Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 20 Ripples
"…This should be the mouth of the Columbia River. More than a hundred kilometers upstream along the river mouth is the city of Portland."

"...Hey, look, that should be the San Francisco Bay, right? Tsk, tsk, I can't believe that at this time, San Francisco was still a wild jungle. Well, in the future, I want to build a house here, a house that can overlook the sea. You don't know, I come from a mountain city, and San Francisco is also a mountain city. Living here, maybe it will feel like home."

"...Oh, isn't that Los Angeles? The future largest city on the West Coast. Oh, and there's also Hollywood. We have to take over this place and then change its name! Hmm, why not call it Shanghai? ...What? It can't be called Shanghai? ...Okay, then we can call it Shenzhen. Such a great place, it will definitely be developed into a first-tier city in the future."

"...Hey, look! According to the chart, that's San Diego, the most important naval base in the continental United States. Okay, when we establish our nation, we'll also establish a naval base here to keep a close eye on the Spanish to the south. What? This place legally belongs to the Spanish? Nonsense! Where do they get legal authority?... From now on, whoever has the bigger fist will have legal authority!"

"..."

It has been more than half a month since we set out from Qiming Island. Riding on the strong northwest monsoon, the "Breaking Waves" is speeding at an ultra-high speed of 14-16 knots, cutting through the waves and getting closer and closer to the coast of Mexico.

The Spanish sailors on the ship had never imagined that such a large ship could run so fast.

You should know that during this period, the fastest ship speed was only 5-6 knots. With favorable winds and currents, some ships might run at 8 knots, but would never exceed 10 knots.

This streamlined three-masted sailing ship actually ran at a speed of over 14 knots, which shocked all the Spanish sailors.

Needless to say, the ship was so large and built of iron that everyone attributed it to God's masterpiece.

Yes, even the Dutch, who are world-famous for their shipbuilding, could not build such an iron ship, and at such a fast speed.

It is obvious that these Chinese people possess extremely high civilization and the most advanced technology.

Oh, yes, and their muskets, with their ultra-long-range shooting, powerful kinetic energy, and continuous firing, are an indelible nightmare in the hearts of all Spaniards.

At least twenty people died directly under their muskets, which caused them to lose the "St. Louis", their confidence in fighting, and ultimately their freedom.

Now, they sailed this ship with their advanced muskets, speeding southward all the way to Mexico.

To be honest, the Spanish sailors were extremely nervous and uneasy deep down.

Of course, this is not because of guilt or unwillingness to rob compatriots and kill fellow tribesmen.

Since becoming a sailor on an ocean-going merchant ship, his sense of morality and justice had long been discarded, and he threw them away without hesitation.

These things can't help you get through the gates of hell, nor can they guarantee that you will get rich and reach the peak of your life.

In Mexico, Peru, Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines, killing and violence always accompanied them. One by one, the indigenous people fell under their guns or knives. The elderly, women, children, and a large number of young and middle-aged people groaned in pain and died tragically, but they could remain calm deep in their hearts.

This world is an era where the strong prey on the weak. The strong are not blamed, while the weak are pitiful and self-deprecating.

Moreover, the Chinese also promised them that as long as they obeyed orders, followed arrangements, and followed them to attack the coastal port towns of Spain, they would be pardoned and restored to their status as free men.

However, they are still worried about it.

They were worried that the Chinese would use them as cannon fodder to attack Mexico's heavily defended ports, where they would all be killed by their own compatriots.

All of them together were only about fifty people. If they wanted to rush into the port and plunder a prosperous coastal town like those English pirates, it would be beyond their ability!

In addition, they also found that although the ship was extremely advanced, it had no firepower at all.

Yes, it doesn't even have a gun installed!

How could a pirate ship without any armed forces suppress and threaten a Spanish port town?

Could it be that they wanted to disguise themselves as a trading ship, sneak into the port, and then launch a surprise attack?
"No, they won't attack important ports like Acapulco," Harvey said, shaking his head. "Their targets are only those small, remote coastal towns."

"A remote village? What kind of money could they get from that?" a Spanish sailor said with a curled lip. "They're not going there to rob money."

"Then what are you going to rob? You're not going to just take some people back, are you?"

"Oh, you never know." Harvey smiled.

As he spoke, he turned around and looked at the other side of the ship. Several Chinese people were holding binoculars and pointing at the distant coastline. They seemed to be familiar with everything here and showed great interest.

Could it be that they had been here before?
-
December 12, Acapulco Port.

"bang"

In a tavern near the port area, a drunk trader roared a few times and suddenly lost control of his emotions. He overturned the small table in front of him, and for a moment, the cups and plates were in a mess, attracting everyone's attention.

"What's wrong with Mr. Correa?" Trader Miguel Cabrera frowned and glanced over, watching as the tavern owner angrily ordered his waiter to throw the drunk out.

"He may be going bankrupt, so his mood is extremely unstable." Port tax officer Diego Rodriguez looked over there sympathetically and then drank the wine in the glass.

"It's because of the St. Louis..." Cabrera immediately understood.

"Yes, because of the St. Louis," Rodriguez shook his head. "It's been delinquent for two months. It's almost certain to have sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Oh, that's terrible! At least twenty people will be burdened with huge debts because of this, and many will even go bankrupt like Mr. Correa."

"Oh, what a tragedy!" Cabrera shrugged. "That ship is quite large. If it were full of Eastern cargo, it would be worth more than half a million pesos. Oh, my God, half a million pesos—an astonishing fortune."

"Yes, over half a million pesos." Rodriguez licked his lips, a hint of greed in his eyes. "If only there were a machine that could detect those sunken ships. For that, I would spend all my wealth to buy such a magical machine."

"Haha..." Cabrera couldn't help but laugh. "I have to admit, Mr. Rodriguez, you have a very rich imagination. So, there's a problem. Even if you can use this machine to detect the sunken ship on the seabed, how will you get into the water to salvage it? No one can dive to such a depth, unless you find a witch who can turn you into a giant diving fish."

"Haha..." Rodriguez also laughed.

"Okay, let's get down to business." After so much pleasantries, Cabrera felt the time had come for a deal. "I'd like to bring some Eastern goods to Peru to sell. How much tax do I need to pay?"

"Mr. Cabrera, you're a true business genius," Rodriguez said, eyeing him with amusement. "Not only did you take advantage of the St. Louis's delay to raise the wholesale price of this cargo by over 20%, but you've even stockpiled an additional batch to sell to Peru. So, your profits from this trade will probably increase fivefold or sixfold, right? This world is so unfair. Some people are burdened with heavy debts due to damaged goods, while others profit from it. As for the taxes you need to pay, naturally..."

"...two percent." Cabrera interrupted him rudely and gave a number.

"This is unfair! As a dedicated tax collector, we must guard every tax checkpoint for the great king and ensure that every tax revenue goes into the kingdom's treasury."

"Three percent!" Cabrera's face darkened. "That's the bottom line. It can't go any higher. You have to stop there. You know, in addition to handling your port tax audit, I'll also have to pay a huge sum of money to the Acapulco city magistrate, the prosecutor's court, and many important figures in Mexico City. When the goods arrive in Peru, I'll also have to pay a fee to smooth things over with the local colonial government, the local garrison, and the tax officials."

"Three percent isn't out of the question." Rodriguez picked up the flask and poured himself another glass of wine. "But I'll need a separate fee. ... Five hundred pesos. Isn't that fair? It seems you didn't spend much to buy those licenses, so you've already made a lot of money. In that case, can you be generous to me for once?"

"Alas, I sometimes wonder how we merchants work so hard in our trade, constantly worried about our ships capsizing, our goods being unsalable, or encountering pirates, native robbers, and so on. And yet, in the end, we earn less than you, the superior people from the peninsula. You can easily pocket precious gold and silver coins with just a few words and a few gestures."

"Look at what you're saying." Seeing the other party acquiesce to his offer, Rodriguez felt particularly relieved and didn't care at all about his sarcasm. "Aren't your ancestors from the Peninsula like me? Maybe after spending enough time in Mexico, I'll like it and become a New Spaniard. Oh, and since you said you want to go to Peru, have you booked a ship? You know, right now, our American territories are preparing to organize the transportation of silver to the mainland, and merchant ships are hard to find."

"That's a relief." Cabrera stood up, ready to end the meeting. "In a few days, a merchant ship carrying grain from the north will arrive at the port of Acapulco. I'll use this ship to transport the goods from the East to Peru."

"A ship from the north?" Rodriguez nodded and said with a smile, "In that case, I wish you all the best. ... God bless you!"

"Of course, by the grace of God!" Cabrera said, and walked out of the tavern.

(End of this chapter)