Chapter 204 - Gou Er Emerges
The sailor stood for a moment, confirming that his mistress had noticed his arrival.
"Captain! Li Huamei has made contact with those people." He recounted the entire process, adding at the end a contemptuous remark: "They're a bunch of greenhorns."
"Just as I expected." Li Siya glanced at the slip of paper she had been studying for days—the cover of a pirated CD of Age of Exploration 4: Enhanced Edition, bearing the dashing figure of Li Huamei.
Not even the transmigrators themselves knew how this pirated disc cover had fallen into Li Siya's hands. Perhaps someone had casually stuffed it in a pocket when buying pirated discs back then—no one remembered having lost such a piece of paper.
After the kidnapping operation failed, all the participants had been cleanly dispatched by the Australians. Li Siya could not obtain any useful information from anyone who had been present. Her only remaining connection to this group of Australians was this slip of paper.
It was a remarkable piece of paper. During her time in Macau, lying low after her defeat, the pirated disc cover for Age of Exploration 4 had become the thing Li Siya studied most. She had a vague sense that she had stumbled upon something she should not have.
The paper itself was nothing special, but the artwork on it was unlike anything she had ever seen. Judging by the technique, it should have been a European work, yet the content puzzled her greatly: the sea, a three-masted galleon, a beautiful woman pirate, and inexplicable explanatory text. "Age of Exploration" she understood, but why add a Roman numeral four? What did "Enhanced Edition" mean? As for the "Proof of the Seven Seas Conqueror," that was another mystery entirely. Most baffling was that the word "Koei" appeared multiple times. Li Huamei was glorious?
But regardless, since Manager Wen carried this picture so carefully on his person, Li Huamei was obviously an extremely important figure among the Australians—perhaps a legendary historical figure. The Australians clearly held her in great respect, as was evident from the text on the image.
This sparked a new idea in Li Siya's mind. Originally, after her failed adventure with Aragonés, she had become somewhat wary of the Australians. She had lost both times she faced them. Though technically speaking it was her employers who suffered each loss, she already sensed that this bunch of Australians were exceedingly difficult to deal with.
But the words "seeking the Proof of the Seven Seas Conqueror" on the cover rekindled her interest. Although she did not know what this thing actually was, any object obtained by a person so revered by the Australians must surely be a priceless treasure. Li Siya was not short of money—piracy and trade merely satisfied her craving for adventure. And so she had a new goal in life: obtain the Conqueror's Proof.
The problem was that she had no idea what the Conqueror's Proof actually was. The picture provided no description or illustration, and she did not even know where to begin inquiring. It seemed the only avenue was the Australians themselves.
After much deliberation, she finally decided to infiltrate the Australians from within. From intelligence she had gathered, she knew the Australians had already sent people to Guangzhou, where they had opened a jewelry store to sell their goods. Clearly they were working hard to expand their network of relationships here.
Li Siya's plan was straightforward. As newcomers, the Australians would inevitably seek local partners. To attract collaborators, they would spare no expense, offering high prices so their partners could make substantial profits—Gao Ju was a good example. Cooperating with the Australians now would certainly yield enormous profits. Cooperation would earn their trust, and eventually she could glimpse their secrets. Even if she did not obtain the Conqueror's Proof, there was still plenty to be gained from the Australians. No matter how she calculated it, she would not come out the loser.
Originally, being an adventurer at heart, she had planned to take on the role of infiltrator herself. But she had already shown her face to Manager Wen, and her reputation in the area was too prominent—both unfavorable factors. In the end, she decided to send her foster sister Li Chun. Li Chun was the daughter of her wet nurse, of pure Chinese blood. Having grown up in Li Siya's household, she was equally steeped in both Chinese and Portuguese culture. She was both Li Siya's deputy and her sisterly confidante. They had adventured together at sea for years—she was perfectly suited to play the role of a woman sea merchant.
Finally, to make it easier for the Australians to accept her, Li Siya gave Li Chun the name "Li Huamei." She had an instinctive premonition that the Australians would develop favorable feelings toward her spy because of the associations this name would create.
After hearing the report, Li Siya fell silent for a moment, then ordered: "Go tell her not to overplay her hand. Focus on establishing the connection first."
The sailor bowed and was about to withdraw when she added: "Tell her not to send someone back to report every little thing! Only send word for important matters. And you should come here less often."
"Yes, Captain." The sailor withdrew.
After the sailor left, the room sank back into dim silence. Li Siya took one last look at the slip of paper, placed it in an exquisite enamel box, and locked it. She drew a small plastic compact from beneath her pillow, opened it and glanced at her reflection, then pulled a cord.
A maidservant appeared at once—they were all female slaves Li Siya had purchased from an island group off the Indian coast. The natives there were ugly and fierce, prone to fighting, but once they accepted you as their master or friend, they were utterly loyal. Only a very few people here understood their language, making them even better for keeping secrets than mutes.
"Bring the guest in Room 11 of the guest courtyard," Li Siya commanded in their native tongue.
Before long, the second son of the Gou family—Gou Xunli, who had escaped the assault on the Gou manor—appeared before her. Seeing Li Siya's loose, semi-transparent silk robe, his eyes lit up lewdly, his gaze greedily roaming over her curved figure.
"Had a good look?" Li Siya suddenly spoke, startling Gou Er. Foreign women truly have no shame! he cursed inwardly. Dressed like that, and she dares say that.
Of course, such thoughts could not show on his face. Ever since the Gou manor was destroyed, Gou Er had become a homeless dog. He knew that neither the bloodthirsty Australians nor the various gang bosses who had entrusted him with stolen goods would let him off lightly. As soon as he returned home, he had arranged his affairs, taken his son and a few loyal followers, and fled. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance: when the transmigrators first landed, he had already sent his wife and family to his father-in-law's place—a rural strongman in Linggao. Large sums of money were hidden in a well. But he was not willing to simply accept his downfall. He immediately headed to Qiongshan County, where he had connections for fencing goods and a backer—Adviser Ma at the Hainan Military Circuit yamen.
Adviser Ma was a local Hainan man of Hui descent, who also held the title of xiucai degree-holder. Though a scholar, he had inherited his ancestors' talent for commerce. Backed by the power of the Hainan Military Circuit, he was a key figure in the Gou family's Qiongzhou-Guangzhou fencing network. Gou Er hoped Adviser Ma could pull some strings and persuade Garrison Commander Tang in Qiongzhou to send troops to suppress the bandits. Besides, the Gou family still had several thousand taels of silver stored with him from fencing operations.
To his surprise, the moment he met with Adviser Ma and explained the situation, the adviser was scared half to death. Losing Chief Zhu's goods—that was asking for death! Forget about interceding on his behalf; the adviser would not even return the fencing money, saying he needed to have something to account for when Chief Zhu came asking questions later.
Having failed to get his money, Gou Er was unwilling to accept defeat. He slipped into the Guangzhou area to survey the situation, hoping his activities might attract official attention and bring in troops to suppress the bandits. Only upon reaching Guangzhou did he discover that the connections he thought he had in Qiongshan County amounted to nothing there. His son Gou Chengxuan's xiucai degree was laughably insignificant. Gou Er, who had always fancied himself a local emperor—someone even the county magistrate had to treat courteously back in Linggao—had never felt so small: a doorman at a provincial governor's adviser's residence had dismissed him as "some country bumpkin from who knows where!" simply because his gift to the doorman was too meager. Whether writing petitions to the authorities or making calls to curry favor, nothing worked. Father and son became laughingstocks because of their incomprehensible Linggao dialect. They spent several thousand taels without getting anything of substance, just a few empty words.
When troubles rain, they pour. His frequent activities in Guangzhou naturally drew the attention of Zhu Cailao's men. If he had not been a tough character with some fighting skills and a few loyal followers at his side, he would have been captured long ago and delivered as a gift. Worse still, various other sea and land outlaws were also eyeing him. In the end, the cornered Gou Er had no choice but to accept Li Siya's proactive recruitment and flee to Macau.
"Master Gou, the Australians have arrived in Macau," Li Siya said.
Gou Er was also a man who could keep his composure. He quickly cupped his hands in respect: "I owe my life to the Chief's protection. Gou Xunli and the Australians are sworn enemies. Whatever orders the Chief has, just give them!"
"Return to Linggao as soon as possible." Li Siya did not waste time with pleasantries. As she spoke, she watched Gou Er's reaction closely. If he showed the slightest hint of fear or hesitation, he would be useless to her—she could hand him over to Zhu Cailao, or to the Australians, depending on who offered the better price...
Gou Er's heart trembled. He did not dare meet Li Siya's eyes, which glowed like a cat's in the dim light—in that instant, he knew exactly what Li Siya was thinking. Suppressing his intense fear, he said in a steady voice:
"I will leave at once. What are the Chief's orders once I arrive?"
"Do you still have a network in Linggao?"
"Yes, I have made arrangements. I have people in both the county seat and the countryside." Wanting to demonstrate his influence, Gou Er added, "At the Chief's command, I can mobilize two hundred men at any time."
"Let us keep that two hundred of yours on standby for now." Li Siya resumed her languid pose, reclining against the pillows. "Where do you plan to set up base?"
"At Luomao Mountain. The bandit chief there is my sworn brother." Gou Er was confident. The bandit leader in Luomao Mountain was called Hu Lanyan—"Rotten-Eye Hu." They had a bond forged through life and death, and Gou Er had kept him well-fed with silver over the years. Getting him to take Gou Er in should not be a problem.
"Good. On your way out, find the accountant. Take a basket of pigeons, one hundred taels of silver, and my token. Go to the docks and find a small boat with a blue cloth strip hanging from its bow. The captain will send you back to Linggao when he sees the token. Where you land is up to you, but once you are ashore, you are on your own."
"Understood!"
"Once you are settled, send me a pigeon message immediately. I will naturally dispatch someone to contact you."
(End of Chapter)