Pacific Cruises is a shipping company specializing in the transportation of passengers and goods in the Pacific, with offices in Weihai, Guangzhou, the Spanish colony of Luzon Islands, Manila in the British colony of Hong Kong, and Saigon in French Vietnam.

After a brief greeting, Ben Johnson did not shy away from getting straight to the point and said;

"Dear Lee, I am no stranger to you, and it is already known from the telegram sent from the headquarters of the South Carolina Steamship Company that you are a legendary Oriental adventurer.

You may not know

As the southern slave states that are traditionally rich in cotton, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and other southern states are very uninterested in President Polk, who represents the interests of the Northern Union, and there is a powerful centrifugal force.

And I myself am one of them, in favor of secession from the United States, independent state statehood, which is good for all of us.

Since you can't eat at the same table, why not separate?

So, in a way, we have a common enemy, and we also have a basis for greater cooperation.

The reason why you convey our kindness so frankly is because you were born into the old Oriental aristocracy, and you have shown enough charisma to touch me deeply.

You can see it

These Orientals are very respectful to you, and although I don't understand what they say, I can see many things in their eyes......"

After learning that the home port of Pacific Cruises was in South Carolina, Richard already knew that the Mr. Ben-Johnson in front of him should be a Southern slave owner, and he could not pee in the same pot as those in the North.

That's it, and you can rest assured that you can cooperate boldly.

If history has not changed

Fifteen years later, the Civil War broke out in the North and South of the United States, and the war between the two warring sides became a deep wound in the short history of the United States, and it still leaves a heavy shadow more than 150 years later.

In today's turbulent times, the British sent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Richard, which made his ambitions swell rapidly, and he wanted more......

Since sooner or later there will be a fight with the US Federal Army, then the enemy of the enemy is a friend, and there is nothing wrong with saying that.

Come to think of it

The smile on Richard's face was more kind, his attitude was more sincere, and after some talking, the two sides were already smiling like old friends, and they got along very well.

Richard refers to each other as "Ben" and Ben-Johnson as "Lee", which makes it more intimate.

“No…… London, although it did not pay Pacific Cruises in cash, gave a commitment to the safety of the Caribbean-North America and Caribbean-Philippine Pacific routes, which is more precious than money for a shipping company that operates transpacific passenger and cargo transportation. ”

"We understand that, dear Lee, that the ladies in London pay lip service to the fact that the benefits are not as great as you think. The cost of acquiring and operating a vessel, coupled with the huge risks of transoceanic transportation, is still borne by the cruise line, and we must make a reasonable profit, which is our bottom line. ”

"As far as I know, the cost of transporting Chinese laborers across the Pacific is only $10, and each of your tickets costs more than $50."

"God, this is a rumor. This is without taking into account the costs and huge risks taken by shipping companies, as well as the operating expenses of setting up offices on the mainland, and the loss of passengers who lost their lives due to accidents. If these travelers are provided with only the lowest food and living conditions, $10 is indeed enough, but it is the minimum standard. ”

"Don't forget, Ben, we're talking about the big business of tens of thousands of Chinese workers transoceanic transport, and this will last for years or more. The Federation's credibility is backed by the London government, and we have the financial resources to support this large-scale immigration operation, so I have to see enough sincerity in the price that this will be a big business like never before. ”

"I understand, I understand, dear Lee, that cruise lines operate at $30 per passenger, guaranteed a bed and the necessary nutritious diet, and couldn't be lower."

"Ben, have you ever thought about ordering a larger iron-hulled cruise ship, which can carry 1,000 people or more at a time, which will greatly reduce the cost of a single person, and the cruise company can also get a reasonable profit."

"You're talking about the Great Western and the Great Britain?"

"That's right, man."

"In long-term transoceanic transportation, each passenger needs more space to move, and the two ships you mentioned can only carry no more than 600 people at a time, and there can't be more."

Speaking of which

Ben Johnson shook his head, and he suddenly said, "Wait a minute, let me think about it."

All this you say coincides with the idea of the British engineer Eisambard Kindham Brunel, who argued;

Larger ships can reduce operating costs and carry the same number of passengers or cargo, making larger ships more economical. Because small boat transportation requires more ships and voyages, consumes more fuel, and invests more manpower.

It is said that he is designing a ship of more than 10,000 tons, and as long as there is enough financial support, all this will not be a problem, and the technical problems can be completely solved.

In Brunel's vision, such a giant ship could carry 4,000 passengers at a time, from the UK to Australia without refueling.

Oh, my God! This might be a good opportunity to practice. ”

"Brunel?" Richard asked, confused, he didn't know the British designer.

Ben Johnson, a veteran of the shipping industry, certainly knows more than Richard, he explained; Brunel was the famous designer who designed and built the Great Western and Great Britain, and the 396-metre-long tunnel that ran through the Thames in 1825 was designed and built by him and his father, Mark Issambard Brunel, both of whom were famous British designers. ”

"Oh...... So, can you reach out to the famous designer and put the big picture into action? ”

"Dear Lee, Ling means ......"

"I think the British designer would definitely be willing to turn his big vision into reality, and it would be good for both of us, both to significantly reduce the cost of transoceanic transportation and to make a reasonable profit." Richard nodded affirmatively, took a sip of his coffee, and continued after a little groaning;

"Ben, no one's money is blown by the wind, and such a large immigration plan must take into account the cost of transportation.

in the near future

Your company can be mainly engaged in the transportation of migrants from the Caribbean and South America, and in this regard, the Federation has received policy support from London and is not a problem to operate.

In the long run

After all, the number of Chinese laborers stranded in Central and South America is limited, and it is impossible for all of them to immigrate to North America.

If you want to continue this business for a long time, a large cruise ship suitable for transpacific transportation is the best choice, you say? ”

"I understand and agree with you, but every large cruise ship is worth a lot of money, and the purchase cost is as high as 380,000 or even 400,000 pounds, which is a huge expenditure that no company can afford." Ben-Johnson, while agreeing with Richard, still appears to be worried.

Without it, the investment amount is too large.

The value of 1 ounce of gold is equivalent to a little more than 4 pounds, and the construction of such a large cruise ship of more than 10,000 tons costs about 9~95,000 ounces of gold, which is a very staggering number.

Richard stared at Ben-Johnson, who was frowning, and did not urge him, but leisurely took another sip of coffee, picked up a piece of plum biscuit on a plate, put it in his mouth and ate it with relish.

This is an arithmetic problem, and it is clear which is better and which is worse at a glance.

A cruise ship of more than 10,000 tons is worth about $2 million at an investment of 400,000 pounds (just Kuang calculation), which is enough money to build a 3,200-ton U.S. Constitution-class sail battleship with four levels of turrets and more than 120 large-caliber guns.

A ship of this size can easily carry 4,000 passengers on a transpacific journey, and if it transports troops, it can carry 10,000 people and thousands of tons of cargo per voyage.

Measured at the cost of 10,000 immigrants, at the current Pacific Cruise Line quote, $300,000 would be required to pay for transportation.

The use of giant cruise ship transoceanic transportation can compress the transportation cost per passenger to less than 10 US dollars, about 7~8 US dollars.

Based on 10,000 immigrants, it only costs $80,000, which can save $220,000 compared to a sail cargo ship or a medium-sized paddle wheel.

If you transport 4~5 voyages a year, you can save millions of dollars and get back the cost of shipbuilding in two years.

In the long run

If it is another 10 or 15 years, the construction of similar cruise ships of more than 10,000 tons, as the construction technology matures, may only need half the price.

So why didn't Richard wait and now want to build large ocean liners of more than 10,000 tons?

From this point of view, this is no longer an arithmetic problem, but has evolved into a strategic problem.

A strategic question of whether to seize the strategic window of opportunity, rapidly expand the population base, allow the Chinese ethnic community to gain a firm foothold in North America, and greatly expand its influence.

After more than ten years, the daylilies are all cold.

Richard saw that it was not the technical issues that were bothering Ben Johnson, but the huge risk of investing money.

So he smiled slightly, and said; "Ben, I know you're worried, but this is San Francisco, and there's an endless supply of gold on the banks of the Americas, so money isn't a problem at all. If you feel like you're in a quandary, why not set up a separate company? ”

"What do you mean ......"

"The federation or I can take a stake in the construction of docks and warehouses in the Bay Area that are large enough to dock giant ships to reduce the risk and cost of the new company's operation. Running this company requires a lot of experience, so you can go back and think about it and don't rush to answer for the time being. ”

"Uh...... Are you ready to hire me? ”

"No, the more appropriate word would be cooperation, Ben, you can put some of your money into the company, and be responsible for the specific operations, everything is operated in a market-oriented way. São Francisco would develop the textile and smelting industry in the future, and when it went to the Orient, the huge ships loaded with cotton cloth and steel products, and when they returned, they were loaded with passengers and silk, tea and porcelain. ”

This last sentence deeply touched Ben Johnson.

Whatever position he holds on North-South relations in the United States, whatever position he holds on the Mexican-American War?

Fundamentally

Ben Johnson is an out-and-out businessman with values based on profit, and in order to double or even triple the profits, he can even take risks and do unbelievable things.

The wonderful prospect that Richard painted soon brought Ben Johnson to its knees.

If all this can really be realized, even if it costs a lot of money to build a huge ship, two or three voyages can recoup the cost, and the rest is a huge profit.

You know, it's millions of dollars!

Who can not be impressed?