From Chief to Ball

The new relief method explained in accordance with the law of "Heaven" believes that it is correct not to provide relief. Even if the relief is given, these people must be forced to work, and at the same time, men and women must be separated: According to economic laws, relief is meaningless and will only create Poverty is more widespread, so it is better not to give relief and die early to vacate the place early to achieve a balance between supply and demand. A perfect balance can ensure that the life of the bottom will not be poor, otherwise wages will get lower and lower.

Child labor and single female workers or single male workers entered those workshops with lower wages, and those migrants from the countryside who came to the cities with families had to accept the harsh fate of going to the plantations to work.

There are relevant laws and regulations in Min County. When plantations choose slaves and free laborers from Chinese people, free laborers from Chinese people have priority, and minimum wages are also stipulated.However, for these refugees who don't want to receive that terrible relief, the regulations are a fart. They are afraid that the minimum wage will be rejected, and they understand that such constraints are meaningless and will only let plantation owners choose slaves to rob them. rice bowl.So they chose to sign contracts in secret: work for six years without paying any money, and after six years, they will give a small paddy field near a large plantation, using a form of semi-patriarchal and semi-hired labor to meet the labor needs during busy hours, forming A semi-patriarchal relationship in which freedom in name is actually attachment.

All these are destined to be the generation abandoned in this change and transformation: they still retain the leisurely and undisciplined in the era of small handicrafts, and are not as good as those child laborers and the new generation of urban bottom to adapt to the strict factory system.They have grown up and have lost the opportunity to choose again. Apart from nostalgia for the past, there is only a clear, visible life span of no more than ten years, and this group of people will basically die in less than ten years. .

This or that kind of darkness, separation and bloody, was covered by Min City's seemingly bustling night and the shrouded sky.The darkness that Chen Jian has heard about or read in the past newspapers in the past few days will not be clearly displayed in the lights of thousands of houses.

The light of oil lamps through glass windows, mulberry paper or yellow paper windows; the bustling night market near the pier; the drunken citizens who have made a fortune in the times have taken a step forward instead of a step back; brick, stone and bamboo New-style houses with cement structures... All these things displayed at this night declare that Mincheng is the most dynamic, prosperous, vibrant and future city at this time, a most promising city at the forefront of the times. Hope to become the first international city in the future.

And those splits and bloodshed are not what can be displayed at this night.

The carriage with a windshield glass kerosene lantern hung in front of the horse rumbled past and stepped aside beside Chen Jianjian to show respect.Kerosene lamps became essential for carriages traveling at night, and delicate horse lamps with small mirrors could illuminate the long road ahead.

The pubs and teahouses that are still open at night, or the cocoa and coffee shipped from the southern trade, have become a normal night pastime.The people inside were discussing tomorrow's prices, taking out silver coins to bet on whether a cargo ship would sink, discussing some news in the newspaper, arguing about which existing laws are reasonable and which are not.

There is a lot of traffic outside the theater, and a new drama about navigation, fortune, profit, and betrayal is being staged to reflect the era.Those who have watched the play are waiting for the critics or new articles of critics that will appear in the tabloids tomorrow, or the heroine who is discussing this new play will become a new flower at the important banquet in the future.

I don't know which speculator or smuggler made a fortune again, and set off fireworks that bloomed in the night sky. Those well-dressed men and women sat by the river and looked up at the sky, whispering, or talking about a sea-seeking Caiqian's farewell.

A child selling white phosphorous matches stopped in front of a stopped carriage and begged the person on the carriage to buy a box of matches. The person in the carriage was probably in a good mood tonight, and kindly threw a dozen coppers out of it, even if If you don't smoke, you can't live without the compassion of successful people.

A boy from a rich family who intentionally dressed in tattered clothes led a beautiful girl to some places where the eyes are most likely to be stared at, and then took out a large bank note to make those small operators tremble, and won the girl's attention. The man laughed heartily, and the man cursed a few more snobbish words—the times have changed, and the people who deserve to be respected are no longer the same group that everyone recognized ten years ago.

In the debates and speeches of several well-known citizens and politicians, many people listened quietly to some people's propaganda, and from time to time they gave bursts of applause.The original world view is perfected, and the personified world is completely stripped away, leaving only the so-called Tao of heaven and earth.The new foundations of morality, law, and rights based on this world view are also pervasive like a plague: heaven and earth have no personality, heaven is nature, nature endows rights, and labor creates value... All kinds of new morals and new The ideas of new value and new ownership of the ethical system gradually became self-consistent, and the emerging bourgeoisie began to prepare for the rationality of their governance and wealth. Make it lose the possibility of mystery and personification.If the cornerstone has changed, what was right in the past will become wrong, and what was wrong in the past will become right.

This is the Min city that can be seen at this moment, not the Min city hidden in newspapers, documents or notes.

Chen Jian didn't know whether to praise or sigh, but he had to admit that Mincheng at this time was the dream city of the capital holders of the entire world at this time.

The canal that connects the mining area, which seemed to have little meaning at the time, is finally starting to exert its strength; the Min River with abundant raw materials and convenient transportation in the upper reaches; the port with a vast market in the south; the inland sea where talents flow in the north; the continuous development of education in the county And the continuous and planned research and development of technological craftsmen; the fact that the change of the world view of ideological change has taken shape...

So the most exploitative city that took the lead in throwing aside all the warmth and romance of the patriarchal guild era, the fastest and most "normal" city except for the Great Desolation City that moved against the times or the Wangbei City, A city that took the lead in the best and worst times, just like this, shows its beauty and ugliness, light and darkness, good and evil to everyone without any shyness or concealment.

Or for the eyes of heaven, or for the eyes of hell, it doesn't care.

Chapter 12 Two Lines

If Mincheng is already a monster with both filth and hope, then Nanyang Trading Company is the brightest eyes of this monster.

A few days later, Chen Jian opened the window of the soul and walked into the heart of the monster. He was one of the few people who could walk in directly.

All the members of the board of directors in Min County have arrived, only internal shareholders, and no one else.They understand that Chen Jian is here to discuss with them about withdrawing shares, and they are also happy to do so. Although they are somewhat reluctant to let go of the development brought by Chen Jian and the basically correct policies that have been proven, they understand that there are some bottom lines that Chen Jian cannot accept .

The venue was very silent, only the faint smell of high-grade tobacco brought from the south and the mellow aroma of rich aged wine.

The people on the board of directors didn't need to listen to Chen Jian's explanation, they understood the reason, but some people couldn't help but say something to Chen Jian either for the sake of persuasion or for their own conscience.

"Mr. Chen, speaking of it, there is nothing wrong with being a slave. At least, slaves are my property. When a slave dies, it hurts like losing money, so I will try my best to ensure the survival of slaves. And the more you are born to be a slave , the more this guarantee lasts, if it is only a matter of a lifetime, then I will not let the slaves have children, but will choose to squeeze their last bit of strength."

"So, at least the slaves still have food and drink, and their lives are not worse than those of the hired workers. You can look at the hydraulic workshops in the upper reaches of Nan'an, what kind of life are the child laborers there? You know, for the owner of the workshop For example, property is machines and lint, and the life and death of hired workers has nothing to do with them. If one is exhausted, another one will be hired tomorrow. As for having children, I can guarantee that it is definitely not as good as slaves. Is this the freedom you want? Children born to hired workers are free, and they can also starve to death freely. As for slaves, they are not free, they are my property, so I have to keep them. I will not throw my few silver coins into the sea easily. .”

"So, Mr. Chen, I know I can't argue with you, but the board of directors still hopes that you can stay, because what we did is not a heinous bad thing, but a good thing on the contrary. The board of directors and all stockholders will never give up. of the slave trade..."

Chen Jian nodded and said: "So I didn't plan to talk about this issue. It's just that I don't agree, so I want to withdraw the shares. I'm not here to argue or anything, it's meaningless."

"But before I withdraw my shares, I am still a member of the board of directors, and I am still qualified to discuss matters. Besides, this round-the-world voyage is funded by the company. According to the original agreement, the chart company also has a share. I will sort it out as soon as possible. Come out and bring it over."

"Before I officially withdraw my shares, am I also qualified to know some of the company's business, books, plans, etc.?"

Everyone said: "This is natural. Even if Mr. Chen withdraws the shares, the board of directors will still retain Mr. Chen's right to make suggestions."

"That's forgivable. When the tabloids of our hostile faction say that your slave trade is all secretly instigated by me, I can't explain it."

The rest of the board of directors laughed, and after a while, someone sent several boxes of sea charts, which were priceless treasures at this time, and also guaranteed the monopoly of shipping.Similarly, Chen Jian also obtained some sea charts of the southern tropical archipelago drawn by the company, which are also invaluable, and they were bought secretly at high prices or exchanged for sailing with human lives.

Chen Jian casually flipped out a few charts of the southern archipelago and glanced at them, before saying, "I also know that everyone's appetite is getting bigger now, and it's easy for everyone to eat up my share capital. But I think it's better to give More people, don't eat alone, it is impossible for us to expand the shares, this part of the shares will be transferred to those maritime merchants who are eager to buy shares, lest they have any wrong thoughts."

"Well, everyone has discussed this. At that time, the number of members of the board of directors will be reduced by one person. The equity in Mr. Chen's hands can be transferred to others, but it must not be held by one person."

"That's good. How should I put it, apart from the slave trade and the investment you are thinking about collecting land rent, I still hope that you will develop, because you can drive the business of our group of workshop owners. Say something you don't I love to hear that the command of the sea is still unstable now. The pirates are almost dead and the external market has been opened up. I still support free trade and oppose monopoly. But now it is scattered so that the Dutch and British Or the Spaniards ate us all up bit by bit."

A person on the opposite side said with a smile: "Mr. Chen, this is killing the donkey. The company must be very concerned about the fight for sea control, but according to what Mr. Chen said, after the sea control is obtained, you should advocate free trade and oppose monopoly. "

Chen Jian also said with a smile: "This is what we have always advocated, and it didn't change suddenly. But it's still early, and everyone can live in peace for more than ten years or more. The company's monopoly power has a time limit. It’s uncertain what the future will be.”

This is a sharp sword hanging over the company's head, but many people present know what to do in the future, but they can't say it clearly at this time.

Naturally bypassing this topic, someone asked again: "We know what Mr. Chen is against, but we can be sure that investing in controlling the country, launching wars, and collecting land rent in wealthy areas is a long-term and high-return direction .We should not be discussing the company's business today, but a very simple analysis without distinction between good and evil, what does Mr. Chen think?"

Chen Jian took out an inaccurate world map from the drawing box. Many parts were copied from European maps. There were places that should be there, and places that shouldn't be there were not.

Everyone at the scene suddenly became serious, thinking that Chen Jian was going to come up with some ideas, but they didn't want Chen Jian to take out a graphite pen and tap on it: "I won't mention any of the things I object to, including whether you said something or not. Analysis of good and evil."

After speaking, he picked up a graphite pen and drew two meridian lines on the map, one near Dahuang City and the other in the Straits of Malacca.

"Although I have withdrawn my shares in the company, our party still has boats, people and money. We should condemn and criticize your affairs, but we will not stretch our hands where you reach, because We have more important things."

"Dahuangcheng, don't move. It's meaningless to move. It's not a place you are willing to invest in. I hope you can understand this."

Everyone looked at the longitude line and understood that even if Chen Jian withdrew his shares, his organization still had a lot of money and a fleet, picket team or a short name company belonging to the organization.

According to axiom and law, the Great Wilderness Immigration Company is authorized by the council, and Chen Jian also has to pay franchise tax every year.

Regarding the relationship between friends and enemies, everyone could hear that Chen Jian was making compromises and divisions, appealing his bottom line.It can be regarded as a warning of similar strength, don't touch this bottom line, then I won't mess with you.Everyone should scold and criticize each other, criticize each other when they should, and talk about it when they need to, but they won't take it seriously.If you really want to make a serious move, you have to pick up each other's skin, and it will also benefit the potential common enemy.

For personal profit, they are really not interested in the place Chen Jian mentioned. There may be some fur in the north, but Europeans are easy to get involved there. If there is a dispute between the two parties, it is better to invest the money elsewhere. The loss outweighs the gain. .

According to their thinking, the land near a deserted city is definitely no better than an island near an oil port where tropical plantations can be developed.

However, in addition to the meridian near Dahuangcheng, Chen Jian also drew another meridian on it, passing through Malacca vertically.On one side is the Indian Ocean and on the other is the South China Sea.On one side is India and Africa, on the other side is China and Japan.

After briefly talking about the relationship between European countries and the competition here, Chen Jian said: "This line, I also hope that everyone is sober. Everyone knows the relationship with the Dutch. When it is time to do it, you will not do it when we do it." Idle. But this line is the standard. Don’t reach out to the company here. The business there is no worse than that in Great Deserted City.”

"This side of the line is ours. On the other side, you can toss about as you like. We oppose, but opposition requires means. Now the means we can use can only be verbal condemnation. It's not that we don't object but that we are incapable. The slave trade in the stronghold is to find a way to obtain land rent income, and our organization and I are opposed to this."

One person laughed and said, "Most of the things you object to are the ones with the highest profit. Hey, Mr. Chen, don't you want to be called futurists? Well, you use all kinds of things that we may do in the future in your newspapers." Criticize us for the 'crime' in your opinion. One is that you have many people who have gone to sea, you have more knowledge, and your guesses are more accurate. Two, in case you guessed it right, for example, 20 years later and 50 years later , where is the easiest place for us to 'do evil', 'instigate' and the like, and it seems that your level is not right? Keep this as evidence, and we will see the outcome in decades."

Everyone looked at Chen Jian, Chen Jian nodded after thinking for a while and said, "Yes."

"Then we will definitely study and collect this newspaper carefully, and we will know when the time comes. If we fabricate slander, we will scold it back in the future."

Amidst the excited laughter, Chen Jian once again pointed to the map with two lines of longitude drawn on it and said, "I will keep this map here. This is a warning and also the bottom line."

"Don't worry, we know how terrible the bottom line of your group is. Even such a profitable equity will be refunded because of a bottom line. How can we provoke such a bottom line?"

The answer this time is extremely solemn, not only for no profit, but also to prevent some private actions that may be made for petty gains.Those present know what the bottom line means to the person in front of him or the force behind him. When it is possible to give up the benefits that make millions of people jealous for some illusory bottom line, such a bottom line must not be touched.