Chapter 200: Deep into the Enemy's Lair

The blue robe slipped from the woman’s body, falling to the ground and revealing the small dudou beneath. Lin Baiguang, long abstinent, could restrain himself no longer. He fumbled in his pocket for a small, plastic-sealed packet and tore it open with a satisfying hiss. The air in the tent was suddenly charged with a vibrant, carnal energy.

After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Baiguang, slightly drunk, embraced the naked Xiaoshu and climbed into bed. He produced a cigarette, placed it carefully between his lips, lit it from the oil lamp, and took a long, comfortable drag, girding himself for the next battle.

From his experiences in the brothels of another time and place, Lin Baiguang could tell that this woman was quite clean. He had to seize this opportunity. Of course, a condom was essential—thanks to his foresight, he had brought several.

Just as he was contemplating his next move, a new position to try, a new trick to play, he heard the woman in his arms begin to sob. Lin Baiguang exhaled a plume of smoke. “What is it?” he asked with great concern. “Why are you crying?”

“It is nothing. I am only lamenting my bitter fate.”

The line was painfully familiar, but he had to admit, her fate, brought upon her by the pirates, was indeed bitter, and he was, in a way, complicit. He murmured a few vague words of agreement.

“Where are you from, sir?” Xiaoshu nestled against him like a small, dependent bird. “You sound as if you are from Zhangzhou or Quanzhou…”

Lin Baiguang had to admit she was close. His ancestors had lived in Taiwan for over a century; he was half Minnanese himself.

“Not at all. I am an Australian,” he said. “Though my ancestors did cross the sea from Minnan.”

“Then we are practically countrymen.”

“You could say we are old friends meeting in a foreign land,” Lin Baiguang said with a smile, though a warning bell sounded in his mind.

Sure enough, Xiaoshu’s next words were barely a whisper. “I have something to ask of you.”

“And what is that?”

“Softer!”

She pressed a finger to his lips, then pointed to her ear, miming the gesture for “walls have ears.”

Lin Baiguang lit his cigarette, ignoring her. “Tell me.”

“Can you take me away from here?”

“Away?” Lin Baiguang couldn’t help but lower his voice.

“Yes.”

He was at a loss. What was she thinking? Was this some kind of trick?

“Please, sir, take me away. If I stay, I will be ruined by them.” Seeing the look on his face, she pressed herself against his chest and pleaded in a low, tearful voice.

“Don’t cry,” he comforted her softly. “What is it?”

“I am from Zhangzhou Prefecture…”

She told him she had been captured by pirates last month and locked away in their main camp, reserved for the pleasure of the leaders.

“…More than a dozen of them… they took turns… if I resisted in the slightest, they would beat me. It was a life worse than death,” she sobbed.

“I see.”

Lin Baiguang replied softly, certain now that there were ears listening outside the tent.

“I only ask that you have mercy, sir, and take me from this den of thieves. My family in Zhangzhou is well-off. They will surely reward you handsomely.”

“If your family has money, why have they not ransomed you?”

“They could not agree on the price,” she said sadly. “The pirates demand a fortune, a sum that can only be raised by selling our home and our lands…”

“They would rather lose their daughter than their fortune.”

“It is my bitter fate. Please, have pity on me and let me go.” She stopped crying and whispered, “Before I came here, I heard them talking. They believe you have come to Nanri Island with ulterior motives. They want the big boss to cut you in two.”

“…”

“The big boss is a suspicious man,” she pressed on. “He will not trust you.” She leaned closer. “Are you here to gather intelligence? I have secretly learned the numbers of men, ships, cannons, and grain under the great shopkeeper Zhu.” As if fearing his disbelief, she whispered, “Seven great ships of two thousand liao—”

“I am no spy. I have no desire to know such things,” Lin Baiguang said softly. He was now certain she was lying. This was a test.

“If you wish to leave this place and return home, I will speak to the great shopkeeper Zhu on your behalf tomorrow. We Australians can afford any ransom. I will see you returned home safely, and I will not ask for a single coin in reward. But—” his voice turned hard—”for you to secretly investigate the great shopkeeper’s forces, his money, his grain—that is an act of great treason. I advise you not to do such a foolish thing again. I will not speak of this to Shi Shisi or the others. You should resign yourself to your fate, or you will find your life in grave danger.”

The words were cold, ruthless. In his heart, he wanted to tell her the clumsy performance was over. The actress was passable, but the script was atrocious.

“Spare my life, sir!” Xiaoshu sobbed, scrambling to get off the bed and kneel.

“Do not worry. I will pretend I heard nothing. But you must be honest with me.”

Lin Baiguang stubbed out his cigarette, rolled over, and pressed the woman beneath him, forcing her into a kneeling, prostrate position. He slapped her buttocks twice, triumphantly, and once again, forced her to submit.

He took her several times that night. Knowing she was a spy, he had lost the last shred of pity for her. It was not until he was utterly spent that he fell into a deep sleep.

While Lin Baiguang slept, having fought three hundred rounds, the central command tent was brightly lit. Zhu Cailao and his lieutenants were discussing the situation, weighing the reliability of the Australians as allies.

The consensus was that Lin Baiguang’s words could be trusted. An ally of this nature was a great boon, especially one who had promised to supply vital materials like firearms and grain, which the beleaguered gang desperately needed.

The next question was whether to attack Min’an. Opinions were divided, but all agreed they could not remain in a stalemate on Nanri Island. They needed a big score to replenish their dwindling supplies and pay their men.

The camp’s general manager, Wang You, frowned. “Big boss, the men’s food and pay are running low. We are on the verge of going hungry.”

Zhu Cailao’s face darkened. Food had become a constant source of anxiety. In the past, pirates never had to worry about provisions. The coast was teeming with wealthy merchants connected to the sea, men who would risk their lives to transport grain for the right price. But now, that was impossible. The Zhangzhou-Quanzhou region was Zheng Zhilong’s territory. With an official title to his name, no prominent family dared to cross him. Zhu Cailao’s only means of acquiring grain was robbery. Plundering seemed to cost nothing, but the price was now far higher than simply buying grain. The shores were fortified, defended by local militias. And while the official army was largely useless, Zheng Zhilong was fiercely protective of his domain and would almost certainly respond to any alarm. Every raid now required a large force of ships and men, a costly and inefficient endeavor.

“How much surplus grain do we have?”

“If we are frugal, it will last ten days,” Wang Qing reported. “The men’s pay can wait, but we cannot go a single day without grain.”

A commotion erupted among the leaders.

“Big boss, this is no solution. We must return to Guangdong.”

Guangdong was Zhu Cailao’s home base. Supplies were far easier to come by there.

“Return? Easy for you to say. Do you think that little brat Liu Xiang will simply let us pass? He would rather see us rot here in Fujian.”

“Then we fight him. It is not certain who will prevail.”

“That’s right! He may be no match for us!”

Zhu Cailao snorted. “Return? Return to what? To drink the northwest wind?” He slammed his hand on the table. “The foreign trade in Guangzhou is all in the hands of the Franks. We cannot get a foothold. If we want to make money, we must stay here!”

“Besides,” he sneered, “if we fight a war with Liu Xiang, will it not be the bandits in Lingao who benefit in the end? This band of overseas barbarians is likely just waiting for us to destroy each other so they can pick up the pieces.”

“But big boss, they are willing to supply us with grain and firearms…”

“Do you think their grain and firearms are so easily obtained? We would have to send our own ships to transport them. If I were to return to Guangdong with my entire fleet, do you think Liu Xiang would let me pass safely?”

“Fuck his mother! There’s still this to consider!” a lieutenant cursed. “We should kill that unlucky bastard!”

“Forget it. They are our allies now. We will need their cannons and fast guns in the future.” Zhu Cailao waved his hand. “But for now, to expect their aid is like drawing a picture of a cake to satisfy our hunger.”

“Not necessarily,” Wang Qing said.

“Oh? And what brilliant idea do you have, General Manager Wang?”

“The entire fleet cannot return to Guangdong. But why not send a few ships to Lingao first, to procure a shipment of grain and firearms?”

“Impossible. Liu Xiang would not even let a large fleet pass. If we send a dozen ships, he will surely intercept and devour them!”

“Liu Xiang does not have the eyes and ears of a god. He must have spies here; he will know the moment our ships move,” Wang Qing said, a plan already forming in his mind. “But we will not take the inner sea route. We will sail the outer sea. Even if he knows, the ocean is vast. Where can he possibly find us?”

“The smaller boats cannot handle the outer sea.” The winds and waves were treacherous there, and there were no landmarks to guide them. The small vessels that made up the bulk of the pirate fleet were not suited for such a voyage.

“We are going to transport goods. Small boats are useless anyway; they cannot carry much. We must send the large ships.”

But to send the large ships would be to weaken their combat power at sea. It was another dilemma. After much debate, they decided to first dispatch a squadron of large ships to Lingao to bring back grain. Once the ships returned and morale was restored, they would launch their attack on Min’an.

When he woke the next day, the sun was already high. Lin Baiguang had no watch, but from the light filtering into the tent, he guessed it was nearly ten o’clock. He felt relaxed and refreshed. Beside him, Xiaoshu was gone. Only a few long hairs on the pillow remained as a reminder of the previous night’s pleasures. A pang of melancholy struck him.

“Brother, you’re awake?” Shi Shisi entered with a smile, followed by a young pirate carrying a basin of water.

“I have slept late. I have made a fool of myself.”

“Hehe, you were quite fierce last night,” Shi Shisi said with a suggestive grin. “What did you think? Xiaoshu is not bad, is she?”

“Good. Very good.”

“That fair-skinned little vixen—” Shi Shisi said with envy. “Ah, but let’s not speak of it. The big boss wishes to see you.”

After washing, Lin Baiguang was led once more to Zhu Cailao’s command tent. This time, he was received in the rear chamber. The tent was empty save for Zhu Cailao, who sat in a chair with a pile of map scrolls on the table before him.

“Sit.” Compared to the previous day, Zhu Cailao’s demeanor was much milder. “Did you sleep well?”

“Thanks to the great shopkeeper, I slept soundly,” Lin Baiguang said, rising to bow. “And I must thank you for your generosity.”

Zhu Cailao nodded and got straight to the point. “Are you willing to sell the repeating fast guns you use?” The description of the SKS rifle from the pirates who had escaped had left a deep impression on him.

His words made it clear that he had accepted their agreement. Lin Baiguang felt a surge of excitement. He forced himself to remain calm. “Of course we can sell them, but—”

“The price is negotiable. If the loan is insufficient, I will pay in cash.”

“It is not the price. This is a steel gun.” Lin Baiguang could not, of course, admit that Lingao could not yet produce the SKS, nor could it mass-produce the ammunition. “The body of the gun is forged from the finest hundred-refined steel. Even if our blacksmiths in Lingao were to work without rest, they could not produce many in a month.”

“I want a hundred of them,” Zhu Cailao said without hesitation. “I will pay double the price. How soon can you have them?”

“Well,” Lin Baiguang said, feigning difficulty, “three months, I should think.”

“Too late.” He sounded regretful. “Can you sell the old repeating guns?”

We only have a few hundred SKS rifles. If we sell them to you, how would we survive? Lin Baiguang thought. He smiled. “That would be difficult. As you know, sir, we are few in number and have few ships. We survive in Lingao thanks to your forbearance, and to these few fast guns. If you wish to buy guns, give us a few more months, and we will surely have them for you.”

Zhu Cailao stared at him for a long time. “It is strange,” he finally said. “It takes two months to buy a cannon, and three months to buy a few guns. What do you have that is ready now? Is this agreement merely an empty promise?”

Lin Baiguang was unnerved by his gaze. The power of this great sea merchant was no joke. So this is the aura of a king, he thought. The people’s commissars in our Executive Committee, with all their profound theories, are nothing compared to this.

He lowered his eyes and waited for Zhu Cailao to finish before he spoke. “Great Shopkeeper Zhu, please understand. Weapons are not so easily procured. They consume a great deal of labor and materials,” he said carefully. “As for the other goods, they are all readily available.”

“Is the grain also ready?”

“Yes.” Lin Baiguang had anticipated that grain would be his primary interest after arms.

“And gunpowder?”

“We have it.”

“Tomorrow, I will send a fleet to Lingao to purchase goods,” Zhu Cailao said casually. “Does Shopkeeper Lin wish to return with them?”

Lin Baiguang answered without hesitation. “It is better that I remain here. Our business is not yet concluded. I can also serve as a witness.”

He had come here to foment rebellion. To return now would be to admit defeat, his efforts all for naught. “There is no problem for you to send ships for grain,” he continued. “We have sufficient stores in Lingao. I will write a letter at once.”

“Good. I will dispatch a large ship immediately,” Zhu Cailao said with a smile. “Until the ship returns, please remain here as my guest, Shopkeeper Lin.”

“You are too kind.”

Zhu Cailao nodded and then began to ask about Lin Baiguang’s personal affairs. He smiled and said nothing of his claim to be an Australian. He spoke of the Kaiyuan Temple and Luoyang Bridge in Quanzhou, of the local salty rice and qiancao cake… Some of it was familiar to Lin Baiguang, some was not. He had no choice but to answer what he could and admit his ignorance of the rest, explaining that his ancestral home was merely in Minnan, and he had never known the details of his hometown. Then Zhu Cailao spoke of his own youth, of his time as a merchant along the Fujian coast.

He spoke with a warm and friendly air, like a retired old neighbor, lonely and looking for someone to chat with. But Lin Baiguang was suddenly on high alert. He was probing his background.

This cunning old fox. The realization sent a chill down his spine. His situation was perilous. At that moment, he knew his principle of “tell the truth whenever possible, and lie only when absolutely necessary” was the correct one. You could not fool a man like this. Any inconsistency, and the old pirate would surely turn on him.

The intimate chat lasted for an hour. Lin Baiguang drew on all the skills he had learned from dealing with county officials in his past life. No matter how formidable Zhu Cailao was, he could not be more intimidating than the county party committee leaders he had once served.

He was not invited to stay for lunch, but was sent back to his tent with great warmth.

Back in his tent, Lin Baiguang consulted the calendar he carried. There were not many days left before Zhu Cailao’s planned attack on Min’an. One thing still puzzled him. Zhu Cailao’s haste to acquire grain from Lingao clearly indicated that his supplies were critically low. If so, would he truly wait for the grain to be transported back before launching his attack?

All signs pointed to yes.

Lingao could certainly provide enough grain to fill twelve large ships. But if Min’an fell, that grain would become a gift to Zheng Zhilong. And it was still uncertain how many men and ships he could pry from Zhu Cailao’s grasp. To give away a dozen shiploads of rice for nothing, only to escape the ensuing chaos alone—that would be a colossal failure. He would never recover his standing among the transmigrators.

Lin Baiguang made his decision. He could not give them the grain. Zhu Cailao could not hold out on Nanri Island for much longer. If he could just delay for a few days, the pirate lord would be forced to take a risk.

The only way was to use a delaying tactic, to detain the grain transport fleet in Lingao. That way, even if his attempts to instigate a rebellion failed, the transmigrators would at least gain twelve large sea-going vessels and several hundred men.

But this course of action was far more dangerous for him personally. He could not predict how Zhu Cailao would react when the grain failed to arrive. A delay of a few days might be possible, but if it dragged on, not only would his own life be in jeopardy, but there was no telling what the enraged and humiliated pirate lord might do. Instead of attacking Min’an, he might very well launch a full-scale assault on Lingao.