Chapter 32: The Interrogation

Sleep is the state closest to death. The phrase inexplicably popped into Director Wen’s mind as he awoke from his dream. He opened his eyes to a swaying canopy of light red gauze with a water-grass pattern. A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted to his nose. He closed his eyes to savor it, then snapped them open again. Where was he?!

If Director Wen hadn’t already experienced traveling through a wormhole, he would have sworn he had been transmigrated again. As his mind cleared a little, he remembered: wasn’t he staying in the residence provided by Gao Ju? The bed there had a canopy, but it was made of plain blue cloth. It wasn’t this… perfumed. Where on earth was this place?

He quickly sat up but felt dizzy and heavy-headed. His limbs were sore and weak, completely devoid of strength. He looked around and found himself in a tiny, windowless room. Besides the large bed he was on, there was only a small table and a chair. The table held a vase and a bonsai, and two landscape paintings hung on the wall.

He hurriedly got up and dressed, only to find that his anti-stab vest, belt, and waterproof boots were gone. His ever-present large folding knife, stun gun, and pepper spray had all vanished. This discovery terrified him. As a long-time, hands-on “survivalist,” these items were Wen Desi’s talismans. Now, in this precarious situation, all his means of self-defense were gone…

Just as panic set in, the door creaked open. A lean, medium-statured man with a fierce look on his face entered. Director Wen, a man of the world, could tell at a glance that this was no friendly face. With his situation unclear, he decided to remain silent.

“Greetings, Shopkeeper Wen,” the man said with a casual bow, intentionally or not revealing the hilt of a wakizashi tucked into his belt. Wen Desi noted his accent had a slight Southern Fujianese lilt.

“And who might you be?”

The man chuckled and sat down brazenly in the chair. “We all make our living on the sea. We’ve recently heard that you, Shopkeeper Wen, have come from Australia and made a fortune selling exotic goods. We were wondering where your ship is docked and what your shipping routes are. It would be good for us brothers to look out for each other on the seas.”

Wen Desi didn’t answer, instead asking, “What is this place?”

The man laughed loudly. “This is merely a temporary residence for you, Shopkeeper Wen. Why do you need to know? We are very curious about Australia and hope you will enlighten us,” he said, his tone turning threatening.

You skinny, dried-up runt, you think I’m afraid of you? Director Wen thought. Under normal circumstances, he would have already let his fists do the talking, but his limbs were currently weak and sore; it was difficult to even move. A wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him. He had no choice but to comply.

“Of course. What would you like to know?”

“What kind of ship did you take to the Great Ming, and where is it currently docked?”

This was the question Wen Desi dreaded most, as it was impossible to explain. A lie would be hard to fabricate and easily exposed with a little investigation. Since there was no Australian ship, the only option was to pin it on an existing one.

“The ships made in Australia are not suitable for long voyages, so we only sail to Borneo. From Borneo, we transfer to a Portuguese ship to come here.” The statement was a mix of truth and falsehood, making it difficult for the man, Boss Wang, to refute. He then asked how they had entered Guangzhou city.

Numerous thoughts raced through Wen Desi’s mind. Since this group had kidnapped him, they were clearly not on the same side as Gao Ju; they might even be his rivals. His only option was to link all verifiable facts to Gao Ju, making it impossible for them to cross-check and expose his lies. He quickly reviewed everything Xiao Zishan had told him about the smugglers on Haopan Street. With a plan in mind, he said:

“While in Australia, we heard from foreign merchants that the city of Guangzhou in the Great Ming is as wealthy as a nation, but outsiders are not allowed to trade within its walls. By a stroke of luck, we learned from a Portuguese sailor about a place called Youyu Island, just off the mouth of the Pearl River, a good spot for smugglers. We disembarked there and paid someone to bring us into Guangzhou. That person brought us to Gao Ju’s residence.”

“Oh? And what was this person’s name?”

“We were new here and didn’t dare to ask too many questions. I believe his surname was Wang.”

Boss Wang of Youyu Island—a name he had only managed to overhear from one of Gao’s servants.

“Oh? But Boss Wang says he doesn’t know any Australian sea merchants,” a clear, charming female voice suddenly came from outside the door.

As the voice faded, a beautiful young woman appeared from behind the door. She wore a tight-fitting, lotus-root-colored jacket and a snow-blue, finely pleated long skirt. She was tall, with arched eyebrows, red lips, and skin as white as jade. Her eyes were large and bright, and as she spoke, they seemed to dance with a natural charm. But upon closer inspection, there was a hidden fierceness in her gaze.

Boss Wang seemed to be wary of this young woman, quickly standing up with an apologetic smile to offer her his seat. The girl accepted without ceremony, sitting down gracefully. Her enchanting eyes, which seemed to see right through a person, roamed all over Director Wen. His heart pounded. What’s this girl’s deal? he wondered. How can a character like this exist in the 17th-century Ming Dynasty?

“And this is?” Wen Desi was unsettled by her words, knowing that any attempt to argue now would likely expose his lies. He decided to play for time.

“Hey, it’s none of your business…”

“Now, now, Boss Wang, don’t say that. I’m not some villain. I have a reputable name on the seas. Why be so secretive? I am Li Siya—” She stood up, lifted the hem of her skirt, and stepped back with her right foot, performing a curtsy. Director Wen’s mind buzzed. Could this girl be a transmigrator too? Are there others besides us?!

He forced himself to calm down, stood up, and gave a slight bow. “I am Wen Desi.”

This time, it was Li Siya’s turn to be slightly surprised. “You also follow Western etiquette in Australia?”

Wen Desi noticed the girl’s hair and pupils were a light brown, and her long hair was slightly curly. He realized she likely had Portuguese ancestry. Such second-generation mixed-race individuals were common in Macau, some with fully Portuguese parents. The curtsy was just a form of Western etiquette. His mind settled, and he smiled.

“In Australia, it is common to follow Western etiquette.”

“And you still call yourselves children of Huaxia? Isn’t that a collapse of rites and music?” the girl teased.

“Our hearts belong to Huaxia, so we are children of Huaxia. It has nothing to do with rites and music.”

“Quite the spirit,” Li Siya said, sitting down and casually playing with a small knife—which Wen Desi recognized as his own large folding knife. “But Shopkeeper Wen, you haven’t answered my question. Boss Wang doesn’t know you, you see?” She looked at him with a bored expression and said in a sweet voice, “You do plan on existing in the form of a man for the rest of your life, don’t you?”

Cold sweat beaded on Wen Desi’s forehead. He knew that despite her charming words, this girl was likely ruthless. Cowering wouldn’t work against someone like her, but neither would direct confrontation. He thought, I only said his surname was probably Wang, I didn’t specify which one. Besides, he had heard from Xiao Zishan that smuggling groups like the fishermen on Youyu Island were extremely exclusive, and it was impossible for outsiders to get information. He sneered inwardly: You’re just trying to bluff me.

“I don’t know any Boss Wang. I only heard that the person’s surname seemed to be Wang.” To soften his tone, he added with a smile, “We come from overseas, only interested in selling goods and making money. We don’t make it our business to pry into others’ affairs.”

“You people really only have silver in your black eyes.”

“You flatter me. It is the nature of a merchant to pursue profit.”

“But why do I feel that you, Shopkeeper Wen, and all your subordinates are extraordinary individuals?” Li Siya leaned slightly closer, and the faint scent of rosewater reached his nose. “Pursuing profit? Who in this world isn’t a fly chasing after profit? Even the emperor is merely pursuing the interests of his own family and name.” Her eyes shifted. “Shopkeeper Wen, am I right?”

“Yes, yes. Miss Li’s teachings are wise.” Wen Desi began to suspect again that she might be a transmigrator. If she is, I hope she’s not a fujoshi… As his mind wandered, he saw Miss Li sit up straight and arrange a pile of items on the table. It was a random assortment, including even Xiao Zishan’s socks and Engineer Wang’s pen. The common feature was that none of them belonged to this era.

“Are all these produced in Australia?”

“Yes, they are.”

Then, this graceful beauty picked up Xiao Zishan’s nylon socks—clearly, she knew what they were—using a bamboo stick.

“These socks, how are they made? And this thread, how is it spun? Why is it so transparent, yet so elastic?”

“These are knitted socks, made with a knitting machine.” Wen Desi was very familiar with modern machinery. The first hand-cranked knitting machine was invented in England in 1598, capable of only 16 stitches at a time, still quite primitive. Only 30 years had passed since then; he estimated the Portuguese probably didn’t know about it yet.

“It uses a machine?” the girl mused, looking at Xiao Zishan’s socks.

“Yes.”

“And the thread? Raw silk can’t produce this kind of elasticity.”

Wen Desi thought this would be difficult to explain. He could talk about the knitting machine, but telling her the thread was refined from petroleum? The lower half of his body would probably cease to exist in its male form immediately.

“This material is called nylon thread, not silk. Its production is a national secret in our country. How would a mere merchant like me know?”

Li Siya nodded, a look of disappointment in her eyes. A thought stirred in Wen Desi’s mind: it would be a crime against nature for this girl’s slender legs not to be adorned with a pair of stockings. It seemed they should start importing nylon stockings in large quantities…

“It seems the Australian way of writing is also Western-style. This pen doesn’t need to be dipped in ink, which is very convenient.” Li Siya sighed, fiddling with the pen, unable to put it down. “Your goods truly make me feel like a frog in a well. I never imagined there was such a place in the world that could produce such wonderfully ingenious things.”

“You’re too kind.”

“Now that you’ve opened up this sea route, you will naturally be trading here year-round?”

“Well…” Wen Desi didn’t know how to answer.

“Hmph, it doesn’t matter,” the girl said with a cold smile, as if talking to herself. “The seas around Guangdong will fall into the hands of the Big Boss sooner or later. If you want to ensure the long-term safety of your ships and cargo, it would be wise to be pragmatic!” With that, she stood up and left on her own.