Chapter 237 The Island

After following Qi Zhentao through the main facilities on the island, Ye Tao understood Old Master Qi's determination. Not only were there docks and living facilities, but Crescent Island even had a rudimentary shipyard.

The shipyard was built on the other side of the island, with a large quantity of shipbuilding timber stored in a cave next to it. Several experienced old workers were already laying the keel according to the specifications of the Lan River warship. Judging by the progress, the shipyard had been in operation for some time.

Three or four-story high towers were built on several high points of the island, and lookout posts were set up. These lookout posts were connected to the island's buildings by simple roads.

As for the buildings on the island, a considerable amount of effort had been put into them. Looking at the barrack-style buildings, if they were built according to the standards of the Dongping army, they could accommodate at least five thousand people. Several independent courtyards were suitable for housing important guests, and one of them was equally suitable as the command center for island defense operations and as the final defensive fortress. Among the buildings under construction on the island, there were also entertainment facilities such as taverns, inns, and open-air stages. Taken together, it was clear that these were not temporary solutions for those "pirates," but more like the establishment of a permanent military base.

Currently, the hastily built buildings still smelled of paint and lime, and the empty camp was inhabited by less than a thousand sailors of various kinds, only two or three hundred of whom were experienced in naval warfare. The rest of the people had been learning how to operate warships on the Lan River warship with Qi Zhentao's old family members and subordinates.

"Old Master, at this rate, maintaining this Crescent Island will cost a fortune…" Ye Tao clicked his tongue.

"Actually, it's not as scary as you think. This is what everyone in the Seven Seas Trading Company decided to do, not even something I suggested," Qi Zhentao said. "Originally, everyone wanted to do business properly, but they didn't expect the Chunnan merchants to be so uncooperative. This time, we'll give them a good beating, and then use this place as the home port for the escort fleet. Although everyone's profits will be diluted a bit, everyone thinks it's worth it. In the sea, the one with the biggest fist has the loudest voice."

Ye Tao agreed: "That's natural. However, Old Master, as things stand, how can I help?"

"Ballistas, I want ballistas!" the old man said loudly. "This thing is much more useful at sea than a trebuchet. Trebuchets are too inaccurate. When attacking or defending a city, it's still somewhat effective to smash into a crowd, but at sea, I don't have that much space on my ship to load things to throw into the sea."

Ye Tao quickly nodded. Although the ballista played a huge role in the defense of White Stone City, whether it would be regarded as a heavy weapon to be equipped by the Dongping army was still under discussion in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War. Moreover, due to the intentional or unintentional obstruction of Gao Zhuo and Gao Zhen, it would be quite difficult to pass. However, perhaps because the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War were too busy recently, or perhaps they simply didn't notice the great effect of the ballista, the Ye Family Workshop had not even received a ban on the outflow of ballista manufacturing technology after so long. Strictly speaking, the ballista was still something that could be spread at Ye Tao's will. Since this was the case, Ye Tao didn't need to care too much about other people's opinions. Anyway, in terms of procedure, he had not made any mistakes.

But Ye Tao also thought of another question: "Old Master, it's no problem to install ballistas on the ship. They take up less space than the divine arm crossbow, and their power is not much worse than that of a trebuchet, but their accuracy is also high. However, what's the use of smashing stones in naval battles? Didn't you say that you used to play boarding battles?"

Qi Zhentao raised his eyebrows and said, "Who said I was going to throw stones?"

"Old Master, you can't just get fire oil bombs casually… You'll be held responsible." Ye Tao had no doubt that Qi Zhentao definitely had a way to get a batch of fire oil bombs. Since the Xiling spies could get them, then Qi Zhentao, who had secretly received the full support of the state and was qualified to manufacture Lan River and Cang River warships, and even borrow warships from the navy, could naturally get them. However, now the fire oil bomb business was being controlled by the Gao family, with no other branches. If something went wrong in the storage and transportation of fire oil bombs, and the Gao family decided to pursue the matter, there would be a good lawsuit to fight before the emperor.

Qi Zhentao shook his head and said, "No need. Didn't you use fish oil to make that projector? Since there is such fish oil that can burn, there must be other ways. Fish oil, plus tallow and suet, plus fire niter and other things, I also made something similar to fire oil bombs. The power may not be as good as fire oil bombs, but it seems to be a little safer than fire oil bombs. If fire oil bombs are not stored properly, they seem to explode at the slightest touch. You also said something about volatilization and deflagration. But the thing we made ourselves is like some kind of ointment. It won't be ignited unless it's directly lit. I also had someone try it in an empty room. The smell of this thing is almost non-existent."

Ye Tao praised: "Old Master, if it's really safe, then it's much more useful than fire oil bombs. The Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and the armies in various places both love and hate fire oil bombs. As long as the power isn't too far off, I think many people might be willing to use your thing. By the way, Old Master, what do you call this thing?"

"Hehe, I really don't dare to say that I made it. I just came up with an idea, and the later things were all handled by your family's workshop," Qi Zhentao smiled and said, "Now, the Yicheng part of the Ye Family Workshop is making some very fun things. You haven't been back to see it this time, have you? The name of this thing is Huoxing (Mars), which was given by a little guy in the workshop."

Ye Tao smiled and asked, "Old Master, when will I have the opportunity to see how powerful this thing is?"

"What a coincidence, that's what I was thinking too. You hurry up and make a few ballistas. Tomorrow, a ship from Yicheng will come here to deliver Huoxing. Then, we'll set sail together the day after tomorrow and take a trip to the north to destroy Ice Shark Island. Those bastards are too unruly. They took advantage of my fight with the Chunnan pirates and plotted against our trading company's northern routes." After a pause, Qi Zhentao smiled slyly and said, "It's just right that you brought two warships. With my relationship with those guys in the navy, it's still possible to let them go and earn some extra money. Four Lan River warships and two Cang River warships, quite a luxurious lineup."

Ye Tao couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Indeed, four Lan River warships and two Cang River warships could only be described as luxurious. The pirates on Ice Shark Island should only have four to six medium-sized warships, none of which were designed specifically for naval warfare, but were just better performing fishing boats and merchant ships that had been refitted. At most, there was only space on board to carry two or three trebuchets or giant crossbows. The Lan River and Cang River warships could be said to be the strongest warships that embodied the most advanced naval warfare technology and manufacturing processes of this era. They were so powerful that in a series of collaborations between Chunnan and Dongping, Chunnan tried its best to make the blueprints for the Cang River and Lan River warships part of the transaction between the two countries. Using such a fleet to attack Ice Shark Island could only be described as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. And when the fleet was mixed with Dongping navy warships, the best result for the pirates would be to surrender directly.

Ye Tao said with a wry smile, "Old Master, you think too highly of me. With only that little time, it's a bit tight to make ballistas. Are all the materials on the island complete?"

Qi Zhentao said, "It's not a matter of rebuilding. Didn't you teach many local soldiers and craftsmen to build ballistas in White Stone City? Some of them are now on the island, as well as some of your apprentices from the Yicheng branch of the Ye Family Workshop. Aren't some of them following my fleet to repair the wooden components on the ships at any time? I've also concentrated these people here. These people can barely make the things, but after all, they don't understand the principles. After a few tries, it seems that there are problems with the range and accuracy. We still have to rely on you. In addition, you've seen the entire Crescent Island, so feel free to say anything that needs to be improved."

The two of them walked around the island. Although Qi Zhentao's boldness had not diminished over the years, he was getting old after all and was a little tired. They returned to the dock, set up a small table on the dock, brought some side dishes and several bottles of wine, and drank together in the sound of the wind and the waves. The old and the young were of one mind in this aspect that could not be called elegant, but could at most be regarded as enjoying life more.

"Old Master, I really didn't expect that you would have such great interest in managing Crescent Island in this way. But if the Seven Seas Trading Company can really have a strong enough escort fleet and have such a base, the benefits for future business will be immeasurable." Ye Tao drained a small cup with Qi Zhentao. His alcohol capacity couldn't compare to that of Qi Zhentao, an old pirate who had made a living at sea for decades, but he was helpless against Qi Zhentao's intention to knock him out. He couldn't refuse the toast of an elder, could he?

"Only after the Seven Seas Trading Company came together did I feel a little motivated to do things. If it had been before, just running business at sea, although my Qi family couldn't be considered richer than the country, even if a few prodigal sons came along, it would be enough for them to burn for several generations. Fortunately, my two sons are far more interested in making money than spending it. Originally, I planned to let my eldest grandson read more books, so he could get a good identity in the future. I didn't expect that the kid would get into the books and wouldn't want to come out. My youngest grandson is now obsessed with playing chess and can't wait to live in the Yi Zhan Lou. My youngest granddaughter likes to grow flowers and plants, and she's already taken over the management of the garden at home even though she's so young… Looking at their personalities, there's a limit to how much these guys can squander. I worked hard to make money for the first half of my life. I didn't expect that now I have so much money that I don't know how to spend it. There aren't many opponents in the business world either. But when the Seven Seas Trading Company came together, my horizons were different. It's no longer a matter of doing business on a household-by-household basis. After calculating, if the people of the Seven Seas Trading Company can act in unison now, their ability is frighteningly great. Although it's doing business, it can really be used to turn the tables and control the situation. It's not just a matter of a few trading houses, it can even shake the foundation of the country. This is probably why those big Chunnan merchants temporarily united to deal with the Seven Seas Trading Company. Everyone knows it in their hearts." Qi Zhentao poured himself a cup and his eyes shone even brighter: "But the more I know about this, the more I want to fight those guys happily and decide who's better. If the Seven Seas Trading Company collapses, it will naturally have a wide impact. But if we can defeat the big Chunnan merchants, hehe, whatever price I mark for some goods, they will have to eat them at that price. We Dongping are short of horses, and Chunnan is even shorter. If we can control Chunnan's maritime trade routes, plus the cooperation of Her Highness Princess Zhaohua's Jiuzhou Trading Company, we can even prevent Chunnan from being able to form cavalry again. What kind of power is this?"

Qi Zhentao became more and more excited as he spoke. He was a businessman. Before that, he was a pirate. He had never thought that he could have such great power in his hands. In this era, a large group of top-level wealthy people, including Qi Zhentao, were among the first to realize the power of capital. There was no collusion between officials and businessmen, and there were no extraordinary means. They were simply fighting in this era's weak legal framework, using capital and various human and material resources that they could control. On this battlefield, there was not so much blood, but it was equally cruel. As a person from modern times, Ye Tao understood better than these merchants how terrifying and tragic the collapse of a country's economy could be. And in this era, there would be no institutions such as the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and no World Bank and World Trade Organization to save anyone or any country.

In the end, the Old Master revealed a decision that he had originally planned to announce at a later meeting of the Seven Seas Trading Company: Ye Tao would fully control a series of mechanical, manufacturing, and construction matters under the Seven Seas Trading Company, which was roughly similar to the role of Chief Technology Officer in Ye Tao's concept. By virtue of this position, Ye Tao, who had not invested a single tael of silver in the Seven Seas Trading Company, had the same qualifications as those big merchants to attend the Seven Seas Trading Company's general meeting every six months. Moreover, by solving a series of technical problems for the Seven Seas Trading Company, Ye Tao would receive two percent of the net profit of the Seven Seas Trading Company. With regard to technical matters, Ye Tao and the Ye Family Workshop would not bear any cost-related issues, only providing the plans. As for the specific manufacturing and service costs, they would be settled at market prices.

Two percent! Compared to the royalty rate of around eight percent in modern society, and compared to the twenty-four percent share that Ye Tao had in the studio in his original era, this ratio was a bit small. However, the Seven Seas Trading Company was such a terrifying organization. They had millions of taels of silver flowing through their hands. If necessary, they could even raise a astronomical amount of money equivalent to Dongping's fiscal revenue for two years in a short period of time. This two percent, even if calculated based on the current situation of the Seven Seas Trading Company, which has not yet been fully integrated, already guaranteed Ye Tao an income of no less than 200,000 taels per year. And the various plans that Ye Tao could propose could not but involve the Ye Family Workshop. Only the Ye Family Workshop, which he had carefully built, could barely meet his technical requirements. Even if he was too embarrassed to earn more from this part of the income, it probably wouldn't be too little.

However, Ye Tao still sighed. Not because of dissatisfaction, but because he couldn't refuse such conditions. Even if he knew that once he accepted such conditions, he would be tied to the chariot of the Seven Seas Trading Company, and he would see the Seven Seas Trading Company and the Chunnan merchants, and perhaps other business rivals, fight to the death, and he would participate in it. And once he participated in it, he would certainly not tolerate failure.

"Old Master, you're drunk…" After a while, Qi Zhentao, who had a very good alcohol capacity, got drunk first. The comfortable mood plus the sea breeze made the Old Master fall asleep on the small table without any image.

After having Qi Zhentao's family members who were following him send the Old Master back to his room to rest, Ye Tao stood on the dock for a while. Watching the sea change from azure blue to dark blue, and from dark blue to pitch black, Ye Tao realized that the night was really deep. He turned around and saw a thirty-year-old man in blue clothes who looked very capable standing not far away.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long. May I ask, who are you…" Ye Tao saw a temperament on this man in blue clothes that clearly did not belong to ordinary servants.

"My name is Liu Qing. The Old Master asked me to follow Young Master Ye to handle matters. The affairs of the Seven Seas Trading Company are too complicated, so it's not good to let the Young Master worry too much. As long as you have any requests, just tell me." Liu Qing replied respectfully. There was not a trace of pretense in this respect. Liu Qing was not even a member of Qi Zhentao's business firm, but the illegitimate son of another big merchant partner, Liu Yi. Liu Yi had been arguing with Qi Zhentao for a long time before he could get Qi Zhentao to agree to let Liu Qing follow Ye Tao to handle matters. A lot of information made Liu Yi clearly know what a magical person Ye Tao was. Those strange businesses were always inexplicably made successful by Ye Tao. Whether it was the Yi Zhan Lou and the military chess, the porcelain tile wall decorations, or the low-pressure boilers that were also booming in Yicheng and Danyang, they were all businesses that everyone had never thought of, and they were all unique businesses of the Ye Family Workshop. This monopoly seemed to be unbreakable for quite some time. As for the businesses of Tiansuo Clock Shop and Ye Family Workshop, which had already become well-known brands in this era, there was no need to mention them.

In the Seven Seas Trading Company, although everyone cooperated with each other, they were very careful about the distribution of profits. Only Ye Tao's two percent profit was passed by almost without anyone thinking about it.

Ye Tao scratched his head awkwardly. He was thinking about all sorts of things and made a guy who had obviously received a good education and looked extraordinary wait in the wind for so long, and he didn't even notice it at all. This was really quite impolite. Ye Tao quickly apologized, but Liu Qing didn't take it to heart. He refused Ye Tao's address of him as "Young Master Liu" and insisted that Ye Tao call him by his name.

"Okay… Liu Qing, I want to see the overall map of the current layout of Crescent Island, is that okay?" Since he had already agreed to take on this task, Ye Tao naturally had to try his best to do it better, the best.

"Young Master, please go back to your room first. I'll go get it right away." Liu Qing cupped his hands.