Ming East India Company

Haojing, Zhuzaishi Village at the foot of West Penha Hill.

Standing in the empty cannon-casting workshop, looking at the discarded cannon blanks scattered all over the ground, his wrinkled face was filled with exhaustion and despair.

This cannon foundry, now in his sixties, dedicated his life to the study of artillery techniques. The breech-loading cannons he personally crafted were once highly sought-after items on the battlefields of East Asia.

However, the once bustling furnaces and deafening hammer blows are no longer seen in this huge cannon foundry. All that remains are cold furnaces, scattered molds, and a few Portuguese and Chinese craftsmen, dressed in tattered clothes and long overdue for wages, wandering aimlessly through the factory area.

Since the Spanish Habsburgs seized the Portuguese throne more than a decade ago, Portugal's power in the Far East has plummeted.

The arrogant Spanish royal family had little interest in managing the Portuguese colonies, and the Portuguese allocation to Macau decreased year by year. The Portuguese garrison in Macau was unable to afford the huge costs of purchasing cannons, and the orders for the Bucharau cannon foundry were declining rapidly.

Even more critically, with the unification of Japan by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Japanese samurai's demand for Portuguese firearms was no longer what it used to be, and the Bucarau cannon factory lost its market in Japan.

The Ming government had hoped that the Battle of Tomorrow in Korea two years prior would turn the tide for the artillery factory, but instead, it sealed its fate. The Ming government was extremely wary of the Portuguese and did not even consider the possibility of purchasing firearms from them.

The end result was that the large amount of materials purchased in advance became completely useless, and instead, the factory's cash flow was completely cut off.

The thought of handing over the artillery factory, which he had run for nearly thirty years, filled Bu Jialao with bitterness.

"Bugalo, Enris has arrived. According to the agreement, he will take over your factory."

Ovalinga's helpless voice came from behind.

"Damn Spaniards, I'm going to give away my factory that I've run for thirty years for nothing!" Bugalao said angrily.

He then turned to look at Ovalinga:

"Araujo, could you give me a little more time? I'm sure I can raise enough money to repay the council. You're the speaker, you must have a way, you must have a way."

Ovalinga spread his hands:

"I'm sorry, Bugalo, I'm just a spokesperson elected by the parliament. No one in the Macau parliament is willing to give you another chance, so there's nothing I can change."

"Don't these guys know that this artillery factory is the only one in the Far East that can produce artillery and muskets?"

Over the years, the muskets produced by this factory have supported the kingdom's army in countless battles. If this factory falls into Spanish hands, will it still be able to produce gunpowder and muskets to supply the Kingdom of Portugal?

Ovalinga shook his head helplessly:

"Unfortunately, Bugalo, the members of parliament only know that this factory still owes the parliament 20,000 silver dollars. They have completely lost faith in your factory's ability to turn a profit and are only thinking about selling it as soon as possible to recoup their losses and cut their losses."

"These short-sighted fools, after all these years, don't they understand that without the kingdom's military power, no amount of wealth is more than lambs to the slaughter? The Spanish have already seized our throne; can the kingdom's army still expend the same effort to protect their commercial interests as before?"

Ovalinga showed a hint of sadness:

"I'm sorry, I know about your contributions to the Macau colony over the years, and I understand your grievances, but this time there's truly nothing I can do. I'll give you two more hours; use these last moments to say goodbye to your factory!"

Watching Ovalinga's departing figure, Bugalao could only sigh helplessly, then turned to his son, Bugalao Jr., and said:

"Look at this factory! I'm old and don't have much time left. You'll have to take this factory back sooner or later."

Young Bugalao nodded firmly.

Just then, a servant came running in, panting, and said in Chinese:

"Master Lao, a wise man has come to the door, saying he's willing to buy firearms. With this order, our factory will be able to overcome this crisis."

The Bu Jialuo family has lived in Macau for decades. To make up for the lack of manpower, they have hired many Chinese helpers. The man in front of you is the manager of his factory, surnamed Tang.

"How many firearms are they willing to buy?"

"I made some inquiries privately, and there are no fewer than 20 Kövlin cannons."

Bugalao did a rough calculation in his mind: 20 Kovrin cannons were worth about 35,000 to 50,000 pesos, and if you count the profit, you should be guaranteed at least 15,000 pesos.

Although he couldn't fully repay the debt to the parliament, it was enough for him to negotiate for more grace period, since those businessmen in the parliament also needed to make money.

The Spanish offered 17,000 pesos for the acquisition, which is basically the same price.

Thinking of this, Bu Jialao became extremely excited. Leaning on his cane, he had a feast prepared to welcome his guests.

But when he saw who it was, Bu Jialao felt a little strange.

The newcomer was very young, and his hair was shaved very short, unlike the common hairstyle of scholars in the Ming Dynasty. However, his skin was very well-maintained, unlike the typical short-haired employees.

After the guest entered a meditative state, Bu Jialao cautiously asked:

"May I ask, sir, are you looking to purchase artillery from my Bucarau artillery factory?"

"Exactly." The newcomer's eyes were clear, as if he had already made up his mind.

"Sir, you have excellent taste." Before Bu Jialao could even speak, the butler Tang immediately launched into a business-like boasting mode.

Steward Tang raised his hand to brush away the thin dust on the table, pointed to the Kouflin bronze cannon that had just been demolded in the workshop, looked at the Ming merchant opposite him, and spoke with a tone of complete certainty and a hint of earnestness.

"My lord, please look at this cannon, which you call the Kovlin. It is a masterpiece crafted by my Bugalau Cannon Foundry with all my heart and soul, and is incomparable to the crudely made breech-loading cannons on the market."

He stepped forward and gently stroked the smooth copper wall of the cannon, his fingertips tracing the neatly arranged trunnions. "This cannon is cast entirely from refined copper and tin, making it extremely tough. No matter how much propellant it carries, there is absolutely no risk of it exploding. The cannon barrel has been polished by a water-powered boring machine, making it perfectly round and straight. The projectiles fit tightly against the barrel, giving it a range of over a thousand paces, far surpassing the Portuguese and other cannons native to the Ming Dynasty."

With the war in Korea now critical, the Ming army urgently needs powerful weapons to defend against the enemy. These Kofulin cannons, whether used for city defense, field battles, or mounted on warships, can sweep away enemy forces.

As Bu Jialao's important assistant, Steward Tang had long since mastered the skill of reading people's expressions. From the appearance of the visitors, he could roughly guess that the other party was probably the steward or son of some Ming Dynasty official who had come to Macau to purchase weapons.

Unexpectedly, the other party coldly replied:

"This cannon is a good cannon, but I'm afraid your factory can't manufacture it!"