Since the 2nd century B.C., the "Silk Road" along with Asia and Europe has become an international passage for products and precious metals from the East and the West. In the 8th century, the strong rise of the Arab Empire gradually controlled the dominance of trade between Asia and Europe, including the Eastern Mediterranean, and became the monopolist of the Asia-Europe international trade route. Coupled with the flourishing of the Maritime Silk Road from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea, large quantities of oriental silk, porcelain, and spices were transported to Europe. There was nothing to match the goods of the East, and it was even more difficult for Europe, which had lost its trade dominance, to export its own goods, and for centuries the European countries had to pay large quantities of precious metals to grab the goods of the East.

Since the fall of the Western Roman Empire, European civilization and social productivity have regressed, and the amount of precious metal mining has also declined significantly. For thousands of years, local gold and silver production in Europe did not return to the level of the Roman Empire. The Black Death in Europe in the 14th century plunged Europe into an unprecedented labor shortage, which hit the silver mining industry on which the European economy depended, while the supply of gold from North Africa shrank sharply due to the expansion of Arab power.

The development of the European commodity economy, represented by the Mediterranean trade and the Baltic trade, has gradually plunged Europe into a money shortage, and the lack of precious metals has become a serious problem that needs to be solved urgently. Historical records record that at the beginning of the 15th century, a Venetian merchant's annual currency settlement reached 1 million Venetian gold coins, or about 3.5 tons of gold, compared with less than 4 tons of gold in Europe during the same period. Excluding other uses, the amount of gold used in Europe for trade is just over 500 tons, and the amount of silver is only about 7,000 tons. At the height of the money shortage, salt, pepper, rouge and other products were used as currency, for example, a pound of rouge remained at 1 pound for a long time.

The circulation of "Marco Polo's Travels" set off a frenzy of yearning for the Orient in European society, and Europeans were slaughtered by Arab merchants for hundreds of years for Oriental goods that could only be obtained with real money. Have more gold and silver to solve your own economic development problems. The dominance of the commodity trade in the East became the two driving forces for Europe's geographical expansion, and the interests of the state and the merchants converged, so that the two forces finally twisted together.

In this process, Spain and Portugal, which occupy the best bridgehead for Europe's maritime expansion, have chosen two directions respectively. Portugal, with Prince Enrique's highly sophisticated navigational explorations, had already decided on a national strategy to bypass Africa and head east. Spain, though not as calculating as its own neighbors, like headless flies running around, has also found a way out in the west when a blind cat meets a dead mouse.

Then, this sudden opening up of maritime trade routes finally ignited the maritime ambitions of European countries. Colonial trading companies with various "Indian" titles have sprung up like mushrooms and plunged into the sea like a hungry wolf with a swimming ring on its head.

The first hundred years of the Age of Discovery. Western Europe received more gold and silver from Africa and the New World than from countless previous centuries combined. By the end of the 16th century, the amount of gold imported was nearly 700 tons, and the import of silver was more than 17,000 tons, and it set off irrepressible inflation in Western Europe.

Prices soared in the 16th century in the Iberian Peninsula, rising by 300 to 400 per cent, and in other parts of Europe, by more than 200 per cent. In order to make profits, the harsh exploitation of the labor force at the bottom of society by the new industrial capital and commercial capital in Europe reached its highest peak since the end of the Dark Middle Ages, and accumulated huge wealth, so that it gradually had more political power. The feudal landlords, who lived on the rent of the ancient agricultural currency, were declining. The rapid increase in population, the strict differentiation of social wealth, and finally the ideological constraints were broken, and the "price revolution" had a profound impact on the development of European society.

……

The Oriental Fund, which began to be secretly brewed three months ago. Finally, after entering May, the publicity began with great fanfare.

On Monday, May 13, Manchester City Weekly published a front-page campaign for the Orient Fund.

Orient Fund has secretly completed the preparatory work, and about 15 private enterprises or investment institutions have reached an intention to buy shares. With equity of $2.4 million, the size of the financing has exceeded expectations. COSCO Investment and Development Bank, which is made up of a handful of private economic oligarchs behind the scenes, is the largest shareholder, and then the newspaper raised another $600,000 from the whole society.

According to the public propaganda of the media. After the completion of the registration, the Oriental Fund will establish the "Oriental United Group" (hereinafter referred to as the Oriental Union Group), and will have three wholly-owned subsidiaries: "Oriental Industrial Company", "Oriental Transportation Company" and "Oriental Investment Bank". "In response to the call of the state" to go to Pearl Island to explore the Asian market, publicly put forward an exclusive contracting agreement, and hoped that the state will launch a number of supporting policies for the operation of the Oriental route in view of the objective situation of the Oriental route, and grant many development privileges.

In the 17th century, when the world's great development has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, especially in countries such as China and the United States, which are based on overseas markets, ordinary citizens naturally do not care too deeply about the operating costs behind them, but rely on the instinctive thinking given by the times, and are extremely optimistic about the development of the Oriental Fund.

The attempt to "cage" domestic private capital and the eastward expansion faction by taking advantage of the issue of the layout of the East has been defeated by this huge fund plan. No matter how unpleasant the state-owned faction is, it is impossible to openly oppose this "enthusiasm" of domestic private enterprises to "fully support" the country's development. Now that the people of the whole country have followed, the country is still fooling people with the childish "Pearl Island Encouraged Investment Draft", so it can't be said?

But the most intriguing thing is that the Orient Fund seems to have excluded certain groups of people from the beginning, and the unspoken rule of "blessing sharing" has been publicly broken for the first time. Such a blatant statement carries a strong hint: From today onwards, you take your Yangguan Road, and I will cross my single-plank bridge.

This kind of long-planned action by domestic private capital, which coerced the people to force the state, seems to have given up the previous style of "greeting the state in advance and discussing things to discuss". Knowing the inside story in advance is naturally watching the play with great interest, while the other part of the people who have been touched by the nerves are secretly angry.

Several private investment institutions, which occupy the majority of the shares of Orient Fund, are new roles that have been quietly established a few months in advance, and UnionPay Fund, the first fund in China with a "national" nature. They were completely excluded, and the other private funds with more than 10 percent of the shares of the state-owned faction could not even touch the edges, leaving almost no room for the state-owned faction to intervene.

The ghost believes that this fund, which is almost entirely made up of private capital, is a "private spontaneous" act. It doesn't matter if you don't give people a psychological preparation, even before the official publicity of this bullshit Oriental Fund, the overall share capital structure has almost been completed. And the IPO financing plan advertised in the newspapers is obviously throwing a few bones for ordinary citizens to help try and shout to build momentum.

On Tuesday, the organizers of the Orient Fund, with the support of the "stubborn capitalist roaders" behind the scenes, swaggered and formally applied to the Ministry of Commerce for the registration of the fund, leaving Congress without the power of administrative intervention to stare at it. In the state-owned group, it has clearly abandoned the operation of the East, and this kind of behavior of eating alone in a group. Obviously, it is deliberately put on a posture to disgust others, and it is no wonder that it makes some people feel uncomfortable.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives, at the joint instigation of the majority of state-owned members, formed an emergency temporary committee to review all the relevant bills from the founding of the People's Republic of China to the present, and finally found a number of contents, and launched a government administrative review and intervention process on the grounds that "commercial activities that affect the country's strategic security will be prohibited by the state" and "the business model of the Orient Fund violates the overall policy of the Orient Fund" as defined in the National Security Law.

The reason for the obvious impulsiveness of the state-owned faction. There was an uproar. Isn't this a good thing to revitalize domestic capital and share the pressure on the country, why stop it?

On Thursday, the organizers of the Orient Fund, led by the COSCO Investment and Development Bank, immediately responded to the-for-tat, claiming that Congress would forcibly intervene in the government's business approval. He filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court against the National Assembly for unconstitutionality. At this time, Premier Qi Jianjun and President Chen Yuanyuan had to hurry out to reconcile, while the Supreme Judge Zhong Jinshan waited for the lawsuit to come to the door with a leisurely attitude of "a happy family and no worries".

The thunder is indeed loud enough, then next. According to some people's conjecture, the scene of interest exchange and compromise should be played in private. Speakers of the two houses of the National Assembly, Bao Zitu and Li Ping, urgently met with Premier Qi Jianjun and President Chen Yuanyuan. The four of them got together and had a meeting.

……

Friday, May 17. From yesterday to now, Qi Jianjun has not eaten a decent meal, and tomorrow is Saturday's rest day, but Qi Jianjun still returned home after a meeting of the "Big Four" that lasted until the evening.

Qi Jianjun is 50 years old this year, and his wife's name is Qu Hong, who is also 45 years old, and is responsible for logistics management at the Capital National Hospital. Qi Jianjun, who knew that he was unable to compete with the young men for resources, still started a new family of his own shortly after the crossing, and his wife was just an ordinary middle-aged female cleaner in a group of former dock workers.

Finally, Qi Jianjun and his wife have been able to do well for so many years, and finally had a biological son 6 years ago, but his wife was never able to get pregnant after a serious postpartum illness. Now in Qi Jianjun's family, in addition to his biological son Qi Zumin, he has also adopted two orphans, a boy and a girl. The adopted son of Chinese descent Qi Zuguo is 10 years old, and the adopted daughter of European descent Qi Zuping is 7 years old, which is the first family to be an example of orphan adoption. However, according to private rumors, the European adopted daughter should be an illegitimate daughter who crossed the crowd, her mother died after giving birth, and the child was directly carried to the home by Qi Jianjun's wife.

"Daddy!"

As soon as he stepped into the house, his daughter threw herself into his arms like a gust of wind, and Qi Jianjun's tired body and mind quietly relaxed a lot at this moment.

"Finally back, the dishes have been hot several times. Xiao Dong came to the house today as a guest, and he has been waiting for you for a long time. Qu Hong hurriedly handed her husband slippers while hugging her daughter back to her side.

"Xiao Dong? Dong Jiunan is here? Qi Jianjun was stunned for a moment, as if he felt surprised.

"Could it be that there are other people surnamed Dong who dare to come to our house at night?" Qu Hong smiled awkwardly, and sighed secretly for the image of her husband who had never been treated well in the world.

"Oh...... Let's send the food to the study, where I will eat and chat with Xiao Dong. You just have to eat with the kids. Qi Jianjun thought about it for a while, and probably understood the reason for Dong Jiunan's sudden visit today.

"Lao Qi, you have been busy for so many years, and you have never been pleasing at both ends......" Looking at her husband's tired face, Qu Hong shook her head again and again.

……

In the process of privatization of the national economy after the founding of the People's Republic of China, a considerable number of former dock workers still chose to continue to work in state-owned enterprises, while most of the middle and high-level talents in former production units, represented by Jiang Zhaolong and Lin Youde, chose private joint-stock enterprises to start their own businesses without hesitation.

Although the practice of sand mixing with each other's shares. And the emergence of the UnionPay fund, so that every vested interest has a certain long-term protection, so that it will not be too far behind others, but who can guarantee a longer period of time?

With the proliferation of private companies and financial institutions, many former dockers have not had their personal investments in a much lower state than others or have accidentally put too many eggs in one basket without more professional advice.

As a former migrant worker captain and the CEO of a new country's state-owned construction engineering group, Dong Jiunan saw a hint of something bad a few years ago. Although he himself is closer to the private faction. He was fortunate enough to get the ideal layout of personal investment, but many of the people who followed him to fight for the "rights and interests of the disadvantaged" are now far behind the private sector in terms of personal assets.

Dong Jiunan was one of the core promoters of the state-owned faction in last year's congressional re-election, and now he has entered the Senate himself, becoming a "more calm and cautious" senator. Now some of the old brothers have lost their minds and have begun to show a rather unreasonable attitude in the Congress, which makes him quite surprised by the intensification of internal contradictions as soon as the state policy is turned to the country.

"Prime Minister, I'm here to ...... today" Seeing Qi Jianjun walking into the study with a plate of vegetables and a bowl of rice, Dong Jiunan quickly stood up and said hello. On the other hand, he was also arranging the collar of his clothes that was open because of the heat.

"Xiao Dong, I know the purpose of your visit." Qi Jianjun put down the meal and directly raised a hand to stop the other party's next words.

"The big guy recommended you, right?" Qi Jianjun pulled the rice. His expression was calm, "I know that everyone is not trying to embarrass the government, and if you come today, it means that everyone still understands that this country needs rules." ”

"I know. This time, both sides did a little too much, but Ren Changle and they clearly made some brothers ugly. In fact, if they really want to do big things on their own, no one will stop them. There's no need to be domineering. Seeing that Qi Jianjun already knew his thoughts, Dong Jiunan was relieved, "The problem is very simple, they really want to make money, it doesn't matter, with their capital strength, they can actually mix up anywhere, I'm just worried about ......"

……

“…… The problem is simple, there are concerns that you don't just want to make money. ”

In the old brand "Lala Zhen Food Shop" in Parliament Square in the southern district of Manchester City, Su Zining stirred coffee and said lightly to Yan Xiaosong and Ren Changle.

"Not this or what? I just can't get used to their virtue of only knowing how to move their mouths, they want to eat meat, why don't they do it themselves? When we were about to start, we didn't let them participate, and it felt like we were cutting their flesh?! Ren Changle drooped his head silently, and his feelings were very bad.

After Su Zining and Yan Xiaosong glanced at each other, they all smiled. Yan Xiaosong stretched out his hand and patted Ren Changle on the shoulder: "This time it's a big fuss, in fact, it's not necessarily a bad thing, let's open the skylight and say something." ”

"Su Zining, their reasons are simply untenable this time, if there is a lawsuit, it is estimated that I will win...... Wenwen reminded me before, but I didn't expect them to be so shameless. Ren Changle had a bad breath, so he could only drink coffee with his head down.

"Since everyone has long been prepared to use this Oriental Fund to bargain with Congress, it is necessary to give each other a bargaining chip for a compromise of interests, rather than waiting for the other side to make concessions. I put forward the plan of the Oriental Fund, on the one hand, to find a way out for Yan Xiaosong to develop the Oriental layout, and at the same time, it is also the best opportunity for everyone to resolve the contradictions. The contradiction cannot be suppressed, and it will explode one day, which is what we do not want to see. But you want to get rid of other people to do things, do you think you can do it in this environment? Su Zining spread out his hands, and finally said what was wrong with Ren Changle and the others, "If it were me, I would think that you have other ideas." ”

"Have other ideas? What else can I think! I put so much effort into making a big deal about it, didn't I just put up a scene for them to talk? Do you want me to be shy and ask them things like, 'Do you need them?' But they just hit the door unreasonably, what a fucking bunch of fools who can't walk when they open the door! As soon as Ren Changle knocked on the cup, his voice raised a lot, and the customers who were resting in several corners quietly turned around.

"Are you really confused or fake? Demand that some monopoly policies in the Far East be forgotten, and that you also need the privilege of free development of land and industry, and anyone thinks that you want to go it alone. To put it mildly, now with your ability to handle the business of Changle, Lin Youde, You Qi, and Zhou Junting. Go to Southeast Asia to find a piece of land alone, and then do some industrial transfer actions, and within ten years, you can suck all the immigrants of the Ming Dynasty over. Any idea what that means? They just didn't break it in the end. ”

"You know how many chains a South African Viceroy has put on it as far as the country can do, and most of the manufacturing industry is banned, except for mining, agriculture and ship repair. If OUCC wants to make such a big move in the Far East, it may not be able to manage it! You don't have ambitions, but there's no guarantee that others don't. ”

Su Zining's smile converged, and the series of words was extremely purposeful: "So, just finish talking angrily." The cost of immigration is much higher than ever. Route operation issues must be addressed; The costs of the Eastern Expedition must be recovered, and the interests of the East cannot be left vacant in vain; The contradictions between the two factions in the country cannot continue to expand and must be resolved. But if these may lead to the emergence of a separatist group that threatens the country's strategic interests, it will never work. Especially I value the last one more, and the others are all for Yan Xiaosong's head. ”

After speaking, Su Zining also deliberately looked at Yan Xiaosong, which had a sense of "all for you". At this time, Ren Changle had already opened his mouth in surprise.

"Come on, when did you make waves and not pull me on?" Yan Xiaosong also showed a wry smile. "The bad idea of the Oriental Fund you put forward will not end well when it comes to this point. However, Su Zining was right, at the beginning, the cabinet only chose a large and resource-poor Pearl Island as a Far East stronghold. It's a clear principle. And since the founding of the country, all overseas territories have followed this principle. Until the domestic strength has reached a higher level, Congress will never allow the emergence of any overseas territory that can develop independently and has various geographical advantages over North America. ”

As soon as these words came out, Ren Changle was also stunned. It took a long time to come back to his senses.

"I heard a very interesting explanation. What is democracy? Democracy is actually a tool for the weak to suppress the strong. In ancient times, the natural advantages of the strong made them more aggressive and expansive. Therefore, in order to protect their own interests, the weak began to cling to the strong, and while serving the strong, they enjoyed the spoils of the strong's killing, invasion and expansion...... After the strong get used to this kind of social status that is sought after, after a long time, the weak begin to preach morality and order, and gradually strengthen the strong to fulfill their obligations to protect the weak while supporting the status of the strong, and even use this rule and order to suppress the power that dominates the strong and prevent the strong from abandoning the weak because of ambition, so human civilization progresses...... Many times, we always feel that it is the strong behind the scenes who are leading the direction of democracy, but in fact, why is it not constrained and used by the consciousness of a disadvantaged group? ”

Su Zining suddenly changed his words again, and he came out coldly, as if he was talking to himself.

"Where did the strong words come from...... Do you really have the leisure to talk about this...... If we don't handle it well this time, I'm afraid we won't be able to live in peace in China. "Yan Xiaosong is used to the strange theories that often pop up from his friends, but listening to Ren Changle's constant complaints, he himself has been stuck in some problems and can't let go,"

"Brother Su, I understand what it means. You give a clear attitude, what do you want us to do? Ren Changle gritted his teeth and stood up directly.

……

Thursday, May 23.

On this day, after a week of closed-door discussions in Congress, the state-owned interventionists, led by the House of Representatives, finally reconciled privately with the organizers of the Oriental Fund. In public, it can be regarded as an undeserved farce.

The approval of the Orient Fund and its formation was subsequently followed by a "shrunken" version of the "East India Company of the Chinese American Republic".

According to the newly adjusted share capital composition, the total share capital of the Orient Fund has expanded to a terrifying US$4.5 million, making it the second largest behemoth in China after the UnionPay Fund. In addition to the 2.4 million yuan of funds already in place, a new fund established by the state-owned faction was qualified to invest in shares, with an injection of 1.2 million yuan, and the remaining 900,000 yuan was publicly raised from other investment institutions or individuals across the country, at least half of which belonged to ordinary national individuals, with a minimum investment of 10 US dollars.

It is said that as soon as the final plan was released, more than a third of the country's households participated in the following month. Its investment enthusiasm can be called the hottest since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The National Assembly passed the amendment to the "Pearl Island Investment Incentive Act", which exclusively authorized the Eastern Route to the Oriental Union Group for a period of 20 years. Limited to the Pearl Island and Nanshan Port route of several types of logistics taxes and fees greatly reduced, Southeast Asian customs import and export taxes are classified separately, while enjoying preferential policies, OUCC also has the right to preferential employment of Far Eastern labor.

However, it is interesting to note that the authorization agreement specifically emphasizes that the OUCC and other non-official organizations are prohibited from carrying out overseas colonization activities without authorization for any reason and in any way; It is strictly forbidden to export any industrial projects or commodities without the consent of the government...... Outside of its commercial activities, OUCC does not possess the hegemonic overseas colonization, territorial administration, diplomatic and military power of its European counterparts.

At the same time, from 1631. OUCC will bear at least 40 per cent of the annual share of migrant transport, and the state will pay a transport management fee of $50 per migrant. In addition, part of the assistance projects for the Far Eastern Ming Dynasty agent plan will also be contracted by the Oriental Union Group.

As a result, the merchant shipping capacity occupancy rate of the state-owned ocean shipping company has dropped significantly, and many of the operating costs in Yan Xiaosong's proposal for the Oriental layout have also been reduced or even disappeared, and the comprehensive cost is finally lower than the original Oriental immigration plan, which can be described as a great joy.

Another five days later, Andrian, who was poached from Manchester City Commercial Bank to serve as the first president of the OUCC Group. A series of large-scale project plans were released.

First of all, the Oriental Transportation Company, a subsidiary of the Oriental Union Group, ordered five of the latest "five-masted longitudinal sail large passenger and cargo merchant ships" in one go. Beiyang Shipbuilding Group and Qingcheng Shipbuilding Company won the contracts for 3 and 2 ships respectively, which immediately made the two shipbuilding enterprises ecstatic and jumped at the same time, setting a record for the start of construction of large ships in a single year since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Although there are discounts for large quantities. However, due to the expedited contract and the requirement to be completed within 12 months, the cost of a single ship reached $480,000, which is already close to catching up with the cost of the Princess-class large light cruiser. This is a large five-masted schooner with a full load displacement of more than 3,200 tons. Using the latest steam-powered sail lifting device, theoretically the whole ship only needs less than 40 sailors, and can carry 800 passengers and 1,200 tons of materials from Nanshan Port to Pearl Island at the same time. It is the first type of sailboat in Huamei that truly has the ability to carry professional passenger transportation on the ocean.

The low-level cabin components have been adjusted to increase the temporary cargo capacity to at least 1,700 tonnes for 200 passengers. Or add cabin components to carry more than 1,000 passengers.

Although the maximum speed is less than 16 knots, which is lower than that of the full-sail Ao Guang-class flying clipper merchant ships, it has the perverted sailing performance of at least 7 knots against the wind, and the speed will not be lower than 12 knots most of the time, coupled with the huge cargo capacity, it is extremely suitable for the full-cycle operation of the Indian Ocean route.

Subsequently, Dongfang Industrial Company ordered a large number of engineering and industrial production equipment from General Industries and North Industries, two industrial equipment manufacturers, and tendered technical cooperation contracts for the production of various civil commodities after the approval of government projects.

Finally, Oriental Bank released the "Pearl Island Industrial Cooperation Loan Plan" to attract more small and medium-sized enterprises to join the Oriental Union Group.

This series of actions did not use a penny of the state, and its high-end and high-grade strong capital image has become the hottest topic in China, and has also aroused the high interest and envy and jealousy of domestic small business owners.

Although it still takes a year for OUCC Group to officially enter the East, according to the group's internal business plan, OUCC Group will still send a "task force" to Pearl Island in a month, not only to send all kinds of materials for Pearl Island this year, but also to prepare for next year's work in advance. The Oriental Transport Company, which leases three Mayflower Shipping Company's flying clipping merchant ships, will complete the year's voyage with the state-run transport fleet.

Zhao Mingchuan, who appeared again when the management of Oriental Union Group was made public, served as the deputy general manager of Oriental Industrial Company and became the leader of the task force. (To be continued......)

PS: The second more is delivered, and it does not mean that all of the following are slave laborers.