Good boy, he seems to have a better brain than your uncle? But why can't you learn from his composure? . Wang Kai was stunned for a moment and frowned.
"Did I not think of this! Can I lose you? Tell me, how many H800 shipments are needed for the raw silk and cane sugar trade with Japan?"
"Uh, ten ships. The cutting-edge ship you mentioned is five times the size of the H800? Doesn't that mean there are only two or three ships to divide it up?" Gu Baocheng realized that he had passed the test and continued to pretend to be stupid.
"I'm talking about 5 times the efficiency and about 1.25 times the load capacity. The advantage is speed. We will follow the first plan and the first batch of 8 ships. Is there any profit? After one run, give it to me Go transport grain and minerals, sell Australian goods on the way, and still make money. I haven't treated you badly, have I?" Wang Kai did the math on the spot and found that there was no problem, so he was no longer angry.
"I can repay more than half of the ship's capital this year! I hope the elders will give me a chance!" Shopkeeper Gu seemed to be about to sign the contract on the spot.
"Things haven't been decided yet, don't worry."
"Well, I dare to ask Mr. Wang, the raw silk and cane sugar issues with Japan are basically settled, right? What about the porcelain?"
"You can buy and sell whatever you want, as well as ironware, glass and other Australian-Song industrial products. We won't impose too many restrictions. Overall, we are still happy to see trade prosper."
"Oh, I understand!" Shopkeeper Gu raised his head excitedly, but hesitated to speak, probably remembering what he had just been reprimanded for no reason.
"What do you understand? Tell me, I'm still confused." Elder Shi urged, and Fatty Wang also waved his hand in agreement.
"Wang Yuanlao's intention is probably that our competitive products from Australia and Song Dynasty can be sold openly, and more of them will be put on the market to eliminate competing products. For example, the bone china recently released by Australia kiln has a large output and the estimated cost is also It won’t be too high, and the quality is much higher than that of old products. Iron and glass are our strengths in Australia and Song Dynasty. As for raw silk and cane sugar, raw materials account for a large part of the cost, and the Senate also has to purchase them from the private sector; technically speaking, There is a gap, but it's not that big. This requires administrative means to ensure profits, especially in a special area like Japan." Shopkeeper Gu finished speaking obediently, and glanced at Fatty Wang from time to time.
Fatty Wang applauded and expressed his approval: "Shopkeeper Gu has such a mind that it is unreasonable not to make money. Don't spread the word everywhere, after all, the matter has not been decided yet. However, if you have any friends who are in this business, we can discuss it on a small scale first."
Fatty Wang deliberately asked him to spread some rumors and see the feedback, otherwise, he would not reveal such valuable news. It would be considered filial to him to tell his uncle.
"If you have nothing to do, please leave first. I have something to discuss with Elder Shi." Fatty Wang was about to see the guests off, and shopkeeper Gu quickly thanked him and left.
"How about it? I'm trying to find orders for your shipyard, right? Are you satisfied?" Fatty Wang said proudly as soon as shopkeeper Gu left.
"I'm satisfied with it. Who told you that I would pay the cost price? Have you discussed it with me?" Shi Yuanlao laughed and complained.
"Let's discuss it. Can he know the true cost? Doesn't he even want me to take credit?"
"If you take credit, there will definitely be trouble behind it!"
"There is something wrong, but it's all good things. Isn't there a new one launched on that ocean-going fishing boat of yours? Don't be in a hurry to outfit it, let me change it. I have a mission to visit Myanmar."
"Don't you think it's shabby to go with the whole fishing boat? It makes people laugh. If you don't think it's embarrassing, I still think it's embarrassing."
"So I'm looking for a new one from you. On the one hand, it's easier to modify, and on the other hand, it smells less fishy. Besides, it's a trivial thing for us to be laughed at, but maybe it's a good thing. The most important thing is that your fishing boat can run this season. On the 15th, it would be easier for me to drive a Galen or H800, but it took more than a year to come back. Our company has just been established, so it’s not a problem to be away for more than a year. I need to 'run fast'!"
After seeing off the visitors, Fatty Wang looked around and saw that he was almost leaving.
Seven years, the same length of time as the first job I was not satisfied with before time travel, and the feeling of boredom and depression is similar.
After traveling through time, it seems that all they talk about is big things, and "there are great scholars talking and laughing", but this is just a horizontal comparison of this plane. Embarrassingly, I didn't accomplish much in the new time and space. Looking at the overall situation, the entire Ministry of Trade has not accomplished anything major.
From a statistical point of view, the Department of Colonial Trade can be regarded as the most important department of the Senate. Although the proportion of trade profits in fiscal revenue continues to decline with the expansion of tax reforms, foreign trade income still accounts for half of fiscal revenue. If the material income of the Planning Academy is included, then there is nothing wrong with the Ministry of Colonial Trade boasting that it supports the Senate.
However, in Wang Kai's opinion: Lingao's trade is in a "passive and comfortable" state, with no aggressiveness. Many early expedients have slowly become "rules". After all, it is more convenient to organize trade than to wait for merchants to come to purchase goods.
The ministry has gathered many people who have experience in foreign trade work in the old time and space, but in the past, everyone was just a tiny part on a huge gear. If they were really asked to formulate major policies, everyone would be willing to discuss it, but they would stop at discussing it, and they would not know what to do. You also have to deal with the eye-rolls and the ever-increasing insinuations and insinuations from your colleagues, so no one does this thankless task.
Now he is leaving. But before leaving, he had a lot to say. This can be regarded as his last responsibility to the unit. After all, he has been paying attention to every trade route and export market of the Colonial Trade Department over the years, and came to the conclusion after collecting relevant information.
This conclusion was neither friendly enough to the company nor to the Senate. Talking about it will only make people hate you. But after much thought, he brought up these issues. After all, the Senate still needed to make progress.
It is comfortable to lie flat, but as a veteran, you still have to pursue something. Wang Kai decided to compile a memorandum of observations and research over the years and distribute it.
The scope of dissemination was limited to the two departments within the Ministry of Colonial Trade and those directly connected with the Ministry of Colonial Trade: the Planning Institute and the Ministry of Finance, and was copied to the cabinet ministers.
This masterpiece was written by Wang Kai in his spare time at work with all the energy he used to write papers. The content is a study of the gains and losses of trade with Japan, but the main purpose is to arouse the colonial trade department to reform the existing foreign trade system.
In his work, the most critical evidence is two tables, both of which count the outflow of silver from Japan in the seventeenth century. One is the historical data of old time and space, the statistics of Westerners; the other is the manual statistics of various ports in the customs, foreign intelligence bureau, and foreign business stations.
Compared with the old time and space, the Senate replaced the Zheng Zhilong Group and established "Peace on the Sea of East Asia". This peace was so effective that the entire business environment was greatly improved compared to the old time and space. At the same time, the existence of the Senate has also established a relatively stable supply of products, so the outflow of Japanese silver has also become stable. It is not as obvious as the year-to-year fluctuations in the old time and space. Starting from 1632, it was about four million taels per year, which was minted in Australia. If it’s foreign, it’s about 5.9 million yuan.
The amount of 5.9 million is very large, because the fiscal revenue of the Senate in 1635 was only 20 million Australian dollars. This accounts for almost a quarter.
This is also the thing that Wang Kai is most aggrieved about, because for the plan to conquer Guangdong and Guangxi in 1635, not only all 20 million was spent, but a deficit of more than 4 million was actually generated - part of these deficits came from Guangdong and Guangxi The loot was made up, and the rest was made up by printing money.
Printing money is convenient, but the consequences will take a long time to digest. What's more, 1635 is just the beginning. The subsequent construction of various expansions of industrial production capacity, administrative management of Guangdong and Guangxi... When calculated, these investments are not more than 30 million, which is unbearable.
"It would be great if this money could be in our hands!" Wang Kai couldn't help but gasp when he calculated this result. At least the deficit is not that big. And there are a lot of proposals that could get grants as well.
Although money can’t feed you when you’re hungry and can’t clothe you when you’re cold, as long as you have money, the whole world is a supplier. The Planning Institute often feels short of inventory of various industrial raw materials. In the end, it is because of lack of money.
Many of the current difficulties and controversies in the Senate boil down to the fact that the business is too big and the money is too little. In all fields, there is a vicious cycle of "lack of money - no way to expand production capacity - even more money shortage". The endless investment in administrative management and security wars quickly sucked away the money.
Although this part of the income lost by Japan's silver cannot solve all the problems, it can at least make up for part of the gap and make many unsustainable projects operational - especially several mining projects that Nanyang Company is currently preparing to launch.
These mineral development plans are formulated to meet the needs of the industrial population. The development-return cycle is long, and it is impossible to expect long-term investment of private funds. Therefore, these projects are still included in the long-term financial appropriation budget table.
If there is insufficient revenue, the budget will predictably be reduced. After all, it is "Military First" now. And military spending is a waste of investment but no return. It is conceivable that the security war between Guangdong and Guangxi in 1636 would consume a lot of military expenditures.
The problems with Japan's trade routes have been gradually corrected under his repeated strong requests. What he is more concerned about now is actually the long-standing abuses of the entire trading system.
First, under the current "free trade system", two unexpected counter-effects occurred: silver flowed to potential opponents and hostile forces of the Senate; and Australia and Song Dynasty's status in the trading system was lowered.
According to the conclusion of the "Investigation on the Destinations of Japanese Trade Profits" commissioned by the Foreign Intelligence Service, the China Merchants Bureau under the control of the Senate only received half of the trade profits generated on this route. The other half was obtained by VOC, naturalized civilian merchants and smugglers from the Ming Dynasty.
