Discussing Cooperation

Jianshi and Yan, accompanied by several guards, followed the Fish Tribe warriors who were leading the way, toward the more orderly cluster of wooden houses in the center of the tribe. The Fish Tribe people they encountered along the way were respectful, and their eyes, in addition to curiosity, held a newfound caution.

Yan understood that the oppressive aura emanating from those twenty giant ships was silently permeating the entire Fish Tribe. This was an inevitable result of demonstrating strength and the foundation for the smooth progress of subsequent cooperation.

As they approached the open space in front of the largest house, they saw the wooden door wide open, and a group of people were already waiting there. Leading the group was Canglan, the chief of the Fish Tribe. Seeing Jianshi and Yan approach, his face immediately broke into a warm smile, and he strode forward to greet them, laughing loudly from several steps away:

"Brother Jianshi! Yan'er! Hahaha, we've been waiting for you! You must have had a long journey!"

This overly enthusiastic manner surprised both Jianshi and Yan. In previous visits, Canglan had been polite, but this was the first time he had taken the initiative to greet them at the door so loudly. Moreover, the way he addressed them had changed; before, Canglan would always call him "brother-in-law," "little brother," or "Jianshi Shi."

Jianshi thought for a moment, then immediately understood the key point. Reacting quickly, a sincere smile appeared on his face. He quickened his pace and stepped forward, firmly shaking Canglan's arm. "Brother Canglan, long time no see! Yan'er and I have missed you and the brothers of the Fish Tribe very much!"

Yan stepped forward, bowed slightly, his posture respectful yet composed. "Greetings, Uncle Canglan."

"Oh, Yan'er, no need for such formalities!" Canglan held Jianshi's hand with one hand and gently helped Yan with the other, appearing extremely friendly. "Come on, come on, it's windy outside, let's go inside and talk!"

Upon entering the large, brightly lit room that also served as a meeting place, everyone took their seats. Canglan naturally took the head seat, while Jianshi and Yan were seated in the most honored positions to his left and right.

"Come, come, try some of our Fish River's specialties first, freshly picked sweet berries, and these fruits, they're all so sweet!" As soon as they sat down, Canglan couldn't wait to have several kinds of fresh fruit laid out, her attitude very attentive.

Jianshi gestured to the warriors behind him to present the gifts. As soon as they were brought out, a murmur of astonishment filled the room. These gifts, in both craftsmanship and practicality, far surpassed the ordinary goods produced by the Fish Tribe. Canglan's eyes lit up as he stroked the gifts, repeatedly praising, "Oh, Brother Jianshi, you're too kind! Such fine things... we can't possibly accept them!"

He said he was embarrassed, but his face was beaming with joy. The surrounding executives were also all smiles, clearly very satisfied with the gift.

Jianshi smiled and said, "It's just a small token of our appreciation. The Fish Tribe has always been very helpful to our Fire Tribe, so please don't find these humble gifts offensive, Brother Canglan and everyone else."

"Not at all, I love it, I love it so much!" Canglan waved his hands repeatedly, then, as if he had made a great decision, turned to his trusted confidant and said, "Go, pick out some good quality, roughly the same value, of the fish oil we have stored in our warehouse, and the newly acquired batch of top-quality pearls, as a return gift. We can't be impolite!" As he said this, the corner of his eye twitched slightly, clearly indicating that he was also a little reluctant to give away these treasures.

The trusted confidant accepted the order and left. This exchange further warmed and harmonious the atmosphere in the room.

After exchanging a few casual words about their journeys and recent situations, Canglan naturally steered the conversation to the impressive fleet at the dock. His face was filled with undisguised admiration, his tone exaggerated:

"Brother Jianshi, Yan'er, I was truly stunned by the fleet you brought! A whole twenty large ships! What an impressive sight! I remember Yan'er mentioning last time that you planned to build thirty such large ships this year, and I was somewhat skeptical at the time. Now, seeing these twenty new ships with my own eyes... wow, the Fire Tribe's strength is truly unfathomable, truly admirable!"

His gaze swept across Jianshi and Yan's faces, carefully observing their reactions. Jianshi and Yan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding in each other's eyes. Yan took over the conversation, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty. "Chief Canglan, you flatter me. What you said last time was true; our Fire Tribe has indeed mastered the technology to reliably manufacture such large ships. These twenty are only a portion of the first batch of finished products."

He paused briefly, as if stating a simple fact. "Based on the current progress and plan, we will have at least fifty large ships by the end of the year."

Fifty ships?!

The moment the words left his mouth, Canglan nearly dropped the sweet berries in his hand. The smiles on the faces of the surrounding executives froze instantly, and the air in the room seemed to stand still. Everyone stared at Yan in disbelief, then at Jianshi, as if trying to find a trace of a joke on their faces.

But Jianshi simply smiled Chenwen and nodded, confirming Yan's statement.

"Fifty... fifty ships..." An elder of the Fish Tribe unconsciously repeated the number, his voice hoarse. What did fifty 5,000-jin (2,500 kg) ships mean? It meant that the Fire Tribe's water transport capacity and potential combat power would reach a level they could hardly imagine! The Fish Tribe had only managed to build ten ships over many years, while the Fire Tribe was expanding to fifty ships in just a few years? This speed of development was simply monstrous!

Canglan's heart was in turmoil. Amidst the shock, a strong sense of relief welled up inside him. Thank goodness! Thank goodness they had already reached a consensus and decided to cooperate instead of confront each other! With such a disparity in strength, if he had still clung to his old petty thoughts, it would have been like a mantis trying to stop a chariot! At the same time, the sense of loss and resentment he felt from losing his regional hegemony was also forcefully suppressed by this enormous difference in strength.

He took several deep breaths to barely suppress the shock in his heart, and forced a smile back onto his face, but that smile contained an unprecedented solemnity and... even a hint of barely perceptible respect.

"Incredible! Truly incredible!" Canglan exclaimed sincerely, this time without any politeness. "The rise of the Fire Tribe is truly unstoppable! Brother Jianshi, you are truly courageous and capable!"

His mind raced. Hadn't he been thinking of buying a large boat from the Valley Tribe? Now there was a better option! The Valley Tribe's boats were good, but the journey was long and the price was exorbitant. If he could buy directly from the Fire Tribe ...

He immediately adjusted his expression, putting on an even more eager smile, and tentatively asked, "Brother Jianshi, Yan'er, since you have such strong shipbuilding capabilities, I wonder... if this large ship is for sale? Our Fish Tribe lives off the water and is extremely eager for good ships! If we could acquire a few of your tribe's large ships for trade, transportation, or even fishing, that would be wonderful!"

Jianshi and Yan had anticipated this problem before setting off and had discussed it internally. Jianshi gave a slightly apologetic smile and shook his head.

"Brother Canglan, to be honest, these large ships are currently the most crucial resources for our Fire Tribe. We urgently need a large number of ships to expand our fleet, ensure transportation, and deal with potential threats. Therefore, I'm afraid we cannot sell them to others in the near future. Please forgive us, Brother Canglan."

Seeing the undisguised disappointment on the faces of Canglan and the Fish Tribe leaders, Jianshi changed the subject. "However, we can spare some of those two-thousand-pound Muzhou. I wonder if Brother Canglan and the brothers of the Fish Tribe are interested?"

The situation took a turn for the better. Although they didn't get the large ship they wanted most, the two-thousand-pound Muzhou was still a good thing! The Fish Tribe was currently short of boats! Canglan's disappointment was immediately lessened by most of it, and he quickly smiled and said, "Interested! Of course interested! Brother Jianshi selling the Muzhou has already helped us a lot! This is easy to discuss, easy to discuss! We'll discuss it in detail after we return from the Valley Tribe!"

"Alright, it's a deal." Jianshi smiled and nodded.

The atmosphere warmed up again. Taking advantage of this momentum, Canglan finally asked the most crucial question:

"Brother Jianshi, you've brought such a large fleet here this time. What's your main purpose? Is there anything special you need to purchase? We'll do our best to provide whatever our Fish Tribe has!"

Jianshi put down the fruit pit in his hand, his expression becoming more formal. "Brother Canglan, to be honest, our main purpose in coming here this time is not to purchase from the Fish Tribe."

He glanced at Yan, who tacitly continued, "Chief Canglan must have seen it too; our Fire Tribe's population is growing rapidly, and the demand for food is enormous. Last time, you mentioned that the Valley Tribe downstream had Fengshou this year and has a large surplus of grain to sell. Our early departure is precisely to go to the Valley Tribe and purchase a batch of grain to alleviate our immediate crisis."

Yan spoke frankly, and this was a fact that could not be hidden.

Jianshi continued, "However, we are not very familiar with the situation of the downstream river, especially the specific circumstances and trading rules of the Valley Tribe. Brother Canglan and the Fish Tribe have been dealing with the Valley Tribe for many years and have rich experience. We have come here for two reasons: first, to give them a heads-up, and second, to take the liberty of inviting the Fish Tribe to come along. With brothers who are familiar with the situation traveling with us, we will feel much more at ease."

He looked at Canglan earnestly. "Of course, we won't let the brothers of the Fish Tribe go to waste. Although we can't pay the same high 'shipping fee' for the grain we purchased this time, we are willing to increase the price by 20% above the market price in the Valley Tribe as a reward for the Fish Tribe's assistance. Furthermore, all food expenses incurred during this journey will be borne by our Fire Tribe, and we will also give everyone a gift as compensation for their hard work."

Canglan's heart skipped a beat. The fact that Jianshi had brought up those outrageous "shipping fees" again made him slightly embarrassed, his face involuntarily burning. But he quickly composed himself and mentally calculated:

It's true that the Fire Tribe is short of food, and it's also true that they went to the Valley Tribe to buy food. They were willing to offer a price 20% higher than the market price—this isn't just "transportation fees," it's practically free money! Plus, they covered all the food and drink along the way, plus a service fee; the Fish Tribe was making a huge profit with almost no investment! More importantly, this was a perfect opportunity to strengthen and repair relations with the Fire Tribe! Accompanying them on this trip would showcase the Fish Tribe's connections and value in the downstream river region; wouldn't such opportunities for cooperation be plentiful in the future?

Having figured this out, the last trace of unease in Canglan's heart caused by the opponent's sudden increase in strength vanished, replaced by the excitement of seizing the opportunity.

He immediately slapped his thigh, his face beaming with pride, and his voice became even louder:

"Brother Jianshi, what are you saying! What kind of relationship do our two tribes have? We are brother tribes! If you are in trouble, how could our Fish Tribe stand idly by? We are definitely going to the Valley Tribe this time! Forget about money, that's too formal!"

His tone changed, with a hint of charlatanism. "However, since Brother Jianshi you are so generous and the terms you offer are so kind, then if we from the Fish Tribe refuse again, it will be disrespectful! Just do what Brother Jianshi said! It is 20% higher than the market price. We will accompany you on this trip! Let us, the sons of the Fish Tribe, guide the brothers of the Fire Tribe and recognize the door!"

"Thank you Canglan!" Jianshi bowed and expressed his gratitude.

"We're family, no need for formalities!" Canglan grinned from ear to ear, then loudly ordered, "Guards! Prepare the best food! Today, I want to celebrate with Brother Jianshi, Yan'er, and everyone from our Fish Tribe, to celebrate our two tribes joining hands again!"

He then turned to Jianshi and said, "Brother Jianshi, you've come from afar, so rest for two days first. Three days later, we'll set off together for the Valley Tribe! This time, I, Canglan, will personally accompany you!"

"Alright! We'll set off in three days!" Jianshi readily agreed.

The atmosphere in the room reached its climax. Delicious dishes were quickly served, their aroma filling the air. Both sides chatted and laughed. The leaders of the Fish Tribe completely abandoned their previous guard and calculations, warmly gathering around to talk. The way they looked at the Fire Tribe members had changed from initial shock and awe to eager anticipation—anticipating the tangible benefits that this cooperation would bring.