1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 22: Global Shipping

"I have finished what you told me. Flagg's wife, that poor little woman, was scared to death by us."

The itching coming from the soles of his feet made Sven feel very uncomfortable. He took off his shoes and scratched his itchy feet and continued.

"If it weren't for gold and to repay my loan sharks, I really couldn't bear to hurt a little woman and bully a woman. It's not what a man should do.

Moreover, Mrs. Flagg is just a little vain and greedy for petty gains. Many people have these shortcomings, and she is not a heinous person. My conscience is deeply disturbed by this."

"You didn't hurt her, you just intimidated her. Don't blame yourself too much." Liang Yao pointed to a box of gold on the ground and said, "You did a good job. This gold is yours now."

Sven put on his shoes, rolled up his sleeves, moved the box, felt the weight of gold, and then put the heavy box down.

"You gave too much. We agreed on 300 ounces of gold. I know you have a lot of gold, but I have my principles."

"We are old friends. You have helped me a lot. The extra gold is my gratitude to you as a friend. After paying off the debt, what are you going to do?" Liang Yao asked Siwen what his plans were in the future.

Sven and Liang Yao spent more than three months together on the Cape Town, and during that time they had a very happy conversation.

Liang Yao is different from other Chinese people Si Wen knows. This young man does not have the humility of most Chinese people and has his own unique ideas and ambitions.

Although gold is tempting, these few months of gold mining have also made Sven clearly realize that even in California, where gold is everywhere, not every gold prospector can make a fortune.

After all, the only people who can make a fortune are the very few people like Liang Yao and Brannan who have unique vision and some means.

"You want to hire me?" Sven speculated on Liang Yao's thoughts. He thought carefully and then shook his head and said, "Compared to the mine, the ocean is more suitable for me. After paying off the debt and the liquidated damages of the British Steamship Company,

, I will find another shipping company and continue to be the deputy on board."

Sven figured out that the gold mine was not his rightful destination. He gave up his fortune through gold mining. Perhaps he was born to belong to the vast sea. He should get out of this crazy place in California as soon as possible and return to a normal life.

.

"Have you ever thought about being a captain?" Liang Yao looked at the slovenly Sven and said, "I remember you once told me on the Cape Town that a first mate who doesn't want to be a captain is not a good first mate, although you were not even a good first mate at the time.

Neither is the first mate."

"I didn't expect you to remember what I said."

Sven felt a little relieved, and his cloudy eyes couldn't help but shine brightly. Every first mate has a heart to be a captain, and being a captain is his childhood dream.

When he was a child and mending sails for merchant ships with his father, he always had the unrealistic idea that he could be a captain in the future and own and command a large ship to bravely brave the rough ocean.

Sven's background was not good. His father made a living by mending sails. As the number of steam ships increased, his father's work of mending sails became less and less.

As for his mother, she was a prostitute, and he was the accidental product of his father's one-night affair with the prostitute.

This kind of background destined Sven to have a bumpy career path. In this era, the sacred profession of captain, which fascinated him, was still exclusive to aristocratic gentlemen.

First mate is already the ceiling that a low-level pariah like him can reach. His resume in Denmark Asia Company is perfect. His navigation knowledge and skills are better than many captains, but Denmark Asia Company has never considered promoting him to captain.

.

"Of course I remember, you are my first white friend and my only friend on the Cape Town."

Liang Yao wanted to change the demographic structure of California before it was finalized, so that the Chinese would occupy an important position in California.

To achieve this goal, the current immigration rate is far from satisfactory. Although transportation in California is inconvenient, white people still occupy a favorable location. Immigrants to California are far more convenient than the Chinese who are thousands of miles away.

If we have our own shipping company and fleet and open a route from San Francisco directly to the five treaty ports on the eastern coast of China, we can shorten the originally long voyage of three to four months to two months, greatly speeding up the process of immigration.

speed.

Liang Yao had this idea for a long time, but because he had no connections in the navigation industry, he had to put the plan on hold for the time being.

The benefits of owning your own fleet go far beyond this. In the future, bulk commodity transportation transactions will also rely on shipping. Having your own shipping company will not easily be stuck in this regard.

The New York shipping magnate Vanderbilt, who was about to visit California, later used his monopoly on the U.S. rail transportation industry to increase freight rates to put pressure on his competitors, forcing them to submit. Even the future oil tycoon Rockefeller was not immune.

Of course, the ultimate winners in this classic business war were rising stars like Rockefeller and Carnegie.

Rockefeller, who was more far-sighted, acquired an oil pipeline company, took huge risks and boldly adopted pipeline transportation, a technology that was still immature at the time, to transport his oil, and invested huge sums of money to lay oil pipelines to the eastern coast of the United States and the Great Lakes.

The area's industrial zone successfully broke Vanderbilt's monopoly on oil transportation.

Oil flowed to thousands of households in the United States through these pipelines, and wealth also flowed into the pockets of the Rockefeller family through these pipelines, making them another family with outstanding wealth after the Vanderbilt family, and one that could rival the country.

Opportunities tend to favor those who dare to take risks and have vision.

Liang Yao never felt that these wealthy tycoons could stand out from the wild era of rapid industrial advancement in the 19th century because the era made them successful, but that they were the best trendsetters of this era, and they and the era they lived in complemented each other.

"It is more than enough to set up a shipping company with your current financial resources, but although there are several so-called shipyards in San Francisco, they are all very small. The ships they build are not only small, but the quality is also worrying, and the technology is far behind. These small ships

He is not qualified for ocean transportation." Si Wen reminded Liang Yao.

"I don't want to become a big fat man in one bite." Liang Yao also understands this. Advanced large steamships are definitely not available in California. "As long as the two to three hundred tons small ships built by the San Francisco Shipyard

It's enough to be able to go along the coast to Mexico and to the New Granada area."

"Do you want to use these boats to go to these places to purchase supplies directly? This is a good idea." Sven listened in rapt attention, and two lines of clear water snot remained from his nostrils. He sucked hard and then raised his hand.

Wiping away the traces of tears, "It would be great if there was a big ship. The transportation efficiency of a thousand-ton steam ship is as good as several such small ships. It is also safer and less risky."

"Big ships will be available soon. If you are willing to manage this fleet for me, I will be able to get a large steamship in less than two months." Liang Yao knew that Si Wen was obsessed with big ships.

The several shipyards in California are more like small shipyards than shipyards. The ships repaired and spared by these small shipyards can be used to start, but if you want to become bigger and stronger, you still need big ships.

Liang Yao is not trying to make a big deal out of Si Wen. He really has hope of getting a large steam ship of more than 1,000 tons.

Ship king Vanderbilt, who will soon go to California for inspection, is most in need of boats.

Vanderbilt is making a bold move into the railway industry, and a considerable number of transport ships want to be sold for cash. As long as they can negotiate well, Liang Yao can still take over some ships from this shipping king.

"If you put it that way, I am very interested in your establishment of a shipping company." The temptation to lead and manage a fleet alone was too great for Sven, and he could not resist such a temptation.

Liang Yao gave Si Wen too many surprises. Liang Yao boasted that he could get a big ship in Haikou within two months, and Si Wen also thought it was possible.

After all, when he was on the Cape Town, he could never have imagined that a skinny boy who traveled across the ocean to hunt for gold with only eight Spanish silver dollars would become a millionaire in just four months.

"I can solve the problems of the ship, but I can't do anything about the problems of the crew and sailors. As you know, I don't have any connections in the navigation industry." Liang Yao has many things to worry about now, such as recruiting sailors and sailors.

Liang Yao planned to let Siwen solve it by himself.

"Among the gold diggers, there are many sailors who secretly disembarked from the ship to pan for gold after docking. I know them. Like me, they did not make a fortune from gold panning and lived in embarrassment. As long as you have gold, this is not a problem."

The gold diggers in California each have their own small circles. During the four months of gold mining in California, Sven's main job was to hang out in the circles of fugitive sailors and crews.

"In this case, our shipping company can be established and we can sign the contract today."

Liang Yao took a puff of cigarette and put the pipe on the table.

"Sure, but what's the name of this shipping company? California Shipping Company?"

"It's too petty." Liang Yao shook his head, he was not satisfied with this name.

"American Shipping Company? American Shipping Company?" Sven said two more names.

Liang Yao still shook his head and kept saying: "Still stingy."

"Pacific Shipping Company? That's a pretty cool name, isn't it?"

"It's much better than the previous one, but it's still not grand enough. Let's call it Global Shipping Company."

Global Shipping is the name of another shipping king group in later generations.

"Global Shipping Company... is indeed more atmospheric. It's a good name."

After completing the signing, Siwen officially became Liang Yao's senior employee, and his dream for many years became within reach.

"Are you ready to go to war with Brannan? There is no turning back. Brannan's power in California is so great that I couldn't live without him when I was in San Francisco. What did you do?

This choice will have a huge backlash."

Out of good intentions, Sven did not forget to remind Liang Yao that except for the Sacramento area, almost all gold diggers in California lived in the shadow of Brannan. At present, only Liang Yao could break this situation.

"The Public Security Committee has set its sights on Chinese shops in California. They will take action soon. I hope you are fully prepared."

Sven added a judgment based on what he personally saw and heard in San Francisco.

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