During this period of time, Lem had been trying his best to adapt to his role. In fact, he had done a good job, but he did not think so.
A few months ago, he was still at the bottom of Bu Paine's hierarchy, relying on selling unsellable bartenders to make a living.
He had seen a lot of storms in this industry. Most of the time, when it was his turn to shoulder these things, he was only left with water droplets. But he still saw a lot of things.
Most of the big things that happened there, he could tell anyone in detail.
He always thought that he would succeed one day, but when the day really came, he was not so used to it.
Everyone you met was better than you. Their tone of voice, their way of thinking, and some of their body movements were not things that could be learned just by looking at them.
If you could not learn the essence of their arrogance, then you were just a clown. He had worked hard, but he felt that it was not good enough because he had a role model and a goal, and that was Lynch.
Lin Qi's experience was legendary, he was a living miracle. At the same time, he also inspired these people because he was also a successful person who climbed up from an ordinary person. He did better than anyone else. People like Lyme looked up to him, followed in his footsteps, and followed him.
"Transportation, yes, local transportation is a big problem …" Lynch used less than five seconds to get people to return to the previous topic.
But this time, the person who led the conversation was not Lem, who was a little overwhelmed.
"When we came to the hotel, everyone saw that Nagalil's transportation is a big problem. If the transportation problem is not solved, this area, and even the whole country, will not be able to develop.
This is also why I invested here. Of course, I hope that everyone will not misunderstand me. I am not a philanthropist, I am just a businessman who wants to make money. This is not shameful, right? "
Lynch's way of making fun of himself was very special. His way of saying it was also very special. People thought it was very funny. Everyone laughed and went along with him. "Of course not, Mr. Lynch. There is nothing shameful about making money. Isn't that what we want?"
Lin Qi pointed at the person who spoke and even took the initiative to shake the other party's hand. "Yes, earning money is not shameful. The purpose of me and all of you coming here is not to contribute like some idiots in the country who don't know anything said."
"We're here to make money, and a lot of it!"
"The railway is a business that is worth investing in. I believe that all of you have sufficient understanding of this. Otherwise, you wouldn't have placed your attention here."
Everyone nodded in agreement. It was precisely because they knew some inside information about the railway that they were interested in it.
"We plan to build a perfect railway network around the entirety of Mengshe – Ü-Tsang Province. Whether it's the movement of goods or people, the entire province will rely heavily on this perfect method of transportation."
"Coupled with the upcoming development, the more people use the railway and move on our railway tracks, the more profits we will earn."
Lynch's voice sounded convincing. "Here, only we have the legal right to build and operate the railway. Gentlemen, we all know what's the most profitable business, don't we?"
His smile was telling everyone that this was an exclusive business that had been monopolized.
It might not be nationwide, but being exclusive to a region or a province was not an easy thing to do.
Several of the gentlemen were quietly exchanging their opinions. Lynch took the opportunity to glance at Lyme, and Lyme happened to look at him. Their gazes met and then quickly separated.
Lyme's gaze was filled with respect and reverence. Lynch was very familiar with this feeling. In the past, when he looked at a certain person, he also had this feeling.
Learning made people happy, but it also made people rich.
"Mr. Lynch, we're not worried about the railway company's local dominance. We're just worried that the rate of return won't be as high as we think. If we wait too long …" The speaker was a gentleman in his sixties. He chuckled as he looked at the others, and then at Lynch. "That doesn't fit our idea of investment."
In addition to pursuing the rate of return, business investment also had a certain demand for the efficiency and length of the return. Of course, this demand depended on the investment, the purpose and attitude of the investment.
For example, banks could invest in agriculture and animal husbandry. Even if they entered the return period after a few years or more, they were not in a hurry.
But for ordinary investors, quick and effective returns were what they pursued.
Lyme was stumped by these questions just now, but Lynch was not. "Gentlemen, many people only pay attention to the development of the industry when they talk about the railway."
"They will consider how many industrial enterprises can invest in the railway and whether the transportation of goods can bring them enough returns. But they, including you gentlemen, seem to have neglected another problem …"
Lynch reached out to take a glass of wine from a passing waiter's tray and took a sip. He kept them in suspense, making them itch.
Everyone's eyes were locked onto Lin Qi. They hoped that he would drink faster, but they had to maintain the respect in their eyes. This feeling made Lin Qi very happy. In life, there had to be a little bit of evil to be interesting.
After he took out a handkerchief to wipe off the remaining alcohol, he smiled and said all the unfinished words.
"… You've neglected the local population, gentlemen."
"There are two hundred million people in Nagalil. This was announced to the world by the central government of the United Kingdom of Nagalil, but I don't think this is the real number."
"There are many people outside the city. These people are called untouchables. They are not included in the official population statistics, but these people are not a minority. I have reason to believe that the actual population of Nagalil may be three hundred million, or even more."
"Then have you considered a problem? Let's say that each person earns one dollar a year in the cost of the train. Just in terms of transportation alone, there is a market of three hundred million Federation sols …"
Lynch threw out a huge cake, and the gentlemen's faces suddenly changed.
Because what Lynch said was not wrong at all. Before this, they had not considered other problems at all. They only considered whether the benefits of using the railway would satisfy them.
They did not consider the problem of the railway losing money. In fact, there had been very few cases of losses since the birth of the railway. It was just the time span of the return of knowledge.
They were interested in the investment here, but they were not so persistent. They were worried that the rate of return was too slow.
But Lynch's words immediately made them see a bright future.
Before this, they had never thought of this problem. After all, compared to the transportation cost of a train carriage, how much profit could a person bring by buying a ticket?
Just as they were still shocked by the big business of "three hundred million a year," Lynch took the initiative to reduce the number before they could react. This made his words and the data more convincing.
"Even if it's impossible for every Najaril to come here and take the railway, the population of Mengshe Ü-Tsang Province is more than ten million. For us, this is still a huge market. If we add in the cost of industrial transportation …"
Lynch chuckled. "That will be a business that can double the wealth of everyone here!"
Even though the scale had been reduced by one-thirtieth, it was still an enviable profit. After the railway was laid out, the cost of maintaining it was not as expensive as the Federation. This was because the local labor force was exceptionally cheap. The only cost was steel.
As the exploration team went deeper, once they found iron ore and solved the problem of steel production, steel would no longer be a problem. The cost of maintenance would be almost zero!
What was left was naturally profit.
The gentleman in his sixties could not help but ask, "Mr. Lynch, we are very clear about what you said. It is indeed very tempting, but I have one last question. That is, how do we get people to take the train at least once a year?"
The others also began to pay attention to Lynch's answer because they also wanted to know how to get everyone to take the train at least once a year.
Lynch smiled confidently. "Give most of them a job in another city every year!"
The gentlemen around Lynch were stunned for a moment before they burst into laughter.
"So that's how it is, Mr. Lynch. Your way of thinking and method is amazing. No wonder people say that you are the new generation of young leaders. I believe it now!"
The investor in his sixties praised Lynch to the best of his ability. He even used honorifics.
To him and the others around him, this was a very troublesome matter, but to Lynch, it was just a matter of a few words.
Yes, it was that simple. Give them a job in another city, and they would definitely come back every year. As long as the distance was far enough that they did not consider walking, they would have to take the train.
Moreover, this method was not just for show. Those capitalists who were recruiting workers would also be happy to use this method.
In the Federation, although there was no wise saying like "people who leave their hometown are cheap," there was a similar saying. Hiring workers from other cities was more stable than hiring local workers. At least it would not involve local workers and local clans.
Even if it was impossible for everyone to leave and work in another city, this number could be reduced by ten times to three million people, then cut by half to 1.5 million people.
As long as 1.5 million people worked in another city, they would be able to buy train tickets twice a year when they came back and left. This would provide a gross profit of at least three million.
Including other income, it would not be a dream for the gross profit to exceed five million a year. If the net profit was reduced to 15%, it would still be a net profit of seven to eight hundred thousand. Moreover, with Lynch's method of promoting the flow of people was constantly perfected, the profits would only increase.
In a few years, the cost would be recouped, and then it would enter the income period. This business... seemed to be very profitable!