“Have all the laborers from their hometown been rescued?”
“Yes, but the physical conditions of most of these people are very bad. We originally wanted to send them to the hospital in Natal for examination and treatment, but the hospital in Natal is too small and the doctors’ medical skills are obviously not reliable!
So I temporarily housed them in our spare barracks last night."
"Is the situation in Natal so bad? It seems that we really need to go and take a look at the situation! Please help me notify the mayor of Natal and the main officials to take me to check the situation in Natal this afternoon.
In addition, I will give you the contact information of the Sao Paulo police chief. See if you can ask him to send a group of doctors from Sao Paulo. We will arrange a special plane to pick them up directly.”
"Okay, boss! I'll do it now."
Looking at Qi Qingshan's departing back, Fang Lang felt more and more that he was short of manpower.
It’s not that there is no one under him, but there is a lack of people who can stand on their own.
Not long after Qi Qingshan left, Fang Xinshan pushed open Fang Lang's office door with a frustrated look on his face.
...
...
Looking at his father's frustrated expression, Fang Lang asked doubtfully:
"Dad, didn't I ask you to find a suitable place to build a bank first? Why haven't you gone yet? Do you need me to arrange a car?"
"Oh! Don't mention it. I did go out. Your soldiers were afraid that it would be unsafe for me to go out alone, so they sent two soldiers to go out with me.
However, after looking at the environment in Natal, it was fine near the military base, but a little further away, it became very dirty. The roads were muddy, and the streets were full of animal and human feces.
Are you sure you want to build a bank here?"
Now it was Fang Lang's turn to be embarrassed. He had indeed not been to the streets of Natal to check until now, but had been staying in this naval base.
"Is there not even a better way to go?"
"You can't say there aren't any! The so-called city center still has two main roads, two horizontal and two vertical, paved with stones, but the road is not wide enough, only two trucks can pass by."
"I understand. You go back and rest for a while. I'll go out and take a look myself later."
After hearing his father's description, Fang Lang already had a certain understanding of the situation in Natal city. His father had been staying in Sao Paulo, the second largest city after the capital Rio de Janeiro.
So Fang Lang could understand why he was very disappointed when he first saw such a remote city.
However, for Fang Lang, backwardness is not scary. As long as there is money and time, even the worst place can be built into a paradise on earth.
After lunch that day, Fang Lang, under the protection of his guard platoon, drove all the way to the office building of the Natal City Government. The former mayor had been waiting at the door for a long time.
The mayor of Natal is a white man in his fifties who walks with a penguin-like shambling gait and has a large, neatly trimmed mustache.
"Mr. Colonel, welcome to Natal City Hall, please come in!"
"Mr. Mayor Dursley, there is no need to go into the City Hall. Today I want to find a guide to take me around Natal and get familiar with the situation in Natal. I wonder if it is convenient."
"Of course, Mr. Colonel, it's my pleasure."
Next, Fang Lang, accompanied by Natal Mayor Ewald Dursley, toured the entire Natal city area.
After this trip, Fang Lang had a general understanding of this so-called provincial capital.
In fact, Natalgan today cannot be called a city. The streets are completely unplanned and the environment is dirty and messy. There are no decent buildings outside the main urban area. Most of them are shacks built privately by the public.
There are several huge warehouses in the city center. According to Mayor Dursley, they are trading markets for cotton, sea salt, sugarcane and rubber, and are also the main source of tax revenue for Natal.
Back in the mayor's office in the city hall, Fang Lang asked doubtfully:
"Mr. Mayor, why are all our products primary agricultural products? Can't even sugar cane be processed into sugar for sale?"
"Well... Mr. Colonel, we actually have some sugarcane processing factories in Natal, but they are all small family workshops with low output and poor product quality."
"Have you ever considered introducing some large-scale deep processing factories? As far as I know, there are some such deep processing factories in Brazil!"
Fang Lang looked at Mayor Dursley, who had an embarrassed expression on his face, and he knew that he had asked an unnecessary question.
"I wonder what business the mayor's family is in?"
Politicians who are able to run for mayor in Brazil often come from families with certain financial resources and family background. Otherwise, if you don’t have the money to advertise or even buy votes, how can you become mayor?
Of course, most Brazilian government officials are corrupt, and they become mayors in order to make more money.
As for how ordinary people live, it obviously has nothing to do with them.
Hearing Fang Lang's question, Mayor Dursley did not hide anything and said frankly:
"My family has been engaged in trading business in Natal, but after I became mayor, the family business has been handed over to my son to manage."
"I wonder if Mr. Mayor has ever thought about entering the industrial development?"
If Fang Lang wants to expand his influence in Natal, he must cooperate with the local tyrants. As the mayor of Natal, no matter how powerful he is, he is definitely one of the local tyrants.
"I wonder what exactly the Colonel is referring to?"
"Mr. Mayor's family is engaged in the trade business. If we want to do deep processing of agricultural products, what products do you think will be most effective?"
"If it's my personal opinion, it must be sugarcane. Before I ran for mayor, I thought about opening a sugar factory, but we didn't have the technology, and the products we made couldn't compete with those in Europe and the United States.
We simply don’t have the money to buy the large-scale industrial equipment they use, so…”
Unexpectedly, Mayor Dursley had already had this idea in mind. But it’s normal to think about it. After all, everyone knows that there is money to be made by opening a factory!
"Haha...it turns out that the mayor has had this idea for a long time. Since you think you don't have enough capital on your own, how about we cooperate?"
Dursley obviously didn't expect Fang Lang to directly invite him to cooperate. The two sides are not that familiar with each other! He is not going to cheat me of my family property!
I couldn't help but become alert.
Seeing Dursley's expression, Fang Lang smiled and said:
“My family owns two sugarcane factories in Sao Paulo. If the mayor is interested, we can work together to build a new sugarcane processing factory in Natal.
I have channels to buy the latest equipment directly from the United States, and I also have channels to sell all the products produced to the European and American markets. How is it?"
"Are you serious, Mr. Colonel?"
"Of course, I am very serious. I will not only build a sugar factory, but also a bank, a textile factory, a salt field, a rubber processing factory, and so on."
Fang Lang's words made Dursley's jaw drop to the ground. He could never have imagined that the young colonel in front of him would dare to say such bold words.
As the mayor of Natal, he certainly hopes that everything Fang Lang said can be realized. After all, these are real political achievements!
However, this is not something that can be said casually. Everything else is easy to say, but it is impossible to open a bank casually.
Seeing Dursley's disbelieving expression, Fang Lang smiled and said:
"I wonder if you have heard of Fangyuan Group."
Hearing Fang Lang's words, Dursley took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and said:
"Is it the Fangyuan Group that produces these Good Luck cigarettes? I heard that they also built a shipyard in Sao Paulo in a joint venture with the Americans."
Fang Lang didn't expect that this Dursley was actually a user of Good Luck cigarettes.
But this cannot be blamed on Fang Lang. After all, he is not in Brazil most of the time and has no idea how popular Good Luck cigarettes are now.
With its brand-new flavor and packaging, Lucky Cigarettes has gained 60 percent of the market share in Brazil, and all other cigarette brands have been severely beaten to a pulp.
This is because he exports a large part of his production. Now, Good Luck Cigarettes is developing filters according to Fang Lang's guidance.
For this purpose, we have set up our own laboratory to research and create new flavors and new technologies.
"Yes, it is this Fangyuan Group."
After receiving Fang Lang's affirmative answer, Dursley said with an expression of disbelief on his face:
"The family business you are talking about is not Fangyuan Group!"
I didn't expect that Fangyuan Group, which was established not long ago, has already had such a great influence. It seems that I have not paid attention to the development of my industry in Brazil for too long.
Looking at the mayor's expression, Fang Lang could only nod reservedly.
When Mayor Dursley saw Fang Lang nod, his eyes turned into dollar signs, obviously recognizing the strength of Fangyuan Group.
"Mr. Colonel, I don't know when our factory can start construction. I will start allocating land to prepare for the construction of the factory immediately."
Now it was Fang Lang's turn to scratch his head. You guy changed your attitude really quickly!
He smiled and said:
"If Mr. Mayor is willing, I will have the company arrange professional personnel to come and have specific negotiations with you on the matter of opening a factory."
"Okay, okay, don't worry! I will start raising funds when I get back. It is my honor to cooperate with Fangyuan Group."
Mayor Dursley was so eager to leave and go home to prepare for the joint venture to build a factory.
Fang Lang quickly stopped him and said:
"Mr. Mayor, don't leave in a hurry. I have just said that the family will invest in many projects in Natal this time. Now I have something to trouble you, Mr. Mayor."
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