Wild North America 1846

American Pacific Cruise Lines is a shipping company specializing in passenger and cargo trade transportation in the Pacific. It has offices in Weihai, Guangzhou, the Spanish colony of Luzon Islands, Manila, the British colony of Hong Kong, and French Vietnam Saigon, and operates customer liner services at designated locations.

A lot of wealth was earned from the prosperous Chinese trade.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Ben Johnson went straight to the point without hesitation and said;

"Dear Lee, I am no stranger to you. From the telegram sent from the headquarters of the South Carolina Steamship Company, I already know that you are a legendary Eastern adventurer.

you may not know

As southern slave states that were traditionally rich in cotton, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and other southern states were not interested in President Polk, who represented the interests of the Northern Union. There was a strong centrifugal force.

And I am one of them, in favor of secession from the United States and the establishment of independent states by the southern states. This is good for all of us.

Since we can't eat at the same table, why not separate?

So, to a certain extent, we have a common enemy and a basis for strengthening cooperation.

The reason why you conveyed our goodwill so candidly is because you were born into an ancient oriental aristocracy and showed enough charisma to move me deeply.

I can tell

These Easterners are very respectful to you. Although I don’t understand what they say, I can tell a lot from their eyes..."

After learning that the American Pacific Cruise Line's home port was in South Carolina, Richard already knew that the Mr. Ben-Johnson in front of him should be a southern slave owner, and he could not urinate in the same pot as those in the north.

This is enough, and we can cooperate boldly with confidence.

If history does not change

Fifteen years later, the unprecedentedly brutal Civil War broke out between the north and the south of the United States. The wars resulted in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, which became a deep wound in the short history of the United States and still leaves a heavy shadow more than 150 years later.

In today's turbulent times, the British brought a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Richard, which made his ambitions rapidly expand and he wanted more...

Since sooner or later we will have to fight the U.S. Confederate Army, then the enemy of our enemy is our friend, and there is nothing wrong with this.

Think of this

The smile on Richard's face became warmer and his attitude became more sincere. After a chat, the two parties were already laughing and talking like old friends and getting along very harmoniously.

Richard calls each other "Ben", while Ben Johnson calls him "Lee", which makes him appear more intimate.

"No... this, the account cannot be calculated like this. Although London did not pay cash to Pacific Cruise Lines, it gave a safety commitment on the Caribbean to North America and the Caribbean to the Philippines Pacific routes. This is for a company operating trans-Pacific passenger and cargo transportation.

For shipping companies, it is more precious than money."

“We get it, dear Lee, those guys in London are paying lip service and the actual benefits are not as great as you think. The expense of acquiring and operating a ship, coupled with the huge risks of transoceanic shipping still costs cruise ships

The company must bear the responsibility, and we must obtain reasonable profits, which is our bottom line."

"As far as I know, the cost of transporting Chinese workers across the Pacific is only US$10, while each of your shipping tickets costs more than US$50."

"Oh my God, this is a lie. This does not take into account the costs and huge risks taken by the shipping company, as well as the operating expenses of our offices in mainland China, and the losses of passengers who lost their lives due to accidents. If these passengers are only provided with the lowest quality

For food and living environment, $10 is indeed enough, but this is the minimum standard."

"Don't forget, Ben, we are discussing a big business of transporting tens of thousands of Chinese workers across the ocean, and this will last for several years or even longer. The Federation's credibility is guaranteed by the London government, and we also have ample financial resources.

To support this large-scale immigration operation, I must see enough sincerity in the price, this will be an unprecedented big business."

"I understand, I understand, dear Li, the cruise line's operating breakeven line is US$30 per passenger, guaranteeing a bed and necessary nutritious meals, and it cannot be lower."

"Ben, have you ever thought about ordering a larger iron-hulled cruise ship that can carry 1,000 or more people at a time? This will greatly reduce the cost per person, and the cruise company can also make reasonable profits."

"You mean the Great Western and the Great Britain?"

"That's right, man."

"During long-term transoceanic transportation, each passenger needs more space for movement. The two ships you mentioned can only carry no more than 600 people at a time, and no more."

Speaking of which

Ben Johnson shook his head, his expression suddenly changed and he said: "Wait a minute, let me think about it.

What you said coincides with the idea of ​​British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He believes;

Larger ships can reduce operating costs and carry the same number of passengers or cargo. Larger ships are more economical. Because small ship transportation requires more ships and voyages, consumes more fuel, and invests more manpower.

It is said that he is designing a ship of more than 10,000 tons. As long as there is sufficient financial support, all this will not be a problem, and the technical problems can be completely solved.

In Brunel's idea, such a giant ship can take on the heavy task of transoceanic transportation, transporting 4,000 passengers at a time, without having to refuel the ship from the UK to Australia.

Oh my gosh! This might be a good practice opportunity.”

"Brunel?" Richard asked with some confusion. He did not know this British designer.

Ben Johnson is a veteran in the shipping industry and he certainly knows more than Richard. He explained; "Brunel is the famous designer who presided over the design and construction of the Great Western and the Great Britain in 1825.

The 396-meter-long river tunnel that runs through the Thames in 2006 is a landmark building designed and built by him and his father, Mark Isambard Brunel. Both father and son are famous British designers."

"Oh...I see, then can you contact this famous designer and put the grand plan into practice?"

"Dear Li, what do you mean..."

"I think this British designer is definitely willing to turn his grand vision into reality, and this will be beneficial to both of us. It can significantly reduce the cost of transoceanic transportation and obtain reasonable profits." Richard looked affirmative.

He nodded, took a sip of coffee, pondered for a moment and then continued;

"Ben, no one's money comes from strong winds. For such a large immigration plan, transportation costs must be taken into consideration.

in the near future

Your company can be mainly engaged in the transportation of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America. In this regard, the Federation has received policy support from London and there will be no problem in its operation.

In the long term

After all, the number of Chinese workers stranded in Central and South America is limited, and it is impossible for them all to immigrate to North America. First of all, the owners of guano mines and plantations will not allow it.

If we want to continue this business for a long time, large cruise ships suitable for trans-Pacific transportation are the best choice, what do you think?"

"I understand and agree with your point of view, but every large cruise ship is worth a lot of money, and the purchase cost is as high as 380,000 or even 400,000 pounds. Not every company can afford such a huge expenditure."

-Although Johnson agreed with Richard's opinion, he still seemed worried.

Without it, the investment amount is simply too large.

One ounce of gold is worth a little more than 4 pounds. It costs about 90,000 to 95,000 ounces of gold to build such a large cruise ship of over 10,000 tons, which is a very astonishing figure.

Richard stared at the frowning Ben Johnson and did not urge him. Instead, he took another sip of coffee leisurely, picked up a piece of plum biscuit on the plate, put it in his mouth and ate it with relish.

This is an arithmetic problem, and it is clear which one is better and which one is worse.

A cruise ship of more than 10,000 tons is worth about US$2 million with an investment of 400,000 pounds (just calculation). This amount of money is enough to build a 3,200-ton U.S. Constitution-class sailing battleship, with 4-layer turrets and more than 120 pieces of equipment.

Large caliber artillery.

Such a large ship can easily carry 4,000 passengers on a trans-Pacific journey. If it is transporting troops, it can carry 10,000 people and thousands of tons of cargo per voyage.

Measuring the cost based on the number of 10,000 immigrants, according to the current quotation of Pacific Cruise Lines, the transportation fee needs to be 300,000 US dollars.

Using giant cruise ships for transoceanic transportation can reduce the transportation cost per passenger to less than 10 US dollars, about 7 to 8 US dollars.

Calculated based on 10,000 immigrants, it only costs US$80,000, which can save US$220,000 compared to sailing cargo ships or medium-sized paddle wheels.

By transporting 4 to 5 voyages a year, millions of dollars can be saved, and the cost of shipbuilding can be recovered in two years.

in the long run

If in another 10 or 15 years, similar cruise ships with a capacity of over 10,000 tons are built, as the construction technology matures, it may only cost half the price.

Then why doesn't Richard wait and want to build a large ocean-going cruise ship of more than 10,000 tons now?

From this perspective, this is no longer an arithmetic problem, but has evolved into a strategic problem.

A strategic issue is whether we can seize the window of strategic opportunity, rapidly expand the population base, allow the Chinese ethnic group to gain a foothold in North America and greatly expand their influence.

After more than ten years, the day lilies are completely cold.

Richard saw that what troubled Ben Johnson was not technical problems, but huge capital investment risks.

So he smiled slightly and said, "Ben, I know what you are worried about, but this is San Francisco. There is endless gold on the American River Beach, and funds are not a problem at all. If you feel embarrassed, why not set up a separate operation?

Where is the company?”

"what do you mean……"

"The Federation or I can take shares and build docks and warehouses in the Bay Area that are large enough to dock giant ships to reduce the risks and costs of operating a new company. Running this company requires your rich experience. You can go back and think about it carefully.

I’m not in a hurry to answer right now.”

"Uh...are you going to hire me?"

"No, the more appropriate word is cooperation. Ben, you can invest part of the funds in the company and be responsible for the specific operations. Everything will be operated by market-oriented means. San Francisco will develop the textile and smelting industries in the future.

, when heading to the Eastern Continent, the giant ships were loaded with cotton cloth and steel products, and when returning, they were loaded with passengers, silk, tea and porcelain. This is a rich transoceanic trade, think about the profits?"

This last sentence deeply moved Ben Johnson.

No matter what position he held on the relationship between the North and the South of the United States, no matter what position he held on the U.S.-Mexican War?

fundamentally

Ben Johnson is an out-and-out businessman whose values ​​are mainly profit. In order to double or even triple the huge profits, he will even take desperate risks and do unbelievable things.

The wonderful prospect that Richard painted quickly made Ben Johnson fall for it.

If all this can really be realized, even if it costs a huge amount of money to build a huge ship, the cost can be recovered in two or three voyages, and the rest will be huge profits.

You know, these are millions of dollars!

Who can not be moved?