Looking at the shopkeepers and managers cheering and expressing their gratitude, Fatty Tang couldn't help but be amazed.

The young master's methods are getting more and more powerful. He obviously wants to make a lot of money from these guys, but he also makes them feel grateful, as if they have taken advantage of him.

But this joint-stock system is indeed magical. Why not write back and ask my eldest son to convert Tang’s Grocery Store into a joint-stock company and see if so many people will flock to it?

Unknowingly, Tang Youde has already treated his century-old store as a testing ground for experimenting with anything he wants?

Is this an advancement of ideas or a decline in morality?

It is worth further study.

~~

Zhao Hao took the opportunity to show the guests the rail cars, winch lifts, various ventilation devices, and mine supports installed in the coal mine...

These were all things that had already existed, but after being improved by Zhang Jian and Zhao Shizhen using scientific principles, they became more effective and durable.

But what amazed the guests the most was a crude slide built on the hillside.

I saw workers digging a big pit on the edge of the hillside near the coal mine entrance.

Then they shoveled away the large rocks from the pit mouth to the hillside beside the road at the foot of the mountain, leveled it a little, and dug a very shallow ditch.

The miners piled tens of thousands of pounds of coal in the pit, and then used a drainage king to pump water from the coal mine into the pit. When the water level exceeded the mark, they pulled out the wooden planks blocking the pit entrance.

Then, a magical scene happened.

Just that small pool of water actually washed tens of thousands of pounds of coal down the hillside.

Listening to the incessant roar echoing in the valley, the shopkeepers who were seeing 'unloading coal down the mountain' for the first time all changed color, as if a mountain was collapsing and the earth was splitting.

In fact, this is using the principle of mudslides to flush the coal pile with water, causing a small mudslide...

Last winter, after visiting the Miaofeng Mountain coal mine, Zhao Hao discovered that most of the people hired by the mine owner were porters who carried coal down the mountain.

No matter how capable the porters were, they could only carry three or four hundred kilograms of coal at a time. Moreover, the mountain roads were steep and winding, so the speed of carrying coal was as slow as a snail.

Therefore, transporting coal down the mountain has become a fatal link that restricts the production efficiency of coal mines and increases the cost of coal production.

It was also during that trip to Miaofeng Mountain that Zhao Hao, after experiencing an earthquake and observing a landslide, suddenly thought of whether he could use this method to flush coal down the mountain.

Of course, this is what he said to Zhao Shizhen.

In fact, the shameless Mr. Zhao simply knew that small coal mines four hundred years later were still using this method, directly flushing coal from the mine entrance to the roadside for loading.

After repeated experiments, Zhao Shizhen turned his uncle's idea into reality.

According to a rough calculation, this alone can double the production efficiency of the coal mines, and reduce the cost price of coal per hundred kilograms from 60 to 70 cents to less than 50 cents.

However, a kind-hearted man like Mr. Zhao has ordered the two fat men to set the cost at fifty cents, and use the extra money to improve the workers' welfare and carry out literacy education.

If you really can't spend the money, you can invite a troupe to perform at the kiln every now and then, which can greatly improve the workers' happiness...

Well, Mr. Zhao does business to make everyone happy.

~~

When they were going down the mountain, the shop owners pestered Zhao Hao and Erpang, asking if they could buy a share.

"This needs to be discussed with the shareholders. I will give you a reply on the day of the shareholders' meeting." Young Master Zhao is used to keeping people in suspense, so he naturally would not reveal all his plans at once.

"Sir, how many abandoned coal mines does Xishan Mining have...oh no, coal mines that can be redeveloped?"

Zhao Hao glanced at Fatty Sun, but he actually didn't quite understand.

If the shopkeepers knew that this was actually Mr. Zhao's second time coming to Xishan, what would they think?

But Fatty Sun is already used to it.

After all, the young master had only been to the Lugouqiao coal yard three or five times. After the business got on track, he simply stopped caring about it and never showed up again.

Because you have more important things to do, like going to heaven...

Fatty Sun consoled himself silently, and then announced brazenly: "Xishan Coal Industry currently has 3,666 exploitable coal mines, and most of them are in much better condition than the No. 1 mine!"

In fact, we have to thank the young minister for his help. Originally, there were many families who were holding on to the price of one thousand taels for each abandoned coal kiln.

But as soon as the news came that the imperial court was going to ban coal mining in Xishan, the sellers immediately took the initiative to reduce prices, sell at a loss, and clear out their stock. The two fat men vented their anger and directly cut the purchase price to less than 200 taels...

"Oh my god, so many!" The shopkeepers were all dumbfounded, and they were completely at a loss for words...

But in short, Xishan Coal Industry has super, super good financial prospects. If you miss it, you will regret it for the rest of your life!

On the return journey, all the visitors wished they could grow wings and return to Beijing.

Those who could make their own decisions began to think about how to raise funds. They would even pawn their businesses to pawnshops or sell their houses.

Those who cannot make their own decisions rack their brains to think about how to convince their masters and mistresses not to miss this opportunity to hitch a ride and make rapid progress.

If you miss it, your master will definitely blame you to death in the future.

~~

But the Left Censor-in-Chief Wang Ting, after a day of justice and integrity, returned home in a sedan chair.

The steward of the mansion had been waiting in the yard for a long time. When he saw the master coming back, he hurried to greet him and lifted the curtain of the sedan chair.

"The master is back."

"You're back too?" Wang Ting asked back.

When the sedan bearers lowered the poles, he got down steadily with the help of the steward.

"Yes, yes, yes." The manager responded three times in a row, his excitement evident in his words.

"It seems like we have gained a lot." Wang Ting raised his eyebrows, and without even changing out of his official robe, he went straight into the study.

As soon as he entered the study, the steward couldn't help but yell, "Master is so wise! Fortunately, you let me go on this trip, otherwise I would definitely regret it for the rest of my life!"

"Oh, tell me quickly?" Wang Ting was slightly pleased with himself, thinking that Benxian was indeed very observant and had sensed something unusual from the files of Xishan Coal Industry.

But Wang Zongxian did not continue to dig deeper to see if there was any ulterior motive. Instead, he sent his manager to Xishan to see if he could make some money...

"I am an honest official, but I cannot miss the opportunity to make money legally." Mr. Wang said in his heart, justifying his own outrageous actions.

The manager then told Wang Ting everything he had seen and heard that day.

Naturally, Wang Zongxian was also stunned by what he heard. He sat there for a long while before asking, "How much is Xishan Coal Industry worth?"

"I don't know about other things, but these 3,600-plus coal mines are right in front of us." The manager licked his dry lips and said, "Most of them were bought back at extremely low prices. After adding all the costs, the average price will not exceed 200 taels each. I have done some research and found that the average price of a coal mine on the market is 4,000 to 5,000 taels each. Even if his coal mines have been dug by others, there will definitely be people vying for them if they are sold at 3,000 taels each."

After a pause, the manager continued, "Besides, Xishan Coal Industry has the support of science, so they will definitely dig deeper and deeper than others. Therefore, I believe that in their hands, the value of a coal mine is definitely more than four thousand taels."

"How much is it?" Wang Ting asked with a dry mouth.

"According to the most conservative estimate, their coal mines alone are worth more than 10 million taels of silver..."

ps. This is the third update. Please give me monthly votes and recommendation votes. I will check and post the last two updates. It won't be too long.