1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 424 Zhan Gui buys a boat
"Director Zhou, this is the [-] catties of rice and [-] catties of clean coal entrusted by the Ministry of Civil Affairs to be transported. You can send someone to collect them!" Zhan Gui respectfully handed over to Zhou Hengxing who was sitting behind a huge mahogany desk. There is a paperwork.

Since the Shilu project required a large amount of sea transportation capacity to transport personnel and materials from Sanya to Changhua, the Ministry of Shipping had to start dispatching most of its cargo ships back to the coast of Qiongzhou to undertake transportation tasks.Most of the ships traveling between the coast of North Vietnam and Sanya have temporarily given up their original transportation tasks, but it is impossible to give up the transportation tasks in this area, so the Ministry of Shipping and other relevant units began to coordinate and hire large Ming maritime merchants' ships will bear this part of the capacity demand.

This is not the first time this practice has been adopted after crossing. After the development of Heitu Port in 1627, because of Haihan's own lack of capacity, there was a period of time when several ships were hired to carry out the transportation between Victory Port and Heitu Port. Cargo transportation, after a long period of operation, all links have become relatively mature, so after the capacity gap appeared this time, the relevant departments quickly notified some Daming maritime merchants with good cooperative relations to allow them to vacate Ships temporarily join the fleet under the name of the Ministry of Shipping.

Zhan Gui, as one of the shareholders of "Qiong Lianfa", and the only one of the twelve foreign shareholders who specializes in maritime transportation, naturally does his part in this task.After receiving the notice from the Ministry of Shipping, Zhan Gui quickly ordered his shopkeeper to suspend the merchant ships that were going to Batavia and Guangzhou, and instead sent them to North Vietnam to transport rice and coal back from the local area.

This task seemed simple, but for Zhan Gui, the temporary transfer of ships undoubtedly had to bear certain economic losses.The employment price given by the Ministry of Shipping is actually not enough to compensate for this part of the loss.However, Zhan Gui didn't particularly care about how much money he would lose due to Haihan's temporary recruitment this time. What he cared more about was whether the relationship between his shipping company and Haihan's executive committee could be further deepened and strengthened.

If the cooperation between the two parties in the early stage was just to earn more economic benefits, then at this stage, Zhan Gui's considerations have gone far beyond the scope of how much money he can make.Now he has not only bought a real estate house in the new urban area of ​​Sanya and moved his family here, but also his beloved youngest daughter, Zhan Zheying, has also been sent to the Haihan people's school, and he is going to take root here. posture.

Because Zhan Gui has been engaged in maritime trade and transportation for many years, he has been to many countries and regions, and has seen the customs and customs of various places. From his perspective, he has to admit that the Sanya area under the Haihan Executive Committee is a One of the most livable places he had ever seen.Even the city of Guangzhou, which is full of feasting and feasting, is far inferior to this small Sanya area in terms of the comfort level of life.Not only is the natural environment beautiful here, but the folk customs and public security are also very good. More importantly, Zhan Gui can clearly feel that the Haihan Executive Committee's efforts to govern the place are not for economic benefits, but for the purpose of It is being developed and constructed here as its own ruling area.And this practice is gradually expanding outward as Haihan continues to grow.

As far as Zhan Gui knows, at least nearly one-third of the coastal area of ​​Qiongzhou Island has been actually controlled by Haihan. If it continues to develop at this rate, it will take another two or three years at most, and it is estimated that the entire Qiongzhou Island will Dao had to change his surname to "Haihan".Although Zhan Gui was born in Ming Dynasty, but because he has been active overseas all the year round, he actually doesn’t have a strong sense of belonging to his nationality. Therefore, he doesn’t have a strong sense of repulsion when Haihan may occupy the territory of Ming Dynasty in the future. I have been thinking about whether the Haihan people will establish a new state power on Qiongzhou Island.

Zhan Gui has a relatively clear understanding of the military power in the hands of the Haihan Executive Committee, especially the strength of the navy.A layman watches the fun, and an insider watches the doorway. Zhan Gui has visited the operation process of the Shengli Port Shipyard, and has also been on the Haihan warship to observe and train. He knows very well that the combat effectiveness of the Haihan Navy far exceeds the level of the Daming Navy. If a war breaks out between the two sides due to territorial disputes in the future, there is a [-]% possibility that Daming will suffer a big loss, and may even completely lose the ownership of Qiongzhou Island because of the defeat.

Based on this understanding, Zhan Gui showed obvious inclination towards Haihan, consciously increased investment in various business projects of "Qiong Lianfa", and began to actively participate in various social activities of Haihan business.For example, the selection of "representatives of public opinion" started only in the first half of this year. Zhan Gui had already actively participated in it before most people understood the situation.

This "representative of public opinion" is actually very similar to the squires and elders promoted by the Ming Dynasty among the people. It is probably that people with high prestige are elected by the people as representatives, and they are responsible for negotiating some civil affairs with relevant departments in Haihan.Naturally, this kind of identity has no power at all, but for businessmen, it is undoubtedly a shortcut to improve their social status.Of course, Zhan Gui does not have the status of a Haihan naturalized citizen, so the interest groups he represents are only some foreign merchants, crew members and other groups.

Moreover, after Zhan Gui became a "representative of public opinion", he discovered that this identity is not just a false title. The Ministry of Civil Affairs often summons representatives to Shengli Fort to discuss matters, convey some of the latest resolutions from the Executive Committee, and then convey them to The people at the grassroots level.Of course, things are not done for nothing. Outsiders like Zhan Gui have also gained some very practical benefits because of this status.

Among other things, this identity has already saved Zhan Gui a lot of money in terms of shipping trade.According to the regulations of the Ministry of Shipping, foreign ships need to charge a certain fee for maintenance at the Shengli Port Shipyard, but as a "representative of public opinion", they completely enjoy the so-called "internal treatment" in this link, and the cost is only for foreign ships. less than one-third of that.A maritime merchant like Zhan Gui with dozens of large ships under his name now uses Shengli Port as the center of his trade network. The money he saved on this project in a year is almost enough to make money in Sanya New City. Buy a detached villa in the area.

After tasting a certain amount of sweetness, Zhan Gui became even more enthusiastic about participating in Haihan affairs.As soon as the Ministry of Shipping's announcement was posted at the end of May, he took the initiative to come to the door, willing to deploy the sea-going ships under his name to meet the transportation needs of the Ministry of Shipping first.

Zhou Hengxing took the shipping certificate handed over by Zhan Gui, looked at it carefully, and then pressed a small switch on the desk.Soon a naturalized person came in from outside. Zhou Hengxing handed him the shipping certificate and asked him to take people to the pier to count the goods immediately.

"Boss Zhan, sit down first, I'll ask someone to make tea!" It's not the first time Zhou Hengxing has dealt with Zhan Gui. Such big merchants are basically already acquainted with each other.

"Director Zhou, you're being polite... By the way, there is still something I don't understand, and I want to ask Director Zhou for advice." Zhan Gui replied politely.

"Okay, tell me." Zhou Hengxing stopped what he was doing and looked up at Zhan Gui.

Zhan Gui said: "The thing is like this. I asked the Ministry of Shipping about ordering merchant ships a few days ago, but Minister Yue of the Ministry of Shipping said that certificates from civil affairs, port affairs and judicial agencies are required. I really don't quite understand how to go through this procedure, so I would like to ask Director Zhou to give me some advice."

"Buy a ship?" Zhou Hengxing asked incredulously, "Can the shipyard sell ships to the outside world now?"

"You can pay the deposit, but the time of delivery is subject to negotiation." Zhan Gui replied honestly: "I have taken a fancy to the 'Explorer Class' sailboat from the shipyard, but the Ministry of Shipping keeps saying that there is no time limit for it. Merchant ships have no choice but to give up. However, the Ministry of Shipping has posted a notice recently, saying that the 'exploration-class' merchant ships can already be booked."

Zhou Hengxing nodded slightly while listening. After Zhan Gui finished speaking, he said: "The executive committee has not yet issued a corresponding document on this matter, and I don't know what the executive committee's attitude is now. Make a call and ask."

"Then I'll bother you later." Zhan Gui was very knowledgeable and immediately got up to leave.He has seen many times when traversers call on the phone, but in his opinion, this thing should be some kind of wonderful magic. Although the Haihan people don't seem to be afraid to use this kind of telephony in front of him, but Zhan Gui thought it would be better to step back when the other party was casting a spell.

However, his behavior undoubtedly increased a lot of favorability in Zhou Hengxing's eyes. After he left the office, Zhou Hengxing picked up the phone and dialed Yue Zhiyun's number to inquire about ordering a merchant ship.In fact, it's not that Zhou Hengxing's news is too closed. It is indeed that the Ministry of Shipping has just introduced a new policy, and it is too late to coordinate with various departments.

The Shengli Port Shipyard under the Ministry of Shipping has gone through a one-year process of expansion while producing, and its current shipbuilding capacity has made greater progress than before.The keels of the thousand-ton ship have already been laid on the two largest berths, and are expected to be launched for sea trials early next year.The "Exploration Class" sailboat with a smaller tonnage has stopped manufacturing the military version. The Navy will only order a larger 500-ton "Exploration Class" sailboat, which will be the main force of the Navy for a period of time to come. Used by combat ships.

As a result, several berths in the shipyard were vacant.When the Ministry of Shipping originally designed the "Explorer-class" sailboat, it had fully considered the possibility of future civilian use, so there was already a corresponding design plan for the modification and construction of the "Explorer-class" merchant ship.This kind of merchant ship has made some modifications to the original hull structure, canceling the design of the artillery platform on the second deck, and designing the internal cabin as a structure with the cargo compartment as the main structure. and other facilities have been weakened and cancelled.

Although this commercial version of the ship is only less than a quarter larger than the traditional [-]-material Chinese-style sailboat, its cargo loading capacity far exceeds that of the Chinese-style sailboat. The system also has an incomparable advantage in sailing speed, and the time required for the same voyage is more than twice as fast as that of a Chinese sailboat.Most importantly, this kind of merchant ship is also equipped with Haihan's exclusive steering wheel steering system. This convenient driving facility has an irresistible attraction for Zhan Gui.

Although the order price of the "Exploration Class" commercial version is obviously higher than that of traditional Chinese sailboats, in the opinion of a professional maritime merchant like Zhan Gui, it is worthwhile to exchange money for performance advantages.If the Haihan people are willing to sell this advanced sea-going ship, it would be a good deal to pay a higher price. After all, pulling more and running faster is much more cost-effective in the long run than using traditional sailing ships. Zhan Gui believes that using this new It only takes one year at most for the sailing boat to earn back the cost of buying the boat.

Of course, this kind of advanced sailboat is not something that can be bought with money. First of all, you must obtain the purchase qualification certification.This qualification certification is initiated by the Ministry of Shipping, and it is a restrictive condition that can only take effect after the joint approval of shipping, civil affairs, justice, port affairs and other departments.To put it simply, foreign merchants who have not obtained the unanimous approval of the above-mentioned departments are not eligible to order this new type of sailing boat even if they come with money.And for those who are qualified to order this kind of merchant ship but do not have enough funds, the Ministry of Shipping also stipulates that "Haihan Bank" can provide loan services to them, and the collateral is the merchant ship itself.

At that time, after the Ministry of Shipping announced the relevant matters, Zhan Gui had already decided to buy a few ships first.He has been on the sailboat of the Haihan people more than once, and he is very impressed with its good seaworthiness and fast speed.The sailing speed of the Haihan sailboat is more than double that of the traditional Chinese sailboat. The time required for two trips with this high-end boat is almost the same as that of a traditional sailboat. This is equivalent to reducing the shipping cost by nearly half. It is a very cost-effective vehicle for professional mariners.

When Zhan Gui rushed to the door with a bank note from Haihan Bank, he heard that the ship purchase qualification still needs to be applied for, and those who want to buy a ship must first go to the designated relevant departments to issue a certificate.The content of this certificate is mainly to explain the cooperation between the merchant and Haihan, the local social relationship, private industry, etc., to ensure that the ship buyer will not use this new ship to do something that is not good for Haihan—— —For example, selling the ship to the Portuguese or the Dutch at a high price.

Speaking of credibility, Zhan Gui, who is both a shareholder of "Qiong Lianfa" and a "representative of public opinion" in Sanya New City, is undoubtedly a prominent leader among those who are eligible to buy a ship.

(End of this chapter)