The Australian Revolution of 1828

April 5, 1828, springtime in the Northern Hemisphere and autumntime in the Southern Hemisphere, Denpasar Port, Bali.

Li Guochen, dressed as a merchant, arrived at the port of Denpasar in the Kingdom of Bali aboard a ship bound for Lombok to trade limestone.

Since the Denpasar trading post had not received any notification, the personnel in charge of related matters did not come forward to receive them.

However, Li Guochen of the Trade Office had been engaged in trade work in Hanyang Prefecture and had personally participated in the establishment of the Danpasa Trading Station, so he was very familiar with the process and had no difficulties at all.

After landing, he exchanged a few words with the merchant ships heading to Lombok for trade, and then went to the trading post on his own.

The Denpasar Trading Post covers a total area of ​​approximately 2500 square meters and is surrounded by a wall about 3 meters high to prevent people from sneaking into the trading post at night to commit petty theft.

Inside the walled compound lies the main body of the trading post: a three-story hotel with a modern style that combines dining and accommodation, as well as three three-story tenement buildings constructed of concrete and bamboo.

It not only provides a place for seafarers to rest upon arrival at port, but also serves as a profit-making organization to serve merchant ships from all over the world.

In terms of conditions, there's practically nothing to complain about; it caters to almost all the needs of seafarers. Moreover, the trading post has been operating well for five years, generating substantial profits, and no longer requires continued funding from the Hanyang Prefecture.

Beyond the main staff, there are over 200 employees involved in the trade war. Apart from 52 Hanyang natives dispatched by the Trade Agency and the Immigration Agency, all other employees are from Denpasar.

Trade Commissioner Li Guochen traveled swiftly and arrived at the trade war near the port in just a short while.

A woman dressed as a greeter approached from inside the trading post, speaking in fairly understandable Mandarin, and asked, "Sir, are you here for a stay or a meal?"

Given the importance of this mission, Li Guochen from the Trade Department did not reveal his identity. Instead, he looked at the lobby manager at the front desk and said, "I'm checking in. Shall I go to the front desk to check in?"

The female greeter smiled and said, "Yes, sir, please go ahead!"

The lobby manager, who was at the front desk, noticed the welcoming scene at the entrance and spotted Lee Kwok-chen from the Trade Commission. In a moment of urgency, without thinking twice, he rushed to the entrance to greet him.

However, Li Guochen from the Trade Bureau ignored him, made a shushing gesture as he walked, and went straight to the hotel reception desk, saying, "Madam, I need to check in. Please give me a room on the third floor."

Holding the room number and key, Li Guochen from the Trade Department went straight to the third floor to wait. About half an hour later, the lobby manager finally came looking for him.

Considering the confidentiality of the matter, Li Guochen of the Trade Bureau did not reveal his purpose, but instead instructed the lobby manager, "Have your station chief come over tonight, and remember to keep it a secret!"

Although he had just lost his composure and hadn't quite reacted, the lobby manager still knew the importance of confidentiality and said, "Chief, I'll take care of it right away!"

Li Guochen from the Trade Bureau was also cautious, correcting the lobby manager's address, saying, "There is no director here, only a guest from Lanfang."

"During my stay at the hotel, everything was done according to the hotel's rules, without any deviation."

The lobby manager immediately understood and quickly found a good excuse to cover up the meeting, saying, "Okay, sir, I'll prepare the most delicious food for you right away so you can have a comfortable stay."

It may sound like a complete unrelated thing, but it's actually a response to the arrangement made by Lee Kuo-chen of the Trade Commission.

Li Guochen of the Trade Bureau seemed to have not finished speaking, and added, "Also, there should be people in the trading post who recognize me. Arrange for them to return to Hanyang immediately and not expose my whereabouts."

Such caution left the lobby manager somewhat bewildered! However, as a subordinate of the Trade Bureau, the relevant orders still had to be carried out.

Li Guochen of the Trade Bureau did not go out until evening, patiently waiting in his room for the stationmaster of the trade station to visit.

Just as dusk was falling, the trading postmaster knocked on the guest room door.

Inside the guest room, Li Guochen from the Trade Bureau had been waiting for some time. He asked through the door before opening it, saying, "No one's watching you, is they?"

In a place like Denpasar, where all sorts of people mingle, it's hard to say whether someone is watching you, especially since the trade war station chief is from Hanyang and has a distinct demeanor compared to the people of Denpasar.

The trade war station chief, who must have received training in this area and was very concerned about his own safety, said, "Director, I'm being very careful; there's definitely no one watching me."

"I also came to the hotel under the pretext of checking the accounts. Now that the checks are done, I have to go back immediately!"

Lee Kwok-chen of the Trade Commission also understood the importance of security and said bluntly, "Then I'll keep it short. You must remember this. You can't make any notes, and you can't make any mistakes."

This wasn't the first time such a situation had occurred, and the trading post manager, true to form, replied, "Please give your instructions, Director, and I will certainly not hold you back!"

At this moment, Li Guochen of the Trade Bureau also understood that time was of the essence, and stated his purpose, saying: "By order of the Chief Constable, the Trade Bureau, the Immigration Bureau, the Military Affairs Bureau and the Grand Military Governor's Office are to jointly launch a military operation to take Bali."

"I have been appointed by the Governor-General's Office to handle all affairs in Bali and Lombok, and I would like to inquire about Bali's military equipment and other related matters."

This day had been waited for so long that even the trading posts were getting impatient.

The trading post manager, also in high spirits and exuding an air of confidence, said, "Director, we've had a trading post in Bali for almost five years now, and we're starting to get a little anxious."

"Just tell me what you need, and I'll do it right away!"

Trade Commissioner Lee Kuo-chen gestured for the trade war chief to slow down before saying, "You must now find out the activities of foreigners in Bali, as well as the military situation of the Kingdom of Bali."

While it couldn't be recorded on paper, the trading post chief was still quite clever, saying, "Chief, Bali's military equipment has long been a mere formality; it can't be hidden at all."

"And the activities of foreigners have also decreased significantly due to the fighting on Java Island."

To be honest, Bali and Lombok are still too remote. If it weren't for the fact that Hanyang Prefecture really needed to transit through, it would be too difficult for Bali to develop.

Natuna Island, located between Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo, sees an immense flow of merchants and travelers. If it weren't for its limited output, Natuna Island could easily have become a strategic location like Singapore.

Upon hearing this good news, Li Guochen of the Trade Bureau finally felt relieved and said, "This is indeed good news, but we need to produce detailed data as soon as possible, and we can't rely solely on hearsay."

"Also, prepare a force that can be deployed at any time, the kind that can cause trouble, but without bloodshed!"

Having lived in Denpasar for five years, the trading post chief was practically a Denpasar native. He said, "Chief, you can rest assured. There are a bunch of scoundrels in Denpasar who only care about money."

"As long as you pay them enough, they can cause trouble!"