Chapter 331 Overseas Research Center (Second update, please subscribe)
I want to strangle those damn guys to death!
If possible, this is the common sentiment of U.S. officials involved in ship purchase negotiations.
What they want to strangle is not the Nanyang officials who are eager to lower the price of ships to the price of scrap metal, but the American media!
From the very beginning of the negotiations, those newspapers will constantly find faults with the "Liberty Ship", not only directly citing the testimony given to Congress that "the Liberty Ship is not suitable for peacetime ocean shipping requirements" The testimony, and even a confidential military report, proved that the hulls of more than 1,500 Liberty Ships developed a large number of cracks under stress and low temperature environments, and some hulls were even broken in two. But fortunately, a solution was found - using steel plates to repair and reinforce the cracks, which achieved good results and ensured normal transportation.
Although the problem seems to be solved, this phenomenon just proves that "Freewheel is emergency inferior goods", so that the United States had to cut prices again.
“Let those damn media shut up and show their patriotism!”
Obviously, this is impossible. American journalists need to make some news.
There is nothing happier than seeing someone who has been taken advantage of.
Faced with quality problems that are constantly being exposed. The officials participating in the negotiations in Nanyang continued to lower the price.
Faced with lower prices, the United States is eager to flip the table. After all, the price they offered was no longer to buy a boat, but simply to buy scrap metal.
But they can’t and don’t dare!
After all, this is a business negotiated by the president himself as a salesman. For the officials participating in the negotiations, they must not mess up the deal.
In the face of those unpatriotic reports... well, let’s lower the price again!
Just when the United States had to cut prices one after another and even suffered fractures due to betrayal by the media, Borneo Shipping Company had begun to hire crew members on a large scale.
"Actually, there are still many Chinese seamen. For example, during the war, in order to replenish the merchant fleet, the British recruited nearly 20,000 experienced Chinese seamen from Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and other places. After the war, as the British army After retirement, these Chinese seamen were constantly fired by the shipping company, but they have been stranded in Liverpool because of the war. "
At the headquarters of the Borneo Shipping Company in New York, Alberto asked the boss in front of him, no, it should be. His Majesty the King introduced.
“There are many senior crew members among these people. By hiring them, we not only solve their unemployment problem, but also solve the problem of insufficient crew members.”
Alberto’s suggestion made Li Yian think When he came to Chinatown at the beginning of the year, Zhu Yihai nodded and said the Chinese crew member he mentioned.
“I think it’s possible. If possible, rent a ship directly to take them to the United States. By the way, there are still some Liberty ships stranded in the UK. Well, during the negotiation and handover, we can ask for some to be stranded in the United States. Freeships in British ports, so they can go directly to the Mediterranean to transport the equipment back home.”
After a pause, Li Yian reminded again.
“As for the captain and senior crew members, they can be hired from Germany, where manpower is cheap.”
Isn’t it cheaper?
Those former Nazi naval officers, Basically they are unemployed, waiting eagerly to be hired so they can support their families.
After briefly discussing the issue of crew members, Li Yian mentioned the evacuation of the shipping company's headquarters from New York. Alberto has long been mentally prepared for this. After all, now that the war is over, the Borneo Shipping Company must "return" to Borneo and evacuate New York.
In fact, it is not just one shipping company that needs to evacuate New York and move to Borneo, but also more than a dozen other companies, including Carl Metal Company. Li Yian was also flexing his muscles in the United States.
Now many companies such as Carl Metal Company, KJT Chemical Industries, and Air Refueling Company need to evacuate, which naturally involves many problems, from the demolition of equipment to the layoff of personnel, etc. Thousands of things cannot be solved in three to five months.
Fortunately, American capitalists in this era are unscrupulous and do not need to pay any severance compensation.
However, not all institutions need to be evacuated, such as the Radio Laboratory, which itself was built on the use of American intellectual resources, such as the transistor research led by Walter Bratton.
However, it is regrettable that... there has not been much progress in the development of transistors.
There is still a certain distance between us and the era of transistors. Although Li Yian felt a little disappointed when he left the radio laboratory, he still said to Karl.
“In the future, scientific innovation in Borneo will not only be limited to local intellectual resources, but should also be global. Therefore, our company will set up some in the United States and Europe in the future. R&D centers recruit scientists and researchers nearby to conduct technology research and development. ”
The establishment of overseas research centers has been widely used by many multinational companies in later generations. It can not only effectively reduce R&D costs, but also make full use of countries around the world. With its technical expertise, we have conducted in-depth cooperation with top local research institutes and institutions nearby to provide corporate research and development services. In later generations, this model was also the most common way for domestic companies to catch up with European and American companies in technology - establishing overseas research centers and then adding money to poach people. Faced with local high-paying job opportunities, everyone was naturally happy to change jobs.
Simple and crude, but really effective.
However, for people in this era, this approach is still very new. After all, we are not yet in the era of the global village.
Overseas Research Center, although it sounds new, but Karl, who has been in business for many years, immediately understood the mystery after thinking about it for a moment.
"Haha, I understand. Before the war, I commissioned German companies to design products. The biggest difference between this laboratory and those offices that specialize in design is that it is our own , accept our own design order.”
“Yes, that’s pretty much it.”
Li Yian nodded, that’s pretty much it.
What is the biggest benefit of setting up a research center in the United States?
In the next few decades, the United States will not only lead the world in science and technology and become the world's scientific research center, but also rely on its strong economic and technological position to harvest talents from all over the world. The United States can make the world If the world's talents are used for one's own purposes, naturally one can also use the talents of the United States for one's own use.
Harvest talents!
You can also take advantage of the situation. Since talents from all over the world are willing to come to the United States, then just set up a research center in the United States.
“But it is not just order-based industrial design, the most important thing is forward-looking research, the work of overseas research centers...”
On the way back to the hotel, Li Yian explained to Karl the role of overseas research and how it operates. Although he was unfamiliar with it, it didn't matter. He could explore it slowly.
Just like that, soon the car returned to the hotel.
After returning to the hotel, as usual, Li Yian took a hot bath and ate dinner served in the restaurant.
Then he sat on the sofa and leaned back, lit the first cigar of the night, and listened to the music from the gramophone. Entertainment activities in this era were very scarce. There is no TV, no Internet, and no online games. What is the only entertainment available?
It’s the so-called dance party.
After arriving in this era, Li Yian realized why many wealthy people in this era are keen on organizing luxurious and large banquets. It was not because of his wide social circle and many friends. In essence, it was still a bit boring.
Ordinary people have nothing to do at night, just the couple playing the rhythm of love on their bedside.
What about the rich?
Of course, you should indulge yourself at the banquet. The banquet is not only about drinks, but also beautiful women. This is the most common entertainment activity in this era.
But with Li Yian's current status, he is naturally not suitable to attend those occasions, at least not in public.
"Actually, you can do that too... How about going to Hollywood on your way back?"
Muttering to himself, Li Yian picked up the newspaper on the coffee table. While flipping through the newspaper, a piece of news suddenly came into his eyes. The news was published in the corner of the newspaper. Although it was not very conspicuous, because it involved Nanyang, when he read the contents of the newspaper clearly, Li Yian raised the corner of his mouth and sneered.
"Robespierre reappears?... Are the Japanese devils worthy?"
Throwing the newspaper aside, the title of the news is: Robespierre reappears - Nanyang Guillotine ! ”
(End of this chapter)