Chapter 80

However, if he were to say that he had done it himself, Luo Youde would naturally become wary. He would surely fear that Hong Tao was using him to establish a foothold in the Song Dynasty, and once Hong Tao no longer wanted to cooperate with him, he would be left with nothing. Luo Youde could neither hunt whales nor refine oil; in modern terms, he was just a distributor who couldn't even control the sales network. He could be kicked out at any time, with no security at all. To make Luo Youde feel a bit more at ease and to test his courage, Hong Tao very subtly hinted at his future direction.

"So, Brother Hong, where do you plan to go and what do you plan to do?" Luo Youde felt a bit embarrassed by Hong Tao's straightforward words. He had been in contact with Hong Tao for quite some time, and while he both loved and hated Hong Tao's completely open communication style, he appreciated its simplicity. There was no need to guess or worry about misinterpreting things, which could lead to problems. On the other hand, it was also very disheartening, as Hong Tao always seemed to see through him and bluntly point out his thoughts, making him feel very awkward.

"Well, it's quite simple. I plan to build larger and more numerous seafaring ships, then sail to the lands of the Arabs, the Romans, and the black-skinned people, recording their customs and bringing back goods that the Song Dynasty lacks. When I return, I will draw a huge map to show everyone in the Song Dynasty the many countries and lands in the world. Brother Luo, do you think my ambition is achievable?" Hong Tao only mentioned half of his plan, leaving out the part about dominating the seas, and only spoke of the beautiful aspects.

"… When the time comes, can you reserve a place for me on your ship? I am willing to serve as a sailor for Brother Hong!" Luo Youde finally let go of the oil lamp, stood up, and stared at Hong Tao for a few seconds. Then he raised his hands, adjusted his headscarf, dusted off his originally clean clothes, and made a deep bow to Hong Tao, bending his waist to ninety degrees and holding the position.

"Ah, ah, ah… I was just talking. You can bow when my large ship starts construction. However, sailing the high seas is very dangerous. My previous large ship was ten zhang long and was still destroyed by a storm. Aren't you afraid of drowning with me?"

Hong Tao saw Luo Youde's posture and realized he was waiting for him to help him up, with the implication that he wouldn't get up until Hong Tao agreed. He didn't expect Luo Youde to be someone who liked adventure. Thinking about it, it made sense that someone from this era who dared to sail around Southeast Asia and was from a wealthy family would have a bit of an explorer's spirit. It was just that Hong Tao, being used to world maps, thought of Southeast Asia as just a small pond and didn't see it as particularly risky.

"A gentleman's word!" Luo Youde straightened up, completely ignoring Hong Tao's threats, and extended his right hand, palm facing Hong Tao.

"Alright, if you're not afraid of death, I'm not afraid of the trouble of burying you. A promise is a promise! If you don't get on the ship, I'll tie you up and take you with me!" Hong Tao also extended his right hand and slapped palms with Luo Youde, but his words were full of trivialities, lacking any grandeur, and his playful and chatty demeanor ruined the atmosphere.

Luo Youde walked quickly, planning to immediately set out for Qiongzhou and Guangzhou to investigate the lamp oil market and establish a shop named "Huanqiu Yuzhou Kaifa Youxian Gongsi" (Global Universe Development Co., Ltd.). The name sounded very俗 (vulgar) and was clearly chosen by Hong Tao. Luo Youde didn't oppose the strange name, as he was curious about the business models from Hong Tao's hometown. Besides, the Song Dynasty had few restrictions on commercial activities, and many Southern merchants could name their shops after their hometowns, so a limited company was fine.

This time, Uncle Luo didn't accompany his precious nephew, as Hong Tao still needed him to purchase items, such as the earthen jars for refining whale oil and the storage jars for the oil. Additionally, the glass production base on Ximao Island was still under construction. This was their private enterprise, and they couldn't entrust it to others, so he had to handle all the big and small matters himself.

"Moving!" This was the first major announcement Hong Tao made after Luo Youde left. He had already discussed with Luo Youde that Ximao Island would be bought through a friend and a shipyard would be built. However, this was just an excuse. The shipyard would be built, but not immediately. What was needed now were a dock, warehouses, glass kilns, and oil refineries. The Tanka people in the cooperative would be the first residents and workers on the island. Their row of boats would be moored by the island, and while a few young men would learn sailboard driving techniques from Hong Tao, the elderly, children, and women would stay on the island to refine whale oil and help with construction, no longer having to go out to sea.

"I want to live on my boat! The Tanka people cannot be without their boats!" Old Bo Fu stood up to oppose Hong Tao's proposal at the expanded cooperative meeting. He couldn't articulate a grand reason, but instinctively felt that change was not good and that adhering to the ancestors' rules was the safest.

"Uncle Fu, I didn't say you can't go on your boat. Just leave the fishing to me and the other brothers. You've raised them all, and now it's time to enjoy life at home. When there's nothing to do, you can supervise the women refining whale oil and deduct their wages if they slack off! When Ah Zhu has a child, you can help me look after the baby at home. I can't carry a baby and chase whales at sea, can I? If you want to go out to sea, you can still do that. Not only can't you forget the sea, but the young ones also need to learn how to sail far out to sea and hunt whales on their own. The Tanka people can't leave the sea, and we must conquer it, not just let it harm us. We must make it bring us a better life! Smack, oh… Grandpa, what are you doing?"

Hong Tao knew that Old Bo Fu wouldn't easily agree to move to the shore, regardless of his reasons. He could persuade him as long as he found his weak points. But before he could finish his passionate speech, he was slapped on the back of the head by Chen Ming'en, leaving him dazed. Why was his adoptive father reacting more strongly than Old Bo Fu? Hadn't they agreed on the message in private?

"Don't talk nonsense. When has the sea ever harmed the Tanka people? Saying that will anger Mazu!" Chen Ming'en wasn't opposing him but scolding Hong Tao for his loose tongue. As a Tanka person, one could die at sea but dare not complain about it. As long as the sea provided them with a daily harvest, they were content.

"Alright, alright, that sentence doesn't count. Uncle Fu, do you think what I said makes sense? If you want to live on the boat, you can live on the boat. If you want to live on the shore, you can live on the shore. No one is forcing you! Actually, I don't want to move either, but our oil refining is too noisy. If someone discovers our secret and gets envious, they might come and rob us. We can run, but the earthen jars can't. Besides, when Uncle Wen helps me build new ships, we can't let others see and learn our techniques. Otherwise, my brothers Wen Qi and the others will lose their livelihood. What do you think?"

After Luo Youde left, Hong Tao separately talked to Chen Ming'en, Huang Hai, and Wen Laoer, using different benefits to persuade them. He only called the mobilization meeting after he was sure of their support. Hong Tao never did anything without being confident, as failing to get his proposal through would damage his credibility.

The Wen family already followed Hong Tao's every word, as he was teaching their sons how to build ships. As long as their children could learn real skills, even if Wen Laoer had to live on a mountain, he would agree. Huang Hai had always been a follower of Hong Tao, and now that Hong Tao was letting Huang Lang and Huang Tao join the upcoming whaling team, he was also swayed to Hong Tao's side. As for Chen Ming'en, since Hong Tao was his adoptive son, he had no choice but to follow. With the whale oil, they would soon have money, and Hong Tao promised to build a school on the island and have Chen Ming'en be the teacher, which made the old man immediately agree. As an educated man, he believed that being able to read and write was the best, even if he knew he couldn't escape his Tanka identity. Being a teacher among the Tanka was still a great satisfaction for him.

The remaining Weng and Bu families were new to the cooperative, with no shares or contributions, essentially just hired workers with no say. Thus, Old Bo Fu became Hong Tao's only opponent. However, Hong Tao not only wasn't annoyed by this stubborn old man but valued him even more. He was a man of principles who wouldn't change his stance for small favors, even if Hong Tao was his son-in-law. Such people couldn't be too many, as too many would be annoying, but they couldn't be without, as their absence would lead to a lack of restraint.

Hong Tao saw Old Bo Fu as a check on himself. Whenever he thought of taking shortcuts, breaking cooperative rules, or plotting, he would think of Old Bo Fu's poker face and become more restrained. Without checks and balances, even someone like Hong Tao, who had traveled through time three times, could still go astray. Occasionally, someone poking you and making you feel uncomfortable would remind you to look at the road for potholes instead of admiring the swans in the sky.

"That's right! Xiao Er, take your brothers and clean up the beach. Tomorrow at dawn, return to the mouth of the Ningyuan River and bring our row of boats over. I will stay here to help your brother-in-law watch over this island. No one can come and look around!"

As soon as he heard about the risk of the whale oil refining and shipbuilding techniques being leaked or stolen by the locals, Old Bo Fu immediately gave in. He could live on yams all day, but he didn't want his grandchildren to suffer like him. Whale oil could be sold for money, and new ships could be used to hunt whales. The old man understood this.

PS: Clicks, favorites, and recommendations! Throw them all at Hong Tao…