Zhang Dai couldn't help but interject: "Shengshang, the steam engine built by the steam engine factory is for sale, not as a gift, and the silver money from selling one can be used to buy raw materials, so the account is not calculated like this." ”

"What Zongzi said is extremely true." Ma Mingluo also said, "The steam engine factory doesn't need to make 650 units at one time, and then put them there for the needy manufacturers to choose, so there is no need for such a large cost." ”

"No, the steam engine is different from other commodities, you can't do that."

Chongzhen waved his hand and said: "First, the unit price of the steam engine is too high, few merchants can afford it, and second, the steam engine is a new thing, and the merchants do not know its benefits, so if you cultivate the market according to the old method, first put it on the market in small batches, and then increase the production capacity after good feedback, so that the steam engine market can mature until the Year of the Monkey?" I don't have that much time. ”

Chongzhen is telling the truth, it has never been easy to cultivate the market for new products.

It is even more difficult to cultivate the market for new products with huge investment and high cost.

If you want to cultivate the market in the short term, there is no other way than to burn money.

"So, what does the Holy One mean?" Ma Mingluo had already thought of it, but he didn't dare to believe it.

Chongzhen pondered for a moment and then said: "After the steam engine factory is launched, it will go all out to expand its production capacity, and achieve an annual output of 20 units within one year and 100 units within three years!" ”

Regarding the production capacity of steam engines, Chongzhen also thought about it.

At first, it could only be built by hand, and the production capacity was definitely low.

But after a year or two, when the lathe is developed, the production capacity of the steam engine will definitely be greatly increased, so it is possible to produce 100 steam engines per year, or even 200 units per year.

"After the steam engine is produced, it is only given away, not sold."

"It's a free trial for merchants in need."

"There is no charge for the first year, and there is on-site maintenance, and from the second year onwards a nominal rent is charged."

"After the two-year lease expires, the merchant decides whether to buy or return it, and if they decide to buy, they only pay half the price, and if they decide to return it, they don't have to pay anything."

"Holy!" Ma Mingluo and Zhang Dai almost went crazy when they heard this.

"No, never like that, how can anyone do this?"

"Ma Qing and Zhang Dai, you don't have to worry." Chongzhen said earnestly, "You two might as well think about it carefully, will you really lose money by doing this?" ”

Hearing this, Zhang Dai and Ma Mingluo fell into deep thought.

However, Ma Mingluo couldn't think of the trick for a long time, and Zhang Dai was worthy of being a treasurer, who had been influenced by business since he was a child, and quickly figured out the doorway.

Zhang Dai said thoughtfully: "If the steam engine is really a good thing, it can greatly reduce the cost of merchants and improve the production efficiency of each factory, as the saint said, then the steam engine used by merchants for free in the first three years can form a good demonstration effect, and it will prompt most merchants to compete to buy, so it is actually not a loss." ”

"How can you not lose?" Ma Mingluo frowned and said, "Even if the steam engine produced in the first three years is sold, it can only be sold at half price. ”

Zhang Dai said with a smile: "The half price mentioned by the saint is only half of the selling price, not half of the cost price, not to mention that even if it is only sold at half of the cost price, the steam engine factory will not lose money." ”

Ma Mingluo was completely stunned: "Only sell half of the cost price and don't lose money?" ”

"No loss." Zhang Dai said, "If you don't follow the method mentioned by the saint, the steam engine factory will receive orders for only two or three units from arsenals and other merchants a year, if the cost is 100,000 yuan, the price is 200,000 yuan, and the profit is at most 200,000 yuan." ”

Ma Mingluo bowed his head lightly when he heard this, this account is still easy to calculate, and he can fully understand it.

Zhang Dai said again: "But if you follow the method that the saint said, you can send out up to 200 units in the first three years!" ”

"So what?" Ma Mingluo said, "Selling at cost price is just to protect the capital, at least 300,000 profits are lost, if you sell at half the cost, 200 units will lose 1 million, how can you say that you don't lose money?" ”

"No, no, that's not how the accounts are calculated." Zhang Dai waved his hand and said, "There is another problem that adults have not taken into account, that is, the steam engine does work very well after use, but the number of trials is limited, and there will be merchants who spend a lot of money to buy, at this time, as long as ten units are sold, there will be a million profits, which is enough to wipe out all the previous losses." ”

Ma Mingluo was unconvinced: "It's just your wishful thinking, is the steam engine really so useful?" ”

"Ma Qing, you don't have to doubt this." Chongzhen said categorically, "The steam engine is even better than you think, and the reason why I don't hesitate to lose money to give the steam engine to the merchant for free is to open the market as soon as possible, so that the entire steam engine industry can mature as soon as possible." ”

In the final analysis, Chongzhen is still trying to grab time.

According to the general business law, the risk of manufacturing in small batches first, waiting for customer feedback to come out, and then slowly expanding production capacity after obtaining market affirmation, is the least risky.

But the time it will take is likely to take more than a decade or even decades.

But Chongzhen didn't want to spend so much time, he wanted to see results within three years.

Then if you want to grab time, there is no other way than to burn money and forcibly cultivate the market.

Originally, there are still two obstacles to burning money to forcibly cultivate the market, one is to have enough capital, and the other is to have a clear prospect, at least to be recognized by the market, otherwise there is no burning if you want to burn money.

But for Chongzhen and the steam engine, these two obstacles do not exist.

Chongzhen was well aware of the prospects of the steam engine, and there was a way to get money.

In this case, as long as you are not an idiot, you will choose to burn money to cultivate the market.

Seeing that Chongzhen's determination had been decided, Ma Mingluo would no longer dissuade him, this is Ma Mingluo, and he will never discount Chongzhen's will at all, even if he does not approve of it in his heart.

……

Ma Mingluo received the will and left the Guozijian with Zhang Dai.

Chongzhen has been busy all day, but he can't rest yet.

Because there are still Tang newspapers from Gaizhou and Dagukou that I haven't read.

Open Gaizhou and the Tang newspaper sent from Dagukou, but the content of the report is similar.

The Jiannu army had surrounded Dagukou and Gaizhou, and launched a series of attacks, mainly digging tunnels and burying gunpowder for blasting.

For the tunnel blasting of Jiannu, the Ming army did not have many methods.

Because Jiannu has dug the tunnel deep underground since the last Dagu mouth suffered a loss, coupled with the low temperature in Dagukou and Gaizhou, the water is frozen into ice, so the tunnel is not easy to collapse.

If it's summer, you can't dig tunnels in the coastal area.

The Ming army found that the 4-inch cannon could not collapse the tunnels of Jiannu, so they no longer wasted ammunition.

However, the Ming army did not sit and wait, but invented a listener, that is, to cover the ground with an empty tank of Ming wine, you can hear the subtle movement from the ground, so as to judge the location of the Jiannu tunnel in advance.

After roughly judging the location of the tunnel, the Ming army also followed to dig and intercept the tunnel.

After the tunnels of the two sides were dug through, a scuffle would ensue, but basically Jiannu suffered, and then the entire tunnel would be blown up by the Ming army, and then Jiannu could only dig another tunnel.

However, there were also Jiannu who dug tunnels under the Ming army's platform and detonated it.

Most of the time, the Ming army will be transferred in advance, but there are also times when they are accidentally hit.

For example, in Gaizhouwei, 90 Ming soldiers were buried alive and all of them had died by the time they were dug up.

The two armies of the Ming and Qing dynasties won and lost each other, and it was difficult to distinguish between them, at least from a short period of time, Jiannu could not help the Ming army, and it was unlikely that they would take Gaizhouwei and Dagukou.

To be honest, the result was better than Chongzhen expected.

Chongzhen is actually ready to give up Dagukou.

Chongzhen even gave Yan Yingyuan a secret order that he could give up Dagukou in a critical situation.

But Yan Yingyuan held the Dagu Pass, and Jiannu was helpless until today.

After reading the Tang newspaper, it was already the beginning of the ugly year, Chongzhen simply washed up and fell asleep with a happy mood.

……

Ma Mingluo and Zhang Dai didn't sleep all night.

After returning to the Internal Affairs Office, Ma Mingluo brought Weng Zhiyi and Weng Zhili brothers over.

The Weng family is a big salt merchant on the same level as the Kang family, and Weng Zhili is even more famous for his shrewdness.

The Weng brothers had already been asleep for a long time, but when they heard that the head of the Internal Affairs Office was summoned, they immediately got up and rushed over, and they really didn't dare to delay for a moment.

After listening to Zhang Dai's retelling, Weng Zhiyi was stunned on the spot.

How can it be? Isn't this a waste of money from more than 900 shareholders?

Ma Mingluo said in a deep voice: "The shopkeeper of Kangda, and the shopkeeper of Kang Er, this is not to discuss with you, but to inform you that this is the decision of the Internal Affairs Office, understand?" ”

"But, it's ......" Weng Zhiyi's facial features were so worried that they were almost squeezed together.

"Isn't the Ministry of Internal Affairs explicitly stipulating that it is not allowed to specifically interfere in the affairs of the factories in which it has a stake? Master Ma, is it against the rules for you to do this? If the saint asks, it's hard to explain. ”

Through the two tax refunds in Yangzhou and Nanjing, Chongzhen's "rule-abiding" image has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the Weng brothers have no doubt that if this matter is stabbed in front of Chongzhen, Ma Mingluo will inevitably have a meal and hang up.

Of course, unless it is absolutely necessary, the Weng family brothers will definitely not do this, and it is not good for the Weng family to tear their faces.

Ma Mingluo also has suffering, he can't say it, can he say that this is the will of the saints? No, that's not a slap in the face of the saint? As a courtier, you have to be anxious about the emperor's urgency, rather than pushing troubles and problems onto the emperor.

At that moment, Ma Mingluo said to Zhang Dai: "Zongzi, you should tell them." ”

To be honest, Ma Mingluo himself still has little understanding of the concept of cultivating the market by burning money.

So this matter can only be said by Zhang Dai, and Zhang Dai's understanding of this concept is more thorough than Ma Mingluo.

At that moment, Zhang Dai took over the task without shirking the concept of burning money and quickly cultivating the market to the Weng brothers.

"Brother, you can give this a try." Weng Zhili said.

"So, try?" Weng Zhiyi's uncertain response.