Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 1706 Railways and Modernization

After discussing some matters with Mao Desheng in Xingnan County, on October 1675, 10, Xu Xiangdong, executive vice president of the Southern Railway, took the Star of La Plata train all the way west to Araucan County, where he found the My acquaintance and friend Yu Xingguo who runs a shipping company.

Yu Xingguo is also in his 40s and [-]s, and his eldest son has even started to learn how to manage a business by his side.After seeing his old friend Xu Xiangdong's sudden visit, he immediately greeted him and said with a smile: "Brother Xu, I haven't seen you for a long time. Last time I heard that you went to the Jiehe area to take up a post and became a security commander. I thought you would become As for the next hero to expand the territory, I didn’t expect to go back and forth and return to the Southern Railway Company.”

"It's all an arrangement of fate." Xu Xiangdong shook Yu Xingguo's hand and said with a smile: "I started as a trainer in the Southern Railway Guard Team. It can be said that Southern Railway trained me. Now I have been going around for 20 years. , It is very common to continue to return to the Southern Railway to work."

"It's a pity that the railway will be handed over to the state in another ten years. Is it possible that Southern Railway will transform into a trading company in the future? That would be bad. I still have shares in Southern Railway. How about selling them to you, Brother Xu?" Yu Xingguo took Xu Xiangdong's hand into the back room, and while brewing yerba mate tea with familiar movements, he laughed and said, "South Railway has a large number of agents and a transport fleet. On this side of the Pacific Ocean, who can compete with it?" You? It is said that there is no monopoly trading right specially approved by the state, but in fact it is in a monopoly position. How can we small businessmen survive? Well, continue to obediently pay management fees to the Southern Railway in the future. Take it easy."

"Hehe, what are you talking about." Xu Xiangdong sat on the chair, took off the fur cap on his head, and said with a smile: "Of course the trade will continue. However, this kind of thing should not last long, after all now A lot of people are staring at this piece, we can’t eat alone all the time, can’t we? In the end, we can only leave a small part of this big cake. The Southern Railway Trading Company will definitely continue to exist and continue to operate, but it will not go back to the past The same goes for the fleet. Now the South China Sea Liner Company and the Messenger Liner Company are eyeing this market. The South Railway Transportation Company is destined to not be able to monopolize this sea area for too long. Sooner or later, it will give up most of the market. After all Those two are more powerful."

"Tsk tsk, it sounds so pitiful. The South Railway gives people a feeling that it is about to fall apart." Yu Xingguo smiled exaggeratedly, poured a cup of steaming tea for Xu Xiangdong, then sat opposite him, and said, "Okay, No kidding. Tell me, what do you want to come to me? Let me declare first, don’t ask me to borrow a boat, I’m really gone. There are 9 boats in total, 4 of which are on the voyage, I don’t know where they are, and 3 are in Overhaul, only 2 are empty. But it won’t be long, and when a new batch of goods arrives, we will set off for Tahiti.”

"There are still 2 ships that haven't set off yet? That's really great. Help our company take a few people to the Far East. It just happens to be on the way. By the way, what route are these two ships going to? Are they going to the Far East?" Xu Xiangdong asked.

"I really don't want to go." Yu Xingguo spread his hands helplessly, and said: "The two ships carried some daily necessities, tools, mechanical parts, weapons, boats, books, medicines, food, etc., and went to Rabaul via Tahiti Island. , Australia, and then back to Araucan. What, something? Very important?"

"Let one of the ships change course, stop at Rabaul and head north to Denglai's Yantai Port, and send our people there. It's very important, but it's not convenient to tell you. Don't worry, it's not serious. I will tell you later when the time is right." Xu Xiangdong said bluntly: "In short, we will not let you suffer. After the ship arrives in Yantai, you give a letter to Commander Liao Xiaoyao. He I will grant you the purchase amount of some local commodities that are in short supply, and you will earn more than you would if you went to Australia to keep them.”

"It's not a matter of earning more or less, but business reputation is more important. You also know what kind of person Captain Wang Yanwang of the Australian Pioneering Team is. If I offend him, where will I buy mohair in the future! "Yu Xingguo complained routinely first, but when he found that Xu Xiangdong was unmoved, his face suddenly collapsed, and he said with a mournful face: "Yes, I really can't afford to offend you to someone, I'll do this, I'll do it! But when Captain Wang blames it, you can't just sit by and watch, after all, my company is now pointing at them to do business, once the relationship breaks down, your job will be ruined."

"Didn't your family also invest in the Caribbean Shipping Company? Are you afraid that your job here will be ruined?" Xu Xiangdong gave him a strange look, and asked while drinking tea.

"Ahem, the amount of investment is not large. And my mother has already said that it is the property of my younger brothers and sisters. They will not take anything else from the family in the future, just those Air Canada stocks, so that investment has nothing to do with me "Yu Xingguo said with a bitter face: "Okay, I will let the 'Antarctic Wolf' change its course and go to Yantai. Don't worry, this is a three-masted ship with a full load of more than 700 tons, and the safety factor is very high. As long as it can go smoothly Crossing the equatorial windless belt, it is not a problem to sail safely to Shandong."

"That's the best." Xu Xiangdong said succinctly: "Well, since this ship is so big, there must be many empty spaces. How about this, help us transport another batch of goods, mainly surveying and mapping and exploration equipment, Some mechanical parts and steel rails were also sent to Yantai for unloading."

"Okay, okay, no problem. Anyway, I have already lost money to my grandma's house, so what if I owe a little more." Yu Xingguo leaned on the back of his chair and said helplessly: "However, there are people who transport railway equipment to Yantai. I really want to discover something amazing, you guys are going to make big news."

"If you know it, it will rot in your stomach. It's not good for you to yell around." Xu Xiangdong rolled his eyes at him and continued drinking tea.

Yu Xingguo also smiled and said: "It's okay, let's just chat in private here, I won't spread it, and I'm not stupid. But speaking of it, it's not surprising that you guys like Denglai. You won’t be allowed to repair it. New China is possible. Australia is absolutely impossible. There are too few people. Rabaul and Tahiti don’t have this market demand, so after all, Denglai and Ningbo are the only ones. , I haven’t been to that piece of land for a long time, and it has developed to the point where the railway can be profitable. It looks good, and it has aroused my interest. I really want to take a look.”

"Are your parents allowed? Is your wife allowed? Are you willing?" Xu Xiangdong continued to roll his eyes at Yu Xingguo, and said disdainfully: "You have been pampered for so many years, and you told me that you still want to go sailing, are you kidding me? "

"Okay, I admit that I don't have the courage and heart to continue sailing. This matter should be left to more aggressive young people. But seriously, how do you play the railway in the Far East this time? I Although people can't go, I also want to support you, after all, the Southern Railway Company is a gold-lettered signboard, which guarantees reputation and profit." Yu Xingguo first smiled mischievously, and then asked a little seriously.

"Don't worry, I won't forget you. I don't know about the others this time, but one thing is certain is that we will not form a joint venture with others to operate the railway, which means that the model of the New China Railway Company will no longer exist. Go on. The ownership of the next section of railway built by the Southern Railway Company can be shared with others, but the management and operation rights must be exclusively enjoyed by the Southern Railway Company. Therefore, if you want to invest in shares, there is no problem, and this time you will probably take it out Some shares are publicly issued to raise funds, but the shares you invest in can only have the right to dividends, but no other corresponding rights. Do you understand? The daily wrangling of the New Railway Company has annoyed us. This kind of trouble happened." Xu Xiangdong patiently explained to him.

"Understood, it's similar to the East India Company in England and the United Provinces. Small and medium shareholders can pay dividends, but they don't know anything about the company's situation, and they can't intervene in daily operations. Everything is decided by the 17-member committee in Amsterdam. .Understood, understood, professional matters should be left to professionals. Anyway, I just want to find a good investment partner. Well, speaking of it, I really tied most of my money to your Southern Railway Company. Once something happens, the loss will be heavy." Yu Xingguo said.

"You got a cheap price and behaved, right?" Xu Xiangdong put down his teacup, looked at him funny, and said, "This is a long-term meal ticket. Once the news spreads, I don't know how many people will squeeze their heads to get in." Well. Denglei Denglei has a population of 10 or [-]. The climate is mild, the environment is suitable, and the people are very hardworking. At present, there are signs of prosperity. When the railway is completed and officially in operation, the local economic situation must be It will go to a higher level, so that it will not be difficult for the railway to make a profit. And once the railway makes a profit, there will be sufficient funds to operate the railway subsidiary, which is a huge source of income.”

According to the rules set by the East Coast government, when the Southern Railway Company builds a railway in an overseas colony, it can take the land within a certain range on both sides of the railway as its own, that is, the railway subsidiary.Of course, this range can be negotiated, whether it is five kilometers or ten kilometers, it all depends on how you reach an agreement with the local government.According to previous experience, once the railway is opened to traffic and officially operated, the value of the land along the railway will increase greatly, especially the land near the railway station, which has great commercial value. It is not less than the passenger and freight transportation business income of the railway.Otherwise, why are everyone so anxious to go out and repair the railway?

Once the Southern Railway Company goes to Denglai to repair the railway, it is highly probable that it will take over five kilometers of land on both sides as ancillary land. Very good choice.Some people may say that the local economic order is incomparable with that of the local area, and these dependent areas may not be able to earn much money.Yes, this is also true to a certain extent, but once the railway is built in the Denglai area, when the advanced La Plata Star train runs on the land of Jiaodong, it will surely bring modernization to the areas along the line. With great help, the traditional culture and order will gradually be abandoned or transformed, and an order suitable for new productive forces will be slowly established. This process may be long, but it is indeed irreversible. As long as the Southern Railway Company has mastered the railway for 50 years If you have the right to operate, you can make a lot of money.

And once Denglai starts the modernization process, the differences between the people living on this land and the people in the four prefectures of Shandong will become larger and larger, and then the geographical barrier of the Jiaolai New River and the Due to the influence of political propaganda, the more than 100 million people in Denglai will feel more and more alienated from the rest of Shandong. It is not surprising that two ethnic groups with similar cultures will eventually form. This is obviously the goal that the East Bank government has been pursuing. one.

"Okay, I won't delay with you anymore, I have other things to do." After drinking two cups of yerba mate, Xu Xiangdong stood up, took his coat from the hanger, and said to Yu Xingguo: " I have to go to the Pacific Shipyard. Recently, there have been accidents in this factory one after another, killing or injuring more than a dozen people. I have to go to rectify. You should also hurry up and arrange the ship. Someone will come to you the day after tomorrow. The goods should be delivered this week. I'll be there too, so you can make arrangements then. That's right, the 'Antarctic Wolf' should give me a serious overhaul before it goes out, so that no accidents can happen, and it must arrive in Shandong smoothly. Otherwise, this matter will have to be delayed for a while. In one or two years, the company will also add a lot of additional expenses."

In fact, what Xu Xiangdong didn't mention was, what if Liao Xiaoyao, commander-in-chief Liao Xiaoyao, no longer served there after another two years?You know, now the nine members of the Executive Committee are updating 1-2 people almost every year. After sorting out the relationship with the Dutch, it is very likely to re-election and change the overall term. This is also the voice of Commander-in-Chief Liao. high.

Therefore, this matter has to be finalized while he is still working in the Far East. Otherwise, there will be many nights and dreams. I'm afraid I can't order this kind of border official from a distance, it will be troublesome.

Yu Xingguo is a very smart person, and he knows all the joints clearly.Therefore, on the day after the meeting with Xu Xiangdong ended, he ran to the pier, grabbed the captain and sailors of the "Antarctic Wolf" who were still struggling on the belly of the **, and asked them to contact the dock, Invite technicians and small workers, take the time to maintain the ship, and then prepare to sail to Yantai Port.In order to keep them from complaining, Yu Xingguo also gritted his teeth and gave a bonus ranging from 5 to 10 yuan to encourage them to work quickly.

In this way, when the last batch of equipment was in place and shipped on October 10, the three-masted sailing ship "Antarctic Wolf" also raised its sails, carefully used the winding waterway of the port of Araucan, and then turned to the north, toward the Drive to Yantai, the final destination.

(End of this chapter)