Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 380 Joint Fleet?

“Mr. Gutierrez, just tell me the truth.” Lin Afu, head of the Channel Department of Xinhua’s Foreign and Trade Affairs Department, leaned back in his chair with a half-smile on his face. “What price do we need to pay to take our ship and people away?”

Sitting opposite him was Bartolomé de Gutiérrez, the temporary negotiator for the Mexican colonial authorities and the municipal official of Acapulco, a middle-aged Spanish nobleman with a meticulously manicured beard and wearing a dark red woolen coat.

He sipped his cocoa slowly, but his gaze kept glancing at the two Xinhua guards standing behind Lin Afu—they were dressed in dark blue short jackets with short pistols at their waists and solemn expressions.

“Lin, you broke the rules first,” Gutierrez said, setting down his silver teacup, the bottom clinking against the table. “Your ship has entered our port without permission. As you know, according to the laws of our Kingdom of Spain, this can be classified as a pirate invasion.”

"Do you really intend to confiscate that ship and put our crew on trial and convict them?" Lin Afu asked impatiently.

These Spaniards, they should just tug at each other a little, why is it going on and on?

This isn't the first time our Xinhua merchant ships have "trespassed" into your Spanish port towns; everyone knows what's going on.

Although, this sudden entry of merchant ships into a major port like Acapulco seems a bit too "blatant".

But in a desperate situation, the ship encountered Dutch pirates near Panama Island. After a fierce battle, it barely managed to escape.

However, it still suffered some damage from the attack of Dutch pirates, with its secondary mast broken, and it had to temporarily seek refuge in the port of Acapulco to seek help from the Spanish.

You see, we entered your Spanish port under emergency circumstances, not as a rash act of invasion.

“I understand your feelings.” Lin Afu took a deep breath and said patiently, “But the ‘Huayuan-3’ was attacked by pirates and its hull was damaged, so it had no choice but to seek refuge in the port of Acapulco.”

"Therefore, I hope that you can be accommodating in the spirit of basic assistance. In this regard, Xinhua is willing to pay reasonable parking fees and promises that such incidents will not happen again."

“Lin, your merchant ship is carrying a large amount of contraband.” Gutierrez blinked and said with a serious expression, “You should know that the Spanish royal family’s monopoly on trade in the Americas is not to be challenged. Your merchant ship not only enters and leaves our ports at will, but also engages in illegal smuggling.”

"This has caused a great deal of controversy in Mexico City and even in Spain."

“Mr. Gutierrez, we respect your laws and cherish our friendship.” Lin Afu bowed slightly. “If you are willing to release the ‘Huayun-3’, we are willing to pay an additional 500 Xinhua silver dollars as compensation and guarantee that all Xinhua merchant ships will notify you of their routes in advance before entering your waters.”

The committee members once said that anything that can be solved with money is not a problem.

Gutierrez tapped his fingers lightly on the table, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Finally, he smiled and nodded slightly.

"Eight hundred silver dollars."

"..." Lin Afu paused for a moment, then a barely perceptible sneer appeared on his lips: "Alright, eight hundred silver dollars it is."

“Very good, Mr. Lin, Xinhua’s sincerity is admirable.” He stood up and waved to the clerk beside him. “Draft a release order to allow the Xinhua merchant ship to leave port after completing the necessary repairs. All crew members must also be treated properly.”

Lin Afu nodded again, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "It's a pleasure to cooperate with you, Your Excellency."

These Spaniards have been putting on airs and pestering us for so many days, all they want is to extort money from Xinhua!
It doesn't matter, a few hundred silver dollars is just a small amount of money. Consider it as throwing a few bones to the dog.

Two weeks ago, the Garza family, Xinhua's closest partner, suddenly sent people to Black Shark Island to inform them that a Xinhua merchant ship had been attacked by Dutch pirates. After being damaged, the ship sought refuge in the port of Acapulco, where it was then seized by the Spanish colonial authorities along with its crew.

Upon hearing the news, Lin Afu immediately took a boat to Acapulco, found the Spanish local officials, and negotiated with them, hoping that they would release the Xinhua ships and personnel.

However, the procrastinating Spanish claimed that they would wait for specific instructions from the Mexican Viceroyalty before formally discussing with the new Chinese and deciding on the final fate of the detained ships and personnel.

Left with no other option, Lin Afu could only wait in Acapulco while trying to find out the Mexican authorities' attitude through the Garza family.

This wait lasted for more than ten days, almost wearing out Lin Afu's patience.

However, the Garza family quickly reassured him, saying that the governor's office didn't seem to care much about the Xinhua merchant ships' emergency retreat to Acapulco port, and even showed a hint of sympathy.

After all, those two Dutch pirate ships sailed north from Chile, attacking several Spanish coastal port towns and causing considerable loss of life and property.

Since we are all victims, it's inevitable that we'll feel a sense of shared suffering.

The Spanish officials in Acapulco are putting on such a show, most likely because they want to extort money from the new Chinese immigrants.

In their eyes, the new Chinese were a flock of fat sheep. The annual smuggling trade volume was not a small amount; even a tiny bit that slipped through their fingers was enough for local colonial officials to plunder for months.

Lin Afu didn't want to cause any further trouble; he just hoped to bring the detained ships and personnel back to Black Shark Island as soon as possible.

Now, the most important question is to figure out whether the Dutch West India Company came to the Pacific Ocean to raid Spanish territory or to target the new Chinese immigrants.

A few days ago, after questioning the crew of the "Huayuan-3", it was basically confirmed that the now-missing "Huayuan-5" merchant ship had been hijacked by the Dutch, and the ship and its crew were likely in grave danger.

"Mr. Gutierrez." After discussing the seizure of the ships and personnel, Lin Afu visibly relaxed, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and slowly sipped it. "How does your Spanish colonial authority plan to deal with those two Dutch pirate ships that have entered the Pacific Ocean?"

"Oh, those two damned Dutch pirate ships!" Gutierrez cursed, a hint of gloom on his face. "Our governor has ordered the military council to form a special fleet to pursue those two pirate ships, vowing to capture them and hang all those evil and brutal Dutch pirates on the docks!"

"By the way, this special fleet will patrol the entire Mexican sea area. In addition to searching for pirate ships, they will also intercept any illegal merchant ships, especially smuggling ships that are not authorized to trade by the colonial authorities."

As he spoke, he glanced at Lin Afu, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

You Chinese should be careful, lest they catch you red-handed!
Although your smuggling activities are almost an open secret throughout the Pacific coast, they are ultimately not something that can be done openly. If you were caught by some "serious" Spanish naval officers and soldiers, it would not be something that could be easily resolved with a few hundred silver dollars.

"The sea is vast, and if we send too few ships, it might be difficult to catch them." Lin Afu ignored the implication in the other party's words.

"Let's do our best." Gutierrez seemed a little impatient, clearly not wanting to continue the topic.

"We at Xinhua also deeply abhor pirates and wish we could eliminate them as soon as possible," Lin Afu said carefully. "Therefore, we at Xinhua intend to form a joint fleet with your side to jointly maintain the security and stability of the Pacific Ocean."

"A combined fleet?" Gutierrez jumped to his feet, his chair scraping the floor with a harsh sound, and looked at the other man in astonishment. "How could the Kingdom of Spain possibly be with you..."

He suddenly stopped, clearly realizing that he almost uttered an insulting word.

It's worth noting that this Xinhua official speaks fluent Spanish.

Lin Afu remained motionless, calmly gazing at the other party: "Why not? Currently, in the Pacific coastal region of the Americas, only Xinhua and you Spaniards possess sufficient naval power. The appearance of Dutch pirates is a threat to our common interests. Therefore, we have reason to unite and defend this sea area together."

Gutierrez slowly sat back in his chair, his expression unpredictable.

“This…this is absurd.” Gutierrez shook his head and said, “The sacred Spanish Navy cooperating with a smuggling fleet? The gentlemen of Madrid would consider this…blasphemy!”

“It’s not a smuggling fleet, it’s the Xinhua Navy!” Lin Afu corrected. “Moreover, we don’t need to make a big fuss. A small joint patrol fleet, operating discreetly, specifically targeting those pirate ships that dare to intrude into the Pacific Ocean, to jointly maintain the security and stability of this sea area.”

Gutierrez fell into deep thought.

The Spanish seemed to be moved, as their naval power in the Pacific was virtually nonexistent.

Even the special fleet that was being planned was nothing more than requisitioning a few merchant ships and rearming them.

It's estimated that once the Dutch pirate ships leave, the fleet will automatically disband and return to its previous state.

Pirates don't exist every year.

However, what is the purpose of Xinhua's actions?
Was it to retaliate against those two Dutch pirate ships?

Or perhaps, they are using this to protect their smuggling trade?

“I need to consult the Governor.” Gutierrez decided to pass the question on to the person who could make the decision.

“Of course.” Lin Afu smiled and stood up. “Please give my regards to His Excellency the Governor. At the same time, I hope that ‘Huayuan-3’ and its crew can be freed as soon as possible.”

As he walked out of the city hall, Lin Afu took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze.

From the direction of the port, he could vaguely see the damaged mast of the "Huayuan-3".

The captain of that ship reported that the Dutch pirate ship that attacked them was well-equipped and had powerful cannons, and was clearly well-prepared.

If the Dutch West India Company does indeed extend its reach into the Pacific Ocean, both Xinhua and Spain will face unprecedented challenges.

"Sir, urgent news has arrived from the port." At this moment, a guard rushed over with a solemn expression. "Five days ago, Dutch pirates attacked Black Shark Island."
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(End of this chapter)