Chapter 1475 Night Talk
Of course, this group of southern businessmen, including He Li, have a strong desire to invest in Liaodong. Otherwise, how could they be keen to win a task like a carrier, which does not have too much oil and water. But before fully understanding the local situation in Liaodong, they would not risk their own wealth. After all, even Sha Xi admitted in words that the war between Haihan and Houjin was not completely over. The area currently controlled by Haihan It is still possible to fall into the flames of war again, and businessmen's investments may be damaged or even lost due to the war. To invest money here with peace of mind, in addition to fully understanding Haihan's investment policies, the more important point is to determine whether the general environment in Liaodong is stable and whether the Haihan people can prevent the counterattack of the northern enemy.
Even if Liu Shang is eloquent, it can only make these businessmen a little more willing to invest. They will definitely not spend real money before seeing the situation here. Liu Shang himself knew this very well, so at the end of the interview, he announced the inspection itinerary arranged by the Haihan official for the businessmen, which included the areas where people in Dongjiang Town were more concerned, and the areas where the people of Dongjiang Town were still concerned. The Northern Front in a state of war.
This visit was much more exciting than the previous arrangement in Shandong. For these businessmen living in peaceful areas, the fierce and belligerent Jin people have always only existed in rumors. It is difficult to imagine what the front line of confrontation with them is like. What an environment it is. As a civilian, going to visit the front line of the battle with the Jin people is an experience that may be rare for ordinary people once in a lifetime. After returning, it can be used as an adventure to brag to relatives and friends back home.
Although He Li was calmer than other businessmen, his heartbeat could not help but speed up when he heard this arrangement. Although he is not a warrior, what man has not dreamed of being a hero? Although it is impossible to become a combat hero in the army in this life, being able to see the legendary battlefield with my own eyes can be regarded as the fulfillment of a dream that has been hidden in my heart since I was a boy. If you are lucky, you might be able to witness the battle scene between the Haihan Army and the Jin people, and observe how this so-called invincible army performs on the battlefield.
While He Li was still making calculations in his mind, an impatient businessman asked this question directly: "Master Liu, when we go to the front line, will we encounter a battle between the two armies?"
Everyone was also very interested in this question and immediately stopped other discussions to listen to Liu Shang's answer first.
After all, Liu Shang was also someone who had witnessed real war scenes in the army. Hearing this, he just smiled and said: "The combat arrangements in the army are all military secrets. I am just a small civil servant, and I don't know when the war will happen. But please, please Don't worry, even if there is a battle on the front line during the visit, your personal safety will definitely not be threatened. Of course, during the visit, please follow the arrangements of the military and do not act on your own to avoid unnecessary trouble. trouble.”
Liu Shang's tone is consistent with Sha Xi's, and he will not talk about any information that may be confidential in front of these outsiders. Although everyone is curious, they also know that since the other party is very tight-lipped, they should not continue to dwell on this issue. Let go.
The merchants rested in Lushun Fort that night. After Sha Xi took office, he personally supervised the completion of the guest house and finally put it to use. Although this two-story guest house only has ten rooms for accommodation, and the conditions are far inferior to those in the more mature colonies in the south, it is already rare in a large construction site like Port Arthur, and at least it is much better than living in a tent.
Of course, no matter how simple it is, it is still more comfortable than living on a boat. At least there is a stable bed to lie down for a good night. For these people who have been wandering at sea for many days, nothing should be more important than a good sleep right now.
He didn't know whether he couldn't adapt to the new environment or was too excited, but He Li couldn't sleep. After tossing and turning on the bed for a while, he finally got up, picked up a coat and walked outside, planning to enjoy the night breeze before going back to sleep.
Although it has been dark for a long time, the construction in Lushun Fort has not stopped. A construction site in the distance is still lit with torches and construction is going on all night long. Although it was not clear what was being built on that construction site, the sound of hoes and shovels digging into the soil could still be heard in the distance and was clearly audible. He Li saw that there was no martial law nearby, so he walked slowly in that direction.
When he got closer, He Li could see clearly that the foundation for building a house should be excavated here. Several thick processed beams and piles of bricks and stones had been piled next to it. More than 20 craftsmen were cleaning the large pit where the beams and columns were buried.
At this moment, He Li heard Liu Shang's voice coming from behind him: "Boss He hasn't rested yet?"
"Can't sleep, come out and take a walk." When He Li turned his head, a smile appeared on his face, and he greeted Liu Shang: "Master Liu didn't rest either. Do you still have to supervise the work here at night?"
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Liu Shangying said: "There are many unfinished projects in Lushun Fort. Chief Sha hopes to complete a batch of infrastructure as soon as possible, so he can only rush the work day and night. But I am not a supervisor, I just came out to find some midnight snacks when I was hungry, and it happened to be convenient. I saw Boss He coming out.”
He Liqi said: "It's okay that there is no curfew in Lushun Fort. Is there anyone selling midnight snacks in the middle of the night?"
Liu Shangdao: "That's not true, but there must be food in the cafeteria. Is Boss He interested in going to see it together?"
He Li also felt that he had not eaten enough during dinner, so he nodded and expressed his willingness to go with him. Anyway, nothing would happen if he was with Liu Shang. So Liu Shang led the way, and the two went straight to the collective canteen in Lushun Fort. Only when he got here did He Li find out that the canteen had a small stove specially reserved for officials stationed in Port Arthur so that they could have extra meals at any time in the evening.
Although He Li is an outsider, with Liu Shang taking care of him, he will of course enjoy the treatment of an official. Of course, in a place like Lushun Fort, there wouldn't be many choices in the middle of the night. He Li looked at the late-night snack menu hanging on the wall, which was nothing more than porridge, noodles, and steamed buns.
Seeing his hesitation, Liu Shang recommended: "The cook here comes from the Central Plains and makes good noodles. Why don't you try this spicy noodles?"
Since it was Liu Shang's suggestion, He Li would not refuse it. So Liu Shang ordered two portions of spicy noodles and asked the kitchen to prepare them quickly. After Liu Shang sat down, he continued to introduce to He Li: "Compared to Shaanxi, the spicy noodles here are better than the spices. There are as many as thirteen spices in it, some of which are not found in the Ming Dynasty, so it is also This unique flavor can only be tasted under my rule, Haihan.”
In fact, He Li had never eaten this Shaanxi noodle dish before. He didn't know what the mystery in this seasoning meant, so he could only nod in agreement. Liu Shang saw that he didn't seem to understand what he meant, so he continued: "Many of these spices are produced in the south. They are only grown in our land of Haihan. After being trafficked to the Ming Dynasty, they are often sold out in the market. , the price remains high all year round. Nowadays, many plantations in the south of Fujian are mainly engaged in spice cultivation, and there are many wealthy businessmen who have made their fortunes. "He Li would have been really surprised if he hadn't sensed the business opportunities. He was a businessman in vain and quickly answered: "Then when these spices are shipped to the north, they will surely have excellent sales. I wonder how your country arranges them?"
Liu Shangying said: "In the past two years, we have been busy transporting people, supplies, food, and weapons to the north, and we have not had much time to carry out trade. Moreover, the local people in Shandong are also more wary of us, and many things are done by Ming merchants. It is much easier to contact us in person than to do it ourselves. If Boss He is interested in this, he can consult officials from the Ministry of Commerce later.”
Liu Shang stopped there and did not intend to have an in-depth discussion with He Li on this topic. In fact, Haihan can export far more products to the northern region than edible spices. If He Li is willing, he can naturally obtain a useful list from the Ministry of Commerce and then select products suitable for his own business conditions.
He Li also noticed Liu Shang's attitude. He did not continue to ask questions, but thanked Liu Shang for his suggestion. The two chatted for a while, and then the chef served two large bowls of hot spicy noodles. The aroma of the seasonings was inhaled into his nose, and it immediately aroused the greed in He Li's stomach.
"Eat the noodles first, while they're hot!" Liu Shang used chopsticks to mix the noodles and seasonings in the bowl, then started to eat.
He Li saw that Liu Shang didn't care about the appearance of his food, so he immediately followed suit. However, as soon as he entered the mouth of the noodles, the spiciness made him, a Zhejiang native who has always eaten light noodles, a little bit too much, and he immediately broke out in sweat.
Seeing this, Liu Shang smiled and said, "It doesn't matter, I was in such a mess the first time I ate it." After that, he asked the cook to bring out two bowls of noodle soup so that He Li could rinse his mouth.
He Li took two sips of the noodle soup to relieve the spiciness, and then asked: "Master Liu is also from the south, right?"
Liu Shang nodded and said slowly: "I was born in Lingnan and have been living in the Guangdong and Guangxi areas. I was transferred to the north last year. I didn't get used to it at first, but later I learned that most of the troops stationed in Liaodong They are all from the south, and some even come from the islands in the South China Sea. Others can march and fight in this place, so I am not so delicate. I have gradually adapted to the environment here, and eating spicy food is one of them." br>
Perhaps even Liu Shang himself did not realize that the feelings he expressed in these words were not just a re-adaptation from south to north, but also a re-adaptation to two different living environments from the Ming Dynasty to Haihan. It's just that He Li didn't know his past experience, and it was difficult to associate these words with other things.
He Li asked again: "Since Mr. Liu is from the south, he was sent to the north on official business, which shows that he is highly regarded by the Haihan court. I would like to take the liberty to ask, what are the long-term consequences of your country's actions in Liaodong?" Plan? ”
Liu Shangxin said, your question is really high-end. I have always wanted to find out what kind of results the Executive Committee wanted to achieve in the war with Hou Jin in Liaodong, but so far no senior Haihan official has made it clear to him. He couldn't provide a comprehensive explanation, so he could only deduce Haihan's true purpose through half-guessing. Of course, his own conclusions cannot be said casually to outsiders like He Li. As for the official external propaganda strategy, the tone has been set long ago.
"Actually, the plan in Liaodong, Chief Sha also mentioned it earlier, is to take back Liaodong, the land where the Han people live, from the hands of gold thieves. But when it is returned to Ming Dynasty, I am afraid that Ming Dynasty will not be able to keep this land. It was taken away by the other party, so the leaders planned to nominally recognize Ming's ownership of this land, but the actual control rights would still remain in their own hands. From now on, your taxes will naturally go into my Haihan treasury. The boss must not have just started doing business with our country. He should also have some understanding of the situation of our country's overseas colonies. As long as Liaodong starts to develop, the speed of making money here will not be worse than that of the south. "
Liu Shang brushed off He Li's somewhat sensitive questions, and then brought the topic back to the business field where it was easier to use his eloquence. His job is to make these southern businessmen firm up their determination to invest in Liaodong. If these people are still uneasy about whether the environment in Liaodong is stable, then they must dispel their doubts as much as possible. This kind of persuasion work is Liu's job. A skill that Shang is good at.
He Li was still unwilling to give in and asked a few more questions in a roundabout way. He wanted to know the current situation and future trends of the Liaodong Peninsula. Liu Shang followed the same pattern and avoided answering questions that even he was unsure about. The topic returned to the economic field again and again.
After finishing a late-night snack, He Li felt that he had received a lot of information, but the truly valuable information was relatively limited. It goes without saying that Mr. Liu was enthusiastic in his attitude, but he was no less nimble than his boss named Sha. After talking for a long time, he just repeatedly persuaded He Li to invest locally with confidence, and the future would be bright. There has never been a clear answer to the question that He Li was concerned about.
"Boss He, please rest early. We have to go on the road tomorrow morning." After Liu Shang finished a large bowl of spicy noodles, he stood up and left, pretending not to see the unfinished expression on He Li's face.
Of course it's not that He Li's stomach is still full. In fact, the bowl of noodles in front of him has only been consumed by more than half. He really wants to take advantage of this night when no one is disturbing him to get more useful information out of Liu Shang's mouth. come out. But now it seems that the other party is not so easy to trick, at least it is difficult to gain the upper hand in verbal communication.
However, after thinking about it for a while, He Li felt a little tired when he returned to his residence. He fell asleep not long after lying on the bed, and it was already broad daylight when he woke up. The guest house staff woke them up one by one, brought hot water and toiletries, and then told them that they could have breakfast in the lobby on the first floor.
(End of chapter)