Chapter 13: Business

As soon as he landed, several men came to greet him, their attitudes deeply respectful. But no one spoke, and the burly man remained silent. He only nodded when one of them bowed his head and murmured a few words.

Someone led the way, and the man and his entourage followed a narrow path carved through the dense jungle. After about half a li, he stopped. Before him stood a crude stockade, no different from those built by so-called aboriginal peoples in similar environments all over the world. What set it apart were the numerous wooden poles erected around it, each impaling a dried, severed head.

The burly man was unfazed by the gruesome display. The gate was guarded by heavily armed men. Though they were dressed in rags, their sturdy builds and fine weapons made it clear they were no ordinary fishermen.

The group was led into the stockade. The ground inside was stained with blood; evidently, the “original inhabitants” had been “cleared out,” leaving the place to its new masters.

In an open space before a large thatched hut, a fire burned in a pit. A young man sat on a folding chair, feasting on a skewer of grilled fish. Seeing the burly man approach, he smiled and pointed to another folding chair by the fire pit—an invitation to sit.

“Hello, Mr. Paul,” the young man said in Japanese, with the casual air of someone in his own home. He leaned back in his chair. “It seems you had a smooth journey.”

“Everything went smoothly,” the burly man replied in a low tone, also in Japanese. “When do I get my payment?”

“Heh!” the young man exclaimed with feigned surprise. “You are a cold man, without emotion. All business! You are a devout Christian, are you not? Can we not be like brothers in our shared faith?”

“A devout Christian does not attend Mass and then burn incense to an idol,” the man called Mr. Paul said with contempt. “I have done what you asked. Now, you must pay me what was promised.”

“You are a straightforward man, straight to the point, no nonsense!” the young man said, masking his displeasure. “Let’s talk business! Besides the payment, I have several important matters to discuss with you!”

“Give me my payment first,” Mr. Paul said unequivocally, his nearly-grey eyes cold and steady.

The young man signaled to an attendant. A man immediately brought over a chest. It was filled to the brim with Spanish pesos.

“This is the agreed-upon payment.”

Paul reached into the chest, scooped up a few silver coins from the bottom, examined them closely, then tossed them back and nodded. An attendant immediately came over, closed the lid, and carried the chest away.

“The ship. I will hand it over to you. As for the sailors to man it and how to use the cannons, I will also teach the men you select.”

The young man said, “Now, let us discuss the second matter. You said you could manufacture cannons no less formidable than the Australians’.”

“Yes,” Paul nodded. “As long as you can pay. And have the patience to wait.”

“I have money, but not much patience.”

“Then you will need more money.”

“You are a fine merchant, not like a pirate!” the young man said with a laugh.

“Piracy is also a business. A good business, at that. Let’s put it this way, Mr. Feng: as long as the price is right, everything is negotiable.”

“You are a peculiar man.” The man called Mr. Feng was none other than Zheng Zhilong’s brother, Zheng Zhifeng. After their failed attempt to stir up trouble between the Dutch and the Australians, they had not only lost a large sum of money, but their relationship with the Dutch had also soured considerably. The Dutch seemed convinced that they were the masterminds.

The Zheng brothers racked their brains but couldn’t understand what magic the Australians had used to convince the Dutch of their innocence. It was easy to guess they had used some trickery, but it was difficult to imagine how they had found clues and evidence in what seemed to be a “flawless, ironclad” case.

However, neither the Australians nor the Dutch seemed willing to publicize the matter. Trade among the three parties continued. Dutch and Australian ships still entered and exited Xiamen harbor according to their trade agreements. The Zheng brothers easily concluded that the Australians’ silence was not a sign of submission; they were surely plotting their revenge in secret.

Currently, the Zheng family was locked in a struggle with Liu Xiang for control of foreign trade along the Fujian coast. To prepare for war against an enemy more ferocious and dangerous than Liu Xiang at the same time was more than they could bear.

They had witnessed the Australians’ rise in the Taiwan Strait over the past few years. Their enormous sailing ships, their black-hulled fast boats that belched black smoke and could sail against wind and current—all of it weighed on their hearts like a stone.

Although the Australians had not yet shown any ambition for overseas trade, contenting themselves with trading with the Europeans along the coast, they maintained such a large fleet not simply to show off in the Taiwan Strait.

The day of a life-or-death struggle with the Australians for maritime supremacy was bound to come. Zheng Zhilong had no doubt about it.

The longer they waited, the more disadvantageous it would be for him. The Australians’ strength was growing by the day. Guo Huaiyi’s reports mentioned the town they had built in Takau and the refugees they had settled there, an achievement that far surpassed what the Zhengs had accomplished in their many years of colonization since the time of Yan Siqi.

Although his fleet was larger, intelligence from various sources, especially from Li Siya, had given Zheng Zhilong a sober estimate of the Australians’ strength. In a head-on battle, his massive “fleet” would be no match. In the past, a few armed Dutch merchant ships had been able to suppress his superior fleet. If not for the Dutch being undermanned and the fact that he had managed to launch a fire attack in a favorable bay, he would not have defeated them.

Zheng Zhilong understood better than anyone the advantage of European sea power in the coastal waters of China, let alone the Australians, who had faster ships and more powerful cannons than the Dutch or the Spanish.

To win, they needed the element of surprise. Launch a surprise attack, trap the Australian fleet in their harbor, and attack with fire ships, just as they had done against the Dutch.

But the Australians’ advantage in naval gunnery was too great. This had become a persistent nightmare for the Zheng brothers.

Fortunately, at this moment, a ship returning from Manila brought them news. A Japanese Kirishitan had arrived in Manila, a man who seemed to possess many “magics” and had built many novel firearms. The Spanish, armed with his designs, had won many victories against the natives. For this, the Kirishitan had won the deep trust of the Governor.

This news, and the weapons he created, sparked something in Zheng Zhilong’s keen mind. He immediately dispatched Zheng Zhifeng to Manila to find this Kirishitan.

The Zheng family’s relationship with the Spanish was not particularly warm, but neither was it hostile. The Spanish colonial government was also heavily dependent on the South China Sea shipping lanes controlled by the Zhengs. Therefore, Zheng Zhifeng’s request was quickly granted—he met the legendary Kirishitan, Paul Takayama. In the secret talks that followed, the two sides reached their first cooperative agreement.

During these talks, Zheng Zhifeng sensed that Mr. Paul had a keen interest in the Australians and knew far more about them than they did. But he seemed to be hiding something, his eyes flickering, unwilling to speak the whole truth.

Mr. Paul readily agreed to help them deal with the Australians.

“As long as Mr. Feng can pay the price, anything can be discussed.”

The Zheng family certainly had money. But as for how to effectively deal with the Australians, none of the brothers had a clear plan. It was Mr. Paul who suggested that, since they held the Australians’ ships and cannons in such awe, they should first capture one of their ships. It would be the most direct way to understand their technology. Thus, the operation to capture Harbor Patrol 64 was born.

The entire operation, from start to finish, was planned by Mr. Paul. The men and weapons were brought from Manila by him. Even the establishment of a secret camp on Lamay Island was his suggestion. The Zheng family provided ships and intelligence support.

Seeing how cleanly the other party had captured a fast boat from the famously tough, undefeated Australians, Zheng Zhifeng was utterly convinced—Mr. Paul was not a man of empty words. He could not only build firearms but was also a master strategist! The thought of recruiting him began to stir in his mind.

“…Can you build for us the kind of repeating gun the Australians have?” Zheng Zhifeng asked. “The kind on the ship you captured.”

“I can,” Paul nodded without hesitation. “It’s not difficult.”

Hearing him speak so lightly of manufacturing the “divine weapon” that was the “Australian repeating gun,” Zheng Zhifeng drew a sharp breath. Was he bluffing, or did he truly possess such extraordinary skill?

“Is that true?!”

“Of course, it’s true,” Mr. Paul said. “But I must state one thing first: what I build will not be as light or as portable as theirs, and it probably won’t be able to sustain fire for as long. But making a weapon with the same effect is no problem.”

“As long as you can build it, that’s all that matters.” Zheng Zhifeng couldn’t contain his excitement. In his eyes, the “Australian repeating gun” was a divine weapon, a key to the Australians’ dominance on land and sea. If his side could also obtain this weapon, along with the other cannons Paul had promised to build for them, then the Zheng family would have mastered two of the four pillars of power: “sturdy ships and powerful cannons.”

As for “sturdy ships,” they had already acquired several European sailing ships through various channels and were even building their own large sailing vessels. Although these ships were of Chinese design, their size and tonnage were not much smaller than European ships. As long as they could be equipped with enough Western or Australian cannons, they could challenge any enemy.