Chapter 199 - Fencing Stolen Goods

The Portuguese trade had been devastated—that much was clear from the mournful accounts of the Japanese Kirishitans. The "heretical" Dutch now dominated Japan's foreign commerce, they explained, maintaining their trading post at Hirado while true Catholic believers had been expelled from the islands. Though Portuguese-Japanese trade had shown recent signs of recovery, it amounted to no more than a single ship per year. The local church had suffered grievously as well; the Macau Jesuits had once enjoyed the lucrative privilege of trading forty piculs of raw silk through the Portuguese-Japanese route, and that privilege was now a memory.

This intelligence proved valuable to the transmigrators, but further questioning yielded diminishing returns. The Japanese craftsmen, thrilled to encounter these peculiar fellow believers who were neither Japanese nor quite Chinese nor Western, soon turned the conversation exclusively toward the Tokugawa Shogunate's persecution of the Kirishitans. They spoke at length of martyrdom and miracles—tales that held little interest for Bai Duoluo, whose practice of Catholicism had never been particularly devout. He was searching for a polite excuse to slip away when the craftsmen insisted he meet the local church's priest. Recognizing this as a matter requiring organizational approval, he hurried off to consult Wen Desi about whether contact with the local church was advisable and, if so, what stance they should adopt.

After deliberation, Wen Desi concluded they should make contact—if only to discover what the Catholic Church might offer. Cultivating good relations for the time being could do no harm, and might even yield practical assistance. He approved Bai Duoluo's visit to the local church, instructing him to explain their origins according to the Captive's Handbook.

"Say as little as possible and listen more," Wen Desi cautioned. "If I remember correctly, the Catholic order here is primarily the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits are particularly adept at adapting their approach to their audience—they can be dangerously persuasive."

"Understood, Director Wen." Bai Duoluo departed with the craftsmen.

The rest of the group continued their wandering. Gradually the streets shed their European character—fewer white faces appeared among the crowds, and the architecture took on an increasingly Chinese aspect. Inquiries revealed this to be De Street, Macau's Chinese quarter. Shops lined both sides of the lane, their signboards displaying a bewildering variety of trades. Zhang Xin noted that most dealt in raw silk and silk fabrics, with porcelain establishments also well represented. Some storefronts presented an air of refined elegance yet displayed no visible merchandise; attendants in blue-collared jackets and small caps stood ready at their doors to greet customers. The group was idly speculating about these mysterious establishments when a young shop clerk emerged from one and invited them inside for a conversation.

Bringing the entire party would be both unnecessary and imprudent—such a large group moving together was far too conspicuous. Wen Desi had noticed several black men in livery trailing silently behind them, likely local security personnel. To avoid complications, he decided that only he and a few others would enter to assess the situation; the rest would disperse into groups of five or six to explore freely.

The streets in the Chinese quarter were narrow to begin with, and the profusion of shops along them had erected awnings that blocked out much of the already limited sky. The lighting was poor, and stepping into the shop plunged them into deeper shadow, accompanied by a faint, subtle fragrance. After a moment their eyes adjusted to reveal a reception room in the classic Chinese style beyond the entrance hall: gray brick flooring, rosewood trim, and a pair of Yiwu glass palace lanterns suspended from the center beam. Wen Desi had to smile when he saw them—evidently their products had already become markers of status.

As he surveyed the room, a well-dressed Chinese merchant emerged from behind the screen, offered a formal bow, and introduced himself as Huang Shunlong, manager of the "Tailong" trading house. Courtesies and names were exchanged, and both parties took their seats. Huang Shunlong proved refreshingly direct.

"Are you merchants from Australia?"

"Indeed."

"They say Australian merchants have shorn hair and short jackets. Now I see the rumors were accurate." A thin smile crossed Huang Shunlong's face. "Manager Wen has come to Macau on business, yes?" His voice dropped to a conspiratorial murmur. "Perhaps you have certain goods that proved... difficult to dispose of in Guangzhou?"

Wen Desi and the others stiffened. "Goods difficult to dispose of in Guangzhou" could only mean the loot they had seized from the Gou manor in their black-on-black raid. Did this man have connections to Gou Er? Wang Ruixiang, responsible for security, had already slipped his hand to the grip of his Type 54 pistol.

Seeing the tension ripple through the group, Huang Shunlong laughed heartily. "Gentlemen, though I have never set foot outside Macau, I have heard something of your origins. The moment you stepped onto Macau's soil, I was already awaiting your arrival. My establishment may be modest, but its reputation is known across the four seas."

So those black men had been his. Wen Desi understood at once.

"And what reputation might that be?"

In reply, Huang Shunlong produced a small golden snuff box with evident satisfaction. He scooped out a pinch of tobacco with his fingernail and inhaled it delicately.

"Manager Wen finds himself rather short of saltpeter in Lingao, does he not?"

"We do feel the shortage," Wen Desi replied, deciding to play along and see where this led.

"In truth, Manager Gao is something of an amateur in this particular trade." Huang Shunlong dabbed at his lips, the tobacco leaving a yellow butterfly-shaped stain beneath his nose. "When it comes to saltpeter and gunpowder, my goods are far superior to his."

So this was a man who specialized in contraband. Wen Desi recognized the opportunity immediately. Relying solely on Gao Ju as their procurement agent created dangerous dependencies—from a supply security standpoint, the risk was unacceptable. Establishing a second channel here would be a significant advantage.

As it transpired, "Tailong" specialized in overseas trade. The house operated over a dozen small, swift vessels plying the waters along the Guangdong coast, transporting local silk, porcelain, medicinals, and handicrafts to Macau for sale to the Portuguese. But Huang Shunlong maintained another line of business: providing "necessities" to ships at sea. These necessities included timber and ironwork for repairs, provisions, and—naturally—firearms and gunpowder. The inevitable corollary was that he also fenced stolen goods for pirates.

Macau was no pirate haven, of course, and both fencing stolen goods and provisioning pirates were illegal. The Portuguese governor's authority offered some protection, but Macau itself could not shield him from the Great Ming Code. That Huang Shunlong had operated this business locally for years and remained unmolested spoke to one obvious fact: he had money, and plenty of it. Additionally, he had married a Portuguese wife—a decision that had destroyed his reputation within his own clan and very nearly gotten him expelled from it entirely.

Such a man suited the transmigrators' needs admirably. Wen Desi produced a manifest of the various trade goods seized from the Gou manor—ironware, cotton cloth, woolen fabric, leather, copperware, and the like. Useful items would naturally be retained, but the substantial quantities of porcelain, silk, and handicrafts served no purpose for them and were ripe for quick disposal.

The negotiations proceeded swiftly. Huang Shunlong would purchase all the goods on the transmigrators' list for forty thousand piastres. The transmigrators would handle delivery to Macau, and both parties would settle in full upon receipt. Additionally, Huang Shunlong would provide an extra ten thousand catties of pig iron and one thousand catties of saltpeter.

"How would Manager Wen prefer to settle the account?" Huang Shunlong inquired.

"What are the options?"

"If Manager Wen prefers cash, I'll need some advance notice to make arrangements—forty thousand piastres is no small sum, after all."

The alternative was payment in promissory notes from the Indian Brahmin merchants operating locally. These notes were honored throughout Southeast Asia, extending all the way to Goa and Madras on the Indian subcontinent. They could be redeemed for cash at any time and used directly as checks for large transactions.

By Wen Desi's thinking, the notes would be more practical—they would be making regular purchases locally, and hauling silver back and forth was cumbersome. But then he remembered that currency reform was soon to be implemented in Lingao, which would require substantial reserves of precious metals as backing. They agreed on half in silver and half in notes.

The deal was struck. Huang Shunlong smiled like a fox who had just raided the henhouse—clearly he believed he had gotten the better end of the bargain. He then mentioned that Australian goods were quite remarkable and expressed hope for future cooperation in that area. Wen Desi felt a quiet satisfaction: their products really were universally appealing.

They dispatched someone back to the ship to retrieve samples of the transmigrator collective's limited self-produced goods, which consisted mainly of various small glass items and the rice wine from the Guangzhou Dispatch Station. Huang Shunlong examined them with a furrowing brow before speaking. "These items are fine quality, but the market for them is limited."

He gestured toward the glass pieces. "The Franks bring such glass trinkets on every ship—bowls, beads, baubles. Their workmanship may not match yours, but it's sufficient to impress the natives of the South Seas. As for the liquor, they mostly drink fruit wines here. I'm afraid there may be little interest in rice spirits."

However, the hundred or so hawksbill turtle shells that the Fisheries Group had collected while fishing commanded an excellent price. Huang Shunlong remarked that the Portuguese were fond of them and would take as many as could be supplied.

Huang Shunlong was clearly aware of their activities in Lingao, and seemed to be probing the transmigrators' future intentions. Would Australia dispatch more large vessels? Did Australia intend to follow the Portuguese precedent and occupy Lingao as a permanent trading base with the Ming Dynasty? If so, did the Australians plan to involve themselves in the local trade? These questions, Wen Desi suddenly realized, were not merely Huang Shunlong's personal curiosity—the Portuguese authorities of Macau were undoubtedly keen to know the answers as well.

Organizing his thoughts, Wen Desi replied that Australia had no ships coming for the time being, but they certainly intended to remain in Lingao. Huang Shunlong offered a "friendly" warning: they should be wary of Zheng Zhilong's movements. "One cannot tolerate another's snoring beside one's bed," he observed. The man was ambitious, and having submitted to the imperial authorities, he would sooner or later move against all the various sea lords of the Fujian and Guangdong waters. Zheng Zhilong was evidently much resented. A flash of inspiration crossed Wen Desi's mind—then he dismissed it as absurd and shook his head.

When Wen Desi inquired about Liu Xiang and Zhu Cailao, Huang Shunlong explained that both maintained agents in Macau, though neither they nor the principal members of their gangs ever appeared in person. This place remained under Ming Dynasty jurisdiction—if the government issued an arrest warrant, the Portuguese governor would have no choice but to comply and hand them over. Should the Xiangshan County magistrate happen to be a man of principle, he might even lead his men personally into the city to make arrests. Not even the governor could protect them then.

Wen Desi asked, "Is there a woman named Li Siya in this city?"

(End of Chapter)