1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 56 Yazhou City ([-])
When shopkeeper Zhang went to Guangzhou to purchase goods, he also thought about buying some glassware of the Flang machine to sell in Yazhou, but the price of this thing itself is high and it is fragile. There are strong winds and waves, and the damage rate is extremely high, so there are very few glassware sold in the Yazhou market.However, if these Haihan people understand glass manufacturing technology and can make these exquisite glass products locally, they can effectively avoid the risks and costs of transportation, and the price is naturally more competitive than Guangzhou products.

Shopkeeper Zhang silently thought about it in his heart, and then opened his mouth to quote: "For the glassware you made, you can temporarily use the selling price of the Folang machine as a reference. The wine glass is one tael of silver, and the bowl is three taels of silver."

At this time, Yan Chujie interjected: "Shopkeeper Zhang, you said this price is the price you bought from the Folang machine in Guangzhou? What about the local selling price?"

The shopkeeper Zhang did not intend to hide it, and explained to him: "The sea route from Guangzhou to this place is bumpy, so the freight is at least half of its own, and the current price is doubled when it is sold."

Yan Chujie calculated that adding half of the shipping fee, the cost of shipping from Guangzhou would be one or two and four and a half. If you sell it at double the price, the final selling price will be three or nine taels. earn.When he was thinking about how to bargain with the shopkeeper Zhang, Schneider had already spoken.

"Manager Zhang, the price you mentioned is fine, but we have one condition." Schneider pointed to the purchase list on the table and said, "The glassware you want to order does not need to be traded in cash, but can only be purchased with the products we specify. exchange of equal value."

"This..." Manager Zhang couldn't grasp Schneider's true intentions for a while, and couldn't help but ponder.

"Our goods can be delivered outside the city of Yazhou for delivery, and any damage on the way is our responsibility." Schneider threw out another attractive condition.Of course, this condition is not a big deal to the people across the world. It only takes half a day for the "Flying Speed" to run back and forth from Victory Port to Yazhou City, and the "Flying Speed" has a stable hull and is able to transport these easy-to-use items in offshore areas. Fragments are perfect.

Although the transaction with the Haihan people is barter, if this thing is thrown into his hands, doesn't it turn into cash?As soon as the shopkeeper clenched his teeth, he let it go.

Just when Shopkeeper Zhang thought that the business was almost over and was considering whether to keep the meal, Schneider took out another thing and handed it to Shopkeeper Zhang: "How about this?"

The shopkeeper Zhang immediately stretched out his hand to take it, and asked with a look of surprise, "You have a skilled craftsman who can make this kind of silver mirror!"

What Shopkeeper Zhang was holding in his hand was a small cosmetic mirror, but it was the size of an adult's palm, with a metal mirror frame, and it looked very delicate.This thing is one of the trading materials purchased in large quantities from the Yiwu Small Commodity City by the former executive committee for trading with merchants in the 17th century. The purchase price is only a few cents.Of course, the Executive Committee purchased more than one size, and purchased thousands of makeup mirrors of various sizes.

It’s not that the Executive Committee couldn’t make mirrors after time travel. In fact, the Venetian invented the mirror-making method of tin foil and mercury in the early 14th century. This is one of the reasons why the Executive Committee asked the action team to purchase cassiterite and cinnabar.However, the efficiency of this mirror-making method is extremely low, and the materials are highly toxic, causing great harm to the mirror-making workers. The most important thing is that the mirror coating is not durable, and the mirror surface will slowly wear off after a long time.Even so, the Venetians kept this secret for 300 years. It was not until the second half of the 17th century that this mercury mirror-making technology flowed into France through some secret channels.The silver nitrate mirror method invented by the Germans in the 18th century has greatly improved these defects, but no matter whether it is the main material silver nitrate or the potassium sodium tartrate and ammonia water that need to be used, these materials cannot be prepared by the traveler for the time being, so they can only be used first. A large number of finished products are stored, and when the chemical industry develops to a certain stage in the future, we can start to manufacture mirrors on a large scale by ourselves.

As for whether this thing is selling well or not, and what price it can sell for, just look at Shopkeeper Zhang's trembling lips and fingers.You must know that during this period, Western missionaries and merchants had indeed come to Ming Dynasty with mirrors, but the sad output of Venice was far from enough to supply European aristocrats, let alone large-scale trafficking to distant places. East is on sale.In the huge market of the East, the mirrors that will be sold by Transcendence Group can hardly find any competitors. Even the European region where mirror-making was invented will surely become a dumping ground for industrial mirror-making in the future.

"I don't know how much you are asking for this silver mirror?" This time, shopkeeper Zhang didn't dare to ask for a price, because even he had only heard of this legendary and priceless silver mirror.

"This two-inch silver mirror costs 20 taels of silver." Schneider quoted a price that he thought was not too dark.And the cross-travelers sitting next to them all had weird expressions after hearing the offer—the value of 20 taels of silver in later generations is already enough to buy more than 2000 such small mirrors!This complete profiteer!
Manager Zhang captured another message from Schneider's quotation: "Do you have other sizes of this silver mirror?"

Schneider was very satisfied that shopkeeper Zhang maintained sufficient commercial sensitivity despite being surprised, and nodded with a smile: "A five-inch silver mirror costs 100 taels, an eight-inch silver mirror costs 300 taels, and square mirrors start at one foot. 800 per side, as for the larger size... we will not sell it for the time being."

Shopkeeper Zhang grabbed the handle of the chair with one hand, barely supporting his body to prevent himself from passing out.These Haihan people can actually make a one-foot-square silver mirror!And listening to the other party's tone, it seems that there is a larger size that I don't want to take out for the time being.

There are indeed larger mirrors in the material warehouse of the Executive Committee, and there are even several full-length mirrors that are as tall as one person.But those are "special goods" and are not intended to be sold on the market, unless one day Transcendence has been able to make mirrors of the same size and quality.These large-sized mirrors are reserved by the Executive Committee to bribe some high-ranking officials of the court when necessary, or even pay tribute to the royal family.

Shopkeeper Zhang did not even return the price, so he ordered twenty two-inch round mirrors and five five-inch round mirrors.As for the larger mirrors, it's not that he doesn't want to buy them, but the goods and cash in the store are not enough.In addition to the mirror, he ordered fifty glasses and twenty glass bowls.For such a valuable commodity, Shopkeeper Zhang did not expect that the counterparty he dealt with for the first time would allow credit.

The trading materials of the Executive Committee were all placed on the "Flying Speed", and Schneider only brought a few samples with him. After negotiating the specific transaction contents with the shopkeeper Zhang, the action team left Yu Xiaobao in the store for a while. Later, he will take the delivery team of "An Fuxing" to the seaside of Nanshan Town for delivery of goods.

The action team declined the request of Shopkeeper Zhang to keep the meal and left.It was only after ten o'clock in the morning, and he had time to go to another firm to discuss business. Schneider didn't want to waste his time on such low-level human relations.

Luo Shengdong was quite shocked at this moment. He didn't know how much the items the action team purchased were worth, but just now he had watched the entire process of Schneider's display of products, quotations, and negotiations, so he naturally understood that the short period just now How many things did Schneider sell on behalf of Hai Han in that time—that was more than 600 taels of silver!Anfuhang has been in Yazhou City for several years, and Luo Shengdong has dealt with shopkeeper Zhang many times. He knows the situation of Anfuhang very well, and it may not be able to make a business of 600 taels a month in normal times.Even if I can be promoted to the general manager this time, the salary for ten years is still not as good as the business negotiated at this moment just now. It's really annoying to compare people to people!
The strength of the next "Furuifeng" is obviously stronger than that of "An Fuxing". The shopkeeper surnamed Li who received the action team said that the saltpeter, sulfur, coke and other goods they need can be organized from Guangzhou in large quantities. The supply of goods was delivered, but in exchange, "Furuifeng" hopes to underwrite the glassware and silver mirrors produced by Haihan in Guangzhou.

Schneider and Yan Chujie had a brief discussion on this, and finally agreed to the proposal of "Furuifeng".Although the condition of setting up an exclusive agent may affect the sales revenue of the Guangzhou Office in the future, it can actually save a lot of trouble for Transcendence by opening the trade route to Guangzhou.Moreover, the other party can help Chuanzhong organize the supply of goods in Guangzhou and transport them directly to Victory Port, which can also alleviate the disadvantageous situation of the current shortage of transportation capacity of Chuanzhong to a considerable extent.

The number of orders finally determined by shopkeeper Li was also larger than that of "An Fuxing", and he even ordered a square mirror of one foot, saying that it would be sent to the general counter in Guangzhou as a sample.As for the orders placed by the action team here, the "Furuifeng" organization also sent the goods to the seaside of Nanshan Town for delivery.

After the two business talks, not only did the action team not have any cash expenditures, but because the two commercial firms could not provide enough goods, they also collected nearly 200 taels of silver back. They were all drooling and jealous.

Things went smoothly, so Yan Chujie was naturally not stingy, and asked Luo Shengdong to lead the way to the best restaurant in the city, "Nanhaiju", and realized the first time eating and drinking with public funds after crossing.Of course, this level of food and drink is not considered high in the eyes of the people who travel through. Two tables of wine and food stuffed everyone's stomachs already bulging, and the total was only 12 taels of silver.

Luo Shengdong got drunk and couldn't help but ask, "I'm going to ask, do you guys have other lucrative deals like the one you just saw?"

Yan Chujie immediately heard his overtones and asked back with a smile, "Luo Bai always wants to make some extra money?"

Luo Shengdong sighed and said, "If you don't make money, you can't do it. In my current position, my monthly salary is three taels of silver. Even if I am promoted to the general manager, my annual salary is only more than 40 taels. I have to manage my boss every New Year's day to cater to my colleagues. , how can this little money be enough!"

(End of this chapter)