Chapter 2361: Agricultural Company (Part 1)

Xu Yanliang glanced at Yuan Fei, thinking the young man was neither suited for studying nor for secretarial work. Still, his words had piqued Xu Yanliang's interest. "What exactly did this Boss Liu do to get arrested in Guangzhou?"

"Something to do with epidemic prevention, they say. It caused quite a stir. Word is that Chairman Wen remarked that hanging Liu Deshan wouldn't be excessive..."

Xu Yanliang thought that this Yuan Fei really didn't treat him as an outsider—the boy had absolutely no filter.

Yuan Fei wasn't finished: "Speaking of Dongshan Ju, they have quite a good relationship with our Mayor Tang. But this matter with Liu Deshan is too big; Mayor Tang didn't dare promise him anything..."

"Naturally." Xu Yanliang said casually, making a mental note to watch his words around Secretary Yuan. "Matters involving epidemic prevention are no small thing—hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake."

They continued along Xintiandi Avenue, and the buildings on both sides grew sparser. Soon there were no decent structures at all. Then, suddenly, two rather imposing buildings appeared before them.

On the left stood a small Gothic church of brick and stone, and on the right, a Taoist temple in "Australian-style" architecture—remarkably similar in structure.

The two buildings stood nearly door to door; clearly, the struggle for believers here was fierce.

Xu Yanliang had no interest in exploring the local religious landscape and continued straight ahead. Yuan Fei reminded him that although the road extended all the way to the foot of Jinji Ridge, the urban area ended here. Beyond lay mostly farmland and plantations.

"Are there factories here?" Xu Yanliang asked, remembering something.

"Factories are all in Hexi District near the port. Most of our raw materials come from the sea, after all—being close to the port is more convenient." Yuan Fei paused. "Out here, it's mostly farms of various sizes. Some have small agricultural processing facilities attached."

"Speaking of farms—isn't the largest private farm here owned by Liu Xiang's family?"

"It belongs to his family, but strictly speaking, it's not his personally..."

"Oh? Why isn't it his personally?"

"His farm is called 'Collective Farm'..."

Xu Yanliang's handlebars twisted, and he nearly fell off his bicycle. He gripped them tightly to steady himself. "What did you say it's called?"

"Collective Farm."

"That's really the name?"

Yuan Fei seemed to understand why Senator Xu was so sensitive about the name. "It's just a name," he explained while pedaling. "Liu Xiang and his gang of brothers pooled their money to set it up. Everyone shares in the dividends at year's end. When they established the company, they asked Chairman Wang to bestow a name, and he gave them that one."

"So it's just a joint-stock arrangement." Xu Yanliang was slightly disappointed.

"Yes, exactly—joint-stock," Yuan Fei confirmed. "This farm has the most land in Sanya—over ten thousand mu. They specially hired Tiandihui for technical support. Many of Liu Xiang's former subordinates work there now, and they all live together. Nearly a hundred households, probably."

"I didn't expect him to become such a big landlord." Xu Yanliang asked, "How's the operation going?"

"Thriving." Yuan Fei said. "Liu Xiang and his men are all Teochew people—extremely united and capable workers. When they were pirates, they accumulated considerable wealth. So after establishing the farm, whether it was building houses, buying machines, purchasing seeds, or constructing irrigation works, they spared no expense. They've also set up quite a few small processing factories—earning even more money. The wealthy have an easier time making more wealth." He shook his head. "Look at those poor immigrants over there. The Senate allocated land, helped clear the wasteland, gave loans, provided free technical services, and even exempted taxes for five years! The result? They're still barely scraping by. When natural disasters or troubles strike, forget collecting taxes—relief has to be provided. Otherwise, if they go bankrupt, handling the aftermath becomes even harder."

It seemed the small-scale peasant economy was difficult to sustain anywhere. Xu Yanliang reflected that future colonial development in Southeast Asia should probably take the form of large plantations. Models like Liu Xiang's could serve as useful references. With some regret, he remembered that Liu Xiang had been "frozen." Otherwise, making him head of a colony would have been ideal. He asked:

"Are there many state-owned farms here?"

"Several in Jinling District. Various sizes. Some specialize in rice, others in coconuts." Yuan Fei glanced at the Chief, who continued heading north without pause. Isn't this Chief Xu here to inspect industry and commerce? Why is he so interested in agriculture?

Xu Yanliang had been about to suggest visiting Liu Xiang's farm, but on second thought, the man's identity was sensitive—he had always been viewed with suspicion by the Senate. The Nanyang Company's current situation made direct contact inadvisable.

A sudden suspicion struck him: this smiling, unfiltered Secretary Yuan might be a hidden cadre of the Political Security Bureau. Even if he wasn't, or even if Zhao Manxiong's "goodwill" could be fully trusted, there was no guarantee Yuan Fei wouldn't talk carelessly in front of other Senators.

After a moment's consideration, he said: "Find me a private farm to visit..."

"Would you like to see a good one or a bad one..."

"What kind of question is that? I'm here on business, not charity—of course I want to see a good one."

"Understood!" Yuan Fei responded. "Then let's visit Hu Wumei's farm. It's not far ahead!" With that, he pumped his pedals and surged forward.

"Hu Wumei? Is that a woman?" Xu Yanliang called out in surprise. In this era, he had truly never encountered a female landlord.

The group passed through a security checkpoint and left Hexi District. Although Xintiandi Avenue extended all the way to Jinji Ridge, beyond the checkpoint the road surface deteriorated to a simple highway standard. There were no streetlamps on either side, and buildings were nowhere to be seen—only broad expanses of farmland interspersed with small patches of woodland and occasional structures dotted here and there. The landscape was thoroughly rural.

Paddy fields dominated the area, growing rice. Sugarcane fields, hemp fields, and coconut groves were scattered among them. The Agricultural Committee had clearly invested considerable effort here.

Yet the quality of these fields varied dramatically. Some were obviously well-tended, with crops growing vigorously; others were sparse and overgrown with weeds. Often, separated only by a ridge or a ditch, the contrast was stark.

After riding about ten minutes past the checkpoint, Yuan Fei led them onto a side road lined with rows of windbreak trees—mostly tamarind, with some sapodilla mixed in.

The road's condition was poor; their bicycles bounced continuously. Xu Yanliang had long grown unaccustomed to such rough going, but unfortunately, the "official vehicles" issued here were heavy-duty bicycles originally customized for postal service—durable and capable of carrying loads, but utterly lacking in comfort.

Fortunately, this stretch wasn't too long—Xu Yanliang estimated just over a kilometer. A wooden fence gate appeared ahead. Yuan Fei turned back and called: "Chief, Hu Wumei's farm is just ahead!"

Xu Yanliang's backside was numb from the jolting. Hearing "just ahead," his spirits lifted.

The farm drew closer. The place was heavily fortified: an earthen rampart encircled the property, topped with bamboo and wooden fencing. The gate was solidly built, with a watchtower above and two protruding earthen platforms flanking it. Before they could approach, the urgent clanging of metal reached their ears—an alarm.

Security here really isn't good, Xu Yanliang thought.

Such heavy fortifications indicated considerable security pressure—pressure that probably couldn't be explained by a few thieves or small bands of robbers. Sanya's public order was far from what Tang Menglong had described.

Yet if internal security pressures were truly so severe, Tang Menglong surely wouldn't have been so cavalier, sending him off with just four guards. If they encountered a large bandit gang, these few men would be nothing more than a free meal...

While still puzzling over this, the convoy arrived at the wooden fence gate. Several dogs inside erupted in barking, and someone peered down from the watchtower. Xu Yanliang noticed that the guard held a Nanyang rifle. Yuan Fei leaped from his bicycle and shouted: "Open up! Our Chief wants to see Hu Wumei!"

Xu Yanliang glanced around. Ten round wooden plaques hung on the lintel of the main gate, bearing the characters for "Baocheng Agricultural Reclamation Co., Ltd." Exposed to sun and rain, the writing had faded. The ground before the gate was crisscrossed with ruts—obviously, considerable animal power was employed here.

"Who's making all that racket!" A man's voice came from inside. "The Master isn't home—went to the fields! No guests are received when the Master's away!"

"You son of a bitch," Yuan Fei retorted without hesitation, raising his voice. "I'm Yuan Fei from the Municipal Government! The Chief is here! The Chief! Do you understand? Open the damn door!"

"Don't lie to me!"

"Who's lying? Open up!"

A head poked out from the watchtower, took a look, and withdrew. Shortly afterward, someone could be heard shouting inside: "Quick! Open the door! You lazy bastards!"

Two heavy doors, reinforced with iron bars and studs, creaked open. An old man emerged, wearing a straw hat, a loose shirt, and linen shorts, with rattan sandals on his feet. Incongruously, a cloth belt was tied around his waist, with various objects hanging from it in disarray.

Seeing Yuan Fei, the old man hurried forward to greet him. Yuan Fei waved him off. "No need for formalities. This is Chief Xu from Lingao. He wants to see your farm. Send for Hu Wumei immediately!"

Hearing that a Senator had arrived, the old man rushed to pay his respects: "This humble one, Hu Sanqing, pays respects to the Chief."

Xu Yanliang waved his hand. "No need for ceremony. Your farm owner isn't here?"

"Unfortunately, the farm owner left for the plantation early this morning. I'll send someone to fetch him right away." Hu Sanqing said.

Xu Yanliang nodded. "If the round trip is too long, don't bother..."

"Not far at all—the plantation is only two li from here. I'll dispatch someone immediately." He called to a child and instructed him to run to the plantation at once to summon the Master. "Hurry to the plantation and tell the Master a Chief has come! Run there—quick!"

The child dashed off in a flash. Xu Yanliang remarked: "That child is quite dark..."

"His mother is a slave from Nanyang—born dark." Hu Sanqing explained. "Chief, please rest inside first and have some tea. It will take at least half an hour for the Master to return."

(End of Chapter)