Wheeler is representative of poor and backward planets, with a population of 300 million, 95% of whom are white, with a small number of blacks and Asians. In the past century, several supreme commanders and planetary governors appointed by the Galactic Empire on Wheeler were assassinated. The planet is still not unified, with warlords and bandits everywhere, carving out their own territories and raising their own armies.
The locals survive by growing vegetables and raising chickens near their homes. Many families are so poor they only have one set of clothes, which they share when going out. However, every household has a gun, and shootouts are common on the streets.
Our approach is to sign agreements with local warlords, establish factories, and employ the locals, with the warlord troops maintaining order, Tian Rao said. On other planets, our garment factory workers might work eight hours a day, 24 days a month, and earn 8,000 yuan. But on Wheeler, workers need to work eleven hours a day, 28 days a month, and earn 2,000 yuan.
Where did the extra money go? Of course, it went into the hands of the local warlord troops. The labor duration of local workers, according to interstellar market industry standards, should earn them 10,000 yuan in wages. We give them 2,000, give the warlord troops 4,000, and save the remaining 4,000, Tian Rao said.
Jiang Ye stared at Tian Rao in surprise, "You're so black-hearted!"
"No, it's not that. This is the best result I could achieve," Tian Rao shrugged.
"It doesn't sound much better..." Jiang Ye's expression was complicated.
"The local warlords' initial demand was that each worker only needed 500 yuan per month in addition to food and lodging, with the rest going to the warlord troops. I fought hard to get to this result. Local warlords have their own factories and directly grab people from nearby villages with trucks to work. Anyone who refuses is shot on the street. Workers are lucky to get enough to eat; wages are a fantasy. When I inspected the local area, I saw a warlord operating a submachine gun reloading factory. Next to the factory was a mass grave where exhausted workers were directly thrown, sprinkled with lime, and that was that."
"Moreover, the workers' uniforms were stripped from those bodies, washed, and given to the next batch of workers. So the pits were filled with naked corpses, overwhelmingly white. After rotting in the open, they turned a swollen milky white, layered like jellyfish, which was particularly disgusting," Tian Rao made a gagging expression. "Does it sound absurd? It's all true, I can show you photos."
"This planet is chaotic enough," Jiang Ye sighed.
"So after our factories arrived, the locals desperately wanted to join, finding all sorts of connections," Tian Rao said. "Those who can work in our factories become influential figures locally. Many employees wear our work uniforms even after work, and some even wear them for weddings. Firstly, they don't have other clothes, and secondly, it's a symbol of status."
"After our enterprises arrived, the average life expectancy in the surrounding areas increased from 33 to over sixty years, and per capita income also increased fivefold. The local warlords, with the money we provide, are now growing in power and are likely to unify the surrounding areas, though whether they can extend this to the entire planet is unknown," Tian Rao said.
"Given how poor the planet is, clothes would be hard to sell, right?" Jiang Ye said. "So backward planets are just factory sites, not consumer markets?"
"The high-quality clothes produced by Wheeler's factories, we first send a batch to the families of local warlords. The rest are transported to Jiang Ye Star, where they are labeled as produced and quality-checked on Jiang Ye Star, and then sold to other planets at a high price because the quality of clothes from Jiang Ye Star is well-known. At the same time, we transport the inferior and defective clothing returned from major planets to Wheeler to sell to locals or distribute as employee benefits, which are very popular. This back-and-forth transportation ensures our transport ships are never empty."
"Moreover, once Wheeler develops, it will definitely recognize our brand. Our brand will be deeply rooted in their social memory and planetary culture. As long as there are no major accidents, we won't have to worry about sales in the future," Tian Rao said. "Once the conflicts on Wheeler stabilize a bit, Xu Yan plans to develop real estate there and make money from the workers and warlords."
"Too predatory," Jiang Ye laughed. "You two are practically harvesting machines."
"It's not just the two of us. Do you know about the wealthy club in Binhai City? Isabel founded it, and I manage it now. Most of the influential entrepreneurs on Jiang Ye Star are club members, and we have formed a relatively unified team. When Xu Yan and I open up markets on a planet, major enterprises in the club follow suit, dumping goods from all industries. We can also share intelligence, provide financial support, and use shared transport ships and related personnel to save costs," Tian Rao said. "Some people in the club say that imperial merchants like Xu Yan and me are like cavalry charging into battle in ancient times, breaking through enemy lines at high speed, while other enterprises are like waves of infantry, pouring in through the openings we create."
"Imperial merchants?" Jiang Ye was taken aback.
"Merchants designated by the emperor. You are the emperor," Tian Rao smiled shyly, as if a little embarrassed. "Xu Yan and I don't rely on your influence. We have repeatedly stated in the club that our relationship with Jiang Ye is not deep, and we have no special support from you. But no one believes us. They think Xu Yan and I were cultivated by you and can speak to you, so they voluntarily obey us."
"This..." Jiang Ye frowned.
"Jiang Ye, don't worry. Xu Yan and I are very sensible. We never misrepresent imperial decrees, nor do we do business under your name. We won't tarnish your reputation," Tian Rao's expression suddenly became serious.
"I believe you two," Jiang Ye nodded. "You just described the expansion methods for poor and backward planets. What about the methods for wealthy and advanced planets?"
"That's more troublesome. Generally speaking, on wealthy and advanced planets, the raw material market is already monopolized, and the garment industry is also largely divided. It's difficult for us to break in directly, and we'll face resistance from the entire planet's forces, potentially leading to losing both husband and soldiers," Tian Rao said. "I usually use two methods: the marriage alliance method and the silkworm-eating method."
Jiang Ye continued to listen earnestly, his eyes never leaving Tian Rao.
"The marriage alliance method involves first identifying the power divisions of several garment industry giants on the target planet and then negotiating cooperation with a suitable party. The forms of cooperation are diverse, such as having them act as agents to sell our branded clothing, and we also act as agents to sell their clothing, exchanging markets one for one, to try different tastes. Or, our companies secretly establish a joint venture, concentrating superior forces to let this subsidiary aggressively enter the market. Another method is to invest heavily with large capital to acquire a strong but poorly managed alien brand and enter the battlefield under its guise."
"It sounds difficult," Jiang Ye said. "There's still high-intensity confrontation, right?"
"Of course, it's a fierce battle, fought to the death. Although the marriage alliance method sounds peaceful, the actual process involves intense conflict," Tian Rao nodded.