Chapter 943 Trade Alliance

On December 20, Yan Chujie and Mu Xiabai also led their fleets to leave Xingdao respectively, and returned to Anbu Na Island and Cam Ranh Port in Annan respectively. The time for the second meeting agreed with the Dutch was coming soon, and Yan Chujie had to go to Anbu.

It’s up to Nadao to preside over the overall situation. But this time he doesn’t need to continue to push forward in areas that he is not good at, because Schneider has sailed south from Sanya a few days ago and came to personally preside over this trade negotiation.

Roger, on the other hand, led hundreds of soldiers and logistics staff to temporarily stay on Star Island. They will be the first batch of garrison troops here. Before the fleet left, they left a lot of supplies, which was enough for these people for half a year.

However, the subsequent development will soon be carried out. When Yan Chujie returns to Ambon Island, the first batch of immigrants and workers will soon be sent to Xingdao to implement infrastructure projects.

Just in case, the fleet also left two expedition-class warships and a supply ship here to ensure that the garrison can have minimum maritime armament and maneuverability. When the follow-up port project progresses, the military

More combat ships will be mobilized to station here to ensure Haihan's control of the Malacca Strait channel.

Just two days after the combined fleet left, something happened on Sing Tao. Several Johor fishing boats discovered this new stronghold that appeared out of thin air while operating nearby, and immediately went back to inform the government. The Johor government, who did not know why, thought that

This may be an attempt by the Portuguese to establish a colony here again, and they soon sent a group of troops to fight over from the sea.

Centering on the control of the Strait of Malacca, the war between Portugal and Johor has continued intermittently for decades from the last century to the present. Because the Portuguese side has the advantage of force, it has won less and lost more, suppressing the Johor country.

It’s hard to look up when you come to the southernmost tip of the peninsula. In the early years of Johor, there were many people on Star Island, but repeated raids by Portugal turned this place into a no-man’s land.

Of course, Portugal has tried to station troops here to build colonies, but because the scale of the garrison was too small, it could not resist the counterattack of the Johor Army. It tried several times but ended in failure. On the contrary, it lost a lot of manpower.

.The two opposing parties were too weak to take root on Star Island. Over time, this island with an area of ​​more than 700 square kilometers became a strategic buffer zone for both sides.

However, in this way, the Haihan people took advantage of the situation and left room for maneuver. They easily landed on the island without encountering any obstacles and set up a temporary stronghold on the island. The Johor Kingdom, who did not know the truth, discovered that there was something on the island.

Naturally, they thought that the Portuguese were becoming restless again due to the lack of human activities, so they hurriedly sent troops to clear them out, intending to drive away their opponents before their foothold was stable.

However, when they discovered that the flags hanging on the two armed sailing ships sailing out of the harbor were the red and blue Haihan flags, they immediately hesitated. How powerful the maritime armed forces possessed by the Haihan people were not in the South China Sea.

What's the secret? Many merchants from Johor have visited the ports under Hai Han's rule and seen their strength. Now they have to face Hai Han on the battlefield, which even the Portuguese and Dutch cannot defeat. This is a big problem for Johor.

It is indeed a big psychological test for the military.

While the Johor warship was cowering, the two warships of Haihan had already fired their cannons, but the distance between the two sides was still far away. The firing of the cannons by the Haihan warship was only for the purpose of warning. However, this move caused the enemy on the opposite side to

The Johor Army misunderstood. Its commander believed that this was a sign that the Haihan Army was going to war. Considering that his sailboat was not equipped with a long-range weapon with extremely lethal power such as artillery, the consequences of rushing forward to engage in the battle were likely to be a one-sided situation. The command

The official ordered to immediately change direction and evacuate the sea area.

"Why did you run away before the fighting started?" Roger was observing the enemy's movements with a telescope on the deck, and was very disdainful of the Johor Army's cowardly performance.

The appearance of the Johor Army was something that Haihan had expected. After all, Star Island is only separated from the Johor State on the Malay Peninsula by a water, and it used to be the territory of the Johor State. It was also the subject of repeated disputes between Johor and Portugal.

It is a piece of land. It is impossible for the other party to turn a blind eye to the new situation here. It is reasonable to send troops to expel it. It’s just that the Johor Army was probably bullied and scared by the artillery prepared on the Portuguese armed sailing ship. Haihan’s side

After just a few rounds of blank ammunition, the opponent actually turned around and left. This reaction was a little too cowardly.

Roger didn't quite believe that this would be able to scare away the Johor Army. After all, they had been fighting the Portuguese for decades. Logically, they had seen all the scenes and they wouldn't withdraw because of two cannon shots. But.

Haihan has a limited number of naval ships stationed here, and Roger doesn't dare to chase him out to find out what's going on. If the other party plays some trick like diverting the tiger away from the mountain, and there is no time to build comprehensive coastal defenses, there is no coastline covered by the navy.

There is no way to prevent the other party from logging in.

Of course, the Johor Army is not retreating, they just don't want to do something stupid like an egg against a stone. In the past battles with the Portuguese, they suffered more than once or twice due to weapons and equipment in maritime operations. For ship-borne artillery,

They have a very clear personal experience of the power. Avoiding the Haihan people does not mean that they give up trying to expel the Haihan people.

The commander of the Johor Army judged that the Hai Han people had not been here long, so it was unlikely that a large number of people were stationed here. He ordered the fleet to retreat a certain distance, and after leaving the sight of the Hai Han ship, he moved towards Star Island.

Coast, let the troops land and march to bypass the Haihan armed defense line at sea.

The distance between the east and west ends of Star Island is less than 40 kilometers, and the widest point from north to south is only more than 20 kilometers. There is no obstacle to crossing this uninhabited island from land. It took the Johor Army most of the day to cross it from land.

Quietly approached the Haihan Army's station on the southern coast.

However, it is a pity that the early warning sentries deployed by the Haihan Army outside the camp noticed the movements of the Johor Army a few miles away. After receiving the news, Roger immediately ordered the entire army to enter the first level of combat readiness. So the Johor Army launched after dark

The plan of the raid turned out to be in vain. When they approached the Haihan camp, they found that many fires were lit in the wilderness outside the camp, making it impossible for anyone who tried to approach to hide within a hundred meters.

But having come to this point, the commander of the Johor Army did not want to return without success again, so he sent a team of people to sneak slowly towards the Haihan camp. However, when they were stopped by a barbed wire fence that stretched across the perimeter of the camp,

, there was a sudden burst of gunfire in the camp, and several rounds of volley fire caused this group of Johor soldiers who had no warning to fall outside the barbed wire fence.

After defeating this round of camps by the Johor Army, there was no incident that night. The Johor Army knew that the Hai Han people were secretly on guard, so they were unwilling to come and kill people easily. After the sky lit up in the morning, people were sent to the Hai Han camp.

He came out to count the results and found that a total of eighteen enemies were killed. From the clothes and weapons these people wore, Roger quickly confirmed their origins.

"It turns out that if you don't take action at sea, you will go around to the land!" Roger looked at the dozen corpses lined up on the ground and considered how to deal with the armed conflict with Johor.

The weapons of these Johor soldiers are all cold weapons, and they have no armor on their bodies. Their individual equipment is still relatively typical of South Asian tribal armed forces. With the size of the troops currently deployed by Haihan on Star Island, even if Johor sends one or two thousand people to attack

In this camp, the only result would be to be pushed to the ground and rubbed by Haihan. Roger did not think that Johor had the courage to send a thousand troops to Star Island to cause trouble when the situation was unclear, so he did not have to worry about his own camp for the time being.

It will be defeated by the Johor Army. But since the opponent's army is already lurking on the island, it is a hidden danger that needs to be solved after all.

At the same time, Yan Chujie was greeting Schneider who had just arrived at the pier of Amborna Island. Schneider, who was in charge of Haihan's financial power, came south to Amborna Island specifically to discuss the South China Sea Trade Alliance with all parties.

In the future, this trade alliance initiated and established by Haihan may also expand to Northeast Asia and become a trade organization with influence throughout the Far East.

It stands to reason that the negotiation process of a regional trade organization like this should be held in a place like Sanya. However, Haihan's decision to hold the meeting in Amborna Island this time also has a different meaning.

First, the current participants in this trade agreement, except for the Ming Dynasty’s Fuzhou and Guangzhou provinces, are mainly concentrated in Southeast Asia, and Haihan hopes to use this meeting to attract more Southeast Asian countries to join the trade alliance in the future, which will

The location of the meeting in the South China Sea is also to show that Haihan attaches enough importance to its partners in this region.

Secondly, Haihan already intends to build Ambona Island into a gold-selling cave in the South China Sea. Naturally, they also want to take this opportunity to publicize it and give everyone a heads-up first. By the way, they should absorb the investment first.

Absorb it in.

"Roger didn't come back?" Schneider asked immediately after landing on the island and found that only a senior official, Yan Chujie, appeared.

"Roger is in Star Island, and he won't be back until next year." Yan Chujie knew what Schneider was worried about, and immediately explained: "Although Roger is not here, several of his people who are responsible for the management of the island are here.

Besides, they can also provide you with the information you need to know."

Schneider relaxed a little. He came here this time to make the final decision on the plan of Ambona Island. During this period, one or two investment meetings for investors would inevitably be held. At that time, some specific data information would need to be obtained by someone familiar with the local area.

Someone can explain the situation on your behalf. Roger was originally the most suitable candidate, but now that he is far away from Star Island and cannot come back during the meeting, his subordinates can only do it for him.

"Which ones have arrived now?" Schneider continued to ask.

"Zheng Zha from Annan was the first to arrive. He followed us around the South China Sea and came directly here when he came back." Yan Chujie explained: "Representatives from the Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian government also arrived, but they probably only

He will observe the meeting and will not publicly express his position or sign documents."

Schneider nodded to express his understanding. The officials in Fuzhou and Guangzhou did not represent the Ming Dynasty in joining this trade organization, but only represented the local area. The local senior officials sent to attend the meeting were only their staff, and it was impossible to represent them in such a public forum.

If Ming Dynasty expresses its position, the signed documents will be even less effective.

"People from Champa and Matalan should arrive in the next two days. In addition, Siam, Aceh, and Johor will send people to observe this meeting." Yan Chujie paused and said, "Speaking of Johor, Roger

I sent a telegram this morning, saying that there was an armed conflict with the Johor Army in Sing Tao, and more than a dozen people were killed."

Schneider's face was unmoved after hearing the news: "Conflicts are all expected, and it's not us who suffer anyway. Don't worry, this kind of small conflict will not affect the big picture, and national-level interests are not

A dozen human lives can be compared. As long as the people of Johor realize the benefits that this trade alliance can bring them, they will forget what happened on Star Island. Whether to follow us or stand opposite us, they will soon see

To clarify the situation.”

The trade alliance planned by Schneider is quite different from the past chambers of commerce and investment companies. It is not a simple trading partnership, but a series of business guilds, technical standards, financial systems, maritime transportation, etc. with maritime connections.

The organization and operation methods with Chinese characteristics have been integrated. In the future, member countries will not only be members of the Haihan trade system, but also need to gradually integrate into the Haihan-led system in all aspects such as politics, military, finance, and culture.

.,

Schneider calls it the "Far East integration process in the seventeenth century." If the operation of this system is relatively successful in the future, then the establishment of a large-scale international alliance for political and economic integration covering the entire Far East region is also an expected result. If the time-travelers

If we act fast enough, we may be able to see this day come in our lifetime.

Although Schneider was a speculator, he also had his own political ambitions. In the time and space before time travel, Trump, who was also a businessman, could become the president of the United States. Schneider believed that in addition to his business talents,

, can also make a difference in the political arena. Even if he cannot become the chairman of the Haihan Executive Committee, he can at least leave a good name for himself in history and spread it to future generations.

Schneider does not even regard opponents like Johor or the Netherlands as stumbling blocks, only as small obstacles on the way forward. He is convinced that he has mastered the development trend of history, and no country can deviate from it.

According to the laws of social development, even the forces that are still confronting Haihan are only temporarily bucking the trend, and sooner or later they will be assimilated and absorbed by the new social system led by Haihan.
Chapter completed!