1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3694

After the Hai Han fleet entered the Strait of Hormuz, it separated from the Portuguese ship that was serving as a navigator. The ship returned to Hormuz Island on its own to report to Rui, while the fleet sailed to its destination on the south side of the strait.

More than a month after leaving Khasab, the Hai Han fleet returned to this small place again.

Compared with the last time I visited here, Khasab has not changed at all. It is still a peaceful fishing village, and the Arab people live their original lives step by step.

But what made Qian Tiandun uneasy was that Li Yuande and Dong Shangyi had not yet returned to Khasab, and the local people knew nothing about what happened after they went to Xihu City.

Qian Tiandun could only order the fleet to be stationed here temporarily and wait for the delegation to return from Xihu City before making plans.

Three days later, just when Qian Tiandun was about to lose his patience, the delegation finally returned to Khasab.

Li Yuande, Dong Shangyi and his group stayed in the desert for more than a month. They all got tanned, but they looked in good spirits. They were not as haggard and cracked as Qian Tiandun had imagined.

"Sir, I have accomplished my mission! We have persuaded Abdullah, the chief of the Xihu tribe, to hand over the area within a 20-mile radius of Khasab Fishing Port to our country for operation."

After meeting Qian Tiandun, Li Yuande took the initiative to report the results of the trip.

Qian Tiandun was very happy to hear the good news, so he asked the two of them to explain the specific situation in detail.

Although the visit to Xihu City yielded good results, the negotiation process was not smooth. At first, Xihu Chief Abdullah was not very interested in the cooperation plan they proposed, and was unwilling to introduce foreign forces into his territory. Moreover, Hai Han required a permanent presence in the area, the transformation of Khasab from a fishing port to a trading port, and control of local management and operation rights.

Although Mr. Li and Mr. Dong emphasized that the development process would not drive away the locals and would provide them with better job opportunities than fishing, and they also acknowledged that Khasab belonged to the Shihu tribe, since it was the first contact between the two sides, there was no mutual trust at all. Abdullah was skeptical about their promise and thought it was not worth the risk of handing Khasab over to them.

The subsequent negotiations were basically a process in which the Hai Han side gradually raised the price and persuaded the Xihu tribe to accept the conditions.

Qian Tiandun gave Li Dong and his partner the authority to persuade them to cooperate without using force. He believed that even if they gave the Xihu tribe some economic benefits, it would be much more economical than launching a military operation to rob them.

If something can be done by spending money, there is no need to take tough measures.

Li Yuande and Dong Shangyi both agreed with Qian Tiandun's attitude. They also believed that they could use a transaction to promote cooperation with the Xihu tribe. The reason they could not reach an agreement was simply that the conditions for cooperation were not suitable enough.

As long as the price was right, they believed that Abdullah would be able to give in. After all, Abdullah was not averse to Hai Han and even liked all kinds of goods from Hai Han. He was just not willing to accept Hai Han's settlement in Khasab.

After discussion, Mr. Li and Mr. Wang believed that the conditions for cooperation should still be based on the development prospects of the Xihu tribe, rather than just providing personal benefits to the tribal chief.

They then proposed new conditions to Abdullah. Hai Han would provide economic and military support to the Xihu tribe, and would help the Xihu tribe become the most powerful tribal force in the eastern Arabian Peninsula. Even if the Xihu tribe wanted to establish a country in the future, it would not be a problem. This move really worked. Abdullah was indeed tempted when he heard that the Xihu tribe could establish a country in the future. However, he still did not dare to rely on Hai Han's help. If Hai Han did not help, he would be risking the survival of the Xihu tribe.

Li Dong and his partner then arranged for Hai Han soldiers to accompany Abdullah and demonstrate his fighting ability.

Some people in the Xihu tribe had seen European muskets and artillery, but the weapons equipped by Hai Han were obviously more powerful. Not only could they fire bullets continuously, but they also had a longer range and higher accuracy.

Judging from the demonstration, the number of people in the escort delegation alone is enough to fight against a cold weapon force of a thousand people.

In the past thousands of years, the strongest force here was the traditional Arab cavalry, but in the face of these advanced weapons, the only way out for the cavalry was to use their good mobility to stay out of their range. Once they were within range, no matter how strong the warriors or how fast the horses were, they would only become live targets under the muzzles of guns.

No man would turn a blind eye to powerful military force, and Abdullah was no exception. After he witnessed the strength of the Hai Han army with his own eyes, he believed that the Hai Han envoy was not bragging, and that the Xihu tribe was indeed expected to welcome the most powerful ally in history.

Li Dong and the other two also took advantage of the situation to continue to sweeten Abdullah's heart, saying that if the Xihu tribe succeeded in establishing a nation in the future, then Chief Abdullah would become a founding monarch praised by future generations, which was far more valuable than being an unknown minor noble in Xihu City.

The cooperation between the Xihu tribe and the Hai Han Kingdom on the Khasab development project will be the starting point of these bright prospects.

Abdullah could not resist the two men's eloquent persuasion, and finally he decided to seize this rare opportunity to develop and expand the Xihu tribe.

So after several rounds of bargaining, the two sides finally reached a preliminary cooperation intention.

Hai Han recognized the Shihu tribe’s sovereignty over the Khasab region. The Shihu tribe designated the 20-mile area around the Khasab fishing port as a special development zone, allowing Hai Han to build ports, trading posts, military camps, roads, and other necessary facilities in this area. The subsequent operation of the related facilities will also be the responsibility of Hai Han.

The Xihu tribe will receive 20% of the operating income of the special development zone, which will be settled on an annual basis.

The Shihu tribe will coordinate with the Arab natives living there to free up the land needed by Hai Han for construction. The relocation expenses incurred during this period will also be funded by Hai Han.

Hai Han will provide jobs for local indigenous people, mainly construction site jobs in the early stage. After the port is completed, local people will be arranged to work in the port area.

Hai Han will establish a comprehensive college in Khasab to train professionals in the fields of military, commerce, infrastructure, etc. for the Shihu tribe, and assist the Shihu tribe in forming an armed force of 1,000 people.

Hai Han will provide military protection to the Xihu tribe. If the Xihu tribe is invaded by foreign enemies, Hai Han will be obliged to send troops to repel the enemy. When the time is right, Hai Han will assist the Xihu tribe in establishing a nation.

The Xihu tribe will become Hai Han’s most important trading partner in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, and will be able to obtain regional monopoly rights for a number of Hai Han products. Hai Han will help the Xihu tribe establish sea routes to the Eastern world and set up diplomatic and trade institutions in Hai Han.