Chapter 357: Killing Several Birds with One Stone

"Ah?" Faced with Gao De's "surprise attack," Harland couldn't react at first and was stunned.

Although he kept saying he had encountered a group of unscrupulous merchants and that even a dog wouldn't look at their offers.

But these words were actually like a merchant's catchphrase: "Business is hard to do."

Most merchants would keep this phrase on their lips; as for whether it was really hard to do or not, that was a matter of opinion.

Therefore, the prices offered by those interested buyers might not necessarily be as Harland described.

"Including this remaining two-masted sailboat and all the facilities of the shipyard, package it and sell it to me. What is your psychological price? Additionally, if I can successfully take over the shipyard, if the original workers are willing to stay, I am also willing to continue employing them," Gao De added.

"This..." Harland hesitated for a moment and quickly entered a state of thought.

He calculated slightly in his heart and quickly gave a price: "Harland Shipyard covers an area of nearly two acres and is located at the Lagos port. You know, the land value here is relatively high. According to the land price, the price for this piece is about 2000 Goldfinch coins."

"For the buildings, excluding the dock, the other factory buildings, warehouses, office areas, etc., are valued at 2000 Goldfinch coins."

"Therefore, the total valuation for land and site is about 4000 Goldfinch coins."

"Then there are the fixed assets. First is the dock used for ship construction and maintenance. We have two here, one large and one small. The large dock is valued at 1500 Goldfinch coins, and the small one is worth about 1000 Goldfinch coins."

"In addition, there are some woodworking machines, ship racks, and a large number of woodworking tools in the shipyard—second-hand equipment. Although I have already sold many, the remaining part is still worth about 2000 Goldfinch coins."

"That adds up to 4500 Goldfinch coins."

"Additionally, there are several unprocessed raw materials such as oak, canvas, and hemp rope in the shipyard warehouse, worth about 1000 Goldfinch coins."

"We have one two-masted sailboat left that has been completed. The price I offered the previous young lady was 1250 Goldfinch coins; I'll only count it as 1200 Goldfinch coins for you."

"Finally, our Harland Shipyard is a century-old shipyard. Although the scale isn't large, it can be considered one of the old-brand shipyards in Lagos, and it has a certain reputation in the local fishing and shipping industries. Although it has gone bankrupt, this name still has some value, valued at about 500 Goldfinch coins."

"That adds up to 11200 Goldfinch coins, my lord officer, do you think this price is acceptable?" Harland asked tentatively.

11200 Goldfinch coins, even with the support of Phoenix's resources, was absolutely an astronomical figure for Gao De.

It wasn't that the resources Phoenix could provide weren't worth 11200 Goldfinch coins; it was mainly because he traveled via astral portal, which was somewhat equivalent to smuggling, so the supplies he could carry were limited.

Another thing was his limited strength; selling such a huge amount of supplies would certainly be troublesome, requiring multiple small shipments at different locations.

Gao De's eyes rolled, and he said slowly: "Since Harland Shipyard is a century-old shipyard with a good local reputation, how did it fall into its current situation?"

This was both curiosity and a bargaining tactic.

Hearing Gao De ask this, Harland's expression stiffened slightly, and a flash of hesitation crossed his face.

But he also knew that paper couldn't wrap fire; this news about the shipyard's decline wasn't a secret that was hard to find out in Lagos, so he finally chose to tell the whole truth: "Half of this family business was actually ruined by my own hands..."

He sighed, looking ashamed, "During the Spirit Marrow Fever, the huge profits from spirit marrow mining attracted a massive amount of wealth and labor. Some fishermen even sold their fishing boats to invest in spirit marrow mining, and workers left the shipyard to join spirit marrow mining organizations..."

Harland paused, as if seeing that crazy scene again: "You haven't seen the scene at that time; you probably can't imagine what a grand occasion it was. To put it exaggeratedly, even the old lady selling grilled fish sticks at the pier was clutching copper coins, wanting to get a share..."

"Naturally, many shipyards also sold off assets to squeeze into the spirit marrow industry."

"Although I didn't go that far, I was indeed blinded by greed at the time, unable to care about anything else, and threw all the funds I had into spirit marrow mining. This move directly caused Harland Shipyard to lose all its working capital, and also left the biggest foreshadowing for its current bankruptcy."

"With the spirit marrow mining in full swing, at its most prosperous time, almost half of the people in Lagos were engaged in spirit marrow-related industries. The fishing industry declined, and the shipyard shrank accordingly, but at the time, with spirit marrow as a guarantee, I didn't take it too seriously..."

"In the first year of investment, the dividends I received were nearly twice the initial investment amount, while the profit from the shipyard's hard work in building a boat was at most 20% of the cost."

Harland let out a bitter laugh in his throat, "So, at that time, not only did I not realize that the situation was wrong and recall funds to guarantee the shipyard, I even invested more property into the spirit marrow industry."

Now it sounds stupid to say this decision, but in the context of the time, how could it not be a wise decision?

Traditional industries plummeted, emerging industries were in full swing, and decisive transformation was naturally a wise choice.

"The later things you know; the spirit marrow was mined out, and Lagos's economy plummeted."

"But before the spirit marrow resources were about to be exhausted, the few giants controlling the spirit marrow resources kept this news secret, and even to continue creating the illusion of a booming scene, they put stones in boxes to make up the numbers, attracting other merchants and investors to join in."

"And they themselves were quietly transferring assets and exiting."

I understand this... isn't this just the bookmakers treating you retail investors like leeks to be harvested?

Gao De complained secretly in his heart.

"When the giants finished exiting, they no longer hid the secret that the spirit marrow resources were exhausted, and the prosperous scene of Lagos was like a bubble, directly pricked."

"The originally prosperous spirit marrow industry collapsed in large swaths, and the huge funds we invested in it all went down the drain, without even hearing a sound."

Although this matter had passed for a long time and Harland had long accepted the fact, when mentioning it again, his voice still carried a trace of pain.

"And the collapse of the spirit marrow industry also triggered a series of chain reactions."

"First, during the Spirit Marrow Fever, Lagos's traditional fishing industry plummeted. Fishermen were originally important customers of our shipyard; once the fishing industry declined, the shipbuilding industry naturally had no good days."

"Another thing is that during the Spirit Marrow Fever, the market demand for fishing boats dropped significantly, replaced by a sharp rise in demand for merchant ships and passenger ships."

"To comply with this trend, we also changed our production structure, focusing on merchant ships and passenger ships, but once the spirit marrow fever bubble burst, these two ship types became ignored."

"Whether it was boats that had been completed but not yet delivered, or semi-finished products under construction, those who ordered them would rather pay the breach of contract penalty than pay for them."

"The material cost and labor cost required for a merchant ship or passenger ship are extremely high, not to mention that because of the shrinkage of the shipbuilding supply chain caused by the spirit marrow fever, the cost of shipbuilding raw materials has risen significantly, making this backlog cost even more terrifying."

"Plus the shipyard's working capital was all invested by me into the spirit marrow industry, so," Harland spread his hands, "my shipyard directly collapsed."

"Before the spirit marrow fever, when the number of shipyards in Lagos was at its peak, there were nearly fifty large and small ones, but now, only over twenty remain."

"That our Harland Shipyard could hold on until this time is all thanks to this bit of technical foundation and reputation." Speaking of this, Harland raised his head slightly, showing pride in his own shipyard.

"So, the current reality cannot be changed; the shipbuilding industry's slump is a fact, and it can be considered a sunset industry. You still want to transfer the shipyard using the valuation as the selling price, which is unreasonable in the first place," Gao De didn't care about this and said slowly.

"This is a mess; I have some interest in this mess, but you can't treat me like a sucker."

"As long as we can survive this period, Lagos's shipbuilding industry will definitely revive; it's not a mess."

Harland said hurriedly: "The authorities also realize the importance of the fishing industry and are fully helping the fishing industry revive, including but not limited to providing certain subsidies to individuals and firms ordering fishing boats, reducing taxes on catches, and issuing industrial protection ordinances..."

"Subsidies?" Gao De sneered, "Is it that bit of subsidy that fishermen lack?"

The main customers for fishing boats are still fishermen, and the so-called subsidies, for fishermen, are equivalent to a discount of ten thousand off two hundred thousand. It looks like a great effort, but the problem is that what they lack is the twenty thousand!

"Reducing taxes on catches is a long-term strategy, and sticking to it will indeed help the fishing industry recover, but it is not a strong medicine; for the current sluggish fishing and shipbuilding industries, it is simply not enough."

"As for the industrial protection ordinance, you aren't talking about the regulation that Lagos stipulates that fish catches purchased by local restaurants and merchants must be primarily caught by local fishermen, right?" This was something Gao De saw on the hand-copied parchment at the Palm Tree Inn front desk.

Harland was slightly startled, a flash of embarrassment crossed his face, but he still braced himself and said: "That's right, it's this regulation. This is of great help to the revival of the local fishing industry."

"As long as the fishermen's catches have a sales channel, they will have more funds to buy fishing boats, and can't our shipbuilding industry revive along with it?"

Gao De sneered: "Not to mention how many obstacles this regulation will encounter during the implementation process, and whether it can really be implemented."

"And, even if the local fishermen's catches really have a sales channel, they won't necessarily put all their money into buying new boats; having experienced the impact of the spirit marrow fever, they all have shadows in their hearts."

He continued: "Look at your shipyard again. During the spirit marrow fever, you withdrew all your funds to invest in the spirit marrow industry, leading to the stagnation of the shipyard's technology. Now, even if the shipbuilding industry really revives, why do you think Harland Shipyard can stand out in the fierce market competition?"

Harland's shoulders slumped slightly. What Gao De said was all fact, but he was still unwilling: "Harland two-masted sailboats are still one of the best two-masted boats in Lagos."

Gao De shook his head, unimpressed: "This doesn't have much effect. After experiencing the spirit marrow fever, which of the shipyards that could survive doesn't have some ability?"

"This strong point of yours might be an advantage compared to those bankrupt shipyards, but in Lagos's current shipbuilding industry, it might not be worth mentioning at all."

Harland's face turned ugly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was interrupted by Gao De.

"I know you are unwilling; after all, this is your family's century-old shipyard, but reality is so cruel; you have to accept it."

Harland was silent for a long time and finally said with difficulty: "Then how much can you offer?"

"8000 Goldfinch coins, calculated at 70% of your total asset valuation," Gao De reached out and made an "eight" gesture.

"8000?!" Harland almost jumped up, his face flushed slightly, his eyes widened, and he was emotionally agitated: "Impossible, impossible, this price is too low; you are even more unscrupulous than those unscrupulous merchants!"

"Even more..." Gao De smacked his lips at the word and laughed: "That shows the price I offered is still higher than others."

Harland, knowing he had made a slip of the tongue, wished he could slap himself twice, but bargaining was the priority, so he couldn't care about his face, "10000 Goldfinch coins, this is already the lowest price."

"Too expensive, not worth it," Gao De shrugged, looking unusually cold.

"9500... and there is a brand new two-masted sailboat..." Harland's expression already began to carry a hint of pleading.

Gao De didn't give a reply immediately but struck a contemplative pose.

After a long while, he slowly looked up at Harland, "9200, this is already the most sincere price I can offer. If you still don't accept it, then I can't help it."

"But I believe that currently, no one will offer a better price than me, and the longer your shipyard drags on, the lower its value will only become."

Harland was struggling internally. On one hand, he couldn't bear to see the shipyard left by his father's generation acquired at such a low price, but on the other hand, he also knew that the facts were indeed as Gao De said.

"Mr. Harland, after the shipyard is sold, what are you planning to do next?" Gao De asked suddenly at this time.

Harland was stunned for a moment and said truthfully: "I plan to move to Dorn City, buy one or two small shops, and start my retirement."

Gao De smiled slightly, "I don't understand shipbuilding; I am a layman. So, if I acquire Harland Shipyard, I am willing to transfer 10% of the shipyard's shares to Mr. Harland at the current valuation and invite Mr. Harland to serve as the shipyard's guide and consultant."

"This way, while you enjoy your retirement life in Dorn City, you can continue to extend your family's century-old heritage, and it won't be considered completely selling off the foundation passed down by your father's generation."

Harland's eyes widened slightly, and a look of being moved appeared on his face.

Clearly, the condition Gao De proposed hit the mark in his heart.

Doing business is all about catering to preferences.

Gao De accurately saw Harland's "preference," so he proposed a condition he couldn't refuse.

"Good, 9200 Goldfinch coins, deal." After another long while of hesitation and thought, Harland nodded and finally agreed.

"This money is not a small amount; I also need at least half a month to prepare it properly."

"Naturally." Harland had no objections.

9200 Goldfinch coins, how many people can take that out directly?

"However, I don't want you to think about looking for other buyers during the time I am preparing the funds."

"We can sign a preliminary contract first to determine the transaction intent. I can pay 50 Goldfinch coins as a deposit, and you need to immediately withdraw the previously released information about transferring the shipyard and selling boats."

"No problem, next I will refuse all other customers' purchase intentions and wait for you to prepare the funds to complete this transaction with peace of mind."

"Even better, but we must be honest. If that young lady you promised earlier comes to the door again wanting to buy this two-masted sailboat, you let her go to the Palm Tree Inn to find a young lady named Anna," Gao De added.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 358 =====