Chapter 4009
Chapter 4009
Chapter 4009
Arif hadn't figured out what the situation was in Suez that would make the Haihan people, who had come from afar, want to take it over and manage it. He also didn't consider himself a qualified diplomat capable of navigating the international political arena.
Arif's task was to tour the regions and ensure that officials were loyal to the royal family. This was a leisurely job that didn't require much brainpower, and Arif was happy to spend his days drinking and enjoying himself.
The negotiations with the Haihan people came suddenly and were not in the plan, which was obviously quite difficult for him. Moreover, he could not back down in front of his subordinate, Galar. Even if he didn't know how to proceed, he had to maintain the facade of composure first.
But when it comes to alcohol, Arif feels he truly understands it. Decades of experience with alcohol have not only given him extensive knowledge and the ability to distinguish between good and bad, but also a very professional understanding of all aspects of alcohol, from raw material preparation and brewing to storage and sales.
To collect fine wines, Arif even built a sizable private wine cellar at home to satisfy his love of tasting wines at any time. The wine gift box sent by Haihan yesterday received extremely high praise from him after tasting it. He said the taste and flavor were completely different from the lagers and white wines he usually drank; it was spicy yet mellow, as if a whole new world had opened up before him.
Arif believed that if large quantities of this fine wine, originally from Haihan, could be imported, it should achieve good sales in the Ottoman Empire and naturally generate considerable profits.
However, Arif had not yet fully considered how to proceed to ensure his own profit, but Qian Tiandun took the initiative to propose a sales plan in which the Ottoman Trading Company would act as the general distributor, which was practically stuffing money into Arif's pocket.
Arif calmly agreed to the proposal, thinking to himself that these Haihan people were indeed as good at business as rumored. They would offer such benefits so proactively in order to open up trade routes that he couldn't even find a reason to refuse.
Galler was secretly anxious. He had been in contact with the Haihan people of Fubo Port for more than a year and had allowed them to open shops in Basra to sell Haihan products. During this time, he naturally received a lot of benefits, but they had never proposed to cooperate in this way of setting up regional agents.
With this new form of cooperation, the sales market will cover the entire Ottoman territory, no longer just the sales volume in Basra. The potential profits are obvious, but if Arif takes it all and we get nothing, then all our efforts will have been in vain.
Fortunately, Qian Tiandun seemed to have considered Galer's situation and suggested that Basra be made the main port for Haihan goods to enter the Ottoman Empire, since it was located on the same Persian Gulf as Fubo and was relatively close. Moreover, the shipping route between the two places was gradually getting on track after a year of operation.
Of course, Qian Tiandun also spoke highly of Galler, praising him for his dedication to handling trade affairs and for providing strong guarantees for trade between the two countries.
After hearing this, Galler felt somewhat relieved and thought to himself that Qian Tiandun was still quite decent. Although he had now climbed up to Arif's high position, at least he hadn't kicked him out after using him.
The two sides quickly reached an agreement on the import trade of Haihan liquor, which eased the atmosphere of the negotiations. Arif's tone was noticeably more relaxed than the previous day, and the topic of Suez was no longer off-limits for discussion.
Of course, when it came to the practical details, Arif remained evasive and unwilling to speak frankly. This was understandable, though, as he couldn't truly make the final decision. Even if he wanted to help Qian Tiandun, he would have to return to Istanbul, personally report the matter, and offer some kind words of support before it might have any effect. Moreover, the alcohol trade was only just beginning; its success depended on the subsequent implementation by both sides. Before any tangible benefits were in his pocket, Arif certainly wouldn't make any effective promises to Qian Tiandun.
Even so, Qian Tiandun was quite satisfied with the results of his contact with Arif, at least he had successfully opened a channel for dialogue with the Ottoman leadership.
Whether the operational and management rights of the Suez region can be discussed further, and when and where such discussions will take place, largely depends on how Arif reports to the Queen Mother.
Having reached a general agreement on cooperation, Qian Tiandun decided not to linger in Basra any longer. With the year drawing to a close, the Special Forces Division had a host of matters awaiting his return. As for the subsequent negotiations on the details of the cooperation, he would leave that to Li Yuande, who was an expert in that area.
However, before returning to Fubo Port, Qian Tiandun had to make another trip to Bandar Abbas in Persia to invite them to hold a large-scale joint military exercise in the Persian Gulf, in order to put pressure on the Ottoman Empire.
However, the governor of Bandar Abbas, Baim, was not very interested in Qian Tiandun's proposal. He hoped that Haihan would readily provide more weapons or other substantial assistance, rather than a performance exercise.
Qian Tiandun could only patiently explain to the other party that this military exercise was not intended to demonstrate military power to the people of Persia, but rather to take this opportunity to warn the Ottoman Empire and instill fear in it.
This explanation was more acceptable to Baim, but he still had no authority to make a decision and needed to report and await instructions. Qian Tiandun only stayed in Bandar Abbas for two days before setting off to return home.
On the last day of 1660, Qian Tiandun and his party returned to Fubo Port.
The trip didn't bring back much good news, but it wasn't a complete waste of time either; at least it paved the way for the export trade of alcoholic beverages. Based on past experience promoting alcoholic beverages in other countries, there are usually considerable profits to be made later, especially since this time the target market is a large country like the Ottoman Empire.
On the day Qian Tiandun returned to Fubo Port, he took the time to meet with the newly arrived immigrant representatives, including Su Zhixing.
Qian Tiandun personally presented Su Zhixing with the letter of appointment, telling him to settle down and prepare for the operation of the academy, and that he would do his best to meet all his needs.
Although Fubo Port is relatively short of daily necessities, and the prices of anything supplied from the mainland are extremely high, the books and stationery needed for running the school can be supplied in full regardless of cost. The salaries for teachers are also much higher than in the mainland. The only problem is that the living conditions are a bit simpler.
However, this was only a minor difficulty for Su Zhixing, who was determined to make a name for himself at Fubo Academy. He presented the poem he had written earlier, and as expected, Qian Tiandun praised it highly after reading it and asked Li Yuande to send the poem back to China for mounting and to add it to his private collection.