Chapter 290: Sweet Port Turbulence — Sugar Ship Hijacked

Pei Lixiu came to serve another course. "This is foie gras pâté," she announced. "The wine was sent by Young Master Wu. Regarding their matter, Master—would you be willing to plan something for them?" As she spoke, she cast a flirtatious glance and, while pouring wine, leaned half her body against Guo Yi.

Wu and Dong witnessed this and couldn't contain their delight. They hadn't expected Miss Pei to exert such effort on their behalf—she was truly a woman of her word. With her advocacy, the matter was eighty percent certain to succeed.

Half of Guo Yi's body, however, had gone completely numb. Though he knew this was performance, he was cursing internally while maintaining an expression of enjoyment. "Much to discuss! Much to discuss. Since you two gentlemen think so highly of me, naturally I must plan carefully on your behalf."

"We're most grateful! Thank you!"

Guo Yi addressed them both: "I have a question."

"Please, please—speak freely."

"Since you both honor me with your trust, I dare not prove ungrateful. But first I must ask: how much capital are we discussing? To deploy it properly requires a plan. Is this sum to be returned in one or two months, or is a year or half acceptable? What returns do you expect? I need these general parameters before I can begin."

Wu Zhixiang looked to Dong Jizhong, seeking his opinion with a glance.

"Brother Ziyan," Dong Jizhong said, "the silver isn't substantial. I have fifty thousand; Brother Wu has over thirty thousand. Together, merely eighty or ninety thousand. Silver can't sit idle indefinitely—it must be turned over quickly."

Nearly a hundred thousand taels, yet they claimed the amount was modest—what a lavish perspective. The wealth of officialdom was truly staggering. No wonder the Ming Dynasty was doomed to perish, Guo Yi thought.

He nodded. "I understand your intentions. Ordinarily, this would present no difficulty. But in commerce, trust and righteousness are paramount. Currently, all Australian goods produced by Purple Treasure Pavilion are distributed exclusively through Master Gao. It would be improper for me to unilaterally allocate goods to you two without authorization. Otherwise, my reputation in this marketplace would be finished."

"We beg Brother Ziyan to help us!" Wu Zhixiang quickly pleaded.

Help? Why should I help you? Guo Yi reflected that dandies were indeed dandies—they didn't even grasp such basic worldly wisdom. However, though ignorant of business etiquette, they possessed money. To access their capital, "helping" them meant helping himself.

"I have another path to wealth. I wonder if you gentlemen might be interested?"

"We're eager to hear!" Both men leaned forward.

"Are you familiar with sugar?"

"Certainly, certainly." Dong Jizhong nodded vigorously. "Sugar is an enormous business!" Though he didn't engage in maritime trade himself, his Guangzhou environment had taught him that sugar was an extremely marketable export commodity—both the Eastern and Western Oceans scrambled for it.

"In Australia, sugar sells exceptionally well. Therefore, in the coming month or two, I'll be acquiring sugar throughout Guangdong. Once the sugar is collected, loaded onto ships, and transported back, it becomes silver. Would you gentlemen be interested in investing shares?"

He didn't say "borrow"—first, borrowing required paying extremely high interest; second, they had just expressed serious reservations about usury—so he framed it as participation.

Wu Zhixiang answered without hesitation: "Excellent, excellent! But what returns might we expect?"

"Difficult to specify precisely, but based on annual conventions, for every tael invested, returns of at least two percent are guaranteed."

"How long will it take? Extended delays won't do." Dong Jizhong interjected.

Guo Yi nodded. "Naturally! If capital and interest required a year or half to recover, you might as well deposit directly with a large trading house. This venture will show results within three months."

Actually, it wouldn't take even a month. Guo Yi had calculated that a shipload of sugar transported from Xuwen to Guangzhou could be sold in as few as ten days. Paying two percent total interest over three months was steep, but far less than borrowing costs. Moreover, in those three months, the money could turn over once or twice more—equivalent to using it three times.

His calculations exposed, Dong Jizhong's face flushed slightly. He hastened to explain: "That's not what I meant! Brother Ziyan is helping us so generously—how could we haggle over terms? It's just that certain complications exist..." To demonstrate his sincerity, he awkwardly revealed that part of this silver was "temporarily borrowed public funds" that couldn't remain in hand indefinitely. Guo Yi thought: how much public funding could a Vice General father possess? This was probably soldier's pay.

"That's perfectly fine—we're all brothers here!" Guo Yi adopted the manner of a good friend. "Come, come—drink!"

"Since matters are settled, where should the silver be delivered?" Dong Jizhong was anxious to finalize arrangements. "I'll write a note immediately and have someone return to withdraw and deliver it to your residence..."

"Unnecessary," Guo Yi said decisively. "Since we're partners, credit comes first, procedure second. When your funds are ready, I'll have people from the Qiwei Escort Agency come to collect them. You gentlemen need only instruct your doormen and accountants. I'll have Purple Treasure Pavilion issue passbooks noting the three-month term and two percent interest. If markets prove favorable, bonuses will be distributed according to share capital. Does this suit you?"

"Perfectly, perfectly!" These words drew repeated nods from both men, who felt that Proprietor Guo spoke and acted beautifully—reliable indeed. Their affection for him increased several degrees. With the major matter settled, the mood relaxed, and subsequent drinking went increasingly smoothly. Guo Yi also seized the opportunity to gather substantial official intelligence.

His primary concern was, naturally, Guangdong's attitude toward Lingao. In Guangdong official circles, the movements of Liu Xiang, Zhu Cailao, and similar figures commanded far more attention than Lingao. Dong Jizhong hadn't even heard of such matters—Lingao had reported bandit situations, but prefectures and counties reporting bandits were as numerous as ox hairs. With Lingao's county seat still in government hands, naturally no one cared.

As for Beijing, Chongzhen remained preoccupied "bringing order out of chaos" and purging remnants of Wei Zhongxian's clique—he had recently reprimanded the cabinet ministers for the third time over ineffective liquidation of the "traitorous party." This year's capital inspection in both the Northern and Southern capitals would inevitably involve major actions to purge Wei Zhongxian's "traitorous party." The atmosphere in officialdom was correspondingly tense. Officials who had originally opposed Wei naturally sought to ride the momentum upward; those with secret connections scrambled to make arrangements for exoneration, ideally retaining their positions; fence-sitters sought to curry favor with the current dynasty's new luminaries for further advancement... The entire court and bureaucracy buzzed like a disturbed hive, thoroughly chaotic.

This accorded generally with news Guo Yi had gleaned from court gazettes. Since neither Beijing nor Guangdong was paying attention, Lingao's development could still secure a relatively stable buffer period. This intelligence required immediate transmission to the Executive Committee.

The drinking continued until three in the afternoon before the party dispersed happily. Guo Yi conveyed several key instructions to Pei Lixiu, particularly asking her to monitor whether anyone visiting Purple Clarity Pavilion recently mentioned sugar. If significant news emerged, she should dispatch someone to report immediately.

The contest between the Transmigration Group and the Haiyi Guild over Leizhou sugar would inevitably produce a winner. In Guo Yi's view, regardless of the Haiyi Guild's local strength, they couldn't withstand the Transmigration Group's overwhelming force. Even without deploying the Executive Committee's special forces, Guangzhou operations alone would guarantee the Haiyi Guild's defeat in this sugar acquisition war. After successfully securing two loans today, his conviction only strengthened.

Regarding capital, the Transmigration Group now held the winning hand. The Haiyi Guild could hardly have anticipated that the transmigrators possessed the capability to mobilize over a hundred thousand taels so rapidly. In the coming days, additional funds could probably be raised—Pei Lixiu mentioned that besides Wu and Dong, several other young masters from similar official families existed. Without overcommitting, mobilizing another forty or fifty thousand silver should prove unproblematic. Two hundred thousand taels would be enough to batter the Haiyi Guild into the ground.

China had always been called a black hole for silver, and Guangzhou probably hoarded more silver than anywhere else. People spoke of tight money, but in reality, countless individuals possessed substantial idle cash. The trick was figuring out how to extract it.

Previously, he had assumed that with the Gao family connection, the Transmigration Group faced no capital problems whatsoever. But this sugar industry foray had revealed how far they remained from the four words "abundant capital supply." Long-term, diversified fundraising was essential. Throughout the sedan journey, he racked his brains over how to raise additional funds and expand operations further.

While contemplating inside the sedan, the chair suddenly halted. A follower reported: "Master, someone from Shopkeeper Sun at Qiwei has come to pay respects, requesting that you proceed to the escort agency immediately."

"What's this about?" Guo Yi asked, then realized his hastiness. The messenger was merely a courier—what could he know? Shopkeeper Sun presumably had urgent news requiring personal delivery. Not finding Guo Yi at Huifu Street and knowing he'd gone to Purple Clarity Pavilion, Sun had dispatched someone to intercept him en route.

"To Qiwei!"

The sedan curtain dropped, and they immediately proceeded toward the Qiwei Escort Agency. Anxiety stirred in his chest. Though he was ninety-nine percent confident about the Leizhou matter, the closer they approached the final moment, the less room existed for problems. The key to this battle was Guangzhou's sugar price. According to recent market trends, the price was climbing steadily, now reaching 3.92 taels. He already knew from the South China side that locals considered this year's Leizhou sugar production "average"—meaning standard levels. However, Leizhou wasn't China's sole sugar-producing region; nearby Fujian also produced sugar. He remained completely ignorant of that market. If a large batch of sugar arrived and prices collapsed, the substantial sum of high-interest borrowed funds would transform into poison.

At this critical juncture, unexpected complications were most feared. Guo Yi had already instructed Sun Kecheng that various branches and external counters should report every three days. If they encountered sugar goods in transit, they should investigate the sugar's origin, production volume, and intended destination. Escort masters were instructed to frequent tea houses more often, simply to obtain useful news—even fragmentary remarks sometimes proved critical.

The sedan arrived at Qiwei. Rather than entering through the main gate—he was a shareholder here and the shopkeeper's close friend, visiting every three to five days, a thoroughly familiar guest—the sedan proceeded directly through the side entrance and stopped by the flower hall.

Sun Kecheng was already waiting beneath the dripping eaves. This wasn't courtesy but urgency—he had to inform Guo Yi immediately.

"Proprietor Guo, something's happened!"

The words struck like a physical blow, clearly signaling gravity. Guo Yi nodded. "Inside."

Only then did Sun Kecheng realize that speaking in the courtyard was inappropriate. He quickly ushered Guo Yi into the flower hall and through to a side chamber—their place for confidential discussions.

"Yesterday, a sugar ship was hijacked at sea!"

Guo Yi's heart clenched. Could it be the Dengyingzhou? That vessel was precious indeed. On reflection, the Dengyingzhou had brought a shipload of sugar from Leizhou and just loaded bituminous coal before departing for Lingao two days ago. It should still be en route—so it couldn't possibly be that ship.

"It's the Guang Bing!"

The Guang Bing was a double-masted Guangdong vessel with capacity exceeding a hundred tons, belonging to the Gaodi Shipyard's dedicated coastal freight fleet.

The so-called Gaodi Shipyard was a freight shipping company jointly operated by the Guangzhou Station and the Qiwei Escort Agency to compensate for Lingao's shipping shortage. All vessels were small coastal cargo ships purchased locally, crewed by locally hired sailors. The shipping company was managed by the Guangzhou Station and didn't fall under Maritime Power Department jurisdiction. Its sole business was the Lingao-Guangzhou route.

Because business was thriving, the fleet had expanded rapidly. It now possessed six double-masted ships, named with "Guang" prefixes and ordered by Heavenly Stems—Guang Jia through Guang Geng. They carried more than half the materials transported to Lingao.

Originally, Gaodi ships mostly returned from Lingao empty—so-called "Australian goods" were small in quantity but high in value, so for safety, they were always transported by the Maritime Power Department's Dengyingzhou. Currently, the South China Factory had accumulated substantial granulated sugar, and Guangzhou was anxious to recoup capital. After discussion, both sides decided to use empty Gaodi Shipyard vessels returning from Lingao to carry granulated sugar. A convenient and profitable arrangement—who could have anticipated this?

Because sea conditions were unsettled, though shipyard vessels lacked cannons, sailors were equipped with swords, spears, and matchlock guns for self-defense, and specialized maritime escort masters were assigned. The route stayed within coastal waters, avoiding the open ocean. Though the journey was slightly longer, security was enhanced. The ships had operated for months without incident—how had an accident occurred the moment sugar was loaded?

"Tell me exactly what happened."

Sun Kecheng lowered his voice. "The ship returned, but five people died."

"Is the ship still usable?" After asking, Guo Yi immediately regretted it—inquiring about the ship before casualties was rather cold. He quickly added: "Are there wounded?"

"The ship is at the dock; we're arranging repairs. Some minor damage, nothing serious." Sun Kecheng said. "The sailors are all resting at Gaodi Inn. Some are injured; doctors have been summoned."

"Is the captain all right? What about the escort masters?"

"The captain has injuries, but nothing serious. However, two escort masters died!" Sun Kecheng's face was grim. "Old brothers who worked together for years. I never expected such a thing to happen."

Though death wasn't rare in the escort business, these two were veterans of long collaboration. Naturally, the sentiment differed from recently recruited hands.

"The dead cannot return to life. I'll certainly provide generous compensation!" Guo Yi quickly pledged. "First, dispatch two hundred taels of silver as condolence gifts to each bereaved family. As for compensation matters, handle things provisionally for now—we'll discuss details later. Don't scrimp on expenses!"

(End of Chapter)