Not only did it try its best to keep its own shipping routes safe, but also could not offend the local snake big trading houses, the Portuguese Council of Macao was in a dilemma. It is basically impossible to persuade "Qiong Lianfa" to take the initiative to give up the action at the mouth of the Pearl River, after all, anyone with a discerning eye knows that it is the Haihan people who are leading this matter behind the scenes, and the attitude adopted by the Haihan people towards external threats has been fully reflected in their two cross-sea operations before and after. The most helpless thing for the council is that even if it is used by force, it may not be able to defeat the Haihan people, but may be burned because of it.

As a result, the council could only find the Guangzhou Office again, hoping to resolve the differences over the Pearl River Estuary through consultations. However, there is no executive committee stationed in the Guangzhou Office at present, and the authority for foreign 'diplomacy' affairs is not high, and after communicating with the base camp, the Guangzhou Office replied to the Portuguese and asked their envoys to go to Victory Port to have more direct consultations with the Executive Committee, so this is the reason for Enrique's visit to Victory Port.

"Mr. Enrique, we already know your intentions, with all due respect, there is no room for negotiation in the matter of your council asking us to withdraw from the Pearl River Estuary!" After entering the formal meeting process, Tao Donglai put away his previous politeness and became tougher.

The Executive Committee has invested a lot of resources in order to build this Dawanshan Island base. According to the plan of the Ministry of Construction, it is necessary to invest at least 30,000 yuan or more in order to implement the design plan for this stronghold, and this does not include the military expenses of the troops stationed on the island.

In addition to the economic account, this stronghold is more loaded with the military role, and the interests of the Executive Committee in this field are absolutely uncompromising, so the Military Commission did not hesitate to take the risk of sending troops to defeat the pirates on Dangan Island in the east, and the purpose was also to enable the garrison of Dawanshan Island to have absolute control in the nearby waters. Moreover, at present, Lijiazhuang in Panyu has begun to build the first immigration center of the crossing group in the mainland, and the storage of the Dawanshan Island stronghold can not only ensure the safety of the important shipping route from the mainland to Sanya, but also provide rapid assistance to Lijiazhuang when necessary.

"Maybe we can find a compromise to solve this problem. Seeing Tao Donglai's resolute attitude, Enrique tried to persuade from a different angle: "If you need a cargo transshipment point in the Pearl River Estuary, you can actually consider choosing a site in Ho Jing Ao. ”

Tao Donglai smiled and said, "Is that so? If the council can allow our armed personnel to be stationed in Haojingao, then I think Mr. Enrique's proposal can still be carefully considered." ”

Enrique's face changed: "No, no, no, I didn't say that armed personnel can also be stationed in Ho Jing O!"

The reason why the council is so jealous of the existence of the stronghold on Dawanshan Island is that an unknown number of Haihan armed personnel are stationed on this island, and Dawanshan Island is less than 20 nautical miles away from the Australian 'Gate', and it will take half a day at most. The presence of an armed force with an unclear attitude and considerable combat power stationed in such a close proximity cannot but make the Council feel jealous. However, the development of this island is "Qiong Lianfa" in the name of business to 'operate', Enrique can only try to persuade Tao Dong to change his mind from this angle, if "Qiong Lianfa" is willing to give up this plan, then it is also worth the deal to sell a few warehouses on the side of Ao "Gate" in exchange for peace.

It's just that Enrique didn't expect Tao Donglai to directly make his words clear - what I stationed on the island is the army, and if you want me to move the warehouse on the island to the Australian 'gate', then the army on the island will have to move there together!

The council felt unsafe across the sea, so how could it agree to such a method of luring wolves into the house? Enrique quickly rejected Tao Donglai and decided to put this matter aside for the first time, lest the Haihan people gain an inch and directly hit Hao Jingao's head.

"Mr. Tao mentioned that he is willing to carry out trade with my country, and the council is very interested in this. After thinking about it, Enrique decided to talk about business first, after all, these Haihan people started out in trade, and talking about business should not be as hot as talking about military.

"We will be happy to trade with your country, and later you will have a list of local imports and exports, so you can pick out the goods that interest you Portuguese. Tao Donglai paused and said, "In addition, I have a special request. ”

"Mr. Tao, please say. Enrique's eyes lit up and he quickly responded. He had dealt with the Ming people a lot, and he was well aware of the unspoken rules of this oriental nation in all kinds of affairs, and if the other party made some kind of "private" demand, it showed that many things were still negotiable - provided that the demands he made were met.

"I'm not asking for myself, don't get me wrong. Tao Dong came to see Enrique's face full of excitement, guessing that he had misunderstood his words, and immediately defended himself.

Tao Donglai cleared his throat and said: "During the Apocalypse, the Ming Dynasty recruited some Portuguese from Haojingao to serve as military advisers and train troops for them, is there such a thing?"

"Yes, there is such a thing. Enrique heard Tao Donglai ask about this matter, and wanted to brag a few words, but Tao Donglai's intention to mention this matter was unclear, and Enrique finally suppressed the words that came to his mouth.

"If someone else can afford it, they can hire a military advisor from you, right?" Tao Donglai continued.

Although Enrique felt a little strange, he nodded and admitted Tao Donglai's speculation. From the 16th century to the 18th century, the whole of Europe was a battlefield for mercenaries, and the Portuguese were the most deeply and extensively involved in this industry. From the Thirty Years' War in Europe to the suppression of the Cossack uprising in Poland, from the colonies of the Americas to the battlefields of the Ming Dynasty and the Manchus, there were Portuguese fighting for money everywhere in the world.

The country that hired the Portuguese earlier than the Ming was Siam, and as early as 1511, the Portuguese entered the army of the King of Siam to fight for them, and taught the Siamese how to make and use firearms. During the reign of King Barachhai of Siam in 1538, his 'private' guard consisted of 120 Portuguese, and this foreign mercenary army later participated in Siam's war with the Taungoo Kingdom of Burma in 1545. However, what is unbelievable is that in the Burmese army at that time, there were also mercenaries from Portugal, which also proved the professional 'nature' of Portuguese mercenaries from the side.

In order to get the recognition of the Central Dynasty, the Portuguese who settled in Australia have always been very keen on aiding the Ming Dynasty, and Xu Guangqi, Sun Yuanhua and others have used Portuguese mercenaries in the late Ming Dynasty. Therefore, Enrique did not have any need to deny mercenaries - in the eyes of the Portuguese, mercenaries were not fundamentally different from other goods, they were just a 'door' business.

"We hope to hire a group of Portuguese military advisers as instructors to help us train our soldiers at a reasonable price. ”

Tao Donglai's words made Enrique's brain briefly shut down for a few seconds - the Haihan people are looking for Portuguese mercenaries, what is the situation?

"Allow me to confirm, you mean you need a group of Portuguese mercenaries?" Enrique asked rhetorically, his eyes wide.

"That's right. By the way, we just need artillery. Tao Donglai made a more detailed request: "As for the cost, I can guarantee that their treatment will not be lower than those who serve for the Ming Dynasty." ”

With the gradual completion of the fortifications in various ports and the launching of naval warships one after another, the shortage of artillery has become the biggest bottleneck restricting the development of Haihan's military strength. There were no regular artillerymen in the crossing group itself, and the instructors were all non-professionals who were halfway home, so the training of artillery was always a weakness. After Tao Donglai returned from Guangzhou in March, he had already put forward the plan to hire military instructors from the Portuguese, but at that time, because of the anniversary, there were too many other affairs, and the attitude of the Australian 'door' was unclear, so the matter was delayed. This time, the Australian 'Gate' sent an envoy to visit, and the Executive Committee believes that it is possible to test the attitude of the Australian 'Gate' again.

Enrique muttered, "This shouldn't be too much of a problem...... But the council ......"

"If you have smart people on your council, they should be able to think that we don't have any ill will towards Ho Jing O or the Portuguese. There's no way we're going to hire your soldiers and order them to attack your place of residence, right?" Tao Dong was a little confused when he came to see Enrique, so he could only take the initiative to help him point out the positive significance of this initiative.

Enrique really came back to his senses all of a sudden: "Ah, Mr. Tao, you are right! I think this is probably the best way to express goodwill and resolve disputes in the current situation!"

The Australian 'gate' side is not worried that the Haihan people will establish a stronghold with military role in the Pearl River Estuary, and the Haihan people are not willing to take the initiative to give up this stronghold because of the doubts of the Australian 'gate', and if the two sides continue to be suspicious of each other, it will undoubtedly affect the establishment of trade relations that are still under negotiation. When there was a lack of effective solutions on the part of Australia, the mercenary plan proposed by Tao Donglai became a turning point in the matter.

It is absolutely impossible for the Macao 'Gate' to allow the Haihan militia to be stationed there, but the Haihan militia can hire a group of Portuguese military advisers in a reasonable and legal way. And when the army system of Haihan has the survival of Portuguese soldiers, if Haihan tries to make any unfavorable moves against the Portuguese in Australia, it will obviously be much more difficult. The stakes are not complicated, and Enrique is confident that the council will be able to understand them, and it will be difficult to object to them.

But even if the Haihan and the council of the Macao 'Gate' were able to resolve their differences over the Pearl River Estuary stronghold, Enrique's mediation mission was not over - or, to be more precise, his mediation mission was only half completed.

As for the other half, it was the opinion of the South Vietnamese side. Although the council on the Australian side felt the need to maintain a peaceful posture with the Haihans, the Portuguese on the South Vietnamese side did not see it that way. The bottom line they can accept is that the Haihan people have promised not to directly intervene in the civil war in Annam, and there is no such thing as a ban on arms sales, after all, they also know very well that the arms trade cannot be banned.

"Is there a big difference between us and whether we intervene directly or not?" Tao Donglai responded with a smile after listening to Enrique's relay: "Whether we directly intervene or not, in the long run, the defeat of the Southern Ruan clan is the inevitable result, and the advice I can give is to let your people withdraw from the battlefield in Annam, and do business honestly when they should do business, if you must intervene forcibly, beware that you won't even have to do business in Annam in the future!"

Enrique was very uncomfortable with Tao Donglai's soft and hard attitude at this time, and frowned and asked: "You have a lot of interests in the north of Annam, and I can't sit back and watch the north lose in the civil war, I can understand this." But you have no real interests in the south of Annam, so why do you insist on a hostile attitude towards the Nguyen in the south?"

"Not now, but there will be. Tao Donglai replied succinctly: "The Nguyen family's survival will affect our future interests in the south. For us, a unified Annan would be more beneficial. We don't have any hatred with the Nguyen Clan, our attitude and approach are simply for our own benefit. ”

"If the Portuguese are not willing to back down, then they will become our enemies, and I hope you will convey this attitude to them as much as possible. Tao Donglai stood up and said, "It's not early, we have prepared a simple reception banquet for Mr. Enrique, please!"

Enrique could feel Tao Donglai's toughness on the South Vietnamese issue, which was still different from his attitude on the issue of Dawanshan Island, and although the Pearl River Estuary incident was not negotiable, Tao Donglai at least did not express his hostility towards the Australian 'gate'. On the issue of South Vietnam, it is not difficult for Enrique to feel Tao Donglai's determination -- if the Nguyen regime in South Vietnam is not extinguished, the Haihan people will not stop. And anyone who helps the Nguyen clan in South Vietnam will be seen as an opponent by Haihan. Although Tao Donglai did not specify when the next military operation against South Vietnam would take place, Enrique had a vague sense of foreboding in his heart.

Over the next few days, the Executive Committee arranged a rich program of tours for Enrique. With the exception of the barracks and industrial areas, most of the local area is open for Enrique to visit. The Executive Committee hoped to make the Portuguese understand that the foothills of the southeastern corner of Qiongzhou Island were not barbaric tribes, but a new force that represented the most advanced and creative power of the era.

Although he was also shocked by the huge iron ships and the running trains, Enrique paid more attention to the hidden details behind these "miracles", such as the high local enrollment rate of young children, the advanced financial management system, the pervasive grassroots civil affairs institutions, and the unique land system in the jurisdiction of the Haihan people. All kinds of details show that this is another society that is completely different from other towns in the Ming Dynasty.

Under this social system constructed by the Haihan people, everything seems to be orderly. Enrique didn't see any beggars, idlers, or homeless people here, and everyone knew from the moment they woke up in the morning what needed to be done today. As soon as the fixed hour arrived every morning, Enrique could see people coming out of their quarters in droves, into offices, farmlands, construction sites, schools, docks, etc., and doing their duties in a manner that he had never seen anywhere before.

It was hard for Enrique to imagine how the Haihan people had built the port of victory in just over a year, but after arriving here, he found that such a miracle was indeed possible, but only if the Haihan people had the ability to manage society. Compared with the efficiency of the Haihan Executive Committee, Enrique felt that the Ming government was simply a joke, and he had never seen any town in Guangdong Province with such good infrastructure as Shengli Port, all the roads, residential areas, and living facilities were carefully planned.

There is no smell of garbage in the urban area, there is no cross-flow of sewage, the roads are smooth and straight, and although most of the residential areas are made of bamboo and wood, the style, size, and orientation are uniform. Wells, bathhouses, canteens, toilets, and other public facilities are all designed to maximize the area covered and provide convenience for the people's lives. The people living in Shengli Port basically don't need to 'spend' too much effort to 'worry' about their own food, clothing, housing and transportation, and can devote most of their 'energy' to work, and this is probably one of the basic reasons why the limited local people can accomplish so much work. Order was Enrique's deepest initial impression of Port Victory. Although he didn't know how the Haihan Executive Committee did this, after just a few days of life, he could feel that the social system here was definitely more advanced and complete than the place he had been in before. Whether it is Daming or distant Europa, it is too far from this emerging city on the island of Qiongzhou. Every two or three days, a migrant ship arrives at Shengli Harbor, and every month thousands of new immigrants come to settle here and participate in the construction of the Haihan people. The Haihan people did not prohibit Enrique from coming into contact with the local people, so he also learned a lot about the Haihan people. When the Haihan people first arrived here, there were only a few hundred people, but it took a year to grow to nearly 20,000 people, and this development rate seems to continue to accelerate. As a practitioner who came to Asia from distant Europe to open up colonies, Enrique could certainly see that this development model of the Haihan people was actually very similar to the way Western countries established colonies - to build a port city, and then radiate outward from this center to build more colonies and strongholds. But the difference between the Haihan people is that their work efficiency is so frighteningly high, that the work that may take years for their Western counterparts to complete, they can do it in a tenth of the time or even less, and they do it even better.