Chapter 334 New Business
Shen Wansan's ability to make a difference is also because he has expanded overseas channels and has trade with many small countries in the South China Sea. It can be said that Shen Wansan is the pioneer of Zheng He's seven voyages to the West. This is also what distinguishs him from other businessmen.
Now, Zhang Yang has talked about this topic. Everyone's business cannot be limited to domestic, but more importantly, to explore overseas markets.
"Everyone, look here." Zhang Yang asked his men to take out a huge map, which was the first world map he drew himself. Although the proportion was a little out of tune, the positions were not much different.
"Our world is actually like this." Zhang Yang said, "We can not only trade with those Persian merchants through the Silk Road, but also take the sea to reach Central Asia, or bypass the southern tip of Africa and directly to Europe. This is the place where Genghis Khan once led the team to attack." Zhang Yang said while making a gesture.
These words made these businessmen's eyes straight. They subconsciously knew that these were by no means false.
"Our silk and ceramics are world-famous. In the past, the road through the Silk Road was too difficult, but it was much more convenient to take the sea road, and the transportation volume was large. You are all smart people, and you should be able to know the profits. Zhang Yang said.
Shen Wansan took the lead in reacting: "Yes, Lord Zhang's knowledge is too profound. If this map is correct, we can do business in many countries and earn a lot of silver, but..."
"What is it just?" Zhang Yang asked.
"It's just that our current ships are slow and subject to many restrictions. Since the Yuan Dynasty ruled the south of the Yangtze River, the shipbuilding industry in our south has been hit hard. Now, there are not many ships that can be suitable for ocean navigation." Shen Wansan said.
There are not enough ships, which is also the main reason for restricting overseas trade.
"You don't have to worry about this. As far as I know, there is a former shipyard next to Pingjiang City." Zhang Yang said.
"Unfortunately, it has been abandoned." Shen Wansan sighed.
"I have decided to reopen the shipyard and gather all the workers who know how to build new ships." Zhang Yang said.
Open a shipyard and build a new ship? Everyone else is very puzzled.
"Have you seen the boat I took when I came?" Zhang Yang said, "Maybe everyone knows that I have a special ship under me, right?"
Of course, they have heard of these. The big ship with black smoke has already spread all over Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province.
"What I want to build is this kind of ship. It doesn't need wind and can sail anywhere at will. If you want, you can sell it to everyone at that time." Zhang Yang said. Moreover, if you have a need, my navy can also provide you with escort tasks.
In this way, all people are in high spirits and can buy that kind of big boat? That's great, so that you can sail freely everywhere and make money everywhere.
"Of course, it will take some time to build these big ships, and we also need everyone's strong support." Zhang Yang said.
I told them this, nothing more than drawing a pie for them. It's their business to eat it or not. At least let them see that this kind of pie really exists, and there are many more.
The steam engine ship is provided to them, but with these people in this era, at most they also master the work of the steam engine. If they want to understand the principle of the steam engine and imitate it, I'm afraid they don't have that ability. What's more, the steam engine is different from Tianque. The steam engine is the driving force of industry, and sooner or later it will bloom all over its own territory.
"I am willing to support Lord Zhang's policy and pay taxes in accordance with the law." Shen Wansan was the first to express his position. Of course, Shen Wansan knows that if there is such a big ship, it will be a step forward for his career.
Since Shen Wansan has made a statement, other businessmen have to agree and express their positions one after another. They know that since this matter has been doomed, it cannot be changed unless they go somewhere else, and the business opportunity here is the biggest.
"Another thing is that the land under your name must be taken back to the public and then distributed to the people. This is also my basic policy. Have you heard of it?" Zhang Yang asked.
At the beginning, I was in Xinghua. That's what I did. The merchants were well-informed, and they naturally knew this.
Although many people are reluctant to give up their land, they have known for a long time that if they refuse to hand over the land, the consequences will be very serious, and if they hand over the land, they can also get corresponding compensation. Whether they are willing or not, they have to agree on the surface.
"I know this, so I have prepared all my land deeds and are waiting for Lord Zhang to receive them." Shen Wansan said.
In addition to doing business, Shen Wansan has also set up countless fields. Jiangnan belongs to his fields, which may add up to an astronomical figure.
At the beginning, in Xinghua, Shen Wansan donated all the Xinghua's land to the rebels. After all, it was a rill. Now, if he selflessly save all his land, Shen Wansan may be in pain.
Therefore, Zhang Yang did not naively think that Shen Wansan would donate Tian San. He prepared another way: to transfer the patent.
"The business of the Shen family is all over the world. I don't know if I have ever seen a kind of colorless and transparent 'glass' as large as a window?" Zhang Yang tried his best to speak from an angle that they could understand.
Colorless and transparent, huge area, glass? What is it? No one can react and feel that Lord Zhang's words are mysterious everywhere.
"Look, our current window is pasted with window paper. After closing the window, we can't see anything clearly outside. Moreover, once it rains and gets wet, we have to paste it again. If there is something that is colorless and transparent, it is like a transparent gemstone, but it is as big as window paper. If it is placed in the window, can it shelter from the wind and rain and see things outside? Zhang Yang explained.
In this way, many people seem to understand that it's really too weird. Let's talk about transparent gems, how expensive it is.
"Do you mean that you can produce this kind of thing by manual means? Install it on the window and see everything outside? Shen Wansan asked.
"Yes, that's it," Zhang Yang said, "I wonder if you are interested?"
Although other businessmen are fascinated, they are not very interested. No one has seen this kind of thing. They don't believe it and dare not try it.
Zhang Yang has never been able to pull out, otherwise, he really wants to make a few pieces of glass by himself to open their eyes.
In fact, the process required for glass is not complicated, and the raw materials are also very simple.
Quartz sand, limestone, feldspar, soda ash, boric acid, etc. can be found in alchemists. The firing process is similar to that of porcelain. After weighing various raw materials, they are mixed evenly and heated at high temperature to form a uniform bubble-free glass liquid. Then convert the molten glass liquid into a solid product with a fixed shape.
The trouble is that the forming of glass must be carried out within a certain temperature range. This is a cooling process. The glass first changes from a sticky liquid to a plastic state, and then into a brittle solid state. In the process of cooling, large pieces of glass are crushed by mechanical processing. However, the glass has undergone intense temperature changes and shape changes in the formation, which leaves thermal stress in the glass. This thermal stress will reduce the strength and thermal stability of glass products. In order to eliminate the phenomenon of cold explosion, glass products must be annealed after forming.
Annealing is to keep warm or slowly cool down for a period of time within a certain temperature range to eliminate or reduce the thermal stress in the glass to an allowable value. This is also the most critical step in glass manufacturing, which requires repeated experiments.
Shen Wansan was fascinated by it. He could become the richest man in the south of the Yangtze River, and he also had a high sense of business sense and foresight. This kind of thing will definitely become the mainstream in the future. If he mastered the ability to make this kind of thing, it would not be a lot of money.
Especially in Western countries, there are many nobles. Selling this kind of thing to them will definitely make a lot of money.
"If what Lord Zhang said is true, I am willing to use these land deeds in exchange for this glass manufacturing method." Shen Wansan said.
Shen Wansan's words scared Zhang Yang. This rich man really has a vision. He threw such a glass and asked him to exchange all the land deeds. What about his own cement?
Forget it, glass only has a luxurious appearance. The first ones to enter must be those rich people. Let this guy make a fortune. However, another kind of cement cannot be monopolized by him.
Compared with glass, cement is more practical, which is a good raw material for fortifications.
Cement is an important raw material for manufacturing high-rise buildings in later generations, and the process of this kind of thing is not complicated. This era can fully meet the needs of production.
To put it simply, it is two grinding and one firing: raw material preparation, clinker calcination, cement grinding.
The raw materials are also very simple, limestone, clay and ferrate. In addition, with this steam engine as the power, the manufacturing process will be simpler.
"As long as you are self-reconserving businessmen, I, Zhang Shicheng, welcome you with both hands. In Jiangnan Jiangbei Province, except for salt, iron and grain, all other goods are free trade. As long as you pay all kinds of taxes, there will be no other apportionment. If someone collects money from you for various reasons, you can follow You can report it to me all the time. Zhang Yang said.
Hearing this, the merchants were a little relieved. Although they did not collect commercial tax, even a small soldier guarding the gate of the Acropolis had to be bribed. In addition, it is actually higher than this tax. Since it has been obtained on the surface, and Lord Zhang's own promise, if so, it is true, it is actually okay. To.
They suddenly felt that the unhappiness caused by tax collection was gradually eliminated.
"You can either do business or each have five mu of land. You can choose one of the two. However, it is absolutely not allowed to have more than five mu of land in your hand. As long as you manage it seriously, I believe that your harvest must be greater than now." Zhang Yang said.
(to be continued)