1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 975 Visiting the Salt Fields
Although the invention and application of the steam engine is not the only factor causing the gap in productivity between the two sides, Van Diemen still insists that this is the secret weapon for Haihan to rise in just a few years.If the Haihan people did not use this kind of iron equipment in many production sites, then the operating efficiency of their production system should not be much better than that of the East India Company, let alone the use of this thing in the military field. Here comes the benefit.

"Mr. Ning, do you really not consider exporting this kind of press? Our East India Company can provide a very sincere quotation for this!" Even though he knew that the hope was slim, Fan Dimen couldn't help but ask Ning Application has been made.

How could Ning Qi not know the small calculation in the stomach of the Dutchman? Hearing this, he just smiled and said: "As for this kind of equipment, our current manufacturing capacity is still very limited, and there is still a gap to meet our own needs. Consider selling outside."

Ning Qi’s words were not made up casually. Haihan currently has dozens of sugarcane and oil crop plantations with an area of ​​hundreds of thousands of acres. Only a few places have used mechanical pressing equipment driven by steam engines. This is not true. Because the cost of use is too high to be used on a large scale, it is simply because the speed of steam engine production cannot keep up.We must know that the places that need steam engines are not only plantations, industrial production, mining, water and land transportation, many fields need to use this kind of relatively cheap power output device, but the scale of the existing steam engine manufacturing industry is still relatively limited. The Ministry believes that at least in the past ten years, the manufacturing speed of steam engines will hardly keep up with the rapid development of Shanghai Han itself.

As for the real purpose of the Dutch people thinking about this thing, Ning Qi actually thinks it’s okay. Sooner or later, the principle of the steam engine will gradually lose its sense of mystery due to the large-scale use of Haihan. It is difficult, but if you want to mass-produce steam engines and use them to change the productivity level of the entire society, it is not something that handicraft workshops can handle.This requires an entire industrial chain from mining, smelting, to design and manufacturing, in order to make the steam engine manufacturing process smooth.

It took Haihan almost six years to complete the construction of the entire system under the condition of having all the technical materials, and these competitors whose understanding of steam engines is limited to the level of manufacturing materials, want to establish this production system, let alone six years. Years, even 16 years may not be able to straighten out.Even if the Dutch can find out some principles or manufacturing techniques about steam engines, it is difficult for them to have the conditions to manufacture such mechanical equipment on a large scale in the Far East.Of course, this kind of technical advantage should be maintained for as long as possible. It is best when the competitors are still trying to figure out the steam engine, Haihan can develop a more advanced fuel engine, so as to continue to maintain technological lead the way.

The rejection was actually expected by Van Diemen, so although he was a little disappointed, his mood was not greatly affected.The East India Company also had many skilled craftsmen, and sooner or later they would figure out the mystery of the steam engine. Even if the Haihan people did not sell it, the relevant manufacturing technology would be leaked sooner or later.But what Van Diemen didn't expect was that one day when Western craftsmen also researched the manufacturing method of steam engines, the Haihan people would start selling the finished products without hesitation, and use this to stifle the budding of the Western machinery and equipment manufacturing industry.

There are more than 30 plantation parks outside Yacheng, and new investors are constantly joining the industry recently. The scale and variety of local plantations have made Fan Dimen amazed.He also knew that the East India Company could not completely copy this method of operation, because what these investors needed were not only Haihan's preferential policies in terms of land use and labor employment, but also the official support for planting that had been negotiated at the time of signing the contract. The purchase conditions of the plantation products, and more importantly, the Haihan people's control over the planting technology and production technology can ensure that investors can obtain long-term and stable returns from the plantation project.

After Ning Qi took out the investment plan template and explained it, Fan Dimen himself was a little moved. After all, this kind of investment method that only needs to pay money without thinking in the early stage sounds very easy Happy, and Haihan's business reputation is quite good, so there is no need to worry that the money will be lost after the money is invested. No wonder there are so many foreign investors who come to Hainan Island with gold and silver to actively seek cooperation with Haihan.It's a pity that the East India Company doesn't seem to have any good technology in agriculture and forestry. The only plantation project that can make money without losing money is probably spices.However, the cultivation of spice crops has no technical content, and the East India Company also lacks deep processing technology and means of value-added follow-up business operations. It may be difficult to attract foreign investors to join in this way.

Van Diemen is far more interested in the deep processing of agricultural and forestry products than the plantation, but the winery he really wants to visit is not here. After the sugarcane in Yacheng is pressed, the molasses needed for winemaking will be used in wooden barrels locally. After packaging, it is shipped to Sanya, where fermentation, distillation and other production processes are completed in Tiandu's brewery.The strong-flavored sugar cane wine needs to be cellared in oak barrels for three years before being sold to the market.The uniqueness of Haihan’s production of Sanya special wine lies in the unique process of fermentation and distillation. This kind of secret production technology will definitely not be easily displayed to outsiders.

And the oil mill that will be inspected next is similar to the sugarcane mill. The oil press driven by the steam engine squeezes the raw materials out of the oil at a speed visible to the naked eye. In addition to reconfirming that the operation of the steam engine requires coal and water , Van Diemen did not achieve more.

After consulting Fan Dimen's opinion, the group ended their inspection trip on the afternoon of the second day after arriving in Yacheng, and left the city to board a boat before nightfall, continuing to the next stop, Yinggehai.Van Diemen was in a hurry to leave, on the one hand because there was really no need to spend time visiting the plantations here one by one, on the other hand he also used this to escape the practice wine prepared by the local area, he really didn't want to spend his entire investigation The trip was spent in a state of drunkenness.

Van Diemen was awakened at midnight by the voices of the sailors on the deck. He looked out the porthole of the cabin and found that the ship had already docked.Seeing the appearance of many people waiting on the shore with torches, Van Diemen guessed that he should have arrived at his destination.But after waiting for a while, no one came to inform him to get off the boat. Fan Diemen guessed that Ning Qi might have fallen asleep, and his subordinates did not dare to disturb him at this time. They would probably wait until dawn before going ashore, so he also fell back. The bed continued to sleep.

Fan Diemen expected that, when the sky was bright, some sailors knocked on the door of Fan Diemen's room, telling him to disembark.Although there were not as many people waiting on the shore as in Yacheng, there were still four or fifty people, and Fan Dimen noticed that the leader of the welcoming team was obviously an authentic Haihan, not a so-called naturalized cadre.

Ning Qi's subsequent performance also confirmed his guess. The two held hands tightly on the pier, and it seemed that their relationship was quite good.Then Ning Qi introduced this person to Fan Dimen: "This is Anxi, the director of the Salt Industry Department of the Haihan Ministry of Industry, who happened to be here a day earlier than us, and with him as a tour guide, he must be much better than a layman like me! "

Although the Yinggehai Salt Field was built later than the two salt fields in Shengli Port and Tielu Port, its salt production is currently the highest among all the salt fields under Haihan's administration.During this time, Anxi was inspecting saltworks in various places, and happened to meet Ning Qi and Fan Dimen's expedition team here in Yinggehai.

Fan Diemen was also not surprised to see the steam engine here. The irrigation equipment driven by the steam engine continuously pumps seawater into the salt drying pond on the shore, and its efficiency is many times higher than that of human and animal power.Moreover, Fan Dimen also noticed that many sun-dried salt ponds here are covered with cement. It is conceivable that cement is widely used in Haihan infrastructure projects.

"Yinggehai Salt Field is our largest salt field with the most advanced technology. The annual salt produced here is enough to meet the needs of the markets in Guangdong, Guangxi and northern Annan. We have adopted many new technologies in the production process. Technology has not only brought about an increase in production capacity, but also greatly reduced the production cost of salt. In fact, after we took over the supply of salt in Guangdong and Guangxi, the price of salt on the market has more than doubled compared to the past, and ordinary people don’t have to worry I can’t afford salt anymore.” Anxi proudly introduced the situation of Yinggehai Salt Field to Fan Dimen.As the founder and head of Haihan Salt Industry, he has a clear and profound understanding of the history and current situation of this industry, and he is also the representative with the most say in the salt industry.

Anxi professionally introduced the process of local salt production to Fan Dimen. Of course, it is hard to say how much Fan Dimen can understand. However, the knowledge in the industrial field is only half-knowledgeable.

There is also a salt field near the Batavia port under the jurisdiction of the East India Company, but the scale of the structure is much worse than that of the endless salt field in Yinggehai, and there is no complete production process and process requirements similar to here. The level of infrastructure and The use of advanced production equipment is even more different, and there is not much comparability in terms of production capacity and cost.If the operation level of the plantation is used as a comparison, the gap between the two sides in terms of saltworks operation seems to be even greater.

As for the very professional terms Anxi said, Van Diemen did not really listen to them. He did not understand the professional knowledge of salt making. The reason for this trip was actually arranged by Haihan. .Naturally, Van Diemen would not object to being able to see more about the operating conditions of the production industry under Haihan's rule.But after seeing the operation here for the first time, he knew that Haihan's salt-making process could not be copied back, because the East India Company could not provide the same infrastructure and production equipment, so the details of the production process introduced by Anxi were not very clear. care.

Fan Dimen pays more attention to the scale of production here and the impact on the surrounding areas. According to Anxi, the salt produced here will be sold to Daming, Guangxi and northern Annan, so it goes without saying that the Haihan people must be based on their The consistent price advantage has swept away competitors including official saltworks in these areas.The important position of salt in the national economy and people's livelihood is the same no matter which country it is in. Haihan's ability to control the salt industry in this area fully demonstrates their penetration in the local area.Thinking of this, Fan Diemen couldn't help but feel a little worried. If the Haihan people smuggled salt to the Southeast Asia region for sale, would the East India Company have a way to resist this kind of commercial invasion?
The answer is obviously no. With Haihan's current business channels, it won't be too difficult for them to transport a large amount of salt to Java Island.If the Haihan people are determined to mess up the local salt market price, then they only need to dump the low price for a year or two, and the local salt farms will definitely go bankrupt, and they will completely rely on Haihan's salt supply like Guangdong, Guangxi and Annan.At that time, Haihan can use this as a threat in exchange for other benefits.

Thinking of this, Fan Dimen couldn't help feeling a little depressed. After he came to Hainan Island, he gradually discovered that Haihan's advantages were not limited to the military field. The same is done extremely well, it is more like a professional colonial operation organization than the East India Company.He really couldn't understand how this group of Haihan people who fell from the sky had mastered such comprehensive skills and managed to run a powerful country from scratch in just a few years.

On the other hand, looking back at the East India Company that I am in charge of, most of the people in the council can only talk high-spirited, and seriously lack the practical ability of the Haihan people.It has been 15 years since the East India Company settled in Batavia, but its construction achievements and operating conditions are far behind that of the Haihan people who started eight years later. This shows the gap in ability.Although his predecessor, Governor Cohen, made indelible contributions to the development of the East India Company, Van Diemen believes that the company’s development speed is not as fast as that of Shanghai Han. To a certain extent, it is due to Cohen’s employment methods and long-term planning during his tenure. related.

If Cohen could have suppressed Haihan at the beginning of his arrival in Sanya, or even adopted more drastic measures, then this hidden danger would not have become the unshakable behemoth it is now.And Cohen did not take action at the beginning, a large part of the reason was because the people in the council thought that it was of little significance to go to Hainan Island to attack a civilian armed maritime merchant. Isn't Hangzhou Bay occupying an island hundreds of times stronger than the Qiongzhou Island of the Great Ming Dynasty?The initial underestimation of the enemy has finally paid off. Haihan's achievements today are partly due to the short-sighted bureaucrats in the company's meeting.

(End of this chapter)