Chapter 193: The Nanbao Coal Mine

“Then I’ll transport timber.”

“I can transport lead. And Japanese lead.”

Japanese lead is zinc, which has a wide range of industrial uses, especially for galvanized steel sheets, commonly known as white iron sheets. It has the advantages of being rust-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and can be used to make roofing, pipes, and various containers. It’s very useful.

On this side, Xiong Buyou quickly finalized a deal with a deer hide trader. He learned from him that he often went to Tayouan Port in Taiwan to buy deer hides from the Dutch and then transported them to Southeast Asia for sale. This time, besides paying the salvage fee, all his goods were requisitioned by the Planning Committee. Sun Xiao specifically asked Xiong Buyou to develop this person into a regular supplier of deer hides.

Deer hide was one of the most sought-after animal leathers in East and Southeast Asia. The deer hide trade had even become a specialized business. Although the transmigrators didn’t know why deer hide was so popular, they also needed this hide to make indispensable transmission belts for industry.

The atmosphere infected the originally uninterested people around them. Everyone started asking what items were needed here and could be sold for cash. For these small merchants, doing business overseas in places like Batavia could bring huge profits, but it involved crossing the sea, a journey that could take years, was dangerous, and full of unknown factors. Coming to Lincheng was much easier. Although the profit was less, they could make several trips a year, and the risk was smaller. Overall, it was still a good deal.

Their lives were saved, their property was largely secured, and there were future opportunities to make money. The mood of this group of small merchants, who had been fighting in a frenzy just a few days ago, had improved a lot. Everyone was eager to go home and started asking if there were any ships returning to Qiongshan or Guangzhou recently.

“Gao-Guang Shipping is now selling tickets to Qiongshan and Guangzhou! Discounts on freight, and we’ll pack for you! A four-hundred-liao ship for a smooth ride, with veteran escorts from the Qiwei Escort Agency armed throughout the journey, ensuring you and your cargo are safe and sound—”

With the enthusiastic shouts of the Gao-Guang Shipping salesmen through their paper megaphones, the merchants who had received their goods all rushed to buy tickets and arrange for shipping. It was also part of Ma Jia’s maritime system reform that the Navy would no longer escort shipwrecked people home. In the future, all such matters would be handled by the civilian-run “Gao-Guang Shipping.” Passengers would buy their own tickets.

For the unlucky ones who had lost all their goods and had nothing left, their tickets were paid for by the Civil Affairs Committee. Charity work was originally one of the duties of the civil affairs department.

A few small merchants who had lost everything simply stayed in Lincheng. Tang Zheng was one of them. His capital was very small, and he was transporting coarse porcelain vats. Half of them were destroyed when the ship ran aground, and the pirates smashed the rest when they came aboard—the pirates suspected that valuable goods were hidden inside.

Tang Zheng, who had invested his entire fortune in this overseas adventure, was completely desperate. Because part of his capital was borrowed from relatives and neighbors, he was now bankrupt. Although the Australians bought him a ticket and gave him some travel money, he had no face to return home. Hearing that the Australians were recruiting workers everywhere and the treatment was good, he simply stayed.

The surviving sailors from the five-masted ship attended a mobilization meeting hosted by Li Haiping. Most of them were eventually persuaded to join the Navy. The few who were resolutely unwilling had their tickets home paid for by the Civil Affairs Committee. The navigator of the five-masted ship, who was injured in the pirate attack, received special treatment. After careful treatment at the Bairen General Hospital, he had recovered his health. Besides being able to travel back to Qiongshan County for free, he also received some small gifts as a reward. In addition, Xiong Buyou had prepared four gifts and a letter for him to deliver to the owner and cargo owner of the five-masted ship—a gentry member of Qiongshan County named Hai Shuzu.

After hearing the results of this handling, Wen Desi asked, “I am very much in favor of attracting merchants to Lincheng to do business. But is there any pressure on our payment situation? Since we opened the Delong Bank in Guangzhou, the return shipment of silver has been much less. I’m afraid our reserves are not enough.”

Foreign merchants would certainly not accept circulation coupons. Payment had to be in real gold and silver, just as with the requisition of the small merchants’ goods this time.

“The pressure is not great. These merchants are transporting low-value products. Our current silver reserves are sufficient. For large payments, we can use Delong’s bills of exchange, to be honored by the Delong Bank in Guangzhou,” Yan Ming reported.

“Chief Wen, you can rest assured. Even if we pay with real gold and silver, I doubt they can take it out of Lincheng!” Mo Xiao’an said with full confidence.

“What are you planning to do?” Wen Desi looked at him with suspicion. Mo Xiao’an knew he had misunderstood his meaning and quickly explained:

“I mean, let them exchange the money for goods again. That way, the issue of whether we have enough silver won’t exist—it’s essentially barter trade.”

“Does the Ministry of Light Industry have that capability? You want to sell to them, but they might not want to buy!” Wen Desi expressed his doubt. It was quite difficult to impress Chinese consumers of the Ming and Qing dynasties. At that time, the only goods that could be exported to China on a large scale were gold and silver, and dried goods like shark fins, bird’s nests, and sea cucumbers, or some special local products.

From D-Day until now, the only bulk export goods the transmigrator group could produce were salt and sugar.

“No problem,” Mo Xiao’an said. They had successfully trial-produced a variety of products and were now expanding their factories and increasing their equipment. They would soon have the capacity for mass production of multiple products.

“Alright, then it’s up to you,” Wen Desi said. “Our current bulk commodity exports have the problem of a single variety, overly relying on luxury goods and the ‘one sweet, one salty’ export. This export situation is very unhealthy. Vigorously developing the export of light industrial products is the focus at this stage. You need to put more thought into new product development. You must consider different market demands—exports to Southeast Asia, Europe, and the mainland should be differentiated. It’s best to have a mix of high, medium, and low-end prices. In this regard, you should listen more to the opinions of the Guangzhou station and the Foreign Trade Committee. They have a better understanding of the market in this time and space.”

“I understand,” Mo Xiao’an said, taking notes to show that he took Chief Wen’s words seriously.

“We need to focus on deep processing and high-value-added product development. Things like Liancheng red heart dried sweet potatoes should not be made anymore—it’s fine to make some for ourselves to eat.”

“Alright.”

Mo Xiao’an returned to his office and looked at the large pile of new product trial development plans on his desk. He wasn’t worried about new products—there were a plethora of successfully trial-produced new products recently. But choosing which ones to put into production was the difficult part.

He understood Chief Wen’s meaning, but what were the people of the Ming Dynasty actually interested in? This was not like the Engineering and Energy Committee, which made things for their own use. The Ministry of Light Industry made things that were “potentially useful.” It was fine to do trial production now; at worst, if they couldn’t sell them, they could eat or use them themselves. But once mass production began, if the products didn’t sell, it would mean a huge waste, and he, the People’s Commissar for Light Industry, would be held responsible.

Among the traditional “transmigrator artifacts,” glass products—including mirrors, glassware, and flat glass—were already on the right track, with a certain amount of sales each month. But besides mirrors, the sales of glassware and flat glass were very limited. It was clear that the small merchants coming to Lincheng would have no interest in these luxury goods.

Matches, in terms of technology, were not complicated. After the large-scale arrival of guano from the Dongsha Islands, Ji Situi was already organizing people to produce red phosphorus—not for matches, but for the army’s smoke grenades, phosphoric acid for chemical production, and the metallurgy department’s plan to trial-produce phosphor bronze. The latter could be used as a material for making clockwork and springs and was a new material that the Engineering and Energy Committee was focusing on.

In comparison, it was hard to say if his matches could be prioritized. Mo Xiao’an himself had gone to the countryside several times to do some research. He saw that the local natives used flint and steel to make fire, and some simply kept a fire going in their stove year-round. It wasn’t too difficult to use. It was a big question how much of a market his matches would have.

“Chief, it’s time to eat,” the speaker was an administrative apprentice from the Ministry of Light Industry. He had brought Mo Xiao’an’s meal for the day. Originally, according to Xiao Zishan’s regulations, native personnel were not allowed to enter the transmigrators’ cafeteria, whether to help with cooking, delivering goods, or getting food. But over time, this rule had gradually relaxed. Now, a few “reliable” native personnel were allowed to enter the cafeteria.

Mo Xiao’an looked at the dishes in the basin and felt he had no appetite—it was seafood again. He was going crazy from eating this stuff. Suddenly, he saw stir-fried sea intestines with scallion oil on the plate.

“Sea intestines!” He suddenly remembered a book he had read, where the protagonist didn’t make matches or burn glass, but processed sea intestines into a powder to sell as MSG…

“MSG!” Mo Xiao’an felt he had made a great discovery. Last time at the food factory meeting on the comprehensive utilization of sweet potatoes, Huang Dashan had said that sweet potatoes could be used to make MSG. But after they made kvass, he hadn’t mentioned it again. He didn’t know if he had actually made MSG or not.

“MSG? Of course, we made it. What do you think you’re eating in the cafeteria?!” Huang Dashan said irritably over the phone. “You call yourself the People’s Commissar for Light Industry? I hardly ever see you at the food factory!”

“Well… I’ve been busy… with meetings…”

“Cut the bureaucratic talk. You should come to the food factory yourself and see. Who can talk about export goods clearly over the phone!”

He hadn’t been to the food factory for more than ten days. Huang Dashan had been managing it for the past two weeks. This was a bit unfair—Huang Dashan’s main job was cultivating bacterial strains, and he also had a position at the pharmaceutical factory. Managing this food factory was beyond his capacity, and he might not be able to give it his full attention.

He also thought that as the People’s Commissar for Light Industry, the food factory was a key subordinate enterprise of his department, closely related to the lives of the transmigrators. If it did well, everyone would see it. If there was a problem, he would be ruined…

At this thought, Mo Xiao’an’s expression became serious: he knew nothing about the food processing industry, nor about the business management of a food factory. It wasn’t a solution to just occupy the position without doing anything. It was better to find a full-time factory manager to take charge. It didn’t matter if they didn’t understand food processing technology.

After thinking for a long time, he thought of Xun Suji. This person had a chef’s certificate and had been working in the cafeteria since they landed. His official position was in the Agriculture Committee because he also grew vegetables. This person was quite versatile—Mo Xiao’an remembered that when he was in the cafeteria, he had made his own salted duck eggs and preserved eggs, as well as pickles and kimchi. His skills were quite good. Since he was a chef and could also make small food items, it was certainly not out of line for him to be in charge of the food factory.

And so, Xun Suji was dispatched to the food factory with a single order. This sudden appointment as the factory manager of the food factory made Xun Suji overjoyed. He was happy that he had gone from being an ordinary person to a leading cadre. On the Executive Committee’s informal official ranking table, the factory manager of the food factory was equivalent to a third-tier leader, also a head of a small department. He was surprised that he, a quiet otaku who had always been managed and represented by others, was now going to manage and represent others. The difficulty seemed a bit great. He was a little timid.

However, thinking that once he became a department head, according to the rules, he could have a separate office, a separate electricity quota, and with luck, even a secretary. Not to mention anything else, just the separate electricity quota was worth a thousand gold. At least he could use his computer until midnight. Thinking that his full box of private goods could finally see the light of day, Xun Suji, the otaku, smiled so wide his face blossomed. His colleagues in the cafeteria also came to congratulate him. That afternoon, Xun Suji personally cooked a few dishes, and also bought a bottle of rum from the cafe—Xiao Zishan, when sending the dispatch order, had thoughtfully attached a special supply coupon, which could be used to buy a bottle of rum and several packs of cigarettes.

A promotion was always a happy occasion, and it was always good to add some icing on the cake. Xiao Zishan’s gesture was generous but not costly. The goods belonged to the Executive Committee, but the favor became his. Until many years later, many people’s “revolutionary memoirs” would often mention the “unforgettable special supply coupon.”

Everyone ate and drank. Because Xun Suji had to report to the factory in the afternoon, he was afraid of leaving a bad impression on Mo Xiao’an, so he only had a few drinks and then stopped. He let everyone have a good time.

The cafeteria was not far from the food factory. Xun Suji decided to go and see the situation at the factory first, then move his things.

When Xun Suji arrived at the food factory, the starch workshop had already been completed and was in operation. The sweet potato washing machine designed and manufactured by Jiang Ye was tumbling, and several hundred jin of sweet potatoes were bobbing up and down in the water in a cement trough with the rolling wheels. Not far from the washing machine, several other different machines were installed, all running with a rumbling sound. Above his head, a carefully machined standard round transmission shaft was rotating rapidly, driving the machinery in the workshop with a leather belt.

The leather belt on the transmission shaft was connected to a gearbox next to the machine. The gearbox then used a belt or gear transmission to drive the machine’s flywheel. Through the gearbox, the operator could conveniently adjust the operating speed of each piece of equipment and could also stop the machine at any time.

“You! Be careful, don’t touch the belt!” Xun Suji was looking around. Someone shouted from behind. He jumped in fright and turned to see Huang Tianyu. He was sitting in front of a large window in the workshop, with two apprentices squatting behind him, wearing blue work clothes and each carrying a large tool bag. One was holding a large enamel mug, and the other was carrying a thermos.

Xun Suji quickly and carefully moved to a safer place.

“Who are you? What are you doing wandering around the workshop for no reason?”

“I’m Xun Suji, the new factory manager,” he said, taking out the dispatch order from his pocket.

“So it’s the factory manager who has arrived! I have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai! My apologies, my apologies,” Huang Tianyu joked. “You don’t need to show me this dispatch order. It’s for Mo Xiao’an. He’ll be here in a while too.”

“You scared me to death with your shouting,” Xun Suji said with lingering fear. “It’s not that serious, is it…”

“You’re the factory manager, and you have no safety awareness at all. What are you doing wandering around the workshop?” Huang Tianyu showed a look of contempt. “Just the day before yesterday, someone in this workshop got caught in a belt and was seriously injured. He died as soon as he was sent to the hospital. The whole workshop was shut down for four hours.”

“Ah? Did that happen?”

“That’s right. Right where you were standing just now. That apprentice wasn’t paying attention, bumped into the belt, and was sent flying—it was tragic,” Huang Tianyu shook his head regretfully.

Xun Suji’s hair stood on end. It was that dangerous? It seemed this factory manager position was not an easy one.

“You haven’t worked in a factory before, have you?”

“No—my main profession is a cook.”

“That’s right. For those who have worked in a workshop, the first thing the old master teaches you is to pay attention to safety in the workshop.”

“It seems we need to have a safety production education campaign right away.”

“It’s not very useful. Not to mention here, in our Engineering and Energy Committee’s workshops, safety education is talked about every day, and there have been more than one industrial accident,” Huang Tianyu said. “The native workers seem to have no concept of safety production at all.”

It did feel a bit like that. Xun Suji remembered the few native workers who helped in the cafeteria. They worked hard, but they were careless.

Xun Suji suddenly remembered something, “Old Huang, you’re so free. Are you squatting in the food factory workshop?”

“You know me?” Huang Tianyu was a little surprised. He didn’t remember knowing this person.

“Of course. I work in the cafeteria. Who doesn’t know who?”

“That’s true. I’m here for the gearboxes in this workshop—”

Before he could finish, a violent vibration came from beside a machine. An operator quickly went up and moved the control lever to stop the transmission.

“Here we go again,” Huang Tianyu looked at his watch and checked the record. “This time, the continuous trouble-free time has increased to 37 hours. That’s progress.” He waved his hand, “Apprentices, follow me!” The two apprentices quickly picked up their tool bags, large teacups, and towels and followed.

“The reason I came to the food factory is for these things,” Huang Tianyu said as he dismantled the gearbox, cleaned out a few damaged gears, and carefully found the broken teeth to compare. Then he said a few words to the apprentice, who quickly brought new ones from the cabinet in the corner.

“This batch of gears in the gearbox is truly ‘Lincheng-made.’ The quality is very poor,” Huang Tianyu said. “I have to keep an eye on the situation here so I can make improvements.”