Chapter 967: Strict Gatekeeping!

"Why are the Yin-serpents out again? I passed through West Xiawan yesterday and saw several Yin-serpents swimming in the sea. They were huge, almost the size of small whales!"

"Ah, was your ship alright?"

"As soon as we ran, the Yin-serpents chased us. They swam right in front of our bow for a long time, and everyone on board was terrified. They kept poking their heads out of the water as if observing something, and only swam away after half a stick of incense." The man still felt lingering fear. "Wasn't it said that this sea area was already safe?"

"When was that ever said?"

"Doesn't the new owner of the Yangshan Archipelago have the ability to control the Yin-serpents?"

"That’s just blowing things out of proportion; who knows how much of it is true?" His companion realized something. "Wait, that's not right. Yin-serpents never used to go to West Xiawan; that’s outside the range of the Yangshan Archipelago."

"Ever since the incident in the archipelago a while back and the Yin-serpent corpse tide, they’ve been wandering everywhere." The merchant sighed. "It’s no surprise where they pop up now."

Inspector Wu listened to a few words casually, not paying much mind.

Just then, Commandant Zhao entered from outside. Inspector Wu beckoned him over to a side room and asked:

"Are the accounts for last month finished? In three more days, we have to submit the silver seals to the national treasury."

"They are all done, don't you worry." Commandant Zhao looked left and right, and only after seeing that the two merchants had walked far away did he say, "The Yangshan Archipelago hasn't come to submit for inspection these past few days. I heard that most of their palm oil has already been harvested, and they’ve also tinkered with quite a few new goods."

Seeing that Inspector Wu didn't make a sound, he asked again: "What do you think?"

Inspector Wu rolled his eyes: "The new owner of the Yangshan Archipelago is, after all, just entering this trade. A novice lacks experience, and the quality is hard to control. The Maritime Trade Office must strictly gatekeep and repeatedly inspect his goods to urge them to meet standards as soon as possible."

"Yes, yes." Commandant Zhao immediately grasped the keywords "strictly" and "repeatedly." Come to think of it, the palm forest belonging to Inspector Wu's family also seemed to have a bumper harvest, and they had been shipping goods these days. Every season like this, out-of-town merchants would come to Blade Port to collect palm oil.

If they dragged it out for another twenty days or so, the merchants would finish their negotiations and orders, and then head home.

Commandant Zhao understood Inspector Wu's requirements; the sales and shop permits for the Yangshan Archipelago would definitely not be issued for at least another half-month. If the Yangshan Archipelago wanted to sell oil later, it wouldn't be so easy.

Once the local harvest season passed, the big merchants purchasing bulk commodities would leave the port and head to other regions to split and resell the goods on hand; after they left, only small peddlers and commoners would be left in Blade Port and the Xiawan area to make sporadic purchases.

Simply put, the difference between the two is wholesale versus retail; neither the volume nor the price is on the same level.

The Yangshan Archipelago's goods are primarily palm oil, and the volume is massive, so they must connect with bulk purchasers. Once the delivery season is missed, a large amount of goods will pile up in the warehouse and fail to sell; the meager sales volume in the retail market is just a drop in the bucket.

If goods pile up, it leads to poor circulation and a lack of capital turnover—

Money only continues to generate money when it circulates at high speed through the transaction process. For a novice island owner like He Lingchuan with limited financial resources, once goods cannot be sold, it is very easy to fall into a downward financial spiral.

Commandant Zhao immediately stated his position: "This subordinate will also diligently gatekeep in the later stages and help them improve their quality, so as not to fail the trust that many foreign merchants have in Blade Port."

Inspector Wu sighed with emotion: "Ensuring quality and building a good reputation is what is beneficial for the long-term development of the Yangshan Archipelago and Blade Port!"

Commandant Zhao added in a low voice: "My lord, I heard that this island owner surnamed He has some ability; even the pirates who have roamed the archipelago for years were subdued by him."

This matter had been the talk of the town over half a month ago, and the officials of Blade Port had already confirmed the authenticity of the news, all finding it incredible.

Commandant Zhao had rejected the Yangshan Archipelago's application three times, and he felt a bit anxious in his heart.

After all, the other party was not quite the same as an ordinary merchant.

Did this kind of trouble really have to be handled by him?

"Those pirates in the Yangshan Archipelago, what real ability could they have?" Inspector Wu snorted. "It’s just that the Yin-evil there is dense, making it impossible to make a living normally. The pirates are like weeds; they grow back no matter how many times you cut them, and in the end, no one can be bothered to argue with them."

"But it seems the Yin-evil was also dispelled by Island Owner He?"

"Seeing is believing. Even now, the depths of the archipelago are still shrouded in gray mist; you say he can really dispel it?" Inspector Wu sneered. "Some people want to chase fame before they chase profit. Once the reputation is big, are you afraid that money won't come rolling in?"

"But I heard that a few islands have already been cleared..." Commandant Zhao saw his superior's expression and immediately changed his tune. "This 'Island Owner He' has been in Blade Port for several months and has never visited you, my lord. How arrogant!"

"It is rumored that he has hosted many high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants, yet he only sent his subordinate, a manager surnamed Ding, to pay me a visit." Inspector Wu gave a cold, mirthless smile. "Young people, heh."

If he didn't nod, the Yangshan Archipelago wouldn't be able to sell a single bottle of oil or a single sheet of paper in Blade Port! The two returned to the front hall to work. Just as they sat down, a man rushed in from outside, fair-skinned and dressed in brocade, his expression anxious; he even nearly tripped while crossing the threshold.

It was nearly late autumn, yet he was covered in sweat. He shouted at Inspector Wu: "Master, something terrible has happened!"

This was Inspector Wu's disciple, who ran his own private school. Usually, he was a model of a teacher and carried himself with grace; when had he ever been this uncomposed? Inspector Wu frowned: "Has the sky fallen? Sit down and speak slowly."

"The Baoji has sunk."

Inspector Wu stood up with a start and scolded loudly: "What nonsense are you spouting!"

"It should have entered the port yesterday morning, but it was delayed. This morning, the crew of the Baoji returned by sampan from the sea, saying the ship encountered an attack by Yin-serpents. Their counterattack failed, so they had to abandon ship, and then—and then they watched helplessly as the ship sank."

The Baoji was Inspector Wu's ship, only it was registered under this disciple's name.

The ship was ten zhang long. It wasn't the largest ship in his possession, but it was the newest, having only left the dock and launched last year.

The keel of the Baoji was a rare piece of white iron fir, a gift to Inspector Wu from someone else. The Baoji built with it was extremely fast, and Inspector Wu himself often rode it out to sea.

Now, hearing that this ship had actually sunk, Inspector Wu felt terrible:

"What is going on! Why did the Yin-serpents attack my ship? Did it sail into the waters of the Yangshan Archipelago?"

"No, no, it was attacked while passing through West Xiawan!"

As soon as the words "West Xiawan" came out, Inspector Wu swallowed hard. Commandant Zhao on the side couldn't help but say: "West Xiawan! Just now, those two merchants also said that the Yin-serpents were eyeing their ship in West Xiawan and followed them for a long time, but they didn't attack them."

Now Inspector Wu found his voice grating: "I heard."

"Could the Yin-serpents be looking for your ship?"

Inspector Wu kept a cold face and said nothing.

When would monsters like Yin-serpents swim out of the depths of the Yangshan Archipelago to specifically attack a certain ship?

(End of chapter)