In December 1779.


    As Christmas approached, the whole white world was filled with joy.


    Of course, maritime merchants are no exception.


    Christmas is a holiday that can not be delayed. All shipping schedules must be arranged in advance. Even if you can''t set aside time for the sailors to reunite with their families, you can''t float on the sea, drink the smelly water and eat the dry food of moldy maggots.


    As Drake''s business involves ocean going chambers of Commerce on two continents, the corresponding arrangements are more complex.


    If the family members are in Europe, the ship is best to return to Europe. If the family members are in America, the ship is best to go to the United States.


    It seems to be a simple consideration of nationality, but it actually involves each crew member and his / her ship, shift order, rotation leave and secret service, as well as the consideration of corresponding position, expertise and experience, and the choice between ocean and offshore.


    If there is a lack of key posts, even if the ship is stopped, they can''t arbitrarily deprive the crew of the Christmas holiday, because the result is that the chamber of Commerce may lose important talents, but the desired shipping schedule still fails.


    He racked his heart and brain.


    At this time, the business of the chamber of commerce is unconventional and non routine. It was already hard enough, but Chuck never expected that the first Christmas cycle of the Caribbean branch would be so difficult and painful.


    Kingston, the headquarters of the Caribbean branch of Drake chamber of Commerce.


    Leonard walked quickly to chuck''s office. As soon as he opened the door, he was blown out of the house like a thick fog.


    He didn''t smoke at all. After being locked up in Hamilton all night, he became particularly attached to the sunshine and freshness of nature. At first glance, he almost coughed out his lungs. He could only bear it, rushed to death and opened the window.


    The warm winter trade wind in the Caribbean dissipated the haze. Only then did the old man feel alive, dare to breathe, and let his lungs infiltrate some dynamic factors.


    "What''s the matter? Budget? Annual report? Scheduling? A president, a chief accountant and an offshore supervisor. Half of the people in the branch''s high-level meeting called me, an old non-smoking guy. Is it a cigar tasting meeting?"


    Orvis and Richard, the chief accountant, looked at each other helplessly, pointing to the empty ashtray in front of him and chuck, who almost turned into a magic lamp spirit. The significance is self-evident.


    Leonard frowned at chuck, watched him take a deep breath of his pipe, swallow the clouds, spit out the fog, knock off the ash in the pot, hold the clip, and fill himself with a new pot.


    "Old Leonard, I''m ashamed of you."


    He made a sensational opening remark, picked up the cigarette lighter, lit his pipe, and then just smoked. There was no more to be continued.


    Leonard was tickled. He waited and waited with his eyebrows


    "That''s enough, president!" he strode over and grabbed chuck''s pipe. "Or, say, or at the celebrity auction in the afternoon, this damn Ivory lamp is the auction!"


    "It''s not an ivory lamp... The seller told me that when Michelle adrianson de Leyte crossed the Thames, it was this pipe in her mouth..."


    "But fireworks are strictly prohibited on board!"


    "Er..."


    Probably realizing that he had been fooled, chuck became more and more depressed.


    He tugged at some of his hair, dry from insomnia, and stared at Alves with red eyes.


    "Governor Alves, repeat our topic to the vice president. I mean, all."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Orvis stood up with a snap, his chest erect and his face solemn.


    "On October 17, andrian, an outsourcing carrier ship of our offshore fleet, was robbed near aklim island in the Bahamas. Seven people were injured and one died. The ship and cargo were robbed because there were three ancient gold articles destined for Hamilton to socialize, with a loss of about 2700 pounds."


    "On October 29, the snaku Naga, which belongs to our offshore fleet, was robbed in the Anegada Strait of the Virgin Islands. Three people were injured, no one died, and the ship and cargo were robbed. The main cargo is European trans ocean Ceylon tea, including the ship, with a loss of about 1800 pounds."


    "On November 6, our ocean going fleet was attacked in the Anegada Strait during its trip to Europe, injuring one pirate ship, sinking one, retreating the enemy, injuring 24 people and killing 6 people on board."


    "On December 4, our offshore fleet outsourced the carrier ship, Arya, to transport a ship of Oriental silk. It was robbed in Nassau, Andros island. It not only lost more than a thousand pounds, but also retaliated. All 42 crew members of the ship were killed, and only one of them was amputated and sent back, just yesterday..."


    Leonard had heard chuck''s reason for such a gaffe from the beginning of Alves''s report.


    This is the planned pre war between Lorraine and cotton Jack.


    At that time, in order to make chuck feel the real pressure, Leonard and Orvis discussed that he was only responsible for contacting the goods, dispatching the remaining ships, releasing information and reminding the ocean fleet to pay attention to prevention. Orvis was responsible for all the work. Even the report after the accident should go beyond Leonard, and chuck should decide the scope of knowledge.


    So Leonard really heard of these things for the first time, and he couldn''t be fake at all.


    Especially... Retaliatory counterattack?


    Leonard clearly remembers that the outsourcing contracts signed by the several ships that Orvis chose to release the information are the so-called Party B Contract in the industry, which is to reduce the resistance strength of the carrier ship and reduce the unnecessary loss of human life.


    Why is there any retaliatory counterattack?


    He looked at Alves suspiciously. Alves smiled bitterly and spread his hand: "the curiari did not resist. The reason why it would be retaliated was only because of lieutenant Cortez..."


    Leonard suddenly realized that Cortez must be ready and let the ocean fleet set up traps, which was the brilliant victory of sinking one and injuring one.


    But Dawu returns to Dawu, but the old man doesn''t realize it at all.


    He remained puzzled and turned to chuck: "president, why did the success of lieutenant Cortez retaliate on the kuriari more than a month later?"


    Chuck looked miserable: "because these four attacks were committed by a dead and resurrected sea ghost, cotton jack, one of the pirate kings of the Caribbean."


    "Pirate king of the Caribbean... Cotton Jack?"


    "That''s right! That''s the tyrant!" Chuck clenched his teeth and twisted the table. "I don''t know why. He stared at us. He attacked us four times in the past two months. If you count the dirt and rest, he almost kept on!"


    Leonard tried to make his expression smoothly transition to anger, but found that he couldn''t get angry, so he had to change his routine and change to calm.


    "President, calm down. Two of the four attacks were outsourced ships. How can he know our scheduling details?"


    "Curiari is also an outsourcing ship, but the stick was sent straight to Kingston with [chuck Parker''s hand]!"


    Leonard glared at Orvis angrily. It looked like he didn''t cover up for the president. In fact


    Lorraine made it clear to hide the origin of the outsourcing ship so that Jack would not be suspicious and decoupled. Alves obviously forgot this.


    Fortunately, cotton Jack did not unhook, so the negligence in this detail has become a harmless minor defect, which can be exposed by this stare.


    "President, there are many pirates in the Caribbean. It''s normal to have losses on the way..."


    "Of course I know it''s normal! But..."


    "But?"


    "The total loss of these four attacks is as high as 6000 pounds, regardless of personnel pension. Now Christmas is coming, and the capital chain of the chamber of Commerce..."


    This is really a new problem. Neither Lorraine nor Leonard expected that the capital chain operated by Chuck was so fragile that he couldn''t afford to lose a few thousand pounds.


    Leonard said in disbelief: "president, I remember that the transatlantic line has been on track since October. We obviously collected a lot of funds. Why..."


    "In order to pay off the debt of northwest Europe as soon as possible, in November, I asked the governor of cotrence to take 10000 pounds back. In addition, Martinique was in urgent need of cash in a large number of plantations after the riots, so I ate a two-year sugar order at a low price..."


    "Spent it all?"


    Chuck was embarrassed and ashamed: "Chairman Zeng Yanming didn''t want to pay dividends in the Caribbean this year. I wanted to try to sort out the beginning and end of entrepreneurship and catch up with northwest Europe at the annual meeting next year..."


    "But not even the basic reserve, only the working capital..." Leonard took a deep breath. "Is it the third time this year?"


    "In the second attack, I asked my uncle to send a navy to clear the front line of the Bahamas. Only the Royal Navy experienced the naval battle of the Windward Islands..."


    "He refused you?"


    "Yes..."


    "Fortunately, he refused you!"


    Leonard laughed angrily, and some guilt in his heart had dissipated with chuck''s request.


    The old man was angry.


    "Chuck Parker, look back at the privation license hanging on your wall! Although it''s only a copy, it inherits the Derek family''s privation privilege!"


    "We are privateers! Sharks, wolves on the sea!"


    "The captain''s ancestors broke the monopoly of the French and the Spanish on this sea. The captain grabbed a whole ocean fleet for us by relying on a small golden deer!"


    "What about you? What on earth do you think? A group of sharks turn to dolphins for help, and a group of wolves bow their heads to their dogs?"


    "Do you know why your uncle refused you? Because Sir Parker is very clear about the character of the privateer. Once he helps you with the problem of piracy, you will be swept out by the captain regardless of success or failure!"


    Chuck stared puzzled: "we can only use those ocean going ships to eliminate pirates. Their shipping schedule is very busy. It''s not..."


    "Christmas is coming." Leonard blocked chuck''s mouth with irrelevant topics. "It is estimated that this year''s annual meeting of the General Chamber of Commerce will be at Lucie manor, and the captain will come back."


    "With regard to the capital of the chamber of Commerce, the captain expected that there would be turnover problems when you came in and out like you. He left a reserve fund of 10000 pounds for us, and you can ask accountant Richard to transfer the account with me later."


    "But he said it was the only time. He said that a really good businessman should learn to deal with the crisis. If he ran aground at the low tide twice in a row, it can only prove that you are not suitable to steer the Caribbean branch."


    "The rest... About choosing gold coins or dignity, war or indifference, go to Luxi and ask him yourself."


    "Please allow me to prepare for the afternoon auction and leave."