1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3642

Roger was one of the heroes who helped Hai Han capture An Buna Island. At that time, the basic conditions on An Buna Island were extremely poor, far inferior to the convenient living in Sanya Victory Port. In addition, the focus of development at that time was on the mainland, so few people were willing to guard this deserted island in the vast ocean for a long time.

At that time, Roger had already planned to make his own way in the South China Sea, and believed that Anbuna Island was the springboard he needed, so he volunteered to serve as the first governor of Anbuna Island. He spent several years and invested a lot of resources to gradually build it into a maritime gold-spending den in the center of the South China Sea.

After Roger went south to the Strait of Malacca and established the Sing Tao District, the Anbu Na Island he built was naturally included in the jurisdiction of the Sing Tao District.

When the officials of Anbuna Island learned that Dong Shangyi and his party were visiting Xingdao on behalf of Fujian, they arranged accommodation and other services for him according to public-to-public procedures. They also asked the shipyard on the island to repair Dong Shangyi's boat first to ensure that he could leave as soon as possible.

Despite the special care he received here, after a careful inspection, Dong Shangyi's ship was found to have serious damage to the bottom. The repair work could not be completed within the two days he requested, and the ship had to be put into dry dock before the work could be carried out.

This would take at least ten days or half a month, and Dong Shangyi was in a hurry to get to Xingdao and didn't want to waste time on Anbuna Island.

However, the officials of Anbon Island were very thoughtful and immediately arranged another boat for Dong Shangyi to take him and his entourage to Xing Island. The boat and the sailors stayed on Anbon Island and waited for repairs before rushing to Xing Island to meet Dong Shangyi.

As for the cost of repairing the ship, the authorities also stated that they would all be waived, which greatly moved Dong Shangyi.

Dong Shangyi found that the living conditions on this ship were much better than the one he brought from Fujian. The master cabin not only had a spacious bedroom, but also a separate toilet and bathroom, a study room with simple and elegant decoration, and a small hall specially used for meeting guests.

There were also very professional chefs on the ship who could cook Fujian dishes such as dragon body and phoenix tail shrimps and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. This was obviously a special arrangement made for Dong Shangyi.

After Dong Shangyi asked the captain, he learned that there were only four such ships on Anbon Island. They were usually used as official ships, specifically for picking up and dropping off dignitaries and wealthy businessmen from various countries. Naturally, the conditions were much better than those of ordinary merchant ships.

Dong Shangyi had a relatively good understanding of the shipbuilding industry. He knew that the ship was very expensive to build. Coupled with the service level on board, the operating cost of a trip out to sea would certainly not be low. He was even more grateful for the warm reception here.

The captain was very honest and took the initiative to tell Dong Shangyi that this was actually an arrangement made by Xingdao after Anbuna Island reported his visit. Otherwise, they would not have arranged a government ship to take him there immediately, let alone free of charge.

Dong Shangyi felt relieved after hearing this. It seemed that the Sing Tao authorities attached great importance to his visit and specially arranged such a courtesy.

There have always been business exchanges between Fujian and Sing Tao, but for well-known reasons, the two places have always been politically cold but economically hot. Sing Tao will also take the initiative to avoid suspicion and not have too many official exchanges with Fujian.

Dong Shangyi was a little worried that his visit would be coldly received, and he might not even be able to meet with two senior officials, Roger and Tan Juren. However, judging from the current situation, it is very likely that he was worrying too much. The enthusiasm and initiative shown by the Sing Tao authorities have far exceeded his expectations.

There was no extreme weather on the way from Anbuna Island to Xingdao Island, and Dong Shangyi was able to enjoy the various services on the official ship during the three-day voyage. For him, these three days were a rare relaxing time since this visit.

One morning in late August, the official ship that Dong Shangyi was on arrived at Xingdao Port smoothly. It was difficult to determine the exact arrival time on a long voyage, so Dong Shangyi did not expect to be greeted by local officials. However, before he set off from Anbuna Island, he had already notified the Fujian Merchants' Store here by telegram, so he thought there would be a carriage waiting at the dock.

What surprised Dong Shangyi a little was that the Sing Tao government still arranged a simple welcome ceremony for him, and the person who came was of a high rank. He was Roger's adjutant and Tan Juren's eldest son, Tan Tianlei.

The two high-ranking civil and military officials of Sing Tao were of distinguished status, and Dong Shangyi knew that he was not important enough to have them show up in person. However, having Tan Tianlei come out to greet them on their behalf was already enough respect and there was nothing to ask for.

People from the Fujian Trading Company did come, but since there was an official presence, it was difficult to snatch the reception job away.

Since Dong Shangyi's visit to Sing Tao was in an official capacity, it was natural for him to accept Tan Tianlei's arrangement and stay at the official guesthouse instead of the Fujian Merchants' Inn.

After arriving at the Guest House, Dong Shangyi took the initiative to explain to Tan Tianlei the purpose of his visit to Sing Tao, which was to arrange a meeting with the two senior officials.

After all, he couldn't even be sure whether he could meet in person when he came, so Dong Shangyi didn't dare to propose higher goals to the other party.

Tan Tianlei smiled and said, "Don't worry, Master Dong. The two masters attach great importance to your coming. Please take a rest. You will be able to meet the two masters at the welcoming banquet tonight!"

Dong Shangyi was overjoyed when he heard this. He didn't expect that the other party attached so much importance to his arrival. Not to mention the formal meeting, they even arranged a welcoming banquet. This was really beyond the standard for his status and official position.

After Tan Tianlei left the guesthouse, Dong Shangyi immediately summoned the head of the local Fujian Trading Company to inquire about the latest situation in Sing Tao Island.

After Dong Shangyi calmed down, he realized that the enthusiasm shown by the other party must not be without reason. Given Roger Tan's position, there was really no need for him to be given such courtesy.

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If you put yourself in his shoes, if Sing Tao sent an envoy to visit Fujian, it would be unlikely that he would be personally received by Xu Yuzhuo right away.

There must be a reason for the abnormal situation. After understanding the situation, Dong Shangyi quickly came to a new conclusion.

According to information provided by the store owner, the biggest event in Sing Tao Island in recent months has been the concentration of resources on the development of the New World in the South.

In order to mobilize shipping and human resources to meet the needs of the New World in the South, even the previous cooperation with Qian Tiandun's Special Operations Division came to a temporary standstill.

On the route to the other side of the Strait of Malacca, Sing Tao's cargo ships have almost been reduced by two-thirds, which has begun to have a certain negative impact on Sing Tao's foreign trade.

The Sing Tao authorities are also trying to find ways to resolve the current difficulties. The shortcoming that needs to be made up is very clear, that is, maritime transport capacity.