The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 549 - 284: 19th Century Early Access Experience_2

Arthur saw Schwaiger’s occupational disease as a businessman flare up and couldn’t help but remind him aloud, "Sir, we can talk about business later. Before that, have you forgotten that there is something more important you should discuss with me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Hastings, I almost forgot the real issue."

Schwaiger first glanced outside through the window, then leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"In over ten years at Liverpool, I’ve not only made a fortune but also broadened my horizons. You being sent to Liverpool by the Cabinet to investigate smuggling surely means that you understand just how lucrative foreign trade can be.

"Us textile mill owners labor day and night, toiling away, to find at the end of the year that we are still not making as much profit as those second-rate traders.

"So I thought, rather than letting others earn this money, I might as well earn it myself. It was also a good time to get my two grown sons involved in the company to give me a hand."

"I thus dove headfirst into Liverpool’s import and export industry with great confidence. I figured since I had the products and the orders, all that was left was to rent a few ships and hire some experienced old sailors.

"But what I absolutely didn’t expect was that the trickery involved here is deeper than the Irish Sea, with those old companies playing dirty tricks. The company that originally handled my exports, upon hearing about my plans to go it alone, first colluded with the local big shipowners to deny me access to their ships. They even brazenly spread the word amongst the sailors: ’Anyone who runs ships for Schwaiger will no longer get business from our firms.’

"Because of this, I had to grit my teeth and bring back two ships, along with their crews, from Bristol at a high price. Seeing they couldn’t discourage me on this front, they started to scheme elsewhere.

"You know, with the recent cholera outbreak causing widespread panic, coupled with the implementation of quarantine policies, the volume of import and export trade has plummeted, causing prices for various goods to soar.

"During such times, whoever’s ships can shorten the quarantine time can make a killing. In fact, most of the so-called smuggled goods on the market aren’t actually smuggled at all but are legitimately unloaded from the companies’ ships.

"Some ships are still under quarantine, but as soon as they dock, they begin unloading. Others go even further; not only do they load and unload immediately, but they also manage to shorten the quarantine period for their ships to just ten days.

"But as for a company like ours, we weren’t only strictly held to a forty-day quarantine, but after that period was over, they claimed that our ship had passed through multiple cholera-infested regions, so for safety’s sake, they detained our ship for another forty days."

Schwaiger had obviously become agitated as he spoke, his face reddening and rising from the table, his hands pressed down in front of him, and even his peculiar York accent began to emerge: "Mr. Hastings, you’re from York, so you should know that in our place of York, it rains constantly, and when the wind starts blowing, it’s like ghostly wailing. We York folks tend to keep to ourselves and not bother others much. If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve suffered such injustice, I would never dream of interrupting your afternoon tea."

Arthur, having listened to Schwaiger’s account, had a general understanding of the situation.

Although he had his suspicions, Arthur still looked forward to Schwaiger providing some local insight on the specific issues.

He probed, "Does the Port Authority know about this?"

"The Port Authority? Oh! Mr. Hastings, the order for the eighty-day quarantine came from them; of course, they know. Even if they didn’t, any of those black-hearted scoundrels with one good eye could see that my ship has been lying idle at the dock for more than two months without moving an inch."

"What about the municipal committee?"

"Half of the municipal committee are their people, as you probably know. Seventy percent of our council members are in import-export trade, and of that seventy percent, another seventy are involved in the Atlantic trade. In other words, if this group is willing, they can pass a new bill in Liverpool at any time."

Upon hearing this, Arthur’s face suddenly turned solemn, "Mr. Schwaiger, I can understand them controlling the Parliament, but when you say they’ve taken control of the port authority, do you have any evidence? I must confess, I just met with officials from the maritime bureau today, and my first impression of them was quite favorable."

Seeing the expression on Arthur’s face, Schwaiger hurriedly rummaged through his briefcase and handed over a document folder, "My apologies, Mr. Hastings, perhaps I’ve spoken too harshly earlier. But the maritime bureau has detained my ship for 80 days, which is absolutely unbearable for me. I have all the related documents here, please take a look."

Arthur took the folder, pinched it between two fingers, and drew out a thin explanatory document.

The materials were very straightforward—just a few words sketched out Schwaiger’s anxious state of mind and his vindictive wish to doom the maritime bureau—a £200 bank draft from the Bank of England.

Arthur pressed down on the draft and asked, "Sir, are you trying to bribe me?"

"No, that’s not my intention at all."

With an air of integrity, Schwaiger responded, "Mr. Hastings, I must emphasize that there’s nothing wrong with my intellect. Who would bribe a police officer to his face? Isn’t that like begging to be thrown into prison? I just thought your gun looked quite exquisite, and I’m willing to buy it for £200. If you think that’s not enough, I can offer more. I am determined to have that gun today."

Hearing this, Arthur simply smiled and raised an eyebrow, "How should I put it, this is indeed Liverpool, a veritable port city. The commercial atmosphere is quite thick, isn’t it!"

"Of course," Schwaiger replied unabashedly. "It took me fifteen years to grasp these trade secrets since moving here from York. But I still think Liverpool can’t compare to London. I’ve heard from many friends that the game is played at a higher level there."

"Indeed, your friends are right."

Arthur pushed the folder back to Schwaiger, "Your company is committed to continuously expanding its influence, so I suggest you better buy a three-year advertising space in the most popular fashion magazine in London, ’The British.’ It’ll certainly help you achieve your goals. Many prominent figures are readers of ’The British.’ If Schwaiger and Sons company can make an impression on them, you wouldn’t have to face such dire straits as today."

Schwaiger initially didn’t grasp the point but, seasoned by the smell of commerce in York, quickly realized the rationale.

With his anxiety swept away, Schwaiger couldn’t help but give Arthur a thumbs-up, "Mr. Hastings, you truly live up to being from London. Elegant! Indeed, elegant! Are you saying you’ll agree?"

Arthur looked puzzled, "Agree? Agree to what? Aren’t we discussing the issue of corruption within the maritime bureau? If you can provide specific details, or further pinpoint it to one or a few incidents, I believe this matter will be resolved shortly. By the way, my audit team will arrive soon. May I be so bold as to ask, in your opinion, from which issue should they begin their investigation for the most efficiency?"

The comforted Schwaiger no longer held back, spilling all his concerns, "You should know about the plan to expand Liverpool’s historical docks, right? The archaic docks, built at the beginning of the 18th century, no longer meet daily transport needs. So, after the canals opened, the maritime bureau has successively expanded four docks along the Mersey River over the years. You might want to take a look into these matters; I guarantee there will be surprises."