Section 30 Offering and soliciting bribes
Finally, at Li Luoyou's request, Liu San took them to the power workshop to show him the "power of water vapor." Li Luoyou was startled by the boilerman who was all black and had only two white eyes. They were in front of the boiler. Continuously filling the blazing furnace with black coal. As for the big iron box called the "boiler", there are wisps of white water vapor scattered everywhere.
The rotation of the steam engine's piston, connecting rod, and flywheel made Luoyou Li and Quark stare at each other in silence for a long time. The shock reflected by such a powerful "power" is too great.
If the Australians had built such a cannon factory for the Ming Dynasty... Li Luoyou then shook his head, how could this be possible? Not to mention that Wang Zunde couldn't afford the money. Even if the court was allowed to run it, I'm afraid the allocation alone would cost the court. There was a lot of noise.
This gun factory is worth at least one million taels of silver. Besides, where do so many craftsmen come from? The craftsmen I hired in Foshan made the machines.
Thinking of this, he was already losing interest. It seems that this trip: there is no hope of buying a cannon, and there is no hope of setting up a cannon factory. The deal negotiated with the Australians is certainly good, but I have already made a lot of money, and another hundred thousand taels a year will be nothing more than that.
Because my interest was waning, I simply lost interest in continuing to visit that day. I excused myself from feeling unwell and went back to Runshitang.
After Liu San sent them back, he immediately went to the executive committee and reported the entire situation, and also told Li Luoyou about his attempt to bribe him.
"He seemed to become very depressed after seeing our arsenal."
"Probably because they think we can control the power of ghosts and gods, they are very frightened." Wen Desi said, "Looking at the information from the intelligence department, this Boss Li has the potential to be a famous fan. After looking at the production process, he probably has the idea that the Ming Dynasty will die. Premonition.”
"Aren't you asking for trouble if you do this? They will bring Daming to suppress them right away."
"Invasion? He paid for the army and provided food for the army?" Wu De sneered, "It wouldn't be bad to let the government know about our strength. At least let them know that this place is not that easy to eat."
"I think you can definitely accept his bribe." Wu Nanhai happened to be working in the compound and took the opportunity to fight. "I said that after your hard work and movement, I finally agreed to build a monkey version of the artillery factory. For this reason, you exercised your willpower." The committee members spent countless favors..."
"Okay, stop joking." Ma Qianzhu interrupted Wu Nanhai's idea of "increasing assets in disguise", "The impression we give people now is that we must be honest and honest, and it is not worth discrediting ourselves for this."
"I think so too." Liu San thought that the ginseng might be in trouble now.
That night, Liu San came to visit Li Luoyou with a mysterious expression and told him: As mentioned above, selling cannons is not possible, but he can sell him equipment for a cannon factory.
Li Luoyou was stunned. This was what he had always wanted. As the saying goes, "It is better to teach a man to fish than to teach him to fish." However, after seeing the cannon foundry yesterday, he had completely given up such illusions... He couldn't afford the gun factory even if he lost all his money.
"Thank you Third Master for your troubles and your kindness. There is probably nothing I can do for you in this artillery factory." Li Luoyou smiled bitterly and cupped his hands, "Before I came to Lingao, I thought I was well-informed. Only yesterday I realized that I It’s the frog in the well”
Liu San was stunned. She thought he was going to burst into tears of gratitude to her, but she didn't expect him to say these words. The implication was obviously that he was too expensive. Thinking about it again, the thing I saw yesterday was indeed too powerful, and there was a misunderstanding.
"This is a simple artillery factory." Liu San gestured for a long time. He was not from an engineering background, and he was facing a native of this time and space... Li Luoyou didn't know anything about science. If it comes to algebraic geometry, He is probably better than Liu San, who returned all high school mathematics to his teacher, but he knows nothing about industrial production.
After struggling to explain for a long time, Li Luoyou finally understood what he meant: the Australians were willing to provide a set of simple equipment at a level that Daming could adapt to. This set of equipment can completely produce cannons in Foshan, and the production quality and efficiency are higher than those produced by local methods.
"Is it an Australian cannon that was built?"
Li Luoyou has never seen Australian artillery fire, but he has heard a lot about it: what is particularly accurate and how far it can hit? One cannon can be fired dozens of miles or something like that. Yesterday, he saw the production process at the cannon foundry, which also gave him the feeling that the cannon was extremely powerful. If it was just an Australian version of the Hongyi cannon, they wouldn't need to be so meticulously crafted.
"This set of equipment is specially prepared for making Hongyi cannons," Liu San said. "Of course it will still be a Hongyi cannon, but it will be more useful than the red-haired man's."
"That's it." Li Luoyou was slightly disappointed. But then I thought about it and realized that I was setting up a foundry in Foshan to make Hongyi cannons. This trip was worth the money.
A contract was then proposed by the foreign trade department. It is stipulated that Lingao will provide Li Luoyou with a complete set of equipment and production technology of the simple artillery factory, and will be responsible for installation and training of workers, as well as one-year maintenance and spare parts services. The total contract value is equivalent to fifty thousand taels of Kuping silver.
Li Luoyou gasped when he saw the quotation. It was more expensive than the British gun factory equipment quoted by Quark. Quark's valuation equipment plus shipping cost was 40,000 Spanish double-column silver coins. The craftsman made another calculation: the highest one is only two hundred and twenty taels of silver during the new year. The minimum is one hundred taels a year. The total labor cost is less than 2,000 per year.
I'm afraid Wang Zunde won't be able to earn back this investment even if he builds cannons for ten years. Not to mention his own investment in this project, it caused a problem as to when Cannon Guangdong Chief Envoy could pay him back the full amount.
Li Luoyou was entangled in his heart between his loyalty to the emperor, his patriotism and his businessman nature for a long time. I haven't been able to make up my mind.
"Is it true that we can't sell cannons?" He still hopes to buy cannons directly. Fifty thousand taels can buy a lot of cannons. The effect of shipping Australian cannons back will definitely be more conspicuous than buying back a set of equipment. Although most of the money is advanced by oneself, there is also a sense of government supervision and business management. I did things in the name of the government with great fanfare, but the results were not obvious, and the chief envoy's face didn't look good. There were many people in Wang Zunde who were jealous of his mission, so he became a big handle at the time.
"In principle, it's not possible." Liu San said in an official tone. Li Luoyou looked like he had eaten a bitter melon, and it was obvious that his body ached for money.
"Allow Li to think about it again."
That night, Liu San returned to his office in Runshitang. He just wanted to take a rest, take a bath, and have fun with Xuan Chun in the evening... The relationship between the two grew stronger, and Xuan Chun gradually started to let go. Much more active than lying down and letting him do his thing. Just as he was thinking about something new to do in the evening, Fu Wuben suddenly reported: Master Han is here to pay his respects.
"Master Han?" Liu San was surprised. This man was Li Luoyou's accompanying master. Why did his confidant suddenly come to visit him?
"Please."
As he was talking, Master Han came in. Master Han was around fifty years old. His eyelids had always been drooped, and he seemed to be listless. Only occasionally did his eyelids shine.
"Third Master," Master Han bowed to the end. Very polite, "Students are here to make trouble."
He spoke Mandarin, but his accent had a hint of southern Fujian dialect. He was followed by two servants, carrying food boxes.
"Easy to say, easy to say." Liu San quickly returned the greeting and asked him to sit down in the main room.
"The good Wuyi tea brought by the proprietor was a tribute to the emperor. The student saw that the tea here was not very good, so he borrowed flowers to offer to the Buddha and share it with the three masters."
As he said that, the two servants were already busy opening the tea sets and stoves one by one. Liu San took a look and realized that this was the so-called Kung Fu tea, but the shape and appearance were slightly different.
The servant raised the stove and sat on the cold water. Master Han motioned for them to step back.
The wind stove uses fine red charcoal, and the cast iron kettle is not large, so the water has been boiling slightly for a while.
"There is no good spring water, but shopkeeper Yang's family is a wealthy family and they still have rain every other year."
Fujian's Wuyi tea is made with exquisite utensils and is cooked to perfection. Although Liu San didn't know the purpose of his visit, he took things as they came, while drinking tea and appreciating the tea sets, and talked to Master Han casually. Seems extremely comfortable and casual. Master Han also deliberately did not talk about serious matters and only tried his best to deal with things. I want to deepen our friendship in a moment.
After changing the tea leaves, Master Han said: "The student is here on a mission from the East. He is here specifically for the artillery factory."
Liu... nodded: As expected, we are still here to bargain. Normally, bargaining is necessary for large transactions. However, there is a fierce debate on this issue in the Executive Committee and the Standing Committee of the Senate. Wu De's plan to sell equipment was only passed reluctantly, so the price of 50,000 taels needs to be Discounting may become the best ammunition for opponents.
Seeing Liu San's embarrassed expression upon hearing his intention, Master Han became more determined in his calculations. He was indeed sent here by Li Luoyou, but he also had another purpose.
Master Han touted Lingao as "the prosperous city of Min'an" and complimented them before talking about the requirements:
"I wonder if we can make some concessions on the price of this artillery factory?"
Of course Liu San shook his head. The Ministry of Foreign Trade only gave him the power to quote prices, but not the power to negotiate business.
Master Han then hinted: When doing business, there is always a false head wearing a hat. If Liu San can come forward to reduce the quotation by 10% or 20%, Li Luoyou will definitely have a benefit gift, money, and women are welcome.
"I really can't help." Liu San continued to shake his head, "It's not that I'm being pretentious, it's actually the rules set by the higher-ups. I won't sell anything unless it's fifty thousand taels." He said in an emotionally intelligent tone, "Always ask for your understanding in everything."
This is tantamount to dead talk. At this point, there is actually nothing more to talk about. Liu San didn't bother to socialize with him anymore, and talked in a roundabout way with hypocrisy.
Unexpectedly, Master Han did not leave, but started to say something else. "We are very fond of Guizhong's machines. It's just that the price is too high and I haven't been able to make up my mind. I'm always in between. To be honest, the success or failure of this matter is always a matter of words and thoughts."
Liu San didn't understand what this meant. Was it all empty talk? Thinking about it carefully, he suddenly understood: This is Master Han opening the plate.
This deal can be done, and it will be based on their quotation, but Master Han must be given a personal benefit.
First, you have to use bribes to counter-offer yourself. If the counter-offer fails, it turns into asking for bribes. This business was really creative. Liu San wanted to cross the group and it was absolutely forbidden to accept bribes, but bribery was not a problem... This was originally a society where bribery was common. Nothing could be done without bribery.
"I wonder how many hats Mr. Han wants to wear?" Liu San tried it first.
"Haha, the third master is really happy." Master Han said, "The total price of 40,000 yuan has been quoted, and the hat cannot be worn."
"How much is the commission?"
"10%." Master Han raised two fingers.
"One percent?" Liu San almost shouted, this is five thousand taels? It's definitely no good. Not to mention 10%, even a thousand taels of rebate is not possible. There are already many people opposed to this matter, but if there is a huge kickback, it will not become a ready target.
There was no need to even report it? Liu San refused directly.
"Third Master, don't you think twice anymore?" Master Han narrowed his eyes and sipped the tea.
"There's really nothing we can do." Liu San shook his head.
Seeing that his attitude was very firm and there was no room for negotiation, Master Han sneered slightly:
"I didn't mention the Australian machine originally, but after all, it's just an iron guy."
Liu Sanyi was furious, thinking that Master Han was really turning his back on him faster than he could read a book. He also sneered: "The mirror is made of sand, and people are rushing to buy it with real money."
Master Han smiled enigmatically, said goodbye and left. Liu San looked confused, and in the end he didn't understand what Master Han meant.
Li Luoyu received the report from Master Han and knew that it would be useless to negotiate the discounts privately. Then I discussed with Mr. Han whether to buy the artillery factory or not. . Li Luoyou rarely discussed business matters with others, but this time he really couldn't make up his mind.
Master Han pondered for a moment and said: "I have seen the abilities of the Australians. It is not convenient for students to say anything. But this machine is a problem that no one knows how to use."
"According to this third master, they help train craftsmen to operate it."
"Australians always keep their word, so this matter can be ignored." Master Han said, "But the price for Australians is not low. It will be fine within a year, but if one year passes, the Australians will seize the opportunity to take advantage of themselves." 'what to do?"
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured on Li Luoyou's head. Only Australians can use the machine, and only they can make it. If it breaks, only they can repair it. This is a big problem
"Sir, the contract only guarantees repairs and teaching in the first year." Master Han saw Dong Weng's expression changed drastically, knowing that his words had already convinced him. The implication of his words is very clear: if the Australians ask for a lot of money the next year, he will use it or not. If you use it, you will be exploited. If you don't use it, isn't the machine you spent a lot of money to buy just a pile of scrap metal?
"Sir, the Australians' machines are indeed better, but they are no better than the local craftsmen. Zhang San doesn't know Li Sihui, and Li Si doesn't know Wang Wuhui. You can always find one or two who can do it. Besides, you are working for the imperial court. Whoever wants to come and who doesn't come is disrespectful. He asked the government to do it with just one post. He is not the British mechanic invited by Mr. Quark... It's all up to you when he gets here. When he walks out, he will black out his eyes. Australia They are the only ones who know what people are capable of, and they have their base in Lingao. It seems that the government can't do anything to them. What if Naqiao doesn't come to repair it?"
"Australians always keep their word and will never do such a thing." Li Luoyou's confidence has been shaken.
"Sir, let's not talk about this level. After all, the Australians are aliens. The court may not always be indifferent to Lin Gao. When the time comes, they will launch an army to attack for several years. The Australians will not be able to come to the mainland. Here We can’t dismantle the machine and send it to Lingao. Wouldn’t it be a troublesome thing?”
"Yes." This is a very worrying thing. "What do you think?"
"The students believe that in order to have no worries, they must spend a lot of money to recruit a few mechanics from Australians to bring them to the mainland to maintain them." He continued, "It is nothing more than paying a lot of money to win their hearts."
Master Han didn't say he wouldn't buy it, but said it was impossible to do.
"This is simply not feasible." Li Luoyou had already made this plan, and Liu San refused flatly, only agreeing to train craftsmen for him. As for recruiting Australian craftsmen privately, I am not familiar with the place here, and the Australians look very guarded, so it is impossible.
He breathed a long sigh unconsciously.
"It's such a shame to make such a useless thing." Several technicians gathered around a table in the office of the machine factory. Three views of several sets of equipment spread out on the table. This is the information that has just been transferred from the big library.
The so-called gun factory equipment: there are only five things in total: power machine, transmission box, pulley block crane, blower and artillery boring machine. The three views on the drawing are all based on actual equipment drawings from the 18th to 19th centuries. Definitely tried and true old gear.
After discussion, everyone concluded that the use of wind power in Foshan was probably unreliable and that water power was still the main factor. Almost all factories in the early industrial revolution used water power on a large scale. Water power is more reliable than wind power and can maintain continuous production. It was the most suitable large-scale power source before the steam engine.
The power generated by the hydraulic machine in conjunction with the transformer can drive a bellows that is much larger than manual blowing, providing oxygen to multiple iron furnaces at a time, and the artillery boring machine can also be driven by hydraulic power.
"It only takes a week to make this set of things." Zhan Wuya looked at it for a while and announced.
"I think it's quite boring. Although it doesn't consume a lot of resources and man-hours, I always feel that it's inexplicable." Xiao Gui commented, "It would be better to just sell cannons and matchlock guns to Boss Li. At least it can let the apprentices practice their skills. .”
"Selling guns is crazy." Sun Li jumped up. "Selling equipment is crazy. I think he is a prostitute. I want to impeach him."
"What is cross-dressing?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I think Wu De is good at selling equipment," Zhan Wuya said. "Let's set up an industrial model and let the rich people over there see that using machines to produce can improve efficiency and make money. Let's do it together, at least Let Guangdong slowly establish a primitive primary industry. In this way, primary finished products can be imported, instead of buying raw materials and processing them yourself. Besides, a few simple equipment can make tens of thousands of taels, and this business can be done."
Note: I don’t know if British equipment costs so much to make, so I just wrote it casually. The wages of craftsmen are based on the wages of Portuguese soldiers employed to operate training firearms in the late Ming Dynasty. The highest price at that time was one hundred and twenty taels per year, and food expenses were ten taels per month! ~!
