Just as Fengwu troops were dispatching troops to Gongdu in two groups and the battle was in full swing, Ye Mingsheng, the governor of Liaoyang, led his men to inspect the Dongning Chengnan Second Manufacturing Bureau factory in the south of the city.
Because time was precious, Ye Mingsheng ordered all welcome ceremonies to be simple. He was led directly to the front-line production workshop by Su Junjie, director of the Manufacturing Bureau.
Sun Junjie picked up a glass from the workshop and presented it to Ye Mingsheng and his party who came for inspection:
"Sir, this is the glass refined by our Second Manufacturing Bureau according to your recipe. This thing is as beautiful as jade, crystal clear!"
Taking the cup from Sun Junjie's hand, Ye Mingsheng nodded slightly. Although the glass refined by Sun Junjie and the others was not transparent enough, and the inside of the glass was as gray as a layer of fog, but with the current technical conditions, they could Refining something like this is pretty good...
"What's the manufacturing cost?" Ye Mingsheng put down the glass and asked Su Junjie:
Sun Junjie heard this and introduced:
"Sir, the manufacturing cost of this glass is currently about one denarius!"
Ye Mingsheng couldn't help but frown slightly when he heard the price of "one tael of silver". One tael of silver is equal to sixteen taels. According to the current market price in Liaoyang, one tael of silver can probably buy three hundred kilograms of rice. This means that the glass cup in front of him , the cost is approximately equivalent to twenty kilograms of rice!
Others don't know what this glass is made of, but he knows very well that the main raw material of this glass is sand. How can the cost be so expensive?
Could it be that Sun Junjie was lining his own pockets?
Thinking of this, Ye Mingsheng glanced at Su Junjie. In order to fundamentally improve the culture of corruption in the officialdom, Ye Mingsheng has always adhered to the policy of high salary to support integrity. Basically, the income of Liaoyang officials under the sun is at least twice that of before, and There are also a series of related benefits.
Corresponding to this, Ye Mingsheng strictly grasped some bribes such as Bingjing and Carbonjing in the past, forming a high-pressure anti-corruption situation in Liaoyang, making Liaoyang officials dare not corrupt and cannot corrupt... ·········
Although Ye Mingsheng didn't say anything, Sun Junjie was also a good person. Feeling the deep meaning in Ye Mingsheng's eyes, he felt tight in his heart and quickly explained with sincerity:
"Sir, the main raw material of this glass is sand. The material cost is not high. However, according to your instructions, we will give preferential treatment to skilled workers and increase their salary and treatment."
"And this glass technology is a new technology. Not many craftsmen in the manufacturing bureau have developed it. Things are rare and the same is true for people. So now every craftsman who can bake glass is a skilled technician here. The monthly salary exceeds five taels of silver, so the labor cost is so high, which has led to the current high cost of glass."
Ye Mingsheng understood this after hearing this. As a visitor from later generations, he knew that science and technology are the primary productive forces. However, due to historical reasons, the main idea in this world is that all things are inferior, only those who are educated are good, and science and technology are regarded as wonders. Obscene skills are very despised...
It is naturally impossible to change this social atmosphere that has existed for thousands of years in a short time with Ye Mingsheng's current status and power. What he can do is to give high salaries and preferential treatment to the technical staff under his rule and promote them social status, thereby stimulating their enthusiasm for innovative scientific research, and trying to guide the progress and development of the entire society step by step.
Seeing that Ye Mingsheng's eyes had softened a lot, Su Junjie breathed a sigh of relief and continued:
"Sir, although the cost of this glass product is not cheap, compared with its selling price, it is actually nothing. A few days ago, I gave the cups, water bottles and other glassware we made to Jin Fusheng and several others. The shopkeepers of the shop saw it, and they were all willing to buy it at the price of one or two pieces, and it was a large-scale purchase, as much as they wanted!"
"In addition, this is only one or two per piece in our Liaoyang territory. If we take the things to wealthy places like Jiangnan, Huainan, or Luo'an, the price can even reach two or two per piece, or three or two per piece!"
"Furthermore, our craftsmen are researching colored glassware such as blue glass, green glass, etc. The research is currently progressing smoothly. If the research can be successful, it will not be difficult for a piece of colored glassware to cost more than ten taels of silver!"
"Now the cost of glass products in our manufacturing bureau is high. The main reason is that this is a new technology. Most craftsmen are not familiar with it. It won't take too long after a while. It will only take a few months. The new technology has become popular and large-scale production. , the price of this glassware will drop significantly. By then, the cost of a dozen glassware may only cost one penny..."
Although Ye Mingsheng's glass products are a very profitable business in this era, the profit of sixteen times, even thirty-two times, and forty-eight times the cost and sales still surprised him. He pondered for a while and asked Ye Mingsheng. :
"What is your manufacturing bureau's current production capacity for this glassware?"
"Let me tell you, if we currently have 800 workers in the Second Manufacturing Bureau, if they are all invested in the production of glassware, we can now produce at least a thousand pieces a month. After a period of time, when the technology is popularized and the workers are skilled in the operation, we The monthly production capacity can be doubled at least three to five times!”
"Of course, according to your instructions, our manufacturing bureau also has silver dollar, kerosene and other projects that are progressing steadily. Therefore, the number of workers currently able to invest in the glassware project is about 150, so the current monthly production capacity is about Around three hundred!" Su Junjie said confidently:
Ye Mingsheng heard this in his heart and silently calculated. Although three hundred glassware are now produced every month and each is sold for one tael, three hundred pieces is three hundred taels. This amount of money is not too small for ordinary landlord families. , but for the operation of his Fengwu military regime, mosquito meat is still not enough to fill the gaps between teeth.
However, as an emerging industry in this era, the glass industry is now unique to Scorpion. Its development prospects and profit margins are very good. It will not be long before it can make money every day and help improve Liaoyang's financial situation... ·············
Realizing this, Ye Mingsheng gave Su Junjie an appreciative look and continued to ask:
"How is your Second Manufacturing Bureau doing on the silver dollar and kerosene projects?"
After hearing Ye Mingsheng's question, Su Junjie immediately said:
"Sir, please come with me!"
Following Su Junjie in the large factory of the Second Manufacturing Bureau, after many twists and turns, Ye Mingsheng and others were brought by Su Junjie to the silver dollar production workshop in the factory.
From the production workshop, Su Junjie picked up a few newly minted silver coins, handed them to Ye Mingsheng respectfully with both hands, and said:
"Sir, this is the silver dollar we cast according to your instructions. The weight of a silver dollar is seven cents and two cents, of which ninety-nine is made of silver, and the remaining one is made of white copper and other metals!"
Ye Mingsheng took the silver dollar from Sun Junjie's hand and looked it up and down. He saw that the white color of the silver dollar was very dazzling, and the words "Fengwu" on it were very clear. Then he held the silver dollar sideways, blew a breath, and put it in his ear. While listening to the clear and sweet voice above, Ye Mingsheng couldn't help but nodded with satisfaction.
Because in the past few decades, the external trade of silk, tea, and ceramics in the Great Zhou Dynasty has resulted in a huge trade surplus. A large amount of silver has flowed into the Great Zhou Dynasty from overseas. Such a large amount of silver has flowed into the Great Zhou Dynasty market, and it has gradually reduced the Great Zhou Dynasty. The main currency was changed from copper coins to silver.
As for silver in the Zhou Dynasty, it was generally refined into ingots, silver ingots and other forms, which were very heavy and difficult to carry. In addition, the silver content of silver coins and silver ingots cast in various places was not uniform, which made trade very cumbersome, so Ye Mingsheng planned to use Silver coins with better color and easier to carry can replace traditional silver ingots, thereby gaining huge wealth...
"What's the response from major silver dollar merchants?" Ye Mingsheng asked:
Sun Junjie smiled and replied:
"Major merchants are very fond of our silver dollars, and have expressed their willingness to exchange one tael of silver for two of our silver dollars. If you spend every tael of silver exchanged, you can earn at least three coins of silver!"
"At present, our manufacturing bureau has invested two hundred workers, working overtime to produce silver coins. The current monthly output should be about 50,000 coins. We will recruit more workers next and strive to expand production to produce more silver coins!"
"good!"
Ye Mingsheng heard this and clapped his hands in praise, then asked with some expectation:
“How is the progress of the kerosene project going?”
"Your Excellency, we have found an oil field in Posuo Mansion a month ago. We are now refining and fractionating the kerosene according to the method you gave us. There are currently some technical difficulties that need to be overcome, but overall the progress is still It's going very well. In one or two months, there should be good news!" Su Junjie considered his words and replied:
Although Ye Mingsheng was a little disappointed with Su Junjie's answer, he could understand it. After all, the technical threshold for refining oil was the highest among the three projects.
Although he gave them the method based on his memory, this method is only a rough step. As for the specific things, the craftsmen of the Manufacturing Bureau need to conduct research and experiments by themselves, accumulate data and make technical breakthroughs... ···
Thinking of this, Ye Mingsheng began to warn:
"Expand the production capacity of glass as soon as possible, but don't expand too much at once, as that will easily cause the devaluation of glassware. As for silver dollars, you should expand production as soon as possible, the more the better, but you must also pay attention to ensure the ratio of silver to copper, and cannot use this to fill the gap. good."
"Finally, Sun Junjie, please pay close attention to this kerosene project. This kerosene project is of great significance to our Fengwu Army. If it becomes our Fengwu Army's financial situation, it will undergo earth-shaking changes!"
After Ye Mingsheng finished speaking, Su Junjie, who was listening carefully, immediately expressed his stance:
"In this humble position, I will strictly abide by the teachings of the Overseer, and I will definitely act in accordance with the Overseer's instructions!"
Ye Mingsheng nodded when he heard this, and then asked with a smile:
"Su Junjie, you have done a good job in the Second Manufacturing Bureau. You are worthy of my promotion. Please tell me if you have encountered any difficulties at work that you need me to solve for you?"
As soon as Ye Mingsheng said these words, Su Junjie was immediately moved, but he hesitated to speak...
Seeing this, Ye Mingsheng waved his hand, comforted him and said:
“Speak freely, don’t have any scruples, speak freely and boldly!”
With Ye Mingsheng's instructions, Su Junjie said:
"Thanks to you, Sir, our Second Manufacturing Bureau has no shortage of materials, and various government departments are also trying their best to cooperate with us. We currently want to expand production capacity, but the biggest problem is the lack of people. Our current masters on the production line, every I personally lead several apprentices, but it’s still not enough, and there’s a big gap in numbers!”
Hearing Su Junjie's reaction, Ye Mingsheng said with some surprise:
"Don't your General Administration of Manufacturing accept hundreds of craftsmen from all over the country every month? Why are you still so short of manpower?"
Sun Junjie smiled bitterly and said helplessly:
"Sir, it is true that hundreds of craftsmen were admitted, but most of the manpower was allocated to the first bureau. Our second manufacturing bureau has allocated more than 50 people this month. This is the result of my reaction to the leaders of the General Administration. , last month we were allocated thirty-one people..."
Hearing what Sun Junjie said, Ye Mingsheng immediately understood what was going on. Under his instructions, Fengzhou Craftsman Camp was first established, and now it has become Liaoyang Manufacturing Bureau. The Manufacturing Bureau has two branches, one of which is mainly responsible for What is interesting is that the director of the production and research of ordnance and firearms is Zhang Dehui, and the technical director is Huang Hao.
The Second Branch is Sun Junjie and the others. They are mainly responsible for the civilian field. They want to make money for Liaoyang and improve people's livelihood. During this period, the Fengwu Army has been preparing to enter the pass to attack Youyan. They also encountered the troops from Gongdu. An emergency occurred, so the work pressure of the first branch was very high, and most of the craftsmen were diverted away.
There are only so many new craftsmen admitted every month. If the first branch is allocated more, Sun Junjie's second branch will naturally be allocated less. The fewer people allocated will lead to limited expansion of production capacity, which also indirectly affects Sun Junjie's Achievements.
Although he knew the ins and outs of the matter, Ye Mingsheng also felt a little troubled by this issue. After all, although the first branch had more divisions, they were all doing it for work. It was understandable that he could not criticize others for this. say what···········
And Sun Junjie's work here is also urgent and urgent. The palms and backs of his hands are full of flesh, which is really a dilemma!
But since he had promised to help Sun Junjie solve the problem, he naturally could not break his promise. Ye Mingsheng nodded towards Sun Junjie and said:
"I understand your problem. I will ask the people below to allocate more manpower to you as appropriate!"
As soon as these words came out, Sun Junjie immediately beamed and promised with his chest:
"Sir, with enough manpower, the production capacity of our Second Branch can be doubled at least!"
Ye Mingsheng smiled and nodded when he heard this. Although he agreed to Sun Junjie's request, it did not mean that he would give Sun Junjie a share of the share of the branch. If cutting expenditures was not possible, he would have to increase revenue. It was really not possible. This matter has to be left to Huo San.
