1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3953

Although Dai Yingda subconsciously felt that Li Yuande's description was exaggerated, he really didn't want to miss such a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity. If what Li Yuande said was true, even if only 50% of it was true, the commercial value of such a strategically located location would be absolutely undeniable.

However, if one only purchases war bonds issued by the special forces division without participating in subsequent development and operation, one obviously cannot enjoy the long-term benefits that Li Yuande mentioned.

Dai Yingda tentatively asked, "I wonder who will be in charge of the subsequent operation in the area, and how the profits will be distributed?"

Li Yuande understood Dai Yingda's intentions and patiently explained to him, "After the special operations division occupies that area, the executive committee will definitely establish a corresponding region. At that time, Commander Qian will be the regional governor, and the local development will naturally be led by the regional management committee."

"As for its operation, a dedicated commercial organization will likely be established to manage the waterway... By the way, this waterway will be accessible only by constructing a canal, which is why ships passing through the area are required to pay a fee."

"Just like the Grand Canal?" Dai Yingda immediately thought of examples in China. The Grand Canal runs from north to south, with a total waterway length of over 3,000 li (approximately 1,500 kilometers). It is the largest artificial canal in Chinese history in terms of engineering volume, and it took multiple dynasties to build it to its present state.

If it were a project like the Grand Canal, it would be a bottomless pit in terms of finances. Even if all the wealth of Yangzhou salt merchants were poured in, it might not be enough. Dai Yingda would have to consider it carefully.

Li Yuande waved his hand and said, "It's not that big of a project. According to our calculations, the final length of the canal to be constructed will be about 300 li, and the construction period is expected to be ten years."

Dai Yingda pressed further, "After the canal is completed, how can we ensure that all merchant ships will use this new waterway?"

Li Yuande smiled and said, "As I mentioned before, this place is the junction of three continents. Once this canal is completed, the shipping route connecting Europe will be shortened by tens of thousands of miles. Ships will no longer have to spend one or two months circumnavigating another continent. That is the significance of the canal. At that time, there will be no need for any coercive measures; passing merchant ships will naturally choose this shortcut."

Dai Yingda suddenly realized, "That makes sense... but given this terrain, why didn't anyone organize the digging of a canal before?"

Li Yuande replied, "We did dig it, but it was abandoned afterward. That place was a battleground, and the rulers changed one after another throughout history. If the new rulers did not have a long-term governance plan, they would naturally not invest resources in digging and maintaining the canal."

Dai Yingda pondered and said, "In that case, the subsequent canal project will require a large number of people with civil engineering skills. Among the young people we are preparing to go there, there are a few who have some knowledge of civil engineering. They have previously organized the construction of salt fields in Rugao and Yancheng, and there were also projects to build water canals. Perhaps they can contribute to the canal project."

Li Yuande understood the other party's implied meaning and nodded, saying, "Since Lord Dai has such talented people under his command, then we should arrange for them to participate in the preliminary surveying and construction planning. This will put the bosses in Yangzhou at ease."

Li Yuande understood that the other party was not mentioning such details to claim credit, but rather to allow the salt merchants' sons to verify the situation on-site and confirm that the canal project Li Yuande spoke of was indeed feasible, so as to avoid the Yangzhou side losing all their hard-earned money.

Even if Dai Yingda hadn't brought this up, Li Yuande had already planned to arrange for the sons of salt merchants to inspect the area. Not only salt merchants' sons, but Li Yuande would also be happy to make similar arrangements for other wealthy domestic businessmen willing to invest in the canal project. After all, seeing is believing. If Li Yuande himself hadn't visited Suez and understood the local environment and development prospects, he wouldn't have been so confident in promoting Qian Tiandun's canal plan.

Dai Yingda said, "This matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with the heads of the various families before I can give a reply."

Li Yuande was not surprised by this and nodded in agreement: "This matter concerns the fate of the next hundred years, so we should be cautious. I will stay in Yangzhou for two more days and hope to receive good news from Lord Dai."

Li Yuande was not disappointed. On the night before he left Yangzhou, Dai Yingda, together with the heads of various clans, organized a farewell banquet, during which he gave a clear answer.

The seven major salt merchant families in Yangzhou, united by common interests, decided to jointly invest in the war bonds to be issued by the Special Forces Division and apply to participate in the subsequent canal project.

In exchange, in addition to providing the salt merchants' sons with the agreed-upon official positions, the special operations division was also required to provide special care to the seven major families within its jurisdiction in several aspects, including land purchases, trade activities, tax collection, and personal safety.

Most importantly, after being granted permission to participate in the canal project, the salt merchant families would also receive corresponding shares from the future canal operating organization, giving them a say in the business operations. Ships belonging to the salt merchant group would also automatically enjoy the highest level of preferential treatment when passing through the canal.

These conditions could only remain verbal agreements for the time being, and their validity was solely maintained by Qian Tiandun's personal credibility. However, for the salt merchants, as long as Qian Tiandun endorsed the matter, credibility was not an issue at all.

After all, that man was the unparalleled God of War of the Han Dynasty, a great figure regarded as a peerless hero by millions of citizens, whose prestige among the people was only slightly lower than that of the Executive Committee. If even Commander Qian couldn't be trusted, then there weren't many trustworthy people in the world.

The salt merchants' statement was a huge relief for Li Yuande. This trip to Yangzhou brought the Special Operations Division not only a large investment, but also a large number of professional management talents, which were exactly the resources the Special Operations Division urgently needed.

This collaboration will undoubtedly serve as a significant example, and when wealthy businessmen from other parts of the country hear about it, many will likely follow the example of the Yangzhou salt merchants and invest in the Special Forces Division.

Of course, since the special operations division's military operations are still in the planning stage, Li Yuande also made it clear to the salt merchants present that secrecy must be maintained, and the purchase of war bonds could only be announced as an investment in the special operations division's jurisdiction. As for information related to the canal project, it must not be made public until the special operations division's military operations are completed.

Li Yuande solemnly reminded everyone, "This matter concerns whether the special operations division's military operations can be carried out smoothly, so I urge you all to keep this a secret. If anyone leaks information, they will be dealt with according to military law. Remember this!"

Seeing his serious attitude, the salt merchants dared not be negligent and all expressed that they would definitely follow Li Yuande's requirements and ensure that the relevant confidential information would not be leaked.

(End of this chapter)