Ming East India Company

Cheng Keqin's forehead was already covered in sweat. Normally, he would have thrown such a "dangerous element" into the sea or kept a close watch on him. However, today there were a large number of people on the ship that Bai Ye had brought with him, so he was at a disadvantage.

Cheng Keqin thought it over and over, and finally decided that it was better to take a step back:

"Master Bai, do you also intend to venture into the sea by boat in the future? If so, I, Cheng Keqin, will certainly assist you."

Having said that, Cheng Keqin clasped his hands together, bowed respectfully, and adopted an extremely submissive attitude.

"Alas, I, Bai Ye, am nothing more than a spoiled brat from Yuegang. This time, when I set sail, I have neither support nor connections, which is why I'm trying to curry favor with Second Master Cheng!"

Bai Ye laughed as he reached out and grabbed Cheng Keqin's arm, pulling him a little closer.

Cheng Keqin then realized that the other party didn't seem to intend to fight to the death, so he felt relieved. He then put on a smiling face:

"Why didn't you say so earlier, Master Bai? From now on, once we go to sea, we'll be brothers. If I have a bite to eat, you'll have a bite to drink."

Then, Cheng Keqin turned back to continue making up his mythological stories. Because the two of them were speaking very softly, they were not noticed by many people.

"After the wind changed direction, the ship sailed at full speed and finally escaped that big mudfish. Strangely enough, when my master taught me, he told me that this wind-summoning technique would only last for half an hour. But guess what? The wind direction didn't change for a whole half month. Until we returned to Moon Harbor, the ship sailed smoothly with the wind."

Those present gasped in surprise.

"At the time, I thought it was Mazu's miracle that saved us. But when we returned to Yuegang and delivered the goods, it was Bai Xiaodong's father who came to pick them up. When he did, Madam Bai was holding a baby behind her. When I asked, I found out that the day we encountered the dragon was Bai Xiaodong's birthday. And guess what? Since then, no one in the East Sea has ever seen him again..."

Everyone present turned to look at Bai Ye next to Cheng Keqin, their eyes filled with fear.

Someone couldn't help but say, trembling:

"Could this Young Master Bai be the reincarnation of that dragon?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Shirono feigned anger.

"What dragons? What wind-summoning techniques? We're just sailing on the sea, where would we find so many strange things? Everyone, get back to your positions and keep an eye on the course so we don't capsize the ship."

After Bai Ye's reprimand, everyone dispersed.

Although Bai Ling didn't understand anything about the "overseas star-gazing technique," she could tell from Cheng Keqin's words that Bai Ye had outmaneuvered her.

"How did you manage to get him to back down? As far as I know, these kinds of business owners who operate in the sea are no pushovers."

Bai Ye feigned mystery: "I won't tell you."

"You want to get beaten up, don't you?!"

……

After this incident, Cheng Keqin's attitude towards Bai Ye became noticeably more flattering, and they started talking to each other more often.

"Captain Cheng, I've brought so many men, guns, and cannons with me on this voyage. Aren't you curious about what they're for?"

"To be honest, Brother Bai, I, Cheng Lao Er, have been roaming the Fujian coast for many years. The goods I've handled include those of maritime merchants, pirates, foreigners, and even Japanese pirates. I never ask where they come from or where they're going. I only know that I take people's money and do their bidding. Once the money and goods are settled, I don't ask any further questions."

Moreover, since Yuegang recently banned trade with Japan, many officials and merchants dare not ship goods. The fact that someone is buying our cargo already makes Cheng extremely grateful; how could he dare ask why?

Bai Ye nodded, it seemed that Cheng Keqin's "professional ethics" were passable.

"There's something I don't understand. With such a large fleet, why doesn't Captain Cheng build an island in the open sea to create his own territory and have a way out? You've been doing both official and bandit business for so many years, aren't you afraid of capsizing one day?"

Cheng Keqin was taken aback, his face filled with disappointment:

"My plan is to buy land and houses in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang area, so that my children and grandchildren can study and farm, and never again do this risky business."

Then he looked at Shirano with envy:

"To be honest, I really envy you guys who deal in mainland goods. You have houses on the shore, connections with the government, and you don't have to go through all that trouble of braving the wind and rain. If I could have such a stable way to make money, who would want to stay here feeding the sea breeze every day..."

"Good heavens," Bai Ye couldn't help but sneer. These Ming Dynasty merchants and pirates all seem to be reincarnations of Song Jiang. No wonder Zheng Zhilong believed in the Qing Dynasty and went ashore to surrender. It turns out they really have made killing, arson, and accepting amnesty as their path dependency.

Power and wealth are essentially the same. Without enough power, it is impossible to keep enough wealth. Wherever there are people, there is a power struggle. Do you really think it is so easy to become a landlord?

It's already the end of the Wanli era, and in another ten years or so, it will be Sarhu. After the Qing Dynasty enters the pass, those scholars from Jiangnan who have been operating for many years will have to pay their taxes and shave their heads. You merchants finally have a chance to escape the drug circle, yet you all think about jumping back. What do you mean by running away from the drug circle in reverse?

Suppressing his inner disdain, Shirono began to probe indirectly:

"Then, Captain Cheng, can you guess why I'm setting sail this time?"

Seeing that Bai Ye was interested in befriending him, Cheng Keqin stopped hiding his intentions, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and started puffing away.

"I dare to guess that with Yuegang recently closed, the owner is having difficulty shipping goods. However, the ship is full of people and horses, but not many live silkworms. He probably wants to sell human trafficking equipment to make some money!"

Cheng Keqin was ultimately a maritime merchant and pirate with no concept of establishing a base.

Bai Ye sneered:

"Captain Cheng really likes to think the best of people. Why doesn't he dare to think that I'm going to sea to become a pirate?"

Cheng Keqin paused for a moment, exhaled a puff of smoke, and quickly shook his head:

"Impossible. I know a few pirates around Yuegang. They usually live as kings on the islands along the coast, robbing passing ships and mainland civilians. Who would go this far out to sea to rob people?"

"What if I meant the plundering of Ryukyu and the Orient?"

Cheng Keqin looked at Bai Ye with disbelief. The smoke he had just inhaled had accidentally passed through his lungs, making him cough.

"Plundering Ryukyu and the Orient, are they going overseas to become pirates?"

"Exactly."

Bai Ye then explained in detail the predicament the Bai family was facing and his own plans.

Cheng Keqin listened in stunned silence.

"If Master Cheng joins the crew on this voyage, you will naturally receive half of the profits. If you do not join, I will still pay you your share of the round-trip shipping costs."

Cheng Keqin's mind raced. As a ship owner who had been operating the East Asian route for many years, he was familiar with the wealth of Ryukyu. Now, after hearing Bai Ye's ambitious plans, he couldn't help but want to try his luck.

What shocked him even more was the current desperate situation of the Bai family. In the past, he had always envied Bai Wenzheng's life as a businessman and landlord, and had always been proud to be able to clean up his name and get out of poverty one day.

Unexpectedly, even the landlords are running out of food now; life on land is no more comfortable than life at sea.

He really needs to seriously consider his future.