Chapter 965: Commissioner Wu's Clever Maneuver

If the palm oil and other local specialties cannot be sold, the first big business deal will fall through, which is a major blow to the Yangshan Archipelago, which is just getting started. Starting from scratch in a foreign land is truly not easy.

"Hmm, Commissioner Wu." He Lingchuan pondered for a moment. Commissioner Wu’s targeting of the Yangshan Archipelago likely stems from the two reasons Guan Ke mentioned. "If his own interests conflict with ours, no matter how many gifts we send or how many favors we curry, it will be useless."

This is a case of where you sit determines where you stand.

Guan Ke added: "Palm oil is also produced near Blade Harbor, and this season happens to be when a large number of outside merchants arrive at the port to collect oil. If we cannot seize the opportunity to successfully market and sell the Yangshan Archipelago's palm oil within the next month, I fear the inventory will pile up more and more, and it won't be sold out by March or April of next year. By then, it will be the new harvest season, and old oil doesn't sell as well as new oil."

Qiu Hu sneered: "No wonder the Maritime Trade Office refuses to grant us a permit; it turns out they want to drag our business into ruin."

Needless to say, Commissioner Wu can sell his own stock out completely. And by missing the optimal sales window, He Lingchuan and the Yangshan Archipelago will suffer heavy losses.

Heh, the Lu father and son probably guessed he didn't have much money on hand; last time they added frost to snow, and this time they want to pull the firewood from under the cauldron—one trick after another.

He Lingchuan immediately concluded that further contact with Commissioner Wu would be useless; it would just be a waste of effort.

He turned his head and asked Lei Ni: "You used to sell palm oil, how much stock could those buyers take in?"

Lei Ni was startled: "However much I produced, they would collect, with no limit. But the work I did before was small-scale; how could it compare to the scale you have now?"

"Contact your buyers, and also tell Min Tianxi and Huang Zhao to contact their original buyers as well; there is as much palm oil as they want," He Lingchuan said. "The price can be slightly lower than the market rate to get rid of a portion of the inventory we have on hand first."

Ding Zuodong also nodded: "We need working capital, so the faster, the better."

Lei Ni replied in the affirmative.

They are already buying palm oil from pirates; why would those unofficial buyers need any quality inspection permit from Blade Harbor?

He Lingchuan asked again: "You mentioned earlier that he is from the lineage of the Qing Kingdom's Imperial Consort's family?"

"Yes, otherwise he wouldn't have landed such a lucrative position," Guan Ke told the group. "The proceeds from operating Blade Harbor account for at least twenty percent of the Qing Kingdom's revenue."

Judging by the prosperity of Blade Harbor, the annual income here is no small figure. Even if Commissioner Wu isn't greedy, he would still get grease on his hands just from handling the fat.

"What is the status of this Imperial Consort's brother in the Qing Kingdom's royal court?" Hopefully not like the Grand Marshal of the Yuan Kingdom, who was tough and thorny.

The Imperial Consort's brother is the brother of the Qing Kingdom's monarch's consort.

"A Grand Master of Splendid Happiness." Guan Ke didn't know the nobles of the Qing Kingdom's capital as well, "But his sister, the Imperial Noble Consort Yu, is a formidable character. I heard people from the Maritime Trade Office mention that although Commissioner Wu was recommended by the Imperial Consort's brother Ning, he actually takes orders directly from Imperial Noble Consort Yu."

"Imperial relatives." He Lingchuan gave a hum, "Commissioner Wu is hugging the thigh of an Imperial Noble Consort; no wonder he is thriving. Do they have no rivals in the royal court?"

"They do; the Assistant Minister of the Secretariat, Weng Min, and others are at odds with them."

He Lingchuan knew that the Assistant Minister of the Secretariat was equivalent to the position of Vice Prime Minister. Factions in the court are the norm. But as for the specific grievances between the two sides, Guan Ke was not clear. After all, he made a living in Blade Harbor, not the capital, so these were just hearsay.

"Since they are rivals in the court, has no one impeached Commissioner Wu?" Qiu Hu interjected, "I don't think this man surnamed Wu is a good official."

"When Commissioner Wu was still a Clerk, the person in charge of the Maritime Trade Office was Commissioner Zhao. That man was impeached for corruption and thrown into prison, which is how Commissioner Wu found room to rise." Guan Ke took a sip of tea, his mouth twisting from the bitterness. But this tea was bitter first and sweet later, especially good for cutting the charred grease of the skewers. "With that precedent, Commissioner Wu has always been very cautious."

He Lingchuan was very interested: "How cautious?"

"I told you just now that his family has a hundred acres of mountain forest? Actually, it's not under his name. Nominally, it belongs to his in-laws and several disciples," Guan Ke said in a low voice. "Those hundred-plus acres of woodland, including many precious tree species that are several hundred years old, originally belonged to the Bailie people. I heard that several dozen acres of it even belonged to the Lu family at one point; I don't know how it ended up empty for decades with no one managing it. Later, Blade Harbor was leased to the Qing Kingdom, and these lands were also carved over. Commissioner Wu used many methods to legally transfer these mountain forests to the names of his own people."

He Lingchuan’s hand holding the skewer suddenly froze.

Watching the show only to find it was about his own house? Tracing the source, Commissioner Wu’s hundred-plus acres of land were digging into his own foundation? By rights, the Bailie and Lu family lands should belong to He Lingchuan’s original body.

Well, by rights.

Useless ancestors, sigh.

The roasted sea rabbit in his hand suddenly didn't taste good anymore.

Guan Ke continued: "And Commissioner Wu himself never accepts bribes. If anyone dares to send them to his face, he will throw that person out of the office. All gifts and contributions are collected by two officials under him."

Ding Zuodong nodded: "That is quite cautious." Keeping himself clean and leaving no evidence for outsiders.

"Commissioner Wu also doesn't live in a luxury house; his whole family still lives in official quarters," Guan Ke waved his hand. "No matter how many times the superiors come to investigate, he appears clean and honest on the surface. I remember three years ago, the Qing court even publicly commended him for his integrity and dedication to public service."

Qiu Hu asked: "How do you know all this?"

"Ha!" Guan Ke laughed, "These things are hidden from the superiors but not from the subordinates, and they can't be hidden from the subordinates either. What’s the use of rumors spreading in the streets? Even if the common people know, what of it? Without solid evidence, they can't do anything to Commissioner Wu."

He Lingchuan also sipped his tea: "Besides those hundred-plus acres of mountain forest and paddy fields, what other stable sources of income does Commissioner Wu have? Preferably legal ones."

Stable means a steady stream of income, with cash constantly coming in.

No matter where you are, these are the kinds of assets that make people envious.

Guan Ke understood and didn't think much before saying: "Commissioner Wu hasn't made little money in the last ten years or so; every once in a while, he buys a ship and rents it out. Among them are ocean-going cargo ships whose load capacity ranks among the best in all of Blade Harbor. To date, he has bought ten large ships and twenty-two small ships, all of which are rented out."

Ding Zuodong gave an 'oh' upon hearing this: "No wonder. A while ago, I went to report for ship rental, and the Maritime Trade Office recommended a few large ships to me, saying that renting them would be guaranteed to be good. The ships were truly large, and the price was truly expensive; they were twice the size of the ships we rented later, but the price was more than four times higher."

Four times? Qiu Hu asked: "Isn't this price outrageous?"

"It is outrageous, but sea transport has off-seasons and peak seasons, and cargo ship rental prices fluctuate. Renting a ship during the peak palm harvest season versus renting one a few months later can't be the same price; at the most outrageous times, it can be five or six times higher. Who can say for sure?"

(End of chapter)