Chapter 4

### Chapter 4: The Gold Diggers - Australian Maritime Merchants

"Damn, it feels like a roller coaster," Xiao Zishan said in a low voice, still shaken.

"Great wealth comes with great risks," Wang Luobin said, his hand still in his pocket. Xiao Zishan knew he had been holding the stun gun the whole time.

"What are you talking about? Calm down, calm down," Wen Zong said, sweat already forming on his nose.

The穿越 plan, which had started off well, encountered a problem right from the beginning. As soon as Wen Desi put the wormhole exit into his bag, they heard the dogs barking wildly, scaring the three of them to the point where their legs turned to jelly. Fortunately, Wang Luobin still had the stun gun in his hand. Hearing the wind behind him, he quickly pressed the button, turned around, and managed to electrocute a vicious dog that was about to pounce, causing its fur to stand on end, foam to come out of its mouth, and it to fall on its back. The other dogs, likely affected by the shock, only barked but did not attack. Before the three could think of their next move, the gate opened, and seven or eight servants in blue clothes rushed in, armed with knives, spears, and sticks. One of them even had a matchlock gun, the black barrel of which was pointed directly at the three time travelers who were dreaming of wealth.

The first people they encountered in this different time and space were clearly not friendly, and their lives were in immediate danger. The black barrels of the matchlock guns pointed at them, an experience these otakus had never had before.

In their usual discussions about ancient firearms, they had always looked down on the Ming Dynasty's matchlock guns, considering them crude and ineffective in range and power. However, at this moment, with the guns only twenty or so steps away, the black barrels pointed at them, even the worst matchlock gun could probably blow their faces off. Panicked and not knowing what to do, Wen Desi's well-prepared opening speech was swallowed back down.

Fortunately, the servants saw the fate of the dogs and hesitated. After a moment of standoff, Wen Desi thought that while it wouldn't be difficult to escape by throwing a smoke bomb, it would mean the end of their time-traveling career, and how could they talk about unifying the world and rebuilding China? With this thought, his courage grew, and he raised his hands high, speaking in Cantonese and gesturing, then threw over a compact powder box to show that he meant no harm.

To their surprise, the powder box had a significant effect, and soon the three were no longer threatened with weapons but were treated as honored guests.

"Wang, do you think this is a trap? That they lured us here to capture us?" Xiao Zishan secretly looked around. This was a genuine Ming Dynasty building, and the furniture they were sitting on was also genuine Ming Dynasty, any piece of which could fetch a good price in their own time, but no one had the heart to appreciate it at the moment.

"They could have attacked us in the back yard if they wanted to..."

"Everyone be careful, and don't drink the tea," Wen Desi whispered. "Judging by the servants, the owner is probably involved in smuggling. These people are usually ruthless, so be on guard against any evil intentions."

"Understood."

"Zishan, when I throw the smoke bomb, quickly help me take out the wormhole. We'll leave immediately."

"Understood."

As they were quietly discussing, a group of seven or eight servants escorted a middle-aged man in fine clothing into the room. Xiao Zishan and the others had just calmed down after the initial chaos and were now filled with curiosity—these were real people from the Ming Dynasty! They stared intently at the well-maintained, fair-skinned middle-aged man.

High Lord opened the box and was greatly surprised. He had been trading in foreign goods for over twenty years and was well-versed in many things. The powder box was neither porcelain nor jade, which was quite rare, and the embedded crystal mirror was worth a fortune. He had only seen such mirrors a few times in his life, and although they were much larger, none were as clear and bright as this one. He had heard from the Portuguese merchants that these crystal mirrors were only produced in one city in the West, with workshops on an island surrounded by strict security, making them a closely guarded secret. Even in Portugal, they were hard to come by, let alone in Guangzhou.

These three Japanese must have great means! High Lord thought. Could they be envoys from a famous lord in Japan? But then he thought, the Japanese themselves were not well-off and had to rely on Chinese ships for most of their goods. How could they have such rare treasures?

Since the other party had gone to great lengths to show goodwill, he had to meet them. High Lord could already smell the money. To be cautious, he brought his best guards with him.

Upon first seeing them, High Lord was stunned again. These people were not Japanese!

Guangzhou was a place where people from all over gathered, and he had seen many Japanese. These three, although they did not have long hair, did not have the typical Japanese topknot. One of them had extremely short hair, like a monk, and the other two had slightly longer hair. Their clothing was quite unusual, with buttoned shirts that did not reach their knees... This attire was not Japanese or Portuguese.

Moreover, these three were tall, not short like the Japanese. Each was over five feet five inches tall, and one was even six feet tall.

Looking at their appearance: fair skin, not rough hands and feet, clearly people who lived a life of luxury. Their demeanor, although somewhat nervous, was not humble or lowly, and they exuded a sense of confidence in their movements.

High Lord, with his years of business experience and sharp eyes, could not figure out what these people were about.

As he was puzzled, he noticed the three staring at him with extremely strange looks, which made him feel uneasy and step back, thinking that perhaps these people had a preference for men and found him particularly intimidating.

On this side, Xiao Zishan and the others were also puzzled by the middle-aged man's changing expressions. He looked to be around fifty, wearing a square flat cap and a silk round-collar robe. He had a regular face, a light mustache, and a slightly plump, fair face, forming a stark contrast with the black and skinny servants around him.

High Lord bowed to Wen Desi and asked, "May I know the good sirs' names?"

Wen Desi's windbreaker, with its longer hem and silk-like material, was clearly different from the rough clothes of the other two, so High Lord assumed he was the leader.

When he spoke, Wen Desi immediately recognized that it was not Cantonese but had a modern Nanjing accent. He replied in Mandarin, "We come from overseas. Lost in the night, we accidentally entered your residence. May I ask where we are?"

Although High Lord did not fully understand, he sensed that these people meant no harm. Being a seasoned businessman, he slowly asked, "Where do the good sirs come from?"

Since they could communicate, they exchanged names and Wen Desi began to recite the story they had prepared.

"Our ancestors were all Chinese. After the fall of Yaishan, they fled overseas. They established a prosperous business in Borneo, but the local ruler, seeing the strength of the Chinese, repeatedly oppressed us. We had to leave again and sail south, eventually reaching Australia, which is over ten thousand miles away. We have been there for over two hundred years."

High Lord pondered for a moment and said, "So you are not Japanese?"

"We are Chinese, how could we be Japanese?!" Wang Luobin interjected, dissatisfied.

High Lord raised an eyebrow. These foreigners really didn't understand the rules, and a servant was speaking out of turn.

"We are not Japanese," Wen Desi said. Seeing that the Ming Dynasty gentleman had no objections to their story, he grew bolder and said that Australia was originally a wilderness with only a few natives. Their ancestors had worked hard to turn it into a prosperous land where they lived in peace and prosperity. Generations of ancestors had always longed for their homeland, so they sent them to bring goods and trade.

Actually, there were many loopholes in this story. How they entered the city and where their ship was anchored were not explained. However, as Wen Desi had predicted, sometimes all you need is a plausible story and to stick to it.

High Lord nodded frequently. He knew about Borneo, as several ships went there every year, but he had never heard of this story. However, he didn't bother to verify it, as it was from several hundred years ago, and who could know for sure! Besides, he had no interest in Borneo or Australia.

"… We were lost and accidentally entered your residence, disturbing your peace. Please forgive us," Wen Desi said, mimicking a bow. "We come from overseas. May I ask where we are?"

"Of course, of course," High Lord said. These people had valuable treasures and could enter the city at night, so they were not ordinary. He listened to their story with a grain of salt. "This is the Ming Dynasty, Guangzhou Prefecture, Nanhai County."

Wen Desi quickly followed up, "May I ask what year, month, and day it is?"

High Lord was taken aback and answered, "It is the second month of the seventh year of Tianqi."

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