Chapter 933: Future Planning

Chapter 923: Future Planning

Madam Zhu pondered, "The one who just spoke with you was likely the King of Shadow Vipers himself."

He Lingchuan and Qiu Hu exchanged glances. "An avatar?"

"Perhaps it has a way to communicate with its offspring in real-time, just as I can use eyeball spiders as my eyes and ears."

"It seems the King of Shadow Vipers cannot leave the Sinkhole at will." Madam Zhu's earlier deduction was indeed confirmed. He Lingchuan slowly said, "Whatever the reason, it doesn't want to expose this weakness yet."

The King of Shadow Vipers had no choice but to send this offspring to transmit the message. He Lingchuan easily figured out its true intentions.

***

The Yellow Fish Tavern.

Huang Zhao was a tall, hefty man, completely opposite in build to Min Tianxi. He had a red, bulbous nose and eyes that seemed squeezed small.

He Lingchuan's first meeting with Huang Zhao went unexpectedly smoothly.

This was mainly because Min Tianxi had paved the way, communicating thoroughly with Huang Zhao beforehand and accurately conveying He Lingchuan's wishes.

Simply put, his mission was to persuade them to surrender.

He even brought Reini along.

After hearing about He Lingchuan's various extraordinary abilities, Huang Zhao realized he was dealing with a superior individual and reined in his rough demeanor.

This alone was enough to earn He Lingchuan's respect.

His subordinates wouldn't always be rough-and-tumble; the Yanshan Archipelago needed talents who could adapt and be flexible.

Huang Zhao was very polite to him: "Island Master He, I initially got into this no-capital business because my men needed to eat, and other work didn't provide enough. You're so capable, so assisting you isn't out of the question. But I have about two hundred men here, plus Old Min's four hundred, which means over six hundred people waiting to eat every morning. What kind of business do you plan to run on your island?"

He Lingchuan smiled, "The supply station is already being expanded. In the future, it will offer integrated services for dining, entertainment, and storage, which will require many hands. The island's soil is fertile, so I've designated several islands for reclamation and farming. Tenants are already on the islands leveling and cultivating the land. Within the next few days, all the wheat seeds will be sown, and we'll have a harvest by next spring and summer."

Influenced by nearby volcanic ash, the Yanshan Archipelago's soil was relatively fertile, yet it had remained uncultivated until now.

He first opened up a few outer islands for tenant farmers to cultivate.

He knew Rome wasn't built in a day, so he opted for a steady approach.

And besides, even if he recruited tenant farmers for Dragon Ridge Island, no one would dare sign up.

It was almost late autumn, and the first crop of winter wheat needed to be sown soon or it would be too late. Fortunately, Ding Zuodong was very efficient.

Additionally, production materials like seeds and farm tools were sourced by Lu Qingan from various suppliers. These merchant guilds had intricate ties with the Lu family, but because He Lingchuan was wealthy and Ding Zuodong made timely payments, they were very willing to foster good relations with the new island master and also helped recruit various personnel for the Yanshan Archipelago.

For the past two days, He Lingchuan had been tirelessly dining and conversing with local representatives from various merchant guilds, feeling his waistline expand.

"That's good," Huang Zhao coughed. "But the supply station's business isn't large enough, and farming won't yield a harvest until next year, so..."

The Yanshan Archipelago was not far from Blade Port, where most ships would dock, resupply, or transfer. Furthermore, Blade Port offered more developed dining, entertainment, and lodging options.

Only a minority of ships chose the Yanshan Archipelago.

This was why the supply station's business had been sluggish for years.

"It's just a matter of price; there'll be a way to solve it." The best way to quickly attract customers was still through subsidies, but He Lingchuan didn't intend to discuss the specifics with a few pirates. "Actually, there's another good business we can start right now."

"Oh?" Both pirate leaders were interested.

He Lingchuan glanced at Reini. "The palm oil processing workshop on Sordin Island, that was privately built by your family, wasn't it?"

At the time, Clerk Yang had looked displeased.

Reini pouted slightly, answering somewhat reluctantly, "Yes. The supply station's business was slow, so my family had to find something else to do, didn't we?"

"How long have you been doing it?"

"Several years, I suppose."

"How's the craftsmanship?" He Lingchuan wasn't very familiar with this industry.

"It's top-notch," Reini said, resting her chin on her hand. "The palm oil I sell is of superior quality; people come to collect it regularly every year, so I don't need to market it myself."

Min Tianxi chimed in from the side, "That's true, our village also uses her family's oil. She even refuses to sell me more."

"How many harvests of palm fruit do you get here annually?"

"Twice a year: once in April or May, and again in September or October."

"Isn't that perfect? The archipelago's palm fruits are about to enter their peak ripening season. I've inquired with the merchant guilds, and the extracted oil is very expensive." He Lingchuan smiled, looking at Reini, "You obviously know this, otherwise you wouldn't have secretly processed it."

Reini rolled her eyes. "You expect to get rich pressing palm oil from just a few islands? You'd barely scrape by."

He Lingchuan popped a salted rice kernel into his mouth. "How many islands do I have? I'll give you a chance to answer again."

"Forty-two... Wait, can all of them produce palm??" Reini's eyes almost glittered with gold. "Can you really remove all the baleful energy from every island?!"

Palm trees were ubiquitous throughout the archipelago. However, previously only a few outer islands were safe, and after pirates emerged, the Bailei people didn't manage them properly at all.

If this new island master could develop the production potential of all the islands—forty-two islands, with the baleful energy-shrouded ones being even larger—conservatively, at least fourteen or fifteen would be rich in palm, yielding two harvests annually... Wow, how much wealth would that be? She couldn't quite calculate it.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances." He Lingchuan smiled, looking at her, "By the way, would you like to be in charge?"

"Huh?" Reini was momentarily bewildered. Had she heard correctly? Could it be what she was thinking?

"I happen to need a dedicated oil manager. I was planning to recruit from Blade Port, offering excellent pay and performance-based bonuses," He Lingchuan said. "It would involve organizing laborers and overseeing the harvesting and pressing of palm."

"I'll do it, I'm already here!" Reini's eyes lit up. "I know everything! I've always been in charge of palm harvesting and pressing in Uncle Min's territory."

Min Tianxi immediately felt awkward. "You, girl!"

He Lingchuan wasn't surprised at all that pirates engaged in this trade. Who said pirates could only live by plundering? The river bandits of Longchuan even liked growing bayberries to make wine.

"It's best that you already have a history of cooperation," He Lingchuan said, pretending not to notice. "From now on, no more plundering. These five hundred men will return to shore to work first. Once the farmhands are fully in place, you'll have other tasks."

Island construction lacked manpower; how could five or six hundred strong laborers be wasted? For now, they all needed to go ashore and do manual labor for him.

As for the pressed palm oil, Ding Zuodong was arranging external sales channels with merchant guilds.

This valuable commodity had wide applications. Besides being excellent for frying, it was mainly used for kneading pastries, making puff pastry, and essentially any dessert. It could even be used to make soap. Some palms could even be pressed for medicinal agents. Therefore, as long as the palm oil produced in the Yanshan Archipelago was of good quality, there should be no worries about sales.

He Lingchuan then asked Min Tianxi and Huang Zhao, "Besides robbing and selling oil, what else do you smuggle?"

The two exchanged glances, and Huang Zhao asked curiously, "Why do you ask?"

He Lingchuan smiled, "Every bandit I know engages in smuggling."

Whether it was the sand bandits of Red Cliff Road or the river bandits of Longchuan, smuggling was one of the quickest ways to make money.

Since they were already breaking the law, they didn't care about adding another charge.

"Furthermore, I've noticed you have a rather large number of big ships." If they were merely pirates, their raiding vessels should primarily be fast boats, quick for chasing prey and moving swiftly across the sea.

Huang Zhao slightly shivered. They were outsiders; where did they get this information?

Min Tianxi rubbed the back of his head and said admiringly, "Young Master is very meticulous; he even noticed that. We used to transport some armor and weapons from the southeastern part of Mou State out to sea, selling them in the eastern states. On the return trip, we'd bring back grain, spices, and herbs. Sometimes, we'd even take the goods directly to the Ghost Market on Platinum Island, where they'd fetch a good price."

He Lingchuan asked curiously, "Mou State is at war; do they still export these items?"

"By rights, they shouldn't, but some manufacturing officials there are willing to sell defective goods, and sometimes even magical artifacts..." Min Tianxi coughed lightly. "It's a matter of mutual consent, you see."

Defective goods? He Lingchuan's lips twitched slightly; he understood.

"What about the quality?"

"Good, very good," Min Tianxi smiled. "When transported to the east, they're in short supply."

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Only... seven or eight years, I suppose."

He Lingchuan was speechless for a moment.

Min and Huang quickly said, "The supply there isn't stable either, getting harder and harder to acquire. This business won't last much longer; we've already stopped."

Since their new boss knew about their side ventures, it would be disingenuous to continue.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment and then said, "No, we actually need military equipment. You should find a way to get more. The quality must be up to par; I don't want genuinely defective items."

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. He intended to build his own force and team; how could they manage without military gear?

The two were momentarily stunned, then quickly agreed.

Throughout their conversation, Qiu Hu stood by, alert.

Reini occasionally glanced at him.

He Lingchuan then asked Huang Zhao, "Who can speak with the Third Path Master? Go there for me."

Huang Zhao immediately pointed at Min Tianxi, "We've had plenty of fights with the Third Path; I have nothing to say to that fellow surnamed Yue! Old Min can do it; the Third Path Master still respects him."

He Lingchuan then looked at Min Tianxi, who nodded. "Young Master He wants to arrange a meeting with him too?"

"Of course."

Min Tianxi looked at Huang Zhao. "Alright, I'll give it a try."

After chatting for a while longer, the group left the Yellow Fish Tavern.

Huang Zhao left first. Before the remaining three had walked a hundred paces, Min Tianxi whispered, "We were being watched at the tavern; they're from the Third Path."

He Lingchuan already knew. "With all of us gathered together, Yue Pinghe is bound to be suspicious."

Yue Pinghe was the leader of the Third Path pirates.

Reini snorted, "That scoundrel is no good."

Min Tianxi also said, "He's two-faced; be cautious when negotiating with him."

He Lingchuan smiled. "Oh, really?"

To the three of them, that smile seemed profound.

(End of Chapter)