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The journey south from Yuhang was relatively smooth, and it was even smoother when passing through the territory of the Qingfeng Gang. Until they arrived at the South China Sea, the flags of the Red Flag Gang were flying on the ships in front, which made the Wu family members feel relieved.
This was considered the Red Flag Gang's territory. As long as they flew the flag, even the imperial court wouldn't intervene. The thought of connecting with such a powerful maritime figure filled many with both excitement and trepidation. While Lu Jian wasn't exactly a decent person, the Red Flag Gang's influence was growing stronger and stronger, so being able to connect with them was a positive development.
However, upon disembarking, they were greeted not by Fang Ling but by the steward of the Zhu family. The Zhu family was Panyu's largest grain merchant, a shareholder in both the bank and the weaving mill. They were the perfect match for the grain trade, but they weren't close acquaintances, so someone would have to act as a go-between, right?
The Wu family's steward was somewhat suspicious and asked cautiously, "Where is Master Fang?"
The visitor was stunned for a moment: "Which Mr. Fang?"
"It's Mr. Fang Ling who came back with us, the eleventh son of the Fang family in Panyu." Manager Wu said immediately.
The man was even more bewildered: "Isn't Fang's Shiyilang still in school? How could he have gone to Yuhang?"
As soon as he said this, Wu's heart skipped a beat. Fang Ling had been in Panyu, so who was negotiating business with them? Could this be a trap, a trap to make them pay a large sum of money and grain? The balance of the raw silk payment hadn't been settled yet. If something went wrong, he couldn't afford it!
Before Manager Wu could ask any more questions, a man who had disembarked with them coughed softly, "Don't worry, everyone. Master Lu has already told me to wait. Whether it's buying silk or other goods, we can discuss it. As for Master Fang, he should have returned to the island by now, so there's no need to wait for him."
The Wu clan members immediately understood what was being said on the island, and broke out in cold sweats. So Lu Jian had Red Flag Gang members around him, and the person negotiating with them was also a Red Flag Gang member? This truly was being manipulated, truly terrifying.
They were all not stupid people, so Manager Wu quickly smiled and said, "It's okay, it's okay. Business is more important."
Who cares what the origins of "Mr. Fang" are? As long as the business is fine, it's fine. However, the group of people also kept their tails between their legs and didn't dare to show off.
Cheng Xi had indeed returned to Luoling Island at this moment. As soon as he got off the boat, Yan Yuan came to greet him and asked, "Boss, did everything go smoothly in Yuhang?"
"It's okay. We captured a village to settle down, and Lu Jian's side has also been dealt with." In just a few words, Cheng Xi finished describing the journey.
After hearing this, Yan Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that Lu Jian is willing to bow his head, but he won't be willing to be under someone else's command for long. We also have to be on guard against him causing trouble in Yuhang."
"Of course I know this, but to stir up Yuhang's economy, only people like Lu Jian are useful." Cheng Xi said frankly.
She truly wanted to encourage Lu Jian to become one of the first capitalists independent of land, absorbing more idle social capital and promoting the expansion and popularization of maritime trade. Only in this way could large-scale factories and a large number of off-site workers emerge, further boosting productivity. This was the key to freeing society from the feudal peasant economy, and it had to be done at all costs.
Of course, after becoming a big capitalist, Lu Jian would definitely not be as easy to control as he is now, but as long as he holds on to sea power, he will still be able to curb these restless capitals.
Hearing her say this, Yan Yuan stopped talking and continued, "Zhao Pu reported that the militia already has 2,000 strong men, but it will take time to train them. If a major battle occurs, I'm afraid they will need naval support."
This was also what Cheng Xi expected. She nodded slightly and asked, "Has the ocean-going fleet returned?"
"It hasn't reached the shore yet, but it will be in the last half month. The exploration fleet has been sent out." Yan Yuan said immediately.
"Well, have someone keep a closer eye on it. You're doing a good job." Cheng Xi left this sentence and walked into the house to wash up and rest.
Looking at her back, Yan Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Her safe return finally put his mind at ease. If there were more useful people in the gang in the future, he could stay by her side and not have to stay on the island in constant fear, right?
However, this thought was fleeting. Just like he was no longer called "boss", obeying orders was the subordinates' duty.
After taking another look at the closed gate, Yan Yuan turned around and got back to the work at hand.
Sure enough, after waiting for less than five days, the ocean-going fleet returned in full force. The number of ships did not decrease, but increased by several.
"During this voyage, we were attacked four times, all in Southeast Asia. We lost three ships and recaptured several. Fortunately, the loss of manpower was not too great. However, on the way back, Southeast Asia seemed to be in chaos, and I heard that things were not peaceful near the strait." Li Lai, the person in charge of this voyage, stood in front of Cheng Xi and carefully reported what he had seen and heard along the way.
This was all firsthand information, and Cheng Xi listened attentively, inquiring carefully about the situation in the various Southeast Asian countries. Currently, no single power could dominate all maritime routes, and the political landscape of the smaller nations was complex, with some unable to even control their own waters. Of course, the most eye-catching development was the battle near the strait. It appeared that the remnants of the Long Whale Gang had already begun fighting the Xisai people, which was consistent with the information she had received.
Yan Yuan frowned and said, "Boss, should we send troops to the other side of the strait to take a look? If the barbarians occupy the strait, it will be difficult to retake it later."
The terrain of the strait is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Once it is occupied by the enemy, it will not be easy to take it back.
Cheng Xi shook his head: "We can't rush things. We should first manage Qiongzhou well and then advance southwards."
She knew the importance of the Strait, but sending troops at this moment was unwise. She also knew that even if the Xisai people occupied the Strait, they could not send troops indefinitely. She wanted to let them and the Long Whale Gang consume each other, and then launch a sudden attack after their own territory was consolidated.
After a moment's thought, she instructed, "Send some more people to negotiate with the Qiongzhou Islanders, asking them to plant more sugarcane and peanuts. When the time is right, I will send people over to build a salt field."
The development of Qiongzhou also requires a long-term plan. The most important thing is to win over the hearts of the people. In addition to the General Temple, it is also necessary to plant economic crops and develop the land there. Once the economic lifeline is closely linked to the Red Flag Gang, Qiongzhou will naturally become a part of the Red Flag Gang and will no longer be concerned about the imperial court.
With just a few simple instructions, the development strategy was arranged properly. It was only until this moment that Cheng Xi turned to look at Lu Nan, who was standing trembling beside him.
Unable to bring geisha and musicians, nor able to drink and have fun all day, Lu Nan suffered a lot during this voyage, but none of them was as frightening as standing in front of this great maritime tycoon.
Who could have imagined that after just one voyage, the Long Whale Gang would be wiped out, and even Qiongzhou Island began to make orderly plans, and they were still thinking about attacking the strait. Is this something that ordinary people could do? This girl is even more dangerous than Lu Jian, and he doesn't want to be targeted by them.
After all, he was the one who led the way, so should the pirates he encountered be blamed on him? Besides, those Red Flag Gang members learned quickly. They had learned everything they needed to learn along the way, so it wasn't impossible for them to be abandoned after their work was done. The sight of that young woman made Lu Nan's legs tremble.
However, Cheng Xi didn't give him a cold look and smiled, "Manager Lu, you've worked hard this time. I have people develop a new type of star-pulling board that can more accurately survey and map the sea. All ocean-going fleets will be equipped with it in the future. You must also supervise your subordinates to learn it."
Lu Nan was genuinely shocked. He'd thought the telescope was impressive enough, but who could have imagined the star tracker could be improved? But could this mean he could continue sailing the South China Sea route?
Lu Nan said carefully, "I will obey the boss's orders, but as for the head of the family..."
Before he could finish his words, Cheng Xi waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about Lu Jian. I've sent him to Yuhang to open a bank. You all belong to the Red Flag Gang and just follow their orders from now on."
Lu Nan was practically dumbfounded. When he left, weren't they allies on equal terms? How had he suddenly become a subordinate of the Red Flag Gang? And he'd even gone to Yuhang. Could it be that he'd also messed with the Lu family? Thinking of Lu Jian's crazy nature, Lu Nan felt a chill run down his spine, unable to even stand straight.
Cheng Xi didn't give him any more room to think about it and raised an eyebrow: "Why, Manager Lu still has doubts?"
"No, no!" Lu Nan panicked, shaking his head like a rattle. "I'm following the leader's orders, and I dare not neglect them!"
He couldn't do anything about Lu Jian now, his own life was more important.
Cheng Xi smiled, slowly took the account book, and asked about the harvest. Neither Li Lai nor Lu Nan dared to neglect and reported carefully.
…
"The ocean-going ship is back! The Red Flag Gang's ocean-going ship is back!"
This news was like a gust of wind, blowing through the streets and alleys of Panyu. All those who had experienced the previous war became excited. This fleet set out before the Long Whale Gang attacked, and now it can return with a full load. Doesn't it mean that the Red Flag Gang has two routes to Southeast Asia?
This wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was that the fleet had brought back a lot of pepper, which allowed them to redeem their futures contracts for the first time! It was a wise decision for me to choose to join the Red Flag Gang instead of the Long Whale Gang!
In addition to pepper, a large number of spices, ivory, pearls, gems, Western ornaments and mirrors are also targets worth competing for. I heard that hand mirrors are more than three times more than in previous years. You must seize the opportunity to make a fortune.
In addition to these goods, merchants dealing in bulk commodities such as silk, cotton, and porcelain were also excited. Seeing that the shipping route was open, wasn't it time for them to sell their goods? This was a profitable business. Even if they didn't have a ship, they could still sell their goods to the Red Flag Gang.
It was not until this time that news came out that the Red Flag Gang was preparing to build a porcelain kiln, which surprised Shi Yifei, who had been busy in Dongning. It turned out that the person in charge of the porcelain kiln preparations was his wife Feng!
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