Lord of Industrialization

"Well, it's well written."

As the sun just rose, Sonya came to Frederick's residence with the latest printed newspaper.

Frederick was pleased with the report on the front page of today's Konstanz Zeitung.

Yesterday afternoon, after Sonya finished the interview, she started writing the manuscript in the private room of the book bar. She was so serious about writing that she didn't even know that Frederick had left for a drink.

Sonya hugged his arm with a smile on her face and said, "Then you treat me to dinner today."

Frederick shook his head and said: "I'm sorry, I met some merchants last night. After breakfast, I went to Earl Sylvan's territory with their caravan."

Yesterday, he first went to the Bao Steaming Bureau's stronghold here to inquire. In the evening, he went to a bar where businessmen gathered. After giving each person a glass of wine, he began to investigate.

This time I investigated the products from various places and gained a lot.

At the same time, he also learned that a caravan was going to Earl Sylvan's territory today, so he changed his itinerary and followed them without hiring a guide.

There is still one month left before the king election of the Helvetia Federation. It will take about half a month to go to Earl Sylvan's territory and then to Earl Behrami's territory next door. I am afraid that Earl Sforza's territory will be closed this time. You can't go, but you can find him after going to Bear City.

Sonya's smile instantly froze, and then she realized that Frederick had already dressed for going out early in the morning, his luggage and weapons were ready, and he had already eaten more than half of his breakfast.

Frederick finished his breakfast while reading the newspaper. During this period, he chatted with Sonya about other news. The depressed girl kept replying, feeling very depressed.

When it was time to set off, Sonya stood in front of Frederick, biting her lips tightly, and finally said: "Hug me."

At about eight o'clock in the morning, a convoy of six businessmen and more than thirty four-wheeled carriages left the city of Galen.

Most of these carriages are pulled by two horses, and each carriage carries three to four hundred kilograms of goods. In addition to a coachman, there are two guards, in addition to the merchant boss and steward.

Frederick was traveling with a caravan owned by a businessman named Mateo. This caravan had seven carriages, which was already a ceiling for a businessman with no background.

Mateo is almost fifty years old, with a strong back and strong shoulders. Judging from the calluses on his hands, he knows how to use weapons, and his hair has almost fallen out.

His father was a member of the Helvetian Federation and a former mercenary, and his mother was married off from a village in the southern part of the Kingdom of Gaul with a wild boar as a bride price.

Therefore, he knew the Gallic language, and every year when the mountains were closed by heavy snow in winter, he went to the mountains to purchase furs, and then transported them to the southern part of the Gallic Kingdom for sale.

He had been to the World Exposition. Because he went early and sat in the front row when the leader of the opening ceremony spoke, Frederick was recognized when he was inviting him to drink last night.

The IQ of people who are capable of doing cross-border business is online. Mateo did not say anything, but just gave a hint, and Frederick understood.

The convoy left the city. Outside the city was flat farmland. The water brought from Lake Constance in the east made the harvest in the fields not low.

This is a strip-field system and a three-bed system. In a long wheat field, farmers apply the last fertilizer before the snow to the wheat prepared for winter, and mow the grass in the pasture. Many farms also use small steam engines to pull plowshares to move the newly harvested wheat fields. The fields where the beans have been harvested have been plowed and the insects in the ground have been frozen to death in the winter. You can still see the white vegetable greenhouses in the distance.

Frederick sat in the carriage and looked at the scenery, while Mateo was looking for a topic: "Boss, is the beautiful short-haired lady before departure your lover?"

Duke Wesson's erotic history has been spread all over the world, so he would naturally think in that direction.

If the answer is yes, you may get unexpected gains if you make some investments in the future.

Frederick replied calmly: "No."

He could feel Sonya's enthusiasm for him, but this enthusiasm was a bit weird. The fact that this girl could book a private room in the book bar and have a lot of books meant that she was not an ordinary family. Being a reporter and being well-informed, it shouldn't be simple. Just be fascinated by your appearance.

Seeing his response like this, Mateo didn't know how to answer.

Frederick patted the box under him and asked him: "What kind of goods do you have here?"

Mateo immediately replied: "This time I prepared five carts of Elizabethan seed potatoes, one cart of rye seeds, and one cart of Fuqiang flour."

Then he introduced several other merchants who were traveling with him. Some of these people sold cloth and daily necessities, some sold dehydrated vegetables, and some sold weapons and medicines.

Everyone's goods are packed in sturdy boxes with hay padded inside, so the car can easily roll over on the mountain road, so there is no fear of falling.

After the introduction, Mateo whispered: "The best selling thing in the mountains is shotguns. It is not a problem for hunters who have shotguns at home to marry two or three wives."

Frederick raised his eyebrows and motioned to continue.

Mateo said: "There are too many beasts in the mountains, not to mention bears and wolves. Wind dragons and rock dragons will come to the village from time to time to eat cattle and sheep. Sometimes shepherds are also eaten."

"Why are the mountain mercenaries here so good? They have been dealing with wild beasts since they were young. Those who are not so good have been eaten long ago."

"A shotgun is a good thing. You can hit those beasts from a few dozen meters away without having to face them face to face."

"This year I bought one for all my bodyguards, and I also paid for them to go to the shooting range to practice their skills. Now I am not afraid of those beasts. I am afraid that they will sell them privately."

Frederick turned to look at the bodyguards and coachmen in the following cars. They were all relatives from the same village as Mateo. They were all wearing various blacksmith uniforms and construction site iron-toed boots, and steel helmets on their heads. An armed vest inlaid with steel plates, and a folding shotgun on the back.

For Weisen State now, the market is the most important. Only with the market can the products produced in the factory be sold and profits can be generated.

The Helvetia Federation is undoubtedly a huge market for shotguns. Weapons are an urgent need for mountain people. This business can be done, but some problems need to be solved.

"The price of a shotgun is not low." Frederick asked thoughtfully, "Do you think people here can afford it?"

Mateo replied: "Those hunters can't afford it at once, but they can go hunting with shotguns, and they can pay off their debts immediately with fur goods."

Then he said a little embarrassedly: "I have a plan, which is to lend the hunting rifles to the hunters here and let them pay back the money with furs."

Smart people saw Frederick issuing friendship bonds to do business and wanted to imitate him, but Mateo was not smart enough. Frederick reminded him: "Do you think those people will pay you back if they have weapons in their hands?"

Mateo was speechless for a moment.

Mountain people and bandits are often two sides of the same coin. To finish a job in the mountains, you only need to throw the body into the ravine, and no one knows what happened.

Mateo and other merchants traveled in groups not only to guard against wild beasts, but also to guard against mountain people.

Frederick thought about it in his mind. Shotguns are not ordinary swords and other weapons. They are used as main battle equipment in many places such as the Duke of Franconia and the League of Legens, which have become history. This business is not something that a small businessman can do. Go big.

Besides, local lords would not allow villagers in their territories to have weapons of the same level as the army, which restricted the market for shotguns.

If you want to activate the civilian shotgun market, you might as well sell more advanced rotating air rifles to lords as military weapons. Many places, including the Principality of Mainz and the Principality of Bain, have already equipped them. In the future, you may be able to export cherry cannons. More powerful weapons.

He thought about it all the way until the motorcade stopped in preparation for noon.

This is the edge of the river valley plain, and not far ahead are the mountains with white snow caps on the top, which makes people feel quite depressing.

There is a small town on the road into the mountain. The team lets the horses rest and eat for a while in front of a post station outside the town. The people also have lunch, and enter the mountain an hour later.

There were many traveling merchants, mountain people, and returning migrant workers at the post station who wanted to go into the mountains. From time to time, people came to inquire whether the convoy was on its way.

Mateo and his men were taking care of the horses, and Frederick walked into the inn curiously to see what food was available. As a result, the boss kept selling the instant noodles that had just arrived yesterday, Wesson bags sealed in plastic bags, and bricks. The same compressed biscuits.

He thought that he should buy some compressed biscuits for emergencies. At this time, a short-haired girl came to buy two kilograms of compressed biscuits and one kilogram of dehydrated vegetables from the boss.

Frederick turned his head and was stunned for a moment when he saw a familiar face, and asked: "Sanya? Why are you here?"

The girl was also stunned for a moment, turned her head, and was confused for two seconds at first when she saw Frederick. Then she covered her mouth in surprise and asked in a low voice in the German language of Wesson: "Principal ?”