Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Now Liu Ye no longer has to worry about having no one to support him. Guo Songtao and Zhang Chunping are both talented people who can apply their knowledge to the country. Zhu Hai, Ding Ruchang and others can all handle military affairs on their own. Liu Ye finally got out of the complicated official duties and began to outline his future plans.

Especially with the addition of Zhang Chunping, this guy is not only arrogant but also full of talent. He is definitely the top talent of this era, and is not far behind Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang in the south!

Li Junfeng finally prepared a detailed proposal for the construction of Qingdao Port and submitted it.

Liu Ye carefully looked at the Qingdao Port plan, which was detailed and complete. Li Junfeng even calculated the approximate cost. As for the source of funds, he even proposed for the first time to borrow money from wealthy private businessmen or invest in them to solve the financial difficulties.

Liu Ye put the proposal aside with satisfaction. Although this plan still had many imperfections, it was already quite difficult for Li Junfeng. After all, he could not escape the influence of this era on him.

Liu Ye smiled and said, "Boshan, this is a good plan. Did you come up with it alone?"

Li Junfeng's face flushed as he replied, "Sir, to be honest, I consulted Chunping before writing this plan. He was especially helpful with the funding issue. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to come up with this solution on my own."

Liu Ye sighed and said, "Boshan, this isn't your fault. Even a good cook can't cook without rice. It's really difficult for me to solve this problem. It seems that Chunping is the one who has the idea. Private lending, or private equity investment? This guy is really bold! Chunping! Come in!"

Zhang Chunping, who was in the next room, heard the governor calling him and hurried over, saying, "Sir!"

Liu Ye asked, "Chunping, I heard that this case was worked out by the two of you?"

Zhang Chunping replied, "It was my cousin who did it. I just reminded him a few words."

Liu Ye asked, "Since you want private investors, how can they do that? How can you guarantee that the huge amount of money invested by wealthy businessmen can be recouped? Since they've invested money, how can they participate? Also, Shandong isn't very wealthy right now, not like Jiangsu or Zhejiang. Where would so many wealthy businessmen come from to invest so much money in this huge project? You know, it'll take at least three years for this project to show results!"

Zhang Chunping said solemnly, "Sir, The Wealth of Nations mentions a form of business called a company. Several people invest in a business by subscribing to shares, and then appoint relevant personnel to manage it. Everyone participates in the decision-making of the business. The company's profits are used to fund subsequent investments, and dividends are distributed according to the investment ratio. I think we can also set up such an industry, operate it as a company, and then raise shares from wealthy merchants in the name of the government. The more you invest, the more you earn, and the less you invest, the less you earn. As for the problem of the lack of wealthy merchants in Shandong, I think we can let some wealthy merchants subscribe to various materials at the estimated price. In this way, their goods can be sold quickly, and the capital investment can be reduced. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone?"

Genius! This guy must be a genius!

Liu Ye couldn't help but marvel in his heart. He was indeed worthy of being someone who had read The Wealth of Nations. He couldn't confirm his military talent at the moment, but his political talent was absolutely amazing! This was a ready-made managerial talent. In the future, his coal mines and iron mines could be handed over to him!

Unexpectedly, Liu Ye thought of two business geniuses in the late Qing Dynasty - Qiao Zhiyong and Sheng Xuanhuai. He wondered if Zhang Chunping would be able to compete with these two in business in a few years!

Liu Ye laughed and said, "Okay, since you two have almost finished the plan, let's get started. Well, setting up a company is a good idea. Boshan, go find Brother Bochen and ask him to invest 100,000 taels of silver in the name of the Provincial Government as start-up capital, and then raise funds from the business and industrial circles. I will also personally invest 100,000 taels of silver. Tell Brother Bochen that since this seaport is a public-private partnership, everything should be done according to business rules. Officials are not allowed to oppress the people. The rules of government-run factories and mines are absolutely not allowed to be used in this company. All the articles of association should be drafted by the three of you! Only when those wealthy businessmen see the huge benefits will they invest real money!"

Li Junfeng was delighted. It seemed that the governor had agreed to this plan. As long as he nodded, it would be easy to talk to the governor!

Li Junfeng was extremely excited. Once the seaport was built, regardless of the impact it would have on his own future, the economic benefits it would bring to the local area would last for hundreds or even thousands of years!

Li Junfeng continued, "Sir, since you said the other day that you would first establish special zones in Dengzhou and Laizhou to offer tax exemptions to all merchants who come here to invest and build factories, do you think we should start right away and inform the governments of all places? That way, we can get started as quickly as possible."

Liu Ye nodded and said, "This matter is within your Dengzhou Prefecture. You can make the decision on your own without asking me for instructions. Chunping, I have an idea that I'd like you to consider. What do you think?"

Zhang Chunping was startled and asked, "Sir, what are your thoughts?"

Liu Ye stood up and said, "Chunping, I want to build a large coal mine in Yanzhou and a large steel plant in Laiyang. I've even asked the American Minister John Warren to select the equipment for me in advance, but the person in charge hasn't been chosen yet. I don't have any talented people. You're the only one under me who understands business management. So, I want to entrust the management of these two mines to you. You will be the general manager of these two mines in the future!"

Zhang Chunping was overjoyed. A coal mine and a steel plant, these two projects, considering how much Liu Ye valued them, he would definitely not be so serious without an investment of more than three million taels of silver. If such a big undertaking was handed over to him, how much would the governor rely on him?

Liu Ye continued, "Don't be too happy. These two factories and mines are purely my personal business, which means they are all my personal investment. He has no official title, and you are just my butler. What do you think? Are you still interested?"