From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 561: Chapter 563: Missed Out

Jin Qianqian had a point. If they could figure things out from the blueprints, then with the ships in enemy hands for so long, it was only a matter of time before they were copied.

Gu Wenheng was more concerned about the performance of the ship they had built with their own hands, so he grabbed a crewman from the voyage and questioned him relentlessly.

The final conclusion was that their ship was leagues better than the ones they had captured from the Eastern Yi.

It sailed faster and had a larger capacity.

Most importantly, it was much more stable in rough seas than the other ships.

Many soldiers suffered from seasickness, but on their ship, the number was less than half of that on the others.

Jin Qianqian said, "In that case, we won’t need to make any major modifications to the third ship for now."

In the short time they had been away, the craftsmen had already rushed to complete the second ship.

The materials for the third ship were already prepared, and everyone was just waiting for feedback on this voyage. From the looks of it, not much would need to be changed.

Gu Wenheng said, "I’ll go to Brother Zhou and get the statistics on all the supplies consumed during this voyage. You can start preparing on your end, too. We should aim to make a trip around the nearby island countries before the year ends."

"We’re not looking for a lot of trade; the priority is to map out this stretch of the sea first."

Jin Qianqian understood, of course. She wouldn’t dare invest too heavily right at the start.

She had already made a list of potential high-yield products from the nearby island countries.

But Jin Qianqian thought of something else. Pursing her lips, she said, "I’m sure that after this experience, everyone involved will feel more secure and confident."

"The problem is, I think I’m about to have some trouble of my own."

Gu Wenheng paused. "...You mean people will be looking to invest now?"

Jin Qianqian nodded. "Wealth is a powerful temptation. I’m sure that now that the voyage has proven successful, many people will come to their senses. We’d better think about how to turn them away."

Even though Gu Wenheng was the Magistrate of Lu City, they still had to observe social customs.

"That is a big problem. If they come knocking, just tell them the first round of investment shares is already oversubscribed. Have them register and say we’ll give them priority if we decide to expand the investment pool for the next round."

"I suppose that’s the only way," Jin Qianqian said. "To think I was practically begging them before, and now I’m going to have to offend people over it."

"Exactly," Gu Wenheng said. "That’s why even if they have ideas, they won’t dare to be too pushy. After all, the opportunity was right in front of them. It was their own fault for not taking it."

He Gaofei, who had failed to seize the opportunity before him, was now sick with regret.

At the time, just to avoid offending Gu Wenheng and his wife, he had reluctantly pooled his money with Lu Shenggen and Wu Yichen to buy a single share.

Lu Shenggen had fared slightly better; he had boldly purchased an additional share for himself that day. Now, it was He Gaofei and Wu Yichen who held the smallest stakes.

Such an obvious path to wealth, and he had let it slip right through his fingers.

"SIGH!" It was his dozenth sigh. "Do you think if I go plead our case with Mr. Gu, he might let us buy another share?"

Wu Yichen was more philosophical about it. "A missed opportunity is a missed opportunity. It’s probably too late to try and make up for it now."

’There are probably a lot of people watching and waiting right now. Do you really think Mr. Gu would make an exception for us?’

’Even if he did us a favor out of collegial loyalty and let us buy more shares, what about the trouble that would inevitably follow?’

"But the returns are so high," He Gaofei hesitated. "Why don’t the three of us go plead with Mr. Gu together? What if he agrees?"

Lu Shenggen sat quietly to the side, saying nothing. He felt a mix of relief and hesitation.

’He was relieved that he’d had some extra silver taels on hand back then and had decided to take a gamble.’

’The hesitation was because who ever has enough money? After several months of his salary, plus the "gifts" from his subordinates, he had a bit of silver again. If he invested more, he could potentially see an even greater return.’

’But he was also afraid of the risk. If something went wrong, the loss would be huge.’

"Mr. Lu, don’t tell me you’re satisfied just because you have one more share than we do?" He Gaofei had clearly noticed his silence, and his tone was sour.

Lu Shenggen replied, "I was just considering the feasibility of this matter."

"I don’t think we should be the first to make a move. A lot of people are watching and waiting right now, so why should we be the ones to stick our necks out?"

"What Mr. Lu said is exactly what I was thinking," said Wu Yichen. "Let’s just wait a couple of days and see what Mr. Gu decides to do."

Jin Qianqian hadn’t expected that, in just one night, the gatekeeper would receive a huge stack of calling cards.

"Heh, they’re certainly early birds." No sooner had Jin Qianqian spoken than the gatekeeper came over to ask for instructions.

"If you can’t be bothered with them, just send them all away," Gu Wenheng said.

"Then I’ll do just that," Jin Qianqian replied. "It’s a good time to go check on the craftsmen anyway. With the experience from the first two ships, I’m sure the third one will be ready soon."

Gu Wenheng adjusted his official robes. "Ming Feng, bring those cards with you."

Ming Feng, who was already waiting in the courtyard, quickly took the cards from the gatekeeper. Having served Gu Wenheng for so long, he knew his master was not in the best of moods.

He glanced down at the thick stack of cards. ’These people are really clueless,’ he thought.

As soon as Gu Wenheng arrived at the Prefect’s Office, he saw He Gaofei looking like he was bursting to say something but holding back.

It was obviously about the same old thing. Gu Wenheng simply ignored him and dove into the day’s work.

The moment Jin Qianqian’s carriage appeared on the street, she felt numerous subtle stares.

"Looks like they’ve started an endurance contest," she murmured. "I wonder who’ll be the first to lose patience and make a move."

"Madam," Lichun said, "perhaps we should go out another day?"

Jin Qianqian shook her head, unwilling to shrink back from such a minor hassle. "Don’t worry about it. Just go about your day as usual."

"Remember to have Ming Zhong wait at the city gates more often these next few days. The goods I had Hu Dong prepare should be arriving soon."

"When they get here, have them taken directly to the small harbor and loaded into the ship’s hold."

The return of Vice General Zhou and his men had saved her a lot of trouble.

At least the incoming goods could be loaded directly onto the ship instead of needing to be stored in a separate warehouse.

However, she had underestimated people’s lust for wealth. No matter where she went, she would inevitably run into familiar faces who would stop to greet her.

The pawnshop owner’s wife, the goldsmith’s Second Madam, the grain merchant’s eldest daughter...

It was as if they had placed a tracking device on her, always managing to appear at the perfect moment to strike up a conversation.

After one too many of these "chance encounters," Jin Qianqian started to find it all rather tedious. She had originally planned to visit Tianfu Restaurant for their seafood feast, but now she gave up the idea.

"Let’s just go home! For the next three days, I’ll be resting behind closed doors. I’m not accepting a single card."