Volume 6 Chapter 103 - Ambiguous Stance
The endless seas were at their calmest during the early spring. It was just like this today, the seas were calm and it was weather that was very suited for sailing
A fleet with seven large transport Magic Ships and twenty guard ships were quickly sailing through the southern seas of the Rudson Kingdom.
This large fleet was the second transport fleet of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, Other than the first fleet that Narvil personally commanded, it was the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s largest fleet, mainly being responsible for transporting the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s goods to the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom.
The departure of the second fleet this time had sent out twenty large transport Magic Ships. Other than transporting goods to the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom, they were also transporting a large amount of construction material, as well as three hundred and forty workers from the Amrit Chamber of Commerce.
The Frestech Chamber of Commerce had signed a new contract with the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom at the end of last year. The Frestech Chamber of Commerce would invest in constructing a magic machine production base in the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom.
The main function of this magic machine production base was to make various agricultural magic machines and construction magic machines locally. They would work with the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom and the surrounding three kingdoms to renovate their farmland, while also helping them rebuild their irrigation system.
The three hundred and forty Amrit Chamber of Commerce workers sent there, other than building this magic machine production base, was to continue building roads in the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom.
The Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom had finished two roads in their country before and when they realized the benefits that these roads brought, there was a strong desire to build more. So this time they had asked for nine roads, which would span over a total of one thousand and eight hundred kilometers.
For a country that was only twice as large as the Stantine Duchy, if they could build these nine roads, although it would be as much as the Stantine Duchy and the Lampuri Kingdom, it would be enough to link all their cities. It would definitely greatly improve the traffic condition in the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom.
Because the terrain in the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom was complicated and there were many swamps covering it, the nine roads would take a year of planning alone and they could only slowly build them.
Moreover, these nine roads were over a thousand and eight hundred kilometers in a place like the Lampuri Kingdom or the Rudson Kingdom which mainly had grasslands would cost around two to two and half million gold coins. But in the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom, the Amrit Chamber of Commerce had given a high price of four million gold coins.
However, even at such a high valuation, the Nozdormu Business Union had agreed without any hesitation. They didn’t even bargain with the Amrit Chamber of Commerce on this price.
This made Xu Yi feel emotional about the fact that the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom was a country made from thirteen companies coming together, they really were rich and they had a deep determination and boldness.
When he went to the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom to talk to chairman Gaza, chairman Gaza had frankly stated that the goal of the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom was to gather all the weak countries in the southeast corner of the continent together. They would become a power that could even match the Candra Empire.
This ambition was nothing less than big.
But Xu Yi was happy to see him succeed.
After all, the greater the ambition, the greater the need, which would make it easier for the Frestech Chamber of Commerce to make sales.
The cargo in the large transport Magic Ships of the second transport fleet were one of the necessary goods to complete the ambition of the Nozdormu Business Union Kingdom.
But before completing this task, the second transport fleet had another important task to complete.
When a giant island appeared on the horizon, the second fleet changed their direction and headed towards that island.
This island seemed only a bit bigger, but was still a common island on these endless seas. However, once they approached it, they found that this island had wharves at the harbour on the north side and there were buildings that were made of cement. It was clear that there were people living here.
When they came even closer, they could see that whether it was on the harbour or the buildings on the island, they had the same flag.
If it was someone from the southwest corner of the Sines Continent, they could tell with a single glance that the design on these flags represented the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.
That’s right, this island was one of the sixteen island bases that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had finished developing on the endless seas. There was now a small Frestech Chamber of Commerce base on this island that was completely controlled by them.
But this harbour that should only have the Frestech Chamber of Commerce ships currently had ten large wooden ships with the flag of the Candra Empire on it. Outside the harbour, there were over fifty Candra Empire navy warships also waiting there.
If he wasn’t prepared to see this, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s second fleet commander Tom Markin would have thought that the Candra Empire navy was besieging the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s island.
But after seeing this, Tom Markin acted like normal and gave the order to his subordinates to dock, without giving any other orders.
After around twenty minutes, the second fleet came near the island. Other than a single large transport Magic Ship that went to dock, the other ships all stayed on the seas with the Candra Empire navy’s warships, being only a hundred meters apart.
When Tom Markin came off the large transport Magic Ship, there were several middle aged men who were wearing the uniform of the Candra Empire navy that was standing in front of him.
“General Osborne, to make you come all the way here, it really has been hard on you.” Tom Markin immediately came forward with a smile.
The military officer that led the others was clear the Candra Empire’s second fleet’s vice commander Reno Osborne. Seeing Tom Markin coming over, he reached his hand out to shake his.
“Manager Markin, the ships?”
Makrki was surprised, never thinking that general Osborne would skip the greetings and directly go into the main topic.
But seeing his military uniform, Markin immediately understood.
This was the straightforward attitude that a soldier would have.
Moreover, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had already reached a deal with the Candra Empire, so there was no need for negotiations and there was no need for their two sides to converse.
Thinking this, Markin turned to point at the ships that were on the seas behind him.
“They are anchored there. General Osborne, you can have your people look nit over. If there is no issue, you can confirm the delivery and have your people take the goods.”
“Good.” General Osborne waved his hand at the people beside him, “Let’s go.”
The two Candra Empire navy officers beside him went to the dock and got onto a Candra Empire warship. That warship started moving towards the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s second fleet’s guard ships.
Seeing that they had already made contact, Markin turned away from the sea and made an inviting gesture to general Osborne.
“General Osborne, they will take some time to inspect it, so how about we sit down and chat? Sir chairman had something that he wanted me to pass along to you.”
“Chairman Xu?” General Osborne narrowed his eyes. After thinking about it, he gave a nod and sat down with Markin in a small building by the harbour.
“Speak, what did chairman Xu want you to pass along to me?” As soon as they sat down, general Osborne asked this.
Although he had little contact with general Osborne, Markin already figured out his temperament, so he didn’t beat around the bus after hearing this and directly replied, “Sir chairman wanted me to pass to your noble side a proposition to develop the Candra Empire’s southern seas together. He is willing to agree to this, but since your side has been ambiguous towards our company, there is no chance to go deeper with this cooperation. Sir chairman hopes that you can take out some sincerity and change this situation.”
“Attitude towards your company?” Osborne slightly knitted his brows and after a while, he suddenly gave a bitter laugh.
He was clear that the words that Xu Yi wanted Markin to pass on, the “noble side” that he was referring to was not the Candra Empire navy, but rather the entire Candra Empire.
It was like Xu Yi said, the Candra Empire was currently ambiguous towards the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.
On one hand, because the Frestech Chamber of Commerce boldly supported the Rudson Kingdom and even attacked the Candra Empire navy on the seas, causing great losses to the Candra Empire navy, there were many people who had defined the Frestech Chamber of Commerce as hostile.
With the Candra Empire’s method of handling things, anything that was determined to be an enemy would be dealt with mercilessly and completely destroyed.
Not to mention a small company like the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.
The ones who supported this were mainly the soldiers, as well as some large nobles in the empire because they didn’t want to let the Candra Empire’s dignity be sullied.
On the other hand, there were also many people who thought that Frestech Chamber of Commerce had more value. These shocking things, if they were used properly, the Candra Empire could even become stronger with the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.
So people thought that it was best to put down past animosity and cooperate with the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, making the Candra Empire stronger.
The ones that supported this mainly came from the department of finance because they had clearly gained benefits from cooperating with the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.
But among these two sides, there were some “rebels”.
For example, on the side that was against the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, the navy that should have hated the Frestech Chamber of Commerce the most actually supported cooperating with the Frestech Chamber of Commerce the most.
On the side that supported the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, but hated them and didn’t allow any of their things to enter the southern province was Duke Windsor.
Based on the situation, it was the ones that were against the Frestech Chamber of Commerce that was stronger since it was mainly the army and the large nobles of the empire in that faction.
Of course, the one who made the final decision was the most respected emperor.
If the emperor didn’t say a thing, no one in the empire dared to do anything on their own.
But since the court meeting last time when the department of finances chief Marquis Hastri told the emperor about the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s influence on taxation in the south, the emperor’s attitude had clearly changed.
Although for the face of the empire, the emperor would never clearly support the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, this was clearly seen in the smaller details.
For example, the five guard ships that the Candra Empire navy had bought from the Frestech Chamber of Commerce, if it wasn’t for the silent agreement of the emperor, it would have clearly been impossible.