Chapter 280: Sweet Port Turbulence – The Storm Arrives

While Chang Shide was digging pits under Bei Kai's indiscriminate coal-hunting methodology, the South China Sugar Factory back in Xuwen was quietly drifting into the eye of a storm.

The opening of the South China Trading House was extremely low-key—so low-key that Wen Tong not only didn't use any commercial promotional techniques from another timeline, but also skipped the local customs of firecrackers and lion dances. One day, the newly renovated trading house simply took down its door boards and quietly opened for business.

Business on the first day proved excellent. Though many people didn't know a new trading house had opened, for the cane farmers bringing sugarcane for processing, being able to exchange sugar for silver without leaving the premises was far more convenient than driving their carts to Hai'an Street.

Every farmer who sold sugar received a passbook recording their 2% bonus. This practice intrigued the farmers, and many asked when they could withdraw this 2%. Liao Daxing followed Wen Tong's script: they'd be notified in due time. Though most were skeptical, it wasn't as if they were losing anything.

Several peaceful days passed. They collected nearly 100 shi of sugar daily. Though Wen Tong wasn't fully satisfied, considering they only had 10,000 taels of silver, he figured it was just as well—he couldn't afford more anyway.

One morning, Wen Tong had just gotten up feeling light on his feet after a passion-filled night with A-Zhu, when Liao Daxing came rushing in.

"What is it?" Wen Tong was startled. He'd been here long enough to know these people were strict about hierarchy. This was the inner residence—barging in uninvited meant something major had happened.

"Reporting to the Shopkeeper: something feels wrong at the trading house!"

"What's wrong?"

"There are... too many people..." Liao Daxing gasped, his face full of unease.

"People selling sugar? That's good, isn't it?"

"Yes, but the numbers increased too fast—it's strange!"

They hurried to the trading house. Though it wasn't yet opening time, the open area outside was already crowded with farmers. Ox carts, carrying poles, handcarts, back-baskets—every kind of transport was loaded with sugar. And more people kept streaming in. Everyone's face was tense, as if hiding a secret they didn't dare share.

Opening time arrived. Wen Tong waved his hand. "Open up."

The moment the doors opened, the waiting farmers surged forward. Everyone rushed toward the weighing stations. In an instant, all four stations were swamped. Order collapsed. The area became a packed mass of humanity. Oxen bellowed in distress.

Amid the chaos, someone's sugar basket broke open. A despairing wail rose up: "My sugar—my sugar—"

His cry was swallowed by the surging crowd.

Wen Tong knew something was seriously amiss. He quickly ordered, "Run to the Qiwei Escort Agency. Tell Liao Dahua to bring every escort guard. Grab some militiamen too!"

Liao Daxing climbed onto a table and shouted: "Everyone, don't push! Line up! South China is open all day—"

He shouted until hoarse, but no one responded. A terrible thought flashed through his mind. Years back, when the government sold relief grain after a heavy snowfall, people had swarmed like this. Over a dozen had been trampled to death.

Soon Zhou Shizhai arrived with the militia. They charged in and separated the crowd. The Qiwei escorts arrived too, setting up checkpoints at the road entrances.

Order was gradually restored, but those ten minutes of chaos left tragic traces: dozens of broken sandals, crushed baskets, sugar spilled everywhere. Someone was crying while picking it up.

Chen Tianxiong surveyed the scene. "This is suspicious. Very suspicious." He sent an escort to Hai'an Street to investigate.

Before the escort left, Liao Dahua arrived, gasping. "Shopkeepers... Hai'an Street—"

"What about Hai'an Street? The Haiyi Guild?"

Liao Dahua nodded vigorously. "Starting yesterday, they dropped the sugar price to 1.5 taels!"

Everyone was stunned. No wonder the farmers were flooding here. A difference of 1 tael per shi was enormous!

Wen Tong's face went white. When Chang Shide left, they had just over 10,000 taels. This week they'd already spent over a thousand. If this continued...

The news came back quickly: in the hour since opening, they'd taken in over 100 shi. At that rate—600 to 700 shi daily—9,000 taels would last six or seven days at most.

And then would come the terrifying chain-break of capital.

Wen Tong instructed the clerks to slow down purchasing. But this wasn't sustainable. If they moved too slowly, the crowd would back up and chaos would erupt.

Liao Dahua said quietly, "Master, once we get through today, tomorrow we should also drop to 1.5 taels."

"That's all we can do." Wen Tong saw no other option. Chen Tianxiong urged reporting to the Executive Committee immediately.

But the flood showed no sign of abating. The sugar price had crashed—for farmers who'd worked all year, this was a bolt from the blue. Those who'd taken loans were frantic.

Though panicked, Liao Dahua kept composure. He had Wen Tong dispatch workers to distribute free bitter herb tea. He erected makeshift shelters along the roadside. He implemented a numbered queue system. The escort guards and militia maintained order. They managed—barely—to keep things under control.

(End of Chapter)