A ray of sunshine shone on Anne's face, she had not yet woken up, her mouth was slightly open, her yellow blonde hair, after washing, had become very bright, and she lay on the bed like an angel sleeping peacefully.

Zhang Jingde stood silently by the door and looked at her, and finally sighed again. Margaret is gone, and Anne remains, but even so, her future is still predestined.

"Ah, sir"

Anne, who woke up from her sleep, hurriedly got up and saluted when she saw Zhang Jingde standing outside the door.

It's been a week since she's been here, and she's never been happier than she had been in the past week, and for the first time in her memory, she's put on clean clothes, and for the first time she's eaten fresh and delicious food, all of which is so wonderful.

She used to be terrified of what the master would do, but now, when she found out that the master just asked her to be a servant, she was a little lost.

"Hurry up, Annie, and come to my study after dinner in a moment."

Then, Zhang Jingde left, and soon, after eating, Anne came to the study with tea, and after she put down the teapot, Zhang Jingde asked her to sit down, and then looked at her and said.

"Anne, there's one thing I want to tell you, you're leaving this place!"

Leave!

Anne looked at the old man in fear and said nervously.

"Master, don't you want me? I will be very obedient, I will be obedient in the future, and I will get up early every day......"

"Listen to me, Anne, the reason why I want you to leave is not because you are disobedient, but because of ......"

Looking at the little girl in front of him, Zhang Jingde said with a serious expression.

"Because you deserve a better life, not just a maid, you know?"

Anne looked at Zhang Jingde puzzled and said.

"Master, but I am willing to be your servant, and I am willing to stay by your side."

Until now, Anne felt that the old man was like a savior sent by God, who rescued her from hell and made her feel like she was in a dream, so she was not willing to leave, and even in her heart, she fantasized that maybe in a few years, she would repay the master in her own way.

However, who knows, now the old man let her leave.

"But, it shouldn't be your whole life."

Zhang Jingde looked at her and said.

"One day, I will return to the Celestial Empire in London, and if you stay by my side, then, when the time comes, you can only return to the Celestial Empire with me as a slave, or stay here yourself......"

"I am willing, I am willing to be your slave."

Anne said hurriedly, lest Zhang Jingde drive her out.

"Listen to me, Annie."

Looking at Anne, Zhang Jingde continued.

"But, in addition to that, you have a better option, which is to go to New York, to colony New York, you can go there, this month, there will be a ship passing, the captain is my friend, I will give the captain a sum of money, after you get there, you can enter a school, in a few years, maybe, you will marry a boy of the same age as you, and then you can spend your life happily."

"But that's not what I want!"

Anne said nervously.

"Master, I want to be by your side, really, God knows, this is my only wish."

Anne looked at the old man, and the whole person was very nervous. She was afraid that the old man would not believe in her.

"Perhaps, I'm only nine years old, sir, but I know that you're a good, merciful man, I know, really. Sir, don't drive me away, okay? Let me stay with you, please, sir. ”

The girl's prayer made Zhang Jingde sigh, and it was a long time before he spoke.

"Well, though, Anne, you know, perhaps, you're going to miss the best opportunity for you."

Anne nodded solemnly.

"I know, I won't regret it, sir."

As long as it can be by your side, it's enough!

Anne looked at the old man with a happy smile on her face, and the old man promised not to send her away.

After Anne left, Zhang Jingde turned his head when he heard the sound of pushing the door.

"What's wrong?"

It was his servant and house slave, Song Yude, who came in. A very ordinary Han name, but he is a naturalized citizen of Nanyang, and his appearance is somewhat different from that of Han people. In Nanyang Zhuxia, after more than ten years of assimilation, naturalized people have become more and more common.

"Master, everything is arranged, the ship will leave in three days."

Song Yude said respectfully, according to the habits of naturalized people, he maintains 100% reverence for his master, after all, he is only a naturalized citizen now, if he disobeys the master's order, he will be deprived of the identity of naturalized people at any time, and his children will also become slaves again.

"Good, any other questions?"

"Master, it has basically been dealt with now, the only nerve-wracking thing is that there are less than 400 people on the ship this time, and there are still many empty seats, so the profit of such a little person is very low."

As a house slave, Song Yude answered the master's question directly, although he is a house slave, he must also take into account the interests of the master and put the interests of the master first.

"Less than 400 people, well, such a small number of people, the profit is really low......"

Profit, every businessman needs to pursue profit, just like Zhang Jingde, he is not a pure businessman, for example, when engaged in the trade of "special goods", he rarely values profit, and whether it is opium, or the nearly four hundred young women on the ship that departed in three days.

For him, it's all "special trade" and there is no need to think about profits.

Nevertheless, he must also think about profits, taking into account the long-term nature of trade. After thinking for a while, Zhang Jingde said again,

"I'll find a way to solve this problem, arrange everything, and leave in three days."

The next day, almost as Zhang Jingde asked people to search for "suitable goods" in London, a well-dressed middle-aged man knocked on his door and came to him.

"Mr. Sassoon, you have 15 minutes."

Facing the businessman in front of him, Zhang Jingde's tone was displeased.

Three years ago, it was David Sassoon, a Jew living in Baghdad, who appeared in London to try to break his monopoly on opium in Britain.

However, in the end, David Sassoon's opium trade lasted less than a year before it was completely destroyed, of course, it was not Zhang Jingde who destroyed it, but the navy's Taixi detachment, which intercepted and searched merchant ships in the Strait of Gibraltar in the name of fighting Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean, and once they found opium on board, they would sink the ships and confiscate the opium.

That ship would disappear at sea, and even with the people on board. No one knows where they are. After a year, everyone knew that Sassoon was a man cursed by the devil, and no shipowner was willing to transport his goods anymore, and finally the interruption of the transportation route directly led to his bankruptcy.

And now he has come to Zhang Jingde.

"Honorable Mr. Zhang."

David Sassoon looked extremely respectful.

"Please believe that for the past two years, I have always regretted my original choice, and if I could choose again, I would never infringe on your interests again."

Unlike three years ago, David Sassoon now already knows the power behind the Ming man in front of him, and of course, what makes him even more distressed is that his son, nephew, and a dozen relatives are still missing, just like the missing ships.

No one knows if they live or die, but one thing is for sure, it must have a lot to do with the person in front of you.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, sir."

"However, everything has already happened."

"That's why I hope I can make up for it."

When he said this, Sassoon looked at Zhang Jingde and said.

"I heard from a friend that now you are preparing some special goods, sir,"

Handing a piece of paper to Zhang Jingde, Sassoon said respectfully.

"I thought, maybe, that could show my sincerity."

The paper was a list of hundreds of names, hundreds of women's names. Sassoon had scavenged through his friends in London and other slums over the years.

"There are 103 women here, they are between the ages of 14 and 24, and as you requested, healthy women who have no tooth decay, no syphilis, no disease, I have selected exactly what you asked."

It's him!

Now, Zhang Jingde finally knows who is competing with him for resources recently, again.

Facing the silent Zhang Jingde, Sassoon was a little nervous, he came to the UK three years ago, and two years ago he realized what kind of power the person in front of him was hiding, and now, he is eager to resolve the conflict with him, eager to get a little permission from his business.

That's why he was one step ahead of the crowd and got the young women in the slums of other places. This is his only chance to befriend the other party, and even he has decided to pay for it.

After a period of anxious silence, Sassoon heard Zhang Jingde say:

"You really have a heart, Mr. Sassoon!"

Staring at Sassoon, Zhang Jingde's tone seemed a little unkind, and there was coldness in his eyes.

"If I'm not mistaken, you've been following me for the past two years."

"God tells us to be close to our friends and even closer to our enemies, but in the process of getting close to you, I think, maybe we can be friends!"

Sassoon did not hide his original thoughts, at first he did regard Zhang Jingde as an enemy, but now, he prefers to be friends with the other party, because he is afraid of the other party's power. Anyone, as long as he has had his experience, as long as he has a certain understanding of the person in front of him, will be afraid of all this.

"Oh, really?"

Zhang Jingde sneered.

"Be friends? What do you think you can do for me? ”

Sassoon was silent for a moment, then replied quietly.

"Sir, at least I can give you some help in this business, and if you agree, I may establish within two years a trade network covering the whole of England, France, and Holland, and I promise to provide you with more than thirty-five thousand young women a year, a figure far greater than the present volume of trade."

In Sassoon's mouth, it's just a business, even if it's a population business. In his opinion, the business that Zhang Jingde participated in was like the white slave trade carried out by Barbary pirates, except that those pirates attacked France, Spain and other Mediterranean countries to plunder slaves, but the person in front of him exported a large number of young European women to foreign countries through purchase means and in the name of buying maids.

As to whether the young European women would become slaves or maids when they arrived in a foreign land, I am afraid that only God knows, and when they arrive there they will have no other choice, and their only choice is obedience.

"Oh, really?"

Zhang Jingde's brows jumped slightly, and he did not speak, in the past ten years, this business has been going on, until now, this business has not stopped, but is getting bigger and bigger, and the market in the colony and Nanyang is constantly expanding.

Maid......

It's a good business indeed, and all that is needed now is the need to keep it afloat.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Jingde once again looked at David Sassoon seriously, and then sneered.

"You should know what kind of means I will use against the enemy!"

"Of course, sir, that's why I aspire to be your friend, not your enemy!"

Sassoon took a deep breath, he knew that the other party was now considering, considering his proposal.

"Well, you should know that this business doesn't give you permission to start another business."

Zhang Jingde's reminder made Sassoon's heart a little disappointed, but he didn't show it, but just said with a smile.

"Sir, please rest assured, if this business expands, I believe it has a promising future and will have an extremely broad market."

How big will this market be?

In the past few months, Sassoon has studied carefully, and finally he has come to the conclusion that the market is more vast than he imagined, because the Ming has a population of 100 million, and the people of the Ming are very wealthy, and many of their families need maids. Maybe it will be a business involving millions of people, of course, he believes that he will never be able to send so many women to Daming, but at least he can profit from it.

"Indeed."

Nodding slightly, Zhang Jingde looked at Sassoon in front of him, this person may be greedy, but he is also very bold, such a partner is exactly what he needs, maybe he should be given a chance.

What's more, now, it may be necessary to withdraw from this market first and fade away from the figure of Mingren.

"Mr. Sassoon, I need you to know that no one will be allowed to make a mistake with me!"

Staring at Sassoon, Zhang Jingde said coldly.

"Any one mistake, I'll put an end to it all! You're also included! Do you understand? ”

。 m.