xymnovel Chapter 104 The Huge Profits of Maritime Trade
Chapter 104 The Huge Profits of Maritime Trade
Chapter 104 The Huge Profits of Maritime Trade
The kerosene lamp inside the stone house cast a dim yellow glow, stretching Chen Feng's shadow long onto the rough stone wall.
After putting down the account book, Wang Liang hurriedly left the stone house.
He had to finish the tasks assigned to him, then rush to Cavite overnight to load goods for the Qing government and transport the immigrants back.
Chen Feng raised his hand and brought the ledger to his face. The cover was made of rough linen, and the edges were worn rough from being rubbed. The words "First Batch of Immigrants List" were written crookedly on it.
Opening the ledger, the first page wasn't a list of immigrants, but a yellowed white sheet of paper with "June 1898" written on it in vermilion ink.
"Monthly First Voyage Income and Expenditure Overview", with a side note "Manila-Shantou-Manila".
On the far right, there is a line of small print stating: There is no export tax in Luzon, and import tax in Shantou is levied in accordance with customs regulations.
Cargo: 504 tons of sugar; Purchase price: US$11875 (38000 pesos)
船运成本：2250美元码头杂费：125美元汕头进口税5%及子口税2.5%：1028.75美元合计支出：15340.625美元销售收入：31200银元（折合19500美元）
Miscellaneous income: 150 silver dollars (equivalent to US$93.75)
出航净利：4253.125美元返航客载：广东潮汕籍移民1247人途中补给：折合467.5美元损耗补偿：折合62.5美元航次总盈亏：3723.125美元陈锋的指尖重重按在最后的数字上，眼底骤然迸出精光。
The camp has more than 1,200 active-duty soldiers and logistics personnel. The current military pay is US$2.50 per person per month, which is enough to pay the full amount of military pay for more than a month.
The profits from maritime trade are unbelievably exorbitant!
This is just the profit from a one-way sugar trade!
If the bicycle factory is built and mass-produced, the bicycles can be sold to the US military, sweep across Manila and radiate throughout Southeast Asia; further on, by imitating advanced agricultural tools, machinery, and even weapons and ammunition, the profits will more than double.
Once our industrial foundation is solid and our strength is enough to crush the great powers, I too will stand in the ports of the West and shout out those earth-shattering words: "Open the doors! Free trade!"
Thinking of this, Chen Feng couldn't help but grin.
"Bang!"
The wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and light footsteps rushed in with the wind, revealing Wang Muning's figure.
It was late at night. She was wearing only a plain cotton and linen short jacket, paired with dark blue coarse cloth trousers, the cuffs of which were casually rolled up to her ankles. Her cloth shoes were still damp with mud, and she was clutching an oil paper package in her hand.
She rushed to the table in a few steps: "Senior brother, you went somewhere without telling me! If the soldiers hadn't told me you were back, I would still be in the dark."
Chen Feng kept quiet every time they went out because he thought she was too young and didn't want her to worry.
The rich aroma wafting from the oil-paper package immediately changed the subject: "Braised beef? I'm starving."
"My senior always treats me like a child!"
Wang Muning pouted and slammed the oil paper package on the table in dissatisfaction. She crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks, saying, "This was specially prepared for you by Sister Feng Qinlan."
"Thank her for me!" Chen Feng tore open the oil paper package, grabbed a large piece of beef, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Although Wang Muning kept a straight face, her gaze couldn't help but linger on him. Seeing that he was eating too fast, the reproach in her eyes gradually turned into heartache. She silently picked up the water bottle on the table and handed it to him: "Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you."
A pound of beef was devoured in no time. Chen Feng wiped his mouth and asked, "What books have you been reading lately?"
"Marilyn recommended the Law of Nations, saying that the major European and American powers all acted in accordance with it."
Wang Muning pulled a yellowed English booklet from the cloth bag at his waist, with a few scraps of paper covered in annotations between his fingers. He leaned close to the table, pointing to the pages, his nose almost touching the paper, and earnestly explained the tricks he had figured out. "The terminology is too convoluted. I could only barely understand most of it after flipping through a dictionary. Look here—"
Under the dim light, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and a faint blush rose on her cheeks, which held a hint of reproach. Her earnest expression was exceptionally captivating.
Chen Feng raised his hand and gently patted her head, saying softly, "Mu Ning has grown up and can help her senior brother now. Not only should you read extensively, but you should also try to participate in the resettlement of this batch of immigrants and gain more experience."
Wang Muning's cheeks flushed even more, but she didn't dodge his touch. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling: "Really?"
"So I don't have to go to an all-girls school? I don't want to waste my time with those rich girls!"
"Um----"
Chen Feng pondered for a moment, then nodded decisively, "If you don't want to go, then you don't have to. We'll build a private school right away and hire Western teachers. Wu Tingchen is also a scholar, so you can learn from them first. Just tell us what you need."
As the two were talking, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Zhang Xiuwu burst in, carrying a battle report, his voice booming: "General, Tian Gang's battalion has achieved a great victory, clearing out five indigenous tribes and capturing 93 able-bodied men. Our army suffered zero casualties, with three soldiers seriously wounded, but the minor injuries are not a problem for them to continue fighting!"
Wang Muning was startled by the sudden commotion. She glared at Zhang Xiuwu, but knew this was not the time to be petty. She quietly took two steps back and tiptoed out of the stone house.
"Treat the seriously wounded soldiers with all our might. The logistics department should allocate the best medicines at all costs!" Chen Feng took the battle report, glanced at it, and his brows suddenly furrowed.
There are far fewer young and middle-aged people than expected!
It's all Aguinaldo's fault for his independence army!
It's truly hateful that they used the natives as cannon fodder during the attack on Marolos, resulting in the loss of so many usable laborers!
Before his brow could even unfurrow, reports from outside began to pour in, one after another, with good news exploding: "General! The Second Battalion has achieved a great victory! Battalion Commander Kong has captured 89 able-bodied men!"
"Reporting to the General! The Third Battalion has achieved a great victory! Battalion Commander Ren has captured 76 men!"
"General! The Fourth Battalion has achieved a resounding victory! Battalion Commander Ding has captured 99 men!"
Three hundred and fifty-seven able-bodied men! Although it did not reach the expected number of five hundred, it was more than enough to repair the road from Guiyan Beach to the camp and to support the mining equipment.
Chen Feng slammed the battle report on the table and said in a deep voice, "Pass on my order! All prisoners are to be taken to Guiyan Beach and put to work on road construction! Zhang Xiuwu, you will lead the Fifth Battalion to supervise the construction. The road must be passable by horse-drawn carriages by the end of the month! If it's not completed, you will be held responsible!"
"yes!"
Zhang Xiuwu straightened his back and said in a booming voice, "If the repairs aren't completed by the end of the month, first deal with the prisoners properly, and I'll bring you my head!"
Chen Feng waved his hand and laughed, "No need for a beheading. You'll just have to resign as battalion commander and be demoted to platoon leader."
"That won't do!"
Zhang Xiuwu grew anxious. "I'll take the prisoners and work through the night. I will not fail in my mission!"
Before the words were even finished, the person had already rushed out in a flurry of activity.
"etc!"
Chen Feng shouted, "Notify all battalions that wounded soldiers will receive double pay until they recover!"
The stone house returned to silence, with the glow of the kerosene lamp flickering gently.
Chen Feng picked up the immigrant register again, his gaze sweeping over the list of more than 1,200 immigrants before settling on the profit and loss figures for the voyage, his eyes shining with even greater determination.
With manpower and funds secured, and road construction about to begin, the foundation of the Chinese community in Luzon is finally about to be truly established!
He picked up a pen and paper, about to write "The Rise of a Great Power: The Netherlands Chapter," when there was a gentle knock on the door, the rhythm neither hurried nor slow.
"Come in."
Chen Feng didn't even look up; he recognized the person just by the sound of their footsteps.
The wooden door creaked open, and Marilyn slowly walked in.
She wore a moon-white silk nightgown, her long golden hair casually draped over her shoulders, the ends slightly curled, swaying gently with her movements, outlining her graceful curves.
Chen Feng put down his pen, his tone slightly mocking: "Still not asleep so late? I didn't schedule you to work overtime. Don't try to get overtime pay when your contract expires."
Marilyn's smile froze instantly, her hand holding the hot milk trembled slightly, and the milk foam on the rim of the cup almost spilled out.
She steadied her cup, glared at Chen Feng, and said with a hint of coquettish dissatisfaction, "You keep me locked up in the camp all day, on call 24/7, like a tool that never rests. Shouldn't I get more overtime pay?"
As she spoke, she placed the milk on the corner of the table, her gaze unconsciously drifting to the unfolded manuscript paper. Curious, she asked, "I heard you wrote a book called 'The Rise of Great Powers'?"
"How did you know?" Chen Feng frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Only Wang Muning knew about this in the camp, and it was not publicized.
Marilyn chuckled softly, spun around, and lazily sat half-reclined on the edge of the table. Her silk nightgown slid down her curves slightly, outlining her rounded hips, but without appearing frivolous; instead, it exuded a casual charm.
She raised a hand to brush aside a stray strand of blonde hair, her tone tinged with a hint of smugness: "I'm the deputy head of the intelligence department, I can't be deaf and blind, can I? Wu Tingchen founded the Luzon Times in Manila, and the very first article in its inaugural issue was yours, 'The Rise of a Great Power.'"
The opening statement explicitly states that it was sponsored and published by the Chinese Free Army.
At this point, her gaze suddenly became complex. Her emerald eyes darted under the lamplight, landing on Chen Feng's sharply defined profile, and she murmured to herself:
I thought he was just a brute who only knew how to wield swords and spears and had no sense of romance, but I never expected him to have such insight and talent.
If it weren't for those two good-for-nothing, idiotic cousins of mine that night, perhaps...
Until then, she didn't realize that Chen Feng had already noticed her intentions, and thought it was just because of her two cousins' interference.
Seeing her wandering eyes and her reluctance to get to the point, Chen Feng frowned even more deeply.
This woman is no pushover!
Last time at the hotel, I almost fell for a scam.
He stood up and moved aside, creating some distance between them, his tone somewhat distant: "It is indeed my work on 'The Rise of Great Powers.' It's late, and it's inconvenient for a man and a woman to be alone in a room. If you don't have any important work to report, please leave as soon as possible."
As he spoke, he reached out and gathered the manuscript papers on the table.
Marilyn's languid expression vanished instantly, and her smile faded. Seeing Chen Feng's clear-cut attitude, a surge of anger inexplicably rose within her, but she had nowhere to vent it. She could only bite her lip and jump off the table: "Consider it meddling."
She turned to leave, but stopped abruptly at the door, glanced back at Chen Feng, and said in a voice barely audible, "Your book... is very well written."
Before Chen Feng could respond, she pushed open the door and quickly disappeared into the night, leaving behind only a faint milky aroma and a cup of still-steaming milk on the table.
In the shadows outside the stone house, two figures stood silently.
Wang Muning clutched the hem of her clothes, her face tense; Feng Qinlan crossed her arms, her eyes wary.
Their eyes followed Marilyn's departing figure until her moon-white silhouette completely blended into the inky night, at which point they both secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"That foreign devil is very cunning; he sneaked into Brother Chen's room in his pajamas in the middle of the night—he's up to no good!"
Feng Qinlan lowered her voice, her tone full of vigilance, "Mu Ning, you'd better keep a close eye on Brother Chen, don't let outsiders take advantage of the situation."
"Senior brother has always acted with discretion and kept his personal and professional life separate. I have always trusted him." Wang Muning shook his head gently, his voice soft yet firm, but the fingers hanging at his sides unconsciously tightened a little.
Even so, when she saw Marilyn sitting half-sitting on the table, so close to her senior brother, through the crack in the window, her heart still clenched inexplicably.
By the faint moonlight on the horizon, Feng Qinlan looked at the girl beside her. She was only up to her nose and still had a childish look in her eyes, but when she talked about Chen Feng, the light in her eyes could not be hidden.
She sighed softly, her tone softening: "A hero like Brother Chen, capable and responsible, naturally attracts many followers. When I was your age, my father had already arranged a marriage for me, but unfortunately, I died young..."
""
Upon hearing the word "father," Wang Muning's expression suddenly darkened.
She looked up to the north, her gaze seemingly piercing through the vast ocean, her voice low as a whisper: "My father... had planned the same thing before. He privately told me that my senior brother was a man of noble character, worthy of entrusting my life to, and that it would be best if I married him in the future. But I was too young at the time, and he hadn't had a chance to mention it to my senior brother yet."
When Wang Liang went to Guangzhou last time, she specially asked someone to write a letter to let her know he was safe and sound, repeatedly urging him to send it to the capital.
But the journey was long, and she had no idea whether the letter would reach her father or whether he was alright. She could only worry about him quietly at night.
Feng Qinlan patted her shoulder and gently comforted her: "It's something to mention! You're not young in Luzon at your age. Many girls who are a year or two older than you are already married."
Wang Muning's cheeks flushed slightly. She gently bit her lip and whispered in agreement, "The Qing court is the same... but right now I only want to help my senior brother manage the camp affairs and settle the immigrants. As for marriage, let's wait two years and let Father speak up."
Chen Feng, inside the stone house, was unaware of the conversation outside and had no interest in the still-warm milk.
The moment my fingertips touched the pen tip, the trajectory of the Netherlands' rise unfolded in my mind.
From the geographical predicament of the Dutch Lowlands, to the merchant fleets of the "Sea Coachmen" sweeping across the oceans, and then to the establishment of a credit system by the Bank of Amsterdam that shook Europe...
He became more and more engrossed in writing, and the glow of the kerosene lamp went from a dim yellow to a faint light, which was then replaced by the pale dawn breaking outside the window.
He stopped writing when a dull, aching pain shot through his wrist, and rubbed his stiff knuckles.
Just as I was about to get up and move around, a suppressed laugh suddenly came from outside. It was intermittent, filled with curiosity and excitement, but the volume was deliberately kept low.
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
Who's lurking around outside so early in the morning?
He got up, pushed open the door, and went out.
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