Father of France

Chapter 143 The Opportunity to Become a Dominant CEO
Sure enough, as soon as the idea of ​​donating official positions came out, the atmosphere among the Chinese representatives who filled the entire floor changed. This change was exactly what Koeman wanted and was happy to see.

Having money but not power has always been a weakness for Chinese people, but now it seems that this weakness may disappear. How could this not excite the Chinese people present? They have been looking forward to this day for a long time.

In a sense, it was Koeman who truly implemented the Sino-French agreement, giving the Kuomintang diplomats someone who could genuinely honor the treaty.

Even the families of several Chinese leaders, such as the Guo, Li and Bao families, were eager to try. These families usually set up rice mills, purchased paddy rice, processed it into white rice, and sold it to Southeast Asia and Hong Kong and Macau.

At that time, Saigon was one of the world's three major rice trading centers, and many wealthy Chinese people started their businesses there.

At its peak, Chinese rice merchants controlled almost half of Indochina's rice exports. Rice was Indochina's largest export commodity, which meant they held the economic lifeline of the colony.

To transport rice, they owned their own fleet and monopolized shipping routes to Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and other southern cities.

They owned vast amounts of land and buildings in the core area of ​​Saigon's seawall and were de facto bankers engaged in lending. Some Chinese merchants, however, did not deal in rice but instead controlled trade in industries such as coal, cement, and spices.

According to the Governor's Office's estimates, there were at least ten Chinese families with an annual income of over one million piastra. The piastra was the currency unit of French Indochina, and its exchange rate with the franc was one to ten. The official exchange rate was less than one to three.

Koeman didn't quite understand the financial industry, but it seemed rare to see a situation like France, where the mother country's currency was weak while the colony's currency was strong. To be precise, this situation certainly didn't exist in the British colonies. In any case, when converted to francs, many families had an annual income of over ten million francs.

This does not mean they have that much cash. Many families own a lot of land and buildings in the heart of Saigon. For example, the Pau family owns a lot of real estate in downtown Saigon.

There is now a French Indochina Forestry Authority right in front of them. As long as they pay some price, they will take over the department. Moreover, Coman said that this department will directly connect with the French army. In this way, many Chinese families in the embankment will become French soldiers and will no longer have to endure the shady dealings of the corrupt police.

Koman is also very sincere. He wants to make a name for himself and cannot do without the support of the Chinese community. The person in front of him is a leading figure of the Chinese community in the embankment. Only by gaining the trust and support of the five clan associations can Koman lay a good foundation for his future plans.

Koeman didn't feel it was unfair. He had given the Chinese a department, through which they could obtain an official organization. With this official organization, they could openly unite as a force. Could money buy that?
He said that it was no exaggeration to say that these Chinese family leaders had received a second life, and asking for only a little money was incredibly kind.

Everything that Chinese people own today is largely related to the French policy of economic protectionism and monopolizing the exploitation of natural resources in French Indochina. In the Viet Minh, and in the minds of most Vietnamese people, the Chinese have stolen their economic interests. The Vietnamese are wary of France, but even more so of the great Eastern power.

Regardless of whether this is a matter of self-interest or not, it is a real issue, but the Viet Minh is afraid to say it openly now. Le Duan's future actions are what the Vietnamese people truly think.

As for who would be the head of the French Indochina Forestry Authority, Corman answered based on the principle of the highest bidder, and offered to pay in rice.

Koeman recalls that in 1946, due to the destruction of European productivity by the World War, famine occurred in Western Europe, especially in Germany and the Netherlands.

At this time, it doesn't matter whether the taste suits you or not. Eating bread is fine normally, but at this time, the French people should work together to overcome the difficulties and not cause trouble for the government.

"I always think of others this way." Koeman felt that he was too great, and that his name should be placed alongside Syngman Rhee, Ngo Dinh Diem, Aquino, and Marcos, becoming a beacon of humanity.

The eager Chinese businessmen all expressed their intention to make a big splash and would give Koman a reply soon. Koman did not leave immediately; he had not yet eaten and was preparing to have a good chat with Gu Qing, the potential CEO.

"Mr. Gu, are you looking for better opportunities?" Koman skillfully used his chopsticks to devour the Cantonese roast duck in front of him, and said absentmindedly, "Is a restaurant service really enough for you?"

"Sir, although I run the largest restaurant here, I am not qualified to participate in the fundraising just now." Gu Qing knew his own situation well; he was not on the same level as the Guo, Li, and Bao families.

"I actually have something else for you to do." Coman wasn't used to the blandness of Cantonese cuisine, but he still found a nostalgic flavor in it. In a good mood, he decided to give Gu Qing a chance. "Have you heard of the porcelain capital?"

"Jingdezhen?" Gu Qing wasn't entirely a peasant; he had heard of Jingdezhen's reputation, but he didn't know why Koman knew about it too.

“Although you’re not incredibly wealthy, and there’s a gap between you and the Guo or Li families, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to assemble a team and bring them back to the country to help me accomplish a few things.” Koman looked directly into Gu Qing’s eyes and said, “I’m interested in two things from your country: porcelain and Suzhou embroidery. I want you to train a group of artisans. If you succeed, you won’t have to pay for the costs. I’ll also give you a suitable position to end your current situation of being controlled by others. What do you think? Of course, I won’t force you. If you can’t handle this opportunity, I’ll find someone else.”

Koman was easy to talk to and didn't coerce anyone. He ate two meals there and was satisfied with the restaurant owner's attitude.

At this point in time, although Chiang Kai-shek, as the leader of the victorious nation, has regained many rights and interests, his control over the country is only slightly stronger than that of the former Viceroy of Liangjiang.

Since a large-scale war has not yet begun, it is not that difficult to bring out a group of people.

This was one of the reasons why Corman came to the Far East. These handicrafts are very suitable for France, and if they were left in the current major Eastern power, they would not be of any use for a long time.

Not to mention the period under Chang Gong's rule, even after liberation, there was little fertile ground for its existence. It would take at least thirty years after the opening up to the outside world for it to regain its vitality.

However, in France, where high premiums are more prevalent, the situation is completely different. These artisans have the opportunity to live a better life, which will bring more glory to French handicrafts. The foundation of the "intelligence tax" will be more solid, and the Eastern power will not lose anything; France will simply profit.

The opportunity to soar to great heights was right in front of Gu Qing. After a while, he made up his mind. When he looked up, he saw that Koman's gaze had never left him. After pondering for a long time, he asked, "Sir, how many craftsmen do you hope to have here?"

Even now, Gu Qing still believes that Corman wanted to bring artisans from China to the embankment and develop a new industry there to serve France.

"The more the better." Coman really hadn't thought that far ahead. If he knew what Gu Qing was thinking, he would have laughed out loud. French Indochina would become independent sooner or later. If they immigrated here, would they just wait until Le Duan drove them away?

Of course, they immigrated to France. Handicrafts are an industry that is not worth paying attention to in any country, but there is one exception, and France is that exception.

"Sir, aren't we being too lenient with them?" After a hearty meal, Lefebvre followed Koeman out and said, "Soldiers shouldn't take a hard line."

“Well said. Now you take Hanoi back for me.” Koeman answered without hesitation, handing over this difficult and important task to his assistant.

"Sir, I..." Lefebvre's expression was no better than Benboba's. Although the troops under Chang Gong in the north were not as difficult to deal with as the Monkey King, they were just as challenging for him.

“Being tough isn’t about shouting slogans; we need to consider the issue from a pragmatic perspective.” Koeman then changed the subject, saying, “Actually, Chinese people are quite easy to manage and assimilate.”

Koman still wasn't used to the climate here, which only had a dry season and a rainy season, without the distinction between spring, summer, autumn, and winter, but he still had to stay here for a while to make up for the lack of distinct seasons.

The 500,000 Chinese laborers on the embankment were immediately gathered together by the five major clan gangs. While ordinary people contributed their labor, the top Chinese tycoons were also using their years of accumulated wealth to exchange for an opportunity to break through the ceiling, not just to become a ministerial-level official, but to become officials at all levels of the entire department.

This demonstrates Koeman's sincerity; the departments he established are real, and the positions of officials at all levels are also real, prepared to be used to redeem the years of accumulated wealth of the wealthy Chinese on the embankment. Not to mention, rice can also be used as a form of compensation.

The famine in Europe in 1946 was not limited to any one country, but was a large-scale food shortage crisis that swept across the entire European continent.

Besides Eastern Europe, the Netherlands, Greece, and Italy have also been severely affected. It's only the beginning of the year, so Koeman has more than half a year to prepare for the famine. The Netherlands, which already experienced famine last year, is expected to suffer even more this year.

Speaking of the Netherlands, the Dutch East Indies and French Indochina were geographically close, but the Netherlands could hardly find a solution to the famine problem in Indonesia, because Java had too large a population. Moreover, it remains unstable.

The first person to contact Koman wasn't one of the various families who had pooled their money, but rather Gu Qing, the future CEO Koman had his eye on. Gu Qing had found a group of immigrants from Jiangnan and was preparing to complete the task Koman had given him.

(End of this chapter)