Chapter 111 700 million taels of silver

The good foundation of Indian tea, strong development space, infinitely beautiful future... These have stimulated Hu Chuyuan fiercely.

Before he could come up with a comprehensive countermeasure, he decided not to say anything about it for the time being.

Assam's trip made everyone's heart sink, and they seemed to have a bad feeling about each other.

This threat is too big.

Looking at the current situation of Indian tea with their own eyes, Miao Tsuen Sun, Hua Weifang and others are a little shocked.

On September 20, Hu Chuyuan's team returned to Chittagang and set off for the Suez Canal.

The speed of sailing is still not fast, and it will stop every few days, purchase along the coast, or visit the place.

In early October, the Taichang entered the Mediterranean Sea.

Hu Chuyuan stopped in Italy, Spain and Marseille, France, and visited their shipyards. It was not until mid-October that the Taichang finally arrived at its destination, the Port of Newcastle, England.

Hu Chuyuan and RS Butterfield made an appointment to meet here.

At this time, Newcastle is an emerging British heavy industrial city and one of the largest shipbuilding bases in the UK. Armstrong, the greatest military company in British history, is located here.

When the ship was about to dock, everyone walked on the deck. The towering giant chimneys kept emitting thick black smoke, covering the sky over the city, as if it were a dark cloud of Thor, which stunned Yan Shizhang and others.

On the port, the factories are crowded together, and on the dock, large cars and cranes are also full of novelty.

Even if there are many similar experiences in Marseille, seeing all this again, everyone is still shocked and difficult to accept from the bottom of their hearts.

Because he had sent a telegram to Mr. RS Butterfield when he was in Marseille, he was sure that he had arrived at the port today. RS Butterfield, who did not dare to neglect, hired ten four-wheeled carriages to wait on the dock early in the morning.

At this time, he was having lunch in a restaurant near the port, drinking a cup of tea by the way, and sorting out all kinds of materials and reports he wanted to submit to "Hu Shao".

After hearing the news that the Taichang had arrived at the port, RS Butterfield couldn't wait to run out with the employees to greet Hu Chuyuan. In order to show Hu Chuyuan's unique identity, he also rented a very luxurious silver-white carriage inlaid with silver foil.

Seeing RS Butterfield waving in the harbor, Hu Chuyuan also waved his hand, so he took his team off the board.

After nearly two months, the two met again, and they were very happy with each other.

Businessmen are generally very strange people. They value friendship more than anyone else, but they are also more likely to abandon friendship.

Seeing each other and shaking hands, RS Butterfield smiled happily with Hu Chuyuan and said, "Welcome to the British Empire, my friend!"

Hu Chuyuan smiled and introduced Ye Fu and others for him.

After getting to know each other, RS Butterfield led the most luxurious carriage and invited Hu Chuyuan and Miss Wu Shuzhen to get on the car first. Others also had good arrangements. In addition, four carriages were used to pull luggage and goods.

When getting on the car, RS Butterfield first introduced the current situation in Newcastle, and soon talked about several existing military shipyards in Newcastle.

Due to the completely different design and manufacturing characteristics of warships and merchant ships, even in the United Kingdom, only some shipyards can make warships. At present, there are three military shipyards in Newcastle, namely Swann Hunt Shipyard, Wym-Littson Shipyard and Armstrong. Lang Shipyard.

Amstrom Shipyard has only begun to get involved in the industry in recent years. Unlike Swann-Hunter Shipyard and Richardson Shipyard, they mainly rely on Armstrong Arsenal and only build warships. The most well-known product in recent years is the so-called mosquito ship.

They are the inventors and the main manufacturers of mosquito boats, and all the mosquito boats in the Qing Dynasty were purchased here.

Richardson Shipyard has the oldest qualifications, but recently provided the Royal Navy with the largest number of warships, and the most advanced is the Swanhunt Shipyard.

After a brief introduction, RS Butterfield couldn't wait to recommend to Hu Chuyuan: "You came in time. If you want to buy two ironclad ships as soon as possible, SamudaBros Shipyard in London is the best choice. They are building two ships with a drainage tonnage of 37. The 77-ton ironclad ship belongs to the sail hybrid. Originally, it was to be sold to Turkey, but with the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish war, the contract was terminated. Therefore, these two warships have belonged to the British navy, but the navy doesn't want it very much and still intends to sell them to other countries.

Hu Chuyuan knows the general situation of these two warships, which is a relatively old-fashioned second-class ship waist gun room ironclad ship. Whether it has practical value or not, it is not convenient for him to make a conclusion.

He will leave such a thing to Hua Hefang, Rawls, Wu Dezhang, Ye Fu and others to judge.

He just thought about it for a moment and said to RS Butterfield, "I'm not in a hurry to think about this for the time being... I'd like to ask you about tea, especially between Chinese tea and Indian tea!"

"Is that so...?" RS Butterfield was a little unexpected, but after a while, he said, "I know you will ask this question. Since I heard that your Jiangnan Commercial Bank has acquired many of Mr. Xu Run's tea companies, I have known that Jiangnan Commercial Bank will get involved in Chinese tea on a large scale. Interestingly, before I became a partner of Taikoo Yanghang, I had been running my own Yanghang in Hong Kong, mainly making tea. Last year, we also invested in a small-scale tea garden in Assam, India, so I should be a qualified person to speak on this issue!"

Hu Chuyuan nodded silently and asked, "What do you think are the main problems of Chinese tea at present?"

RS Butterfield replied without thinking: "Profit, my friend!! The current average price of a pound of black tea in the UK is four shillings, the venue price of Indian black tea is only two shillings, and the listing cost price of Chinese tea in London has reached three shillings. For any local British merchant, everyone is willing to sell Indian black tea. Even if they are not easy to sell at present, it doesn't matter. The huge profit is enough for all merchants to recommend Indian black tea, and large dealers will also advertise in newspapers.

Hu Chuyuan was speechless for a moment.

During his time in Fuzhou, he has also been paying attention to the price of Min black tea. The price of Jiangnan Commercial Bank's acquisition of superior Minnan black tea is about four cents and five cents per catty, and the price is five cents and eight cents per catty to six cents per catty.

The cost price of 0.45 taels of silver per catty, in southern Fujian exports need to be taxed, plus tariffs, about 0.5 taels of silver to go ashore, plus the transportation fee of about 0.1 taels of silver, the CIF price is 0.6 taels of silver. After the 8% tariff, it is about 0.65 taels. The CIF price of silver.

British tea wholesalers take a profit from it, and the price sold to each store is about three shillings per pound. For retailers, the profit is less than one shilling, and the gross profit margin is 25%.

As the general office of Jiangnan Commercial Bank, Hu Chuyuan knows very well that if the gross profit margin is only 25%, including all kinds of taxes, labor and rent, there is actually not much profit.

Indian black tea is different, and its gross profit margin is as high as 50%.

In contrast, who doesn't want to sell Indian black tea?

The big recommendation of small businessmen and the big advertising of big businessmen. It's only a matter of time before Indian black tea completely defeats Chinese black tea in the British market!

Even if Hu Chuyuan has the ability and influence, he can't do anything that violates the principles of market operation.

What can be used to save Chinese black tea?

This has become the most entangled problem in Hu Chuyuan's heart. During this period, he has been thinking about it.

RS Butterfield rented a small manor on the outskirts of Newcastle Town for Hu Chuyuan and others to live here.

After living here, Hu Chuyuan rushed Ye Fu, Hua Gengfang and others to talk about the purchase of warships, and handed over the matter to Ye Fu and Hua Gengfang, who served as the main person in charge and had a preliminary contact with the shipyards in Newcastle.

The point is, of course, the Armstrong Shipyard, which has many transaction records with the Qing court.

Although it is important to buy warships for Fujian sailors, it is far less than China's tea industry.

Hu Chuyuan also asked RS Butterfield to help him send as many people as possible to collect tea sales information in the British market. Although it was unplanned, RS Butterfield agreed.

A few days later, RS Butterfield got the first information, including the main tea distribution, the price of tea in the UK, and the taste and price demand of current mainstream consumers, and immediately brought it to Hu Chuyuan.

The number of materials is still very large. Hu Chuyuan called Wu Shuzhen and Zheng Xitai together, and everyone took the time to read it carefully.

When they also read it, Hu Chuyuan and RS Butterfield asked, "Have you seen it too?"

RS Butterfield smiled and said, "Yes, Mr. Hu, I attach great importance to it."

Hu Chuyuan asked him, "If you are allowed to measure it, what do you think you should do to maintain the market share of Chinese tea?"

RS Butterfield thought for a moment and said with a little embarrassment: "There is no doubt that you have to find a way to reduce their cost price and provide more profits for dealers. Another aspect is also very important, that is, try to change the process according to the taste and demand of the British market. Although you are producing tea, the real consumers are British, so you can't just consider your habits and taste. For many Chinese tea traders, I have said something similar. You can't just respect your own ideas, but you want to sell tea to us.

Hu Chuyuan nodded, but said, "It's still not enough to reverse this situation."

RS Butterfield said: "In fact, the Chinese tea business is becoming more and more difficult, the cost is high, and British dealers don't want it, and Taikoo Yangxing is gradually withdrawing from the Chinese tea market. If there is no accident, I will buy a new tea plantation in Sri Lanka. I think that there is a new change in the current tea trade, that is, the integration of production, transportation and sales, which is no longer exploited by other merchants, and directly enters the market at the lowest price. If you want to change the situation of Chinese tea, you must do something in this regard.

Hu Chuyuan fell into silence.

RS Butterfield thought about what he said when he was on the Taichang, but it was not enough to solve the problem.

Seeing that Hu Chuyuan did not seem to be very satisfied, RS Butterfield couldn't help saying, "Mr. Hu, there is actually only one problem, that is, the British political axe wants to support Indian tea and crack down on Chinese tea. If you can't solve this problem, at least in the British market, Indian tea will always have an advantage that is hard to ignore.

These words are right in Hu Chuyuan's heart, and it is also where he really has a headache.

He smiled bitterly and said, "This is indeed the case. If you want to ensure the future of Chinese tea, you must first break through this obstacle."

RS Butterfield smiled awkwardly. It was no longer convenient for him to say anything more, unless Hu Chuyuan could give him special benefits in the tea industry.

He stood up, made an excuse to leave with Hu Chuyuan, and left the room first.

There are only three people left in the room, Hu Chuyuan, Zheng Xitai and Wu Shuzhen, who continue to face this problem that they have been thinking about for more than half a month.

However, Hu Chuyuan felt that he seemed to have found the answer.

RS Butterfield's words inadvertently reminded him.

Britain has always been very hostile to China and dreams of splitting China into many small countries. Only in this way can Britain classify China as a colony.

On the other hand, in Britain's exploration of the Southern Ocean and the Central South Peninsula, it is actually China, even if China lacks sufficient military strength.

It cannot be denied that at least in 1879, and in the current whole stage, China lacked modern military strength, but did not lack economic strength, which is completely different from India, Dutch India, Myanmar and Vietnam.

China's silk industry and tea industry are extremely difficult to catch up with traditional advantageous industries, both of which monopolize 90% of the world's market share and can bring China a trade surplus of nearly 70 million taels of silver every year.

It is 70 million taels of silver in a year and 700 million taels of silver in ten years.

Once China wakes up and reforms like Japan, the threat it can pose to Western countries is huge.

Therefore, Britain wants to eradicate China's two traditional advantages in any case. The first place he did was tea, and in fact, he finally succeeded.

China has neither military strength nor financial resources, so what's so terrible?

That's just the second India.

Hu Chuyuan believes that the key to solving the problem is the "British threat theory". Only by holding this flag high in China can the Qing court give special support to the tea industry and a more relaxed policy in the whole policy.

(to be continued)