Chapter 3013

The straight-line distance between Padang Port and Star Island is less than a thousand miles, but the middle spans the entire Sumatra Island and the Strait of Malacca. In fact, the two places can only be connected through a sea route that goes around half of Sumatra Island, and the distance is quite far.

If you start from Sing Tao, one route is to take the Strait of Malacca, go around the northern end of Sumatra Island and then go south. The other route is to take the southern end of Sumatra Island, cross the Sunda Strait and then go north along the coastline to Badang Port.

But no matter which route is chosen, the voyage distance is three to four times the straight-line distance. Even if it is a navy clipper, traveling at full speed day and night, it will take at least a week to complete this voyage. If it is an ordinary sailing ship, at least

It will take more than half a month.

Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh, located at the northern end of Sumatra Island, is two thousand miles away from Badang Port, and there is no continuous road between the two places. In addition, this place is not on the main trade route connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

As you can imagine, the location here is actually quite remote.

For Aceh, this place is really out of reach. This is one of the reasons why Aceh was able to conquer this place, but it was difficult to achieve stable rule.

Even though the Minangkabau people built a port a hundred years ago to carry out trade with the outside world, this place is so remote that few outsiders would take the initiative to engage in trade activities here. Until the spice resources here were developed, the situation changed.

It just started to get better.

If the area near Badang Port was not suitable for the growth of a variety of spices, neither Aceh nor the Western colonists would have much interest in it. But even so, the prosperity here is far less than that of those located in the trade area.

Port on the waterway.

However, compared to Aceh's own merchants or those Western merchant ships that sneakily anchor in the waters near Badang Port, the goods they can bring here are extremely limited. However, the arrival of the Star Island Mercenary Group has intentionally or unintentionally brought...

A new commodity supply channel has been opened here.

However, it is not the traditional maritime merchants who control this special channel, but the mercenary group stationed here. To be precise, it is the senior officers who have the authority to allocate supplies and ships - of course, this includes the battalion commander Shao Tianhu.

.

Since the First Battalion stationed in Badong Port, two cargo ships have been transporting various logistical supplies from Xingdao every month, including food, medicine, tents, weapons and ammunition, and various daily necessities needed by the mercenaries.

Since there is such a "convenient" special channel, the officers will certainly not let go of the opportunity for smuggling. They jointly fundraise and purchase large quantities of cigarettes, wine, tea, sugar and other commodities in Xingdao, and then transport them by ship

Go to Padang Port and sell it to the Minangkabau people.

Before the Haihan people came here, merchants from other countries would traffick these goods to Badong Port, but in terms of price and quality, it was difficult to compete with the goods smuggled in by mercenary groups.

After all, the mercenary group provides authentic and high-quality goods obtained in the name of military supplies, and the freight of the goods is directly included in military expenditures. In terms of cost, maritime merchants cannot compare at all.

Although the mission of the mercenary group in Padang Port is to fight against the Minangkabau rebels, this cannot prevent these smuggled goods from flowing into the hands of the Minangkabau people through some middlemen.

The payment methods of the Minangkabau people also have local characteristics. Some use barter to exchange locally produced spices, livestock, leather and other materials for Haihan goods. Others have learned how to use goods from the outside world.

In the trading method, they would purchase it directly with the placer gold they refined themselves and the silver coins paid by Western merchants in the past.

At first, the officers just wanted to make some extra money, but it didn't take long for them to discover that this was actually a market with huge potential. The profits from the smuggling trade might be more than the official remuneration they received from the Aceh garrison.

.

There are hundreds of thousands of Minangkabau people living in the entire West Sumatra region, most of whom are natives living in the mountains and forests. They have never really seen the outside world and cannot resist all kinds of Haihan products.

Invasion. Although their consumption level is not high, their population base is large and their transaction volume is still considerable.

For the mercenary group, doing this kind of smuggling business has no freight costs, no tax to any party, and the entire transaction process is under their control. It is simply a piece of cake in the sky.

The frequency of military operations of the mercenary group in the Badong Port area is getting lower and lower, which is more or less related to the increasing scale of the smuggling trade.

Of course, these small moves must not be hidden from the eyes of the Star Island authorities. After all, with the mercenary group stationed in Badong Port, there is no need to purchase so many supplies in Star Island every month. As for the transportation of these supplies to Badong Port

Everyone at the top and bottom knew how it was consumed after that.

But as long as the smuggling business of the mercenary group does not involve prohibited materials such as arms and equipment, and does not make the food look too ugly, the Star Island Command will keep a blind eye on this. After all, the treatment of the mercenary group is the same as that of the mercenary group.

There is a relatively big gap between the regular army. If they are not allowed to get any oil or water, these troops may not be willing to be stationed in remote areas like Badong Port for a long time.

Of course, the most important reason is that Shao Tianhu did not conceal the matter from the Star Island Command. He even wrote a secret report to Roger, explaining the situation of the mercenary group's trading activities in the local area, and asking for instructions whether

More professional business organizations should be introduced to the local area.

Shao Tianhu has a clear head. He knows that his troops cannot always be stationed in Badong Port. No matter how profitable this smuggling business is, sooner or later it will close down. But since it has made a good start, the business interests here cannot be cheap.

For outsiders, leaving the business to your superiors is the wisest choice.

Such an approach also successfully won Roger's appreciation. Instead of ending the smuggling trade of the mercenary group in Badong Port, it once again gained the acquiescence of Xingdao. So while they were stationed, all the officers involved made real profits.

A lot.

Although the living conditions in Badong Port are not very good, now that they have a generous income guarantee, the officers do not mind staying here for a long time. However, they did not expect that at the end of the year, they suddenly received a letter from Xingdao.

transfer order.

Seeing that everyone was in a low mood, Shao Tianhu laughed and scolded: "You guys always complain that you can't get decent tasks. You always work for other countries and can't get military honors. Now that the military order has arrived, you can see clearly.

This is an order directly issued by the Star Island Command, and it is a Class A confidential mission. Once completed, you will definitely receive military merit!"

After everyone listened to his explanation, they cheered up again. Money was important to them, but if they could get military honors, it would definitely be more beneficial to their future development prospects. These officers could work in a complex mercenary group.

Being a famous person, of course he still has this kind of vision.

What's more, they have never received a mission of this level since they joined the army, so they are all eager to learn more about the inside story.
Chapter completed!