“I know it’s a strategic resource, but have you ever heard of first-mover advantage?”
Zhao Jun asked.
“Never heard of it.”
Everyone shook their heads.
“First-mover advantage refers to the lasting competitive advantage brought by leading technology and products!”
Zhao Jun analyzed, "Gunpowder was invented in the Tang Dynasty, but why did I only develop pure granular black powder today? This is due to technical reasons. Unless Zeng Gongliang, the only person in the Firearms Department who knew the secret formula, and I turned traitor, there's no way the Liao Dynasty could have overcome such a huge technological barrier and completed the gunpowder upgrade in just a few years."
"Hmm"
Zhao Zhen thought this made sense and nodded, "Then do we have to strictly control Zeng Gongliang and that boss?"
"That's not the case. They're both currently living in the Firearms Department, surrounded by troops and heavily guarded. Besides, no one except us knows they know the secret formula for gunpowder. I've already given them strict orders not to spread the news, even to the point of silence."
Zhao Jun laughed and said, "The Firearms Department should be safe and sound. Even if the Liao people sneaked in and captured a few craftsmen, they wouldn't be able to figure it out because each of these craftsmen knows a different process. Even if they gathered all the craftsmen who knew all the processes, they wouldn't even know the order and proportions. How could they study it?"
"That's good."
Everyone felt relieved, as long as the Liao people could not get the gunpowder formula.
But the next second, everyone was worried again.
Because Zhao Jun said: "We will sell the raw materials first. When they can't make it, we will sell the complete firearm formula to the Liao Kingdom in a few years."
"Even the firearm formula was sold to the Liao Kingdom?"
Everyone looked at each other.
Zhao Jun explained, "It's still the first-mover advantage. In a few years, we'll be able to conduct a small-scale industrial revolution, develop better steel, and manufacture better artillery, guns, and ammunition. By then, we can sell gunpowder to the Liao Kingdom. They'll still be at a disadvantage in firearms, and catching up with us will be incredibly difficult!"
The Song Dynasty's greatest advantage is Zhao Jun's ability to predict future developments. Unless the Liao Kingdom possesses a foresight, it will always lag behind the Song Dynasty in research and development. So why couldn't the Song Dynasty simply sell its outdated technology to the Liao? Not only would they profit handsomely, but they could also sell various materials.
For example, saltpeter and sulfur were imported from Japan and then sold to the Liao Kingdom. When firearms developed better in the future, not only the raw materials, but also gunpowder could be sold to the other side, just like the situation between the first-developed countries and the later-developed disadvantaged countries in later generations.
By then, the Liao Kingdom would be firmly controlled and would be nothing more than an exporter of raw materials. Once the Song Dynasty became strong, it would be easy to destroy and annex the Liao Kingdom with its overwhelming technological advantage.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com