Chapter 157 Unity is Strength
"You Liu family already owns the most lucrative piece of land in Luzon, so what... now you want the closest one?"
"Old Hai, Luzon is my brother's territory. I didn't get any benefits there. You've recruited so many Japanese and Korean warriors. Why aren't you making a fortune across the strait instead of arguing with me here? We're determined to take Malacca."
Lin Yongqian's prediction came true. Qin Mo also used a regional agency system during the colonization period. Each company was assigned a territory. You could give away your goods to the natives for free, but you couldn't steal business from your competitors across regions. How much you earned depended entirely on your ability.
Malacca is the kingdom closest to Temasek, and can receive support from the government at any time. Naturally, it has become a hotly contested territory, with each side vying for control.
Meanwhile, those second-generation heirs who figured they couldn't compete with the strongest families had already formed "joint-stock companies" in twos and threes, carving out a piece of the pie in the vast surrounding land.
"You two, although Malacca is close, it's poor! Palembang, Aceh, and Jalan Kep to the south are all incredibly wealthy. Why do you insist on robbing Malacca?"
Lin Yongqian couldn't stand it anymore. The school district assignments started in the morning and it's almost noon now, and they haven't assigned a single spot yet. It's all because of these two good-for-nothings.
When Luzon was divided into zones, most people didn't understand what predatory colonization was. Everyone was a retainer of a prince and was very loyal, so they didn't rob much. But later, the zones became distinct, with the areas where the major tribes lived being completely different from the desolate, barren areas.
“Brother Lin, your family has a large fleet and does big business, but we don’t. The land in the south is fertile, but how many ships do we have? How many soldiers do we have? Logically speaking, your Lin family is the one that should go to the south, you have more manpower!”
"The Lin family is naturally going south, so you two don't need to worry about it. I'm just reminding you that the Prince has only given everyone a short time; once it's over, it won't be available again. Many high-ranking officials' relatives and friends haven't even gotten a turn yet!"
Lin Yongqian originally wanted to give them some advice, but he was met with indifference and became so angry that he sat down on a chair and refused to move, letting the group of people poke around on the map but they couldn't find a suitable area.
"Director Lin, why isn't Siam on the list of countries to be selected for development? Did you keep it to yourself?"
The dispute escalated until someone finally lost their temper and started spewing nonsense, targeting the innocent Lin Yongqian.
"Holy crap..."
Lin Yongqian uttered a curse word he had learned from Qin Mo, stood up abruptly, grabbed a chair, and was ready to fight. Although he had a kind face, he was actually a ruthless scoundrel. As the son of the second-in-command of a high-ranking official, he was not a nice guy at all.
"What's this! Someone's taken a liking to Siam? I had the chef prepare a banquet to celebrate your expansion company! The food's all cold and you still haven't come to a decision?"
Qin Mo's signature lazy voice silenced the group of high-ranking officials' children and even the first generation. They all bowed their heads and retreated, trying to hide behind others. Unfortunately, the Kaiyuan Administration Bureau's courtyard was too spacious, and there was nowhere to hide.
"Hai Chenfeng greets Your Highness. We are discussing something! We are not arguing, just that the noise is loud."
Seeing that Qin Mo was staring straight at him, Hai Lao Er knew he couldn't escape, so he had no choice but to admit defeat and beg for mercy.
"Yes! It's fine to discuss it. It's okay to raise your voices a bit, as long as we don't fall out. But don't count on Siam. I've reserved that piece for myself."
Hai Chenfeng buried his head completely, cursing Lin Yongqian's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart: "You didn't even give me the prince's private plot, did you? You made me fall into a pit, didn't you?"
"Your Highness, please calm down. We were just discussing the trade monopoly in Malacca. Siam was just saying 'chaos' offhand. He doesn't even know where Siam is! Please don't take it seriously."
At the crucial moment, it was Manager Liu, who had been arguing most fiercely with Hai Lao Er, who stepped in to smooth things over. As Qin Mo's prestige grew, few dared to argue with him anymore, so Manager Liu was quite righteous.
"Originally... I was unwilling to 'interfere,' but now it seems I have no choice but to make an exception."
Qin Mo looked at these former peers, carefully observing the changes in them. Their former naiveté was largely gone, replaced by a shrewd, brooding, and fierce aura. In the past three years, Da Yuan had undergone tremendous changes, the biggest being that its people had become more enterprising and aggressive.
"I remember that a group of orphans of fallen soldiers were included in the Trailblazers list this time because of Xianrao's merits? Who were they?"
The five most inconspicuous people on the periphery of the crowd looked up at Qin Mo in surprise. Their aura was clearly weaker than the others. Although they were not timid, they did not rush to grab territory.
“Their loved ones died fighting for our officials, and their families have lost their pillars of support, so their lives must be difficult. Now I propose to give them the trading monopoly in Malacca. What do you think?”
Even Lin Yongqian lowered his head, filled with shame. Once upon a time, Qin Lan's troops, though not well-off, helped each other, especially the orphans of fallen soldiers, who received some care. But now that life is better... however...
"Your Highness, it was my oversight that caused me to fail to live up to your expectations. I beg Your Highness to punish me."
Lin Yongqian was the first to kneel down, which led everyone else to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.
"We officials used to be very poor, but no one dared to look down on us because we were the most united people. Now that life is getting better and better, the kinship of the past has faded..."
Qin Mo has been pondering this problem for the past few days. His subordinates have become so close-knit that he, as their lord, might not be able to control them. But if they turn against each other for wealth, it will inevitably give outsiders an opportunity to take advantage. Finding the right balance... is very difficult.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com