Chapter Fifty-two Fragment

  He had barely said this when he was interrupted by Li Meng, who continued:

  "Gao Mi sells for one or two liang and eight qian, Changyi's two liang is one yuan, Anqiu and Zhucheng are both two liang and two qian. If we add the foot money and customs clearance costs, with this price increase, won't you all not even make a single wen in profit? It might even lead to losses."

  As soon as Li Meng said this, the entire wine tower became truly silent, and no one had expected that Li Meng would have such a clear grasp of the market trends everywhere. However, understanding clearly was one thing, but here he still wanted to raise prices, wasn't this cutting off everyone's financial path? Yet, they heard Li Meng continue to say:

  "Everyone in this business of selling salt is for the sake of wealth, and Li Meng would never do anything to cut off your financial paths. This price increase also comes with a guarantee: after one month, there will be no other salt producers besides Ling Shan Salt in Lai Zhou Prefecture and Qing Zhou Prefecture. Today, all of you can go to Ning Shiye's place to register your names, and from now on, wherever you are, Ling Shan Salt will not sell to any second party. And as for the checkpoints and passes, you don't have to worry either - I, Li Meng, say it's official salt, and that's what all of you will be selling!"

  Everyone below was staring with their mouths agape as Li Meng spoke, the prefectures of Laizhou and Qingzhou to the east would no longer have any salt goods other than Lingshan salt, meaning that salt from other saltworks could not enter. Lingshan salt only sold its own family's goods, meaning that only one family was selling private salt. The farther away from the sea, the higher the price of salt. If there were no competitors, it would also be possible for Anqiu and Zhucheng to sell at four taels of silver per dan. The last item is the most moving, Li Erlang's intention is to provide protection for everyone. Nowadays, in the prefectures of Laizhou and Qingzhou to the east, Li Erlang's salt peddler's reputation is getting louder and louder, with this banner raised, courage would be boosted.

  Li Meng finished speaking and sat back in his seat. Ning Qian Gui, who was sitting on one side, hastily poured wine for Li Meng. As for the words Li Meng had just spoken, Master Ning was truly amazed, and what he had brought up yesterday couldn't compare to this. Although they had marked many checkpoints, if Li Meng were to send people to protect these salt merchants, those people would be local snakes and wouldn't voluntarily tell Li Meng about these checkpoints.

  After talking for half a day, Li Meng finally found the time to eat, and the dishes on the table were almost cold. However, these non-polluted seafood were much fresher than those farmed ones in modern times. He was savoring his food when he heard the surroundings slowly changing from quiet to noisy.

  This hubbub and clamor was different from the previous one. The previous one was complaining about their own family's troubles, but this time it was an excited discussion about what good things would come in the future and what great prospects there would be.

  Li Meng couldn't help but secretly laugh when he heard this. In modern times, when doing financial transportation, he had run to many places with the car and had a deep impression of several things, including the local brands of cigarettes and wine that occupied a large proportion of sales in each place. It was difficult for outside brands to enter, requiring great effort. This situation only changed in recent years. Local governments set up checkpoints at almost every major transportation hub to collect fees and inspect goods, which is known as "local protection." While this method has negative effects on market competition, it protects local brands and allows local enterprises to gain the greatest profits. Li Meng applied this method directly to private salt smuggling, and the effect should not be too bad.

  Just after eating a few bites, the whole second floor was filled with joyful faces, except for those two salt merchants who looked very dignified. Li Meng glanced around, threw down his chopsticks and stood up again, saying loudly:

  "Does anyone have any objections to what I, Li Meng, have just said?"

  The thunderous response below:

  "It's all up to Lord Li to make the decision!!"

  Li Meng couldn't help but smile, knowing that the matter was already settled. He hinted to everyone to keep quiet and then asked:

  Since Pingdu's Lao Meng is not coming, the salt goods from now on will be divided among Wang Zhuizi brothers and Changyi, with the brothers of Gao Mi each taking a share.

  After finishing the sentence, Wang Zhu had already stood there, and the people around him looked anxious, pushing him several times before he came to his senses. He hastily got up from his seat, knelt on the ground, and knocked his head several times, saying "good luck" repeatedly. As it turned out, Wang Zhu was originally a small salt merchant who brought four or five people to Xiangmeng Town to sell salt. In ancient Ting town, he had to line up in front of the fifth row to sell salt, and on weekdays, he would push the salt back and sell it from door to door, earning a hard-earned income. A few days ago, when Hou Shan handed him the notice, Wang Zhu was still frightened, but came to Shaohai Building with the thought of having a good meal regardless of what happened.

  As soon as Li Meng's words were spoken, anyone would know that without competition and undercutting, the money earned would definitely be much more than before. And if you want to earn even more money, you need a larger territory. How is this territory decided? That is the scope defined by Li Meng.

  Wang Zhuzi originally thought that he wouldn't be able to make much profit from it, at most he would just have a share in Gutting Town. Who would have thought that one-third of Pingdu Prefecture was allocated to him? With such a large territory for private salt sales, even if the price is discounted, the annual income would still be dozens of times higher than before.

  What a stroke of good luck from heaven! Why isn't Wang Zhu excited, for a time he is willing to be a cow or horse for Li Meng, with gratitude and tears.

  Everyone in the wine building was also excited, and even the two salt merchants from Wang Kong Town were moved. Li Meng sat down, and on the other side, Ning Qian Gui had already taken out an account book from his pocket and crossed out the name of Ping Duqiu on the page. In his heart, he secretly sighed that this Ping Duqiu was probably going to have to go home and farm.

  It's not just Ning Shifu who knows, but everyone present also knows that Lao Qiu from Pingdu Prefecture is afraid of being ruined and unemployed this time. He was driven out of the private salt business by Li Meng's single sentence, and his future days are unknown. Sitting at the top, Li Erlang, in a conversation, has already made countless people want to make a fortune, but also someone wants to go bankrupt. Everyone looks at Li Meng with reverence and fear.

  When the wine was flowing, everyone came to toast and make friends. Li Meng responded calmly to each one, at this time Li Meng was warm and polite to anyone, all the guests on the second floor felt that Li Erlang was treating them equally. Li Meng also didn't show any restraint, drinking and eating there, quickly filling his stomach.

  Now that things were done and his stomach was full, Li Meng didn't plan on staying here any longer. He stood up with a smile and said:

  "Gentlemen, have fun, and for detailed matters, come find my master Ning."

  Everyone on the second floor stood up and smiled in response. Li Meng waved his hand, about to go downstairs, when he suddenly turned back, having something to say...