As for high-end paper, Li Lin implemented a so-called scarcity marketing strategy from the beginning.
Although he can produce tens of thousands of copies a day, he limits each person to buying ten copies per day, and sells a total of five thousand copies a day.
This has caused quite a stir among these high-ranking officials and nobles.
That very night, all the servants, young men, and subordinates of the household lined up outside the construction company's gate, waiting for it to open so they could buy paper.
Often, as soon as the door opens, all the papers are snatched up.
Those who arrived late even bought from others at a higher price.
After seeing this situation, Mo Zhiyuan even personally formed a scalper gang, taking out an extra thousand sheets of high-grade paper every day, having his people pretend to buy the paper, and then reselling it at a high price.
"These ministers are all so competitive! Looking at all this high-grade paper in front of me, I know that the national treasury will have a lot of money coming in this month!"
The First Emperor smiled broadly. In order to support the marketing efforts of the Construction Bureau, he even held up the memorials written by these ministers on high-grade paper during the morning court session and said that their handwriting was beautiful.
Is it because the handwriting is beautiful?
It's clearly because the paper is better.
This led the ministers into a strange competition.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li truly has a business mind; he's a business genius. Look at these four great inventions—except for gunpowder, which hasn't been invented yet—the other three have already been commercially successful. The compass has even been driven up to exorbitant prices by merchants traveling all over the country. This old servant truly never imagined that so many people would buy this thing."
Gao Shu, who was watching the First Emperor's cheerful demeanor, also became happy.
He knew that His Majesty was overjoyed, and if he didn't seize this opportunity to show his favor and follow up on the emperor's words, when would he ever get another chance?
“Gao Shu, you’re right. Li Lin is truly a business genius, quite like Lü Buwei, and even better than Lü Buwei. He’s not greedy for power, nor does he covet it. Although he enjoys beautiful women and is obsessed with money, it’s precisely this kind of person that makes him so easy for me to use.”
"Your Majesty, are there truly people in this world who are not interested in power?"
"I don't know. If his lack of lust for power is just an act, then he's a very dangerous person. If it's genuine, then he's someone I can trust. By the way, how's the progress of the gunpowder production at the Construction Bureau? I asked you to investigate."
"Your Majesty, it seems that the gunpowder construction department is still in the early experimental stage."
"Of these four great inventions, I actually value gunpowder the most. According to Li Lin's description, it's like a thunderbolt that can destroy the heavens and the earth! I really can't wait to see gunpowder!"
As the First Emperor spoke, his eager gaze made Gao Shu somewhat uneasy.
"Your Majesty, even if gunpowder has been developed, it seems that Prime Minister Li is not in a hurry to start a war in the next few years."
"I know he wants to implement reforms first, and then fight the Xiongnu after stabilizing the situation in the Qin Dynasty. But I can't wait any longer. I feel that my time is running out. If this is delayed any longer, I'm afraid I won't live to see that day!"
The First Emperor shook his head. He knew that Li Lin's approach was undoubtedly the most correct, but unfortunately, he was too old. If he were ten years younger, he could have waited.
But now, he can't wait any longer.
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