Chapter 2100
However, the Yangzhou salt merchants at that time did not have a deep understanding of the scale of the salt industry operated by Haihan, and they lacked sufficient respect for the fierce competitors. Therefore, they did not respond positively to Haihan's willingness to cooperate at that time. In response, it believes that it has the ability to control the existing salt market. But who could have imagined that the initial indifference would turn into the unreachable one today?
Today, the production capacity of the Xiangshan Salt Field alone is equivalent to the sum of all the salt fields in Jiangsu. However, the number of laborers engaged in salt production in the two places is more than ten times different. The cost gap caused by the difference in production efficiency has caused Yangzhou salt merchants to The supply of goods seems to be uncompetitive, and they can only rely on force to bully the market to prevent Southern Sea Salt from entering their traditional market.
However, when the Yangzhou salt merchants discovered that the force they relied on was actually just a show of force in front of Haihan, they had to find other ways to resolve the existing conflicts of interest. The experience of the Shanshan-Shaanxi salt merchants has shown that fighting this road will not work, so the only option left for the Huizhou salt merchants is to take the initiative to negotiate a peace with Haihan, and it must be done quickly. If it drags on for another In half a year, even if Haihan does not take action, the Shanshan and Shaanxi salt merchants will definitely liquidate them first, so as to integrate the resources of the Huaiyang salt merchants.
Ma Zhengping came to Zhoushan this time, and of course he was mentally prepared to run into trouble. Therefore, although Yang Yun's teasing was meant to be ridiculing, he was not angry at all. He said with a smile: "Mr. Yang is joking, I'll wait." How dare we underestimate your country? It was because the battle with the Shanxi salt merchants was in full swing and we had no time to look around, so we let this matter remain on hold. But in the final analysis, it is because we are short-sighted and fail to distinguish priorities. I hope Mr. Yang will not do it. Strange. The reason why Cao Min came to Zhoushan to see you is to apologize to your country for the Hui salt merchants.”
Ma Zhengping's attitude was very humble, which made it impossible for Yang Yun to use the topic any more. He could only smile and said: "If Huizhou salt merchants all had the same thoughts and attitudes as Boss Ma, many unnecessary misunderstandings could have been avoided. .”
"At this time, it's not too late to have the courage to come to Zhoushan and tell the adults face to face." Ma Zhengping responded quickly when he saw that the other party's tone had relaxed.
Yang Yun is not a monolith. Leaving aside the generous gift list presented by Ma Zhengping, Haihan's attitude towards the Yangzhou salt merchants is not to kill them all, but to try to win over one faction and take advantage of the conflicts between the local salt merchant camps. The purpose of integrating the salt trade.
The distribution channels and upper-level connections owned by Yangzhou salt merchants in the area north of the Yangtze River are exactly the resources Haihan lacks. If some of these resources can be integrated into Haihan's economic system through salt trade, their value will be considerable. Huge. Of course, the premise is that Yangzhou salt merchants are willing to establish economic and trade cooperation relations with Haihan.
Two years ago, the Yangzhou salt merchant thought he had the capital to reject Haihan, but now the situation has changed. The positions of the two parties have been reversed, and the initiative has fallen to Haihan. In order to survive, the Huizhou salt merchants in Yangzhou had to lower their attitude and seek cooperation from Haihan. This was exactly the situation Haihan wanted to achieve.
Yang Yundao: "Boss Ma makes sense. Only by being open and honest can we solve the problem. It's time to talk about cooperation."
However, it was almost dinner time at this time, and Yang Yun was already hungry, so he simply invited Ma Zhengping to find a place to have dinner with him. Ma Zhengping was eager to have a good relationship with Yang Yun, so he agreed immediately, already thinking that he would have to rush to pay for it later.
But the place arranged by Yang Yun was not an outside restaurant, but a public canteen specially provided for officials on the island to eat. Of course, due to the special status of the service recipients, the food provided in this canteen is no worse than that of restaurants outside, and even the quality of the ingredients is even better.
However, Yang Jun actually had other considerations for this arrangement. If he ate in private during his first meeting with the salt merchant from Yangzhou, he might make people gossip behind his back. Instead, he took the initiative to show up in the public cafeteria to show that he was acting above board. , to get rid of any bad rumors that may arise in advance, and secondly, to let Ma Zhengping understand that the relationship between the two parties has not yet reached a level where private talks can be arranged.
No one paid attention to what the two talked about during the meal. After all, there were too many people coming in and out of the canteen every day. The number of businessmen from various countries who came with Yang Yun these days was at least double digits, including some locals from Zhejiang. A big shot with a head and a face. A stranger like Ma Zhengping will not immediately attract the attention of others.
But after the meal, Ma Zhengping left with a happy face. Although the two parties failed to reach any agreement during such a short exchange, Yang Yun had made it clear to him that Haihan had no intention of becoming an enemy of Huizhou salt merchants. As for cooperation in salt industry operations, he still needed to ask his superiors for specific instructions. measures, so it is not possible to negotiate specific cooperation terms with Ma Zhengping for the time being.
But this attitude has made Ma Zhengping feel that there is room for maneuver in this matter, which means that the Huizhou salt merchants have the opportunity to embrace Shanghai Han, and he can also have a reasonable excuse to stay on the island and continue Waiting for news.
After Ma Zhengping landed on the island, he learned that there were festivals and trade fairs to be held on the island recently. The accommodation had been booked long ago, but he had already asked his men to spend five times the price and sublet two rooms from others. Got a room and renewed for another month. But this is just a trivial matter to him. After talking to Yang Yun, he is already considering sending someone around the island tomorrow to find out if there is any house for sale, or simply spending money to circle a piece of land on the island and build it himself. house.
This is not because Ma Zhengping is wealthy and reckless. His idea is that if the cooperation negotiations with Haihan can proceed, then a permanent office will be established on Zhoushan Island in the future. Instead of renting an inn or a B&B for a long period of time, it is better to build your own business inn, which can save a lot of money in the long run.
The most important thing is that after arriving in Zhoushan, Ma Zhengping carefully observed the natural conditions, port facilities and operating conditions of Dinghai Port, and confirmed that this was definitely the highest-level trading port he had ever seen in his life. If you invest in building a business store in this place, the convenience and benefits you can enjoy in the future should go far beyond the salt industry.
Of course, whether you want to build this store and whether it can be built are two different things. Dinghaiport is not only a trading port, but also a military port where Haihan's armed fleet is stationed. Therefore, there will be certain restrictions on outsiders purchasing properties on the island. Ma Zhengping hasn't had time to inquire about the specific regulations, but in his opinion, the procedures for this matter will probably be more troublesome, and even if he is willing to spend money, it may not be possible. And if he can negotiate a cooperation with Haihan, then this matter It will probably be much easier.
Yang Yun did not rest after eating the meal. He rushed to Shi Diwen's official residence without stopping to report the news that Yangzhou salt merchants had come to Zhoushan. Of course, the main purpose is to ask Shi Diwen for instructions and give him a clear instruction on whether to cooperate with him.
"I'm finally anxious!" Shi Diwen could roughly judge why the Huizhou salt merchants took the initiative to come to Zhoushan to ask for a meeting. He was still happy to see the outcome of the matter: "If the other party can show enough sincerity, then we can talk to them Let’s talk about the specific cooperation conditions. But one thing must be clear. If they want to cooperate with us, they must purchase from our salt farm, and the proportion of sea salt they handle must account for more than 70% of the sea salt produced by Haihan. Entering the Ming Dynasty market and occupying the share of the official salt of the Ming Dynasty is one of the long-term goals of Haihan Salt Industry. Haihan's salt business in Jiangsu and Zhejiang was completely open to the public, and he had no intention of avoiding the Ming Dynasty. But when salt merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang gradually shift their purchasing channels from official salt farms to sources provided by Haihan, the income from salt classes in these areas will undoubtedly drop rapidly, and it is almost certain that it will have an impact on Ming Dynasty's treasury revenue.
However, this business method has direct benefits for the Daming salt merchants. As long as they spend money to buy salt from the salt class, they can turn the refined salt produced in Haihan into something that can be sold legally in Daming. Official salt. Salt merchants can effectively reduce the cost of purchasing, and at the same time, they can escape most of the salt taxes without leaving a trace. The profits they receive in the end will be much greater than before. This is why salt merchants in Ningbo and other places decisively gave up their original purchases. The main reason why the channel turned to Haihan.
Interest groups like Yangzhou Salt Merchants have many means to influence the output of salt farms and market price trends. Shi Diwen hopes to use cooperation conditions to force salt merchants to purchase more salt produced in Haihan, thereby increasing the demand for salt. The degree of dependence of merchants on Haihan, the main source of goods. As for those official salt farms with high production costs and relatively low efficiency, their income will drop sharply as a result until they cannot make ends meet and close down. By then, the salt merchants' dependence on Haihan will continue to increase, and it will be much easier for Haihan to influence and control the salt merchants, and even the Ming Dynasty salt market, than it is now.
Yang Yun understood Shi Diwen's request, and after he agreed, he asked for instructions: "Yangzhou salt merchants also want to apply for a piece of land on the island to build a business warehouse..."
"We'll wait until the East China Sea Fleet completes its mission." Shi Diwen paused and confirmed, "Do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand!" Yang Yun responded quickly: "The East China Sea Fleet is about to set off, and the island's defense force will be weaker during this period. It is necessary to minimize security risks!"
Shi Diwen nodded with satisfaction and said: "Yes, it's good if you can understand the stakes. If the Yangzhou salt merchants don't have the patience, or have other plans, they can take this opportunity to observe. They are here If you behave dishonestly during this period, then decisively terminate cooperation to avoid losses.”
Haihan's military operation to attack Hirado required dispatching the main force of the East China Sea Fleet. As the local leader, Shi Diwen had to consider the local defense deployment after the troops were deployed. It is a trivial matter for Yangzhou salt merchants to build a business store on the island, but it is best to avoid this sensitive period and make other arrangements.
Shi Diwen thought for a while and then added: "If your negotiation with the other party goes smoothly, you can also grant them the land first, but the start of construction will be postponed later."
"I understand." The instructions Yang Yun received were very clear, and he no longer needed to figure out how to respond to Ma Zhengping's request.
The next day was Haihan National Day. Ma Zhengping knew that there would be a Haihan Army military parade that morning, so he got up early and followed the innkeeper's instructions to the viewing area in the middle of Dinghai Port.
As Zhoushan's annual National Day celebration, the military parade, an event that shows off force, is naturally open to all the public on the island. This is also the time when there are the largest number of outsiders, so the publicity effect is far better than usual. A grand stand was specially built at the foot of Xiaozhu Mountain for distinguished guests to enjoy the military parade. Ma Zhengping had already received a VIP invitation letter from Yang Yun yesterday, so he was also qualified to enter the area with the best view.
Although it was just a temporary stand built with wooden scaffolding, and the people sitting on it were just ordinary rattan chairs, Ma Zhengping soon discovered that the people around him were either rich or noble, and they all seemed to be respectable people, which made him feel The heavy gift I gave yesterday was worth it. Otherwise, his current treatment would not be to sit in the stands, but to be crowded with the sailors and porters in the public viewing area across the road.
Not long after, a black box carriage with four horses, surrounded by a group of armed cavalry, came to a stop in front of the stands, and everyone stood up to show respect. Ma Zhengping asked curiously, and someone next to him told him that this was the chariot of Zhoushan garrison general Shi Diwen. This was a big shot who made the entire Hangzhou Bay tremble when he stomped his feet.
Of course Ma Zhengping knew who Shi Diwen was, and he quickly stood up. It wasn't that he was in awe of Shi Diwen, but because everyone around him was standing, he wouldn't be able to see this big shot if he continued to sit.
Immediately he saw a dark-skinned, muscular middle-aged man getting out of the carriage, wearing a gray coat and a strange hat on his head. After this man got off the car, the people across the street started to applaud first. Some people shouted slogans such as "General Shi Mighty" in the crowd. Then the people around Ma Zhengping also applauded. When he saw this, he also clapped a few times. Hands down as a welcome gesture.
Shi Diwen raised his hands to everyone, then stepped onto the stand and sat in his exclusive seat. When Ma Zhengping saw Yang Yun, he sat not far from Shi Diwen, knowing that the people sitting next to him should be local officials, big and small. However, there are still many guards guarding its periphery, so no one else can get through.
Ma Zhengping thought that he would have the opportunity to deal with Shi Diwen face to face in the future, so he was not in a hurry now. He had heard a lot of stories about Haihan's strong ships and powerful cannons in the past period, and he was really curious about what the Haihan army, which was said to be invincible in the world, looked like. Now he could take advantage of it to watch the military parade. Opportunity to see it for yourself.
(End of chapter)