat. In addition to shipping back to Europe, British merchants could also sell to Persia and Arabia.
That night, Li Luoyou took an abacus and kept calculating which products to sell to get the maximum profit. From a safe point of view, these thirty-one packages are the most suitable for buying supplies. Although the profit is not high, the profit is very stable as long as the other party wants it.
It's a pity that he sells the most profitable things, but the other party is not very interested - Liaodong products such as ginseng and deer antlers are extremely popular on the mainland, but Australians lack interest.
The most important thing is that the other party seems reluctant to sell cannons. According to his idea, money on weapons is the easiest to make. The Portuguese don’t want to sell it
I wonder if Runshitang is interested in these goods? Yang Shixiang should have it. He knew that he had sold this kind of goods to Yang Shixiang. He suddenly thought that since the Australian named Liu San was Runshitang's second owner, he also had a share of Runshitang's profits, and he could open a gap from him.
But this was a long-term job, and he couldn't stay in Lingao for long. He thought about it and suddenly had an idea. Then they called Master Han and Gu Baocheng. As for Quark, there are some things he doesn't need to know.
"Okay, we men have also seen that Australians are different from ordinary red-haired people, and they are also different from our Ming Dynasty." Li Luoyou said, "Baocheng, sit down, tell me, this Australian how?"
"Australians value profits." Gu Baocheng hesitated, "But it seems to my nephew that although they value profits, they also value credit."
"Yes," Li Luoyu said, "Australians do value profits. But this group is different from ordinary Westerners."
Master Han said: "If they were all about profit, they would not refuse to sell cannon to us today."
"It's still unclear whether they are willing to sell it or not," said Li Luoyou. "But looking at the situation today, the purchase of cannons may not be possible - this group of Australians may have other agendas in Lingao."
"The Australians obviously want to separate themselves from Lingao." Gu Baocheng blurted out.
Li Luoyou patted his palms gently with a fan, and nodded after a long time: "We can't guess what they are thinking for a while. But I'm afraid the Australians will stay here for a long time. There is a lot of business to be done." He suddenly Asked Gu Baocheng, "Baocheng, how about you be the shopkeeper of this Lingao semicolon?"
Gu Baocheng probably didn't expect his uncle to ask such a question. Suddenly he was stunned. After a long time he said:
"Since my uncle has cultivated my nephew, he should serve him wholeheartedly."
Master Han knew the position of Young Master Gu in Li Luoyou's heart. He was a person who was more important to him than his son, and was the incense of his wife's natal family. Put him in a remote and Australian territory like Lingao? He quickly advised:
"Master, please think twice, this place is not as good as the mainland -"
"It's not in the way." Li Luoyou said, "It's actually easier to do it here than on the mainland."
The business environment and social environment here in Lingao are relatively simple, and the only people to deal with are Australians. Unlike on the mainland, the shopkeeper needs to be well-rounded and have the means to deal with all kinds of religions to support the facade. Moreover, although Australians value profits, they are by no means unreasonable and rule-abiding people, and they are much better than Westerners.
"You are the shopkeeper here, and I will give you all the rights that a shopkeeper should have." Li Luoyou thought to himself, this child has been with him for a long time. Although he is well-informed, his ability to handle things independently is very limited. It’s hard to say, this is not a long-term solution, there must always be a place to practice alone. After these two days, he was quite satisfied with the social environment in Lingao.
"Yes, my nephew must be very dedicated to his work."
"Well, you have never been on your own. You are going to get married and start a family soon, so you can't always be under my wings. The environment here in Lingao is clearer than on the mainland, and there are less messy things. You are on your own. I feel more at ease." Li Luoyou breathed a sigh of relief, "Just have a good relationship with the Australians and handle the business matters well."
He glanced at his nephew. Then he said: "I will give you an additional one thousand taels of capital for this trade name. In addition to contacting the Australians, you can do whatever business you want. As long as it is not something that is harmful to nature, I will support it. I will pay you for it. It’s not in the way either.”
"Yes," Gu Baocheng said respectfully, "I just need to ask the master to send capable stewards and assistants to assist my nephew."
"You don't have to worry about this. You can choose whoever I have - you choose who you choose." Li Luoyou said, "It doesn't matter if you make the wrong choice, you can still change it if you know it is wrong."
Master Han knew what Li Luoyou meant and no longer tried to dissuade him - it was certainly a good thing to let this young master gain experience. However, he thought it was necessary to remind him: "Sir," he whispered, "this group of Australians want to separatist rule in Lingao. If the imperial court sends troops to attack, Lingao will become a Shura hell..." v! ~!
