November 22nd.

Empress Zhou, Zhang Yan and other members of the royal family, riding in five VIP cars, escorted by 100 Xujiazhuang security personnel, embarked on the road to Harbour City.

The specifications of this visit have been significantly reduced.

There are only four or five members of the core royal family.

The entourage was less than a hundred.

Most of the escort security personnel were from Xujiazhuang's side, and the royal guards only brought a dozen.

In addition, the various expenses this time, Xujiazhuang will still be reimbursed, but will not provide consumption quotas, but what accommodation conditions Xujiazhuang arranges, they will accept what conditions, and if there is something unsatisfactory, you can put forward opinions, but it mainly depends on how Xujiazhuang arranges.

Even the reception specifications have been significantly reduced, and they are not as generous and luxurious as last year.

Because this year's reception arrangements are given by Fang Qingyan, she thinks that there is no need to be too extravagant and wasteful, slapping a swollen face and becoming fat, and Xujiazhuang needs to spend a lot of money, so it is necessary to be frugal and restrained.

That's right.

At the end of the year, Xu Yuan went back to his hometown, and the time and number of times he returned to Baibao during this period will be very small, so Xu Jiazhuang has entered the stage of rotating consul + master mother steward, and it will last for a long time, at least more than three months.

And Fang Qingyan will not regard the royal family too seriously, and even a little contempt and disdain.

After all, compared with Xu Jiazhuang, the resources and strength of the royal family are too shabby, too not enough to see, and the alliance and marriage with the Xu family are actually high climbing the Xu family, which obviously takes advantage of the Xu family, but often shows a cold look like a big loss, my husband may eat this set, but my Qingyan doesn't eat this set! Because without the support and sponsorship of Xu Jiazhuang, the royal authority has long been lost, maybe the foundation of the country and the mountains will not be able to be kept, where can there be today?

The husband may be accustomed to the royal family, but our Qingyan will definitely not, even if the two sides have formed an alliance, they will take a business-like attitude and will not waste any more resources.

Five days later.

The VIP convoy arrived at Harbour City without incident.

Empress Zhou, Zhang Yan and others quickly settled down and lived in villas in the high-end villa area in the west of the city - in this regard, like last year, they are all pampered members of the royal family, and the living conditions are still not too bad.

As for the purpose of Queen Zhou's visit this time, Fang Qingyan also knew it well in advance, so she took the initiative to meet them in the White Castle, after a warm greeting and exchange of gifts from her sisters and sisters.

Fang Qingyan said to them straight to the point: "Sister Zhou, Sister Zhang, if you have any ideas for cooperation, just tell me everything, my husband will not come back for a while, as long as it is not a particularly important matter, I can make the decision, you can talk to me no problem." ”

"Sister Fang, we mainly came to Harbour City this time to relax and enjoy the scenery here, only to find that in less than a year, Harbour City has added new attractions such as Ocean Park, Ferris Wheel, and Zoo, we are very curious, so we want to come and have a look."

Zhou Yufeng smiled and said that he didn't plan to say the real purpose.

"Sister, you're a little insincere, there are so many new attractions in Harbour City, the most suitable time to visit is summer, and you can't see anything in winter when it's so cold, don't hide it from me, let's just say it." Fang Qingyan said with a smile.

"There is indeed one more important thing."

Zhou Yufeng had no choice but to say, and changed his words: "But it's better to talk to the owner in person, but I don't know when he will come back...... But we can wait, wait for ten days and a half a month without a problem, not in a hurry. ”

"Isn't it just that you want to open a few royal factories, needless to say, I guessed everything."

Fang Qingyan simply picked out and said: "Brick kiln factory, cement factory, furniture factory, food processing factory, hand-cranked washing machine factory, vehicle maintenance factory, etc., I can call the shots in these factories, whether it is technology transfer, or selling equipment, there is no problem, according to the current market situation, these factories earn more than 20% profit margin, and they can also solve a large number of jobs, and the development prospects are very good." ”

"Are there any factories with higher profit margins?" Zhou Yufeng asked.

"Of course, glass factories, soap factories, garment factories, paper factories (which can produce products including toilet paper, sanitary napkins, etc.), ceramic factories, high-precision parts factories, handicraft factories, jewelry foundries, etc., as long as they are proficient in technology, it is easy for the profit margin to reach 50%." Fang Qingyan said.

"We want to make a high-profit factory, and as for the craftsmen, we can recruit a group of skilled craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry, and the quality of the workers can be guaranteed." Zhou Yufeng hurriedly said.

"These factories, in fact, we have opened our own Xujiazhuang, all of them are profitable, all belong to high-quality industries, once the technology is diffusion out, equipment is sold, although a profit is made, but will lose some long-term business, not a particularly good relationship partners, we will not consider decentralization of high-quality industries, unless the profit margin of these industries has dropped to the extent that there is no profit."

"Our royal family and Xujiazhuang are allies of comprehensive cooperation, as allies, I wonder if we can transfer some high-quality industries to us?" Zhou Yufeng asked, unconsciously having completely entered Fang Qingyan's rhythm.

"For allies, of course, there is no problem in transferring quality industries, however, we also have a few small demands, in exchange for equivalence, to compensate for our economic losses." Fang Qingyan said with a smile.

"What conditions, please."

"In the future, the states and counties in the Jiangnan region can allow the talents arranged by Xujiazhuang to serve as officials in certain positions to solve some old and stubborn problems; Secondly, the legal system of Xujiazhuang has a certain binding force on the people in the south of the Yangtze River, and the people of Daming can choose to come to the court of Xujiazhuang to fight lawsuits to resolve commercial and civil disputes, and it also has legal effect; Also, the Zhuang people of Xujiazhuang can carry any weapon and go anywhere in the Ming Dynasty, and they have the right to arm freely......" Fang Qingyan said several times in a row.

"Say no more!"

Zhang Yan directly interrupted her: "We will not agree to any of these conditions you mentioned, let alone agree to them, you say, on the premise of not agreeing to these harsh conditions, negotiate with you, can our royal family get the technology transfer of high-profit factories and the preferential price of equipment purchase?" ”

"Hehe, if you don't agree to these cooperation conditions, then talk about money directly, if you pay a technology transfer fee, you will give 1 million silver dollars at one time, or pay a patent licensing fee equivalent to 5% of the price of the product every year...... If you can get the money, of course, you can build a high-profit factory. Fang Qingyan said with a smile.

"How much does that cost?"

Zhou Yufeng felt staggered, this is tens of thousands of hundreds of thousands of silver dollars at every turn, and the cash of the royal family is spent, and it is estimated that a few royal factories will not be built.

And it's also extremely cost-effective.

"If you don't have money, then give up setting up a factory, or set up a few low-profit factories, and make money by running volume, as allies, we will occasionally place some orders, so as not to be said by you that there is no friendship." Fang Qingyan said very humanely.

"Let's go!"

Zhang Yan directly pulled Zhou Yufeng and left, saying, "We can't talk about cooperation with her, let's wait." ”

"You're waiting for my husband to come back, aren't you?"

Fang Qingyan's voice sounded behind them, and said: "I suggest that you better not wait, my husband is back with the same terms of cooperation, and he will not make an exception for you, but he will only be more disappointed at that time, in this way, let's talk about it again, as long as the cooperation conditions you give are suitable, I may be able to make some concessions." ”

"No need, there's nothing to talk about."

Zhang Yan didn't look back.

……

Depart White Castle.

Return to the upscale villa in the west of the city, and then wait for the process day by day.

Queen Zhou and Zhang Yan both felt a feeling of increasing suffering.

While Harbour City is a cosy environment, with plenty of food and entertainment, there's always something to keep you entertained.

But from late November, until mid-December, this more than half a month of waiting.

Zhou Yufeng and Zhang Yan did not feel too much relaxation and happiness, but became more and more headache and anxiety, and their good mood was often destroyed.

As for the source of these negative emotions, it is naturally Fang Qingyan's woman.

She regards herself as the mother of the Xu family, and she is still warm and polite to them these royal family members these days, and even comes to visit every once in a while, and her sisters and sisters are called very intimately, and the topics are even more talkative, and she seems to be about to become a best friend with an extremely good relationship.

But the intrigue between women is often difficult for men to understand, but between them and women, their hearts are like mirrors and can be understood immediately.

For example, Fang Qingyan praised the royal family for its rich heritage, frugal life, and extravagance, and said a lot of advantages, like commercial touting, but in fact, it may be criticizing the royal family for being backward and decadent, poor and hard, and putting on a show, etc., all of which must be listened to in reverse.

Zhang Yan is-for-tat, and will also praise Xujiazhuang's rapid rise, wealth in the world, aggressiveness and other advantages, in fact, it may be criticizing Xujiazhuang for being a nouveau riche, only money without virtue, and being too greedy for plundering overseas.

But even in terms of bickering, Zhang Yan can fight with Fang Qingyan without winning or losing, but she and Queen Zhou came to Harbour City this time, after all, they asked for Xujiazhuang, which made them a little shorter in confidence, and they didn't dare to refute it too much.

And in the back, Fang Qingyan often thinks of ways to stimulate and attack them.

For example, inviting them to go shopping in high-end shopping malls together, buying things worth hundreds of thousands of silver dollars without blinking, and then giving them gifts such as stockings, jewelry, and sunglasses, there is a feeling that the lady rewards the maid.

often invite them to dinner, what king crab feast, Chinese sacred cow feast, etc., all kinds of high-end ingredients, so that Zhou Yufeng and Zhang Yan opened their eyes at the same time, they also felt a little inferior, because these high-end foods, they rarely eat in the palace, but this Fang Qingyan often eats every once in a while.

And most importantly, in the matter of when Xu Yuan will come back, Fang Qingyan is like a monkey, today she said that she would come back in four or five days, and tomorrow she said that she might be able to come back in two days, and even once simply said that Xu Yuan had already come back once, but she only stayed for a while, and then left again immediately - Zhang Yan almost vomited blood in depression.

After being toyed and teased many times in a row.

Empress Zhou, who felt humiliated, was about to give up and said: "Forget the imperial sister-in-law, let's not wait, let's go back, Fang Qingyan plays us every day, and she won't tell us the news of Xu Yuan's return." ”

"No, I'm going to wait!"

Zhang Yan said with a resolute face: "If you can't wait for half a month, you can wait for a month, if you can't wait for a month, wait for three months, then Xu Yuan will come back after all, I will definitely see him!" ”

At this moment, even in order to deal with that hateful Fang Qingyan, she has to continue to wait and never give up!