1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 2360
Compared with the speed at which Haihan officials develop and build colonies overseas, the actions of private merchants are obviously faster.As long as they have tasted the sweetness of Haihan's business system, most of them have already cultivated a keen sense of business, and they know how to take advantage of Haihan's external expansion.

In 1636, Wang Tom led an armed fleet to Seoul, and in a half-coaxed and half-coercive way, the Korean King Li Ji signed a treaty of alliance with Haihan. Since then, Haihan businessmen have begun to focus on North Korea. Slowly began to establish a trade channel between Zhoushan and Seoul.

Apart from Seoul, the city with the strongest commercial atmosphere in North Korea may be Busan, so soon some Haihan businessmen noticed this seaport city located at the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, and were delighted to find that Busan was due to historical reasons. Not under the strict supervision of the Joseon court, there are plenty of business opportunities here for foreign businessmen to freely develop.For businessmen trained by the Haihan business system, Busan is simply a treasure waiting to be developed.

Therefore, in the past two years, Haihan merchants have entered this area one after another, and they are operating various industries here, especially the service industry and navigation industry that Haihan merchants are best at.Chain restaurants like Mingyuelou run by Haihan merchants are not uncommon in Busan, and there are at least three or four of them.

The management style of these restaurants is mainly based on Haihan cuisine that pays attention to seasoning and cooking techniques. In addition to the chef who is transferred from China, all kinds of seasonings and spices, and even some ingredients and drinks are all transported from Zhoushan. .

In this way, the operating cost will of course remain high, which will increase the consumption level of the restaurant, but the operator has put in a lot of effort in publicity, packaging Haihan cuisine as a good thing that only the upper class can enjoy, and inviting some in the early stage Local celebrities acted as spokespersons, but managed to create an image of high-end dining in Busan.

When North Korea was invaded by the Qing Dynasty last year, many rich people in the north chose to flee to the south for refuge, and Busan was undoubtedly an excellent choice. Not only is it very prosperous here, but if the situation continues to deteriorate, they can go to sea to escape the war.The arrival of these wealthy people has also brought a lot of wealth to the Haihan businessmen who operate the service industry. Mingyuelou, for example, took this opportunity to make a lot of money, and the profits were even far greater than those in Haihan.

"Then do you often have guests from other countries in your restaurant? For example, Japanese." Tom Wang asked.

The shopkeeper quickly responded: "There are some, almost every day!"

According to the shopkeeper, there are more than a dozen large and small Japanese business houses in Busan, and there are nearly a thousand Japanese businessmen who often come and go here, and some of them are some with strong financial resources.These people are not necessarily interested in the taste of Haihan cuisine, but more because they regard consumption in places like Mingyue Tower as a status symbol.For example, to entertain business partners or local officials, Haihan Restaurant is definitely the first choice, so as to demonstrate its economic strength.

In addition, the various drinks brought by Haihan are also the favorite of the Japanese.Haihan's wine-making technology is very advanced in this era, and there are many varieties to choose from. There are many high-quality grain wines and fruit wines, which are simply must-buys for Japanese who like to drink.Moreover, Haihan's wine packaging is very delicate, and high-end wines are filled in custom-made porcelain or glass bottles. The resulting recognition is also one of the reasons why guests are willing to spend money.

In view of the Japanese people's increasing consumption of alcohol, it is said that some businessmen have built large-scale wineries in the local area, preparing to use local materials for brewing, so as to reduce the cost of alcohol.

Wang Tom thought that these businessmen were really quick-witted, and they didn't need any official organization to manage their business in Busan by themselves.He immediately asked the shopkeeper to find a reliable person to take him around Busan City after dinner.

How could the shopkeeper miss this opportunity to curry favor with the nobleman, and quickly recommended a candidate to Tom Wang: "If your lord wants to find a guide who is familiar with the local area, then I will dare to recommend someone."

The person recommended by the shopkeeper is his own nephew, who has been in Busan for a year and a half, and is usually responsible for purchasing the ingredients and various supplies needed by the restaurant, so he is quite familiar with all aspects of the city.

Wang Tom nodded and said, "Then you can speak official language?"

The shopkeeper quickly responded: "You can speak both Mandarin and Korean! My lord, my nephew, who has studied in Danzhou for several years, knows the rules and is strict with his mouth, so he won't talk indiscriminately."

"Oh? It's from China? That's fine, it's him." Tom Wang heard that he was from Danzhou, and he felt a little more friendly at the moment, so he immediately made a decision.

The shopkeeper hurriedly responded, and seeing that Tom Wang had no other orders, he said knowingly and wittily that he was going to the kitchen to urge the dishes, and voluntarily left the private room.Later, when Xiaoer came in to serve the food, he presented two bottles of Sanya special wine, saying that it was a little kindness from the shopkeeper to honor the adults.

Shen Xueyi said: "This shopkeeper has a good eye."

Wang Tom laughed and said: "He sees that our group is accompanied by you, a North Korean official, so of course he can guess that it will be a big deal."

Although the officer's meal on the ship was not bad, there were vegetables and meat in every meal, but after all, due to the cooking conditions at sea, the taste of the dishes definitely couldn't compare with the dishes in this restaurant.Even though Wang Tom is not a person who pays special attention to material comforts, he sincerely appreciates the taste of the food and wine here.

After the meal was finished, the shopkeeper came in to pay the bill in person, but he didn't say how much the banquet was worth, but he wanted to ask Tom Wang to give the restaurant a calligraphy.

In fact, this request is of course not too much. The shopkeeper dared to make such a request because he saw that the group of distinguished guests were having a good time. If he had to be a different person, he might readily agree to it. After all, giving an inscription to the restaurant can be regarded as providing support for the country's business.

But the problem is that Wang Tom has some difficulties with the inscription. He himself was born in ABC. When he first arrived in this time and space, he could not even speak Chinese very fluently. It is still a small short board.Even the usual written reports are usually dictated by him and transcribed by the combat staff. He only needs to sign and finish.

Asking him to inscribe with a brush is much more difficult for him than commanding a war, and he also knows that his ghostly handwriting is really not suitable for publicity. This inscription will be made into a plaque and hung in Mingyue Tower , Is it to support or smash the field?

Wang Tom immediately declined the shopkeeper's request, and let people settle the bill according to the market price.Although the price of this banquet is not cheap, it is really not worth mentioning for his wealth, so there is no need to be greedy for such a small price.

The shopkeeper originally wanted to give it a try, but he didn't insist after being rejected, so he quickly called his nephew in and introduced him to Wang Tom and others.

"Villain Mu Guang, Danzhou Renshi, I have met all the adults!" The young man who spoke was dark-skinned, and he was clearly from the south, and he did have a Hainan Island accent.

Wang Tom said: "I heard that you are familiar with the local area of ​​Busan, so today you will take us around the city."

Mu Guang responded, "I wonder what my lord wants to see?"

Wang Tom said: "Our country's local industries, as well as Japanese business houses... In addition, if there are any special places in the local area, you can also take us to see them."

After the group left Mingyue Tower, Mu Guang took them to visit Busan City according to Wang Tom's request.

During the Imjin Japanese Invasion more than 40 years ago, Busan was once occupied by Japan for several years, and most of the original city defense facilities were destroyed. After the two countries reconciled in 1607, Busan returned to the embrace of North Korea, and it once again became the trade center between North Korea and Japan.However, North Korea did not spend any effort to rebuild the city defense facilities that had been destroyed.

On the one hand, the two countries signed a peace treaty to jointly operate Busan as a long-term trade port. North Korea’s friendly attitude can be shown without building fortifications. On the other hand, the cost of rebuilding the city defense is astronomical. Li Hun, who had just ascended the throne, had to spend too much money to consolidate his ruling foundation. He was unwilling to spend a lot of money in the distant Busan to build fortifications that were not needed in the short term, so he put it on hold.

Later, after Li Zhen seized power and came to power, North Korea had become the target of Hou Jin's suppression. Almost all the limited funds in the treasury were spent in the north, and it was impossible to rebuild the city defense of Busan.

So to this day, Busan's city defense is still incomplete. Unlike Seoul, which has decent towers, walls and moats, the Haihan fleet sailed into Busan Port without any obstruction or interrogation at all.Wang Tom has no doubt that if Japan launches another offensive here, it should be able to take this place without bloodshed.

In stark contrast to this, the scale of the local seaport and wharf is growing at a speed visible to the naked eye. In addition to Japanese businessmen who come here to engage in trading activities, there are also quite a few Han Chinese sea merchants. Portuguese and Dutch merchant ships arrived here.

According to the data obtained by Mu Guang, up to now, there are more than [-] local business organizations run by Han people. Of course, there are both Ming merchants and Haihan merchants among them, and the proportion is about [-] to [-].

"There are so many businessmen in Ming Dynasty, have you been suppressed by them when you do business here?" Tom Wang asked casually.

Mu Guang smiled and said: "I wouldn't dare to borrow their courage! Thanks to the executive committee, the local government is now facing us, not to mention that the Golden Shield escort has already arrived here, even if they want to use force, those Mingshang is not our opponent."

To be honest, the Ming merchants must have entered Busan much earlier than the Haihan merchants, but most of the Haihan merchants used to be Ming people, so they did not distinguish their identities so clearly in the local business competition.It wasn't until the past year that Haihan's influence in North Korea became stronger that some Haihan merchants took the initiative to display their identities by hanging two-color flags outside their shops.

After the Golden Shield Escort extended its tentacles to Busan, the Haihan merchants became more confident.They all know that the Haihan Army and the Ministry of National Defense are behind this so-called armed escort organization. Where there is a golden shield escort, there is no need to worry about being oppressed by other forces using tough methods.Even the local tyrants who used to charge gray fees to Haihan merchants have now taken the initiative to restrain themselves, presumably they have learned about the means of Golden Shield escort through some channels.

Tom Wang asked with great interest when he heard this: "Will Japanese businessmen be treated the same when they come here?"

"No one accepts money from Japanese businessmen, and the government is also very jealous of them. This is probably a habit developed over the past few decades." Mu Guang said with some helplessness: "People here are still somewhat servile to the Japanese. I think it was back then. I was afraid of being killed by the Japanese."

According to Mu Guang, although almost half a century has passed since the Japanese Invasion in Imjin, the shadow left by the Japanese invasion of this place seems to have not completely dissipated.Businessmen from Japan still enjoy various privileges in Busan, and the local government is not very good at interfering with related matters. If Japanese businessmen commit any crimes locally, at most they will just lose money and be expelled, and they will rarely be arrested. The circumstances of the crime.

However, after the Haihan army sent troops to attack Hirado last year, these local Japanese businessmen also treated Haihan with a lot of respect.After all, in just a few days, the Haihan army wiped out all the Hirado naval fleet, which is known as the number one naval force in Japan. To offend such a strong person, it is the safest way to remain in awe.

Hearing this, Tom Wang asked again: "Then are there any Japanese businessmen from Hirado here?"

"Yes, but not many. They are basically people who stayed here when the accident happened last year." Mu Guang said with a smile: "These people are easy to recognize. They usually look at us as if they are ready to bite at any time. But they want to continue to do business here, but they dare not offend us publicly, the villain likes to see them so angry and helpless.”

"Then according to the information you have, what kind of business are Hirado merchants engaged in locally? Is there any shady business?" Tom Wang continued to ask.

Mu Guangying said: "These merchants of the Hirado Clan are now acting with their tails clamped tightly, lest they be caught with some reason to drive them out of Busan, but I haven't heard of what kind of shady business they are doing, selling them to Busan They are all local products from Kyushu Island."

Wang Tom was a little relieved when he heard this answer. He had suspected that the weapons sold by the Hirado Clan to the Qing Dynasty were transshipped through North Korea, and Busan was obviously an excellent trade channel.Although the information held by Mu Guang may not be completely reliable, Tom Wang really does not want to see North Korean people involved in the arms smuggling trade between Hirado and Manchu.

(End of this chapter)