European Financial Emperor

016 Lucky Man (2)

February 1821.

Lee Hwan was handed over all documents indicating the gift of property, such as the factory building and land ledgers.

Ben Heren made a formal contract with Lee Hwan, and gave him the promised property.

“The factory is located in Rotterdam and it is about 1,600 pyeong and owns 2,000 pyeong of land. It will not be too difficult to procure industrial water because the Mas River is nearby.”

“thank you!”

“Huhu, will you ever say thank you even after going there?”

“… … ?”

“You want a place of production that no one will find out. That’s why I prepared it, so I believe that you will persevere even if it’s hard.”

When I said that I was going to make guns in a remote village, it seemed that they had acquired land in a real village.

However, Lee Hwan didn’t care.

Rather, he saw this as an opportunity.

“That 20,000 pyeong. Can I buy the land in that area too?”

“Are you buying land? It is a rural area quite far from the port of Rotterdam. So what do you gain?”

“Can you try to increase the land price?”

“Are prices rising?”

“If I develop it and make it an industrial city, won’t the land price rise?”

Hearing Lee Hwan’s answer, Ben Heren had a blank expression for about 3 seconds.

Then, soon after, the laughter broke out.

“Heh, you’re thinking of growing the land and eating it!”

“I think that’s the basics of a merchant.”

He seemed to really like Lee Hwan’s answer.

“good night. If you prepare for mass production without any problems, I will buy you the entire land nearby.”

“Hey, are you really?”

“Anyway, the land in that area has been gone for quite some time. Not too expensive.”

Owning a land in this era meant an elevation of status.

In that sense, Lee Hwan could be seen as half-successful.

‘There is no one who has not succeeded in developing a new city. From now on, I will build and sell a modern new city!’

Lee Hwan’s grand dreams spread like that.

When he officially signed a contract with Ben Heren, the Mouser and Ruger families announced that they would sign a contract to establish the Ben Heren Guild as a guarantor.

“And Nari, before making weapons, I think we need to clarify our interests first. Ruger and the Mouser family.”

“Then we will make a contract. You will be guaranteed.”

“thank you. Then sign here… … .”

Lee Hwan has already prepared all the contracts.

In the memorandum, Lee Hwan and the two families form an equity relationship in which the profits are shared with each other, with Lee Hwan having the highest share of 70%.

“Hey, you act fast.”

“Thank you for your help.”

“I think the preparations are over now. Do you need anything more?”

It certainly seemed like a job as an accountant would make a lot of money.

But more than that, I needed more business cards for the future.

Lee Hwan decided to create his first job in the Netherlands.

“Make me a certified public accountant in the Netherlands.”

“chartered accountant?”

“It is to give me the right to use the business card of an accountant recognized by the Holland region. Na-ri is the head of various guilds in Holland, so I believe that you can make me a certified public accountant.”

Although the profession of a certified public accountant was unfamiliar to Ben Heren, the reason why he had to create it was also mysterious.

“Why?”

“To the enemy, I will always look like an accountant. I already heard that my name became known a little through this tour. So they pretend to be an accountant and try to avoid the eyes of their enemies.”

“Oh, that’s a pretty good way.”

“And I think this will be a choice for my future.”

At present, the development of accounting was still on the slow side to such an extent that they did not even have the knowledge to record the depreciation ratio in the books.

If given the title of being the first in such a world, Lee Hwan would be recognized wherever he went in the future.

Ben-Heren agreed to his request.

“good night. Let me do your favor.”

“thank you!”

“Fufu, if I want to make firearms, build firearms, and even account for the future, even ten bodies are not enough.”

“Isn’t that my joy?”

He wrote to Yi Hwan that he would put the seal of the Ben-Heren family and the seal of a corporation on a parchment paper and appoint him as the official accountant of the guild in Holland.

Although he was not a state-certified accountant, it would be a huge advantage to be certified by the Guild of Holland, the center of Dutch commerce.

***

After ending the contract, Lee Hwan exchanged the gold he received from Ben Heren into Dutch currency ‘Wheelder’ to raise funds for his daily life.

Wheeler was the equivalent of 100 cents, and Lee Hwan was able to get quite a lot of wheeler due to the recent increase in gold prices.

Lee Hwan gave the wheel to the two families that followed him.

“Buy what we need in our future life.”

“thank you sir!”

Since the steam engine has been used in many fields in recent years, the two families bought parts of the steam engine, one of the smallest of the times, and loaded it in wagons.

Lee Hwan loaded rubber hoses, petroleum, and various chemicals, which would later become the basis for factory automation and heavy equipment systems.

As I was loading, the two wagons were full.

It would be convenient to take a boat from Amsterdam, but the port near the capital has many eyes and ears to hear, so the land route was chosen.

The road going down by carriage.

Lee Hwan was organizing the books he had received from Amsterdam.

Peter Mouser, who sat on the driver’s seat, looked at Lee Hwan curiously.

“Do you know how to organize your books?”

“It’s about making money and going down to Rotterdam.”

“Hey, you’re really talented.”

In the future, if merchants left their books at Ben Heren, a postman would deliver to East Stella Co., Ltd. once a week.

Now, whenever he had time, he would organize his books and collect money.

The carriage broke down in the middle, or the horse was tired, and after taking a break, it took about a full month from Amsterdam to Rotterdam.

Exactly 16 days later.

Lee Hwan finally reached his destination.

Even when the sun had risen in the middle of the sky, there was still a gentle mist of water, and the floor was still damp.

It was clear that the riverside would be full of moisture even in the middle of winter, given that the riverside was surrounded by a grove of pine trees like a folding screen, and there were traces of periodic flooding along the riverside.

Besides, there were no roads to say the least, and there was only one ferry, which had collapsed, lying all over the place.

In a word, it meant that there was no such wallpaper among the wallpapers.

“Hey, you’re a real gangster.”

“That’s it. Well, why don’t you try people-watching properly?”

“Hmm, but the location is just right. At least for us.”

It was expected that there would be many advantages in importing or delivering goods since sufficient locational requirements were prepared to go to the Port of Rotterdam if the ship floats here.

However, the ground was a little muddy and the ground was rather low, so it was good for drawing water, but I was worried about flooding.

It didn’t matter though.

This is because if you develop this place, it will all be Lee Hwan’s money.

Now it was time to make a fresh start in a new land.

However, an unexpected breakup came.

It was that Andre was leaving Lee Hwan.

“Now I am leaving.”

“… … Are you going?”

“It’s short, but it’s time to say goodbye.”

He wanted to hold on to him, but Andre must have had a life given to him.

“Do you want to make a pilgrimage to the Wailing Wall or Golgotha Hill?”

“That’s right. I am not just a bride.”

“okay… … .”

“But don’t worry, if the master goes out again, he will gladly follow you. If you would like to contact me, please tell the Fleet Management Office in Amsterdam.”

“Wherever you go, take care.”

“Thank you, Master. Then I’m alone!”

So Andre left this place with only a single word.

Lee Hwan kept his gaze fixed until he disappeared over the horizon.

Peter Mouser comforted him.

“Whoever comes back will come back anyway. That priest looks like a gentleman who will come back anyway.”

“Fufu, is that so?

He decided to change Lee Hwan’s slightly subdued mood.

“Sir, why don’t you take a look at what’s in the factories and warehouses?”

“okay. Let’s go.”

His family also moved with them.

They were smiling all the way around the factory.

A furnace, a casting plate, and a work shelf were installed inside the factory, and iron oxide and scrap iron were piled up in the warehouse.

Apparently, Ben Heren heard that Lee Hwan was making firearms, so he carefully selected the items that fit him.

Whether it was a simple favor or a red flag for investment, Lee Hwan had obtained a stepping stone to establish a foundation for the first time here.

“Wow, this is enough to make a gun and sell it right now?!”

“That’s it. It seems that the Prince has given us a pretty good present.”

Now the conditions to work were perfect.

If there was one problem, it was that it would not be easy to make a house for 20 people to eat and sleep well.

There were no houses or villages where people could live in this area, so even if they wanted to buy a house, they could not afford it.

“I have everything, but I don’t have a home.”

“What… … You can build a house.”

Laying the foundation for the construction will start with building a house for 20 people.

First of all, Lee Hwan suggested that we build a house like a house even if it is a log house.

“You have to make a temporary place to live in order to survive the coming summer and winter.”

“Um, that’s right. By the way, the surrounding area is all forests, so it would be nice to get wood to make guns while logging, and materials for building a house.”

“Then let’s build a house first.”

“Come on, let’s move!”

From civil engineering to construction, building a house requires overcoming all these adverse conditions.

However, this would be the foundation for raising East Stella in the future.