In fact, not only Qiu Biao and Lu Yishou, but also the Oriental Trading Company had high expectations for the steel plant. After half a year of development, Tamsui is already a small trading port, but this port does not rely on developed agricultural production, on the contrary, many things produced by the agricultural society still need to be imported from Guangdong, including rice.

Industries such as handicrafts dominate Tamsui City, and steel is a necessity for shipbuilding and weaponmaking.

The blacksmiths recruited from the Foshan area are often good at processing iron, and are not familiar with smelting steel, mainly because the iron materials in Guangzhou and Foshan are transported from the upper reaches of the Pearl River, and the blacksmiths in Guangzhou and Foshan are good at making all kinds of iron products.

"As long as the big shopkeeper knows it, then we are not afraid." Lu Yishou said, Qiu Biao also nodded, after the improvement of the musket manufacturing process, the two of them felt that Li Zhaoji was no longer afraid, but admiration for the five bodies.

While Li Zhaoji was busy making muskets in the arsenal, Atta and Liu Mingde also agreed on matters related to the Jinguashi gold mine.

Unlike the Atta, Haruki, and other Kaidagran people, the expedition sent by the trading company found that the Jilong River, where the Jinguashi gold mine is located, does not need to cross mountains and mountains to reach it, and the Jilong River itself is a tributary of the Tamsui River.

It's just that because this is the territory of the high mountains at the beginning, the Kaida Gran people rarely enter, so they think that they need to climb over the mountains to reach it.

In Li Zhaoji's office, Haruki drew on paper with a quill pen, and he simply marked out the crooked rivers and complex mountains, and finally Haruki said: "If you want to go in on a large scale to pan for gold, you still have to build a section of road, the upstream water is too fast, and there are cliffs, and small boats can't reach it, especially now, when the water is relatively small." ”

Li Zhaoji nodded slightly, and was about to say something, Liu Mingde walked in, he was holding a plate in his hand, with a cautious appearance, there was a fist-sized thing on it, and it was covered with a red cloth, which was very mysterious, but it seemed that the thing couldn't help but touch, so Liu Mingde gently put it on the table.

"What is this?" Atta asked.

Li Zhaoji lifted the red cloth covered, revealing a huge piece of dog's head gold, the size of a fist, full of weight, Atta exclaimed: "Oh, such a big gold nugget, I'm afraid there are ten catties." ”

As he spoke, he reached out to grab it, but was slapped directly on his hand by Liu Mingde, Atta was in pain, and complained: "I don't want it, just take a look, you are too stingy." ”

"It's not glued yet, your hands are strong, don't break it, it's easy to stick together." Liu Mingde said.

Atta was surprised: "It's not a whole piece of gold, yes, how could you get such a big piece of gold?" ”

Haruki's eyes were even sharper, and he pointed to a part of the dog's head gold, already understanding: "Big brother Ata, look, this seems to be a big dog's head gold made by sticking together the gold you brought." ”

The more Atta looked at it, the more it looked, and nodded heavily, he brought the first batch of gold when he came, and Haruki came back from exploration, and brought back another batch, Li Zhaoji picked out the larger ones, and found someone to stick them to the current appearance.

"Shopkeeper Li, what are you doing with the dog's head gold like this, it's not good-looking, and it can still be sold at a high price?" Atta was puzzled.

Now he also has some insight, originally thought that gold is gold, and everything is gold, only to find out later that the same copper, made into fine bronze objects, actually needs twice or more copper to buy, but the appearance in front of him is like a naturally formed dog's head gold, neither a practical vessel, nor without the appearance of a work of art.

Li Zhaoji said: "I made it look like this to deceive people. ”

"Liar? Lie to whom! Atta was suspicious.

Li Zhaoji smiled and said, "I will send someone to send it to Macao and Guangzhou to show the gentry and high-ranking officials there." ”

"When a gift is given to them? You wouldn't be so generous. Atta said.

Haruki reminded: "Brother Atta, what the big shopkeeper said is just to let the people there take a look." ”

"See? What about after reading it? Atta still didn't understand.

Haruki had already understood, and he said: "After reading it, the news that there is a gold mine in Dongfan will spread, and someone has seen the dog's head gold dug out of the gold mine with their own eyes, and it is as big as a fist.

This kind of news will only spread more and more evilly, and when the people at the bottom know about it, they may hear that fresh water is full of gold mines, and they can dig out a dog's head of gold the size of a head with a single dig. ”

Atta listened to Haruki's words, haha laughed, his rough big hand slapped his thigh, making a snapping sound, even so he couldn't suppress the laughter, laughing stomach pain, he laughed for a while, then covered his stomach and said, "Haruki, this kind of words, even a five-year-old child doesn't believe it." ”

"Yes, no one would really believe that there are gold mines everywhere in freshwater, and that they can easily get a dog's head of gold the size of a head. But people will believe that as long as you go to fresh water, you can pan for gold. They will forget that the Golden Melon Stone is located in the inland miasma, and the mountain barbarians are threatened by it.

Lying is such a thing, whether it is true or false, so that it will be easier for people to believe. Li Zhaoji said with a smile.

Gold panning, that is, picking up money from the ground, since ancient times, is the most attractive thing for immigrants, which is an important reason why Li Zhaoji values the gold mine, not everyone can make a fortune by panning for gold, and not everyone can endure the danger and suffering of gold panning.

However, most of the people who came to Tamsui for gold panning would stay here and become the labor force that built Tamsui and made the Oriental Trading Company.

Atta had laughed enough, as if he remembered something, he restrained his thoughts for a moment, and said, "Shopkeeper Li, you talked about the threat of the mountain barbarians just now, maybe we should discuss this matter in depth." Last year we defeated the Atayal people, and after the Battle of the Holy Mountain, I led people into the mountains to clear the mountains, and also swept a few Atayal villages, but they retreated to the depths.

Due to the lack of food in winter, they raided everywhere, and similar news came from the Dawkas people in the south, and even in the villages further south.

But I don't think they will leave their ancestral land, and I've heard that there is a huge tree as their totem in a valley upstream. ”

Li Zhaoji nodded, he already knew this, and even knew more about the specific location of the ancestral land of the Atayal people than Atta, after all, he had a lot of Atayal captives in his hands, Li Zhaoji looked deaf: "So, Ata, what do you want to do?" ”

"I think an expedition should be launched, and the forces of the trading company and the power of the Kedagran will come together to destroy the Atayal." Atta said.

Seeing that Li Zhaoji was silent, Atta continued: "I think this is beneficial to both of us, we Kaida Gran people can lift the threat, and the trading company can get more Atayal people who can work." ”

"The expedition to the Atayal is in my plans, but not now." Lee Siu Kee said.

"Why?" Atta asked eagerly, eager to deal with this great threat as soon as possible.

Lee explained earnestly, "Because the trading company has a more important thing to do, which is to trade in Japan, everything we are doing now is for this purpose, and I have to stay in Tamsui now and work with my colleagues to create more products that the market likes."

Such as glass, salt, steel, and so on. I think it would be more appropriate to postpone the expedition to the Atayal expedition at the end of this year or early next year, unless the Atayal pose a substantial threat to the Jinguashi gold mines. ”

Atta shook her head, "It won't. ”

Li Zhaoji smiled: "I believe in the strength of the Kaida Grand people. ”

Li Zhaoji knew that Atta valued the gold mine very much, and he would definitely not let the mountain barbarians threaten his money bag.

"Okay, just put it off for now, but you don't have to wait until the next winter, I'm always ready, as long as you have time, we can act immediately." Atta said.

Li Zhaoji nodded: "Of course, maybe we will find a closer time window." ”

Atta and Haruki left the office, and Liu Mingde asked Li Zhaoji: "Big shopkeeper, is Atta too ambitious, maybe he will be a threat to the trading company in the future." ”

"No, Atta's most valuable quality is to know the times, as long as our trading company continues to expand and grow in strength, he will always be afraid of the trading company." Lee Siu Kee said.

Liu Mingde was convinced of this, and Li Zhaoji asked: "How is the trial of the Hongyan, I heard the salute this morning." ”

Liu Mingde suddenly showed a smile on his face, and said: "The trial voyage went very smoothly, the Hongyan went on a big trip, and when it came back, it experienced a storm, the storm was very strong, but the Hongyan performed very well, and everyone believed that it was a good ship." ”

The Hung Geese was the second ship in the Migratory Bird class, and after the reconstruction of the Shiratori, the shipyard of the trading company was given the ability to build a 150-ton Ahat merchant ship, and Lee Siu Ki authorized it to build a new one, so all the materials had to be collected locally.

The large ship timber was shipped from Guangdong after the opening of the route from Macau to Tamsui, but there were still not enough suitable for ribs, so the splicing process was adopted, which was a bit risky, but the Hongyan and the traditional Chinese craftsmanship behind it withstood the test.

"Very good, ten days later, Chen Huaiyu is going to Fujian, looking for the Zheng family to buy the water order flag, let the Hongyan go." Li Zhaoji said.

Liu Mingde's face changed slightly: "Our relationship with the Zheng family has not yet been determined, and it is even said that the Zheng family is a little hostile to us, and it is not dangerous for the Hongyan to go." ”

Li Zhaoji nodded: "Danger naturally exists, but this adventure is inevitable, this is my test of the Zheng family, to test Zheng Zhilong's attitude towards our trading company."

Lao Liu, the trade with Nagasaki in late April is a matter of life and death for trading companies, and the unclear attitude of the Zheng family is the most unsure of me, and I must try to find out. ”