1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3840

The second manager of Lufa was named Cheng Yunya. It is said that he had some kinship with Lu Congshan, the prefect of Jiujiang, and therefore enjoyed Lu's deep trust.

In fact, the reason he was sent to Nanjing was because Lu Congshan needed to know the true situation of the shipping trade between Lufaxing and Haihan, so he had to arrange for someone "his own" to be stationed in Nanjing.

Therefore, although Cheng Yunya was the second-in-command at the Lufax branch, he was fully in charge of the most profitable part of the business, the trade with Haihan.

When Qin Jian, the manager of Yanziji Wharf, summoned Ming Dynasty merchants to investigate their backgrounds, Cheng Yunya did not hesitate to name Lu Congshan.

In Cheng Yunya's view, Qin Jian's situation was very real, and the berthing arrangements at Yanziji Wharf did indeed need some adjustments.

He had long been dissatisfied that too many ship merchants on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were qualified to conduct trade with the Han Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty ship merchants docking at Yanziji Wharf could be classified and given different treatment in a way that Qin Jian claimed, he would be very happy to see it happen.

With the title of "Prefect of Jiujiang" and the considerable trade volume of Lufax, he should be able to secure top-tier treatment. Having a dedicated berth at Yanziji Wharf would greatly improve the efficiency of loading and unloading goods for the merchant guild.

Half a month later, Cheng Yunya received another invitation from Qin Jian, who specifically instructed him not to spread the news, as this invitation was made without the involvement of any third party.

Cheng Yunya was unaware of his boss's communication with Yue Shizong in Hangzhou. Naturally, he connected this with Qin Jian's previous information gathering, concluding that Qin Jian recognized the weight of his backer and was preparing to offer Lufaxing special treatment. He readily accepted the invitation.

When Cheng Yunya arrived at the private room in the restaurant designated by Qin Jian, he saw that there were indeed no other people waiting around. He was even more convinced that he was right and that Qin Jian had invited him to reach a cooperation agreement.

As expected, after Cheng Yunya took his seat, Qin Jian took the initiative to bring up the follow-up to the information gathering from last time.

"Manager Cheng, after I reported the situation of Lufax Development Company to my superiors, they all attached great importance to it and asked me to arrange a dedicated berth for Lufax Development Company as soon as possible."

Upon hearing the term "dedicated berth," Cheng Yunya couldn't help but show excitement. Qin Jian noticed this and continued calmly, "Of course, I believe Manager Cheng is also aware of the situation at Yanziji Wharf. The area that can be designated as a dedicated berth is very limited, and there are countless eyes watching from inside and outside, so this treatment is certainly not given casually."

Cheng Yunya quickly replied, "Lord Qin is right. I have prepared some small gifts, and I hope that Lord Qin will accept them as a token of appreciation for your mediation."

After saying this, Cheng Yunya took out an envelope from his pocket and respectfully handed it to Qin Jian with both hands.

Cheng Yunya took Qin Jian's words as an implication of demanding benefits, and he was prepared for this. Qin Jian, on the other hand, was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and took the envelope.

"I often tell the higher-ups that Manager Cheng of Lufax is a man of great vision and a rare talent in business. If Haihan could have more people like Manager Cheng, how could its commerce not prosper!"

Having accepted the bribe, Qin Jian naturally had to say a few nice words, and also use this opportunity to test Cheng Yunya's attitude, to see if there was a chance to further win him over. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Cheng Yunya continued the conversation by inquiring, "Lord Qin, your country is at the height of its power and full of talented people, surely you don't need a few small business owners?"

Qin Jian waved his hand and said, "Manager Cheng is too modest. Lufaxing is no small business in any country. To be able to manage such a large trading company like Lufaxing and make international trade so successful, you are definitely a talented person!"

Qin Jian chatted with Cheng Yunya for a while and felt that this person might have lived in Nanjing for a long time and been subtly influenced by the surrounding environment, and was quite quick-witted.

However, Cheng Yunya still had a clear understanding of his position and was not blinded by Qin Jian's flattery. He knew very well where his current wealth and status came from. His greatest asset was not his position as the second manager of Lufaxing, but his powerful backer in the Jiujiang Prefecture government.

If he were to break away from the Ming Dynasty and join the Han Dynasty, it wouldn't be so easy for him to find another powerful patron.

Qin Jian's hints, coupled with the lack of any significant shift in Cheng Yunya's stance, left him somewhat disappointed. However, he didn't give up on his plan and instead subtly inquired about the situation in Jiujiang Prefecture.

Cheng Yunya had no suspicions and assumed that Qin Jian was asking about these things to confirm the influence of Lufax, so he cooperated by telling Qin Jian everything he knew.

Qin Jian's question actually yielded some valuable information.

Jiangxi's water system is mainly composed of five major rivers: the Gan River, the Fu River, the Xin River, the Rao River, and the Xiu River. These rivers all flow into Poyang Lake and then into the Yangtze River. Jiujiang is the gateway for Jiangxi's water system to join the Yangtze River, making shipping and trade highly developed there.

Shipping connections between Jiangxi and the outside world primarily pass through Jiujiang, and Lufax, as the largest shipping company in Jiujiang's economy, naturally wields considerable influence. Many local small trading companies lack the shipping capabilities to expand their trade beyond Jiangxi, so Lufax would contact them to undertake shipping and even agency trading business.

In this environment, Lufaxing had many opportunities to interact with powerful figures in Jiujiang and even other parts of Jiangxi. With the support of Prefect Lu Congshan, Lufaxing's influence in the shipping and foreign trade sector was already showing signs of becoming the number one in Jiangxi.

By this time, the two had already downed a pot of wine. Cheng Yunya, feeling the effects of the alcohol, couldn't help but pat his chest and boast that through Lu Faxing's network of connections, he could contact most of the civil and military officials of the fifth rank or above in Jiangxi. If Qin Jian had any such needs, Lu Faxing could easily handle it for him.

This information cheered Qin Jian up. He and Qu Deren planned to provide reception and resettlement services for the powerful and wealthy in Jiangxi, which would inevitably require intermediaries with extensive connections. Now it seemed that Cheng Yunya from Lufax was a ready-made candidate.

If we can persuade Cheng Yunya to join in, the chances of success will at least double.

Qin Jian immediately changed the subject: "Manager Cheng, according to you, it's not just merchants in Jiangxi, but also many officials who hope to maintain normal relations with our country. I wonder how the powerful circles in Jiangxi, as you know them, view the current relationship between the two countries?"

Cheng Yunya chuckled and said, "This matter is too sensitive; I dare not speak carelessly about it."

Qin Jian said, "We're just chatting after drinking, and there are no outsiders present, so please feel free to speak."