Chapter 1142 - The Situation in Fujian
"Sit." Ming Qiu gestured to a chair opposite him.
"Yes. Thank you, Commissar." Xu Ke seated himself, back straight.
"Care for some water?" Ming Qiu slid a bottle of cold water across the desk. The office lacked air conditioning, but an electric fan whirred steadily overhead.
"No, thank you—I'm not thirsty."
"How is the intelligence work progressing?" Ming Qiu inquired, tone conversational.
"Chaotic, to be frank. The volume of information is overwhelming, and verification is difficult..." Xu Ke reported honestly. "But there's no indication that Zheng Zhilong is mobilizing forces."
"It's the situation in Fujian that concerns me..." Ming Qiu paused. "You're aware that the General Staff is extremely attentive to Zheng Zhilong's movements. They suspect he may exploit the fact that our main forces are committed to Operation Engine to make a move."
"According to our intelligence, Zheng Zhilong is currently preoccupied with consolidating his power in Fujian—suppressing pirates who haven't submitted to him and expanding his trade network. He doesn't appear to have either the intention or the capacity to provoke us at present."
"That's reassuring. But we mustn't grow complacent. The Dutch have been quite active lately as well." Ming Qiu rose and walked to a large map mounted on the wall. "Huygens' visit, Li Siya's machinations... these are all signals. We must prepare for worst-case scenarios."
He tapped the Taiwan Strait on the map. "If conflict erupts, our First Fleet will bear the brunt. We need precise intelligence on enemy ship numbers, cannon configurations, and base defenses. Can you guarantee that?"
"We're doing everything in our power to gather it. But penetrating their inner circle is difficult," Xu Ke admitted. "Zheng Zhilong is deeply suspicious of outsiders."
"I understand. But you must find a way." Ming Qiu turned back, his gaze sharpening. "This is war, Lieutenant. Information asymmetry can be fatal."
"Yes, Commissar!"
"Also, regarding Li Siya..." Ming Qiu's voice dropped. "We have reason to believe she's planning something. Keep a close eye on her movements. If necessary..." He drew a finger across his throat.
Xu Ke's heart lurched. "Understood."
"Return to your office and compose a detailed analytical report focusing on the potential threat of a Zheng-Dutch alliance. I need it on my desk by tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir!" Xu Ke rose, saluted, and turned to leave.
Walking out of headquarters, he felt the weight of responsibility settle upon his shoulders. The tropical sun blazed down, yet a chill crept through him. The shadow of war was gathering, and he stood at the vanguard.
Back at the office, Xu Ke immediately convened a meeting of key intelligence personnel to re-examine recent reports and hunt for overlooked clues.
"Chief, take a look at this..." An analyst slid a document across the table. "Raw silk shipments from Zhangzhou to Tayouan have increased sharply of late."
"Raw silk?" Xu Ke frowned. "Dutch trade with Japan requires large quantities of raw silk. But why the sudden spike?"
"Could they be stockpiling goods in preparation for war?"
"Possibly. Or perhaps..." Xu Ke's eyes lit with sudden insight. "They're assembling a lavish gift for the Shogunate to smooth the negotiations Wei Bachi mentioned!"
"And if negotiations succeed, the Dutch will have free hands to deal with us."
"Exactly." Xu Ke nodded decisively. "This is critical intelligence. We must verify the final destination of this silk shipment."
Meanwhile, in Anping, Li Siya was meeting with Zheng Zhifeng.
"The Dutch are willing to talk?" Zheng Zhifeng asked, idly turning a jade archer's ring between his fingers.
"Yes. But they want to see our sincerity first," Li Siya replied. "They want us to help them restrain Australian expansion in Taiwan."
"Restrain? How?"
"They hope we'll use our influence among Fujian immigrants to create difficulties for the Australians. Strikes, riots, rumors... anything to slow their construction."
Zheng Zhifeng sneered. "The Red-hairs are masterful calculators. They want us to be the bird flushed from the brush, shot by the hunter?"
"Yet this is in our interest too, is it not?" Li Siya pressed. "Australian expansion proceeds too swiftly. If they establish a firm foothold in Taiwan, your brother's dominion over these seas will be threatened."
Zheng Zhifeng fell silent. He knew she was right. The Australian "giant ships and great cannons" had left an indelible impression.
"I will convey this to my brother," he said at last. "But don't expect too much. He's focused on cultivating the Court at present; he has no wish to provoke the Australians prematurely."
"I understand. But please remind Lord Zheng: the Australians will not content themselves with Taiwan alone. Their goal is the entire East Asian sea."
Departing the Zheng residence, Li Siya exhaled slowly. Persuading Zheng Zhilong would not be simple. This pirate-turned-official was now far more concerned with preserving his wealth and position. But she had other cards to play.
Back in Kaohsiung, construction proceeded at a blistering pace. The arrival of the Dutch guests hadn't slowed progress; if anything, the pace had quickened, as though to showcase Australian efficiency.
Westerly and Cleadia worked cheerfully at the clock tower each day, fully absorbed into this strange collective. Westerly had even learned to request specific tools in simple Chinese: "Hammer." "Saw." "File."
Zhong Lishi had grown quite fond of the eager boy. He sometimes took time to personally explain mechanical principles to him. Though language barriers remained, the language of science was universal. Through diagrams and gestures, they communicated with surprising fluency.
"Dr. Zhong, your design is pure genius!" Westerly exclaimed, pointing at a drawing of the escapement mechanism.
"This is the crystallization of our forebears' wisdom," Zhong Lishi replied modestly—though those "forebears" referred to scientists who wouldn't be born for centuries.
Huygens, too, visited Dr. Zhong frequently. Their discussions ranged from astronomy to geography, from mathematics to philosophy. Huygens found himself profoundly shaken by Dr. Zhong's erudition. He realized the Australians possessed knowledge far exceeding contemporary Europe's.
"If it were possible, I would dearly love to invite you to lecture in Europe," Huygens said with evident sincerity.
"Perhaps there will be an opportunity in the future," Dr. Zhong replied with a smile. "But for now, we have more urgent work to attend to."
Indeed, a great storm was gathering—both figuratively and literally.
(End of Chapter)