The journey starts from the Titanic

This is really a heinous fact!Although those are currently barren land, the oil is hidden deep underground, only Situ Nan knows, but this has reached the point of guarding the sky.

The Middle East is the last and most important part of Situ Nan's global oil distribution, and it is also the most difficult part.

Because Situ Nan's influence in the Middle East is very weak, he has not dared to make a statement, and the agreement with Ibn Saudi Arabia was also signed in private.

For oil, it is worthwhile to support Ibn Saudi Arabia.Situ Nan, who is familiar with history, knows that Ibn Saudi Arabia is a potential stock. In the next few decades, he will not only firmly control the Saudi regime, but also maintain a pro-American stance, so this investment is guaranteed.

Both Ibn Saudi Arabia and Situ Nan deliberately ignored the British. Ibn Saudi Arabia wanted to use the United States to make Britain, and secretly created the stage of "a daughter marrying two husbands". Situ Nan was not too worried about the British, I believe Under the open door policy, Occidental Petroleum Corporation will surely gain a foothold in the Middle East.

In fact, the size of the Gawar oil field is far beyond the imagination of the world. Situ Nan’s 100,000 hectares of exploration rights accounted for only one-third.In order to compete for this oil field, there will be a bloody storm in the future.

Chapter 29 Mumbai, Tata

Originally, Situ Nan also planned to invest in surrounding areas such as Iraq and Iran. After acquiring part of the Vaar oil field, Situ Nan realized that it was too late to irritate the British, so as not to divert the British attention from Iran to Come from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

British oil company in the Middle East-British Petroleum Company has always regarded Iran and Iraq as its own turf. As early as 1913, British Petroleum Company built the first oil refinery in the Middle East in Abadan, Iran. Oil industry.During the war, Anglo-Polish Company provided a large amount of oil to the United Kingdom, and then the Secretary of the Navy Churchill bought shares of Anglo-Polish Oil Company in the name of the government.Therefore, the British government became the big boss of British Petroleum Company.

Anglo-Polish Petroleum has extensive interests in Iran and Iraq. They act aggressively. If Situ Nan rashly reached into their back garden, he would surely receive a strong counterattack.

Although the Middle East is rich in oil, the desert climate is very harsh. Smallpox is prevalent, bandits and warlords are rampant, the water is not drinkable, and the temperature is higher than 50°C. Drilling in the desert is not easy.

Restricted by various conditions, it is impossible for British Petroleum to expand rapidly in the Middle East in a short period of time, which gives Situ Nan an opportunity.

It is the time of the past few years!Situ Nan is confident that when British Petroleum, Shell Oil and other British Petroleum companies expand to Saudi Arabia and other places, Occidental Petroleum will be able to justify its involvement in Middle East oil.

Arabian Sea.On board the William.

Looking back at the gradual disappearance of the Gulf of Oman, Situ Nan was excited, ups and downs with the waves, and sighed with emotion: This trip is not in vain!

The sun gradually sank to the surface of the sea, leaving only a burning sunset. The mercury on the surface of the sea was vented, floating light and golden, like a dream, making people intoxicated.

The sea breeze is cool, this will be a crystal clear water night!Situ Nan held a coconut in his hand and drank the coconut juice happily, sitting on the deck watching the sunset, unspeakable leisure.

"My dear, it's great that you are here, Andy is clamoring to find you." Laura hugged Andy and walked over with a smile.Little Andy's cold got better, and he recovered like a little tiger. In Laura's arms, after seeing Situ Nan, he fluttered and was very excited.

"Dad!"

"Dad"

Little Andy's childish voice suddenly rang.Although vague, Situ Nan distinguished that the little guy called himself father.

"Andy called my dad?! Honey!" Situ Nan said to Laura excitedly.

He held Andy in his arms and turned around, leaving behind a series of laughter of the two father and son on the boat.

Laura looked at all of this happily. She held the camera and pressed the shutter, and she fixed the excited father and son on the bow of the boat on the red Arabian Sea.

Decades later, when Andy was in charge of Occidental Petroleum’s oil empire, he once saw the photo with a red background and proudly said: "I was very young at that time and had little memory. But this precious photo records With the influence of the William family in the Middle East, nobody knew at the time. My father had conquered the vast oil sea behind the Arabian Sea. Since then, the Persian Gulf has almost become our family’s pasture..."

Sailing at sea is sometimes not as romantic and elegant as described in the plot of the novel. After a storm, the William reached the port of Mumbai in India.

There are many words to describe the city of Mumbai, the economic center of India, a large population, well-developed transportation, a good port in the world, the world's textile center, the shipbuilding center of the Indian Ocean... These brilliant terms are enough to explain Mumbai's status.

If India is the brightest diamond in the crown of the Queen of England, Mumbai is the most dazzling light on a diamond.Although it is not the most developed city Situ Nan has ever seen, walking on the streets of Mumbai and watching the arrogant whites and meek Indians "live in harmony", Situ Nan has a strange feeling-India can almost become Britain A demonstration unit for colonization!

Starting from the East India Company, after hundreds of years of rule, the Indians seem to be content with the status quo. They seem to enjoy the asylum of Her Majesty the Queen, as if they can also enjoy some of the glory of the British Empire.

In his previous life, Situ Nan had never been to Mumbai, and only heard of the name of Mumbai."Forget Shanghai! From now on people only remember Mumbai!" This is the slogan that Mumbai chanted a hundred years later, from which we can see the pride of Mumbai.

Mumbai has this confidence.In Mumbai, the number of textile factories alone exceeds 300. The world's textile giants have settled in them. In addition, there are hundreds of factories in other industries such as steel and shipbuilding.

During the First World War, the British moved a large number of factories to Mumbai, which greatly promoted the industrial development of Mumbai. The enthusiasm for construction made this place its own territory.

Everywhere you can see trains roaring by, loaded with cargo, and merchant ships destined to all over the world are parked outside the port.There are many high-rise buildings and shopping malls.There is also a developed financial market-the Mumbai cotton futures market.

"My dear, I didn't expect Mumbai to be so developed, almost the same as Los Angeles." Laura said with emotion.Here in Mumbai, she unexpectedly found the fashion she saw in Paris.

"Yeah. But there are not so many people in Los Angeles. Do you know? My dear, there are more than 12 million people here!" Situ Nan said in a speechless voice.

Then he added, “5 million people died in the flu last year. A few months ago, I heard that there was a floating body in the port of Mumbai, and all ships were afraid to make a call.

"Oh! My goodness! It's terrible!" Laura exclaimed, "The people here are so pitiful, let's help them! Just like we did in Los Angeles."

"This is the place of the British, and they don't welcome foreigners to intervene here. However, I just saw sulfa on sale in the pharmacy. The epidemic here has passed, and everything will get better. But you are right. , The William Foundation should provide some medical services for the people here." Situ Nan nodded.

When you come to Mumbai, you must stay in the Taj Mahal Hotel and enjoy the luxury of Indian nobility.It can be said that the Taj Mahal Hotel is no worse than any major hotel in the world.

The founder of this world-famous hotel is India’s largest national capitalist Jamshedji?Tata, he is also the founder of India's largest consortium Tata Consortium!

Jamsetji?Tata takes the prosperity of the motherland as his goal. He believes that to realize the industrialization of India must rely on steel, electricity and science and technology. Based on this ambition, he has three major aspirations in his life, namely to build a steel plant, a hydroelectric power plant and an academy of sciences.

Unfortunately, when he passed away in 1904, he only realized one small wish he once had, that is, to build a luxurious Taj Mahal Hotel. The reason was that he was discriminated against at the entrance of the hotel when he was visiting Europe.

Situ Nan couldn't meet the long-admired entrepreneur, but Jamsetji?Before Tata's death, it left a rudimentary empire with assets of more than 40 million yuan (silver dollars), including a large textile group with the Queen Victoria Textile Factory as its core and a steel complex with Tata Steel as its core.

These two groups are also leaders in the textile and steel industries in India. After the “fatification” of the First World War, the assets of the Tata Group have doubled, and they have fully secured the throne of India’s largest consortium. The consortium is not inferior.

Complete personal struggle, no gold fingers, all wisdom and hard work to reach such a high level, how does Situ Nan put Jamshedeji?Is Tata a legend?

"I know the story of your father. He is the Indian entrepreneur that I admire the most. What I admire is not only his commercial achievements, but also his kindness. His generosity is touching."

In the Taj Mahal Hotel, Situ Nan said with emotion, sitting in front of him is Dulab, the current head of the Tata family?Tata, a well-mannered middle-aged man with a high head and wide forehead, looked at Situ Nan with piercing eyes.

"On behalf of the Tata family, I thank William. Your generosity and kindness will save more Indian people. Our Tata family cherish this friendship very much." Durab?Tata bowed sincerely to Situ Nan.

Well, Situ Nan just donated a batch of 300,000 US dollars worth of sulfonamides, Banlangen and other drugs and medical equipment to the charity under the name of the Tata family in the name of the William Foundation. At the same time, the two sides also proposed cooperation in education. The University of William Accept 50 Indian students.

Situ Nan accepted Dulab frankly?Tata’s respect, after thinking about it, and saying: "I know that the Tata family is investing heavily in steel and hydropower projects, and our William Consortium just doesn’t lack capital and technology. I believe we will have a good prospect of cooperation in this regard. of."

Situ Nan looked at Durab calmly?Tata thought: In addition to oil, India hardly lacks any resources. The British have built a good industrial foundation here, so India's development potential has always been good.It would be best if the Tata family could open up and enter the Indian market.

"Does Mr. William have any good plans?" Dubra?Tata asked.He knew that the other party was from the American steel giant Bethlehem. If advanced American technology and equipment could be introduced, it would greatly promote the rise of Tata Steel in India.So as soon as Situ Nan proposed his intention to cooperate, he was moved.

"Bethlehem will take a 10% stake in Tata Company, or we will become a joint venture company with one and half share. Bethlehem will provide a full set of equipment and part of the capital. Durab? Mr. Tata, do you think it is okay?" Stuart suggested.

At present, the steel industry in India is not the only time when Tata Steel is the only one. Instead, Tata Steel has been suppressed by British steel companies. British equipment suppliers often make things difficult for Tata Steel and sell to Tata Steel. The price is higher than that of selling to other British-owned steel plants, so Tata Steel has to pay a high price for every step forward.

But there is no way. Why do local Indian companies be discriminated against and suppressed by the British in terms of technology and capital?

In order to expand the scale of Tata Steel Company, Durab?Tata was going to Germany to "purchase goods", but after Situ Nan came in, he changed his mind a bit.

"Mr. William, the lifeblood of our Tata family-Tata Group cannot tolerate outsiders' intervention, so you can't accept your share in Tata Group. But the joint venture Tata Steel Company can be discussed." Durab?Tata replied.

Chapter 30 The Penang Li Family

Situ Nan and Durab Tata discussed, and finally reached a consensus.The American Bethlehem Company and the Indian Tata Company established the Bethlehem-Tata Steel Company with an initial investment of USD 1 million and a designed annual steel output of 500,000 tons, which is expected to be completed in 10 years.Bethlehem buys shares at a discount to equipment, accounting for 50% of the shares.

Under Durab Tata’s repeated insistence, Situ Nan agreed to let the Tata family be the majority shareholder in the future. In the next ten years, Bethlehem will transfer no more than 20% of its shares to the Tata family.