Chapter 10

The room was silent. Finally, Liu Shu broke the tranquility of the entire room with a deep voice, "Cotton cloth and cotton yarn, isn't this investment a bit too large?"

"So, we need to bring more people in. 9,000 acres, if we use our method to grow cotton, the yield per acre should exceed one dan of lint cotton, which shouldn't be a problem. With such a large quantity, it won't be easy to sell. But what if we turn it into cotton cloth and cotton yarn?"

"You mean!" Yang Yue's eyes lit up. As a student who studied in the United States, specializing in cotton, he knew very well the difference between simply selling cotton and selling finished products like gauze, gray cloth, and even finished cloth. From spinning, weaving, to dyeing, each step represented huge profits. This was no small business.

"This land, according to your plan, is to be leased at one yuan per three acres, which would be 3,000 yuan in expenses. Can we consider this as 15% of the investment?"

"Fifteen percent, based on the current amount, is reasonable!" Liu Shu nodded. Shareholding in land was unprecedented in Baotou. The landlords preferred to collect rent. They had intended to object, but thinking of the final profit, neither Liu Shu nor Yang Yue spoke.

"My technology, I can contribute 10%."

By contributing 10%, it meant that the technology only accounted for 5%. This was a significant concession. After all, the core of the entire cotton cultivation project rested on Yang Yuanzhao. Liu Shu and Yang Yue exchanged glances, and Yang Yue laughed, "Yuanzhao is indeed straightforward. Let's do it this way!"

Yang Yuanzhao breathed a sigh of relief. Coming to the unfamiliar Baotou, his goal was to accumulate strength as quickly as possible. Whether it was the Baotou Chamber of Commerce, the four major families, or local families like the Wu and Zhao, he needed to win their support. As for making money, light industry could indeed make money, but relying on his own efforts alone, what could he do? The "Chinese Ruhr" was a heavy industrial Ruhr, producing steel, alloys, and machinery. Light industry was just a means to make money. With the support of gold mines and integrated machines, money was no longer an issue. Next, he needed to expand, and one person's strength was always insufficient. He needed to rally a group of like-minded people. Yang Yue and Liu Shu were outstanding representatives of old China, one a student who studied in the United States with broad horizons, and the other an early businessman with extensive experience. With their strong backgrounds, they were almost perfect partners.

The discussion began to expand. Under Yang Yuanzhao's leadership, new regulations were established. The total investment increased from 20,000 yuan to 30,000 yuan. The land was uniformly valued at one yuan per three acres, with Yang Yuanzhao's technology valued at 500 yuan. He then invested another 10,500 yuan, taking 40% of the shares. Yang Yue and Liu Shu together took 30%, and the remaining 9,000 yuan was to be raised from external investors.

Yang Yuanzhao drafted the business plan, using a modern format. It covered investment, historical data on American cotton, the use of fertilizers, and particularly emphasized organic fertilizers, which even Yang Yue had not explored. When manure was mentioned, everyone understood the organic components of urea in artificial manure.

Baotou, with its vast land and sparse population, saw manure from humans and livestock as highly sought after, especially for vegetable cultivation. The ability to artificially produce urea made it a true "king of fertilizers."

Yang Yuanzhao's plan was straightforward and clear, even for those not particularly familiar with the industry. With Liu Shu's business acumen to fill in the gaps and Yang Yue's agricultural expertise to supplement the data, the plan was truly a perfect match.

The three of them discussed more and more enthusiastically, and by around 10 PM, every detail was settled. The land and merchant shares were entrusted to Liu Shu and Yang Yue, who were well-connected in the area. Yang Yuanzhao required as much land and as many merchants as possible.

By this point, Liu Shu and Yang Yue had no doubts about Yang Yuanzhao. In the entire plan, Yang Yuanzhao's investment was substantial, more than what he and Yang Yue combined could match. As the primary provider of technology, he only took 500 yuan in technical investment, which was a small amount in a 30,000 yuan project. This completely dispelled any suspicion of fraud. The plan detailed the formation of a company, with initial shareholders depositing funds into a company account, which would be held by a trusted bank. Withdrawals would require the approval of the company's board of directors, the accountant, and the cashier, and must be for a specific project, effectively eliminating the possibility of fraud.

Yang Yue, a student who studied in the United States, and Liu Shu, a scholar who had worked in the chamber of commerce for many years, were not easily deceived. After the plan was basically agreed upon, Liu Shu guaranteed that he would complete the land and share-raising tasks within a week. Then, Yang Yuanzhao and Yang Yue could set out for Shanghai.

Yang Yuanzhao was also satisfied. Seven days would be enough for his second-level unlock, with about 5 kilograms of gold and over 700 silver dollars, equivalent to about 2,500 silver dollars. Adding to his previous funds, he would have 3,000 silver dollars, which was sufficient for the initial capital. Upgrading to level three would increase his processing capacity by eight times, and the journey to Shanghai would take about a week.

Yang Yuanzhao had inquired about the route. When he returned from the United States, he disembarked in Tianjin, took the Tianjin-Yulü railway to Shanhaiguan, then the Beijing-Hankou line to Shijiazhuang, and the Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan line to Taiyuan, with three transfers, covering a short distance but taking nearly three days.

To go to Shanghai, they would first travel from Baotou to Taiyuan, a distance of about 400-500 kilometers, which would take at least three days by horse caravan. Fortunately, both the Liu and Yang families were powerful, so there was little risk along the way. After reaching Taiyuan, they would transfer to the Luoyang-Hankou line, which would take about four to five days, then take a boat from Hankou to Nanjing, another one or two days, and finally, the Shanghai-Nanjing line, which would take a day.

In total, even with good luck, it would take 7-10 days, with four to five transfers, making the journey quite arduous.

Yang Yuanzhao smiled bitterly. Traveling in the late Qing Dynasty was no easy task. He had read online that Bing Xin took four days to travel from Beijing to Shanghai. Baotou, being inland, faced significant transportation constraints. Fortunately, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway, which would open next year, could improve transportation from Baotou to Zhangjiakou, and even to Beijing, Hankou, and Shanghai, highlighting the importance of railways.

This was something to consider in the future. China needed railways, which was an undeniable fact. Without heavy industry, the Hanyang Iron Works was almost a joke. If it weren't for Zhang Zhidong's strong influence, the Luoyang-Hankou railway wouldn't have used its steel, which was of poor quality. Therefore, the Luoyang-Hankou railway was one of the slower railways. If not for the desire to closely examine the Hanyang Iron Works and the entire Chinese industry, he probably wouldn't have taken the train.

In the following days, Yang Yuanzhao's preparations were relatively smooth. The initial groundwork was complete, and he could wait patiently, with a daily income of 2,500 silver dollars.

Sure enough, three days later, good news arrived. The Zhao and Wu families agreed to invest, not with cash but with 2,100 acres of land. Additionally, Yang Yue found Wei Ming and Wei Wenju from the Wei family. Wei Ming, like Yang Yue, was a rising star among the four major families, currently responsible for the Wei family's business in Baotou. The Wei family's money exchange business had become a large-scale exchange with assets in the millions. As a young leader, Wei Ming's ability to become the manager of the Wei family's exchange was a testament to his capabilities.

The Yang family excelled in freight and trade, while the Wei family excelled in money exchange. For Yang Yuanzhao to establish himself in Baotou, the support of a money exchange was normal. However, the Wei family's share was slightly smaller. Nevertheless, winning the support of three of the four major families in Baotou was a significant achievement for Yang Yuanzhao. With such profitable industries, he had no trouble rallying more people.