Chapter 407 New Life (3)
What makes Ruan Chenggui jealous is not only the volume of trade between the Hainan and Portuguese families, but more importantly, there are many things in the exchanges between the two sides that South Vietnam has always wanted but never got, such as the arms produced by Haihan. , the South Vietnamese court tried every means to ask people to purchase them, and even sent a ship to the Guangzhou market to buy second-hand matchlocks produced by Hai Han at a high price - of course, unfortunately, the ship carrying the weapons was stolen by the Hai Han people when they returned to Hue. The warships were intercepted in the open sea, and the ships and cargo were confiscated. Now these weapons have been wholesaled to the Portuguese after simple renovation.
The rewards given by the Portuguese also included the projects that the South Vietnamese court was eager for, such as craftsmen from the distant Europa region, and even valuable shipbuilders! I think that in order to introduce the shipbuilding technology of the Portuguese, the South Vietnamese court really put in a lot of effort and sent out a lot of money. However, until the city of Hue was attacked by the Haihan militia, the shipyard jointly planned by both parties was not No shadow was seen at all. Because Ruan Jinggui understands Portuguese, he also participated in the entire negotiation of the cooperative shipbuilding project with the Portuguese. He also knows that the Portuguese have always cherished their own things and are not willing to share their shipbuilding technology easily, but why do those arrogant guys choose to do so in front of the Haihan people? Lower your head?
Since Schneider took the initiative to tell him these things, Ruan Jinggui had no worries and asked about the doubts in his heart. After hearing this, Schneider smiled and said: "Business is about mutual benefit. The Portuguese exchange their shipbuilding technology for our arms export monopoly. It is beneficial to both parties. Of course they will not refuse this. Plant a good thing.”
"But at the beginning, my government... Hue Prefecture was also willing to pay a high price to obtain the Portuguese shipbuilding skills. Why did they keep delaying and refused to readily agree?" Ruan Jingui asked unconvinced.
"Teach the disciples and starve the master to death!" Schneider explained patiently: "The nearest shipyard of the Portuguese is nearly half a year's voyage from Annan. If I teach you, I am afraid that the number of ships in Annan will exceed them in a few years. At that time, the shipping business to places like Malacca and Batavia will have a competitor out of thin air. Why do you think they do such a stupid thing?”
"But why are they willing to cooperate with you? Aren't Haihan and Portugal also in a competitive relationship?" Ruan Jinggui was not convinced by Schneider's explanation and continued to ask.
Schneider responded: "There is competition, but win-win cooperation is more important to both parties. The Portuguese need our weapons and our political attitude to support them, because compared to us, the Dutch and Spanish are talented people." They are their real competitors. After all, their battlefield is not only in the South China Sea, but in the entire world! For the Portuguese, choosing to cooperate with us is actually equivalent to having one less opponent in this area and one more. A partner. Do you understand what I said?”
Ruan Jinggui seemed to understand what he heard. He was not very clear about the relationship between Western countries, so how could he understand the intricate international competition that Schneider mentioned? But he did understand the last sentence that Schneider said - the fundamental reason why the Portuguese chose to cooperate with Haihan was that they did not want to be enemies with the Haihan people.
Schneider continued: "There is also a very important point, that is, the shipbuilding technology we have is far higher than that of the Portuguese. What we lack is just the skilled craftsmen to implement these technologies. They do not need to worry about revealing the secrets they hold. You can try to see if there is a chance to learn more advanced shipbuilding techniques from us.”
Ruan Jinggui said: "In this case, doesn't it just correspond to what Mr. Shi just said, 'The disciples of the church will starve the master to death'?"
Schneider turned to look at Ruan Jinggui, smiled and said: "Even if we are willing to teach, we can't learn it in a short time. Even if we can learn it, many things on this ship cannot be made elsewhere. And the Portuguese sent it The shipwrights have signed long-term contracts with us and are not allowed to leave within five years. As for after five years... maybe we won’t be able to drive them away by then.”
Although he didn't know where Schneider's confidence came from, Ruan Jinggui was wise enough not to ask further questions. He knew very well that his identity would not allow him to have access to certain technical insider information. Haihan's shipbuilding technology was absolutely unique in the South China Sea, so how could he easily be copied by outsiders? The Portuguese chose to send craftsmen to Sanya to join the Haihan people's shipyard. If they really had the idea of stealing their masters, they would probably become meat buns and beat up dogs, and there would be no return.
Schneider's statement about shipbuilding was really not a boast. According to the agreement between the two parties, the Portuguese sent more than 30 shipwrights to work at the Port of Victory Shipyard and signed a five-year contract. During this period, Haihan will be responsible for the living arrangements of the shipwrights and provide them with the agreed remuneration for their work. After five years, the shipwrights will be free and can decide whether to leave or stay. But such a long period of time is enough for the relevant departments to wash the minds of these foreign craftsmen several times. Without waiting for the expiration of the five-year period, there will probably be a group of people who voluntarily become naturalized citizens. of Europeans.
Even if a very small number of die-hards can survive these five years, all they can take away with them is only the Haihan people's technology in manufacturing wooden sailboats, and the metal keel, steel core mast, transmission gear set of the steering wheel system, As well as key components such as the artillery retractable turret on the warship, they were not produced in the shipyard. Without mastering the production technology of these components, all outsiders can learn is the hull. What's more, five years later, Haihan's steam engine sailboat was already galloping on the South China Sea. The complex mechanical transmission system of the steam engine was not something that shipwrights could grasp at a casual glance.
While the two were talking, they came to the door of a shop. The man soliciting business at the door obviously recognized Schneider, a noble man, and hurriedly welcomed him in. Ruan Jinggui noticed that the name of this shop was the famous "Fu Ruifeng".
When he came to Victory Port for peace talks last year, Ruan Jinggui also learned more about the situation around Haihan through various channels. Among Haihan's partners, the most famous one is the "Fu Ruifeng" trading company. This trading company with its roots in Guangzhou has immediately jumped into the dragon gate and become one of the top merchants in Guangdong since it established an online relationship with the Haihan people. Almost all of the new products launched by Haihan to the market, "Furuifeng" was the first to obtain the agency sales rights in Guangdong, and a considerable part of the various materials and immigrants that have been continuously shipped to Sanya from the mainland have also been It is organized by "Furuifeng".
Although the Haihan people later established "Qiong Lianfa", a larger commercial organization, the cooperation with "Furuifeng" did not stop. "Furuifeng" not only became the main shareholder of "Qiong Lianfa" , and the cooperation with Haihan has become more extensive and in-depth. The Haihan people helped the Li family, the owner of "Furuifeng", to establish the "Golden Shield Escort", an officially recognized private armed force, and the Li family also Panyu County, their hometown, set aside a piece of land for the Haihan people to build a large immigration transfer base.
Of course, in addition to this, there are actually many inside stories that Ruan Jinggui did not know. For example, the number of children selected by the Li family to receive various short-term and long-term trainings in Sanya has now reached more than 30, and those under the Haihan name According to a certain intelligence agency, the number of personnel stationed in the local branch stores of "Furuifeng" under various names has reached three digits. Of course, these personnel are not spies in the general sense. A considerable number of them are really just subordinates of naturalized citizens engaged in business activities. However, according to the work regulations formulated by He Xi, they must report to the Garrison in Guangdong in a secret manner every month. The office issues reports on the local civilian and military situation, as well as information that may be of particular interest to intelligence agencies.
After Ruan Jinggui entered the store, he noticed that almost all the things sold here were products from Guangdong, but there were no expensive items. The store was not busy either. There were only one or two customers inspecting the goods, which seemed to be similar to "Fu Rui". The popular name "Feng" is somewhat inconsistent. The waiter led the two of them through the store and went straight to a reception room in the back yard to sit down, and then quickly notified the person in charge.
"Mr. Shi, long time no see!"
Just a moment after the two sat down, a young man wearing a blue satin robe appeared at the door and greeted Schneider.
Schneider stood up with a smile and cupped his hands and said: "Mr. Li San, it's been a long time since we last seen you!"
This young man is Li Nai, the third son of Li family who has the closest relationship with Haihan. Since Li Nai visited Victory Port, he has become a loyal supporter of Haihan culture - of course, many people in Guangzhou think that he was poisoned by Haihan people. Li Nai once lived in Victory Port for a period of time, and when he first arrived here it was the opening of Victory Port. When the executive committee decided to establish a business zone, it was with his insistence that "Fu Ruifeng" was established. Hui became one of the first Ming Dynasty merchants to invest in Victory Port, and thus caught a ride on Haihan's group, driving the industry under the Li family's name into a period of rapid development. Li Nai has witnessed with his own eyes how Victory Port has developed from an unknown small fish port to today's prosperous business center. For him, staying in Victory Port is far more enjoyable than staying in Guangzhou. If If he had a choice, he would probably make Victory Harbor, full of novelties, his primary residence.
However, since Li Nai assumed the leadership position of this organization after the establishment of "Golden Shield Escort", even if he was only a nominal leader, he would have to stay in Guangzhou for a long time, so he would not be able to go to Victory Port like he did two years ago. It only lasts two or three months. Li Nai himself didn't have much interest in private armed affairs, so he basically left the daily operations of "Golden Shield Escort" alone and acted as the shopkeeper. Fortunately, the office location of the "Golden Shield Escort" is also connected to the China Guangdong Office. During Li Nai's working time, he basically sneaks to the China Guangdong Office to hang out with Malik, He Xi and others, so it is not a problem. Too boring.
Schneider greeted him and said, "The last time I saw the Third Young Master was half a year ago. How is he always?"
"It's so good. It's so boring. Every day I watch the instructors you sent to train the militiamen in the yard by the Pearl River... I've long wanted to come over and have fun and visit my old friends, but my father is keeping me in custody and I haven't been able to get out. Ah!" Li Nai responded with sigh. For him, guarding the family business in Guangzhou every day is far less interesting than coming to Victory Harbor to learn about all kinds of weird things with the Haihan people.
Schneider smiled and said: "If you really don't want to do this, then I will go back and talk to the General Office and ask Lao Ma to talk to your father."
"If this is the case, it would be best. I would like to thank Mr. Shi here first!" Li Nai had no intention of refusing at all, and immediately bowed and thanked him.
"By the way, this is Mr. Ruan Jinggui, a native of Annan. He used to be an expert in maritime trade. Now he is in the Ministry of Commerce. He is temporarily... my assistant. In the future, you will get closer and closer." After Schneider finished his greetings, he didn't say anything. I forgot to introduce Ruan Jinggui to Li Nai. Li Nai was not surprised at all that Schneider replaced an Annan man as his assistant. Two years ago, when Schneider was still in the Guangdong Office, he had used Yu Xiaobao, a young man with a fisherman background, as his assistant. He really couldn't find any basis to figure out Schneider's employment standards, so he simply stopped thinking about it.
After seeing the ceremony, the three of them took their seats again and began to discuss business.
It has been a year since the establishment of "Golden Shield Escort". During this period, Haihan, in the name of training bodyguards and escorts, has successively completed four batches of training for more than 700 people at a camp near the Pearl River. Two-thirds of them are from the clan militia formed by the Li family, and the rest are personnel selected by the Guangdong Office from local people and immigration camps. After the training is completed, the ownership of these people Naturally, Quan was under the name of the Military Commission and became part of the armed forces of the Haihan Militia in Guangzhou.
The "Golden Shield Escort" organization had two purposes when it was first established. One was to train armed personnel in the mainland, and the other was to expand the reputation and information channels of the Haihan military in Guangdong Province through the armed escort business. Therefore, these trained armed personnel also continued to perform various escort tasks during the year, escorting the money or valuables entrusted by customers to designated locations by land. Of course, a considerable part of the goods are actually "contraband items for the imperial court" operated by Haihan himself, such as refined salt, weapons, etc. Neither the shipper nor the consignee can safely hand over this kind of goods to ordinary caravans for transportation. However, the "Golden Shield Convoy" has legal procedures approved by the government, so it can conduct smuggling transactions openly.
It’s not like we haven’t encountered some people who want to cause trouble during this process. Bandits, road tyrants, patrols and checkpoints, and other methods on and off the stage have all appeared. However, since the Haihan people are rich and powerful, most of the stumbling blocks have been through various means. This peaceful means has been used to solve the problem, and the occasional die-hards can't get much benefit from the guns of the escort. During the year of operation of the "Golden Shield Escort", five or six groups of green forest heroes were killed during the escort. Although the intensity of the fighting was far less intense than when the various bandits besieged Lijiazhuang, it still allowed these militiamen to practice combat skills. Chance.
Li Nai came to Victory Port in person this time. First, the cooperation between the two parties has been completed for one year. According to the original agreement, he, the person in charge, will come to make a face-to-face work report to the executive committee and discuss cooperation for the next year. plan. Secondly, let's see if the Executive Committee can release a batch of new flintlock guns to replace the Type 27 matchlock guns currently used by the "Golden Shield Escort" armed personnel.
After listening to Li Nai's description, Schneider nodded and said: "I will help you arrange the time for the interview with the executive committee, probably within two or three days. After it is decided, I will have someone notify you. But the second thing The matter may be a bit more complicated. Although I am not in charge of the arms trade, can I hear your reasons first?”
Naturally, Li Nai would not hide anything from Schneider. He nodded and said: "Actually, the reason is very simple. The environment where armed escorts perform their tasks is mostly in the wild. Once it encounters rainy weather, the match rope is easy to get damp and is often difficult to fire. Last month A convoy encountered bandits in Qingyuan, and it was a rainy day. As a result, our people had to fight hand-to-hand with the bandits. In the end, five or six people were killed, and many of the goods were robbed. This kind of thing is no longer the case. The first time it happened, I also talked to the two military officers Xiao Liang and Yu Yao from the Guangzhou Garrison Office about the matter. They believed that the most effective solution was to replace weapons with better adaptability, and there was no other way. Law.”
"Since they gave you this suggestion, you must have asked them to write you proof?" Schneider asked with a smile.
Li Nai responded: "Mr. Shi really knows what's going on! I thought that there is no basis for my words on this matter. How can the executive committee believe what I said alone? So I kindly asked the two military masters to write written materials. It also has the signatures of Director Ma and Deputy Director He of the General Office of the People’s Republic of China. Does Mr. Shi need to take a look? ”
Schneider waved his hand and said: "Don't look at it now. You can just take out the materials when you meet with the Executive Committee. Since you have written proof from the Guangdong Office, it probably won't be difficult for you, but the order may still be there." It takes a while to get the goods. Most of the flintlock guns produced here have been taken away by Annan Guoding.”
"Speaking of Annan Kingdom, I only heard after I arrived in Hong Kong that the militia army captured Hue City last month and wiped out the South Vietnamese puppet court. I forgot to congratulate Mr. Shi!" Li Nai cupped his hand and said: "In this way , Annan Kingdom is already under the control of Haihan, why should we increase the armed strength against it? Isn’t the Executive Committee worried about the danger of raising tigers? ”
Schneider glanced at Ruan Jinggui next to him, and seeing that his face was calm and showed no displeasure, he responded: "It's dangerous to raise tigers? It's not up to them to decide whether they can become tigers."
(End of chapter)