Holding the rubber in his hands, Li Xiao was so happy that snot bubbles came out of his nose. Having this thing in these days is simply incredible. Thanks to the Portuguese colonists for bringing this thing over from the distant Americas.

Because they didn't know whether this thing could be sold, the East India Company also tried to get more than 50 boxes to be shipped to Macau. Li Xiao estimated that the total weight should be about 5,000 kilograms.

Five thousand pounds of rubber can be used for many things.

"Boss Zheng, I want these goods."

"Of course it's no problem!" Seeing that Li Xiao only wanted these dark things and was not too interested in Indian spices and Middle Eastern gems. Zheng Zhilong was also happy to give favors, but his intuition told him that this thing should be a good thing.

It's just that the limitations of his knowledge prevented him from knowing what this thing was used for.

Since I couldn't figure it out, I simply gave Li Xiao a favor.

Li Xiao sent a platoon of guards here and asked people to find Li Xiu. All these boxes must be put on the ship and kept as the most important cargo.

"Honored Sir, do you know what this thing is used for?" Nikolaeva blinked her big eyes, looking at Li Xiao who was as happy as a baby in confinement. Unexpectedly, this iron-blooded man would also

Has a childish side.

"Of course I know, but I think you don't like the clothes made of this thing. Although this clothes is waterproof and will not get wet when worn on rainy days, after it is made, it looks really ugly.

"

"Then what's the value of this thing?" Nikolaeva was even more confused. Now she was full of interest in this mysterious oriental man.

"Value? Endless value!" Li Xiao clenched his fists excitedly. He was the only one in the world who knew the true value of rubber.

"Those things are also dark, are they the same?" Nikolaeva pointed to several other scattered boxes.

There were black lumps inside the box. When you got closer, you could smell a strong sour smell. Smelling the smell, Li Xiao walked over curiously. Looking at the black lumps, a story immediately emerged in his head.

screen.

There is a lot of anti-drug education in the army. Regarding this earliest opium, Li Xiao has seen it in photos and film and television materials more than once or twice. The thing in front of him is very similar to that thing.

Smelling the smell, he took out the bayonet on Shunzi's waist and cut a small piece. He struck a match and lit it, and then it burned for a while, and a stream of light blue smoke rose up. There was a special fragrance in the smell, which was a little bit intoxicating.

Can't stop.

When she looked back, Shunzi already had a drunken expression on her face.

Damn it! These Dutch bastards actually started selling opium to China before the Ming Dynasty was destroyed.

"Call John, right away! Now!" Li Xiao felt that the opium matter was much more important than gold and silver. Anyway, the gold and silver were buried in the underground vault of the East India Company and would not escape on their own.

Opium smoke is different. This thing wants people's souls.

"Stop!" Seeing Li Xiao's face suddenly turned cold, Nikolaeva also walked over curiously. She wanted to get closer to take a look at the black thing, but just a little closer, Li Xiao was

Drink and stay.

The sound was so loud that it startled Nikolaeva.

"Come here, guard this warehouse. No one is allowed to approach, and anyone who disobeys the order will be killed!" As soon as the stern order was given, the soldiers in the guard company immediately went on high alert. On the top of the warehouse, someone began to set up a machine gun.

The tense atmosphere made Zheng Zhilong nervous. He wanted to go over and ask why, but saw Li Xiao going to the door with a livid face.

The door of the warehouse faces the sea. On the dock, Zheng Zhilong's people are salvaging the Dutch warships. Two ships have been salvaged, and a dozen muscular black men are working hard to turn the winch. An artillery hoist

On the pole, sea water is dripping down.

"Brother Li, what's wrong?" Zheng Zhilong walked to Li Xiao and asked doubtfully.

"Because of that thing." Li Xiao said without looking back as he watched the artillery being lifted out of the water.

"Isn't it Fushou ointment? Do you mean that Brother Li has never seen it before?" Zheng Zhilong was even more confused. He had seen this thing before. Zheng Zhibao was injured and found a local doctor who used this thing.

Zheng Zhibao, who was grimacing in pain, miraculously no longer hurts after using it. In the past, when someone had a toothache, soaking it in water and drinking it worked very well. Zheng Zhilong didn't understand what was wrong with this thing.

"You know?" Li Xiao turned around in shock after hearing Zheng Zhilong's words. Could it be that opium will be rampant in the next year?

"Of course I know! In Java, this thing is called Wuxiang. When the leaders of the natives came to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, this was included in the tribute.

I heard that His Majesty likes this thing. The Siamese people have to pay tribute of two hundred catties to His Majesty and one hundred catties to the Queen every year. The Siamese envoy needs to go to the capital once a year.

I heard that when the late emperor was still alive, two hundred kilograms was not enough, so he had to send his servants out to buy it everywhere. The price is better than gold!"

Even the emperor smokes this stuff? He bargains with gold!

Li Xiao's eyes widened with disbelief on his face. He didn't expect that in the Ming Dynasty, opium had been spread to China. It was not the Qing Dynasty in Li Xiao's impression!

When the emperor smoked this thing, Li Xiao suddenly thought of the Wanli Emperor who had not been in court for more than ten years. History books said that he spent all day refining elixirs in the harem. Now it seems that this guy must be smoking opium.

No wonder his excuse for not going to court was dizziness and weakness in his limbs. His mother-in-law Wanli Emperor was actually a big smoker!

"Damn the Dutch." Thinking of the harm of opium to China, Li Xiao hated the Dutch even more. In order to make money, these bastards did these dirty things.

"Brother Li, you are really wrong. This thing was not brought by the Dutch." Zheng Zhilong looked at Li Xiao strangely, as if there were flowers on Li Xiao's face.

"Not the Dutch? Who is that?" Li Xiao felt that the British did not seem to be the maritime overlords in these days. Spanish? Portuguese?

"This thing seems to have been growing in Siam and Java since ancient times. I heard that it was introduced to Quanzhou and Guangzhou in the Tang Dynasty. This thing can cure headaches, brain fever, women's confinement disease, and toothache. Just soak it in

Just drink a bowl of water!”

"Uh...!" Li Xiao felt that his brain was a little insufficient. Did the Tang Dynasty come to harm the descendants of China?

"This is what Tulangzhong used for Zhibao's injury. He boiled a bowl of water and drank it, and the pain immediately disappeared. I was thinking about where to find something. I didn't expect there were so many in the warehouse. Li

Brother, why do you look so ugly?" The more Zheng Zhilong said, the uglier Li Xiao's face became.

As someone who had been there, he didn't know the dangers of opium. But from Zheng Zhilong's mouth, he clearly heard that opium was a good medicine in this era. Even barefoot doctors began to use it to treat patients.

And the price is also shockingly expensive. Didn’t you hear Zheng Zhilong say that the price is better than gold?

Businessmen are afraid of no profit or too little profit, just as nature is afraid of a vacuum. Once there is an appropriate profit, businessmen will be bold. If there is 10% profit, it is guaranteed to be used everywhere; if there is 20%, it will be used everywhere.

For profits, it becomes active; for 50% profits, it takes desperate risks; for 100% profits, it tramples on all human laws; for 300% profits, it dares to commit any crime and even risk hanging.

It is a danger to the leader. If unrest and strife bring profit, it will encourage unrest and strife. The opium trade and the slave trade are proof of this.

The opium trade has such huge profits. Looking back at Zheng Zhilong. Could it be that the head of Zheng would let such a profitable business go?

After he makes money, other forces will be jealous. Taizu said that economic laws cannot be defeated with sticks. The enthusiasm of pirates and maritime merchants to get rich is unstoppable.

When the large-scale opium trade flourished, it was the beginning of deep disaster for the Chinese nation.

No! We absolutely cannot let this happen.

"So, this thing has been popular for a long time?" Li Xiao wanted to know what stage the opium trade was at now.

"Why is it so popular! This stuff is so expensive, let alone ordinary people. Even the emperor only had that little per year, and it was paid as tribute by Siam. Zhibao used such a small spoon, which cost a full seven hundred

Two more silver.

There are so many here, brothers, let’s distribute them.”

Fortunately! Opium is still considered a luxury product, and even the emperors in the capital dare not use it. It seems that these days, everyone only uses opium as a medicinal material. Another function of opium has not been developed yet!

"I know this stuff. Many people in the East India Company mixed it with tobacco. Then they put it in a pipe and smoked it. It felt very good." After hearing the conversation between Li Xiao and Zheng Zhilong, Nicholas interrupted.

"What the hell?" Li Xiao's eyes lit up immediately.

Zheng Zhilong and the others don't know the dangers of this thing yet, but now they have a living sample for them to see, and the effect must be very shocking.

"Is that McCarthy still in jail?"

"Yes! I don't know if he is dead now."

"McCarthy, I know him. His wife and children are hiding in my yard." After Nicholas finished speaking, he glanced at Li Xiao and Zheng Zhilong. Today, he originally wanted to intercede with them. I hope these two powerful people

people to restore public order in Macau as soon as possible and ensure the personal safety of foreign nationals in Macau.

"Okay! Bring McCarthy, his wife and children here." A cruel smile appeared in Li Xiao's eyes.

PS: Thank you to book friend zjm3246 for the reward! Your support is Laolong’s greatest motivation. Thank you! Thank you!
Chapter completed!