Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 75: Just a Tax Farmer
"Hello, hello, hello, you must be Zheng Yi, Dr. Zheng, you look much younger than I thought."

Still at the Golden Peninsula Hotel, Zheng Yi and Henry Deterding shook hands enthusiastically.

At this moment, the two men who met for the first time were like dry wood meeting fire, or a prostitute meeting a gangster.

Shell Oil's recent situation is actually not particularly good. The plan to restrict Russia that it led has encountered some minor problems. American oil companies are not complying with its "ban on purchasing Russian oil" agreement.

In fact, it has greatly challenged his leading position in the petroleum and petrochemical fields.

After all, during this period, the United States' competition with Britain had actually begun in full swing, and Japan and Russia, the two gravediggers of Britain, were deliberately cultivated by them.

A large amount of Russian oil flowed into the European market, greatly affecting Shell's profits. Henry was actually in a difficult situation.

The nylon material developed by Zheng Yi and DuPont has had a far greater impact on the world than any other industry of the same era. To be fair, if nothing unexpected happens, he will definitely win the Nobel Prize next year.

This thing will not only greatly change the world's textile industry, but will also have a subversive impact on the petrochemical industry.

The petrochemical industry is not an ordinary manufacturing industry. It can almost decisively influence the rise and fall of a major country and the evolution of the world pattern. In other words, it is an invention that truly changes the world.

Anyone with a little vision can see how powerful this thing is.

But this thing was invented by the American DuPont Company.

If he did not understand this technology and cooperated with American companies such as Standard Oil of California, Standard Oil would be able to produce a large amount of nylon materials while refining gasoline, diesel and lubricants. The profit from this nylon material alone would almost cover the entire cost of this refining.

Then why should Shell Oil compete with them?

Doesn’t this world number one position have to be replaced?

Although he is also confident that no matter what technology, as long as it is introduced to the world, Shell is confident that it can master it through reverse research within a few years.

But even these few years are enough to change his offense and defense and have a huge impact in the current fierce competition between him and the United States.

Although the world's number one and the world's number two seem to be similar, in fact, there is a high possibility that they are very different.

Fortunately, there is Dr. Zheng involved in this research.

Dr. Zheng is also very smart. He said that in addition to nylon, he also has the manufacturing technology of acrylic and polyester, and he has not handed it all over to DuPont.

This is a big treasure!

Without this big treasure, he wouldn't even have a chance to gamble.

As an American company, DuPont will certainly give priority to American companies such as Standard Oil and Gulf Oil. In fact, as far as we know, such cooperation is already taking place in the United States, and Shell Oil is already one step behind.

Thanks to Zheng Yi, although he is not a British, he is from the Straits Settlements. Rounding it up, he can at least be considered half British. No, Zheng Yi has British nationality, so he is British!
This gave him the bargaining chip to negotiate with the United States.

It’s good to build it in Penang!

Although Southeast Asia has opened its arms to the Americans, it is still a British colony.

Almost all the oil fields in Southeast Asia belong to Shell. There are a few small oil wells in Malaya. A little further away, Brunei in North Borneo is almost entirely controlled by Shell, and it is very convenient to transport oil by sea.

With the factory opened here, Mobil and Aramco can only watch helplessly, and at least it has the advantage of convenient sea transportation.

This is even more suitable than opening it in the UK.

Petrochemical projects are completely different from other manufacturing industries. For example, Zheng Yi's Taiyou Machinery Factory, even if it goes public, will only have a market value of several million US dollars at most, and it is almost impossible to break through tens of millions of US dollars.

However, investments in petrochemicals often exceed tens of millions of US dollars, and all of them affect a country's destiny and even the international situation.

After all, DuPont is involved and there is no way to avoid it. If the two sides really want to cooperate with Shell in the UK or the Netherlands on such a large project, I am afraid they would never dare to do it.

They are also afraid that you will bully customers because of your size. Nanyang is a good place, and DuPont feels at ease when investing in Nanyang.

After all, although Southeast Asia was a British colony, it was also the sphere of influence of the United States. Ultimately, in Asia, the United States is the one with the strongest military power.

A company of this level, a project of this level, is no longer a business activity, it is imperialism. No one should bully anyone else. Shell can command the British Far East Fleet, and DuPont can command the US Navy in the Philippines.

Zheng Yi, a small, ordinary engineer with no backing, has become a key opportunity in the game between the two empires.

To some extent, he even has a certain degree of dominance.

Of course, this is mainly because Zheng Yi is sensible.

He applied for a patent for the nylon technology, but did not use the patent to threaten DuPont. He almost helped DuPont unconditionally and worked for free.

Because he knew very well that in the face of this epoch-making technology, the so-called patent was bullshit, not to mention that it was a fucking American patent.

He never revealed the technology of acrylic and polyester, but some semi-finished products prepared in the laboratory and some glimpses of the technology were enough to convince DuPont people that this technology really existed.

The conditions proposed by Zheng Yi were actually acceptable to DuPont.

Isn’t it cooperation if you cooperate with anyone?
For him, it's nothing more than the difference between working with Mobil and working with Shell.

It doesn't have much impact on him.

Although it is also an American company, they are capitalists, not state-owned enterprises, so there is no reason for them to cooperate with American companies.

This may even be a good thing for DuPont, as it allows it to diversify its investments.

It will also help him to market their products in Southeast Asia.

Besides, Zheng Yi's technology really scared DuPont. Chemistry is different from mechanics. Zheng Yi alone came up with technical problems that even a company as big as theirs could not overcome.

This guy is the fucking Einstein of applied science.

As long as Zheng Yi nods slightly, the position of DuPont's vice president of technology will always be vacant.

Even out of respect for technology, DuPont has to pretend to respect Zheng Yi.

It would only be beneficial for DuPont to have a good relationship with such a genius in the chemical world.

DuPont is not the only chemical group in the world.

The location chosen is in Penang, which actually has convenient transportation and is well connected. It is also close enough to the location of oil raw materials, so there is nothing wrong with it.

DuPont and Shell were not dissatisfied with the site selection and joint venture.

The only ones who might be dissatisfied with this are probably the American oil giants.

Before coming, Henry's assistant had of course investigated Zheng Yi's information. After hearing that this person had great talents in both mechanics and business, even he was amazed.

So, upon meeting Zheng Yi, he barely exchanged a few pleasantries before saying, "I heard that Mr. Zheng wants to be a tax-collecting Kapitan in Penang?"

Zheng Yi: "It's just a rumor. I think there must be a misunderstanding on the part of the Colonial Office. If possible, I hope Mr. Henry can communicate with the Colonial Office on my behalf and explain the situation."

Henry: "What's there to misunderstand? He's just a tax collector. If Dr. Zheng is interested, this will be my gift to him.

I will take care of the tax package for Penang. Within two months, no, one month, I will get Dr. Zheng a formal approval from the King of England."

"In my opinion, the value of Penang as a whole is not as great as your contribution to the British Empire, Dr. Zheng."

(End of this chapter)