1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 741 The Handover Completed
Due to the historical problems of the Ambuna Port, Dutch ships will not only be subject to many restrictions when docking here, but also the price of supplies is much higher than other places in Southeast Asia.Although the Dutch also have a small supply point in the Tamilan Islands, more than 300 kilometers south of the Ambuna Port, what they can provide there is extremely limited, except for salty fresh water and some Wild fruit, there is nothing else that can be eaten into the stomach.

Of course, the former port of Annabuna was not much better. Except for a tavern selling low-quality fruit wine on the island, which could temporarily relieve the sailors' alcohol addiction, other aspects were also lackluster.The Dutch only operate this place as a supply station in the South China Sea, and have no intention of investing resources in vigorous development.Anyway, the pampered high-ranking officials all lived in Batavia, and no one cared about how the lowly status sailors and crew would feel.

But Annaport is different now. Since the Haihan people took over here last year, the island has undergone a lot of changes.Needless to say about the construction of the port, the port of Ambuna Port is three times the size of the past, and the efficiency of port operations has also improved a lot.What makes the crew members who come and go here is even more gratifying is that there are more and more types of supplies that can be obtained here. The Haihan people even built several farms on the island, transporting all kinds of poultry and livestock from the mainland to raise them on the island. served as a meat supplement.In addition, the number of vegetables and fruits on the island has changed from a limited number of two or three types in the past, which were cut off from time to time due to seasonal issues, to more than a dozen types at once, and fresh fruits and vegetables can be purchased at the port through the port center at any time.

The sailors' favorite alcoholic drink has also been upgraded. You can actually buy the authentic "Sanya Special Brew" produced in Qiongzhou Island here. become.However, during the voyage, sailors who suffer from alcohol addiction will not care about these details. The most important thing is to enjoy good wine and food. After all, only here in the entire South China Sea can enjoy relatively high-quality service and treatment.

At present, there are only a few commercial inns on the island that can temporarily function as hotels, but a large hotel is already under construction. This hotel, led by the Haihan Ministry of Commerce and invested by the "South China Sea Trade Chamber of Commerce" composed of businessmen from various countries, is under construction. After that, better accommodation and dining conditions will be provided to travelers temporarily staying here.Of course, the price of the service will probably be a little bit more expensive than the cities on the mainland.But for consumers, it is definitely worth it, after all, there is no other place in the whole South China Sea.

In addition to these, businessmen coming and going here can also obtain the latest trade information from the trading hall of the port center, such as the recent cotton textile prices in Batavia, the purchase price of rice in Champa, and the spices in Borneo. Quotes and so on.These economic information did not come from the hearsay of merchants or sailors after they drank too much, but were all provided by members of the "South China Sea Trade Chamber of Commerce", and they were all certified and reliable information.Merchants can use this information to discover the business opportunities they can grasp, and ship goods to the most profitable places for transactions.

For businessmen whose voyages often need to cross the entire South China Sea, the business intelligence that can be obtained here is extremely precious.If you can obtain valuable information, you can not only save yourself the time of traveling back and forth at sea, but also reduce trade risks and increase trade profits.This kind of information service provided by Annapurna Port is completely free, which is even more difficult to refuse.

Some people may not understand Haihan's free measures, but in fact Haihan's approach will not bring economic losses. The technical advantages in the means can better participate in or even intervene in the price and process of some large trades.The port center often comes forward to purchase certain goods shipped from Nanyang, and these acquisition objects are often the most lucrative commodities.Of course, as for who purchased these products and where they were sold to, Haihan will not announce them in the trading hall.

Because the various services provided here are not found in other places, most businessmen from various countries will choose the Abuna Islands as a must-stop during their voyage across the South China Sea.Even the Dutch, who have always held grudges against Haihan, will temporarily put aside the past conflicts for the sake of practical interests, grit their teeth and accept the extortion of the Haihan people, and come here for a day or two.

But this time the Dutch enjoyed special preferential treatment because they brought along the "lucky star" Cheng Dapeng.About an hour after Cheng Dapeng came forward to negotiate with the Haihan people, the port center notified the Dutch fleet that they would get a one-time discount for the supplies they purchased at the Ambuna port this time, and it was entirely up to the eye. The preferential treatment given to Cheng Dapeng's family is one of the senior members of the "South China Sea Trade Chamber of Commerce".As the news spread, several Dutch captains were very happy, which means that they can save a lot of public funds for the supplies this time. In addition to buying wine for the crew, they can also increase their own pockets. Less gray income.

But Cheng Dapeng did not return to the pier quickly. It is said that he met an old acquaintance in the port center and was dragged to the dinner at night.This of course made the Dutch captains very envious. Because of their nationality, their freedom of movement in this port was severely restricted, and they could not leave the port at all. They could only purchase everything they needed through the port center.Although you can buy all the goods and services that the island can provide as long as you are willing to spend money, it is not a comfortable thing to be restricted in the activity area.The captains originally wanted to thank Cheng Dapeng in person, but now it seems that they can only complete this plan during the dinner toast.

Now Cheng Dapeng has enough time to report to Roger, and the information he provided also opened Roger's eyes.The Haihan military originally thought that the Dutch would have a greater chance of victory. After all, they occupied a favorable location and people, and they had more advanced weapons and equipment as a guarantee. However, the Mata blue people fought across the sea, whether it was troop mobilization or logistical supplies. There are many problems. In a fight between the two, the Dutch have at least a [-]% winning rate. Even if they can't drive the Matalan people out of Batavia Port, they can drag the opponent's logistics to death.

However, the real situation of the local battle undoubtedly exceeded the pre-war calculations of the Haihan military. Not only did the Matalan people not suffer on the scene, but in the middle and late stages of the war, the Dutch were defeated and unable to parry.Of course, a large part of the reason for this is that the Matalans have a great advantage in military strength, but they have to admit that their combat methods and effects are amazing, and the Dutch are obviously not fully prepared for this. The tragedy of being successfully copied by the opponent was staged.

Fortunately, a super risky strategy had been arranged before Cohen passed away, and fortunately, it was executed almost perfectly in this battle.The sudden Dutch fleet saved Batavia and the East India Company at the last moment, and made the Matalan people evacuate again from the battlefield that had failed three times with full of unwillingness.No one can be sure whether the Matalans will make a comeback, but there is no doubt that their losses this time far exceed the previous two Maho wars, at least in the short term, they are unable to attack Batavia again.

The damage to Batavia City caused by the war can also be roughly known from Cheng Dapeng's narration. Although there are no specific statistics, the damage caused may not be fully recovered in a short time.In terms of the outcome of the war, it was in line with the Executive Committee's expected goal, that is, both parties involved in the war would suffer losses.

Although Haihan currently does not have enough strength to extend its tentacles to Sumatra and Java, the damage after the collision of these two forces will also leave more time and space for Haihan to develop.When Haihan goes south in the future, the external pressure and competition he will face will be less because of this.

Cheng Dapeng did not return to the pier until midnight that day, and the crew members who were already drunk naturally would not have any doubts about his whereabouts.Early the next morning, after replenishing fresh water, the Dutch fleet pulled anchor and set sail, continuing to sail north.Cheng Dapeng will continue to implement his mission and play his current role well.

Cheng Dapeng himself may not have realized that his performance during the Batavia War was a legend in the history of Haihan intelligence, and then Roger reported to the headquarters what was not mentioned in the previous report After that, it immediately attracted the attention of the Executive Committee and the Ministry of Security.This is not only because the war information he collected has high reference value, but more importantly, he has already started to contact the high-level personnel of the East India Company and gained the trust of the other party.For the Haihan Security Department, this can be regarded as a major breakthrough in Nanyang intelligence affairs.

The Ministry of Security has arranged two independent intelligence forces in Batavia, the bright one and the dark one. Among them, Cheng Dapeng is considered to be the clear one, and it focuses on shopping malls and officialdom. Sent back a report, it is currently uncertain whether it is still operational.In the short term, Cheng Dapeng and his Dacheng rice line will be the only window and information channel of the Ministry of Security in Nanyang, and the reliance on his line will also increase greatly.

It is one of the long-term goals of the Ministry of Security that Cheng Dapeng can get in touch with the middle and upper-level personnel of the East India Company. Dutch trust.Cheng Dapeng received a special protection order issued by the East India Company Council before the war was over, and asked him to help raise food immediately after the war. This has fully demonstrated the importance and trust of the Dutch towards him. .If this opportunity is used properly, Cheng Dapeng may get more channels to obtain first-hand information in the future.

Although Cheng Dapeng himself is temporarily unable to return to Sanya to accept the face-to-face commendations from the heads of the executive committee, there is no doubt that his commendation order will be issued together with the administrative order for promotion soon—maybe When he returned from the city, he could receive his prize at the port of Anbuna.

Although I don't know what kind of rewards the executive committee will give to Cheng Dapeng, there is no doubt that Cheng Dapeng's future career will definitely take off because of this.At present, Hao Wanqing is in charge of the Nanyang Affairs Department of the Ministry of Security. However, with the expansion of Haihan's territory, Hao Wanqing, who has limited energy, will sooner or later hand over the burden to the people below. Cheng Dapeng, who has excellent grades, is obviously an excellent candidate.

Of course, before that, Cheng Dapeng will probably be recalled to Sanya for a period of training.After all, although he currently has rich front-line work experience, his experience in action planning and personnel management in a certain area may not be able to support a higher position.In addition, the executive committee attaches great importance to the ideological and political work of these expatriates.Like Cheng Dapeng, who has been in a pampered environment for a long time, his mentality will inevitably change little by little. In order to maintain his loyalty, necessary brainwashing methods must be implemented periodically.

The only thing Roger was worried about was whether Cheng Dapeng's Dutch fleet would collide with his colleague's Mata Blue fleet on the way. The risks are definitely uncontrollable.

However, Roger's worries did not come true. Five days after the Dutch fleet left the port of Ambuna, the Mata blue fleet appeared in the waters near Ambuna.

For this Mata blue team, Roger has already made some preparations.If this fleet returns to Batavia recklessly, it will undoubtedly become a prisoner of the Dutch, and Cheng Dapeng's colleagues may be implicated, which will affect Cheng Dapeng's reputation in the hearts of the Dutch. credibility.So Roger is going to intercept this fleet at the port of Annabuna, at least to keep the people from the Ministry of Security, so as not to be dragged into the water by the Matalan people.

The Mata Blue Fleet once docked at the Port of Ambuna when they went north, so the three accompanying people also met Roger and others. It is not difficult to find them from the crew.The main trouble lies in how to keep these three people and try to avoid unnecessary conflicts with the Matalan people.

Li Dagui gave Luo Jie a simple and rude idea-to go black and eat black directly, swallowing the deal of Mata Lanren with his people and boats.There is no official diplomatic relationship between Haihan and Matalam, nor even a direct business relationship, so there is nothing to avoid.The port of Annabuna was originally Haihan's territory, so it would take a lot of trouble to take down this fleet in minutes.

(End of this chapter)