"Okay, that's good. Pen, Fun, Pavilion www.biquge.info" Zhang Guodong said excitedly, "With this, I am not afraid of Tao Min." ”

"Chairman Zhang, it's still far away." Shen Daxing poured cold water on Zhang Guodong, "There are only four in total, and there is no way to mass produce them." ”

Zhang Guodong and Xia Yang followed Shen Daxing to his office.

"Both." There were only three of them in the office, and Shen Daxing had no scruples when he spoke, "The test data of rifled guns and mini bullets have come out, but if there is no steam engine, we will not be able to produce them on a large scale." ”

"What is the point of the steam engine now?" Zhang Guodong asked.

"It's still being tested." Shen Daxing explained, "In fact, the principle of the steam engine is very simple, and the main thing is that the sealing problem cannot be solved now. Mr. Chang Geng has provided some methods, which we are gradually verifying. ”

"Is it that hard to solve a sealing problem?" Zhang Guodong was a little lost.

"Chairman Zhang, Chairman Xia." Shen Daxing suddenly said solemnly, "I will now propose an idea to the two of you as the director of the Military Research Institute." We all know the current situation, even if Tao Min can't get the 500,000 taels of silver, he will go to train the North Korean army. And the guns built by Tao Min are definitely no worse than us, if we fight against Tao Min next time, even if we win, I'm afraid the casualties will be not small. We all have to have a pension for our casualties, but Tao Min shouldn't have any. For this alone, our economy may be dragged down by him. ”

"Daxing, we all know what you said." Xia Yang asked, "Do you have any good ideas, say them and listen to them." ”

"It's not a good idea." Shen Daxing smiled, "I've been thinking about something these days. If you want to talk about the precision of the machine, then the hand polishing must be more precise than the machine grinding. Therefore, I think that we will first organize manpower to rely on manual grinding, and then use some methods of Mr. Chang Geng to solve the sealing problem, first manufacture one or two small steam engines, and then use steam engines to drill and bore and draw wires, plus manual dressing and polishing, to produce rifled guns. ”

"It's definitely not very efficient to produce like this." Zhang Guodong felt that Shen Daxing's method was a bit unreliable.

"The efficiency is definitely not high, the output will not be too large, and the number of people occupied will not be less." Shen Daxing responded, "According to my own estimates, the monthly output is dozens of pieces, and the maximum is 100 pieces. But I can guarantee 800 to 1,000 units a year, and after a year, we will have an elite army equipped with rifled guns and mini rounds. Even if there is only one battalion, it can inflict a heavy blow on Tao Min. Han Wantao told me that there is only one drum and 75 rounds of ammunition left on Flight 95, 20 03 rifles have a total of less than 500 rounds, and the average of a gun is less than 1 magazine. ”

"Tianyang, what do you think?" Zhang Guodong asked Xia Yang.

"I don't think it's completely impossible." Xia Yang replied, "It's slow, but it adds up." As for people, let's recruit more people, anyway, those civilian enterprises are gradually being released out. ”

"Without further ado." Zhang Guodong stood up, "I'll go back and discuss with the Military Commission, if it's okay, just do what Shen Daxing said." ”

After Jiang Beiming received Zhang Guodong's letter, he said hello to Han Wantao and Zhang Hai and went directly to Dengzhou from Tianjin.

"Chief Jiang, you are going to Lushun to negotiate with Tao Min. So how close is it to go directly from Tianjin, why did you come to Dengzhou? Wang Zhaoxing asked jokingly.

"Hehe, Lao Wang, you will laugh at me too." Jiang Beiming smiled, "Without your warship, I will go to Dengzhou by myself?" If Tao Min is deducted, it won't be 500,000, and you will have to get 5 million. ”

"I'm joking, but you're just in time, I just have something to report to my family, so I'll talk to you first."

"What's the matter?" Jiang Beiming asked, "Is it important?" ”

"In a sense, it's more important than anything else." Gu Yunkun said from the side, "We're ready to dig for gold." ”

"Really?" Jiang Beiming was very surprised, "You said that Chen Yingyuan was moved?" Rented the land? ”

He finally agreed. Wang Zhaoxing explained, "But there are also conditions, our family will give him 4 warships and 80 artillery pieces for free." ”

"He wants so much?" Jiang Beiming asked again, "Lao Wang, how is your relationship with Chen Yingyuan now?" ”

"Not bad." Wang Zhaoxing replied, "We often go to give gifts when we have nothing to do, although he has always guarded us, he can't do without us." ”

"Actually, there's one more thing." Gu Yunkun continued, "We have revealed to him about Zheng Zhilong intentionally or unintentionally, and Chen Yingyuan now wants to use our strength to do some business with Zheng Zhilong, or directly do some business with the Japanese." ”

"Chen Yingyuan wants to do business with the Japanese?" Jiang Beiming exclaimed, "He dares to communicate with the Japanese? ”

"No, no, don't get me wrong, it may be that I can't express it clearly." Gu Yunkun said, "During the time that Lao Wang and I were in Dengzhou, Chen Yingyuan also saw the treatment of our Yulin Army. He is not a pedantic person, and he understands the truth that if you have silver, you will have an army. The reason why he asked us for four warships and 80 artillery pieces was actually to go to Japan to grab something. As for whether to rob or do business after going to Japan, then we don't know, after all, Dengzhou is very close to Japan. ”

"If Chen Yingyuan really wants to go to Japan." Jiang Beiming lowered his head and thought for a while, "Then this is also an opportunity, Xu Lang's side is planning how to use the power of Zheng Zhilong or Westerners to take Japan." Chen Yingyuan also has this plan? Japan is going to be lively. ”

"Sir Chiang." Gu Yunkun asked, "What are you going to do when you go to Lushun and negotiate with Tao Min?" ”

"According to the instructions of the Military Commission, if I can reach an agreement with Tao Min, I will return to Tianjin directly from Lushun, and return to Yulin Bay by land from Tianjin, and you will have to send a warship."

"Then you're not going back to Dengzhou?"

"It's not going to come back as planned." After Jiang Beiming answered, he asked, "Director Gu, what do you mean by asking?" ”

"Then I'll go to Lushun with you." Gu Yunkun said, "Then go back to Yulin Bay with you, let's just take a boat." ”

"Are you going back to Yulin Bay?"

"Yes." Gu Yunkun nodded, "These people in Dengzhou have been looking for oil and gold mines these days. I feel that there is some misunderstanding of the affairs of Dengzhou at home, and I want to go back and explain it to the crossing conference. ”

"Misunderstanding at home?" Jiang Beiming didn't know what happened in Dengzhou that would make Yulinwan misunderstand, "Did something happen to you?" Why is there a misunderstanding in the home? ”

"Nothing else, just gold." Gu Yunkun explained, "Everyone knows that Yulin Bay is short of money now, and everyone in the family is pinning their hopes on us to dig for gold, as if everything will be fine if we dig up the gold." In fact, it is not so easy, they ignore a problem, that is, the current problem of gold and silver comparison. ”

"What's wrong with the gold-silver comparison?" Jiang Beiming asked.

"In our later generations, gold is indeed very valuable." "An ounce of gold is about $1,200, while an ounce of silver is only about $16, and the gold-silver ratio is about 1:75. But now, one tael of gold can only be exchanged for 8 to 10 taels of silver. ”

Jiang Beiming was a little confused: "Director Gu, what do you want to express?" ”

Wang Zhaoxing interjected on the side: "What he means is that according to the current price of gold and silver, it is not of much use for us to dig out gold." ”

"yes, that's what I meant." Gu Yunkun continued, "Take the Xincheng gold mine, which is the closest to Dengzhou in later generations, for example, its gold reserves are only 71 tons, which is equivalent to 1.9 million taels of gold according to today's standards, about 15 million taels of silver. ”

"15 million, that's a lot." Jiang Beiming shouted.

"Theoretically, that's a lot." Gu Yunkun smiled, "But in fact, there can't be so many. It is also the Sanshan Island Gold Mine in Laizhou Bay in the later generations, which is still the most mechanized in China, with more than 2,000 employees. After more than 20 years of establishment, the mine has refined more than 40 tons of gold, an average of 2 tons a year, equivalent to 500,000 taels of silver. Chief Jiang, do you think we can reach this level now? ”

"That's right." Jiang Beiming touched his head, "So even if you start digging gold, it's useless?" ”

"It's not very useful anyway." Wang Zhaoxing poured Jiang Beiming a glass of water, "I have been soaking with Director Gu every day these days, and I have also gained a lot of knowledge. ”

"Lao Wang, you're laughing at me." Gu Yunkun smiled, "But that's true. There seems to be a misunderstanding in the development of our Yulin Bay in terms of economy. We always think that with silver, we can have everything, but we ignore one problem, that is, silver is cheap. ”

"Director Gu, I don't know much about economics, what do you mean?" Jiang Beiming still didn't understand.

"Let's put it this way, the financial income of the Ming Dynasty is only a few million taels a year, and our order for Zheng Zhilong is 5 million. It is said that the 5 million can solve many problems, but we are still short of money. Why is that? I think it's because in order to recruit people and have a good relationship with the Ming Dynasty government, we never skimp when we spend money. The Portuguese only cost 500 taels to rent a Macau, while we cost 5,000 taels for a Yulin Bay, and we have to bear all the taxes in Yazhou. If you look at the current Ming Dynasty, you can sell yourself as a slave if you have something to eat, which is like our Yulin Bay, no matter what you do, you have a salary, and it is not low. ”

"There's nothing wrong with that, right?" Jiang Beiming suddenly remembered the knowledge of high school politics, "Consumption drives the economy." ”

"That's right, consumption can drive the economy." Gu Yunkun said, "But do we have so many consumer materials? Half of the materials produced in Yulin Bay were consumed by the army, and most of the materials that could be put into the civilian sector went to Guangzhou and Qiongzhou. This has caused the entire Yulin Bay to have more money and less things. You can think about it, since we landed 5 years ago, let alone Yulin Bay, let's talk about Yazhou and Wanzhou, how much prices have risen in the past 5 years. ”

When Gu Yunkun said this, Wang Zhaoxing suddenly laughed beside him: "Don't say it, Yulin Bay is really the place with the highest prices in the entire Ming Dynasty now, several times higher than the mainland." ”

"That." Jiang Beiming felt that what Gu Yunkun said seemed to have some truth, "Is there any solution to it?" ”

"I really don't have that." Gu Yunkun sighed, "Of the more than 300 of us, there are really few who understand economics. However, I think that if this problem is not solved, I am afraid that there will be problems in the future. So I want to go back with you and throw this problem to the Crossing Assembly first, and the Crossing Assembly should find some way to alleviate it. ”

"Anyway, I can't figure this out, so I'd better talk about it when I get home." Jiang Beiming turned his head to Wang Zhaoxing, "Old Wang, prepare a boat, and I will go with Director Gu to meet Tao Min for a while." ”

On the last day of the end of September, according to the time requested by Tao Minxin, the Fuzhou arrived outside Lushun City with Jiang Beiming and Gu Yunkun under the command of First Officer Fernandez, and Wang Zhaoxing stayed in Dengzhou.

"Sir, we've arrived at the predetermined sea." Fernandez ran over to report to Jiang Beiming.

"I command." Jiang Beiming put down the binoculars in his hand, "Raise the Mingzi flag, set off two fireworks, and tell them that we are coming." ”

Two fireworks bombs shot into the sky. At the head of Lushun City, Tao Gong also put down the binoculars: "Brother, the people from Yulin Bay are here." ”

"I see it." Tao Min ordered, "Let our people go and contact them, and let them enter the city to negotiate." ”