February 4, 1695, sunny.

Xu Xiangdong had just woken up in a villa in Santiago City. He gently shook the rope bell at the head of the bed. In a moment, a young Spanish girl walked in and helped Xu Xiangdong get up and change her clothes quickly.

Although he is already in his fifties, Xu Xiangdong's body is not old. President Xu, who often performs exercise and even plays polo, is even strong. However, he does not reject some basic benefits, such as personal maid service. As the president of Nantik Group, the ownership of the two-story villa in Santiago City where he lives is owned by the group's Nantik Trading Company. The male and female servants are also hired by the company and serve the president alone.

The villas in Santiago City are one of the few assets of Nantie Trading Company in the New World. Because they began to focus on the operation of the affiliated businesses along the Shangding Railway, Nantie Trading Company sold most of the industries in the New World, and currently only had a few warehouses or offices in some cities to maintain the Peruvian trade business that had shrunk quite heavily. The funds obtained from the sale of the industry were basically invested by them in the Denlai and Ningshao areas, building commercial networks in the local area, purchasing property facilities, purchasing goods, developing agents, etc., in short, they were very busy.

The current trade in Chile is basically limited to the purchase of local sulfur, mercury, wood and other materials, and then re-exported and sold some goods produced locally on the East Coast. The scale is not large, so I can only say that they can barely maintain it. Just like their trade volume in the city of Santiago, the total amount of it is only 200,000 to 300,000 yuan a year, which is incomparable to the huge profits in the past.

After dressing neatly, Xu Xiangdong left the bedroom and walked towards the dining room. Standing outside the bedroom were two hired Spanish security guards. They saluted Xu Xiangdong respectfully, and Xu Xiangdong nodded indifferently. The two fully armed Spanish security guards were also quite interesting. They were wearing leather armor on their upper body and short breeches on their lower body, which were long and with ropes wrapped around them; a pair of short boots that were fastened in front, like leggings, and the feet inside the boots were worn directly to the knees.

Long stockings; wearing an iron helmet on his head, a padded inside the helmet, and a belt is installed, which hangs down his cheeks and tied under his beard. This outfit looks like a Spanish colonial army soldier, and in fact it is true. They are retired Spanish soldiers, now serving the East Coast people and doing some housekeeping tasks. You know, Santiago City's economy is not very good now, and jobs are not so easy to find.

Because the East Coast people have officially obtained most of the La Plata, and now the Spanish in Chile are in panic. Many people think that maybe it won’t take long before the East Coast people will take Chile over, either spending money to redeem or military occupation. It should be said that these rumors have greatly impacted the Spanish's fragile psychology. Many Spaniards who are unwilling to be citizens of the East Coast are already seriously considering where to move. For them, the inability to redeem their souls is very serious, so serious that they are willing to give up the opportunity to be East Coast people and turn to Peru to live.

Therefore, in the past two years, there have been many people selling real estate in Santiago. These people have basically decided to move and live further north, so they began to sell their property in Chile on a large scale, so they can re-built their homes in Lima, Guayaquil, Panama and other places. The concentrated sale in a short period of time has caused a comprehensive plummeting price of Santiago's real estate market. Nantiago Trading Company seized the opportunity and spent a very small amount of money to buy the originally rented villas and warehouses as the company's commercial operation base in Santiago.

After experiencing the wealthy and the aristocrats fled on a large scale, the economy of Santiago was naturally not much better. The funds were outflowed, the jobs were reduced sharply, the government's fiscal revenue was sharply reduced, and the soldiers' wages were largely arrears. Later, the Santiago Municipal Council simply ordered the layoffs of some soldiers to reduce financial pressure. It sounded ridiculous, right? On the one hand, I was afraid that the East Coast people would come over, and on the other hand, they would also disarmament, which was very contradictory. But the fact is that, maybe the men of the Municipal Council felt that these soldiers were all idiots and could not stop the East Coast army at all, even if they could not be a day, so it would be better to lay off all the money saved and pay them all to themselves and the civil servants. Anyway, if the East Coast army appeared outside the city, everyone would surrender directly. What a big deal!

A considerable number of unemployed soldiers were hired by East Coast merchants. Nantie Trading Company hired more than twenty people, some guarded the house, and some traveled between Valparaiso and Santiago, and escorted goods, which was only useful for the people. As for what would these people do if the East Coast people really came in the future? In fact, there was no big problem. Xu Xiangdong once evaluated that most of these people would use them for me if nothing unexpected happened.

The restaurant is temporarily set up on the balcony on the roof of the second floor, which Xu Xiangdong specifically requested, because he can enjoy breakfast while enjoying the scenery.

The main urban area of ​​Santiago is actually very close to the Andes. You can see the snow on the top of the mountain peaks in the east by sitting on the roof. Imagine that when you sit on the roof, enjoying oatmeal porridge, poached eggs, cod balls and other side dishes in the gentle breeze, and then looking at the beautiful scenery, you will naturally feel extremely comfortable.

There was another guest who was dining with Xu Xiangdong on the rooftop today, which was Park Setang, the North Korean East Travel Service, who had visited yesterday and had a long talk with Xu Xiangdong. This man was standing by the railing, shaking his head, and feeling that he wanted to recite poems but couldn't recite them, which made Xu Xiangdong look at them and shake his head and laugh.

"Minister Park is so happy. Is this Andes still a look?" Xu Xiangdong sat at the dining table with the help of his servant and asked with a smile.

"Magnificent and magnificent, majestic and spectacular, but it seems to be so beautiful." Pu Shitang turned his head and replied.

"Come on, please have a meal." Xu Xiangdong greeted Park Se-tang and sat down for dinner, and then said with a smile: "I heard that there are many famous mountains in northern Korea, Mount Kwang and Mount Miaoxiang are very impressive, but unfortunately I have never met."

"President Xu also knows Miaoxiang Mountain? Haha, that's a good place. It's a pity that it's remote and difficult to walk. If there are railway tracks in your country, it will be much more convenient." Park Shitang said tentatively.

"Haha, the railway is good, the cost is very high." Xu Xiangdong said slowly while drinking the porridge.

After finding out that he was living in Santiago City, Park Se-tang came to visit him. It just so happened that Xu Xiangdong was also interested in North Korea, so he chatted with him, which was quite speculative. However, the North Korean Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce has a big appetite and has been tentatively asking whether the Nantec Corporation can build railways in North Korea. This is simply a whim. Not to mention that the Nantec Corporation is still setting up two railways to repay debts for the rubber cigarettes built in the past. Just say that the company's next expansion direction should be the Pingrong Railway that crosses the Denglai. What's the right thing for North Korea? You actually want us to build railways. Have you drunk too much?

But Park Se-tang is also persistent and keeps saying that North Korea needs a railway. This railway can start from Dandong Port in Liaodong, pass through Pyongyang, Hanyang and all the way to Busan, and run across the entire Korean Peninsula, which can bring great benefits. To be honest, Park Se-tang's idea really shocked Xu Xiangdong. North Korea, a poor country, actually wants to own a railway of nearly a thousand kilometers. Is that true? They plan to build it with their heads? No need to consider whether the East Coast government approves or not. Just the astronomical funds needed for the construction of this railway are enough to discourage Xu Xiangdong. Are you here to make fun of it?

Instead of going to North Korea to build a railway, it is better to listen to the advice of the Ministry of Railways and turn its energy back to the country and build a large north-south railway in the Central Valley of Chile! The big men of the Ministry of Railways even promised that the railway west of the Andes would not let China Railway or Amtrak make trouble, and would entrust the Nan Railway Company with full authority to build it, provided that they raised their own funds.

To be honest, the conditions for this exclusive right are actually quite generous. The conditions in the Central Valley of Chile are very good and the population is large. The economy has been growing steadily over the years. If a north-south railway is built, extending from Liucheng Port to Santiago, it should be a very good deal, and it is also a leap in the transportation industry in the inland areas. But after thinking about it, Xu Xiangdong finally gave up. Since the Southern Railway has left the local area and focuses on operating the Far East, don't be distracted. Now, the two lines of Guayan have set up to make stable profits. After a few years, the debt pressure on it is less, you can think of another way to repair the Pingrong Line, which may be better for the company's development.

And another reason for not building the Chilean railway is that Santiago is still the territory of Spain! Before the king died, we will go to beat the other person's land and support it so far to Santiago. Is it really appropriate to be so disrespectful? If Santiago wants to have a railway, it is better to rely on the American Railway Company. After they build the railway from the mouth of the Bian River to Luoyang Prefecture, they will find a way to extend the west, or even cross mountains and rivers to Chile. This may be more reliable. It just so happened that the people of the Executive Committee were thinking all day long about how to connect Shandong and Shanxi (Andes). Isn't a railway crossing the Andes? Haha, the big pot of political correctness should be taken by the Amtrak Corporation. Our Nantel Corporation is originally a small force, but we can't play such a difficult task.

Park Se-tang did not get a satisfactory reply from Xu Xiangdong, and was not discouraged. Then he asked if he could build a Pyongyang to Hanyang railway to connect the two capitals. Xu Xiangdong was annoyed by the question, so he hurriedly ended the breakfast, and then used the excuse of being busy with official duties and went directly to the warehouse. The North Koreans were too ignorant, and they had the time to grind their teeth with them, so it was better to go and check the goods and accounts.
Chapter completed!