1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3979

Li Yuande assisted the garrison troops on site throughout the entire process. Only after the matter was over did he meet with Chen and Sun and tell them the final decision.

Speaking of this matter, Li Yuande also expressed some helplessness: "Actually, it's just that these people are greedy and can't keep up with the demands. They're not satisfied with the resettlement conditions provided to them and always think that the government can make a few more concessions. But they forgot that the government here is not an ordinary government. Anyone who causes trouble without cause will be dealt with according to military law! Once the stick is raised, it will not be put down lightly!"

Chen Pingliao said, "I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that someone is causing trouble like this. It's a good example to warn other new immigrants and make them behave themselves."

Sun Zhen nodded in agreement: "There are all kinds of birds in a big forest. There are bound to be some people among the immigrants who are not so clean. It is better to find them and deal with them as soon as possible than to clean up the mess later when they cause big trouble."

Nowadays, the country is politically stable and prosperous, and there are many places in major cities that are hiring. Even if ordinary people do not own property, it is not difficult for them to make a living in the city. Therefore, the number of people willing to go overseas to make a living is actually decreasing.

Those who are still willing to accept the mobilization to settle in overseas colonies include some from impoverished families who are attracted by the generous immigration benefits, or those who have just moved to Haihan from other countries and need to quickly obtain citizenship through this channel.

Others have various reasons that cannot be told to outsiders, such as gamblers who have lost all their family property and have no choice but to leave their hometown, or those whose family members have made a name for themselves overseas and who are preparing to go and seek refuge with them. Of course, there are also criminals who have caused trouble and choose to flee abroad.

Some people who went to sea never intended to be honest immigrants. Instead, they planned to seize the opportunity to make a fortune overseas through deception and fraud. Naturally, they were unwilling to settle in the most difficult places. Most of those who opposed the government's arrangements were this kind of people.

As Sun Zhen said, such people are a public security hazard for a long time, and they may cause trouble at any time. Rather than making a big fuss about it later, it is better to let them show themselves early and deal with them before they cause major losses.

After they spend a few years in the mines undergoing reformation, if they survive, they will naturally have the rules of the special forces division firmly in mind. During this time, they will most likely learn a skill to make a living, so they will not have to resort to crooked ways in the future.

After resting in Phuket for five days, the group set off westward again.

After hundreds of immigrants and a shipment of goods were unloaded in Phuket, the empty cargo space was not left idle. Instead, it was filled with local Phuket produce and transported to several ports in the west.

"We can't afford to be careless. These days, the trade volume of each port is not large, and we can only make a little money by doing shipping business, which is like an ant carrying grains of rice. Last year, Commander Shi brought a group of domestic merchants, and this time a group of salt merchants' sons have come. In the future, we will have to share a lot of shipping business, and the competition will become more and more intense!"

After dealing with matters in Phuket, Li Yuande was noticeably more relaxed. After setting off, he chatted with Chen Pingliao about his business acumen.

Chen Pingliao simply smiled upon hearing this. Having spent so much time with Li Yuande, he knew the man was adept at complaining and crying foul, but these complaints often contained exaggeration and joking. In reality, the privileges and business share that Furuifeng enjoyed within the Special Operations Division's jurisdiction were still unmatched by its competitors. Had these newcomers merely stolen Furuifeng's business share? Even though Chen Pingliao was an outsider, after his on-site investigation in Phuket, he understood that things weren't so simple.

Whether they are ordinary immigrants or business owners, anyone who wants to settle down and establish themselves in the Special Operations Division's jurisdiction will inevitably have to deal with Furifeng. All the comings and goings of supplies, the exchange of money and goods, the transfer of land, and even the appointment of personnel are all closely related to Furifeng.

Even though the business share that appears to be taken by other merchants is on the surface, it is still inseparable from the trade system that Furi Fung built up locally. Moreover, most of the businesses that Furi Fung voluntarily gave up were those with low profits and high workloads. In this way, Li Yuande could concentrate his limited resources on operating those more profitable projects.

Li Yuande continued, "I just received news that Haihan Bank, seeing that my family's money shop business is doing well, is now also going to open a branch in Fubo Port. When will it be my turn to enjoy such a good thing?"

Chen Pingliao said, "I know your tricks. First, you complain endlessly, then you bring up the scorching sun. I'll guess you're going to say that even if Haihan Bank wants to open a branch here, it will have to coordinate with you on the flow of funds, and might even have to borrow money from you for emergencies?"

Li Yuande's eyes widened as he said, "You saw through this? Brother Chen, did you secretly come to Phuket a long time ago? Otherwise, how could you know all about this?"

Chen Pingliao shook his head and said, "I've never been to Phuket, but I'm familiar with this kind of trick. When my fathers and uncles were young, they often joked about this with each other at the dinner table. So when I saw your expression just now, I knew there must be a trap."

Li Yuande's father's history of dealing with the Haihan high-ranking officials can be traced back more than 30 years. He was naturally familiar with these boasting routines that were popularized by time travelers. However, he did not expect that Chen Pingliao also had a "family tradition of learning" and directly exposed his little trick.

Of course, what Li Yuande was going to boast about was not fabricated. Haihan Bank did indeed plan to open a branch in Fubo Port and did need Furuifeng to provide some assistance.

The reason is simple: Fu Ruifeng was the largest money exchange center in the area, and almost all official and private transactions revolved around it. Before the local branches of Haihan Bank were established, even the special operations division borrowed money from Fu Ruifeng's money shops when it needed temporary funds.

Even if Haihan Bank were to arrive, it would still be unable to bypass Furuifeng to conduct financial business. Moreover, it is foreseeable that Furuifeng's money exchange business would continue to operate within the Special Operations Division's jurisdiction and would not be replaced by Haihan Bank.

As for Li Yuande's earlier statement about making a meager living through the shipping business, Chen Pingliao might have been skeptical before coming here, but after seeing the situation in Phuket with his own eyes, he could only laugh it off.

Chen Pingliao even suspected that the domestic business community might have greatly underestimated the scale of trade in the Special Operations Division's jurisdiction, as well as the gains Li Yuande had made through his exclusive operation over the past few years.

The influx of domestic merchants and capital into the Indian Ocean region, seemingly vying for trade share with Furuifeng, is actually likely just a way to benefit Li Yuande—a situation he desperately wants. However, he can't reveal this to the outside world, which is why Li Yuande is constantly complaining.