plumnovel Chapter 132 The Great British Merchants
Chapter 132 The Great British Merchants
Chapter 132 The Great British Merchants
After having dinner at Buckingham Palace, Chen Wenbin and his wife said goodbye and left.
This was the most expensive dinner Chen Wenbin had ever eaten in his life, worth 15,000 pounds!
It's important to understand that the British government's annual revenue is only around ten million pounds sterling, and most British nobles cannot afford to pay 15,000 pounds sterling in cash—that much money is enough to buy the King's friendship!
In name, this money was a dividend, but both Chen Wenbin and George III knew in their hearts that it was actually protection money and money to buy official positions.
George III owns 10% to 25% of Robin Pharmacy, Robin Hospital, Robin Construction Firm, Robin Metal Company, Southern Development Company, and even KFC restaurants. Did George III really invest that much money back then?
of course not!
Apart from Robin Pharmacy and London Textile Company, Chen Wenbin lent him money to all the other companies first, and then he used that money to invest in those companies, finally using the dividends to offset the costs.
To put it bluntly, it's a "dry stock" (a stock with no underlying capital).
Including the £8,000 bonus from the first quarter, George III received a total of £24,000 from Chen Wenbin!
What did Mr. Chen get after spending so much money?
On the surface, he did not go to the wrong place, but in reality, he received the guarantee that he would not be "exploited" in Britain.
In the past six months, has anyone in Britain been envious of his large pharmacy and wanted to steal the secrets of Marcello and aspirin?
Of course!
And quite a lot!
In Robin's Pharmacy, some workers in the pharmaceutical factory were controlled, or pharmacists, with the support of certain individuals, ran away to open their own pharmacies.
What happened to them in the end?
They either disappear completely, as if they never existed in this world.
Either the person behind it shuts down the pharmacy and, through an intermediary, takes the initiative to reconcile with Lord Chen.
Is anyone in London unhappy with Robin Construction's sales methods and wants to shut them down?
But why didn't they take any action in the end, instead allowing Robin Construction to grow bigger and bigger?
And why did Robin Metals' King's Carriage become a necessary luxury item among the nobility?
The answer is self-evident; it's all because of George III's influence!
His Majesty the King doesn't need to do anything; he just needs to wait to receive his dividends. As for the troubles these companies encounter, countless people will be happy to step in and solve them.
Power is always a level above money because money generally cannot break the rules, while power itself can set the rules.
If it weren't for the fact that the monarchy was weak and the bourgeois revolution had already achieved initial success in England, Chen Wenbin probably would never have had the opportunity to become a "royal merchant" in Great Britain.
In the Qing Dynasty in the East, those who filled this ecological niche were usually bondservants of the Imperial Household Department, the emperor's servants. Even a common merchant like Chen Wenbin had to offer a large sum of money to the servants of the Jiangning Textile Bureau if he wanted to meet them!
However, a weak monarchy is still a monarchy. With the support of George III, Mr. Chen had accumulated enough wealth and had just completed the most crucial leap, using 15,000 pounds to obtain the appointment as the Royal Governor of Mississippi!
From this point on, he will transcend the level of money and truly begin to wield power.
On the carriage ride home, Chen Wenbin embraced his wife and patiently explained the operation of the "Crown" trading company to her.
"————Whether it's a stroller, a trolley, a toy, or even a baby towel, the quality must be the best!"
Our clients are all aristocrats; they don't care whether something is a few pounds cheaper or more expensive, but they are worried about their children being harmed.
In short, Crown is a luxury goods store that has been operating for hundreds of years, and our clients are noble families with centuries of heritage. This may be one of the most important businesses for our family in the future, and we must manage it with utmost care!
"Darling, I understand."
Diana nodded seriously, then asked, "I don't know anything about business management. His Majesty said he'll have Lord Butt hire managers—should we get involved too?"
"certainly!"
Chen Wenbin said matter-of-factly, "We must supervise the quality of the merchant's products! I will talk to Robert about this and have him find the right person."
Diana hummed in agreement, then looked up and asked, "—When are you going to North America? After our child is born?"
'
Chen Wenbin lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, my dear Diane, I have to go to North America myself. Don't worry, I will stay with you and the baby for at least two months—I will return to North America at the end of September."
He couldn't possibly take Diana, who had just given birth, back to North America. In another three or four months, the preparations for the Southern Development Company would be almost complete, at which point he would go there as the Governor of Mississippi to take charge.
The west is his future territory, and he absolutely cannot let someone else act as his agent!
5 month 26 day.
Today is the day three merchant ships from the Pacific Trading Company depart from the Port of London.
The big boss Chen Wenbin personally came to the dock to see everyone off. Also present with him were Joseph Coates and his son Henry Coates, as well as Warren Hastings, a commissioner of the East India Company.
The latter would travel on the ship on behalf of the East India Company to monitor the actions of the Pacific Trading Company and prevent it from infringing on the interests of the East India Company.
Eric Lovelater hated this surveillance and approached Chen Wenbin hoping to get rid of the guy.
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But Mr. Chen didn't care. He never intended to compete with the East India Company for business, and even temporarily abandoned his plan to establish trading posts in Southeast Asia.
His core objective was to acquire Han Chinese immigrants; other trade profits were secondary. He would not abandon his primary objective for secondary interests.
"Robin, you are now the largest private shipowner in Britain besides the East India Company!"
Old Joseph, leaning on his cane, stood on the dock, gazing at the three armed merchant ships flying the flags of the British and Pacific Trading Companies. He sighed to Chen Wenbin beside him, "If I had made as much money as you, I would never have invested most of it in this kind of risky business!"
Do you know the East India Company's shipwreck rate and sailor mortality rate?
One in seventeen ships sank! The average mortality rate for sailors exceeded fifteen percent!
"No one would take such a risk if the profits weren't so high and the risks weren't shared!"
"I know!"
Chen Wenbin glanced at him, "But I believe in Captain Robinson and his team's skills, and the power of science!"
"Science—you mean the canned food and lemonade you provided for the crew? Did they really reduce sailors' mortality rates?"
"We'll find out if it works once we try it," Chen Wenbin said casually, then said to the old man, "Let's go, Joseph, Henry, let's get on the ship and say goodbye to these warriors!"
I hope you will also pray to God that they reach the East safely, because these ships are also carrying cargo commissioned by the East India Company.
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