Chapter 174 The Pioneers with Malicious Intentions
When Bairimisula saw the figure behind Sula, he sobered up completely and said coldly, "Fomera, you still recognize your brother! But I don't recognize your brother, haha!"
“Brother, you’re still resentful that I took your territory, but if I hadn’t taken it, wouldn’t it have benefited someone else?” Fomala, with a burly physique rarely seen among the southern barbarians, bypassed Sula and came to Bairimisula, looking down at him.
"Alright! Let's put aside our past grievances for now. What brings you to Malacca, Fomala? Oh! To do business?"
"Yes, my dear brother, I am very interested in the goods sent by your confidant. I wonder when you can let me see those Great Xia people?"
"It will be fine tomorrow, Sura. Take the esteemed Prince of Palembang down to rest, and take him to the bonded area tomorrow!"
With a mocking expression, Bairimisula waved his hand, signaling Sula to take Fomala away. His temporary residence was so shabby that it made him feel uncomfortable looking around.
Back then, I was a prince who owned territory southeast of Palembang. Dissatisfied with the Majapahit's high taxes, I led a rebellion against Majapahit rule. However, the news leaked out beforehand, and my younger brother benefited from it after I was driven away. What's the inside story...? Who knows?
The bonded zone is now a huge construction site, with workers' sheds and warehouses, and the "Ta Yuan Guild Hall" temporarily erected in the center is the most conspicuous building.
When Fomaila arrived at the Grand Council, sporting dark circles under his eyes, he felt he might have been tricked. The shabby council was just like a roadside teahouse, with a bunch of people drinking tea in a noisy, chaotic manner, hardly resembling a place for big business.
“Master Hongsong, please translate this. This is Prince Fomala from Palembang, here to discuss business.”
The Da Yuan Development Authority is in dire need of translators from Southeast Asia. Taman's two shaman apprentices, after undergoing intensive short-term training, have been put to use and brought to Malacca to serve. The elder apprentice is Hong Song.
"Which one is from Palembang?"
Before the translation could even begin, a man rushed out from inside the guild hall. Qin Mo had repeatedly emphasized how important it was to master a foreign language, so these pioneers could understand a few important Southeast Asian terms. Palembang was the main established trading area, which naturally attracted people's attention.
"I am a prince from Palembang. May I ask what goods you possess, sir?" Fomala looked at the man rushing over with some doubt. The man's clothes were obviously extraordinary, but his behavior was completely inconsistent with them.
"Third, hurry up and bring the samples over. Business is booming, and our Cui family has taken the lead... Hahaha!"
The man was so excited that he stammered, showing off to the group of pioneers.
"Old Cui got incredibly lucky; he got the opening day bonus... Why weren't the Acehnese people the ones who came?"
The Trail Blazers' Daxia language was incomprehensible to Fomela, but he could understand the samples that the guy called Three brought over.
"This...is not silk...this is brocade..."
Fomala touched a piece of red silk, muttering to herself, her eyes filled with infatuation.
Looking at Fomaila's expression, Cui Laosi knew that the deal was a done deal. People from Daxia were very particular about auspicious omens when doing business. As long as they didn't lose money, this deal was bound to go through.
"Shunzi...Shunzi, make tea for the guests from Palembang!"
Cui Laosi calmed down, dragged over a chair and sat down. A slender Japanese girl came out from the corner to make tea for the two of them. The girl was of average appearance, but she had very long legs. Qin Mo's words and actions influenced the young and middle-aged people of the entire Dayuan, and long-legged girls were the most popular.
"Guest, please try this tea and see how it tastes."
The long-legged girl's tea ceremony was a bit raw, but it still impressed Fomaila. The complicated technique combined with the pure aroma of the tea made him feel intoxicated.
"What... how much does this porcelain cost?"
Compared to the slightly bitter tea, Fomaila was more interested in the teacup in his hand. He held it up to the sunlight and you could see the fingerprints on the back of the cup, which made it clear that it was no ordinary tea.
"A set costs thirty taels of silver, and every piece is a masterpiece."
"It's not expensive, but I heard you sell long knives here...?"
Cui Laosi saw the glint in Fomaila's eyes and his heart skipped a beat. Could this be a big deal?
“We do have longswords, but they’re not sold individually; they’re sold in bundles.” Old Cui reached behind him and handed over a forged, standard-issue longsword for Fomaila to inspect.
"What is a bundled sale?" Fomala took a quick look and breathed a sigh of relief; the longsword was indeed made of fine iron. As long as the purpose of this trip was achieved, any bundled sale was negotiable.
“Our ship has come from thousands of miles away, and it carries all kinds of goods, so we can’t just sell one item! If you want to buy a long knife, you’ll also need to buy some sugar, tea, porcelain, and silk. Thirdly, show the customer the price list for the goods.”
Fomala stared in disbelief at the "table," and as the detailed price list appeared, his furrowed brows relaxed. Apart from the long knives, the prices of these goods were not outrageous, much cheaper than those brought over by the Siamese. He could even make a profit by reselling them.
"Thirty long swords... Do you have any, sir?" Fomala asked tentatively.
Before Cui Laosi could even answer, the others booed: "We thought Cui Laosi was going to make a fortune! Only thirty..."
"Exactly, let him show off."
Old Cui stood up and laughed, "Don't you know what 'opening the door to good fortune' means? Even if it's thirty rounds, three rounds are a good omen."
Old Cui was actually very happy. Thirty long knives were not many, but they were expensive! The other goods that came with them were also not free money. A tea set that cost five taels of silver was sold for thirty taels. What more could you want?
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