Above the mage

Chapter 353 Killing Several Birds with One Stone

"Huh?" Faced with Gao De's "sudden attack", Haaland was stunned and couldn't react at first.

Although he kept saying he had encountered a bunch of unscrupulous merchants, not even a dog would look at them.

But these words are actually just like what businessmen say: "Business is tough."

Most businessmen will say this all the time, but whether it's really that difficult or just a facade is a matter of opinion.

Therefore, the actual prices offered by potential buyers may not be as Haaland claims.

"Sell me the remaining two-masted sailing ship and all the shipyard facilities as a package. What's your asking price? In addition, if I can successfully take over the shipyard, I'm willing to continue employing the existing workers if they're willing to stay," Gao De added.

"This..." Harland hesitated for a moment, then quickly entered a state of thought.

He quickly calculated in his mind and gave a price: "The Harland shipyard covers an area of ​​nearly two acres and is located in the port of Lagos. As you know, land here is quite valuable. Based on land prices, this piece is worth about 2000 gold coins."

"In terms of construction, excluding the shipyard, the other factories, warehouses, office areas, etc. are estimated at 2000 Golden Bird Coins."

"Therefore, the total valuation of the land and site is approximately 4000 Goldfinch coins."

"Then there's the fixed assets. First, there are the shipyards used for ship construction and repair. We have two here, one large and one small. The large shipyard is valued at 1500 Golden Bird Coins, and the small one is also worth about 1000 Golden Bird Coins."

"In addition, there are some second-hand equipment in the shipyard, such as woodworking machinery, ship frames, and a large number of woodworking tools. Although I have already sold many of them, the remaining part is still worth about 2000 gold coin."

"That adds up to 4500 Goldfinch coins."

"In addition, there are some unprocessed raw materials such as oak, canvas, and hemp rope in the shipyard warehouse, worth about 1000 gold coin."

"We still have one completed two-masted sailing ship left. The price I offered to that lady earlier was 1250 Gold Sparrow Coins, but I'll only charge you 1200 Gold Sparrow Coins."

"Finally, our Harland Shipyard is a century-old shipyard. Although it is not large in scale, it is one of the oldest shipyards in Lagos City. It has a certain reputation and recognition in the local fishing and shipping industries. Although it has gone bankrupt, the name still has some value, estimated at about 500 goldbird coins."

"That's 11200 Goldfinch coins, sir. Do you think this price is acceptable?" Harland asked tentatively.

Even with Phoenix's resource support, 11200 Goldbird Coins would still be an astronomical figure for Gaode.

It's not that Phoenix's resources aren't worth 11200 Goldbird Coins, but mainly because he's using astral teleportation, which is somewhat like smuggling, so the supplies he can carry are limited.

In addition, his strength is limited. Selling such a valuable amount of supplies will definitely be troublesome, requiring multiple small-batch shipments to different locations.

Gao De's eyes darted around, and he slowly asked, "Since Harland Shipyard is a century-old shipyard with a good reputation locally, how did it end up in its current situation?"

This is both out of curiosity and a way to bargain.

Upon hearing Gao De's question, Haaland's expression stiffened slightly, and a hint of hesitation flashed across his face.

But he knew the truth would eventually come out; these rumors about the shipyard's decline were no secret in Lagos, so he ultimately chose to tell the whole story: "I actually ruined half of this business myself."

He sighed, a look of shame on his face. "During the Spirit Marrow Craze, the enormous profits from Spirit Marrow mining attracted a huge influx of wealth and labor. Some fishermen even sold their fishing boats to invest in Spirit Marrow mining, and workers left shipyards to join Spirit Marrow mining organizations."

Harland paused, as if he could see that frenzied scene again: "You didn't see it back then, so you probably can't imagine how spectacular it was. To exaggerate a bit, even the old ladies selling grilled fish strips at the docks were clutching their copper coins, wanting to get in on the action."

"Naturally, many shipyards are also selling off assets to squeeze into the spiritual marrow industry."

"Although I didn't go that far, I was indeed blinded by greed at the time and disregarded everything else, throwing all my funds into the mining of spiritual marrow. This move directly caused Harland Shipyard to lose all its working capital and laid the biggest foreshadowing for its current bankruptcy."

"As the mining of spirit marrow became increasingly popular, at its peak, almost half the population of Lagos City was engaged in spirit marrow-related industries. The fishing industry declined, and shipyards shrank accordingly. However, with spirit marrow as a safety net, I didn't pay much attention to it at the time."

"In the first year of the investment, I received dividends that were nearly twice the amount of my initial investment, while the shipyard's profit from building a ship was at most 20 percent of the cost."

Harland let out a bitter laugh. "So, at the time, I not only failed to realize that things were going wrong and failed to recover funds to protect the shipyard, but I even invested more of my assets in the spiritual marrow industry."

Looking back now, it seems like a foolish decision, but in the context of the time, wasn't it a wise one?

Traditional industries have plummeted while emerging industries are booming; decisive transformation is a wise choice.

"You know what happened next. After the spiritual marrow was completely mined out, the economy of Lagos City plummeted."

"But before the spiritual marrow resources were about to run out, the major players who controlled the spiritual marrow resources kept this news a secret. In order to continue to create the illusion of a booming business, they even filled the boxes with stones to make up the numbers, attracting other merchants and investors to join in."

"And they themselves are quietly transferring assets and exiting the market."

I understand. Isn't it just that the big players are using you retail investors as lambs to the slaughter?

Gao De thought to himself, "This is what I'm complaining about."

"Once the giants have finished their exit, they no longer hide the secret that the spiritual essence resources have been exhausted. The prosperous scene of Lagos City is like a bubble that has been directly burst."

"The once-thriving spiritual marrow industry has collapsed in large numbers, and the huge sums of money we invested in it have all gone down the drain without a trace."

Although this matter happened a long time ago and Haaland had long since accepted the facts, his voice still carried a trace of pain when he brought it up again.

"The collapse of the spiritual marrow industry also triggered a series of chain reactions."

"Firstly, during the Spirit Marrow Fever, the traditional fishing industry in Lagos City plummeted. Fishermen were important customers of our shipyard, and once the fishing industry declined, the shipbuilding industry naturally didn't have a good life either."

"In addition, during the period of spiritual marrow fever, the market demand for fishing boats dropped sharply, while the demand for merchant ships and passenger ships increased dramatically."

"In order to adapt to this trend, we also changed our production structure to focus on merchant ships and passenger ships, but once the bubble of the 'spiritual marrow craze' burst, these two types of ships became unwanted."

"Whether it's a ship that's already built but hasn't been delivered, or a semi-finished product under construction, those who place orders would rather default and pay penalties than actually pay for it."

"The material and labor costs required for a merchant ship or passenger ship are extremely high, not to mention that due to the shrinking of the shipbuilding supply chain caused by the 'spiritual marrow fever,' the cost of shipbuilding raw materials has already increased significantly, making this backlog of costs even more alarming."

"In addition, I invested all of the shipyard's working capital into the Spirit Essence industry, so," Harland shrugged, "my shipyard simply collapsed."

"Before the Spirit Marrow Fever, Lagos City had nearly fifty shipyards of all sizes at its peak, but now only about twenty remain."

"The reason our Harland shipyard has been able to survive this long is entirely due to our technological foundation and reputation." As he said this, Harland raised his head slightly, showing his pride in his shipyard.

"So, the current reality cannot be changed. It's a fact that the shipbuilding industry is in decline and can be considered a sunset industry. It's unreasonable for you to want to transfer the shipyard based on its valuation." Gao De said slowly, seemingly unconcerned about this.

"This is a mess. I am somewhat interested in this mess, but you can't take advantage of me."

"As long as we can get through this period, Lagos' shipbuilding industry will definitely revive; it won't be a mess anymore."

Harland quickly added, "The authorities also recognize the importance of the fishing industry and are making every effort to help it recover, including but not limited to providing subsidies to individuals and businesses that order fishing vessels, reducing or exempting taxes on catches, and issuing industry protection ordinances."

"Subsidies?" Gao De scoffed. "Do fishermen really lack those meager subsidies?"

The main customers of fishing boats are still fishermen, and the so-called subsidies are equivalent to a 10,000 yuan discount for every 200,000 yuan spent by fishermen. It seems like a big discount, but the problem is that they are short of that 200,000 yuan!

"Reducing or exempting taxes on catches is a long-term solution, and sticking to it will indeed help the fisheries recover. However, it is not a drastic measure and is simply not enough for the current sluggish fisheries and shipbuilding industries."

"As for the industry protection regulations, you're not referring to the rule in Lagos that local restaurants and businesses must purchase fish primarily from local fishermen, are you?" This was something Gao De had seen on a handwritten parchment at the front desk of the Palm Tree Hotel.

Harland paused slightly, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face, but he still forced a smile and said, "That's right, it's this regulation. It will greatly help the revival of the local fishing industry."

"Once fishermen have a market for their catch, they'll have more funds to buy fishing boats, and our shipbuilding industry will be able to recover, won't it?"

Gao De sneered: "Let's not even talk about how many obstacles this regulation will encounter in its implementation, or whether it can actually be implemented."

"Moreover, even if local fishermen do find a market for their catch, they may not necessarily invest all their money in buying new boats. Having experienced the impact of the Spirit Marrow Fever, they are all traumatized."

He continued, "Look at your shipyard. During the Spirit Marrow craze, you withdrew all your funds to invest in the Spirit Marrow industry, causing the shipyard's technology to stagnate. Now, even if the shipbuilding industry really does revive, what makes Harland Shipyard think it can stand out in the fierce market competition?"

Harland's shoulders slumped slightly. What God said was true, but he was still unwilling to give up: "The Harland bimast is still one of the best bimasts in Lagos."

Gao De shook his head, unconvinced: "This won't make much of a difference. After the Spirit Marrow Fever, which shipyard that survived wasn't quite capable?"

"Your strength may be an advantage compared to those bankrupt shipyards, but in the context of Lagos's current shipbuilding industry, it is probably insignificant."

Haaland's face turned ugly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by Gao De.

"I know you're unwilling to accept this, after all, this is your family's shipyard that has been passed down for centuries, but reality is just that cruel, and you have to accept it."

Haaland remained silent for a long time before finally speaking with difficulty: "How much can you offer?"

"8000 Golden Bird Coins, calculated at 70% of your total asset valuation." Gao De stretched out his hand and made an "eight" gesture.

"8000?!" Harland nearly jumped up, his face flushed slightly, his eyes wide with excitement: "Impossible, impossible! This price is too low! You're even more of a swindler than those unscrupulous merchants!"

"I want them all." Gao De smacked his lips at the word and laughed, "That means my price is still higher than others."

Realizing he had misspoke, Haaland wanted to slap himself, but negotiating the price was the priority, so he didn't care about saving face. "10000 Goldfinch coins, that's the lowest price I can offer."

"Too expensive, not worth it." Gao De shrugged, appearing unusually indifferent.

"There's also a brand new two-masted sailing ship in 9500," Harland said, his expression already beginning to show a hint of pleading.

Gaode did not respond immediately, but instead appeared to be deep in thought.

After a long pause, he slowly looked up at Haaland and said, "9200. This is the most sincere price I can offer. If you still don't accept it, then there's nothing I can do."

"But I believe that no one can offer a better price than me right now, and the longer your shipyard drags on, the lower its value will become."

Haaland was torn. On one hand, he was reluctant to see the shipyard his father had left behind be acquired at such a low price, but on the other hand, he knew that what Gao De had said was indeed true.

"Mr. Harland, what are your plans after the shipyard is sold?" Gao De suddenly asked at this moment.

Harland paused for a moment, then said honestly, "I'm planning to move to Dorne, buy a couple of small shops, and start my retirement."

Gao De smiled slightly, "I don't know anything about shipbuilding, I'm an outsider. So if we acquire Harland Shipyard, I'm willing to give Mr. Harland 10% of the shipyard's shares at the current valuation and invite Mr. Harland to serve as the shipyard's advisor and consultant."

"That way, you can enjoy your retirement in Dorne while continuing your family's century-old legacy, without completely selling off the business your parents left behind."

Haaland's eyes widened slightly, and a hint of emotion appeared on his face.

Clearly, Gaode's offer was exactly what he wanted.

In business, the key is to cater to the customer's preferences.

Gao De accurately recognized Haaland's "good qualities" and thus proposed a condition that Haaland could not refuse.

"Okay, 9200 Goldfinch coins, deal." After a long pause of hesitation and thought, Harland nodded and finally agreed.

"This is no small sum of money, and it will take me at least half a month to prepare it."

"That's only natural," Harland said without question.

How many people can actually take out 9200 Golden Bird Flower Coins directly?

"However, I don't want you to be thinking about finding another buyer while I'm raising funds."

"We can sign a preliminary contract to confirm our intention to trade. I can pay 50 Goldfinch coins as a deposit, and you, in turn, need to immediately withdraw the information you previously released regarding the transfer of the shipyard and the sale of the ships."

"No problem. I will reject all other customers' offers and wait for you to raise the funds to complete this transaction."

"That would be perfect, but we must keep our word. If that lady you promised to do comes back wanting to buy this two-masted sailboat, tell her to go to the Palm Tree Hotel and find a lady named Anna," Gao De added.

(End of this chapter)