Section 100 Future

"All good times and bad times must be seen as opportunities. Shirley replied, reading another report at the same time. "A good year is used to make money, and a low year is used to hit competitors – so that a good year makes more money. ”

"What did you just say about the negotiations...... What should be negotiated for?"

"There is a need to change the current practice of trading at a fixed price to a round of negotiations on the price of furs every year. Shirley replied. "This is more conducive to the development of the chamber of commerce. If we can use our sufficient funds to keep prices down, we will be able to crack down on our competitors, and with only two or three chances, I believe we will have a complete monopoly on fur procurement in the region...... At that time, it will be possible to purchase the upstream pressure belt and increase the selling price downstream...... The Chamber of Commerce's profits can be increased by at least five times. ”

"It's really a very good plan. Ashrufat put down the papers and stood up. For a long time, he seemed to have made up his mind. "Shirley, to be honest, I've heard before that you're planning to form your own chamber of commerce. ”

"That's in the past. Shirley was immediately keenly aware of her mistake. She was too flamboyant just now, which is completely incommensurate with her current status. "I'm sorry, master. ”

"No, don't. Ashrufat stood up. "There is no need to apologize. He thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, I've really understood it all this time. I'm really not a good person to do business. It's all personal preference, nothing else. ”

"But didn't you find a man named Gray to be the president?"

"The role of the president is to be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the chamber. The role of the shareholders is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Chamber. Whether he can do it or not, but supervision must also be carried out. ”

Shirley was stunned for a moment. "Your ideas are really very different from those of the average squire noble. They generally don't want to care about anything, as long as they get the dividends, they are satisfied. Everything else is left to the management of the Chamber of Commerce. ”

"Maybe it's because I'm a little more greedy than they are. Ashrufat sighed and replied. "If I were only a small shareholder in the Orok Chamber of Commerce now, I would not care about anything. However, it's pretty much my own. ”

"You really ...... It's not like anyone else. You probably never learned how to read these things in that report. ”

"I haven't studied. Ashrufat admitted. "So I can only read them from top to bottom. It's a laborious thing to do, if you can," he said, looking at Shirley in front of him. "You can help me see it later. ”

This sentence could not be more obvious.

"For what?"

"Anyway, I'm also a soldier, and I still understand the saying that a thousand troops are easy to get and a general is hard to find. Even I have to admit that it does require talent and interest. I am particularly lacking in the latter. Ashruphat suddenly remembered something else. "You were planning to form your own chamber of commerce...... How far have you come?"

Speaking of this, Shirley's face couldn't help but appear a hint of gloom. That used to be her dream, or rather the first step of her dream, was the stage of the future, built by herself, performed by herself. But at the very last moment when the stage was about to be built, it collapsed in front of her. She had prepared for herself a future and conceived a life for herself...... Everything has become a phantom, as ethereal as a mirror.

Still, she perked herself up. Although it has fallen to the current point, it is much better than expected. Fifty thousand gold Oli is enough to cause a fierce revenge, and honestly it is worth thanking God for saving a life. As long as you can live, there is still a glimmer of hope.

"It's almost ready. Shirley replied. "I have purchased the relevant business licenses through various channels. "As long as there are funds, we can recruit people and officially launch it.

"What kind of deal is it?" asked Ashrufat. To start trading, there is always a foundation.

"Tobacco. Shirley replied.

Ashrufat is no stranger to tobacco. In fact, there were many merchants in the city of Brassian who bought and sold tobacco. Although Ashrufat himself never smoked, he knew that many of the squires and nobles were fond of tobacco. In fact, not only the squires and nobles, but also among the commoners, because tobacco is also divided into three, six, nine and so on, high-grade tobacco is more expensive, and low-quality tobacco can be consumed even by ordinary people.

However, the tobacco trade is a very mature business, and a fixed business chain has long been formed. If it is a large amount of money, it may lead to fierce competition. In this case, it is difficult for new entrants to compete with existing tobacco traders.

"How?" asked Ashrufat. "I'm a little interested. ”

"The key is in the processing technology. Shirley replied. "For a long time, we in Gruni were the producers of tobacco, but in fact we simply processed the tobacco and sold it to foreign countries, and the real high-end tobacco had to be imported from Tiberius. There is a huge difference in the price. For some reason, I knew some old people who were engaged in tobacco processing, and they accidentally invented a technique for making high-grade tobacco. This kind of high-end goods cannot be compared even with Tiberius's tobacco. It's just that they don't understand the meaning of this technique, so they just entertain themselves and make tobacco for their own personal enjoyment. ”

"I see......," Ashruphat immediately understood. In other words, instead of joining the existing tobacco trade, you can start anew. "So there's no competition at all. Anyway, Gruni itself does not produce high-end cigarettes, and if he does this, the whole country will be optimistic.

"However, there is a problem with doing so. Shirley continued. "Once production begins, it's likely that this technique will be spread out in a short period of time. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to invest a large amount of capital at the beginning and completely control the market before the secret is exposed. ”

This secret is her worst hole card, or rather, the worst hole card she originally thought. This secret may be able to buy her freedom, but only maybe, of course.

"How much do you want to put in?"

"At the very least...... Two hundred thousand quiollies. Shirley replied. "Ideally, if there are about 300,000 to prevent others from participating, if there are about 500,000, you can strengthen the control of the technique and prevent the outflow...... In addition to this, there is a huge production. In this way, it is possible to de facto form a control over this new high-grade tobacco. In the future, we have the final say on the price or anything. ”

She felt her heart beat uncontrollably. If Ashrufat knew the secret and left her alone, then she would be helpless.

"I see. Ashrufat's eyes seemed to see through her as he smiled. "Indeed, I also think that going to a small place like the Eurock Chamber of Commerce is a condescension for you. If you have the money, when can you start?"

"It'll be ...... tomorrow," Shirley regretted as soon as she said it. It may just be a temptation, a test. "In what capacity?" asked Shirley, plucking up her courage. A hundred thoughts flashed through her mind at once, but they were all cut out one by one. You can't think too much about your situation, it must be a reasonable but acceptable price. "I want to be a concubine, okay?"

"Ahh Ashrufat's expression was visibly stunned.

I guess it works. Shirley secretly sweated in her heart. In the Anthropocene, monogamy is the norm, but polygamy is also normal (especially for the aristocracy), and polyandry can even be encountered in remote and poor places. Under normal circumstances, a woman may be able to accept the status of a side chamber, but as long as possible, she will definitely not want to become a concubine. This is not only because of the low status of the concubine, but also because the children of the concubine are not considered legitimate heirs by default.

But for Shirley, this status is still out of reach. Because her current status is a slave girl, even if she doesn't even have personal freedom. Becoming a concubine is an acceptable outcome. In addition, concubines can also be promoted to side chambers.

This condition should be accepted. Shirley's mind was racing. Her sister, Fana, would be left as a hostage, and in exchange for it, she would be given the right to move freely. In addition, if she was able to conceive Ashrufat's child, then her movements would be even more unrestricted. Her ideals, her stage, have collapsed in the past few months, turning into dust, but they can be rebuilt from the ruins.

Ashrufat looked at her for a long time and nodded. "Yes. He said.

......

Early in the morning, a horse entered the city through the south gate of the city of Brassian. The horses walked along the modest streets of Brasian, bypassing the downtown area to the door of the Eurolock Chamber of Commerce. Although this chamber of commerce is only a small chamber of commerce, because it has only one place and no other branches, it can be regarded as occupying a good house in the city.

Ashrufat jumped off his mount and walked into the lobby on the first floor of the Chamber of Commerce. It's the depths of winter, but lately it's been a rare warm day, and the snow in the city has melted clean.

"Good day, Sir Ashorufat. A clerk greeted Ashrufat as he entered. He remembered that the major shareholder had not come to the Chamber of Commerce for a long time, and he didn't know why Lu Dao was coming today.

"What's going on in the city?" asked Ashrufat casually. "When I came over, I saw crowds of people surrounding the Doge's Palace. ”

"Oh, it's not about tax increases yet. It is said that the tax revenue on the Wangcheng side will be raised by two tiers next year, and now, not to mention the commoners, even the squires and nobles can't sit still. The clerk replied. "Sir, are you here to see President Gray? he's upstairs. ”

"Well, there's no need to report it, I'll go straight to him. With that, Ashruphat walked up the stairs.

Tomorrow in the last quarter, this long episode will finally come to an end...... ay