The Value of Hostages

  Having solved the directional problem, with obvious red swelling on his face, after holding a memorial service for the five brave warriors, Mao Si sent away batch after batch of old, weak, sick, disabled women and children. Every time when he was about to untie the rope, he would shout in a loud voice: "Let the kids go to school! Go to new-style schools! Remember the secret signal!"

  The people who left were very satisfied, with a fixed amount of resettlement allowance per person - 1000 yuan! Families with many children and those with meritorious service received special subsidies. The principle of Mao San, Mao Si, and the Big Sister was: after returning to their hometowns, everyone could become a small wealthy owner, at least able to support their children's education in new schools. As for whether or not to go abroad, that would be decided by the family heads and the branch divisions; basically, those who went abroad wouldn't have to worry about tuition fees, and there were also special rewards. Anyway, these three people made this decision, but as for how many people would be willing to contact the branch divisions in the future, it's not something that can be considered or clearly stated now.

  After the fate of the villagers was decided, the fate of more than 70 foreign hostages was also determined. The information collected by Niu Dage from the families of the hostages and the British government and military has been passed into the hands of the Mao San brothers.

  At this time, the leaders of the pirates finally understood the value of these hostages. Although Mao Si had already deceived the true identity of the foreigners, there was no intuitive intelligence to refer to. The foreigners who were desperate to save their lives were boasting about everything! They almost claimed to be relatives of Edward or something.

  The value of the niece of the former Governor of Hong Kong, Cecilia Wellington and her husband John Wellington was reflected in the mouth of a special commissioner of the British government. The special commissioner responsible for hostage rescue posted an advertisement on the newspaper in Malacca for half a month, asking the pirates to send a representative to negotiate in Malacca. In addition, the Muller family in Britain also claimed in the same newspaper that they would spare no expense to rescue their most important family member, the Wellington couple.

  Ma Si decided to go to Malacca himself, after all, he was the only one who could negotiate with the other party directly. The remaining 216 pirates had only him who was fluent in English, and only his various conditions could undertake such a task. Ma San was unwilling, he would rather sacrifice the branch of Malacca than let this brother take risks. Da Jie He Yingxue He Xiangu were even more unwilling, the reason, no need to waste words analyzing it again.

  On the evening of July 29, Mao Si, dressed in Western clothes, was pulled onto a small dock at Malacca by Niu Dajye's powerful hand. In Mao Si's eyes, Niu Dajye (Niu Fushou) looked like an ordinary fisherman, with no difference from any other fisherman around the dock. Only after close contact did he feel the power of a well-known figure from his strong hands and shining eyes.

  As the largest branch leader, Niu Fushou was originally the most powerful contender for the position of boss. However, Niu Fushou had never participated in the power struggle on Devil's Island. From Cai Zichen to He Dahanzi, from He Dahanzi to Cai Daya, and from Cai Daya to Mao San, Boss Niu as an important speaker had not shown any tendency, always following the trend, adhering to the principle of "not my business" and "highly hanging". For any successor, he did not show a special attitude, anyway, just do his own thing, take care of his own branch. It's not that Niu Fushou didn't have ambition or desire for power. In this regard, his enthusiasm had always been high. The real reason was that in decades, relying on the reputation and personnel of the Black Shark Gang, the underworld of Malacca had become Niu Fushou's world! Now he really looked down on the precarious position of the old boss of the Black Shark Gang!

  Niu Fushou was well aware that the profession of piracy had begun to decline! Of course, if one were to engage in piracy without any level of skill, with the purpose of plundering and harming civilians, it would be a different story altogether. The sturdy ships and powerful cannons of Western countries were becoming increasingly formidable, making it more and more difficult to deal with them. You could go ahead and rob their merchant ships, but you'd have to be prepared for retaliation! Being chased by warships all over the world wouldn't be an unusual occurrence in the future. Malacca was no Devil's Island, and news traveled quickly here - didn't all ships traveling from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to East Asia have to pass through this place? And wasn't the underworld of Malacca under Niu Dajie's control?

  Originally, Niu Fushou didn't expect Cai Daya, a guy who hadn't made any significant moves in three years, to accomplish anything major. Sending out the news about the Irene Moller was just going through the motions! Who knew that the situation on Devil's Island would change because Mao San saved a foolish younger brother and ambushed the British reconnaissance team...

  For Mao Si, a newcomer with some legendary color in the gang, Niu Dajie showed due respect, addressing him as "brother" again and again. Mao Si also learned about Niu Dajie's background from his brother, showing great respect for this nearly sixty-year-old branch leader. So, the conversation between the two was superficially enthusiastic but actually lukewarm without any warmth!

  "The Ma brothers, when dealing with the British, need to be extra careful. Foreign devils don't care about things like loyalty and credibility; they only care about profit! Take the British and French for example. In the past, Britain, Germany, Austria, and Russia joined forces to exile the French Emperor to a remote island (Napoleon). Now, they're getting along with France again, joining forces to attack our Qing Dynasty, even burning down the Yuanmingyuan to ashes! This time, they've made it to Beijing, chasing away the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to Xi'an. Ah, you know, a few years ago, they even fought against Russia in some place called Crimea! What does this show? It shows that foreign devils are all bastards, wolves who gang up on each other when there's something to gain, but turn on each other when there's nothing left. Got it?

  After drinking several cups of wine, Niu Fushou began to showcase his vast knowledge and sharp intuition. His intention was still good, reminding Mao Si to be cautious when dealing with British Commissioner Clarke tomorrow. After all, this deal had made a huge profit, and among the hostages were some high-ranking British officials."

  "Senior Niu, I remember what Mao Si said, how's tomorrow's arrangement?"

  "Meet at the gathering building, both sides are not allowed to bring anyone else, only two people can talk alone, and at most one interpreter is allowed. 9 o'clock sharp in the morning." Niu Fushou stared at Mao Si as he spoke, hoping to see some change on his face, but unfortunately, he saw nothing.

  "Oh, that's it! I want to get some rest early and after finishing the proper business tomorrow, Mao Si must have a good talk with Niu Dage."

  ……

  Malacca is one of the cities in Southeast Asia with the largest number of Chinese people, because it controls the traffic from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, so commerce and shipping industry are quite prosperous. The large-scale migration of Chinese people here was during the Ming Dynasty, when Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Oceans all passed through here, and the footprints of the Han people also set foot on this land. Now Malacca is a colony of the first powerful country Britain, and it is also an emerging port city and military fortress. The British controlled here, gained huge benefits, and controlled the connection between East Asia, Southeast Asia and the West. Therefore, Britain was the biggest beneficiary of the early "development" of the Far East.

  Huiju Building is a typical Chinese-style teahouse, serving standard Cantonese dim sum. Nine o'clock, just when business was a bit slow. Mao Si swaggered into the entrance, with several people secretly protecting him in the distance.

  "Sir, please come in. Would you like tea or..."

  "Drinking tea, looking for someone. Cuifeng Pavilion!" Mao Si replied loudly to the diligent little servant. Because he was a bit nervous, he originally wanted to speak as kindly as possible, and Mao Si, who had the utmost respect for his fellow countryman, could only do so much. This is an expression of having a willing heart but lacking the strength.

  "Ah? Oh, please go upstairs and turn left to the last room." The waiter was already used to this tone, so he still made a enthusiastic bowing gesture.

  Mao Si hastily smiled apologetically at Xiao Er and handed him a silver dollar.

  Xiao Er is stunned! He got a Long Yang just like that without doing anything! This gentleman is really generous...

  He climbed up the old wooden stairs, passed through several intricately carved doors and windows, and finally found himself at the end of the corridor in front of Cui Feng Pavilion. He adjusted his white Western-style suit, smoothed out his hair, cleared his throat which didn't feel blocked anyway, and as he pushed open the door, said in English, "Excuse me, is anyone here?"

  "Who are you?" Inside, a blond-haired and blue-eyed foreigner was sitting there, presumably the British hostage rescue expert Mr. Clark.

  "Pirate." Ma Si lightly spat out the word, and with a flourish, pulled open the chair opposite the foreigner and sat down, letting the foreign gentleman be shocked as he pleased!

  "Alright, don't come in if you're not invited." The little waiter who had been unusually attentive after receiving a silver dollar was shooed away. Mao Si lifted the lid of his tea bowl and solemnly took a deep sniff of the tea.

  "It smells great! This tea is good, isn't it, Mr. Clark."

  "Oh, yes." The other side sent a young man who spoke pure American English to negotiate, which was beyond the expectations of Commissioner Mr., and the young man's arrogant but not rude behavior further shocked the British.

  "Then let's get started. I don't think it's necessary for us to introduce each other at this time, do you? What is the attitude of the British government on this matter, sir?" Mao Ze Dong took the initiative from the beginning and set the tone for formal negotiations.

  The British have also been tested by alcohol, what situation haven't they seen? So they quickly returned to normal. Since the pirate has started today's topic, let's begin! He can't determine the nationality of this pirate yet, he hasn't been "smart" enough to send someone to keep an eye on him below. Because in a crowded gathering hall, doing so would not be very effective and might even arouse the opponent's disgust, which would be counterproductive!

  "Very well, let us begin! I assume you have also seen the statement of the British government in the newspapers. With a deep concern for the lives of our citizens and with a high sense of responsibility, the Imperial Government of Great Britain has exercised restraint over the Illemite incident and has sent me to settle this matter through peaceful means. I, Colonel Clark, take full responsibility for these negotiations."

  "Oh, so Mr. Shang can agree to any of our conditions?" Mao Si said on purpose. His goal was to make the other party unable to maintain their due calmness.

  "Respected sir, although I am not clear about your nationality and name at the moment, and cannot address you with the proper etiquette, you should understand that any negotiation terms are determined after friendly consultations between each other. Isn't that right?" Mao Si didn't achieve his goal, and the colonel said this very reasonably, even with a tone of leisureliness.

  "Pirates shouldn't have nationality, I heard that the British Empire once issued such a decree, was it before your country's great naval battle with the Spanish Empire?" Mao Si continued to tease this middle-aged British military officer with a beautiful small mustache. What he said was true, before Britain's decisive battle with Spain's powerful Invincible Armada, in order to disrupt Spain's maritime traffic, Britain sent out many pirates led by naval officers to be active along the coast of Spain. In response to Spain's protests, the British government declared: Pirates shouldn't have nationality.

  Clarke was finally taken aback! Under the young man's sharp and piercing words, he felt unable to defend himself. He couldn't believe that among the yellow race, there was someone who knew the history of the British Empire like the back of his hand.

  "A young and respected gentleman, I think we should discuss the issue of hostages today. The British government and I personally are deeply concerned about these unfortunate people."

  "They are all well, the 73 gentlemen and ladies live very happily, of course, they would rather enjoy sumptuous food and rich wine at home."

  "That's great, I wonder what specific conditions you have for releasing these poor people?" The colonel, having learned that the hostages were still alive, decided not to engage in a war of words with the young man anymore, as his chances of winning were not high. Although the other party spoke in a rough American accent, at least for now, he was unbeatable in terms of the accuracy of expression and adaptability.

  "It depends on the sincerity of the British government and the families of these people in solving the problem." Ma Si kicked the ball back, at this time whoever made the first offer would be unlucky.

  "Hasn't the British government's statement in the newspapers shown sufficient sincerity? Isn't the restraint that the powerful Royal Navy's Far Eastern Fleet has maintained so far the best proof? Sir, I don't know what else our government can do to make you feel sincere?" Clark said this with intentional emotional agitation to increase the persuasive power of these words. Since they couldn't influence each other through words, they might as well try through feelings.

  "I think sincerity should be expressed in this way. For example, can you explain the meaning of the large amount of German-made military supplies on British merchant ships? Can you explain why we happened to find 70 million pounds in cash? I don't think a bank would need that much money, right? And can you explain why the sole heir of Britain's famous railway family boarded the merchant ship anonymously? These are the best opportunities for your government to show its sincerity. Mao Si understood this very well - if these questions cannot be reasonably explained, then there is no need to continue negotiations! After all, the pirates have 70 million pounds and can go wherever they want to enjoy themselves. As for the hostages? They can just negotiate directly with their families! At that time, the British government's face will be completely lost! In short, the initiative is in our hands."

  Looking at Clark's face turning red and white, Mao Si was very pleased, this move was his long-planned one! Because an ordinary merchant ship actually became a treasure ship, there must be something fishy behind this. With an extremely serious curiosity, the fool Mao Si, how could he let go of such an opportunity to know the secret?

  Kerr was in a dilemma. He had only heard a rough outline of the issues raised by the other side, and these were not things that could be casually leaked out! Because these matters affected the interests of China, the most important country in the Far East for the British Empire. But now the other side has clearly indicated that they must know, and any clumsy lies would not deceive this clever young man! To speak or not to speak?

  "Look, look! Colonel, is this sincerity? No! This is silence!" Mao Si said, smiling and lifting the teacup again to take a silent sip of the fragrant tea. It's been a long time since he had such high-quality Gunpowder tea! Wonder if it's from Huangshan? Anyway, this Huiju Building isn't bad...

  Under the piercing gaze of young people, Clark, who had been hesitant to make a decision, became flustered and began to sweat profusely. If this matter were to be exposed, the Governor-General of Southern China would definitely not deal with the British again and might turn to the French, Germans, or even the Americans, who have recently risen to prominence! And that ￡7 million would affect the relations between Western countries. Because according to the agreements between various countries and China, no country can lend to China alone, nor can it monopolize industries such as telegraphs, shipping, and railways. That ￡7 million was...

  Although the British Whitehall has instructions to ensure the safe release of hostages at all costs, including leaking secrets if necessary. However, this will inevitably lead to strong international protests afterwards! Who will Whitehall scapegoat then? Colonel Clark is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate... By that time, his political, military and diplomatic career will be completely over!

  Inside Cuifeng Pavilion was extremely quiet, with only the sound of Mao Si sipping tea and the poor colonel's urgent breathing...

  After a while, Mao Si decided not to wait any longer. Clark was like a child who had made a mistake and was now reflecting on it. He couldn't be given too much time to think about it, or the kid might come up with a pack of lies to deceive the adults. Mao Si didn't have the leisure to distinguish between truth and falsehood!

  "Mr. Clarke, Colonel! I think I should be off, delighted to have had tea with a respected officer of the British Royal Navy today. Goodbye..." Mao Si stood up to leave.

  "Not yet, please wait!" Having reached this point, Clark, who was reminded of his identity as a Navy Colonel by the other party, recalled his responsibilities and made up his mind. "Of course I can answer your questions, sir, but I need a little time, don't I? Please sit down again, I believe we still have a lot to talk about."

  Mao Si was overjoyed! It seems that the value of those hostages is even greater than imagined!