Xinshun 1730

Chapter 903 The Strange Status Witnessed by the British ([-])
[January 1.Shanghai.clear. 】

I have to say that most of the people in the company are idiots and have no brains at all.

Dashun's canonization of Japan has aroused our discussion.

Of course, the focus of our discussion is why we failed in Japan in the first place and eventually withdrew from Japan completely.

At this time, of course, it is worried that the company will suffer the same fate in China as it did in Japan.

The company's counselors and others don't understand why we succeed or why we fail.

They believed that the success of the trade with Japan was due to the Miura needle.And think that the success of France in China is because of missionaries such as Bai Jin.

In fact, they are completely wrong.

But one thing can be made clear: the problems we face in China are similar to those when we withdrew from Japan.

Only by finding the real reason can we know how we can stay in China.In other words, the future of the company, what direction should we work towards, and how to change the company's original business.

Most people in the company have exaggerated the role of Miura's acupuncture.

I can clearly say that the success of the company in Japan has nothing to do with the failure of the company in Japan or the efforts of the company.

The company's success in Japan was due to the fact that those Catholic daimyos were basically on the other side of the Sekigahara battle.When the company started its business in Japan, the Battle of Osaka was about to start, and a large number of Catholic daimyos followed the Toyotomi family.

We are not an old church country, so the Tokugawa found us and tried to cooperate with us.

The first batch of orders the company received was 200 jin of lead used to make musket bullets.Then it increased to 4000 catties.

and received an order for about twenty cannons.

Arguably, the reason for the company's seeming success in Japan has nothing to do with the company's efforts.

It is exactly what Japan needs.

After the Battle of Osaka, the company's business shrank rapidly without the need for a large number of lead bullets, steel swords, and cannons.

The root cause is that after the war, the company could not produce the high-grade products that Japan needed.Before the war, many Catholics sided with the Toyotomi family.

What we can sell, the Dutch can also sell, and the quality is better.

What we can't sell, the Dutch can also sell, such as spices and the like.

The company had no success at all in Japan, and the seemingly short-lived success was nothing more than a wartime need for the Battle of Osaka.

Once the war is over, it will be sooner or later that the company withdraws from Japan.

The failure of our competition in Southeast Asia has already doomed the failure of our trade in Japan.Whoever is the winner of the trade competition in Southeast Asia can gain a firm foothold in Japan.

The Dutch proved my point.

In 21 years, we cooperated with the Netherlands to concoct the Hirayama Changchen incident; in 23, the Ambon Island massacre, the Dutch took action against us; at the end of 23 years, we withdrew from Japan.

The reason is that we can't sell the woolen cloth we can sell; the lead lumps that we had a lot of profits before can't be sold after the war is over; we can't get the spices that the Japanese want.

So, whether there is a Miura needle, will it affect the Tokugawa family to buy lead blocks for muskets from us?Did it affect that after the war in Japan, there was no longer a large demand for lead lumps?Can it affect whether our woolens sell well?

If it can, then its role is huge; if not, how much is its role?
Similarly, on the China issue, isn't it the same reason?
What we can do, other trading companies can also do.

The company can only gain a real advantage in trade with China if it says "what we can do, other East India companies can't do, and we are irreplaceable".

Otherwise, Dashun will drive us away, not to mention affecting its economy, even its simple export will not be affected.Even if they don't have a Western Trading Company, Sweden, Denmark, France and Prussia will be happy to take our share.

And the one thing we can do that is irreplaceable is the tea tariff.my country's tea drinking population is the highest in Europe.It can even be said that most of the tea purchased in China by companies including Sweden and Denmark has flowed into our country.

As soon as this is unraveled, then the company is in an irreplaceable position to haggle China over tea tariffs.

And now?Do we have any chips in hand?
Only by lowering tariffs first can we use higher tariffs as a bargaining chip.

Now that tariffs are so high, we have no leverage.

However, those idiots in the parliament couldn't understand this at all.

If this path does not work, then enough experience should be learned from the Netherlands.

The reason why the Dutch were able to gain a firm foothold in Japan was that they got Southeast Asia.

If we can't lower tea tariffs and still want to gain a foothold in China trade, we need to get India.

Only a close enough distance can have a large enough trade volume.From England to Dashun, cotton grain is unprofitable because of freight and turnover; and if we get close enough, even a low-margin commodity like cotton grain can be profitable.

I said, don't make any more hard attempts on China's side, it's pointless.

I said that to solve China's trade dilemma, it must be solved in Bangladesh or in the Palace of Westminster.

In short:

[The problem of China's trade cannot be solved in China]

However, they scoffed at my idea.

Heh, a bunch of idiots.

There are even idiots who think that they should sue again, explaining that this time the opium trade in Macau is not directly related to the company, and that Dashun officials should study law and figure out the relationship of responsibility.

Some idiots even suggested that when the emperor might come to Songjiang mansion in a few days, bypass the army's surveillance and block the way to file a complaint...

I am shocked!

Dodge the surveillance army and intercept the emperor's driver?

Go talk to the emperor about the direct connection and indirect responsibility of the crime?
God, why would the company send such idiots to China?
The enemy is on Leaderasse!

[January 1.Shanghai.The weather is unknown. 】

I refuse to participate in discussions with those idiots.Lie in bed all day.If they really made a mentally retarded decision, I can only choose to leave with the ship on February 2th.

I don't want to spend my life in a Chinese prison.

Of course, there can be strife and intrigue within the company, but because of factions, some people who don't understand the realities of the East can't be sent to China.

They use their experience in the Americas, Africa, and even India to apply China.

This is a crime against every shareholder!

[January 1.Shanghai.The weather is unknown. 】

I still refuse to attend their discussions.But Mr. Minister is on my side, and he agrees with me. It seems that at least they will not make a very unwise decision.

Anyway, I am writing a letter to the board and need advice from the Indian side halfway through.

This matter can only be decided by holding a general meeting of shareholders.

Fortunately, the characteristics of the company's shareholders' meeting determine that I have a good chance of winning.

Under the Empowerment of Monopoly Act of 1689, the chairman of the company is no longer appointed by the government - as a condition of welcoming the Dutch as our king.

If he refuses to promise that the government will no longer appoint the chairman, we will not recognize him as king.

The previous king held us too tightly, and we must drive him out.The Dutch are happy to accept such conditions, and we are also happy to have such a king.

Similarly, the Monopoly Authorization Act of that year was also amended for them.

Only those who hold more than 1000 pounds of shares in the company have the right to elect members of the board of directors.

Only people over 2000 pounds and who must have been born in the UK have the right to be a member of the board.

However, there is only one vote whether there is a share of 1000 pounds or a share of 1000000 pounds.

This can ensure that everyone is equal.Those below themselves have no right to vote.

The royal family, great aristocrats, real estate owners, and big speculators, they have only one vote in the election of the board of directors, no matter how much stock they own.

And those poor people, small employees, who have contributed less than 1000 pounds, have no qualifications to participate in company management.

Only in this way can the company's board of directors be controlled by a group of elite businessmen who are slightly smarter, have brains larger than beasts, and succeed through self-struggle.

It also ensures that the company will not be controlled by the royal family and the government, and has real freedom.As long as it is not an obligation under the monopoly authorization law, the company does not need to do it.

This also ensures that the board of directors that the company really holds power:

There is no need to be patriotic, to come up with a statement similar to the Jenkins ear incident-those who support the war against Spain out of interests have trade in the West Indies and the Americas; while those who dominate public opinion are those low-level people with little money fanatical crowd.The company's board of directors system eliminates the possibility of being dominated by fanaticism.

There is no need to obey the rule of the government and Congress in everything, avoiding the situation like France or Spain-it is the government that dominates their trade.And the government will always add too many national obligations to the company, such as training seamen, such as fulfilling military obligations, such as donations, such as immigration, etc.

This point, Dashun's trading company also exists, and it is more serious, such as fulfilling military obligations, fulfilling the task of training sailors and sailors, and providing logistical support for combat operations.

Perhaps, the difference is that Dashun's goods are not worrying about selling, otherwise their heavy non-commercial obligations must be unsustainable.

Businessmen in Dashun are very envious of our company's system.

Unfortunately, they have neither the guts nor the ability to imitate us, hang their own emperor, and invite a foreigner to be the emperor.

Our system advantages can ensure that everything is for profit.

According to the provisions of Clause 1000 of the letter of appointment, senior employees of the company at my level and who hold more than [-] pounds of shares can propose to convene a general meeting of shareholders and reorganize the board of directors.

As long as half of the board of directors pass, the board of directors can be held to discuss the issue of company transformation.

According to the new Enabling Act of 1726, the board of directors of the company can make laws, open courts, and formulate tax policies on its own.This has paved the way for the transformation of the company.

Now, what is needed is that senior staff of the company like me, and in India and other places, write a very clear business plan, explaining the company's transformation, increasing investment in India, getting rid of dependence on China's trade, and what will happen in doing so. Bring high profits to the company.

Since our system advantages can ensure that everything is for the purpose of profit, then the starting point of my proposal should also be fully explained for the purpose of profit.

I think as long as those idiots out there in meetings don't make really stupid decisions that make China go crazy and throw us all in jail, I have a chance to adjust the company's strategy through the shareholder meeting and the board of directors.

What affects the company's transformation is just the mindset of many people.

Who said that a company must rely on trade or production to make a profit?

Taxes can also be profitable.

The Dutch all know that if stock speculation and hype can make a profit, then it is good to make a profit. Why trade and production?
I think I should be able to convince them that the profit dependence of trade with China will put us in a situation as dangerous as VOC.

After all, I am the one who knows China best in the company.I made great contributions to the company in the tea incident and the competition with the Dutch company.

But I don't know if there will be someone in India who really understands that India seems to be vast, but it is actually vulnerable?

Let's hope there is one of our own Francisco Pizarro among the senior staff of the company on the Indian side.

(End of this chapter)