315

The construction of a porcelain kiln was such a major undertaking that it touched the hearts of countless people. Even Tang Yansheng and his colleagues opened their own kiln shortly thereafter, hoping to produce high-quality, high-quality porcelain before their next voyage. The impact of the opening of the shipping route further boosted the already prosperous Panyu market.

However, Cheng Xi didn't have time to pay attention to these things for the time being. The merchants who came to her were not selling ordinary things.

Looking at the woman in front of him, Qi Xuan put on a smile. "Thanks to Commander Liu's introduction, I was able to see the elegance of the Lord of the South China Sea. The leader is truly an extraordinary person, and he is truly admirable."

Cheng Xi didn't take this level of flattery to heart at all, and went straight to the point: "I heard that your family is in the weapons business, and you can also forge cannons?"

Qi Xuan smiled and said, "Of course. All the artillery in Guangdong Province was forged by my family. Besides that, we have swords, arrows, spears, and armor. As long as the gang leader wants it, we have everything. And the quality is far superior to other garrisons."

This is truly a typical arms dealer. Cheng Xi also bought a lot of military equipment in the past, and even supported military households that made bows and cannonballs. He is well aware of the long-standing problems in the garrisons. It's bad enough that the soldiers can't fight, but the arsenal is also a mess. Swords are brittle, arrows are deformed and it's common. Firearms are even more difficult to use because they can easily explode and kill people. Except for those with connections and abilities, ordinary soldiers get inferior products. There is a reason for this. Skilled craftsmen will not disappear on the spot. They have to go somewhere. Military equipment is the most profitable business in the world, so embezzlement is inevitable.

Just like Qi Xuan in front of him, he came from Xuanmen Tieshan, which is a forging site under the Guangdong Provincial Ordnance Bureau. It has long been divided up by several leading figures in the Dusi. I don’t know how much money they make every year by casting weapons. I heard that they also mint coins.

Cheng Xi also used her connections with Commander Liu of the East Gate Salt Works to establish contact with him. Naturally, her goal was to find a more stable source of goods. She smiled and asked, "How much do the various artillery pieces cost?"

"The Tiger Zun costs three hundred taels, and the smallest cannon on the ship costs seven hundred and fifty taels. If you're in a hurry, I'm afraid you'll have to raise the price." Qi Xuan had no intention of making concessions and directly quoted a high price.

Cheng Xi narrowed his eyes slightly: "This price is not cheap, it is a few cents higher than what the garrison asked for."

Qi Xuan laughed heartily. "Most of the cannons sold by the guards are still from their own warehouses. How can they be as good as ours? Besides, doesn't it cost money to smooth things over? If you buy from me, you can directly deliver it to the gang leader through the Yueshui River."

It really is a one-stop business, and relying on the fact that it is the only one, it is even more unconcerned. Cheng Xi thought for a moment and suddenly asked, "Besides me, is there anyone else who wants to buy guns?"

Qi Xuan laughed heartily: "Look at what the gang leader said, the world is in chaos, where can't business be done?"

Even a wealthy gang like the Red Flag Gang cannot monopolize his family's business. Besides, if the Red Flag Gang dominates the market, how can they continue to do business?

Hearing this, Cheng Xi sneered: "Selling the goods to two parties, that's quite courageous. But a place as important as Tieshan must have a lot of people coveting it, right?"

Qi Xuan's face darkened at the threat. "Boss Cheng, you're joking. We are at least subordinates of the Ordnance Bureau, and we have guards nearby. We are not unarmed merchants."

"As for the government troops, I know about that, of course. I've dealt with them before." Cheng Xi said nonchalantly.

The casual words "We've dealt with them before" made Qi Xuan's hair stand on end. They had dealt with them before, hadn't they? They'd nearly wiped out the garrisons near Panyu. Now that even the mighty Changjing Gang had vanished, who could possibly do anything to the Chiqi Gang? And having controlled the sea, further control of the Yue River was a natural progression. If a massive force of a thousand ships descended upon Tieshan, even the soldiers at the Ordnance Bureau wouldn't be able to stop them. This was the lord of the South China Sea, commanding an army of tens of thousands. How could they be so careless?

As soon as he understood, Qi Xuan smiled and said, "The gang leader comes from a famous family, how could I not know that? Besides, General Qiu has some connections with my superiors, so the price is definitely negotiable. If you're worried about someone interfering, I can also inform the gang leader about those large-scale transactions. When it comes to the river or the sea, isn't it the gang leader who has the final say?"

This is really flexible. Cheng Xi nodded with a smile: "That's the best."

Attacking Tieshan wasn't very appealing to her right now. It would be more cost-effective to expand the existing workshops, allowing them to improve their smelting technology and scale, and then manufacture their own cannons. However, sourcing the materials would require some effort. There were no Australian iron ore mines left, and all copper had to be sourced through Shen Feng and then Japan. However, it was still necessary to establish good relations with Tieshan beforehand. At least she could gauge the enemy's strength and arsenal in advance.

After dealing with the daunting issue of armaments, the next step was to expand river forces. Yuezhou did have a well-developed water system, with three rivers running to the northwest, east, and west, encompassing most of the territory along the South China Sea coast. These rivers were teeming with countless ships, carrying goods from maritime trade to destinations far and wide.

Her forces were primarily navy, lacking experience in river warfare, but the private salt merchants were skilled at this. Now that Zhao Pu had gone to manage the militia, these salt-carrying ships had to be utilized, leading the navy to eliminate the pirates. When the Long Whale Gang was defeated, many small boats had slipped into the river, which could be used as an excuse.

As he was giving instructions one by one, someone suddenly asked to see him outside. Hearing the name of the person, Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow and said, "Let her in."

The person who came was Shi Hao, one of the heroes who had been seriously injured while defending Luoling Island. After so much time, she should have recovered. She strode in, looking full of energy. Seeing Cheng Xi, she didn't kneel, but simply saluted according to the Red Flag Gang's rules and shouted, "Boss, I'm fully recovered now. Can I serve as your personal guard?"

The girl's shout drew everyone's attention. Some couldn't help but smile, while others stared at the badge on their chests with envy. This was a medal of honor, something few in the entire Red Flag Gang could obtain. With such great achievements, becoming a personal guard was a natural choice.

Of course, Shi Hao himself thought so too. She had done things no one else could, and received rewards no one else could. Now she should be qualified to become a personal soldier and follow the gang leader. But Huang Yue had accompanied the gang leader on the entire Yuhang trip, and she had only received a military rank, without even being assigned a mission. Now, after hearing Huang Yue's account of what had happened in Yuhang, she could no longer hold back and came to ask for a reward herself. She didn't want gold or silver, just to be a personal soldier and to be by the gang leader's side!

Unexpectedly, Cheng Xi looked her up and down, smiled and shook his head: "People like you shouldn't stay by my side as a personal soldier."

Shi Hao was stunned and couldn't help shouting, "Boss, I can already beat all the female soldiers and am no worse than the male soldiers. Look at my medals. Boss, have you forgotten? I can be a personal soldier and I can protect you..."

Before she could finish her words, Cheng Xi waved his hand and said, "Yes, you are more capable than I thought. That's why being a personal soldier is not the best fate for you. I gave Lin Mo a boat and she will be in charge. Are you willing to be her deputy?"

Since returning from Yuhang, Cheng Xi decided to give Lin Mo a boat and have her join Li Niu's Second Fleet for patrol exercises. This was the second female captain of the Red Flag Gang, and it was also an opportunity for Cheng Xi to strengthen the female soldiers. A talent like Shi Hao naturally belonged to her.

Shi Hao didn't expect to hear this. He opened his mouth wide: "I, I don't know, I can't..."

For a moment, the girl was speechless, not knowing how to answer. However, she had served in the military and knew that being a captain's mate was not a job for just anyone. How could a little girl like her, who couldn't even read a single word, be qualified for the job?

"You don't know how to lead troops and fight?" Cheng Xi finished her words for her, but also chuckled, "So what? No one is born knowing how to fight. Killing the enemy is a technical job that requires careful study to make progress. But you are very talented. Whether it is a night attack at sea or diving, you can find the enemy's flagship, strike it with one blow, and escape unscathed. This is the talent for fighting. All you need to do is study harder and become a qualified general with Lin Mo. Just being a personal soldier and protecting me is far from enough. Become a non-commissioned officer, a captain, or even command a fleet to travel the world. Shi Hao, are you willing?"

Shi Hao's face flushed red, and the redness could still be seen clearly through her dark skin. She clenched her fists tightly and shouted, "I do! Gang leader, I do! I can also go into battle and kill the enemy, and fight to the death for you!"

However, Cheng Xi's face turned stern. "It's not enough to just die for me. You need to understand why you're fighting. Shi Hao, why are you fighting? Why are you risking your life for a night raid at sea?"

This question was too sharp, leaving the little girl stunned on the spot. She thought hard and answered with all her might, "Because the foreign dogs are coming to the island to kill me, if I go, I can save my companions' lives and free everyone on the island..."

This answer did not satisfy Cheng Xi. Shi Hao noticed this and continued, "I want to be stronger than others. I want to repay the gang leader for saving my life..."

However, Cheng Xi's face remained expressionless. Shi Hao bit his lip and said, "I want to kill the thieves. I want to kill all the evil people in the world!"

This was her original intention in learning martial arts, her original selfish motive, and the reason she was desperately trying to join the battle. She didn't want to be bullied anymore. If the gang leader could do it, she would do it too!

"That's right. You joined the army for yourself, and you went into battle for yourself. You must remember this. It's not for fame and fortune, it's not for fine clothes and delicious food, it's just to prevent yourself from falling into the situation you once were." Cheng Xi spoke, as if speaking to Shi Hao in front of him, and as if speaking to everyone around him, "This damn world will bully the Pearl People, bully the Tanka Households, and bully all the poor and lowly people, but you, you are all human beings, you all want to live with more dignity. Then you must fight for it, and never give up."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it resonated like a resounding bell in everyone's ears. Countless people held their breath. Shi Hao, startled, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes. She thought back to her years at sea, her parents and brothers who had perished without a burial place, and the massive official ship that was chasing her, threatening to swallow her whole. She had survived, she had endured, but the world was still here, and she didn't want to go back to the past, to be bullied and humiliated again. So, like all her brothers and sisters in the Red Flag Gang, she took up her knife.

She nodded heavily: "I remember it!"

Seeing the girl's determined expression, no longer confused and anxious, Cheng Xi smiled softly. This was her Red Flag Gang, the reason why she fought so hard.

Lin Mo will become a good captain, and so will this girl. Some of them may die in battle, some may be disabled, and some may give up everything, but they will not retreat, because all awakened women understand that they have no room to retreat and no room for compromise. How can an awakened person become a slave or concubine again?