The Cape of Good Hope did not bring good luck and hope. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

The November summer winds were crashing into the waves, and the fleet had to rest here, two ships were damaged by the storm, which was completely impossible to repair, and more than 70 people were buried at the bottom of the sea.

The wind swept up the dark clouds, as if to cover the sky of the southern hemisphere, and the white waves fell from the sky, lapping and rocking the sailing ships that wanted to conquer the sea, and the people on board were like sitting on chariots across the ditch, jolting and trying to vomit their stomachs.

The roaring waves kept crashing against the rocks, and these people had seen the mania of the sea, but they did not expect that this place with such a hopeful name would bring about a desperate end times.

When the storm subsided, the fleet docked at an unknown creek.

After a funeral without a body for those who had perished at the bottom of the sea, the people on board were busy inspecting the damaged ship, taking out the various timbers that had been prepared, and tinkling them to repair them.

When the storm at sea stopped, it soon revealed a sunny and hot day, blowing the bushes here.

A few locals who did not know whether they were grazing or hunting were seen from afar, and not afraid of the presence of this fleet, but rushed to the seashore and said something in a babbling language.

A few men gestured with their guns, signaling that the things that washed up on the shore were still useful, ours and not yours, and these people looked at the guns with some fear, but they were obviously familiar with the presence of people here, and they were not panicked, but they were a little curious about the skin color of the people in this fleet.

Lin Xi, who was a little dizzy and was shaken by the waves, was like a lazy cat basking in the sun, lying on a stone and continuing to vomit unfinished, she only felt that her bile was about to vomit.

Lan Qi has been riding horses and hunting since she was a child, and her health is much better, so after resting for a while, she got up and walked around, came to the side of the group of locals, and looked at these people with not so dark skin with curiosity.

When the previous ports docked for supplies, Lin Xi was deeply impressed by the dark charcoal-like complexion of those locals.

However, in Cape Storm, the complexion of the people here is somewhat brownish, the color of brown and translucent. The hair curled up in clumps, like a jumble of tarthorns, and from time to time it made some strange noises.

Perhaps because the language is too scarce, they are all intermittent words, and many of them sound repetitive, as if they swallow every word they say.

Seeing Jian Chen coming over, Lan Qi pointed to the brown-black, short-pitched people: "These people are very strange. ”

"You mean looks?"

"It's not about looks, it's about giving people a particularly calm, nature-like feeling. There is neither fear nor hatred for us, unlike the people we have seen before. ”

Jian Chen smiled: "There is no hatred in the world for no reason. When we were in the north to replenish, the blacks you saw, who were either afraid of us or wanted to sell slaves, were the result of the Portuguese, Dutch, and Spaniards. The difference you feel is not because of race. ”

"What is the reason for that?"

"The reason is that it's so remote. Away from the currents, slaves needed by the Spanish and Portuguese colonies could be transported quickly from the Costa del Pepper or from Luanda, where there were currents. And the slaves needed in the Spice Islands region of Asia could be captured from the other side of the continent and much closer. Businessmen, interests come first, the farther the route, the greater the risk, so I won't catch it here. So, you can feel the natural purity of the previous ports from them. ”

Jian Chen exhaled, pointed to the roaring sea in the distance and said, "You see, the location here is very dangerous, like a sword inserted into the two oceans, sooner or later someone will break this peace." Do you like this feeling of calm and naturalness? ”

Lan Qi smiled, "No, I'm just curious. Anyway, I know that when you say anything, those calm beauties will turn into dirty things, so it's really just pure curiosity, and I can't talk about liking or disliking. How long do you think it will take for this place to be involved in the competing interests of the whole world? ”

"Right now. I'm going to build a small settlement here. ”

"What for?"

"Grow vegetables."

Lan Qi smiled and shook her head, said a few more words to Jian Chen, and then tried to communicate with those who sounded stammering.

The communication between the two of them was laughing from beginning to end, even though more than 70 people had died in the sea not long ago.

It's not just the two of them, it's the same with the exchanges between those who survived.

If you want to get out of the small world and sail the sea on a sailboat, the first thing you have to face is to face death at sea and no longer regard it as a terrible apocalyptic mentality.

From Min County to Holland to the southernmost tip of Africa, the people in the fleet had calmed their minds, and they had become accustomed to dying at sea, and had not fallen into much sadness.

Those who had been filled with fear after crossing the ocean to the Netherlands had been left behind by Jian Chen, and they would return to Minjun with the passing ships.

The sea does not belong to them, nor can it belong to them. Without the consciousness of dying half a ship at every turn, it is a dream to open up an era of exploration that belongs to one's own race.

This gradual acceptance of consciousness is reflected in the nautical diaries of the interns. From seven or eight pages of emotion in the Netherlands in the face of the tragedy of a ship sinking, to now, "on the third day of November, I have arrived at the southernmost point of Africa in the map of Europeans." Storm, seventy-three dead, may our ancestors protect us. It's weird, it's November, but it's summer, so you need to ask."

…………

When it was dark, several people belonging to the Nanyang Trading Company ran over and said, "Mr. Chen, one of the two damaged ships has been found, and the other has been washed up on the beach." It is estimated that it will not be repaired, and if it is repaired, it is better to go back and build a new one. ”

"Tear it down. Remove the planks and build a house. Build a settlement here. ”

"Immigration points? Do? ”

"Grow vegetables. The location is so good that the ship from Asia to Europe will definitely pass through here. Isn't it a good deal to replenish fresh water, buy some vegetables, and eat fresh meat? ”

There are some things that are not right to say at this time, such as going up the estuary of the river that we had passed seven or eight days ago, crossing several waterfalls that could not be navigated by boat, and there would be one of the largest gold and diamond mines in the world at this time.

It's still untenable now, and it's easy to be snatched away if this kind of thing is said earlier. Now it is possible to control the sea control of the islands near the Spanish colony, and then talk about the control of the ocean-going navy.

A person from Nanyang Trading Company raised some objections to Chen Jian's opinion.

"Mr. Chen, do you want to discuss this kind of thing with the rest of the people? Who paid for the money spent on this settlement? ”

"What do you think?"

"Mr. Chen, it's hard to say about this, there are some things that have nothing to do with us, but there are some things that you should consider thinking about attacking in the future. If you build a settlement here, you will most likely be attacked in the future. ”

"Handle?"

"yes. In the case of Nanyang Trading Company, the company's business will not be involved so far, you are the director and the highest representative on the voyage, of course, you can make a decision, but ...... It's always a hassle when you go back. Words of the country...... Those people in the country don't want to spend their money here, right? In the future, if something happens, you will have to take this responsibility. For example, if you start a war with someone else, and you don't hold it and it is captured by others, then you always have to bear this responsibility. If not, then there is no responsibility. ”

Jian Chen glanced at the man, and the man smiled, feeling a little happy that he wanted to be reused after making suggestions.

But he didn't want Chen Jian to spread his hands and said, "What else do the rest of you think?" ”

The man was silent, and he could see that there was not much gratitude in Jian Chen's words, but there was some indescribable faint disgust for this mentality.

The atmosphere was suddenly a little depressed, and after a while, a young accountant suddenly stood up and said quite resolutely: "Mr. Chen, although you are a director of the company, we, as the representatives of the other shareholders, still have the right to make suggestions. While I respect you, I also respect the rights that my shareholders have given me. So, it's not a question of responsibility or irresponsibility, and since the company is for profit, from the point of view of profitability, I must also oppose it. ”

Jian Chen smiled and nodded, "That's right, from the perspective of interests, you do have the right to make suggestions." Let's talk about it. ”

The young man squatted down, drew a rough outline on the ground, and said solemnly: "Mr. Chen, I have an idea this time. As far as the Nanyang Trading Company was concerned, I thought we could resell our goods to Holland, sail from Holland to Luanda to buy slaves, and then transport them back to the oil ports or smuggle them into the Spanish colonies. In this way, the profit is the highest and the ship does not go empty. ”

"According to the map drawn by those Yi people, the northern side of the world has been basically drawn. Mr. Chen and the Dutch said that they would not get involved in the spice trade or anything like that, so even if the Ming Dynasty or India was rich, it would be possible for us to cross the Pacific Ocean and go directly to Mincheng. In other words, if we don't get involved in the trade between Asia and Europe, the land under our feet is meaningless. ”

He raised his head, glanced at Jian Chen, and after a pause, said, "I know that Mr. Chen doesn't like the slave trade, but this is just Mr. Chen's personal thoughts. For the company, profit is the first purpose, and since I have been granted the right by the shareholders to give advice to Mr. Chen on the ship, although the decision is in your hands, I must say this opinion. The establishment of a settlement here was not profitable for the Nanyang Trading Company. The same silver coins, thrown at these kinds of vegetables as supplies, are far less profitable than the shipping trade. If you want to build a trading post or even a fortress in the Luanda area, I will support you as the ship's representative of the trading company. But here, from the perspective of shareholder interests, I am against it. ”

Jian Chen nodded, and asked the rest of the people, "What about you?" ”

Those people also nodded and said, "We don't support it either." We understand Mr. Chen's decision to give up the spice trade because we can't reach there and can't do it. But here, we can't think of a reason to support it. ”

After hearing this for a long time, Chen Jian laughed and said, "Okay, I'm also relieved, you are a qualified shareholder and a qualified businessman." ”