Chapter 963: New Subordinates

Many farmers saw He Lingchuan and stood up with smiles to greet him. Although he was the island master, He Lingchuan had no airs in front of them and often asked after their well-being. Nearby, the guards who had transitioned from pirates stood at attention and saluted He Lingchuan.

Once He Lingchuan had walked far away, a few of the newly joined men whispered, "Is that the island master?"

"That's him. He's very young, not even twenty yet!"

"When my son was twenty, he couldn't do a damn thing, couldn't even father a child. Look at this guy—such a massive business under his hand, so many people!"

"He treats us well, too, unlike those rich masters who don't look at us like human beings!"

The newcomer said, "He's just putting on a show. These rich people all have black hearts."

A woman working nearby wasn't pleased; she threw a freshly washed palm fruit at him: "Hey, you're new here, right? Spouting nonsense without knowing anything? Careful, or that mouth of yours might get torn off!"

Others also said, "Island Master He listens to us very carefully. Before he came, if we had complaints—see that red house over there?"

The newcomer followed his finger and looked; sure enough, there was a house by the bamboo grove with its exterior walls painted red, making it very conspicuous.

"—There's someone inside responsible for the scheduling and coordination of the workshops. If we have complaints or inconveniences, we just tell him, and he writes them down to submit upward."

The newcomer was surprised: "Is it actually useful?"

"It's useful," the woman washing fruit said. "I told the red house that the venomous insects on the island were biting especially hard, causing swelling with a single sting, and I couldn't even sleep at night. The insect repellent from the ordinary physician didn't work. Two days later, they actually issued us new repellent from above."

"I heard it was specially formulated by the medicine monkey around Island Master He. It works as soon as you apply it, and it doesn't wash off with sweat—aren't you wearing it right now? If you weren't, you'd be foaming at the mouth by now!"

Others nodded in agreement: "Useful, it's useful. The suggestions I went to make were also adopted."

"Some people even steal this medicine to sell at the port; they have no shame!" The dense forest surrounding Blade Harbor was full of fierce mosquitoes and insects, so there was a market for repellent.

The workshop was bustling all day long, and He Lingchuan had no time to pay attention to the gossip behind his back. Ever since he bought the Yangshan Archipelago, he had been the center of conversation, whether in Blade Harbor or on the island. Unmoved by favor or humiliation—well, he had already cultivated his heart to be as still as stagnant water, unmoved by favor or humiliation.

But he had heard the sentence above and began to ponder the business of insect repellent.

Besides refining a few hundred Heart-Clearing Pills, Ling Guang had been idle lately and had visibly gained a round of weight. How about...? Instead of others stealing his medicine to sell, he might as well sell the genuine product openly. Anyway, the specialty store for the Yangshan Archipelago was about to open.

After finishing his rounds and handing the discovered problems to Lei Ni for rectification, He Lingchuan saw two people hurrying toward him from the front.

One of them was Ding Zuodong.

In less than two months, he had lost a significant amount of weight and his skin had darkened by two shades.

But the busier Ding Zuodong was, the more energetic he became. Now he walked with his chest out and head high, full of vigor, a completely different person from his time in Yuan Capital.

No matter which island he was on, others had to respectfully address him as "Grand Steward" when they saw him.

"Old Ding!" He Lingchuan strode to meet him, smiling brightly, "Why are you here?"

"My lord." He Lingchuan could be informal, but Ding Zuodong could not. He still performed a salute before introducing the man beside him, "This is a newly recruited manager, Guan Ke. He used to be a 'helper' in Blade Harbor and also acted as a 'matchmaker' for many merchants. He knows all the ins and outs; he's a local expert."

When outsiders arrived at Blade Harbor, they were unfamiliar with the place. A "helper," as the name suggests, helped them handle many matters, including clothing, food, housing, transportation, and purchasing—everything.

When in Dunyu City of the Yuan Kingdom, Ding Zuodong had also played this role.

A "matchmaker" was the local term in Blade Harbor for a socialite who acted as a go-between for merchants.

Blade Harbor was a busy free port that received traffic from all directions. Wherever goods and merchants went, there were naturally countless outside traders looking for business opportunities, and the role of a "matchmaker" was to help them "form a pair."

This Guan Ke had a square head and big ears, a glowing red face, and a booming voice when he spoke; he looked every bit the merchant.

He bowed deeply to He Lingchuan, his hands almost touching the mud: "Hearing of you a hundred times is not as good as seeing you once. My lord's heroic bearing is refreshing; Guan Ke is truly impressed."

He had defected to Ding Zuodong's side, seven parts for his future prospects and three parts out of curiosity.

A place like Blade Harbor had always been a mix of fish and dragons. But for He Lingchuan to stir up such a storm upon his arrival, making his name known to everyone within ten miles, was something an ordinary person could not achieve.

Guan Ke wanted to take a close look at what kind of person this really was.

"Alright, enough with the flattery." He Lingchuan waved his hand, "You were doing just fine in Blade Harbor, making money with no one to boss you around. Why come to me?"

Helpers and matchmakers were freelancers who worked for themselves and didn't have to look at a boss's face.

If this man surnamed Guan really had talent, why look for a boss now?

Guan Ke rubbed his nose, looking a bit embarrassed: "This... I already told Steward Ding, but actually, I ran into a bit of trouble."

He Lingchuan was not surprised: "Oh? Tell me about it."

"Half a year ago, I brokered a deal. Both sides were quite satisfied afterward and gave me a generous commission. Who knew one of the parties would suddenly go bankrupt recently and disappear with a large sum of money belonging to their business partner? The people who got cheated couldn't find them, remembered that I had brokered the deal, and came to take their anger out on me, threatening to break both my legs." Guan Ke gave a bitter smile, "That was truly venting anger on the wrong person! I'm just introducing business; I don't provide guarantees. Besides, that deal I introduced was successful. What they did afterward is none of my business. Who can guarantee that a business partner won't have second thoughts for the rest of their life?"

Ding Zuodong laughed: "That's why he defected to us. The Master's reputation in Blade Harbor is quite loud, and with people and industries under his command, ordinary people wouldn't dare to provoke us."

The man surnamed Guan was here to cling to a powerful figure.

"I know Matchmaker Guan; he brokered deals for my father twice, and the goods sold very smoothly." Lei Ni, who was behind He Lingchuan, laughed, "However, Matchmaker Guan, if you don't handle your duties well here, it won't be as simple as just having your legs broken!"

Guan Ke nodded: "Understood, understood. If I don't handle my duties well, there's no need for the Master to do anything himself!"

He Lingchuan looked at him and smiled: "Was it you who suggested to Old Ding not to buy those dozens of ships from the Yashan Chamber of Commerce?"

Guan Ke nodded: "It was me."

Ding Zuodong added at the right moment: "Just in these past few days, the ships of the Yashan Chamber of Commerce have already been sold out, purchased by three different parties."

Needless to say, the price must have been favorable; otherwise, how could they have sold so quickly?

Guan Ke remained stubborn: "I heard that too, but there's a catch to cheap things."

(End of chapter)