Chapter 246 The Collaborators
"Yongqian, is there any new news about that Hubaye Vias?"
Compared to Wu Mingyi, the garrison commander, and Xiao Jingxian, the Singaporean naval commander, Qin Mo's brother-in-law, Lin Yongqian, appeared to be the most low-key and weak in Singapore. However, the entire decision-making situation in Southeast Asia actually revolved around the Development and Reform Bureau. As the head of the Bureau, Director Lin was actually the number one figurehead in Southeast Asia.
"Your Highness, Hubaye Vias sent a letter a few days ago. He has bought an entire town near the local Yeli as our base. His family is also very willing to continue doing business with us. In order to counter the covetousness of other nobles in Zhu for their family property, he hopes that we will arrive in Zhu as soon as possible."
"With their family's power, they shouldn't be afraid of others coveting their wealth. Heh! It seems they've made too much money."
“Your Highness, ever since you appointed Hubaye as our mole, I have given him all the goods agency rights in eastern India. Other merchants cannot buy enough goods from Great Xia even if they come to Southeast Asia, so they naturally hate them to the bone.”
“You did a good job. In any colonization, we must first cultivate a group of proxies who support us, give them wealth and status, and guarantee their safety so that we can conquer the land they inhabit.”
Lin Yongqian nodded repeatedly. He had been doing things exactly as Qin Mo had suggested in Southeast Asia. Nowadays, apart from Borneo, Southeast Asia was full of settlements of the Development Administration. Not many people were needed to be stationed there. The first group of collaborators who had become rich would support your work.
"Your Highness, now that we're going to India, will those Indians who stay behind be trained as collaborators as well?"
"You decide what to do. If she has potential, give her a path to wealth and prosperity. If she doesn't know what's good for her, then don't bother with her. Grain is very expensive."
The two were valuable Zhu merchants who had been kidnapped by pirates, and now they were all staying in the pirates' den!
Qin Mo's pirate fleet has been active along the Java Sea coast, appearing and disappearing mysteriously and striking countless merchants who harbored illusions. Now, Xiao Jingxian's squadron salutes even when they see "ghost ships"! Without diligent pirates, where would they get so much extra money to rake in? You can forget about passing through safely without paying a hefty escort fee.
Rana Singh couldn't remember how many days he had spent in the cave. At first, he carved marks on the cave walls, but he stopped and gave up in despair.
His crew and servants had all been driven overboard by the pirates, while he himself had been captured and taken to this pirate's lair. He had assumed that someone would soon come to ransom him, but as it turned out... his wife might not have loved him as much as he had imagined.
"Tap...tap"
Hearing the familiar voice, Rana Singh chuckled self-deprecatingly. If he hadn't foolishly run away once, he could be out enjoying the fresh air like Ujiya right now!
"Lana, look what we're having today! Haha! It's braised mutton! Smell that strong peppery aroma!"
Like Rana, Ujiya was also a captured Zhu person. He was a low-caste merchant, while Rana Singh was probably a high-caste warrior.
But in reality, Rana became a merchant, while Uguia became a life-or-death guard. The two, who would never have been friends, became inseparable buddies and got along very well.
Ujiya had injured his leg during his capture, leaving him disabled and causing him to walk with a limp. He moved slowly to a large rock, set out bowls and chopsticks, and invited Rana Singh to come and eat.
"Ugia, I remember eating meat just a few days ago, has another month passed? Sigh... I guess my brain has gone mad, I don't understand why they're keeping me alive!"
Rana Singh remembered clearly that the pirates treated them, the prisoners, fairly well. They were always well-fed and could even eat pickled fish every few days, but meat was scarce, only once a month. The mutton they were eating today was very unusual, and he felt somewhat apprehensive.
"Lana, you're overthinking things. As long as they don't kill us, just live well. When we get back to our hometown, these experiences will be enough for you to brag about for the rest of your life."
Rana Singh smiled, picked up his bowl, and began to eat. Returning to his hometown, haha! What a distant and unattainable dream.
The rice was finely milled and served with a rich mutton broth. Rana Singh had a great appetite and ate his fill, finishing every last grain of rice.
Ujiya Madi's family belonged to the Vaishya, a low caste of the Zhu tribe. They held Rana Singh, who belonged to a high caste, in awe of him. Ujiya Madi basically took on all the chores for the two of them, such as fetching food, carrying water, and taking out the trash. Even when eating, he would try to let Rana Singh have his way, and he would only eat his own food after watching Rana Singh start to burp.
"Ugia, Lana, now that we've finished our last meal, come with me!"
At some point, that hateful Chaba reappeared. He was a bandit leader who was in charge of managing prisoners and often punished Rana Singh for trivial matters, while treating Ujiya slightly better.
"Our last meal...Are we...going to die?"
Lana Singh was immediately terrified. He had heard from his ancestors that prisoners who were about to die in the distant Great Xia would be given a good meal. He had always felt that his capture was related to the people of Great Xia. Now, he had eaten a meal of braised mutton, which was unusual. When all these things were connected, he felt as if he could see his end.
“Death? It’s not that easy. Your lives have been bought. Someone paid a high price to redeem you. You… are no longer slaves.”
Even someone as strong as Ugia was struck hard and turned pale. Slaves and prisoners of war had no freedom either, but prisoners of war still had hope of being released, while slaves basically faced the fate of being worked to death.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com