Catching sight of He Lingchuan, quite a few farmers smiled and stood up to greet him. Though he was the island master, He Lingchuan put on no airs before them, often taking time to ask about their well-being.
Beside them, guards converted from former pirates saluted him with solemn respect.
Only after He Lingchuan had walked some distance away did several newly hired men whisper, "That's the island master?"
"That's him! Young, isn't he? Not even twenty yet!"
"When my son was twenty, he didn't know shit, couldn't even father a kid! Look at him—managing such a massive enterprise with so many people under his command!"
"And his attitude toward us is decent too, unlike those rich masters who treat us like dirt!"
A newcomer scoffed, "He's just putting on a show. Rich men have pitch-black hearts."
A woman working nearby took offense. Tossing a freshly washed palm fruit at him, she snapped, "Hey, you're new here, aren't you? What gives you the right to spout off when you don't know a thing? Watch someone tear that mouth of yours off!"
Others chimed in, "Island Master He listens to us very carefully. When he's not around, if we have any complaints—see that red house over by the side?"
The newcomer looked where the man pointed. Sure enough, beside the bamboo grove stood a building whose exterior walls were painted a striking red.
"Inside is the person in charge of workshop scheduling and arrangements. If we have any complaints or difficulties, we just tell him, and he writes it down to submit up the ladder."
The newcomer was astonished. "Does that actually work?"
"Of course it does," the woman washing fruit said. "I told the red house that the venomous bugs on the island bite terribly hard, swelling up so badly you can't sleep at night, and the repelling salve mixed by ordinary doctors doesn't do a thing. Not two days later, they distributed a new repellent to us. I heard Island Master He's medicine monkey concocted it specially. One rub and it works like a charm, and sweat doesn't even wash it off—aren't you wearing it right now? If you hadn't put it on, you'd be foaming at the mouth by now!"
Others nodded in agreement. "It works, it really works! The suggestion I brought up was adopted too."
"Some folks even steal the medicine to sell at the harbor. Shameless bastards!" Blade Harbor was surrounded by dense jungle, home to swarms of vicious insects, making bug repelling medicine a hot commodity.
The workshop was bustling with activity throughout the day. He Lingchuan had no time to pay mind to the chatter behind him. Ever since he bought the Yangshan Archipelago, he had been the center of conversation both in Blade Harbor and on the islands. Unmoved by praise or scorn—yes, he had already cultivated a mind as still as water, unswayed by either favor or disgrace.
Still, he had caught those last few words, and his mind turned to the repellent business.
Aside from concocting a few hundred Heart-Clearing Pills, Lingguang had been idling around lately and had visibly grown a rounder belly. What if...?
Rather than let others steal his salve to sell, he might as well openly market the genuine article himself. In any case, the Yangshan Archipelago's specialty goods shop was opening soon.
After completing a round of inspection and handing over the issues he noticed to Lei Ni for rectification, He Lingchuan saw two men walking briskly toward him.
One of them was Ding Zuodong.
In less than two months, he had lost considerable weight and darkened by two shades.
Yet the busier Ding Zuodong grew, the more energetic he became. He walked with his chest puffed out and his head held high, striding with a commanding vigor—a completely different person from his days in the Yuan capital.
No matter which island he visited, everyone respectfully addressed him as "Chief Steward."
"Old Ding!" He Lingchuan strode forward to meet him, wearing a genial smile. "What brings you here?"
"Master." While He Lingchuan could afford to be informal, Ding Zuodong could not. He bowed respectfully before introducing the man beside him. "This is our newly hired manager, Guan Ke. In Blade Harbor, he worked as a fixer and also served as a deal broker for many merchants. He knows every nook and cranny of the local trade—a real shrewd character."
When outsiders arrived in Blade Harbor, completely unfamiliar with the place, a fixer was, as the name implied, someone who helped them arrange all sorts of matters—food, clothing, lodging, travel, and purchases, leaving nothing unresolved.
Back in Dunyu in the Yuan Kingdom, Ding Zuodong had played a similar role.
A "broker," on the other hand, was local Blade Harbor slang for a well-connected intermediary who matched buyers and sellers.
Blade Harbor was a bustling free port welcoming travelers from all directions. Where goods and passengers gathered, merchants naturally followed, bringing countless outside traders in search of business opportunities. The broker's job was to pair them up.
This Guan Ke had a square head, large ears, and a ruddy complexion. When he spoke, his voice boomed loud and clear, making him look every bit the merchant.
He offered He Lingchuan a deep bow, his hands nearly brushing the dirt. "Seeing you in person far surpasses your fame! Your heroic bearing is truly striking, Master. Guan Ke pays his utmost respects!"
He had sought employment under Ding Zuodong seventy percent for his prospects, and thirty percent out of curiosity.
A place like Blade Harbor had always been a mixed bag of dragons and snakes. Yet He Lingchuan had managed to stir up winds and churn up storms the moment he arrived, making his name known far and wide across the region. That was not something an ordinary man could pull off.
Guan Ke wanted a close look at just what kind of figure this was.
"All right, spare the flattery," He Lingchuan waved a hand. "You were doing perfectly well in Blade Harbor, earning good coin without anyone breathing down your neck. Why come under my wing?"
Fixers and deal brokers were independent professionals who worked for themselves, never having to look to a master's moods.
If this man surnamed Guan was truly capable, why would he seek an employer now?
Guan Ke rubbed his nose, looking a bit sheepish. "Well... I mentioned this to Chief Steward Ding as well. The truth is, I ran into a bit of trouble."
He Lingchuan was not surprised in the least. "Oh? Let's hear it."
"Half a year ago, I brokered a transaction. Afterward, both parties were very pleased, and they paid me a handsome brokerage fee. Who could have known that one side would suddenly go bankrupt recently, vanishing into thin air with a vast sum of their partner's money? The victim couldn't track down the culprit, so, remembering I was the one who introduced them, he came looking for me to vent his anger, threatening to break both my legs." Guan Ke forced a bitter smile. "That's truly venting misplaced wrath! I merely introduced the deal; I never acted as a guarantor. Besides, that initial transaction went through without a hitch. Whatever business they conducted afterward had nothing to do with me! Who can guarantee that a business partner will remain honest forever?"
Ding Zuodong laughed. "So he came to seek refuge with us. Master's reputation rings loud and clear in Blade Harbor, backed by men and properties. Ordinary folk wouldn't dare cause trouble here."
The man surnamed Guan was simply looking for a sturdy thigh to cling to.
"I know Broker Guan too. He brokered two deals for my father, and the goods sold very smoothly," Lei Ni said with a smile from behind He Lingchuan. "However, Broker Guan, if you fail your duties here, getting your legs broken will be the least of your worries!"
Guan Ke nodded repeatedly. "Understood, understood! If I fail to do my job, Master wouldn't even need to lift a finger himself!"
He Lingchuan looked at him and smiled faintly. "Were you the one who advised Old Ding against buying those dozens of ships from the Yashan Merchant Guild?"
Guan Ke nodded. "It was me."
Ding Zuodong chimed in at the right moment. "Just over the past few days, the Yashan Merchant Guild's ships were sold out completely, divided among three buyers."
Needless to say, the price must have been quite favorable, or the deal could never have closed so swiftly.
Guan Ke remained stubborn. "I heard about that too, but there's always a catch to cheap goods."
Chapter 942