Above the mage!

Chapter 568 Industrial Transfer
"The fragrance of flowers attracts bees, but the flowers should also remember to thank the bees."

Because no matter what, the other party has given you tremendous help.

Gaode sat in the cabin of the airship bound for Auckland, surrounded by many New Year's gifts packed up.

With a foreseeable busy schedule for next year, he seized the opportunity, taking advantage of the gap before the assessment results were released, to travel from Dorn to Oakland by airship.

There were far too many nobles in Auckland who had shown him goodwill (by sending gifts), and he could not possibly visit them all one by one.

But it doesn't matter.

He retrieved the original list of friends (gift-giving list), wrapped the New Year's gifts, attached a handwritten greeting card, and then had his servants deliver them one by one according to the list.

This is a "basic operation" that conforms to social etiquette, which maintains good relationships and avoids the hassle of visiting each person individually.

As for Lord Roland, the city lord, and Theodore, the chief mage of Auckland, they cannot be treated so "casually."

Gao De specifically chose a suitable time, namely the prime time for a formal visit, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Of course, he wasn't just making a simple visit; he went with a slightly ulterior motive:

The Harland shipyard, currently located in Lagos, will be legally and compliantly relocated to Auckland.

This plan had been in the works ever since he received the title of Honorary Mage of Auckland.

But in practice, you'll find it's not that easy.

The transfer itself is not difficult; the key is to make it reasonable and compliant, and to use this transfer to naturally place his name on the "shareholder" list of Harland shipyard.

For professional matters, it's best to leave them to professionals.

Therefore, Gao De decisively chose to consult Count Roland.

“I once co-owned a small shipyard in Lagos, but due to a conflict with the local nobles during a mission in the Marco district, I had to keep this relationship a secret. However, the truth can't stay hidden forever, and given that I'm based in Auckland, I'd like to move the shipyard from Lagos to Auckland. But I'm not sure how to do it. What do you think is the most appropriate course of action?”

Gaode recounted the entire story in almost every detail.

As the lord of Auckland, the Earl of Roland was naturally adept at handling such matters.

After Gao Degang finished explaining the situation, he had already come up with a solution without even thinking about it.

"This is not difficult; the key is to go with the flow."

“Sneaking it away is definitely not an option, as it would give others ammunition to criticize us; and forcibly confronting the nobles of Lagos would be even more counterproductive. The best approach is to use a push and pull strategy to get Lagos to move the shipyard to Auckland on its own initiative,” Earl Roland said leisurely.

Gao De's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this: This was exactly the way he wanted to do it, perfectly in line with his principle of keeping a low profile.

He immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said without hesitation, "Please explain in detail, Your Excellency."

Count Roland did not hold back his words because the shipyard matter seemed insignificant to him; instead, he went straight to the point, explaining the details and intricacies to Gao De:

"First, spread the word through Harland Shipyard's agent in Lagos. The message should mainly mention rising costs, poor order situation, fierce competition, and meager profits. Then, selectively complain to the management officials in charge of your shipyard about the operating difficulties and apply for policy support or subsidies."

"Obviously, you are unlikely to receive this policy support."

Gao De nodded.

If the officials in Lagos were so accommodating, the century-old Harland shipyard wouldn't have been reduced to the brink of bankruptcy and forced to be sold.

“If you have your agent try to contact them a few more times after being rejected, eventually those officials will think that this shipyard is a white elephant, not particularly outstanding in terms of tax revenue and jobs, but extremely troublesome.”

"That's pushing."

"Then, I used the reason that the Megi cyclone caused too many ships and shipyards to be severely damaged and that the production capacity was insufficient to introduce preferential policies for shipyards, including land concessions and tax breaks."

"In fact, this is the truth, and I am really prepared to do it. I have even gone through the process twice already."

"It was quite a coincidence."

"This policy undoubtedly provides an incredibly strong, public, and compliant reason for the relocation of shipyards." "That's the point."

Gao De suddenly felt enlightened.

This push and pull was both compliant and natural, showing no trace of deliberate arrangement.

"It's not over yet."

Count Roland added, “To get the officials in Lagos to give up completely, you need to add fuel to the fire by finding a reliable third party to file a lawsuit against Harland Shipyard for an old debt. The amount of the debt doesn’t need to be too large, just enough to put the shipyard’s cash flow in a tight spot.”

"As a result, in the eyes of Lagos officials, Harland Shipyard became a substandard industry on the verge of bankruptcy."

"Then, you can find a nobleman or merchant group in Auckland with whom you have a good relationship and express your intention to acquire Harland Shipyard."

"This kind of transaction will only make the officials of Lagos think that the city's nobles are taking advantage of the city's preferential policies and want to buy up the struggling shipyards at low prices to enjoy the benefits of the policies."

"Under these circumstances, they have no reason to hinder this acquisition."

"Once the shipyard moves here, it will be transferred to you under the guise of a donation, so that you can appear openly on the shipyard's management list."

"Thank you very much, Lord City Lord." After hearing all the details, Gao De sincerely expressed his gratitude.

He once again felt the capabilities of these people in high positions.

The Earl of Roland's proposal was, to say the least, brilliant and flawless.

But his strength lies in providing a solution immediately after he raised the question, and it is a feasible and practical solution that aligns with the rules and people's sentiments.

It was as if this was no problem for Count Roland at all, but as casual as eating and drinking.

"It's just a little effort."

Earl Roland smiled and waved his hand, "Auckland does indeed need to bring in a shipyard. Moving your shipyard here would be a good thing for us as well, a win-win situation."

Of course, that's just a polite way of putting it.

How much value can a shipyard worth just over ten thousand goldbird coins be to Auckland?
But those words just sound nice.

Gao De stood up, bowed, and expressed his gratitude again.

……

After bidding farewell to the Earl's mansion, Gaudí immediately wrote a letter and sent it to Lagos.

In the letter, he explained to Dr. Danica in detail his plans and schedule for the future, as well as what he needed her cooperation in doing.

As for the handshake in Auckland, after thinking about it, he finally decided to ask Adrian for help.

The Adrian family's business is in the gold trade, which involves various investments, making this the most logical thing to do.

Moreover, Adrian was the first nobleman in Auckland to extend a friendly gesture to him.

Strictly speaking, God could also be considered Adrian's savior, and it would seem more reasonable for him to transfer the shipyard to God afterward.

When Adrian heard that it was about Gao De, he agreed without any hesitation.

Once both sides are settled, Gaode doesn't need to worry too much about the rest; they can simply wait for things to proceed as planned.

He then turned around and, carrying New Year's gifts, went to visit the monk Theodore.

This was the last thing on this trip to Auckland.

After visiting Theodore, he only needs to return to Dorne and await the Sea Sentinels' year-end evaluation.

(End of this chapter)