Chapter 63

Since there was no unified value standard, it was impossible to establish world trade, even the most primitive barter system. At the very least, an industry standard that all parties in the transaction could recognize and follow had to be established.

Thus, in the new world's trade sector, from the early days of the Golden Broom Dynasty, the first batch of gold coins with completely uniform weight, purity, and design was minted. Production was limited to a few large workshops, and the state was responsible for random quality inspections. The Golden Broom gold coins, which circulated widely, soon became a model and benchmark for later generations. Despite having a longer history of minting coins, the predecessors, who were overly whimsical and lacked a unified standard, had to humble themselves and learn from their juniors after experiencing the pressure of being latecomers.

Whether it was the Yalings, the elves, or the subsequent human dynasties, they all eventually accepted the currency standards of the Golden Broom Dynasty. Each coin weighed about 4.5 grams in the old world, and the gold content was approximately 95%. These gold coins were called universal gold coins and served as the benchmark currency for international trade, just like the universal language, they were hard currency.

Considering the importance of defining transaction standards, when merchants in the new world agreed on a transaction, if not otherwise stated, the payment method was assumed to be settled in Golden Broom gold coins. Payments in other types of silver and gold coins had to be converted according to this standard, following the principle of overpayment or underpayment.

At this moment, after carefully examining the list of goods and samples presented by Luo Zhengdao, the fat merchant broke into a professional, radiant smile. He extended his two chubby fingers, which resembled carrots, and said with effort:

"Fixed price, twenty thousand gold coins."

Before Luo Zhengdao could haggle, the boatswain Zola Hegel's face stretched longer than a donkey's. This unscrupulous merchant was clearly trying to rip them off. He had forgotten that this business was not just Luo Zhengdao's; the boatswain also had a share. Feeling personally aggrieved, Zola snorted coldly and said:

"Hey, are you saying a piece of fine silk is only worth two silver coins? Are you kidding me? Fat pig!"

Undoubtedly, according to the pirates' rules, all spoils of war were shared among everyone, including Zola Hegel's share. Even if Luo Zhengdao accepted the fat merchant's lowball offer, the others would not willingly take a hit.

The fat merchant, who had been too calculating in his price reduction, was taken aback. Seeing Zola Hegel's furious and indignant expression, he realized he had overplayed his hand. He hastily changed his tune:

"Ah! Don't misunderstand, the price is negotiable."

Seeing this, Luo Zhengdao smiled knowingly. He was sure that the strongly stimulated Zola Hegel would help this old friend learn what it means to be clear and fair in business!

When those magnificent and elegant battleships lined up in a single file, charging through the waves under the setting sun against the backdrop of the blue sky and sea, the grand scene was so majestic that just imagining it in one's mind was awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, any military operation required logistical support, and building a navy, in essence, was a money-burning affair!

Troops and supplies were the foundation of war. If a side was at a disadvantage on the battlefield, it could still rely on the wisdom of frontline commanders and the courage of soldiers to make up for it. However, once the army lacked supplies, no matter how outstanding and capable the commander, they could not win the war.

Luo Zhengdao, a seasoned strategy game player in the old world, was well-versed in games like Age of Sail, Civilization series, and Age of Empires. How could he not understand such a simple truth? Although he did not plan to build the pirate fleet to the extent of the old world's white-headed eagle, where American soldiers in the Afghan War had to have their water and hamburgers air-dropped from the homeland, a basic level of support was still necessary. Maintaining a naval fleet was not just about fighting; food, pay, supplies, weapons, ammunition, and even condoms and medicines for treating sexually transmitted diseases, though seemingly unrelated to combat, were all crucial components of military strength.

How many great military leaders did not lose to the enemy in actual combat but ultimately suffered major setbacks due to poor logistics management? One of the most typical negative examples was Napoleon I, the military genius.

The short giant from Corsica lost the Battle of Waterloo, which could be partly attributed to bad luck. However, the Moscow fire during the eastern campaign against the Russians was an inexcusable major failure. After the mysterious Moscow fire, the French army, lacking food and clothing, had to retreat in the snow and freezing cold of minus twenty degrees Celsius. The number of French soldiers who went missing, froze to death, or were killed during the hasty retreat was many times more than those who had launched the offensive. This disastrous winter led to the near-total annihilation of Napoleon's hundreds of thousands of expeditionary forces.

The elite forces of the French Empire, accumulated over many years, were lost in a single day. Most of the veterans who had followed Napoleon in his campaigns were killed in this catastrophic retreat. In the subsequent Battle of Waterloo, the French army could no longer recover these lost elite forces. At that time, most of Napoleon's troops were newly formed, and although they were not lacking in courage, their tactical skills and combat experience were far inferior to their predecessors. The painful defeat at Waterloo was a foregone conclusion, and these examples ultimately verified the saying that an army relies on logistics to win battles. The root of all disasters was poor logistics management.

"Sorry! Please wait a moment, I'm also interested in this deal!"

Just as Luo Zhengdao was lost in thought, a pleasant voice came from the side. The gender-neutral tone reminded him of Brother Chun and Brother Zeng, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

The sudden appearance of this buyer gave Luo Zhengdao goosebumps. The buyer's appearance was quite mysterious, with the body and face hidden under a heavy cloak and hood, just like Luo Zhengdao. Onlookers could only see a smooth, pale chin and lips.

Before Luo Zhengdao could speak, Vena Dubov whispered in his ear:

"...He's an elf!"

Feeling like a rooster whose territory had been invaded, the fat merchant turned around in a rage, grabbed the intruder's collar with both hands, and shouted:

"Hey, kid, don't you know the rules? Do you know who I am? Let me tell you..."

As he spoke, the fat merchant's voice suddenly stopped, and he froze. The seemingly honest but devious fat merchant then widened his eyes and stared intently at the inconspicuous embroidery on the cloak's collar. His teeth began to chatter, and he stammered:

"...The Blood Hand emblem! I'm sorry, please, go ahead."

Hearing this, the mysterious visitor smiled with a mix of disdain and confidence, straightened his slightly wrinkled cloak, and approached Luo Zhengdao, placing a hand on his chest:

"It's an honor to meet you, Count Fuluo."

The uninvited guest, whose true identity was unknown, was courteous. If not for knowing he was an elf, his demeanor would have been more like that of a nobleman than Luo Zhengdao, the穿越者. However, the visitor's warm smile did not receive a positive response. Alerted by Vena Dubov, Luo Zhengdao looked at him warily and said in a rather unfriendly tone:

"Oh, I believe that successful business is based on following the rules, and relying on tricks won't lead to great achievements. Those who abuse privileges will eventually burn themselves. What do you think, sir?"

"Ha ha ha ha, thank you for your advice, but I really need this batch of goods! Please forgive my rudeness. Can we sit down and discuss this business calmly?"

No one in this world is the enemy of money, and this saying holds true in both the old and new worlds. Regardless of Luo Zhengdao's personal feelings, his personal likes and dislikes must give way to practical interests; otherwise, he would be a fool. Therefore, Luo Zhengdao suppressed his displeasure, nodded, and indicated that the other party could continue.

According to ancient legends, in the distant past, the goblin ancestors lived together with the Yalings, elves, and other fairy races, forming the ancient fairy civilization. Later, due to certain events, these fairy races separated and their relationships became as bad as those of mortal enemies. During the First Goblin Empire, they had many unpleasant incidents with their distant relatives, and scholars generally believe that the decline of the First Goblin Empire was closely related to the machinations of the Yalings and elves.

Due to the negative impact of historical grievances, even today, these races cannot avoid emotional factors when dealing with each other. Therefore, the trade of strategic materials like stone pine powder from the Storm Sea and magic pattern cloth from the mainland is not just a commercial issue. Under the table, they often sabotage each other, and harmony is just a dream.

The magic pattern cloth, essential for making warship sails, requires the finest silk from the mainland for further processing. Otherwise, it would produce a bunch of junk suitable only for rags. This top-grade silk, even in the mainland's silk-producing regions, accounts for only about one-tenth of the total raw silk production.

Since the goblin empire controlled the mainland's foreign trade, it strictly limited the export of raw silk, making it even harder to find high-quality long silk suitable for producing magic pattern cloth. Even when exporting finished silk, the goblins restricted the length and width of the fabric, preferring to cut the high-quality long silk into shorter pieces and sell them at a lower price rather than let the opponents acquire the required silk and reprocess it into magic pattern cloth. The Yalings and elves found this issue particularly frustrating, as without the magic pattern cloth, there could be no navy.

Even if the Yalings and elves used the export quota of stone pine powder as a bargaining chip, the goblins refused to budge, making the deadlock almost impossible to break. This led to the special status of Hong Kong, where all parties could meet their needs under tacit agreement, avoiding the need to resort to war.