Chapter 971: Platinum Island

"What were you doing just now?"

Min Tianxi kept his hands neatly on his trouser legs: "Eating, drinking, and playing with the brothers."

They were also eating meat and drinking when playing cards.

He Lingchuan could, of course, see that he had been drinking, so he smiled: "It doesn't matter if you gamble to pass the time, but remember that there is no general who always wins at the gambling table. People who lead troops to fight must know how to restrain themselves and keep their hearts clear."

So, the master knows his words and actions very well. Min Tianxi felt a chill in his heart and hurriedly responded with a "Yes."

Here, gambling is also called playing for money.

"How is the recruitment for the guard team going?" He Lingchuan sits on such a large industry in the Yangshan Archipelago, of course, he wants to cultivate his own armed forces, making early plans for the future.

"370 strong men were recruited from Blade Harbor and Baili, and there are 180 people recruited by brothers bringing relatives and friends from their hometowns; in addition, among the laborers who came to the island to farm, there are actually more than 1,700 people who signed up to join the army, but they are of all ages, and there are 60-year-old old men who insist on signing up, saying they were soldiers before and have experience." He scratched his head. "Adding our original 600-plus people, the total number is exactly 2,860."

"Qiu Da said the test is tomorrow, and only those who pass can be retained." Qiu Da is Qiu Hu, and now the guard team calls him that.

Is it a lot? He Lingchuan was not surprised at all. The laborers recruited to the Yangshan Archipelago can be attracted by the wages of farming and picking palm, so they can be attracted by the higher wages of the guard team—the latter is more than double the former.

Since they are all on the island and have to work in the wind and sun, they might as well sign up for the guard team, and if they pass, they can get high wages. Most laborers have this mentality, so even old men want to try.

This is also He Lingchuan's purpose in recruiting a large number of laborers to the island: the source of recruitment is, of course, strong labor, and the more the better.

Selecting soldiers to join the army has standards, testing physical strength, endurance, speed, and courage. He Lingchuan has been the Grand Commander of the Yuheng Army for more than half a year and has already gained a lot of experience in selecting and training soldiers.

If strictly following He Lingchuan's standards, the first batch of elites is usually selected from the best, and it would be good if 400 of the 1,700-plus laborers who signed up could be retained. But the Yangshan Archipelago is now severely lacking in armed forces, so the standards have to be relaxed.

Most of the time, people have to bow to reality.

This work was handled by Qiu Hu later, and He Lingchuan also imparted some experience. He had more important things to do at the moment.

"Have you been to the Ghost Market on Platinum Island?"

An island named after platinum, interesting.

"I've been there five or six times, and I've bought and sold things." Min Tianxi gradually figured out He Lingchuan's temper; this master likes concise and efficient reports from his subordinates, not those with ulterior motives. He asks what he asks, and he answers what he answers. "That place is a lawless land, a good place to sell stolen goods, gathering buyers from all over the world and all kinds of good things of unknown origin. We like to take stolen goods that are hard to sell openly to sell there."

"Whose territory is that?"

"Platinum Island is a three-no-care zone on the surface, but in reality, the Taihang Sect has the greatest power."

Taihang Sect? "How far is it from here?"

"With a favorable wind, it's about a two-and-a-half to three-day voyage."

"Go prepare the ship." He Lingchuan looked at the letter on the table. "We'll make a trip to Platinum Island."

"Eh? Good!" Min Tianxi turned around to make preparations for the voyage.

Sparkling sea surface, dense jungle, silent reefs, flying seagulls, and of course, the ceaseless sound of the tide.

After staying for a long time, one understands that the scenery of sea islands is all about the same.

There are several other archipelagos on the ocean surface east of the Yangshan Archipelago, with as many as hundreds of islands, and Platinum Island is just one of them.

The local business is unique.

This place doesn't belong to any force, or rather, there are dozens of forces on these major archipelagos, thus forming a peculiar ecology, freer than a free port. The island area is limited, the waterways are relatively narrow, and large-scale transit business cannot be done, but opening gambling houses, opening black markets, and doing all kinds of strange businesses are most suitable.

It is a lawless land, and outsiders cannot intervene at all.

Because the voyage was smooth, He Lingchuan's ship arrived at the destination in two days, faster than originally planned.

The waterway conditions of these archipelagos are more complex than the Yangshan Archipelago, and rowing through the islands is like walking in the dark alleys of a city; without a local guide, one will definitely get lost.

Min Tianxi is half a local. He led He Lingchuan and Dong Rui to the Platinum Island pier and found that it looked like an ordinary seaport:

Fishing boats unloading cargo at the pier, seagulls fighting with boatmen for food, and waiters in small taverns swatting flies by the window.

But walking further in, the stone-paved streets were very clean, and the buildings on both sides were neatly repaired. Dong Rui was a little surprised: "It looks pretty good here?"

He originally thought that since Platinum Island was in a three-no-care zone, the interface should be chaotic, dirty, and vibrant, but now looking at it, it was brighter than an ordinary small town, and there were no fierce-looking men staring at him constantly.

Even in the countryside of Beijia, which one isn't dusty?

Taverns and inns stand in great numbers here, and it seems like anything can be done, but He Lingchuan soon noticed that pawnshops were opened on this street, and "material shops" were opened at the end of that alley. These two types of storefronts can be said to be everywhere on Platinum Island.

Everyone knows what pawnshops are for. What about those material shops?

Min Tianxi immediately explained: "These material shops are for receiving goods. If you have any good goods, you can take them in and show them to people, and the other party will give an estimate. If we think it's appropriate, this deal is done."

Dong Rui immediately asked: "What if the price can't be negotiated, and the shopkeeper wants to kill for treasure?"

"If you can walk out of the shop alive, you can complain to the Taihang Sect, and they will preside over justice." Min Tianxi smiled. "Cough, just kidding. Trading here is usually safe; otherwise, if there were one or two accidents, others wouldn't dare to come."

No matter how chaotic a place is, as long as there are people, it will slowly become orderly in chaos.

"It seems the Taihang Sect manages this place well, it's just too quiet." Platinum Island is not small, but it is very quiet everywhere, with few pedestrians.

The three walked on the street, and could even hear the birds in the trees singing a song.

"Since it's called a 'Ghost Market,' of course, it only opens for business at night." Min Tianxi pointed to the east. "Where we landed, there is a cape tower on the cliff to the east. You can see it standing here. When it lights up, the Ghost Market opens; if it lights two lamps, there will be an auction that night."

However, He Lingchuan didn't rush to Platinum Island to join the fun of the Ghost Market, but to find someone.

Min Tianxi led the two through the streets and alleys, walking deep into Platinum Island.

There were fewer and fewer people, and the buildings were getting taller and larger, with the style of a large courtyard. Min Tianxi was relatively unfamiliar with this place and asked for directions twice before leading He Lingchuan to the destination of this long journey: Old Bai's Material Shop.

Compared to the large courtyards on the side, its storefront was a bit small. After asking passersby, everyone pointed here, and one even said: You won't recognize it wrong, there is no second Old Bai's Material Shop on this island.

But it looked too ordinary, Min Tianxi looked up several times before saying: "It should be here."

He Lingchuan walked in, the wind chime at the door rang, and the clerk at the counter looked up: "Greetings, guest! What do you need?"

It looked like a second-hand shop here, with most of the displays looking dusty, neither grand nor high-end.

But there was something on the shelf, and He Lingchuan's eyes fixed on it as soon as they swept over it: a small half-candle, pale white gold.

Isn't this something from the Tiangong? Usually, they are either placed in the Star-Plucking Tower or appear in the hands of the Lamp-Guarding Envoy or the Tiangong Attendants. He Lingchuan didn't expect to see it in a second-hand shop.

Is it a fake? He pointed to the half-candle and said: "Can I take a look?"

"Of course." The clerk took down the candle and placed it on the counter. "Please enjoy it here."

He Lingchuan stood in front of the counter, playing with the half-candle by the light of the lamp on the wall. Although it was a bit dusty, the feeling, and the fluctuations faintly coming from the candle, all proved that it was not a fake.

"Do you sell this too? How much?"

The clerk smiled: "Since you know what this is, you should also know that the price is not low." After saying that, he stretched out three fingers. "This number."

Things from the Tiangong are expensive, ha, even a rotten candle head sells for such a high price.

Dong Rui couldn't help but interject: "Is there any risk in buying this back?"

The clerk had his own set of used rhetoric: "Risk is relative. Don't go around talking about it after you buy it back, and trouble won't come to your door."

You buy things in a black shop, and you still want to return them without reason? He Lingchuan smiled, returned the candle to him, and then took a letter from his bosom and placed it on the counter: "Someone asked to meet me here."

As soon as the clerk saw the seal on the letter, he immediately said: "Please follow me."

He Lingchuan left Min Tianxi in the shop, and he and Dong Rui followed him in.

Walking through the long corridor and turning several corners, He Lingchuan estimated that he had entered the large courtyard on the side.

The charm of the garden here looked familiar no matter how he looked at it.

Three people came toward them, chatting as they walked.

One of them looked up and saw He Lingchuan, first stunned, then happy: "Brother He, you finally came!" He said to the two people beside him, "Two gentlemen, I am here to welcome a distinguished guest, so I won't send you out."

The two cupped their hands: "Brother Songyuan, go ahead and get busy, we'll take our leave!"

Passing by He Lingchuan, they also nodded in greeting, and He Lingchuan returned with a smile.

After their figures disappeared, the remaining person looked He Lingchuan up and down, and clicked his tongue twice:

"Whole and sound, capable."

He Lingchuan also stared at the seal ring on his left hand: "Mr. Fang has changed his face, but he is glowing with health; it seems this year has been very comfortable."

The two held each other's arms and laughed loudly, very happily.

The one He Lingchuan specifically rushed to Platinum Island to see was, of course, Fang Canran.

The two culprits who caused chaos in the Tiangong and the Spirit Void City finally met after a year!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 972 =====