Chapter 456 Gu Kai answers questions
Malico's statement can be described as simple and crude, but it also accurately describes the current cooperation model between Haihan and Daming merchants in large-scale development projects.
In the various joint-stock projects led by Haihan, Daming businessmen often only play the role of investors and sales terminals, and are rarely directly involved in the specific operations of the project - of course, some of them are indeed Haihan projects. Due to the need for confidentiality, Han consciously eliminated the opportunity for external forces to participate in the operation. The promotion content of many projects often only contains an overview of the project, investment amount and share allocation ratio, investment return period and expected rate of return. As for the specific implementation of this process, the business department often intentionally obscures the details.
Of course, in order to reassure the bosses who contribute money, the commercial department will usually set up symbolic supervisory positions, and Da Ming shareholders will nominate a few representatives to serve. However, this so-called supervision can only control the ledgers, and the representatives have no power to intervene in the specific affairs of the project implementation process. Especially for some projects with confidential technologies, it is difficult for outsiders to get a glimpse of the secrets.
The content of this agreement, which is similar to the overlord clause, seems to be seriously lacking in fairness. If you are a savvy businessman, you can easily find many disadvantages to the investors. But even such an explicit agreement still attracts businessmen from Ming Dynasty. The reason is very simple. That is because Haihan's investment return is high and there is enough security to ensure the smooth progress of the project.
The first group of Ming Dynasty businessmen who invested in Sanya have basically recovered their investment and started to realize profits by the first half of this year. Even based on the operating conditions reflected in the current accounts, more than three times the investment amount should be recovered within five years. Not a big problem. This kind of return rate is quite good in today's era, and the investment in Haihansheng is stable. The past operating records and good business reputation of Haihan people are excellent guarantees. Of course, the most powerful guarantee is the powerful private armed force under the Haihan Executive Committee, which makes every businessman involved in the Haihan trading system full of confidence in the prospects of cooperation.
For example, this time we organized a business inspection group to go south to Hong Kong Island. For this purpose, the General Office of the People's Republic of China in Guangzhou specially transferred a large "exploration-class" warship and a platoon of army troops from Wanshan Port to escort it. Although there are no traces of pirates in the waters of the Pearl River Estuary for a long time, and there is not much problem in terms of safety, the Guangzhou Guangdong Office still insists on making such an arrangement. The reason is very simple and clear, that is, to show off. Force - after all, there are some new customers in this inspection group who are not so familiar with the Haihan Militia. Letting them see the powerful power of the Haihan Militia will also help them correct their understanding and attitude before cooperation. .
The huge "exploration-class" warship will undoubtedly give a great visual impact to anyone who sees it for the first time. The hull of this warship is one-third larger than the largest civilian ship currently. The neat rows of gun windows on the side of the ship and the tall sail masts that are clearly different from Chinese sails increase its recognition, so that onlookers will not mistake this big guy for a warship of the Ming Navy.
Of course, in addition to its eye-catching appearance, the good maneuverability and fast speed of this warship on the sea also greatly impressed the business representatives who saw this kind of ship for the first time. It is said that the Haihan people relied on a dozen of these warships to defeat the menacing Fujian pirates outside the Pearl River Estuary last year. After seeing the real thing, people who were originally skeptical about it had to admit that this kind of warship The power of the ship - let alone those pirates equipped with only a few cannons, even if the Ming Navy encountered such a warship one-on-one, it would be difficult for them to end well.
As for the Haihan Militia Army, which is armed with live ammunition and has strict military discipline, its mental outlook is much better than that of the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty Guards who are sallow and thin and lack training. Even if people who are ignorant see them, they will think that this so-called private armed force is absolutely It won't just be the level of an ordinary housekeeper, but a military force with real combat effectiveness.
Some smart people, after arriving on Hong Kong Island, have already asked people to inquire about whether they can pay Haihan to build ships on his behalf, and whether the Haihan militia accepts private employment, etc. However, what most people pay attention to is the area and intensity that the Haihan Militia's military power can protect. After all, no matter how powerful the Haihan Militia is, it still has a certain range of activities, and the size of this range is directly related to Daming merchants have confidence in Haihan’s security capabilities.
In view of the fact that many Ming merchants are concerned about maritime escort, Gu Kai also announced Haihan’s armed escort plan for trade waterways in the next two to three years at the public Q&A session: “Currently our armed escort is mainly concentrated in the waters from Guangzhou to the Pearl River Estuary. After the opening of Hong Kong Island, we will further expand the armed escort sea area on the existing basis, from Jieshi Guard in the east to Guanghai Guard in the west. Maritime security in this area will gradually be provided by our militia. Responsible for taking charge. As for the armed escorts on land that you are concerned about, you can talk to Jindun Escort in detail after returning to Guangzhou.”
"You send ships to patrol the sea. If you encounter the Ming Navy, will there be trouble?" someone asked below.
Gu Kai gently waved his hand and said: "You don't need to worry about this issue. We did not set up the armed forces to fight against the Ming Dynasty. What we are guarding against are only those pirate gangs that do evil at sea. If the conditions and timing are right, we will also Cooperate with the Ming Dynasty Navy to jointly fight against pirates along the coasts of Guangdong and Guangxi! ”
When Gu Kai stood up to answer questions about the military, it was not that he was acting on his behalf. It was not that the Executive Committee had no ideas about Hong Kong Island. Some strategic plans had already been ahead of the curve. As for the mainland strategy after gaining a stronghold at the Pearl River Estuary, The Executive Committee also had many discussions, so Gu Kai could just pick it up casually and directly define the scope of future activities of the armed forces.
Guanghaiwei to the west of the Pearl River Estuary and Jieshiwei to the east are both about 100 nautical miles away from Hong Kong Island. With the speed of the Haihan warship, it can arrive on the same day as the departure, and the actual control effect will be greater than blindly paddling out. The area is better. As for the waters near Hainan Island, Gu Kai does not need to explain any more. Nowadays, except for the Qiongzhou Fucheng, Hainanwei, Lingao, and Danzhou lines in the northern part of Hainan Island, shipping ships are running on the other three coastlines. Seventy-eight out of ten are either directly subordinate to the Haihan Shipping Department, or they are ships hired by Haihan. The navy's warships had completed the first combat fleet sailing training around the island three months ago. Theoretically, the entire coastline of Hainan Island can actually be regarded as within the reach of the Haihan Militia. Over time, this range will probably gradually become actual control.
"All your local investments and properties, whether gold, silver or real estate, will be properly protected by the Haihan Militia. If you still have doubts about this, you can ask the bosses who have invested in property in Sanya. , What did our Haihan promise, how did we implement it, and whether there was any discrepancy between what we said and the actual situation." Gu Kai also understood that he probably wouldn't be able to find out the truth when he came to Hong Kong Island this time, so he simply focused on the situation in front of him. It has turned into an investment meeting. Try to attract as many investors as you can. Anyway, once you get into the big pit of Haihan, you can’t easily climb out again - of course, those who have tasted the benefits will probably kick them. Can't kick it away. "Excuse me, Mr. Gu, how much money do you need to raise for your construction plan on Hong Kong Island? How will the equity be distributed? When will it be implemented?" There were already impatient people in the audience below who couldn't help but start asking the question. After all, the purpose of their coming here is to invest, and the main issues they are concerned about are how much money to invest, how to do it, and when will there be returns.
This question stumped Gu Kai. Regarding military planning, he could still fool these business representatives with the previous draft plan, but when it came to the specific development plan, he was blinded. Engineering planning is not his area of responsibility. The main technical staff of the Ministry of Construction are still directing road construction at the construction site in Changhua. They have not produced a construction plan for Hong Kong Island in advance. When it comes to specific project budget issues, Gu Kai I definitely can't make random nonsense anymore.
"Well... this question... we are still studying it now. After all, the money to be spent is jointly funded by everyone. How to make the most use of this money and get the most returns is our Haihan organization. The party must fulfill its responsibilities. This time we came from Sanya and also brought along the people responsible for the project planning. The questions raised by the boss just now cannot be given a clear answer until the professionals come up with a plan. . Please give us some time and let us work out a development plan that takes into account the interests of everyone as much as possible." Gu Kai is also one of the big talkers in the executive committee. Although he knows nothing about engineering matters, he still talks. He used his official accent to get through this series of questions.
Of course, the person who asked this question didn't really have to get a clear answer immediately. The more important factor was to confirm Haihan's official attitude. Gu Kai's answer was quite satisfactory and impeccable.
"In the next two or three days, I hope you can join me to take a closer look at the local situation and come up with ideas on how to develop this place better." Gu Kai said in a smooth tone.
This statement immediately won the favor of most small and medium-sized merchants. For these merchants who are not very strong, the biggest worry is not whether they will make money after investing, but whether they will make money after investing money, but they will not be there because of their strength. There is still no status or voice in this system. Gu Kai's attitude was obviously that he treated everyone equally and did not treat big bosses and small businesses differently, which made people who were a little uneasy about this feel relieved.
Accommodation that night was not a big problem. Since the local floating population is not large, there are no hotels or other facilities here. The only small hotel has only six rooms in total, and only the business representatives There are dozens of them, and there is simply no room for them. Fortunately, the Liaison Office in Guangzhou had somewhat anticipated such a situation. When mobilizing the troops stationed in Wanshan Port, they were asked to bring a batch of military tents, which came in handy at this time.
The navy and army worked together to clear an area on the shore and then set up more than ten large military tents. The standard for wartime accommodation in this kind of tent is that one platoon of soldiers can be accommodated in each tent, which can barely accommodate the people of the inspection group. But forget about beds. Although the Haihan Militia also distributed some iron camp beds to the troops, the number was very limited. When marching, only officers above the platoon level could enjoy them. Ordinary soldiers could only use bedding or even hay. Use a mat and pave the floor to solve the problem.
Of course, if you are stationed in one place for a long time, the logistics department will still make some simple wooden camp beds for transportation with the army. For example, the wooden beds used in the barracks at Wanshan Port are double-decker camp beds made by the Shengli Port woodworking workshop. They are shipped to the local area in the form of parts and then assembled and used by trained soldiers themselves.
The inspection team obviously does not have such conditions, and it is impossible for the Guangdong Office to specially pull out all the military equipment in Wanshan Port for them. Therefore, most people can only solve the problem of accommodation here by building bunks on the ground. .
Naturally, time travelers do not need to face such troubles. Each warship has a high-end cabin specifically for time travel officers, which can accommodate four people at the same time. This kind of superior cabin is actually similar to a soft sleeper on a train. There are only two upper and lower bunks in the room and a small desk. Luggage and other things have to be stuffed under the bottom bunk bed. The only thing worthy of praise is that the bed board is covered with thick palm mats. The logistics department has only recently begun mass production of this stuff. The raw material is from the coconut trees planted by the Ministry of Agriculture on the coast of Sanya, and is made from the processed fruit skin fibers. become.
Haihan's existing industrial capacity can produce steel wire springs, but since steel production is still quite limited, the industrial sector will not use precious raw materials to make mattress springs, so almost all the products made from coconut palm It is the highest standard that travelers can enjoy now. Moreover, most of the processes of this thing currently have to rely on manual production, and the production capacity is not enough to commercialize it. Therefore, in addition to supplying time-travelers, only special departments such as the military can enjoy this treatment.
Except for the warship, other travelers basically chose to rest in the cabin of the "Lightning". The accommodation conditions on this ship are probably the best in the entire Pearl River Estuary area, and it is not an exaggeration to call it luxurious. However, in order to be able to carry more weapons when traveling through time, some of the non-essential equipment on the ship were removed, such as bathtubs and the like. Now the only ones that can be enjoyed are those high-end mattresses.
(End of chapter)