Chapter 2, Caught up in the Era of Winds and Clouds

As for the oil used in cooking, it is also palm oil, as other oils must be imported

... ...

Half an hour later, Gu Kun arrived at his neighbor Liu Min's house

However, if one directly uses this money to procure goods locally in China, it would be highly profitable, as the purchasing power of the Renminbi within the country has not immediately diminished

Little Gu, it is not that your uncle and aunt are unwilling to help you. Your uncle has his own difficulties; despite our family's large boat, we are still in debt. On windy days, there is no income, and every day we are losing money. The bank does not care about reasoning; the mortgage still needs to be paid next month.

Wang Han has repeatedly used the excuse of a mortgage to silence those who ask for loans

Only after completing all of this did he return home. There remained 700 yuan in cash, and Gu Kun decided to divide it in half, leaving 200 yuan for his sister as an emergency fund, while he kept 500 yuan for himself. In case there were further expenses, he certainly could not leave himself without a buffer.

Liu Min obediently took out twenty 100 ringgit notes from the cabinet at home

First of all, the family fishing boat is too small. It is only 11 meters long, over 2 meters wide, and has a maximum load capacity of over ten tons. The boat is made of a wooden hull with an iron frame, equipped with a 30-horsepower diesel engine, and can also be operated with sails. This boat was left behind by my parents when they were still alive and has not been maintained for many years

Of course, if you simply take away these Renminbi, there is not much profit to be made, as the exchange rate of the Renminbi has depreciated

Gu Kun did not waste any words: "Uncle Liu, I am out of options. There is not a single grain of surplus at home, and I faced a disaster while risking a venture at sea. I would like to ask you to lend me some money, 2000 ringgit, and I will repay it within a month. I will not borrow without giving something in return..."

Because you occasionally test the waters, it can still be explained as a fishing boat accidentally cutting the net, but if it sells well, it can no longer be explained as a coincidence

The Liu family's boat has a capacity of 200 tons, and it is equipped with an electric winch trawler, which is worth at least 400,000 ringgit. Therefore, the Liu family cannot pay the full amount and will definitely have to take out a mortgage.

Additionally, this voyage is expected to take about one week. Gu Kun needs to leave enough provisions and living expenses for his sister, and he also requires supplies for himself

After receiving the money, Gu Kun first went to the only grocery store on the island to purchase enough supplies for the siblings to last a month. He also took the boat to a nearby dock, paid the repair fee, and instructed them to refuel it after the repairs were completed

However, in the Lan area, due to the small size of most islands and the high salinity and alkalinity of the land, rice cannot be cultivated. Only beach tree species such as coconuts, palms, and bananas can be grown, which is why sago here is cheaper than fragrant rice

For fishing families, the boat is always the most valuable asset. Gu Jia's old motor sailboat, if newly built, would cost around 50,000 to 60,000 ringgit, while a boat that is over a decade old can still be worth more than 10,000 ringgit

However, Gu Kun is still too weak and does not want to attract attention, so he decides to carry out just one job and then withdraw.

Most importantly, the people of Lanfang do not want this thing, because Lanfang has no national defense

The resilience of a 17-year-old body is indeed strong

In 1994, the flow of information was not rapid, so almost no foreign trade merchants from Nanyang have noticed this business opportunity at present. If Ge Kun could take the first step and become the first person to sell Malaysian seafood products to Guangdong Province, he would definitely make a substantial profit

The impoverished, unable to afford even a meal, often resort to cooking palm flour into dumplings, which have a texture similar to the pearls found in bubble tea. However, these pearls are about the size of a fist, and consuming two or three of them in one sitting is sufficient to satiate one's hunger

If you think that my abilities are not worth your gamble, then I can only seek someone else

Vegetables cannot be grown on Coral Island, so the deficiency in vitamins is addressed by relying on tropical spices such as mint and lemongrass, or by consuming fruits as a substitute for vegetables

It is merely that Liu Min, after marrying, fears his wife, which is why he has never supported the descendants of his comrades

Gu Pan joyfully came out to greet him upon his return, and even took over the large and small packages to check them.

The Oceanic Nation has lost its imaginary enemy, with weapons stored away and horses left to roam in the southern mountains. These reconnaissance devices, which were originally expensive to produce, have ceased maintenance and can be discarded into the sea without anyone knowing if you retrieve them.

"Aunt, please feel free; there is no need to attend to me." Gu Wan did not dare to ask the other party to serve tea or water

... ...

While Gu Pan was tidying up the food and preparing dinner, she also inquired about her brother's plans.

20 jin of fragrant rice, 50 jin of palm flour, 30 jin of bananas, 2 jin of palm oil, and also lemongrass and mint leaves

After much contemplation, Gu Kun made a decision in his heart: this time at sea, he would capture as many as he could, but for now, he would only take one. The rest would be hidden away for future consideration.

He decided to borrow money from someone

Looking at these foods, Gu Pan felt a sense of reassurance in her heart

The most common is the banana, which is both filling and rich in vitamins. Here, bananas are as cheap as dirt; 1 ringgit can buy one and a half pounds of fragrant rice, but it can buy ten pounds of bananas

As for the source of one's legitimate income, it primarily relies on the seafood fishing business to cover it

Upon hearing Gu Kun's words, Wang Han's eyes immediately lit up

She knows that Gu Kun is an excellent hand at running the sea, with considerable potential. It would be wonderful if he were willing to work for the Liu family

Now that Lucia has been disbanded for two years, these devices have become true ocean waste

As soon as she heard it was about borrowing money, Wang Han immediately interjected

Proximity shipping can only be sold to Malaysia. However, Malaysia lacks ambition, which is why high prices cannot be achieved

Palm starch is commonly known as sago in Cantonese desserts

A ship that cannot withstand the wind and waves will not be able to sail across the South China Sea to reach Guangdong Province

For foreign merchants wishing to export goods to China, this policy is invaluable

The year 1994 was truly a great year for entrepreneurship, and his first reaction was that he should head north to the Huaxia country to engage in the import seafood business

Today, the wind force at sea has decreased to levels 5 to 6, making it a suitable day for going out to sea

On January 1 of that year, the People's Bank of China officially announced the cessation of the issuance of Renminbi foreign exchange certificates, marking the formal end of the dual exchange rate system

It seems that before going to Guangdong Province, I need to find another way to earn some extra money in order to change to a larger ship to facilitate my work

However, he felt very hungry and after getting up, he drank five large bowls of the cold fish porridge left over from last night. He felt that since his rebirth, his appetite seemed to have greatly increased, and he did not know where all that energy had gone.

Prior to this, the official exchange rate of the Renminbi was quite strong

When it comes to making extra money, Gu Kun naturally thought of his old profession from his previous life—he could first go to the nearby Java Sea to collect "garbage" to sell for money

"Since you are in such difficulty, Uncle and Aunt cannot just stand by and do nothing," Wang Han replied with a beaming smile, pinching her husband, "You useless man, hurry up and give money to our nephew!"

Therefore, for astute exporters to China, if you are willing to settle in Renminbi, the revenue from the same business can instantly increase by half compared to last month

As a fisherman who loves the sea, in order to protect the environment, Gu Kun should rationally and emotionally recycle these abandoned materials

Liu Min stole a glance at his wife and softly asked, "Xiao Gu, is there something troubling you?"

Even in Malaya, the price of palm powder is more expensive than that of fragrant rice

Gu Kun certainly could not tell his sister the truth. After having a hearty dinner, he casually fabricated some excuses to brush her off, and then went to bed.

Gu Kun did not wish to engage in idle chatter with the woman, so he straightforwardly made an offer to Liu Min: "Uncle Liu, I have thought it over. If I cannot recoup my investment from this voyage, it would indicate that I am not cut out for business. In that case, I will come to you for support and help you with maritime affairs.

After coming to this understanding, Gu Kun felt that the future was bright.

In December 1993, 1 US dollar was exchanged for 5.7 foreign exchange certificates, but in January 1994, it plummeted to an exchange rate of 8.6 ordinary Renminbi. (On the black market, foreign exchange certificates were 50% more expensive than ordinary Renminbi, but the official planned rate was 1 to 1)

After finishing the congee, Gu Kun lay in bed to recuperate, quietly contemplating his way forward

The diesel is running low, and the ship has sustained some damage that will also require financial expenditure for repairs

With the expiration of numerous classified documents in later generations, he is well-versed in the historical records related to the South Seas and the Indian Ocean.

However, what follows are some operational difficulties

Due to the strong winds, Liu Min did not go out to sea, and the whole family stayed together

After coming to a clear understanding of everything, Gu Kun decided to take action. He immediately conducted a thorough inspection of his own ship to see if it would be able to set sail the next day

After finishing the porridge, Gu Kun went to the nearby dock to bring back the boat that was repaired yesterday

Before his rebirth, Gu Kun had been involved in the business of salvaging hydrological detection equipment for over ten years. He had inadvertently caused the loss of countless ocean-going destroyers and frigates due to accidents, and he had also accidentally salvaged several unmanned submarines.

Liu Min is the "Uncle Liu" mentioned by Gu Pan, around forty years old, and was a comrade-in-arms of their father back in the day. His family is now quite well-off, with savings of several tens of thousands of ringgit and a fishing boat weighing two hundred tons, employing three or four sailors to assist.

He knew that as early as the 1980s, the navy of the Oceanic Nation frequently deployed sonar in the Java Sea southwest of Lan Fang to guard against the Russians

A night of ample rest allowed him to wake up the next day feeling invigorated, and some of his pain seemed to have subsided

Upon seeing Gu Kun, Liu Min had not yet spoken, but his wife Wang Han greeted him with a smile: "Oh, little Gu, please have a seat, don't be so formal with your aunt."