From Chief to Ball

"Please be sure to convey that I don't want to cause unhappiness between the two parties or the termination of cooperation due to some things. Your merchant fleet heading to Japan can stay here for a while, repair the ship and then set off. I will send craftsmen to support it."

"Thank you. The company will respect and cherish this friendship. In addition, the company has a small request."

"Say."

"The company hopes that when the company's ships pass through your country's ends of the earth colony, they can be eligible for supplies, shelter, and repairs. At the same time, they also hope that when countries that have not signed treaties with your country pass, please avoid giving them supply and safe haven treatment When we came there, we encountered storms, but fortunately, there were interns from your country and Mr. Chen's company on board, and they were treated very well there."

It has been three years since I left there, and I don't know what has changed there, but Chen Jian was very happy to hear that the Dutch asked for resupply or dock at the ends of the earth.

"Of course it's possible. You supply supplies there and drive consumption there. Of course we welcome it. But please restrain your company's sailors. Where the territory is actually controlled by the Republic, please abide by the local laws."

"Of course, of course. It's not the land of savages. Of course we'll obey the self-government laws there."

The two talked about some other issues, and it was getting dark, but many things were not finished.

"Well, you guys rest here first. For specific matters, you can sign a series of cooperation agreements between companies, including the specific price of exchanging spices for cotton cloth, rice and other handicraft products. All of them need to be determined. When I go back, I will also send People follow to meet your governor. After I return to China, the plenipotentiary representatives here have the qualifications to sign agreements between companies. But one thing must be clear, after I leave, the two parties to sign can only be the governors of the Asian region, and Not the board."

"I'll pass it on."

That night, Chen Jian arranged a dinner with the special entertainment funds of Fujian Maritime Trading Company. Many people attended the dinner. He also introduced the establishment of the trading company at the dinner party, and introduced some shareholders of Maritime Trading and people from the Netherlands. After a while.

The next day, Chen Jian went to meet with the representatives of the British side. The rhetoric was similar, but he declared that he would remain neutral and uphold the dignity of the law. Unless the Dutch found definite evidence that the massacre was related to the British, they would definitely urge the Dutch to The men freed the British ships.

To the British and the Dutch, Chen Jian is a businessman who is very particular about the law or whose system is not like a businessman. This feeling has also won the respect of both parties.Of course, the charisma of personality shines brightly under the drill of muskets and cannons and the cover of warships behind.

It's just that such an upright person who talks about sovereignty, non-interference and respect secretly began to plant many dirty seeds after returning to China.

A few days later, various agreements were reached verbally, and Chen Jian sent people to follow Peterson Kun to the seat of the governor of the Dutch India Company.

However, as soon as these people left, Chen Jian found the group of people who packed their bags and planned to return home along the opened Pacific route.

Of course he wanted to go back, but he wouldn't be the first to go back. Instead, he left three ships unloaded, and was only preparing fresh water and food, ready to continue south.From Ambon to Australia, instead of going to the Great Barrier Reef, go around to New Zealand and then go to Chile, and finally return home.

The first group of people to go back was also divided into two teams, a group of warships, [-] returning soldiers and their wives here, and a group of homesick sailors.

The shares here have already been given away by Chen Jian, and the extra salary paid around the world will allow them to live a better life after returning, but they still long for a quick fortune, and Chen Jian also gave them such a Chance.

At night, Chen Jian called the first group of returning officers and several captains over, and took out a letter with a personal seal of [-] silver coins.

"Before I leave, I hope you can do one more thing. This matter must be kept secret, and the soldiers and sailors can only be told when they are at sea. Once it is done, set sail and return to the country immediately, and do not stay here. After returning, this matter Don't preach it, or it may lead to war. This is a private matter, and the six thousand silver coins are my personal employment expenses."

The officers and captains naturally accepted the private seal letter without the slightest hesitation.

"Docked outside is the ship that the Dutch sent to Japan to set up a trading house. There are silver, spices and other goods on it. Take the opportunity at sea, and when you are sure that it is impossible to be found around, kill them. They only have four guns on them. , there are not many arquebuses, and even fewer sailors. I have already counted their numbers, and you will also count them when you strike."

Several officers laughed and said: "Mr. Chen finally allowed us to rob? The soldiers are already itchy, and the sailors are also looking forward to getting more money to go back. I heard that some of them plan to go back and buy some in the archipelago together." Land to build a plantation."

Chen Jian also said with a smile: "Restrain yourself when you go back, we have already signed the "Anti-Piracy Convention" with Spain, and the people in the Nanyang Trading Company are not as easy-talking as I am, if they dare to harm their interests, they will definitely be hanged. Whether you continue to join the army after you go back, you are the first batch of people who sailed around the world, and your future is unlimited. It is best for sailors to go to the Nanyang Trading Company, and it is also okay if they are willing to open up plantations. I can’t control the next one. In short, being a pirate has no future. If there is no trade agreement with Spain, the country and the company will encourage it, but if you have already signed a trade agreement, you will be courting death. I will write a few letters of recommendation, You will get a good position in Nanyang Company."

"Thank you, Mr. Chen. We wanted to stay here, but it seems that Mr. Chen is not willing."

"Here? Nanyang Company's profits are higher. There is a partisan purpose here. After all, it is not purely for profit. It is not appropriate for you to stay here."

A captain asked: "Mr. Chen is worried about the Dutch trading with Japan?"

"More than that. In the future, the Portuguese, Spaniards, or smugglers from the Ming Empire who do not belong to the company will be squeezed out. This is also a good thing for everyone, and there will be more dividends in the future. I have already equipped your ship with some Dutch ships. Goods, in short, remember to keep what you have on your ship, and whatever you don’t have on your ship, no matter how expensive it is, will sink to the bottom of the sea together. Let this matter be a secret, and everyone will forget it after leaving the sea.”

"However, Mr. Chen, even if it is sunk this time, the Netherlands will still send people next time."

"Next time? Then I don't know when. It's inconvenient to come and go now. After three or two years, some things can be clear. Now we are rushing for time, and the difference will be worse and farther after three or two years. Yes For you, the money and goods are in hand, and for us, the company is profitable. Knowing why, can you also understand what to do?"

Everyone nodded and said: "Simple. Shipwreck, count the dead bodies to ensure that no one is left, tie stones and sink into the sea. The goods and silver coins are taken away, and all the staff distribute them. The goods that are not on the ship or Dutch specialties are sunk together. Snatched away Immediately return to the homeland westward. If the ship is damaged, stop on the islands of Ryukyu to repair it by yourself, and do not return to the port. After reaching the sea, read it out, and say that this is the temporary intention of the officers and captains, and it will be voted on by the crew and soldiers. Go back Later, I said that the six thousand silver coins were friendship money given by Mr. Chen to everyone."

Chen Jian laughed and said, "Wouldn't there be sailors or soldiers who are full of justice and disagree?"

"I've seen the kind of people Mr. Chen mentioned, but they were all left by you in Wangbei City or joined your peripheral organizations. There are no people on this batch of ships. As for the people who went back, if there weren't enough people this time Stocks and silver coins, and they'll surely be pirating along the way. All I can imagine is cheers, and no one's timid to say it's bad..."

Everyone laughed, and Chen Jian shook hands with them one by one, saying: "Then, the journey will be smooth. See you later when you return to the country, and you should drink and talk happily. Send a wish that you like: I wish you promotion and prosperity."

Those people also returned the gift one by one, and sent an equally important blessing: "I hope that everyone's equality that you expect will come true one day."

Chapter 1 Arrangements Before Leaving ([-])

After sending away the first batch of returned fleets and the Dutch ships that went to Hirado to open a business house, Chen Jian sorted out the discussions with various parties these days and submitted them to the organization, but concealed the information about his The untold cruelty of the Dutch merchant marine.

Naval cadets arriving here on board Holland India Company ships were placed in the fleet of the newly formed Maritime Company.A batch of letters sent by the organization about the domestic "March for Dignity" operation was circulated internally and caused a lot of discussion.

The demands of these petty bourgeois socialists are halfway across the world, but they have been confirmed in some long-standing ideas and practices such as suppressing mergers that have been implemented in the Ming Dynasty and previous dynasties. Popularization broke the ancient empire of noble enfeoffment and serf bondage system. This kind of appeal is easy to understand and easy to produce. The steps taken 2000 years ago are too big to form a logical system, but they have their own insight into all these.

To a certain extent, the transformation of the old and new era 2000 years ago gave rise to many ideas. Due to the lack of productivity, they tried ahead of time and spontaneously to try feudal monk-style socialism or petty bourgeois romantic moral socialism. ——preserving the principles of nature and destroying human desires, suppressing mergers and slowing down business, patriarchal agriculture under which land can be leased and sold freely, local sages relying on morality at the grassroots level, the crude and absolute egalitarian slogans shouted before every uprising, etc. ——and proved by practice None of these things can bypass the periodic law.

These things are combined with feudalism to maintain the stability and optimal solution of "Tianxia" when the productivity is insufficient, but it is vulnerable to the impact of big machines and big factories.

It is also the reason why communists praise capitalism but give priority to opposing these heresies. These things under the banner of an ideal society are always closely related to feudalism, because it was born in an era of insufficient productivity, and it is also doomed. In the design of an ideal society, the small farmers and the handicraft economy are the blueprint.

This is an inevitable transitional stage after the disintegration of feudalism, just because the rapid development of science and technology in the era of big factories has not become the mainstream elsewhere, and it has been ruthlessly crushed by the times. Opposition and ridicule, but here the transition is a little longer because the productivity levels that appeared too early were not reached.

Letters sent from that side can be reflected from this side, so as to understand what to oppose, what to support, who is an ally, who is an enemy, don’t go too fast, don’t go wrong.

And it was almost time for Chen Jian to leave. Under such circumstances, Wangbei City's future construction, goals, and plans had to be finalized, and an enlarged meeting was inevitable.

Everything has just started, and everything is booming. The young people who have been training for several years in Minjun, Nan'an, and Dahuangcheng have the ability to be independent. After all, the population of Wangbei City is not too large, so there is no problem in controlling it.

In this meeting, there were not only members of the original organization, but also a new batch of six or seven young people from the coast of Fujian who had gradually accepted new ideas in Wangbei City.

For example, the woman who cut her face and changed her name to Luo Chou just to seek freedom, or Lin Zigui who has a problem with her mind.

There are not many local people yet, but Chen Jian believes that with the construction and education here, the number will continue to increase after a new batch of people grow up.

The main issue of this meeting is to complete the handover of power here, nominated internally, and after discussion and voting by everyone, the general person in charge of the organization here, the heads of various departments, and the goals for the next few years have been selected.

The success of the political party organization depends on whether the power can be handed over smoothly when sending people in the future. If this is not achieved, even the joint-stock companies in the Netherlands and Britain are not as good. There is still confidence in this.

Lin Zigui and Luo Chou were very excited to participate in this kind of conference. They still don't understand a lot of things, but on some issues they strongly agree with the approach here, which can see good hope.

As far as Lin Zigui was concerned, two years ago he was just a disgruntled mad student, dissatisfied everywhere, influenced by a lot of Confucian heresies, depressed and hesitant in his heart.

But now, he sits among such a group of people, becomes one of them, and can express his opinions on the survival and life of tens of thousands of people—although he can't think of any opinions, at least he has this qualification .

At the meeting, financial personnel with accounting background first made some income and expenditure reports for the previous few years, and made an estimate for the income and expenditure of the next few years.

After this person finished speaking, Chen Jian concluded: "It can be seen that maritime trade still accounts for a large share of income. This situation will become greater as we invest in trading companies in the form of collective shares, and some income The source must also be clarified."

"Before investing in the establishment of the company, the rice and buckskins on the island can be counted as direct income. But with the establishment of the company, we must recognize that we have a share in the company's profits, but Wangbei City does not belong to the company. Yes, it belongs to everyone on the island. We have [-]% of the shares in the company, which is a helpless behavior, but Wangbei City and the entire island must be guaranteed not to be interfered by the company, and must be firmly controlled by ourselves hands."

"Why is it so clear? Because for us, profit is not an end, but a means to achieve our goal. If the island is controlled by a company, then profit is the ultimate goal, and all means will be for profit."

"The [-] young and strong immigrants on the island now adopt the plantations and workshops of the large-scale employment system. They are extremely profitable now, because they have just experienced the threat of disaster and the despair of death, and signed a four-year labor contract .”