1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3687

Since they were "forced" to make a decision that went against their ancestors, wouldn't it be reasonable to increase the money? Abdullah's mentality is not difficult to understand, and it is harmless to play such tricks in negotiations.

However, Mr. Li and Mr. Wang also realized that this fat and naive chief was not simple-minded at all, and his shrewdness was no less than that of the businessmen from various countries they had dealt with before.

The other party had obviously realized Hai Han’s urgent need for Khasab, so they were playing hard to get. They first refused verbally, and then brought up their ancestral teachings in order to propose multiple trading conditions to Hai Han.

For Mr. Li and Mr. Wang, since the other party was willing to propose conditions, this meant a major breakthrough. Any transaction starts with bargaining. As long as the other party is willing to offer, there is room for negotiation.

Therefore, the subsequent negotiations mainly revolved around the development of Khasab and the distribution of benefits.

When they came, they thought that since Khasab was just an insignificant fishing village to the Shihu tribe, they could give some benefits, lease the place or even buy it outright to facilitate subsequent operations and management.

But Abdullah's statement obviously broke such expectations. The Hizbuls will not easily give up the sovereignty of Khasab as they expected.

At the same time, the fleet led by Qian Tiandun welcomed a wave of enthusiastic Arab merchants at the Port of Doha.

Although the fleet's primary mission was not trade, it still carried a large amount of merchandise as ballast in case of emergency.

Although the fleet did not obtain permission to dock at the port, it did not encounter any difficulty from local officials in transporting goods into the port for trading.

Most of these are products produced in Hai Han, and some are from ports such as Goa, Surat, Hormuz and other ports along the way. For the area near Doha Port, these are rare and good things, so local merchants naturally compete to purchase them.

As for whether this armed fleet would pose a threat to Doha Port, not many people cared. After all, if the Hai Han people wanted to attack Doha Port, given the level of defense here, it seemed that there would be no suspense.

Since the Hai Han people were not here for war, it was perfectly legitimate to trade with them. Merchants also took out their best wares, hoping that the Hai Han people who had come from afar would take a liking to them.

The fleet stayed in Doha for five days before setting off to continue westward. Starting from this area, there seemed to be more ports along the coast. Almost every few hundred miles, there would be a port of varying sizes. It was not as desolate as the southeastern Persian Gulf.

However, in this area, the Ottoman Empire's ruling influence was still relatively weak, and there was not even a real official institution. Instead, it adopted a system similar to that of the Hijri tribe, where the rule over the local area was maintained by tribes of all sizes who paid tribute and submitted to it.

This was a good thing for Hai Han, as it greatly lowered the threshold for entering this region. As long as Hai Han did not actively demonstrate its military power, most Arabs in these places would simply regard the fleet as a foreign armed merchant ship.

After stopping and starting like this for several days, we finally arrived at Kuwait Bay at the western end of the Persian Gulf.

Kuwait Bay and its surrounding areas have long been ruled by the Khalid family, a family with a thousand-year-old tradition. Even when it was incorporated into the territory of the Ottoman Empire, this tradition did not change. In Kuwait Bay is Kuwait City, the seat of the Khalid family, and a large port adjacent to the city.

The natural environment of this area is not significantly different from other places on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, and is also surrounded by endless sand dunes. However, there is a unique advantage here, that is, it is located at the southern end of the Mesopotamian Plain, guarding the sea access to the richest area of ​​the Persian Gulf.

The Mesopotamian Plain, also known as the Two Rivers Plain, is a coastal plain formed by the alluvial deposits of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the lower reaches. This area is rich in water and grass, fertile land, and vast in area. It is a rare Feng Shui treasure land in the entire Middle East. The Babylonian Empire and the Assyrian Empire that were born here in ancient times were also once glorious civilizations.

However, these two rivers flood regularly, so it is impossible to build a large port near the lower reaches of the sea. So an inland port can only be built 200 miles away from the sea. The closest large seaport to the Two Rivers Plain is the Port of Kuwait, located in the southern part of the plain.

The Port of Kuwait thus took over part of the maritime trade business from the Mesopotamian Plain. The level of prosperity here is far greater than any other port in the Persian Gulf. The scale of port construction is even comparable to major ports such as Sanya Port, Zhoushan Port, and Xingdao Port.

After reporting to local officials, the Hai Han fleet obtained permission to dock at the port.

When the Majestic-class battleship slowly sailed into the port, it inevitably attracted the attention of the public. For the people living here, this was the largest ship they had ever seen in their lives. From that moment on, the slightly unfamiliar name of Hai Han was firmly remembered in their hearts.

As the local rulers, the Khalid family also attached great importance to the arrival of the Hai Han fleet and specially hosted a banquet to entertain Qian Tiandun and his party.

As a member of the time travel group, Qian Tiandun certainly knew what treasures were buried under the land ruled by the Khalid family. Therefore, during the banquet, he took the initiative to express his willingness to establish trade and diplomatic relations with the other party.

This was something the Khalid family had been longing for. Before the Hai Han fleet arrived here, merchants returning from the ports of Hormuz and Doha had already brought the relevant news and some Hai Han products to the port of Kuwait.

The Hai Han people will bring a great deal of wealth and exquisite goods, and create more export opportunities for local products in the Persian Gulf. This is the consensus of local merchants and a situation that rulers like the Khalid family would like to see.

Of course, what the Arabs did not know beforehand was that the Hai Han fleet could bring them not only civilian goods, but also a variety of weapons and equipment that could greatly enhance their military strength.

From armor, swords and bows to muskets and artillery, Hai Han could provide a wide variety of weapons and equipment, ranging from cold weapons to hot weapons, from cheap common goods to customized fine products. As long as the Arabs were willing to pay, they could get the equipment they needed.

Of course, since this place is far away from the mainland of Hai Han, the delivery period for ordered weapons and equipment is much longer. Even if there is stock in the country, it will take about four to six months to deliver it to local buyers.

But the Khalid family obviously does not care about the delivery time. The weapons and equipment that the Hai Han people can provide are better in manufacturing technology and lethality than those of the Europeans, but the price is much lower, and the supply quantity is much larger than that of the stingy Europeans.

So after a brief contact, the Khalid family immediately took action and ordered 500 flintlock rifles, four cannons, and corresponding ammunition from Qian Tiandun. This batch of arms will be delivered to the Khalid family before the end of June next year, and a group of military officers will be trained in advance to master the operation and maintenance of these weapons and equipment.