Chapter 28 Slave Trade
Luo You thought that the imperial court might not have the ability. [Full text reading] No matter how sharp the Australian firearms are, as far as the Australian defenses in Bopu and the clippers in the strait are concerned, if the imperial court does not dispatch an army of tens of thousands and 1200 warships, I am afraid that the Australians will not even be able to look at it. Too lazy to take a look.
"There's no need to worry. The Australians have strong ships and cannons, so it won't be easy to attack them." Li Luoyou deliberately did not lower his voice. Looking at his nephew's expression and seeing that he was not afraid, he felt that this was feasible.
"Even if there is any trouble, Baocheng, you abandon the shop and leave immediately, I will never blame you, leaving the green hills without worrying about having no firewood. This is not shameful."
"Yes, my nephew will remember my master's teachings."
The three of them discussed again who should be sent to Lingao to help with the work, how to do business in this place, what kind of goods to prepare, how to escape if there was any trouble, and how Guangdong would deal with it before they went to rest.
While the Li family members were discussing matters, Quark was quietly invited to Liu San's office in Weishitang.
He was led by a servant carrying a lantern through the dark alleys and deserted streets. When he was dizzy with twists and turns, he was taken to a courtyard. The courtyard is brightly lit. Liu San, who had just negotiated with him, was waiting in front of the house.
Quark was welcomed into a side room and was surprised as soon as he entered. Why were the lights here so bright? The Yang family wholeheartedly provided the courtyard where Li Luoyu lived. There were more than four candlesticks in the room, and the lights were dim at the same time. However, this room seemed to be lit with dozens of candles.
The light source came from a lamp on the table in the room. A flame was dancing under the glass cover, and the light illuminated the entire room.
The room is very simply decorated, with a Chinese-style desk and several beautiful wicker chairs. In addition to Liu San, there was a young man in the room that he had never seen before. He was of medium to fat build and had an average appearance. He had a scholarly look on his face and wore an airtight face with two pieces of glass inlaid in it. Quark knew they were glasses, but this was the first time he had seen glasses placed directly on his face like this, and he couldn't help but take a few more glances out of curiosity.
The man sat in a chair, silent. He just looked him up and down.
"Mr. Quark, please take a seat." Liu San said with a smile, "We have another deal to discuss. You must be very interested."
"Very good." Quark thought. It was obviously not a good thing to discuss this deal with him alone.
Liu San got up, closed the door of the room, and drew the curtains tightly. Quark saw that Liu San was so secretive and didn't know what to do, so he looked uneasy.
"Mr. Quark, if we want to sit down and discuss business with confidence, we have to be cautious." The young man wearing glasses sitting on the wicker chair suddenly spoke. And he speaks English.
Quark was startled. In this time and space, English is neither an academic language nor a language of nobility, but just one of countless languages in Europe. Very few people outside the UK speak English.
The most painful thing for him when he came to Ming Dynasty was that there were almost no people who could speak English. For this reason, he had to learn Chinese by himself. I have learned Chinese to some extent, but after all I am separated by a layer, and sometimes it is difficult to express meaning. Now I suddenly heard that someone could speak English, and I felt very relaxed.
The differences between Old English and modern British English are still huge. However, the two of them were finally able to communicate smoothly.
This English-speaking person is Xu Tianqi. This person is a college student studying languages. He is proficient in English and German. However, he was of little use after the D-Day and has been reduced to the basic labor force. Later, Ma Qianzhu wanted to develop a mechanical card data management system and needed people. He was seconded to the big library to translate technical materials. After the translation was completed, he became a basic labor force.
After the second plenary session, the majority of the basic labor force expressed excitedly: "Our spring has finally come." Xu Tianqi was officially transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When I arrived at the Foreign Affairs Department, there wasn't much to do. The main job was to translate technical information. This time I have a formal job.
"Mr. Quark, have you ever sold slaves?"
Quark shook his head: "This is a very dangerous business."
The slave trade is a hugely profitable business. Even if half of a shipload of slaves die on the way, you can still make a profit of several hundred percent. But the risks involved are extremely high. Ships had to stop at slave trading stations in Africa to wait for slave traders to deliver their slaves. During this period, many people would contract terrible fevers and die. The profits of this trade were too high, and people were spying on them everywhere, attacking slave ships and traders. Things happen frequently. If you were captured by the Spaniards on the way to South America, everyone from the captain to the sailors would probably be hanged alive or handed over to the religious court. Even if you abandon your faith and convert to Catholicism, you will have to serve many years of slave-like hard labor before you have a chance. Get away.
Those who dare to engage in this kind of trade are the boldest, most ruthless and most unscrupulous people. Quark never thought of running this kind of business when he was at his lowest.
"Now there is an opportunity -" Liu San explained through Xu Tianqi his business of trafficking Southeast Asian natives to Sanya. "...We pay for the natives you trafficked to Sanya in sugar, tea or raw silk."
Quark hesitated and said: "You need slaves, I understand this. But why do you need these natives? They are short, lazy, and very cruel. They are not suitable for work."
"Are any slaves lazy or cruel?" Xu Tianqi asked.
Quark nodded: "Okay. But it's a bit difficult to capture slave trafficking."
"This is calculated within your cost." Liu San said, "I believe that British businessmen are troubled by finding a suitable trade port with China."
British merchants had no foothold in Southeast Asia and had to operate in Dutch territory. What the Dutch wanted was a monopoly on trade with China. They first caused friction in Banten, and then killed eight British people in Ambon. The British hold a grudge and shout about the "Ambon Massacre" every day. They want to use this righteous excuse to retaliate against the Dutch. However, the British's strength in East Asia is negligible and they are no match for the Dutch. As for the Portuguese and Spanish, they are deeply entrenched in East and Southeast Asia. Even the Dutch cannot attack them, let alone the British.
"You mean-"
"Please take a look." Liu San opened a map of the South China Sea.
"Did you draw this map?" Quark was greatly surprised. This map was so beautifully drawn. Not only was it exquisite, but it also mapped out many coastlines that had not been mapped before and were purely speculative.
"Yes," Liu San said. The map was a first-level controlled item. He didn't want to dwell on this issue. "This is Qiongzhou Prefecture." He pointed to Hainan Island.
"We are here." He pointed to Lingao County.
"Are you going to open this place as a free trade port?" Quark asked.
"No, not here. Lingao is still lacking as a trading port." Liu San said, "To be precise, it is here." He pointed to the southern tip of Hainan Island.
"There's nothing here," Quark said.
"No, there is one of our ports here." Liu San said, "As long as you transport the slaves there, we will pay you the best white sugar, rock sugar, and raw silk."
"You have a port there?" Quark exclaimed exaggeratedly. Although he didn't know the name of this place, judging from its geographical location, it was the only way from mainland China to Southeast Asia, and its geographical location was very advantageous. Compared with Formosa occupied by the Dutch, this place is closer to mainland China. It is very convenient for British merchant ships to dock here.
If a warehouse were set up in this place... the gold in front of Quark's eyes began to fly again.
"I want to see it myself. As for the slaves..." Quark still hesitated. Although the slave trade was extremely profitable, it was not easy to get started. Unlike African slaves, a chain of production, supply and marketing has been formed. There is no such industry in Southeast Asia. If Quark wants to do it, he has to build a chain himself.
Following the African model, several local chiefs had to be bribed to capture slaves, exchange goods for captives, and establish a local trading post for hoarding slaves. This trading post must have considerable defense capabilities to avoid attacks from jealous colleagues or local chiefs who may stab you in the back at any time.
This is a huge expense. Quark calculated the approximate cost. Finally he shook his head:
"I can't do this deal. The initial investment cost is beyond my ability to bear." In order to prove that what he said was true, he listed the various investments needed to Liu San one by one.
"I want to build or buy ships, and I also need to hire enough people to handle various affairs; the trading post needs to be fortified, and I need to buy cannons and weapons, equip a small garrison, and give it to the local chiefs. Give me valuable gifts, otherwise they won’t bother to catch slaves for me, let alone give me a place to build a trading post.”
"We will give you a patent certificate for the slave trade." The commerce and diplomacy departments have already considered it. "We will grant you a monopoly on the slave trade in Sanya for a period of five years."
Patent Certificate Quark's eyes lit up. With this patent certificate, he can use it to organize a joint-stock company, raise shares, attract more businessmen to participate in the transaction, and the financial problem can be easily solved.
"How about it? If you have this, you can set up a joint-stock company." Liu San seemed to know what he was thinking.
"Yes, if there is such a patent, the funding problem will be much easier to handle." Quark is no longer interested in Li Luoyou's construction of the gun factory - this kind of thing can't be paid as quickly as the slave trade.
"But it will take a long time." Quark said, "I have to go to Surat once to raise shares. I also need to buy a ship and recruit people, and I will not be able to transport the first batch of slaves until the end of this year."
At the end of the year, the infrastructure construction in Tiandu will be basically completed, mining will begin, and the first batch of slaves will arrive and be put into use.
"Yes, but you have to hurry up. If you cannot transport the first batch of slaves before the end of December this year, the patent certificate will be invalid."
Quark saw that the money was ahead of him but he had to wait for more than half a year. He couldn't help but feel anxious and angry. He immediately promised: "Okay, I promise it will arrive."
"This patent certificate only covers Southeast Asian natives. In addition, you are not allowed to traffic other slaves. Unless we ask." Liu San warned, "As long as other people are included once, the patent certificate will be invalid."
"I request to set up a warehouse in this - San...Ya." Quark then made the request.
"Yes. Since this is a trading port, merchants are welcome. As long as you act in accordance with our laws."
At the same time, at night, a state affairs meeting was held in Baiji City to discuss whether to sell arms to Li Luoyu.
Most people are opposed to selling arms: the dangers of selling high-quality weapons to a potential enemy are self-evident. In the event that the Ming Dynasty comes to invade and suppress the enemy, the people across the border do not want to taste the 12-pound shells of the Napoleon cannon that they cast themselves. If Li Luoyou were resold to Liaodong, the consequences would be even more serious - it would seriously damage the balance of the continent. Historically, the Guan Ning Army was a transport team that lost many firearms to Hou Jin. Moreover, the Dengzhou Rebellion that would occur in a few years would cause a large number of firearms, soldiers who used firearms, and technicians to fall into the hands of the Qing Dynasty. , Hou Jin then began to make his own red cannon. If Li Luoyou resells, the advantage of firearms will be tilted towards Hou Jin earlier. It’s also not known that the Ming Dynasty’s defense that relied on firearms might collapse.
Some people think that inferior cannons can be made with slightly better performance than Hongyi cannons, and better-quality matchlocks can also be sold in batches. A weapons workshop was opened specifically to supply Daming.
"Comrades, making weapons requires metal. We still rely on imports of iron and copper, which are strategic materials. How much pig iron or bronze does a cannon use? Have you ever calculated it? Guangzhou Station worked hard to buy it, and we have caused Selling the cannons again - this is too strange. We don't lack the money." Ma Qianzhu said, "And the production of artillery and guns also requires energy, whether it is electricity or coal, it is not enough. .”
"How about processing supplied materials? How much copper, iron, and coal does Li Luoyou need to produce for one cannon? And he needs to pay extra..."
"It doesn't mean much." Zhan Wuya said: "Don't forget that making cannons also consumes workers' working hours and mechanical losses. These are all costs."
So the export of weapons was vetoed. Someone proposed to export the high-production Type 3o revolver. This kind of gun consumes very little metal and man-hours, and the ammunition cannot be obtained either from Ming Dynasty or Houjin. If you want to use it, You have to buy it from Lingao, it is easy to jam the opponent from the ammunition.
"In addition, revolvers cannot be used to kill enemies in battle. In the eyes of the natives, they are nothing more than a magical thing. It will definitely be very popular for generals and civilians to buy one for self-protection."
"That's fine, but people may not want it. You know this is a strange and ingenious thing. Li Luoyou is not stupid, so he naturally knows that it won't be of much use. You can't buy much."
"What else? I'm afraid that one day when a certain veteran is watching a play, a Jinyiwei agent will quietly come from behind and hit him on the head with a 3o revolver." Wu Mu, who attended the meeting, said. He was acting as a representative of the General Administration of Political Security to assess the political security of arms sales.
It was finally decided not to sell arms. Wu De said that he could consider helping Li Luoyou establish a gun factory.
"Aren't cannons sold to artillery factories?" Cheng Dong said he couldn't understand, "Why do I feel that I am putting the cart before the horse?"
"Strictly speaking, we sell some simple equipment. Appropriate diffusion technology." Wu De's suggestion was to take advantage of Li Luoyou's opening of a gun factory and sell him simple industrial processing equipment.
"For example, the bore of the cannon is bored and rounded, which is not available in traditional Chinese cannon-making technology. If we sell a few special artillery boring machines, we can greatly improve their ability to imitate Hongyi cannons. The power has improved, but the improvement It is limited, does not affect our own security, and will not have a great impact on the balance of the continent."
In addition to artillery boring machines, he also proposed iron mold casting technology. This technology can improve the yield of artillery and make the gun body more durable. At the same time, the production efficiency of artillery is improved.
"Iron mold casting is not an advanced technology in the field of artillery production. After we produce our own artillery, we mainly use the Rodman method and integral casting and deep drilling. Giving the iron mold casting technology to Li Luoyou will not have any impact on our technical advantages. Influence."
In addition, there are blowers, which are also equipment that can improve production efficiency.
"As for power, do we still need to provide a steam engine?"
"At this stage, we will supply hydraulic turbines or windmills first," Wu De said. "Of course, we must provide transformers, otherwise neither of these will be usable."
"What good will these equipments do to us after they are sold?" Ma Qianzhu didn't quite understand.
"Selling artillery and arms consumes resources, and selling machinery and equipment also consumes resources."
"We can sell services. Given the quality of the parts we manufacture, Li Luoyou will probably go crazy when he sees the maintenance bill." Zhan Wuya said.
"We can't just think about making money. As for the consumption of resources, we should look at it this way. Selling cannons to Chongzhen is a net consumption, selling machines is a kind of blood production," Wu De said, "We can't always produce everything by ourselves, right? This is very unfair. Economy. Sooner or later, some production areas must be opened to the private sector. Since it is open to the private sector, of course we do not want them to continue to use traditional manual manufacturing methods, otherwise our equipment manufacturing industry will never develop - lack of enough orders. "
Anyone who has seen many factories will be impressed by the production efficiency of industrialization. Yang Shixiang is already eager to try to convert the pharmaceutical factory to mechanization, but the local economic power of Lingao is too weak, and few people have the funds to invest in industry. Industry will occupy a large number of people. The labor force is already in short supply, and if the demand from private industry increases, the population bottleneck will become even more prominent.
If the nearby Pearl River Delta, which has a large amount of capital and a large population, also joins this industrialization process, Lingao's equipment manufacturing industry will be greatly developed. And it will form a dependence on Lingao Industry. The supply, maintenance and upgrade of machinery and equipment all depend on Lingao's industry. m! ~!
