The day passed quickly. Early the next morning, Julian personally found the residence of Xu Xin and others.

"Xu, I need to go to the Oriental Harbor with you!" Julian shouted as soon as he entered, he didn't wear a top hat and didn't paint a miserable white powder on his face, which shows how urgent his mood was.

"Julian, you've made your decision?" Xu Xin walked to the wine cabinet with some sleepy eyes and poured himself a glass of brandy, "Why don't you have some?" ”

The three of them had been discussing for most of the night last night, mainly about the cotton trade. Before coming to Bordeaux, they almost never imagined that they would encounter such a complicated situation. According to their usual way of thinking, isn't it just to sell a thing, as long as my goods are of good quality and low price, at most there are some sales channels that are not too bad, then it should be easy to sell.

But they were still shocked by the complicated reality that the cotton cloth business was really not just a business, but also involved a series of headaches and complex issues such as the local economic situation, consumption habits, tariff barriers, local protectionism, the interest chain of the entire industry, and the disposal of unemployed workers. Xu Xin and the others were almost about to yell: Is doing business so complicated? Is this really about business or politics?

They really admire the British now. Although these British did not have much success in the cotton business, they dominated almost the entire woolen market in Europe and the American colonies. Even in a country like France, where the economy of small farmers was extremely developed and tariff barriers were severe, even in a country like Spain, which openly professes to only buy its own goods, and even in a country like Ottoman Turkey, which produces a lot of wool and is still a pagan, these British can open up the market and make a lot of money.

Of course, it's a market and relationship they've spent centuries building, and they don't have to worry too much about it.

Several people discussed for most of the night, but still didn't have much of a clue, and things had to go step by step. Fortunately, things are going well so far, at least the Pasquier family is quite proactive. With the help of aristocrats and big businessmen like them, who have lived here for generations, many troubles can be solved. And what they pay is nothing more than some concessions in commercial interests. For the crosser, the current priority is to open the market and expand the market, as for the commercial interests, it can still be negotiated by multiple parties in the future.

"No, I don't need any of that right now." Julian sat down on the chair in the living room, and the hard chair made his ass sit a little painfully. "God, you can take all the furniture here and chop wood for a fire. It is all old-fashioned medieval church style, bulky, sturdy, rigid, and lacks the brightness of art. ”

"Julian, that's how much you've been to the salons of those noble ladies." Xu Xinha smiled, "We East Coast people pay attention to practicality and don't like empty talk, right, decent people (1)?" ”

Julian smiled helplessly, not angry: "What a bunch of rude guys. Well, Xu, I'm not here today to talk to you about these things. We're talking about business, it's cute gold coins, you know? ”

"Julian, you are not subtle at all, you are more direct than all the French people I have met, but this is an essential quality of a successful businessman." Xu Xin drank half a glass of brandy, then sat back in the living room, looked at Julian in front of him and said, "Now tell me the result of your discussion with your father." Looks like good news for us, right? ”

"Ha Luha, yes, Xu, it's all good news for us." Julian smiled happily and said, "My father thought it was a gamble worth betting on, and besides, our chances of winning were not low. Our family still knows some people in the Textile Guild, and he has a way of convincing them to join us. Now, before we bet, my father and I need to make sure how much cotton you can produce each year. This is an important question. ”

"How much do you need? How much production will it take to satisfy your family and the big ones? Xu Xin asked rhetorically.

"At least 50,000 horses a year, no less. There are too many people who need to share the money, and no one will spend a lot of effort for a small profit. Julian looked at Xu Xin's eyes and said slowly, "Your current production capacity is said to be only more than 10,000 horses per year, and the gap is still very large, you have to make me believe that you have this production capacity." ”

"Huh." Xu Xin took a sip of wine, and thought quickly in his mind through the strength of drinking, "Julian, my friend, we can easily increase the production capacity, 20,000, 30,000, 50,000 or even 100,000 horses, this is not a problem. You can trust us, I don't have to lie to you on this point, because it's a lie that can be easily exposed. ”

"But I still need to see it with my own eyes." Julian insisted, "I need to visit your textile factory on the east coast and make sure that you really have that much capacity." ”

"It can't be, my friend." Xu Xinzhengse said, "I am not authorized to take you to our factory, and this is a matter of our trade secrets, please understand." ”

"It seems that you have obtained a technique or machine that can greatly increase the yield of cotton cloth, my father guessed right." Julian rolled his green eyes and looked at Xu Xin and said.

Xu Xin smiled, lowered his head and drank, but did not speak. His attitude was a tacit acquiescence to Julian's speculation.

"Haven't you considered investing in Bordeaux?" Julian continued, "My family has the site and the workers, and you can invest in the skills or equipment, so that you can avoid a lot of trouble. And your products can be sold unhindered throughout Gascony and even in neighboring provinces without any hindrance. In this way, the profit margin can at least be doubled, and the total profit can even be multiplied several times, how about it, my friend, don't you think about it? ”

"It can't be, Julian." Xu Xin refused without thinking about it, but he probably felt that his tone was a little stiff, and then explained tactfully: "Julian, in fact, I am only in charge of business matters, and I have no right to ask about technical aspects. Of course, you can go to the Oriental Port and mention your request to my superiors, but, as your loyal friend, I do not advise you to do so. Because the new textile production technology is our core competitiveness, we have no intention of sharing it with others in a short time. ”

"But I still want to go to the Oriental Port to try it once." Julian insisted, "In fact, it's not just me, but a lot of big people want to know the secret of your cheap cotton cloth. ”

"Well, since you've made up your mind to go, there's no reason for me to stop you. But I think you'd better not put your hopes in this matter, just as the Venetians kept their glass-making skills at the beginning, and we will keep them strictly secretive for techniques or equipment that we deem important. Xu Xin said, "When are you going to leave?" ”

"As soon as possible." Julian stood up at this point and said, "I have to go back and get ready." You can put together a copy of the supplies you need, we may have more than one ship going to the port of Vostokye this time, and as a qualified merchant, you are not allowed to leave the cabin empty. Of course, as for what kind of cargo to load, I think it's up to the people who really need it to decide. ”

"Thank you, Julian." Xu Xin said sincerely, "I will write a list of goods to you in a while, and you only need to purchase according to the order." Rest assured, we will give you a price that satisfies you, and the people of the East Coast will not let their friends suffer. ”

"I have no doubt about that, the credibility of the East Coasters has always been good." Julian smiled, "By the way, there may be a while before departure, you can try to pass the time in the salons run by some famous ladies or ladies in the city." They're curious about you people on the East Coast, haha. Don't be nervous, my friend, it's all a casual gathering, and you don't have to be too restrained when you talk about things ranging from national events to literature and art, anecdotes, and so on. And maybe a passionate lady will look the other way at you, and that will lead to a romantic encounter. ”

"Thank you for your kindness, but I really don't like this kind of occasion, I'm not a qualified and decent person." Xu Xin smiled bitterly and said, "I think we should deal with the business as soon as possible." ”

In the days that followed, Julian was busy shopping for goods. And Xu Xin and the other three hid quietly in the house, low-key waiting for the day of return. They understand that they are currently the focus of attention, and many well-intentioned people in Bordeaux are watching their every move, and at this time, it is better to keep a low profile and be quiet.

At the end of June, the matter of material procurement was finally completed. Hundreds of barrels of gunpowder, copper, lead, tin, pig iron, graphite and other supplies, dozens of Lusitano horses and some sheep, filled the two galleons to the brim. Julian took some strangers who met for the first time and waited for Xu Xin and others on the "Butterfly".

Xu Xin and the three temporarily hired a man to guard the trading station, and then boarded the Pasquier family's "Butterfly". On 1 July, the Butterfly and the Nightingale, another three-masted galleon, lifted anchor and hoisted their sails, following the clear waters of the Gironde River, slowly sailing towards the Atlantic, then turning south and heading straight for the port of Vostok.

(1) Decent people: that is, gentlemen who attend the salons organized by the ladies. They are either of great status, or they are highly accomplished in art or literature, or both.

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