Chapter 366: Great Development of the Northwest

"Big brother, so much money." Anna said with wide eyes.

But it was not an exclamation, but a statement.

For her, coming from a royal family, this should just be a small scene.

Gao De rubbed Anna's head and didn't speak.

Since the money was in place, the next step could be to acquire the Harland Shipyard according to the contract.

It was just that Gao De could barely use a fake identity to deceive the world by selling Enduring Zhenbing leaves; for such individual trading behavior, the Jin Quehua Dynasty had no much supervision and could not supervise it.

But acquiring the Harland Shipyard was not so simple.

The transfer of such fixed assets had to go through official procedures, and many official documents had to be signed, which would inevitably leave traces.

Usually, the Hai Shao Bing would not check his assets for no reason.

But the problem was, Gao De was not prepared to develop low-key in the Hai Shao Bing, but wanted to fully demonstrate his "talent" to quickly promote and obtain higher status and more resources.

In this case, especially when the military rank was promoted rapidly, "background check" was almost inevitable.

Some assets that were not big or small, such as a small shop he was preparing to buy in Doen City, were only a matter of a few hundred Jin Quehua coins, and even if checked, they would not be investigated deeply.

But a shipyard, worth nearly ten thousand Jin Quehua coins, had a significant gap with Gao De's theoretical normal income.

Once checked, if he could not explain the ins and outs clearly and provide evidence of legal income, he might be arrested as a spy the next day.

Gao De's original idea was to find a reliable agent or agency to acquire the Harland Shipyard on his behalf.

—This was actually considered a characteristic business in the Jin Quehua Dynasty.

It was a consensus that 99% of the wealth in the world was in the hands of nobles and mages.

However, under the classical doctrine believed in by the Jin Quehua Dynasty, to prevent abuse of power and benefit transfer, the dynasty had additional restrictions on officials engaging in business.

Although it was not as cut-and-dried as in Gao De's previous life, after all, under the existing noble system, this was not realistic.

But it was strictly forbidden for officials in certain important departments to engage in business.

For example, officials in the financial department were not only forbidden to engage in business but also had to frequently undergo asset background checks to strictly investigate gray income of unknown origin.

As the saying goes, there are policies above and countermeasures below.

In this case, agents and agencies emerged as the times required.

These agencies established shell merchant firms outside the Jin Quehua Dynasty, specifically serving officials.

Officials could choose to inject funds directly into these agencies, acquire industries in the name of these shell merchant firms, and register the industries under the names of the agencies, thereby avoiding direct connection with themselves.

Or they could carefully select agents they trusted and had no relationship with themselves, give the agents enough funds, and let the agents acquire industries directly in their own names.

The entire transaction was handled by the agent, which could also cover up the connection between themselves and the industry.

Many officials who were forbidden to engage in business privately controlled a large amount of assets and businesses through multiple agencies and agents.

However, although it was feasible, the risks were still huge: doing this kind of transaction through an agent or agency was to a certain extent equivalent to handing the handle to them.

Gao De also had certain concerns about this.

And now, he had a better choice.

"Miss Aisha, could you please ask Doctor Danika to come up for a moment?" Gao De first used the Mage Hand to close all eight boxes filled with gold coins, and then said to Miss Aisha.

"Hmm?"

"I said before that perhaps I could help Doctor Danika and the orphanage." He explained.

Miss Aisha's eyes lit up, "Alright, I'll go call Grandma Danika right away."

"Mr. Officer." Doctor Danika saluted as usual, but this time her eyes were fixed on Gao De's face, clearly Miss Aisha had explained Gao De's intention to her in advance.

"Doctor Danika, according to the current situation of the orphanage, how long can it last?" Gao De asked directly.

"If lucky, three or four months; if unlucky..." Halfway through, Doctor Danika fell silent.

"How many people are there in the orphanage now?"

"132 children, and including me, there are 13 sect monks responsible for the children's daily life, education, and other needs. To be honest, the manpower is seriously insufficient. Fortunately, the children are very sensible and don't need us to worry too much, and they even take the initiative to help share our work."

"13 monks..." Gao De's eyes lit up, and he asked again: "Can they all be trusted?"

"Of course," Doctor Danika nodded, "they are basically orphans taken in by Haiyin Ronggu Yuan. After growing up, they joined the Chaoyuzhe Sect and became sect monks, responsible for the daily work of Haiyin Ronggu Yuan, and have deep feelings for the sect and the orphanage."

"So even after the sect fell apart and was basically dead in name, they didn't divide up the sect's assets and go their separate ways like other monks, but chose to stay in the sect and support Haiyin Ronggu Yuan with me."

"They all take you as the leader?" Gao De confirmed further.

"Yes," Doctor Danika sighed, "they are all junior monks of the sect and are all mage apprentices, while I was a deacon of the sect."

"Then they should all be literate and possess certain knowledge, right?"

"Sect monks need to read and copy scriptures and sect classics, and also need to fulfill duties such as recording church affairs and preaching scriptures. Literacy is the most basic requirement. In addition, Haiyin Ronggu Yuan has always provided basic education to children, so they have to teach daily."

"Teaching... What aspects do the educational courses provided by the orphanage include?" Gao De asked.

Doctor Danika counted them like family treasures, "Mainly based on basic reading, writing, and religious courses, and at the same time, they will also teach some basic life skills and art courses."

"Reading and writing courses go without saying. Religious courses are also compulsory for children, mainly teaching the sect's doctrines, prayers, etc."

"Then, according to the children's gender, they will also be taught needlework, embroidery, weaving, and other female work courses, or manual courses such as carpentry and simple metal processing."

"Art courses mainly provide some basic music education, teaching children to sing, but generally what is taught is the sect's hymns or classic recitation music."

Gao De's eyes lit up again and again.

Calling it an orphanage, it was actually equivalent to a small hope primary school.

"If you trust me, I can help you." He looked at Doctor Danika and said seriously.

"It's already reached this point, the situation can't be worse than it is now, can it?" Danika said very frankly.

"That's easy to handle," Gao De paused and said: "You and Miss Aisha and Anna leave here and go to the northern realm."

"Once there, I can't guarantee anything else, but basic food and clothing can still be provided."

His idea was very simple: pack up the entire orphanage and send it to the northern realm.

And the 13 sect monks, including Doctor Danika, were the teacher resources that Phoenix was currently in urgent need of.

Strictly speaking, these monks didn't know much.

But for Phoenix, it was enough.

Because what Phoenix currently lacked most were teachers proficient in the common language.

Although they didn't know the Aisi language, it didn't matter much; just treat them as "foreign teachers."

"Northern realm..." Doctor Danika opened her mouth, and hesitation still flashed on her face.

This was not because she didn't trust Gao De, but because the name "northern realm" itself represented "hunger and cold."

Just like someone telling you to go to the North Pole, saying that once you get there, you will have no worries about food and clothing. Even if it is your most trusted parents telling you this, your first reaction is to be skeptical.

"Grandma Danika, if Mage Gao De lied to you, what could he gain?" A bystander sees clearly, and Miss Aisha pointed out at this time.

The fact was also so. If Gao De lied to her, he could barely say he had gained something.

But tricking an orphanage with over a hundred children and more than ten junior monks to the northern realm made no sense at all.

At least in her view, it was so.

"Officer, may I ask what we need to do when we get to the northern realm?"

There is no free lunch in the world.

It is said that once you get to the northern realm, you can be provided with what you need for life, but there must be things you need to do. It is impossible to raise them for nothing, right?

At this age, having experienced so many things, she still had this basic cognition.

"What you need to do... Does 'Great Development of the Northwest' count?" Gao De said with a smile, and then his expression became serious. "Just kidding... There is an urgent need for teachers there. Once you get to the northern realm, the monks of the orphanage need to serve as teachers and teach courses to the children there."

"Just this?"

"Just this."

Doctor Danika looked at Gao De deeply, bowed slightly, and saluted: "Officer, I believe you."

Gao De clapped his hands and said again: "However, it is not an easy thing to send the children to the northern realm."

"It must be done through regular procedures. With my identity, I will not do smuggling."

"What do you mean?" Regarding what Gao De said, Doctor Danika naturally understood.

As a Hai Shao Bing mage, he had a bright future, so how could he do something that would destroy his own future.

"I have studied the dynasty's decrees. According to the Jin Quehua Dynasty's 'Apprentice Law' and the newly promulgated 'Poverty Relief Law Amendment,' child contract labor is already a legal and reasonable thing, especially for orphans without relatives, who can voluntarily sign contracts to go overseas to make a living." Gao De said seriously.

"And the Jin Quehua Dynasty is relatively tolerant of the autonomy of religious groups. In the name of religion, many reviews can be avoided."

"Although the Chaoyuzhe Sect is already dead in name, at least the name still exists. Now what is needed is just this name."

"I am just about to acquire the Harland Shipyard. My idea now is that you, as my agent, acquire the Harland Shipyard on my behalf."

"And after completing the acquisition, Doctor Danika, you register a charitable organization similar to 'Children's Welfare Association' in the name of the shipyard and the Chaoyuzhe Sect, claiming to send children overseas to other countries to learn skills and employ them to work."

"This is in line with Article 12 of the Poverty Relief Law Amendment—allowing parishes to send poor children overseas as apprentices."

He stated his idea in one breath.

At the same time, doing so could completely sever his connection with the Harland Shipyard and would not affect his subsequent development and promotion in the Hai Shao Bing.

"Good." Without any hesitation, Doctor Danika agreed directly.

Long nights bring many dreams.

The money had been prepared, and the "agent" had been found.

Gao De stopped delaying, counted the required money, called a carriage, and took Doctor Danika to the Harland Shipyard.

Harland was a very capable businessman who had arranged everything that could be arranged in advance, including the drafting and filing of the contract, the arrangement of the contract signing location, and the appointment of the notary, just waiting for Gao De to officially start the transaction.

The contract signing location was chosen in Harland's spacious and bright office. The oak table was polished until it shone, and the contract was brand new, emitting the fragrance of ink.

Due to Gao De's identity as a Hai Shao Bing mage, coupled with the shareholding promised before, Harland did not do any tricks on the draft contract.

The terms were accurate and complete, and while meeting the interests of both parties, they also complied with laws, regulations, and industry norms.

And facing the change of the party of the first part from Gao De to Doctor Danika, Harland did not raise any objections—money in place was the most critical thing, and who the party of the first part was didn't matter.

The notary invited by Harland witnessed Doctor Danika and Harland sign the two contracts, and said in a solemn voice: "Today, Ms. Danika and Mr. Harland have officially signed a contract regarding the acquisition of the Harland Shipyard. As a notary, from this moment on, the contract takes effect immediately."

The contract took effect, and the owner of the Harland Shipyard changed to Danika from this moment on.

Subsequently, according to the contract agreement, Harland took Gao De and Danika to inventory the assets in the shipyard first.

After ensuring that all assets were intact, Harland transferred important documents such as the shipyard's property rights documents, land deeds, contract documents, and technical data, along with fixed assets such as machines and raw materials.

Gao De took out the metal box he had prepared long ago, opened it, and revealed the Jin Quehua coins filled inside.

The acquisition price of 9200 Jin Quehua coins, minus the 50 gold intention deposit, and according to the valuation, 10% of the shares were transferred to Harland, and another 920 gold was deducted, totaling 8230 Jin Quehua coins paid to obtain 90% of the shares of the Harland Shipyard.

Even with 【Heavy Burden Spell】, carrying this box of Jin Quehua coins over still took Gao De some effort.

But seeing the shipyard in hand, he still let out a long breath.

He could be considered to have his first industry.

"Mr. Harland, please trouble you to invite the shipyard workers back as soon as possible, and then contact the original suppliers to purchase raw materials and resume work as soon as possible," Gao De said: "I will invest another two thousand Jin Quehua coins into the shipyard's account as the shipyard's initial operating funds."

A Harland two-masted sailboat, excluding the crew necessary for sailing, could carry an additional 15-30 passengers.

This carrying capacity was clearly far from enough to meet Gao De's needs.

Therefore, it was definitely necessary to continue building ships. Gao De's preliminary goal was to form a small fleet.

"No problem." Harland quickly entered his new role.

Striking while the iron was hot, after completing the change of property rights of the Harland Shipyard, Gao De and Doctor Danika cooperated to draft a management charter for the "Chaoyuzhe Children's Relief Association," fabricating the association's operating rules, charitable purposes, organizational structure, financial terms, etc., out of thin air.

Subsequently, in the name of Danika and the Chaoyuzhe Sect, they submitted the management charter, project planning documents, explanatory documents, etc., to the Lagos City official to apply for the registration of the "Chaoyuzhe Children's Relief Association."

However, the review was not so fast.

Even though they invited Harland to come forward to pull strings and used the money-opening-the-way method, it still took three full days for the association to pass the review and register successfully.

Of course, Gao De was not idle during these three days.

On one hand, he issued a notice in the name of the shipyard to recruit crew members for going to sea, and hired craftsmen at a high price to follow the ships to "aid construction."

On the other hand, he was purchasing materials needed for Phoenix's current construction in the city.

The "aid construction" period started at three years, and coupled with the need to go far overseas, it was definitely not easy to recruit craftsmen, so Gao De directly offered a high salary of 400 Jin Quehua coins/year.

"The nobles and officials of Lagos City are like this, arrogant, lazy, and greedy. This is because what you want to register is a relief association, which can solve the orphan relief problem that gives them a headache. In the review, they basically won't make things difficult for you, otherwise..."

After the association registration approval passed, Harland, who had contributed a lot in this process, complained to Gao De in a mocking tone.

"Thank you for your hard work." Gao De thanked him sincerely.

In the past few days, apart from helping Gao De with the association approval procedures, Harland was also busy applying for the sailing permit necessary for ships to go to sea.

Unsurprisingly, it was also necessary to grease the palms.

With the habits of local officials, if you don't send some benefits, the department responsible for review and inspection, not to mention not letting you go to sea, but at least can drag the entire approval process extremely long.

Regarding this, Harland had long been accustomed to it and had also accumulated resentment for a long time.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 367 =====