Chapter 78

On August 13th, the Yunsheng No. 1 approached the capital of the穿越者 (穿越者, "穿越者" refers to the group of people who have traveled through time), which had been officially named Dongfang Port, through the thin morning mist. Li Yi, who was on the first gun platform, was the first to spot the ship that the穿越者 (穿越者, "穿越者" refers to the group of people who have traveled through time) were all too familiar with.

The news spread at an astonishing speed, and soon the naval department office in the city center's administrative building was empty as everyone rushed to the dock to warmly welcome the return of the naval fleet.

Wang Qianian remained relatively calm. After the Yunsheng No. 1 docked, he embraced Wang Tiechui, who had just disembarked, and asked in a low voice, "Where's Lao Xiao? Why are only you guys back? What about the others?"

Wang Tiechui laughed and said loudly, "Don't worry! Everything's fine, everyone's fine! Lao Xiao and the others are still on Malvinas Island. They won't dare to come back until the battle here is over, afraid of running into the Spanish fleet. I came back early to check the situation. So, you guys have finished the battle here? Peace?"

"Yes, peace!" Wang Qianian sighed with relief and nodded gently.

"Damn! Really finished?" Wang Tiechui's voice rose, "Did the army win? You didn't sign any humiliating treaty, did you?"

"Damn!" Li Yi, who was following behind, almost stumbled. He said with a sour expression, "The army guys completely annihilated the Spanish army, forcing the Spanish to negotiate with us. Now they are making a big splash in the city. Even Xu Yu, that short guy, is getting flirted with by European women wherever he goes. Even his Ukrainian peasants are acting all high and mighty."

"Damn!" Wang Tiechui punched Li Yi, "I remember you just married a Polish woman recently. You still have the nerve to say that? Damn, our naval fleet brothers risked their lives and have been at sea for half a year, sinking countless Spanish warships, and we still don't have wives. Forget it, let's not talk about this. Let's find people to move the stuff. Good stuff! Ha ha."

Li Yi gave Wang Tiechui a dirty look and walked to a row of red brick bungalows marked "Dongfang Port Harbor Authority" nearby. He greeted a few officials from the Harbor Authority who were watching the scene, and soon dozens of Chaluyan dock workers in linen work clothes arrived.

Wang Tiechui directed these workers, with the help of the sailors on the Yunsheng No. 1, to lift heavy wooden crates from the cargo hold. These crates, made of pine wood, were hoisted down by the dock workers using pulleys and stacked nearby. Li Yi, holding a crowbar, pried open the first crate and, after removing the straw inside, was stunned.

"Damn! Is this... silver?" Li Yi asked uncertainly.

Wang Tiechui nodded proudly, "Over 45,000 pesos."

Gasps of surprise echoed. "What? Silver? Over 40,000 pesos of silver?! Move, move!" Tang Yuan, the first Minister of Finance of the Republic, appeared from somewhere, and with his over 200-pound bulky body, he enthusiastically rushed to the pine crate filled with silver, knocking over several onlookers along the way.

"It's really silver! Thank heaven, the national treasury of the Republic will no longer be empty. We finally have our first funds," Tang Yuan said excitedly.

"This... What's going on? Didn't we have 400,000 to 500,000 yuan in cash before? Where did it all go? Damn, did you pay compensation to the Spanish?" Wang Tiechui became agitated and grabbed Tang Yuan's collar.

"Spit! The Spanish should pay us compensation, not the other way around. Once it's in my pocket, it's not coming out," Tang Yuan pushed Wang Tiechui's hand away, took a few breaths, and explained, "During your absence, we held the last general assembly and the first National People's Congress, which unanimously passed the resolution to formally establish the Central People's Government of the Huaxia East Coast Republic. The Central People's Government consists of the State Council, the (Naval and Land) Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Procuratorate, all of which are led by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Currently, the Standing Committee in the transition period is the same as the previous Executive Committee. The new government officially began operations on August 10th, which is also our National Day. The term of the first government is five years, starting from January 1, 1634, and ending on December 31, 1638. Currently, everyone is a formal citizen of the East Coast Republic. Of course, many positions are still vacant, and we are waiting for everyone to participate in the elections. Pay attention to the election schedules we publish and actively participate."

"Represented again," Wang Tiechui sighed and then asked, "You haven't talked about the money yet. Where did it go?"

"Right, I was just about to say that," Tang Yuan cleared his throat and continued, "The Republic government has been established, but we are currently poor. We are busy these days, preparing to separate the assets of the East Coast Company. We need to determine which assets belong to the East Coast Company and which belong to the state. This must be clarified to avoid future complications."

Wang Tiechui seemed to understand but still had some questions. "What is the nature of the East Coast Company? Is it still the same as before?"

"The East Coast Company is a joint-stock company with the right to establish all types of enterprises, engage in import and export trade, conduct financial business, explore and develop mineral resources, train colonial armies, set up courts, declare war, and conclude treaties. The shareholders are currently... uh, two more died in the last army battle... 565 surviving穿越者 (穿越者, "穿越者" refers to the group of people who have traveled through time), with a total of 565 shares, one share per person. These shares cannot be transferred or traded, and any share cannot be canceled without the consent of more than two-thirds of the shareholders. The company's current fixed assets include the Big Fish River Armory, the Big Fish River Naval Shipyard, the Building Materials Factory (including two brick kilns, two lime kilns, two cement kilns, one limestone mine, and 300 acres of clay extraction sites), the Fish Products Processing Plant, the Machine Textile Factory, the Livestock Farm, and the Big Fish River Transport Company," Tang Yuan said. "As for the Dongfang Port dock, the four gun platforms, the No. 1 Highway, the Dingyuan Salt Field, the Mint, several schools, various warehouses, and other farmland and water facilities, they have all been transferred to the Central People's Government. Additionally, the East Coast Company has to pay the national treasury a total of 50,000 yuan in taxes from 1630 onwards, although this amount has not yet been received."

After listening for a while, Wang Tiechui finally understood. This was a division of assets! After all, this country was not the private property of the 500穿越者 (穿越者, "穿越者" refers to the group of people who have traveled through time). The new country now had over 7,000 citizens. However, the East Coast Company seemed too powerful, almost taking all the valuable assets, leaving the central government poor, which was not quite right.

"Then what about the materials we seized this time? Who do they belong to?"

"According to the agreement, they must be handed over to the central treasury," Tang Yuan said. "Currently, all naval and land forces have been transferred to the central government, and all future military expenses, war reparations, and seized materials will be managed by the central government. So, the 45,000 pesos of silver you have will go into the treasury."

"Alright. I understand now. We have a good harvest this time. There are still many valuable furs, wool blankets, gunpowder, and other items on Malvinas Island. By the way, Tang Yuan, is the East Coast Company and the central government now two separate entities with the same personnel?" Wang Tiechui asked.

"Some departments are, some are not," Tang Yuan replied. "I have resigned from my position as the financial minister of the East Coast Company and am now fully dedicated to serving as the first financial minister of the Republic. I will rely on the support of all my brothers. The financial minister of the East Coast Company is now Nie Xiaoqian, a woman, and everyone should support her work, as the company is related to the common interests of over 500 people."

After a bit more conversation, everyone dispersed. Tang Yuan called a squad of internal affairs police, and under their escort, the dozens of boxes of silver bars were directly taken to the mint by the Big Fish River. He roughly inspected the quality of the silver bars, which seemed good. According to the current exchange rate of Huaxia Yuan to Spanish Pesos (1 peso = 8 reales), these silver bars could be minted into over 36,000 yuan, which was a significant boost to the empty treasury.

Wang Tiechui continued chatting with the naval group at the dock, waiting for the unloading to finish. He took the opportunity to narrate the specific actions of the naval fleet since their last departure. After crossing the Magellan Strait in May, the naval fleet had been patrolling the coast of Chile for nearly a month, during which they captured three Spanish towns, seized a Spanish gunboat, and indirectly supported the Araucanian independence movement. Wang Qianian and the others were stunned, originally expecting the fleet to only serve as a distraction, but they had accomplished much more.

"So, are the rest of your ships still anchored at Malvinas Island?" Wang Qianian asked.

"Yes," Wang Tiechui nodded, "Actually, I hope the naval department will consider setting up a port on Malvinas Island. The strategic location is important, and it can provide supplies when entering or leaving the Magellan Strait. It can also serve as a shelter during bad weather. Currently, some whaling ships and seal and sea lion hunting ships from other countries use it for fresh water and shelter. If we occupy it, there will be many benefits."

"This can be considered," Wang Qianian said thoughtfully, "You know, our human and material resources are currently limited, and we may not have the energy to manage such a distant place. However, you have a point. We can persuade the Executive Committee to maintain a simple small port there."

"I think so too," Wang Tiechui said happily, "Alright, I'll tell Lao Xiao and the others when I go back. I think we should leave those animals there. Although the weather is not good, the grazing conditions are decent. Over time, they might even breed a large herd for us."

By noon, the Yunsheng No. 1 had finished unloading all the goods. After a brief maintenance, it set sail south to the Malvinas Islands to pick up the remaining ships and bring them back to the mainland.