Chapter 62: Sweet Harbor Storm - Transporting Silver

“And what after we transport the silver? According to Wen Tong’s letter, he might need two hundred thousand taels to get through this crisis. Even if we borrow from the Gao family, and they are willing, such a large amount of ready cash cannot be mobilized immediately. The Guangzhou station can only ship fifty thousand taels immediately, and another fifty thousand still needs to be raised.”

“No way, Guangzhou’s profits are not bad, and there’s still the payment from the Gao family…”

“That’s the book value. No one hoards that much cash. Whether it’s the Gao family or the Guangzhou station, a large amount of ready cash, even if the Guangzhou station immediately calls on local funds, it will take at least seven or eight days.”

“Ship as much as we have first. It’s better than sitting around doing nothing,” Ma Qianzhu said. “If we ship fifty thousand taels, it can at least buy them a few weeks’ buffer. A lot can be done in a few weeks.”

“Tell Guangzhou to prepare the silver, and we’ll send a ship to pick it up.”

“Is there enough time?”

“Send the Dengyingzhou. It has an engine. A round trip of four days should be enough,” Ma Qianzhu said with some regret. “It’s a pity it’s back in Lingao now. It would be great if it were in Guangzhou!”

“Should we buy rice in Guangzhou and then ship it? The price of rice in Guangzhou is one tael and three qian. That way, there’s still a price difference…”

“No, now is not the time,” Yan Ming immediately rejected this proposal. “The more critical the situation, the more we have to show our strength. Paying with rice is fine in normal times. Now, we must use silver to leave no room for the rumor-mongers. Otherwise, a collapse of confidence will trigger an attack on South China.”

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

“Also, immediately send a radio set and the necessary personnel to Leizhou. There’s no time to lose,” Ma Qianzhu said. “Leizhou must maintain smooth communication with us at all times now!”

“Actually, I think we should just mobilize the Special Reconnaissance Team. Bei Wei is in Leizhou. We can just carry out a decapitation strike…”

“It’s not necessary for now. It would be easy to escalate the situation. They are not commoners. If they were to get serious, the South China Sugar Factory might not be their match—after all, we don’t have an advantage in Leizhou yet,” Wen Desi thought it seemed inappropriate to involve the army in this matter. Although the Special Reconnaissance Team was confident it could smash the “Haiyitang” mentioned in Wen Tong’s report to pieces, these people might be partners in the future. The ideal solution was to use commercial means to subdue them. Only then would they be sincerely convinced of the transmigrator group’s power.

“Let’s prepare for both,” Ma Qianzhu, true to his hardliner reputation, said. “Strive for a peaceful solution. If that doesn’t work, we’re not here to fight a trade war. A direct solution is also an option.”

That night, at Bopu Port.

Since morning, the wind and waves at sea had gradually increased to level five, with high peaks and rough waves. At noon, the wind and waves grew even stronger. Not only the fishing boats fishing in the vicinity, but also the navy’s ships that were originally on patrol and protecting the fishing boats—or rather, acting as fishing overlords—were ordered back to port. In Bopu Port, in addition to the ships belonging to the Maritime Forces Department, a specially designated separate water area also accommodated many fishing boats and passing ships that had temporarily entered the port to seek shelter from the wind. Because a new lighthouse had been built at Bopu Point, and the transmigrator group had carried out scientific construction and management of the port, it had gradually become an important anchorage for passing ships.

In the afternoon, it began to rain. The torrential rain seemed to herald the beginning of the rainy season in Lingao. The sky quickly darkened, almost like dusk. All the lights in the Bopu camp were lit. Except for the sentries who continued to be on duty, there were no more people active outside the buildings. Even the usually bustling shipyard was quiet. Except for the steam and coal smoke coming from the boiler room, there was only the rumbling sound of the steam engine driving the water pump to drain water. Occasionally, a few figures in raincoats would run from one building to another.

In the dark curtain of rain, a light from a Beijing 212 jeep suddenly tore through the dim twilight from the direction of Bairen. The car stopped for a moment at the sentry post at the entrance of the camp.

“Pass!” The sentry was a local young man in his early twenties, wearing the blue uniform of the navy. Although not tall, several months of military training had given him a soldierly demeanor. Even in a straw raincoat and hat, he stood tall and straight. The person in the car was pleased to see that he had properly stored his rifle under his raincoat.

A document was handed out. He took it and, according to the regulations that had been drilled into his head by the instructors, he mechanically checked the document item by item. Finally, he handed the document back to the person in the car, stood at attention, and saluted.

“You may pass, People’s Commissar!”

The jeep’s wheels slipped a little as it drove into the camp. The roads inside the camp had been simply hardened with coal cinder and steel slag. There was no standing water, and the car drove quickly. Soon, the car arrived at a container-style modified house near the pier.

Light shone from the windows of the house. The person in the car jumped out nimbly and pushed open the door in a few steps.

When the people inside saw him enter, they all stood up, straight as a ramrod. Everyone inside was wearing the Year One navy uniform.

“Sit!” The person who had come was Wu De. It was a matter of necessity to have a person of his rank as a People’s Commissar come out. The key members of the navy among the transmigrators were either with the expedition team or had to pilot the fishing boats to protect Bopu. There was really no suitable candidate. So Wu De volunteered for this mission. After all, when it came to sailing experience with a motor-sailer, no one had more than this former naval officer and fisherman’s son.

Several sea charts were already spread out on the table, along with the 24-hour weather forecast from the Lingao Meteorological Observatory. The observatory was rudimentary, but its accuracy in forecasting the recent local weather was barely acceptable.

“Comrade People’s Commissar! Maritime Forces Department, Bopu Port Director and Bopu Fortress Area…” Li Di stood up and was about to report his official title.

“Alright, we can do without these formalities for now. Let’s talk about the mission,” Wu De waved his hand. “Report on the situation! What’s the status of the Dengyingzhou?”

“Yes,” Li Di reported. “After receiving the mission instructions, we have inspected the ship. The ship’s condition is normal, the engine is normal. To ensure safety, the anchor cables and rigging have been replaced. The diesel fuel has also been filled.”

“What about the crew?”

“Chief of Staff Ma’s instruction is that we must ensure safety, so the Maritime Forces Department has decided to use all transmigrator crew members this time, replacing the native sailors and soldiers. But we are still short of personnel and are preparing to draw some more…”

“No,” Wu De immediately vetoed. “This ship needs at least forty people, including crew and guards. That’s too much manpower. We can’t put so many eggs in one basket.” He thought for a moment. “Also, the Dengyingzhou has been running this route for a long time. The native sailors are more familiar with the hydrological conditions along the route than we are. Replacing experienced hands with novices, isn’t that just asking for trouble?”

“Then what should we do? The ship is carrying a large amount of silver. What if the natives get ideas—”

“Just don’t let them know. Besides, the navy has been training people for so long. Do you have no trust in them at all?”

“Well—” Li Di thought that no department could say that they could trust the natives 100% yet. He changed his mind and thought it would be better to have a half-and-half arrangement, so he could answer to both Chief of Staff Ma and Commissar Wu. “Then let’s have a half-and-half crew.”

“Let’s do it this way. Bring a few naval cadets on board as well,” Wu De said. “Give them a lesson and a taste of the sea!”

“Report: The first batch of naval cadets has gone on an internship with the exploration fleet. This is only the second batch. They were just recruited and have only been training for a few weeks. It’s probably useless to send them out to sea right away.”

“It doesn’t matter. Perhaps this time the sea will tell us who will be useful and who will be useless.”

“Yes!” Li Di immediately called the school: to draw six older cadets from the second batch of the naval cadet team.

“All transmigrator team members are to be issued modern weapons,” Wu De instructed. “One hundred rounds of ammunition per person, plus two grenades.”

Then they studied the sea charts and discussed the route. After more than an hour of discussion, Wu De asked, “What’s the weather like?”

“The weather is not ideal,” Li Di brought the weather forecast. “The barometer shows that the wind and rain in the Qiongzhou Strait will probably last for 24 hours. It’s a northwest wind now, with a speed of 20 knots and a wave height of 2.5 meters.”

Wu De thought that this was a sea state of 4. For ordinary modern ships, this sea state was nothing, but for a mere 70-ton motor-sailer, the wind and waves were not small. Going out to sea would be risky. But now, the South China Sugar Factory on the other side of the strait was anxiously waiting for silver to save them…

“Get ready quickly, prepare to set sail!”

“Do you think we should wait until tomorrow when the wind and waves are smaller…” Li Di was shocked. Just looking at the sea conditions outside the port made him tremble.

“We can’t wait. We only have four days!” Wu De’s tone was grave.

“Alright, I’ll go and prepare.”

“Wait!” Wu De stopped him and said to the naval personnel in the room, “Someone might be sacrificed on this mission! Anyone who doesn’t want to go, speak up now! As the commander of this mission, I can grant him permission not to go! We can replace him with native personnel.”

Originally, some people were planning to advise against going out to sea given the sea conditions. But now, no one could say a word. Most people couldn’t bring themselves to be a coward in front of everyone. Someone immediately steeled his heart and came out to express his determination: “For the great cause of transmigration, we will resolutely obey orders. Wherever the Executive Committee points, we will sail our ship!”

“If you’re afraid of death, don’t be in the navy!”

The atmosphere was indeed stirred up. The transmigrators in the room vied with each other to show their “military spirit.” Wu De nodded in satisfaction. “Everyone, go back and prepare immediately. We will assemble at the pier at 16:00 sharp to set sail. Dismissed!”

After everyone had left, Wu De also began to organize his luggage from the car, changing into the naval work clothes, sea boots, and sailing raincoat he had brought. He also checked his Type 54 pistol and carefully tucked it into a waterproof holster.

For him, the sea conditions were not the biggest enemy, but the security of the silver after it was loaded onto the ship. It was difficult to load such a large amount of silver onto the ship without being noticed. If any force coveted this wealth and wanted to carry out a sea robbery, the armament of the Dengyingzhou could deal with two or three ships, but more would be difficult. At that time, they could only run for their lives at full speed. He hoped the diesel engine and propeller wouldn’t have any problems…

Through the window, he could see the flickering lights of the ships in the port in the wind and rain. The tall earthen crane also had lanterns lit at the aerial markings according to the safety regulations of another time and space. With the crane, shipbuilding would be faster and more convenient—it was a pity that there were still too few people, not enough to use.

As he was thinking, someone suddenly shouted at the door, “Report!”

“What is it?” Wu De turned around and saw a sailor standing at the door.

“Commissar—Commissar Wu?”

“It’s me.”

“Well, there’s a woman at the entrance of the base who insists on seeing you,” the sailor hesitated. “She says she’s your maid.”

“Chuyu?!” Wu De was shocked. It must be Chuyu. The sky was so dark, and it was raining so hard. She had actually walked from Bairen City to Bopu alone. That was more than ten kilometers!

When he left, he had already told Chuyu that he was going to the mainland on a business trip. The little woman was reluctant to part with him, her face full of unwillingness. He had said a few words and thought it was over, but he didn’t expect her to follow him.

Women, what a hassle! he muttered, but he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his heart.

“Well, Commissar, should I bring her over?” The sentry saw that he seemed to know the woman and asked.

“No, she doesn’t have a pass. She can’t enter the base,” Wu De thought for a moment. “Tell her to go back to the villa and wait for me.”

“Yes.”

Although the mission was important, with this matter, he handled his affairs with more urgency. After finishing his business, he looked at his watch. It was already 15:00. He quickened his pace and left the naval base. Just as he stepped out of the gate, he heard someone call out “Master” in the rain. He was shocked and turned around to see a figure hiding under a discarded wooden sentry box outside the base, wearing a straw raincoat. It was none other than Chuyu.

“What are you doing! Why didn’t you go to the villa?” Although Wu De was touched, he also hated women’s fussiness. Since that night after the New Year when he couldn’t bear the loneliness and took Chuyu, Chuyu had been taking care of him with meticulous care, almost wanting to wash his feet for him. It seemed that she was determined to be his for the rest of her life.

“I was afraid that Master would not go to the villa and would just leave. Then Chuyu would not be able to see Master—”

“Nonsense,” Wu De cursed. “Am I that kind of person?!”

“Yes, Master,” the woman lowered her head obediently.

“Let’s go, you must be soaked, right?”

“It’s fine, Master,” the woman briskly wiped the rain from her face. “The sentries here are not merciful. They wouldn’t let me go inside to take shelter from the rain…”

“This is a military area. Let’s go!” He waved his hand. “Let’s talk at the villa.”