Chapter 90

"Laogao, your Trade Department needs to find a way to procure these items this month. Our current inventory is running low..." Majia walked briskly into Gao Mo's office with a piece of paper in hand. Then he saw Blan科 and his attendant Carlos sitting opposite Gao Mo, "Oh, Blan科, it's you. Did you lose another battle?"

Blan科 and Carlos had previously delivered several shipments of pig iron and coal to Majia's Ministry of Industry, so Majia recognized them at first glance. Gao Mo gave an awkward smile and did not translate Majia's last sentence. After taking back the paper from Majia and giving it a quick glance, he put it in the drawer and said to Majia, "Alright, the Trade Department will try to procure these items, but I can't guarantee the quantity."

"Just do your best," Majia waved his hand and said, "Oh, right, Blan科, I know Brazil has many plantations. Is your cotton production large?"

Gao Mo quickly translated. Blan科 thought for a moment and replied, "Most of the plantations in Brazil grow high-profit crops like sugar and cocoa. Of course, cotton is also grown, but not in large quantities. I can persuade the plantation owners to sell a certain amount of cotton to you, which is not difficult. However, the Caribbean region, especially Saint-Domingue and its nearby islands, have the largest and most numerous cotton plantations. If your demand is very high, you should contact the suppliers there, but I think it won't be easy."

"That's enough. For now, the production from Brazilian plantations should be sufficient to meet our needs, as the reliability of our equipment is still a bit of an issue," Majia muttered to himself, "Alright, Blan科, Laogao, I'll be off. I need to go to the textile factory to check on the water-powered spinning frames and looms, which have been having problems lately. I'll be off." With that, Majia left the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a hurry.

Inside the textile factory by the Dafish River, a group of穿越者designers from the Ministry of Industry's project team were working with a group of European craftsmen around a water-powered spinning frame. This massive machine was placed next to the river, and it generated power through the water hitting the blades of the water wheel. This power was then transmitted through bearings to other parts such as the drawing mechanism and spindles, enabling the spinning process. The water-powered spinning frame had 30 spindles, meaning it could spin 30 reels of cotton yarn at once, which was dozens of times more efficient than traditional hand spinning, capable of driving the entire hand spinning industry out of business.

Currently, this water-powered spinning frame had been in intermittent production for several months. The project team's designers and the factory's maintenance craftsmen had solved many production issues, and the machine was now approaching perfection.

"The two water-powered spinning frames, one for wool and one for cotton, currently have an average fault-free operation time of about 18 to 24 hours. They have been in continuous operation for 100 days, and the performance has been excellent. The yarn produced is both strong and durable, and relatively fine and smooth, surpassing European hand-made products in quality," Tao Chenxi, the head of the water-powered textile project team and a former factory technician, introduced to Majia.

"What are the main issues with the equipment during operation? Are there any design problems?" Majia asked.

"There are no design problems," Tao Chenxi said confidently, "This is a device I designed based on our current technical level and the principles of modern spinning machines. The technology is roughly equivalent to the 'mule' spinning machine invented by the British during the late 18th century Industrial Revolution. The current issues mainly revolve around the material quality of the components. Many parts are made of pig iron or even wood, and they wear out quickly during continuous operation, requiring frequent shutdowns for replacement. I plan to replace these components with steel parts, which should significantly extend the equipment's lifespan. Sigh, we shouldn't have used these subpar components to save money and time initially."

"Alright then," Majia patted Tao Chenxi on the shoulder, encouraging him, "The textile industry is a highly profitable business in this era, especially cotton spinning. The European upper class is starting to favor light and thin cotton fabrics, and the market share of traditional wool products is declining year by year. The Executive Committee has already designated the military and textile industries as key development areas, and has allocated 1000 yuan for the development of textile machinery. We in the Ministry of Industry cannot lag behind. The election is coming up in December, and this is a good opportunity. Get the equipment ready as soon as possible so the textile factory can start formal production. This will make life better for everyone. By the way, is there any problem with the looms?"

"The looms are fine, the only issue might be insufficient operation," Tao Chenxi joked.

"Hehe, don't mess around with me," Majia laughed, "Currently, the supply of wool is not very abundant. There are many cattle farmers in La Plata, but relatively fewer sheep farmers, making it difficult to acquire wool. So, before our own sheep herds grow, we should focus on developing the cotton spinning industry."

"But the cotton spinning industry also has many difficulties," Tao Chenxi reminded him, "At least there are some wool supplies in La Plata, but if you want to acquire cotton, you'll have to go to the plantations in Brazil or the Caribbean islands. We only have a few ships, and they are already busy transporting supplies and building materials between Zhenhai Fort and Eastern Harbor. Not to mention, Brazil is in turmoil, and the Caribbean is mostly under Spanish control. It's not easy to get them to sell you cotton. In short, it's all very difficult."

"Stop complaining," Majia scolded, "Don't worry about these trivial matters. Focus on getting the equipment issues resolved. It's already the 26th, give me a clear answer: how long will it take to finalize the spinning frames and looms? Can you get it done by the end of the month?"

"Try my best," Tao Chenxi couldn't make a definite promise. There was no way around it; the穿越者lacked talent. Developing a water-powered spinning frame and loom was already difficult, and this was with some technical foundation. If they had to tackle something completely unfamiliar like a steam engine, they would probably have to give up.

"Damn!" Majia cursed, slapping Tao Chenxi's back hard, making him wince. "I don't care about all this. If you don't resolve all the issues by the end of the month, just wait and see what I'll do to you!"

"You're going to kill me," Tao Chenxi looked at Majia with a "grievance," "Why are you in such a hurry? Is it just for the Executive Committee election? Come on, Majia, to be honest, no one can shake your position, really!"

"Slap!" Majia slapped Tao Chenxi's back again, scolding, "Am I that kind of person?"

Tao Chenxi rubbed his shoulder, looking at him without speaking, but his eyes clearly said, "Yes, you are."

Majia laughed, "Alright, let's get serious. I'll tell you the truth, you'll know next month anyway. It's all about money. Do you know how much we have left? As of November 25, 1633, which was yesterday, the Republic of East China's treasury has a balance of 39,667 yuan (with a 200,000 yuan loan from the East China Company still outstanding), and the East China Company's finance department has a balance of 147,905 yuan. Together, we have just over 180,000 yuan. This is our current financial situation. At our current spending rate, we won't last more than half a year next year. The Ministry of Finance has told me that the budget can't be sustained, mainly due to the large fiscal deficit. The monthly deficit is over 10,000 yuan, and the current funds won't last for more than a few months. Now you understand, the sooner the textile machinery is finalized, the sooner our textile factory can start production and export cotton and wool products. The domestic market, La Plata, Brazil, and even Chile and Peru, with a population of one to two million, is a huge market. Why should the British have all the profits? The British export over 100,000 pieces of wool annually and re-export hundreds of thousands of pieces of cotton from India, generating huge profits that fuel their industry, nurture their bourgeoisie, and support their navy. We need to take a big bite out of this fat piece of meat. First, we need to secure the domestic and La Plata markets, and then we can expand. We haven't even fully secured the domestic market, and British goods are still prevalent. This is because we don't have enough production capacity! Alright, I won't give you a political lecture. You understand the importance, and we need to work hard. Tao, the textile industry is the foundation of our cause, so let's work hard."

"Alright, if you put it that way, what else can I say? Let's do it!" Tao Chenxi said enthusiastically, "From today on, I won't go home. I'll sleep in the workshop. The spinning frames and looms don't have major issues, so it won't take long. Next, we'll tackle the cotton gin! The current manual ginning is too inefficient. It not only consumes a lot of labor but also hinders the production efficiency of the subsequent machinery, limiting our production capacity."

"Alright, that's the spirit!" Majia smiled, "I'll wait for your good news. I won't keep you, I'll go to the Ministry of Finance to see if I can get some more funding for you."

"That's great!" Tao Chenxi laughed, "Go quickly, and don't come back unless you get more than 1000 yuan in funding."

① Ginning mainly refers to the removal of cotton seeds from raw cotton. Raw cotton is called seed cotton, and after processing to remove the seeds, it is called lint cotton.

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