When he heard that Pu Xiangdong asked for half of the operating rights of the Guangdong railway tracks, Wu Shigao's first thought was that this guy was crazy.

It’s only 30 million taels of silver. Once the Guangdong railway tracks are opened, with Guangdong’s economic size and development speed, it will be able to create an economic value no less than this number in up to ten years.

In other words, every year after ten years, Pu Xiangdong can lie down and suck millions of taels of fresh blood from Guangdong!

No matter how close Wu Shigao is to capital, he still knows that if he agrees, he will be betraying his country!

"Xiangdong, are you kidding me?"

Picking up the tea cup and covering half of his face, Wu Shigao tried his best to control his tone and maintain his basic status as a politician.

Pu Xiangdong smiled and said: "Fantai, I am a businessman, and the money I spend must be rewarded, right?"

"Don't think about the management rights." Wu Shigao refused directly: "In the letter between the king and you, he only said that you are welcome to invest in the track, but did not say that he would give you the management rights."

"Does Fantai mean that he doesn't even listen to the king?"

Wu Shigao laughed directly and waved his hand: "You don't need to put such a big label of disobedience on me. I, Wu Shigao, don't dare to wear it. If the king expressly agrees, don't say half, I will give it to you.

But the king didn't say, I can't listen to your one-sided speculation, twenty years, all the income from the Guangdong Railway will belong to you in twenty years, and we will take it back after twenty years.

You know the situation in Guangdong. Twenty years is enough for you to make a lot of money from here. At least, you can get more than twice the return."

Pu Xiangdong shook his head directly: "The return is doubled in twenty years, and the annual profit is less than 5%. Which businessman would do such a business."

Twenty years, twice the return. At first glance, this is not 10% profit every year, but if calculated according to the compound annual ratio, the return rate is indeed only about 5%.

"This kind of return is long-term and stable and cannot be generalized."

"I want thirty years."

Wu Shigao looked directly at Pu Xiangdong and laughed.

Sure enough, the management rights mentioned by the latter before were just a cover to ask for exorbitant prices, and the purpose was just for the purpose of bargaining later.

Thirty million taels of silver can be obtained in Guangdong by squeezing, but the real value is Pu Xiangdong's two hundred thousand slaves who can use it however they want.

No wages, no need to worry about life or death.

The efficiency of slaves is more than twice that of workers, and the cost is only 10% of workers.

"Okay, thirty years will be thirty years."

Wu Shigao was too lazy to bargain any more and nodded his agreement readily.

"As for liberalizing supervision and investment, we in Guangdong have always welcomed you. The more you make, the more we make. It's a win-win cooperation, so don't worry."

Wu Shigao stood up and escorted Pu Xiangdong to the outside of the class room. He stood and said in a warning tone: "It's just a matter of three things. Just accept many things when they are good. You can earn money steadily. Don't always cause trouble for us in Guangdong."

The latter raised his eyebrows and walked away without saying a word.

Not long after sending Pu Xiangdong away, Chen Jiading came over and asked straight to the point.

"Xiaoguan heard that Pu Xiangdong came to Guangdong. This guy doesn't go to the Three Treasures Hall for anything. What is he thinking about when he comes this time?"

"rail."

Chen Jiading had just taken the tea cup and trembled when he heard this: "Railway? What does he want to do?"

"Give us 200,000 slave laborers in Guangdong, 30 million taels of silver, and half of the operating rights after the railway tracks are completed."

"What a fucking dream!" Chen Jiading cursed directly: "You didn't agree, did you?"

Wu Shigao frowned slightly and looked at Chen Jiading: "Do you think I will agree?"

The latter quickly apologized: "This official is reckless, and the lord must not worry about it."

"To cede the management rights of the railway tracks to foreigners would not be considered treason, and there is absolutely no possibility that I will agree to it."

Wu Shigao's words made Chen Jiading breathe a sigh of relief.

"However, I agree to give him the proceeds from the railway tracks for the next thirty years."

"Thirty years..." Chen Jiading pondered for a while, then nodded: "This is quite reasonable."

"The Department of Engineering and Construction has already produced the first phase draft of the railway track project."

Wu Shigao found a question book from his huge desk and put it in front of Chen Jiading, and said while the latter was reading it.

"In the first phase, eight railway tracks will be laid in Guangzhou city at the same time, one from Guangzhou to Dongguan and one from Guangzhou to Xin'an. The two counties will also lay tracks connecting Guangzhou Port. It is expected that the total length of the twelve railway tracks will reach 2,660 Hundreds of miles.

The value of the raw materials used in this phase of the project alone is 2.34 million taels. By the time it is laid, it will cost nearly 4 million taels without labor.

If we want to cover the whole province and connect all parts of Guangdong, we have to do it together with the road construction project. Thirty million taels are not enough at all. We estimate that we have to raise twenty to thirty million."

Chen Jiading nodded frequently. He could roughly calculate this economic account in his mind, so he knew that Wu Shigao's words were without any water.

"What I want to do is to complete this project within three to five years so that the people of Guangdong can live a good life as soon as possible."

Chen Jiading said: "Once this matter is completed, Fantai will make great achievements for our Guangdong."

"We can't talk about great achievements. Serving as an official and benefiting one party is just a matter of duty."

Wu Shigao waved his hand with a smile and said: "By the way, Pu Xiangdong has another condition, which is to let us relax the control on their Arab trading houses. According to his wishes, they seem to be planning to increase their business in Guangdong."

“Relax foreign investment controls?”

Chen Jiading frowned again: "Fantai, in the past few years, there have been more and more Arabs in Guangzhou. Pu Gengshou's history provides lessons..."

"This time is not the other time." Wu Shigao interrupted directly: "We, the Ming Dynasty, are not the Zhao and Song Dynasties. In terms of national power, our Ming Dynasty is already far richer than the Tang and Song Dynasties. In terms of national prestige, our Ming Dynasty is invincible.

It is impossible for Pu Xiangdong to be the second Pu Gengshou. We can hold him up to the sky and slap him to death with a flip of our palms."

Chen Jiading nodded, but sighed in his heart.

Hope so.

Today's Ming Dynasty seems to be blinded by the huge prosperity from top to bottom, which is a bit like the Tang Xuanzong's Kaiyuan prosperity. Of course, the Ming Dynasty has already been many times more powerful than the Kaiyuan prosperity.

What worries Chen Jiading even more is whether Chen Yunfu will be the second Tang Minghuang?

From the current point of view, Chen Yunfu is too indulgent towards the Arab capital represented by Pu Xiangdong.

This is so similar to when Li Longji indulged An Lushan!

So, will Pu Xiangdong become the second An Lushan?
Chapter completed!