Volume 3: Confrontation! The Run of Civilization Chapter 422: Launching Economic Reforms
While the Middle East and Europe are in turmoil, the Ming Dynasty in the East is also about to create huge waves.
December 15, 1619, Beijing, Golden Hall, Headquarters of the Ming Royal Bank.
Cao Sanxi, who was born as a businessman, built an eight-story building for this new institution with reinforced concrete after he became the president of the bank. The top floor was set up as meeting rooms of various sizes. The largest one was over a thousand square meters in area. In order to ensure that the speaker's voice could be clearly heard throughout the meeting room, a large number of copper pipes were laid underground. At the same time, the entire wall and ceiling were decorated with gold and copper foil. The entire meeting room was extremely magnificent, so it was named the Golden Hall.
When ordinary intellectuals see this kind of decoration style, they are usually shocked and envious, and then they show contempt with a righteous look on their faces. Then they say "Hey~Tui~" loudly, and after leaving the house, they still shake their heads and say something sarcastic like "You are still a businessman after all."
However, no matter how much the literati "disliked" it, the businessmen who came here to attend the conference liked it very much. Many of the businessmen who attended the conference said that they must also set up such an event in their own halls in the future.
At this time, the floor heating in the entire Golden Hall had started to heat up, and with several hundred people in the hall, the temperature in the venue was very warm. All the participants took off their thick coats, greeted each other with "brother", "brother", and the atmosphere in the whole venue was extremely warm.
With the voice of "President Cao is here" at the door, the bustling atmosphere in the meeting room, which was like a vegetable market, suddenly disappeared. Instead, people stood up one after another, and the cushions under their buttocks squeaked as they stood up again due to the action of the springs.
"We are here to see President Cao."
"Hahaha, fellow Taoists, please take a seat. I just came from the Palace of Heavenly Purity and am six minutes late. I am sorry for neglecting you all."
"I dare not. President Cao serves the emperor and works for our welfare. It is the hard work of the president."
"Haha, I won't say any more polite words. Please take your seats."
After everyone finished greeting and sat down, Cao Sanxi cleared his throat on the podium and said, "Well, fellow colleagues, what were your thoughts after visiting Fangshan Laboratory yesterday?"
After this question was raised, the businessmen below stood up and spoke one after another. Without exception, they all said words such as "shocking", "eye-opening", "reaching the pinnacle", and "superb".
In fact, at yesterday's visit, when the shareholders of the "War Foundation" saw the Fangshan Laboratory producing various products at a rapid speed driven by the steam engine, they all lost their composure. Even today, countless wealthy businessmen have black eyes - they couldn't sleep all night!
"I believe that after yesterday's eye-opening experience, everyone should be able to understand one thing, that is, if the imperial court opens these technologies to the public, then businesses that do not obtain these technologies will soon be eliminated from the light industry!"
"President Cao is absolutely right!"
"Yesterday, many colleagues asked me why these technologies were not made available earlier. At that time, there were too many people and it was difficult for me to say anything. Today, everyone sitting here is from our war foundation. In other words, we are all family members, so I can speak freely. It's very simple. After these technologies are made available to you, you will use them to set up factories to produce things. Due to the great improvement in production efficiency, the demand for raw materials will double. And due to the large increase in products and the drop in unit prices, the demand for the market will also become extremely hungry. Before the emperor's army completely conquered the entire Nanyang and Yingzhou, there was not enough raw materials and market. If these technologies were made available at that time, it is possible that the people's livelihood in my Ming Dynasty would collapse! Even now, it cannot be fully opened. It can only be opened to everyone in the war foundation. After all, when the court's victory was uncertain , you were willing to generously donate money to support the court's battle. You are all loyal and patriotic righteous men!"
"I dare not, I dare not, thank you for your praise, President."
"Hey, this is not an exaggeration. Everyone, the story of 'Zi Gong redeeming a man' that I told you before is the one that the emperor attaches the most importance to. When the country needed a lot of money to invest in the war, you funded the country, and the country must repay you. After you get the reward, you are also a well-deserved 'righteous man and righteous businessman'. This is what the Master said in 'Zi Gong redeems a man', that the moral standard cannot be set too high, so that people cannot truly practice morality, and everyone will become a hypocrite in the end . Don't worry, everyone, the six major newspapers will also do their best to publicize your righteous deeds."
"Oh, that's incredible! We businessmen should at least have a good reputation!"
"Yes, yes. Over the years, although we businessmen have some money, we are really not welcomed by all parties. Fortunately, we met the emperor and President Cao."
"Dong, dong, dong~" After the merchants below sighed for a while, Cao Sanxi banged the gavel: "Everyone, please be quiet. In compliance with the emperor's order, I will explain to you the open management methods for the production technology of steam machinery and related products."
"President Cao, please give us your instructions."
"Okay, I'll talk about the important things. First, any merchant who donated more than 100,000 taels in the war fund three years ago will receive the steam engine manufacturing technology and a finished steam engine for free. If the donation amount three years ago did not reach more than 100,000 taels, you can make up the full amount, or partner with others who donated less than 100,000 taels to obtain it.
Second, three years ago, the court gave away various new textile technologies for free to those who donated more than 200,000 taels, such as the Changluo shuttle and the Youxiao machine. The original design of these things was powered by human or water power. But after the steam engine was invented, this design idea would make the production of steam engines more efficient.
Third, the donation amount reached 300,000 taels or more. Well, three years ago, there were six companies in total. These six companies will obtain technologies for the production of soap, glass, mirrors, new porcelain (bone china), and even sulfonamide, penicillin, streptomycin and other drugs. "
"Ah~! President Cao!"
"Hmm? What's up?"
"Um..." Just now, countless people called out "President Cao". But when Cao Sanxi stopped, a slightly fat businessman stood up shyly: "Um, President Cao, three years ago, I had limited funds, so I didn't support the court as much. But in the past three years, thanks to the court opening up the trade route to Southeast Asia, my company has more funds than before. I just want to ask, can we make up the donation to 300,000 taels, and then..."
"As for this matter, the emperor has already explained it. The members of the war fund are all righteous merchants. The court should give them strong support. However, after all, everyone donated different amounts at the beginning, so the rights they enjoy are also different. Otherwise, you pay 300,000 and he pays 10,000, and everyone enjoys the same rights, which is not good. However, the silver dollars three years ago are more valuable than the silver dollars now. Therefore, now only if the donation amount can be supplemented to 220,000 or 330,000, you can enjoy the technology opening in the second and third articles just now. Similarly, you can also negotiate on your own, and form a group of several or even more than a dozen people to donate, and then obtain the corresponding technology. Of course, we are all bosses, so I would like to remind you that if there is a problem in the group when purchasing technology, it will be very troublesome."
"I see. I understand now. Thank you, President Cao, for your guidance."
"Okay, I will continue. Article 4. After the court opens up the above technology, the Red River Industry and Fangshan Grocery Store under the emperor will all withdraw from the market. The shares of these enterprises that I and the emperor distributed to many ministers when he was in the palace will be redeemed by the war fund. These ministers can do business in the future, but they should not think about a career in politics. In a word, if you want to be an official, don't think about getting rich, and if you want to get rich, don't be an official.
Article 5. The current workers, sales, and transportation teams of Honghe Industry and Fangshan Grocery Store total more than 136,000 people. The merchants who purchased or obtained the above-mentioned technology need to take over the work of these people. Comrades, do you have any objections? "
