The sea breeze in winter was indeed a little chilly, and it only warmed up at noon.
"It's so cold." Liu 'er hugged her arms and stood at the bow of the ship. A few seabirds on the mast seemed to chime in with her.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also stood on the deck. The two of them were not like Liu 'er, who only wore a single layer of clothing. The winter here was not as cold as Hainan Island, and sometimes it was necessary to wear more clothing.
Xin Er, Weiwei, and Li Xun also came along. The few of them wanted to find some islands and build some buildings on them, so that it would be more convenient for boats to sail at night. In fact, they were building lighthouses.
The main reason was that two days ago, when the fishing fleet came to this place to catch a certain kind of prawn at night, two of their boats hit the reefs. Even the most experienced fishermen were unwilling to come to this place at night, even if the prawn was very valuable. If they were not careful, they could easily lose their lives at sea.
Not only were there many submerged reefs, there was also no pattern to the current here. The experienced fishermen had yet to reach the realm where even if there was no pattern, it was still a pattern. The two boats that hit the reefs were towed back, and the people on board were rescued.
When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan heard about this matter, they discussed it seriously. In the end, they decided to build lighthouses wherever there was a possibility of danger. The bigger ones would be built on the bigger ones, and the smaller ones would be built on the smaller ones. They would leave people to watch over them, so that it would be easier for the fishermen to go fishing at night.
This was nothing compared to the prawn that cost two hundred copper coins per catty. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not know what kind of prawn it was, but the taste was indeed different. The most important thing was to draw out the area of influence, and use these lighthouses to gather the people's hearts.
Just like in Zhuangzi, whether it was day or night, it always made people feel safe. If it was successful, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan planned to build more lighthouses like this. They planned to build more lighthouses further away and connect them with nets. Not only could it provide convenience for their own fishing team, but it could also attract fishermen from other provinces to fish here.
Zhang Xiaobao stood at the bow of the ship and looked at the soaring seabirds as he said, "Light can always guide the way forward. There are too few experts who can explore the dark by themselves, so let's give them light."
"What about the darkness? I finally know why you want to bring your father here. You want to make a move on the surrounding countries, or should I say, those tribes. Building a lighthouse to protect the fishermen here is just one aspect of it. Now, I have guessed it.
Although building so many lighthouses is a lot of investment, as long as there is a lighthouse, there will be fishermen fishing at night. Tell me what you plan to do next. I want to know how you plan to do it. "
Wang Juan stood behind Zhang Xiaobao. She did not think that Zhang Xiaobao would build a lighthouse so far away on a whim. They were already half a day's journey away from the shore. Looking at the situation of the ship, Zhang Xiaobao seemed to want to continue going further.
"Let us bear the burden of darkness and evil. I don't want to use force to deal with the surrounding countries and tribes. Lighthouses are used for sailing at night, but they can also be used during the day. I will put up a flag to guide the fishing boats. I will arrange at least three people at each lighthouse.
These three people will stay here for three months. When the time comes, they will change shifts. After the dock here is built, I will send a big ship to patrol the area where the lighthouse is. The three people guarding the lighthouse must know how to cook, and they can't be too bad. They can be trained.
At that time, whether it is day or night, the fishermen will be able to eat good food at the lighthouse. They don't have to eat the things that have evolved into sushi and rice balls in Japan. Don't underestimate such things. It is very important for the cohesion of a people. This is the feeling of home. "
Zhang Xiaobao finally showed his fangs. He was going to "invade" the surrounding countries and tribes.
Wang Juan also knew that she could not stop this. The reason why she could guess that Zhang Xiaobao wanted to make a move on others was because she also thought so. There were a lot of resources around, why not? If you leave them, will they be grateful? Will they wait until they are strong enough to scheme against you?
But Wang Juan always felt that this investment was too big, especially when they used a big ship to patrol in the future. If the big ship was used to transport goods, it would definitely make more money.
"I am asking you how to scheme against others, not cooking and cohesion. Also, how many ships are you going to use? Are there any people on them? "
"Oh, you are asking this because you think that it is a waste of resources to have more ships, right? This matter is easy to understand. What is the use of more than 20 aircraft carrier formations? What is the use of more than 10 aircraft carrier formations in our country at that time? Subduing the enemy without standing still is a deterrent. I feel that the patrol ships can be formed into a group of two.
There are also 20 big ships docked at the Qinzhou Pier. They can be divided into two groups. One group will stay behind, and the other group will be ready to go out and help us. It is easy to solve the problem of manpower. If we don't have enough people on our side, then we can recruit from other places.
This is not an invasion. Military force is only a guarantee of peace. Think about it. If we set up a lighthouse on a small island further away, or even send a big ship to a place that has not been built, and connect it to other countries nearby, who do you think will be the happiest? "
Zhang Xiaobao knew that this matter had a long way to go. But if he did not do it, it would always be so far away. If he did it, it would slowly develop.
"Who? Of course it is the fishermen. They can go fishing further away. Don't tell me you want the fishermen to argue with them and then send troops over? "Wang Juan suddenly thought of this point.
Zhang Xiaobao was a little helpless. He said to Wang Juan: "Can we not go and kill people? The happiest people are actually the merchants. They have the best sense of smell. When the time comes, they will carry out all kinds of trade with the other side. This military force is to prevent the locals from clashing with them. Who would use war to solve a problem if it can be solved through economic means? "
"Ah, so that's the case. I thought you wanted to exterminate the other people so that no one can bully our country in the future." Wang Juan understood now.
"I won't do that kind of thing. If you are not weak, how can others bully you? Just like when my father first came here, the four judges wanted to show off their strength. But look at the result now. Even if everyone in the world is killed and only our people are left, there will still be conflicts. There will be conflicts. There will be conflicts. There will be conflicts. There will be wars.
In a big way, without wars, there will be no progress. In a small way, you have cream cake, and I can only eat corn bread, and it is that kind of coarse flour. You have a small handgun, and I have a sniper rifle. Do you think I will protect my corn bread and maintain peace with you? "
Zhang Xiaobao understood this kind of human nature very well, so he never complained. Even if he encountered a natural disaster, he stubbornly endured it and sincerely prayed that it would be better to fight on his own.
Wang Juan also agreed with this idea, but suddenly she thought of a very important problem. She said to Zhang Xiaobao: "That's not right. Your military force is to protect the merchants, but can you guarantee that the merchants will trade fairly with those people? When the merchants know that they have a big backer behind them, they will try their best to lower the price. "
"Yes, that's right. Otherwise, who will support my army? Won't they still take the merchants' money? Fair trade? The so-called fairness was that both sides felt that they could obtain the benefits they needed. This was the most fair. In the future, the fleet here would only ensure that the merchants were not attacked by the other side, but they would not help the Master take the initiative to attack.
If the merchants were capable, they would fight on their own. How much they could take down would be their own. If they were not capable, they would think of other ways. The army was a guarantee, not a nanny. Of course, if the merchants had the ability to provoke others to attack them, the fleet would be mobilized. This was also the merchants' ability.
Actually, you are right. This is a kind of invasion. Under the protection of military force, a harmonious one-sided trade is established. That is why we control the merchants. The purpose is to maintain this very unfair one-sided trade. The merchants on our side, who break this rule, will have to consider whether they have the strength to resist the merchants.
If those countries and tribes are smart, they will use this temporary one-sided trade to develop themselves. Foolish people will immerse themselves in the wealth of the land and enjoy it. In this situation, who is the rabbit and who is the wolf, the winner is obvious. I respect the rabbit who can leap over the eagle, but I will not pity the wolf who huddles in a ball and waits for death. "
Under the influence of the abstract concept of a country, Zhang Xiaobao was not willing to plunder the people of his own country. But when it came to the outside world, he could not care less. The world was so big, and he was not a lord, so there was a selfish side to him. In his own country, what he did was to reap the benefits. But when it came to other places, it would be in terms of resources.
Even if Zhang Xiaobao was Gotama Siddhartha, Muhammad, or Jesus, there was no lack of war. Who did not have blood on their bodies? Those doctrines were the excuse for their invasion. Zhang Xiaobao's excuse was that they had something good, and he wanted to take it.
Wang Juan was about to say something when Li Xun came over and asked, "Xiao Bao, is your family really willing to invest so much money to build lighthouses? One lighthouses might not cost much, but if there are too many, it will not be something that an ordinary family can support. Why don't I invest some money too? "
"My family can support it. If you want to join us, just say so. You don't have to pretend to help. Do you believe that my family will send the news back in ten days, raise 200,000 strings of cash in ten days, and ship it here in two months?"
Zhang Xiaobao did not care about Li Xun's identity. Li Xun usually said the same thing. He acknowledged your strength, but was not willing to be suppressed by you. If you were strong, he would give you something. As for respect, don't count on it. The only respect he had for Li Longji was that he was sometimes considerate of the people.
"I believe, I believe, how can I not believe? It's not easy for your Zhang family to make money. Do you know how your family is going to make money this time?" Li Xun did not feel that there was anything wrong with Zhang Xiaobao's words. If not, he would not like to hang out with Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
"It will take a long time to make money. We will have to invest more in the next few years. If you have money, take out more. When we make money, we will give you a share," Zhang Xiaobao said to Li Xun.
"Yes, I still have money. How much should I take out at once?" Li Xun did not care about how long or short it was. In any case, he felt that he was still young and could wait. Usually, if he could make money in a long time, he would make more money.
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