Chapter 413 [Factory Construction Plan]

Enamel is still very popular in China. It began to be imported into China during the Guangxu period. It was mainly manufactured in Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is a relatively high-end commodity for daily use.

During the First World War, Japan took the opportunity to squeeze the market share of Germany and Austria, dumping a large number of enamel products to China, and monopolized the Chinese enamel market within a few years. Just five or six years ago, several Chinese enamel companies appeared in Shanghai, which slightly revitalized the national industry.

At the beginning, Chinese enamel companies had a hard time surviving, and even glaze powder had to be imported from Japan.

However, with the boycott of foreign goods over the years, China's enamel industry has gained opportunities for development. Today, the products of Zhufeng, Yifeng, Zhonghua and Zhaofeng factories in Shanghai can barely compete with Japanese products, successfully breaking the monopoly of Japanese enamel in China.

The Nanjing National Government is still very powerful. Just after the tariff was established, it ordered to increase the import tax on enamel products from 5% to 12.5% ​​to limit the import of foreign enamel products.

In addition, the market for enamel products is well developed in the southeast coast, and many ordinary families also have enamel spittoons, cups, rice bowls and other items. But in the north, south, northeast, northwest and southwest regions, it is relatively rare. In Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Shanxi and other places, most people don't know what enamel is.

The market potential is huge!

Not only can you make a lot of money, but you can also compete with Japanese products in the market. It is best to completely squeeze Japanese enamel products out of China, and make Japan, which is in economic crisis, even worse.

Although Zhang Mouzhi was puzzled by Zhou Hexuan's insistence on building the enamel factory in Chongqing, he didn't ask too much. He now trusts his son-in-law very much.

After all the machines were moved to the temporarily leased warehouse and several American engineers were settled, Zhang Mouzhi returned home with his daughter and son-in-law. After he saw Meng Xiaodong, Liao Yaquan, Wanrong, Cui Huifu and other women, his complexion was a little ugly, because Zhou Hexuan had too many women.

But that's all. It was normal for three wives and four concubines during the Republic of China. Zhang Mouzhi, as a father-in-law, could at most remind him a few words.

For example, Zhang Mouzhi himself found a mistress in the United States last year, and the American girl was only 15 years old! This old man is good at playing.

"My son-in-law," Zhang Mouzhi said with a smile, "I received a telegram from the far west in the United States, and he has been appointed as the mayor of Jiujiang. Thanks to my son-in-law, he spoke well in front of Commander-in-Chief Jiang."

Zhou Hexuan said: "I just mentioned it in passing."

In the past two years, Zhang Mouzhi has been proud of his success. His eldest son became a student of a top French architect, his second son became the mayor of Jiujiang, and his third son was sent to the United States to take care of the condom industry. The strength of the Zhang family can be described as It's booming.

All of this is thanks to his son-in-law. Zhang Mouzhi now looks at Zhou Hexuan more and more pleasing to the eye, and is very proud of his vision of picking his son-in-law.

After talking about family affairs for a while, Zhang Mouzhi began to talk about the construction of the enamel factory: "My son-in-law, I heard that Sichuan has been fighting. If we build the factory in Chongqing, will it be affected?"

"There is no need to worry about this," Zhou Hexuan said. "I have already sent people to inquire. The current mayor of Chongqing is called Pan Wenhua, and he is a very capable person. He is building Chongqing on a large scale, opening factories, building power stations, and engaging in education. He wants to Help Liu Xiang build Chongqing into the No. 1 city in Southwest China. We build our factory in Chongqing, so we don’t need to worry about politics at all. Pan Wenhua is hoping that someone will invest in setting up a factory. It’s just that the transportation of raw materials is a bit difficult, and some raw materials have to be purchased from Tianjin. Glaze powder It needs to be purchased from Shanghai, which greatly increases the production cost."

Zhang Mouzhi said euphemistically: "Actually, I think it is safer to build the factory in Jiujiang, and the transportation of raw materials is much more convenient."

Zhang Mouzhi still wants to build his hometown, and his second son has become the mayor of Jiujiang. If he sets up a factory in Jiujiang, he can get unlimited convenience.

"Father, you will know in a few years why I set up the factory in Chongqing." Zhou Hexuan couldn't explain much.

Zhang Mouzhi sighed and said, "Well, then it's up to you, anyway, you have more vision than me."

Zhou Hexuan said with a smile: "Actually, the difficulty in transporting raw materials can be solved gradually. The factory in Shanghai can produce its own glaze powder, why can't we? Then just set up a few more supporting upstream factories."

In fact, Zhou Hexuan wanted to build an arsenal in Chongqing to provide ordnance and supplies for the future war of resistance.

But the arsenal is not something that ordinary people can do. Even if Liu Xiang doesn't get involved now, and Chongqing becomes the accompanying capital in the future, Lao Jiang will requisition the arsenal.

Zhang Mouzhi said: "I have let my third son (Zhang Yuannan) take over the factory in the United States. He has done a good job, but he is a little lacking in experience. The enamel factory in Chongqing was built by me alone, or you and me. I go with you?"

"Let's go together, I'll take care of the official troubles," Zhou Hexuan said, "If you want to start a business in Chongqing, it's best to recruit Lu Zuofu into the team. Firstly, Lu Zuofu is Liu Xiang's confidant, and secondly, Lu Zuofu's Minsheng Shipping Company , it is very powerful in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which can facilitate the transportation of raw materials and products.”

Zhang Mouzhi said with a smile: "Since my son-in-law has already made a plan, I can rest assured. You go to Chongqing to make connections, and I will be responsible for the rest of the specific factory construction and management."

...

New year, new atmosphere.

Once the Lunar New Year was over, Zang Qifang's position as mayor of Tianjin was removed, and Zhang Xueming, chief of the Tianjin police, was concurrently the mayor of Tianjin.

Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin moved out of the Tianjin ice-drinking room and settled in Peiping, where they began to hold cultural salons every week. The "wife's living room" gradually became famous in Beijing and Tianjin, attracting a large number of cultural celebrities, and Xu Zhimo often went to participate.

Ba Jin is an erratic prodigal son. He has completed the first draft of "Spring Dream" (renamed "Family" when it was revised and published). After finishing the manuscript of "Spring Dream", Ba Jin resigned from the editorship of the supplement of "Mass" and went south to Suzhou and Hangzhou to visit friends and travel.

The "Popular" supplement also left another important person. The university scholar Wu Mi finally resigned as the editor-in-chief and went to Western Europe to study and work in Oxford University and the University of Paris.

Fortunately, Li Shoumin also resigned from the public office of the telephone company and returned to the "Dazhong" supplement to take over as the editor-in-chief. Otherwise, no one would be in charge of the daily affairs of "Dazhong".

By the way, Li Shoumin's "Swordsman of Shushan" has achieved unprecedented success, not only in North China, but also in Jiangnan, Northeast, and Northwest. It can be said that the current influence of "The Legend of the Swordsman in Shu Mountain" is not weaker than Zhou Hexuan's "Shooting the Condor" trilogy.

Because Peking University Publishing House is responsible for publishing "The Legend of Shushan Swordsman" instead, the monthly income is gratifying, which greatly alleviates the difficulties of not having a principal and financial allocation for the previous two years.

After the Lantern Festival, Zhou Hexuan took his wife Zhang Leyi and son Zhou Weilie to Jiujiang to visit relatives with his father-in-law Zhang Mouzhi.

The machines imported from the United States were transported along the Jinpu line to Nanjing Pukou, and then turned to Jiujiang via the Yangtze River waterway.

After staying at Zhang's family in Jiujiang for several days, Zhang Leyi and her son stayed in Jiujiang. Together with Zhang Mouzhi, Zhou Hexuan escorted the machine to Chongqing, and at this moment, his history textbook "General History of the World" was officially published.