Chapter 3481
The special operations force stayed in Colombo for another three days. On the one hand, it was to prevent the Dutch from coming back again, and on the other hand, it was to strike while the iron was hot and "count the results."
When Consicao came to Hambantota for help, he agreed to many conditions proposed by Takahashi Nan, and now it is time to settle the matter.
Haihan dispatched more than 2,000 troops this time and engaged in small-scale battles with the Dutch. According to the agreement between the two parties, all expenses from the time of departure to the return of troops to camp will be borne by the Portuguese.
At the main request of the Governor of Ceylon, Gao Qiaonan will leave two companies to continue stationed in Colombo City for one month. The consumption of these troops will also be fully borne by the Portuguese, and they need to be settled first.
Gao Qiaonan knew very well the principle of destroying bridges across rivers and leaving people with tea. If he just left with his troops and tried to settle the bill with the Portuguese later, I am afraid that the other party would shirk it with various reasons. When the time comes to collect the money, a lot of trouble will inevitably arise.
Therefore, Gao Qiaonan's attitude was very clear, that is, not to give the Portuguese a chance to play tricks, and to require the other party to pay immediately. Only after the account is settled, the Haihan Army will evacuate Colombo.
The Governor of Ceylon had a very pleasant conversation with Gao Qiaonan the day before yesterday, and he was still thinking about what excuse he could use to pay less. Unexpectedly, when he woke up from his sleep, the other party came to ask for the bill with a black face.
The Governor of Ceylon has no doubt that if he refuses to pay, Gao Qiaonan will probably turn against him immediately, and the reinforcements stationed outside the city will immediately turn into enemy troops, and the city of Colombo will probably not be able to withstand the ensuing second round. Attacked.
Gao Qiaonan did not give any room for bargaining, and the Governor of Ceylon had no other choice but to give money.
Fortunately, the city of Colombo was not captured by the Dutch, and the large amount of money stored in the Governor's Palace was enough to pay for Haihan's military expenses. But even so, seeing boxes of silver coins being moved out of the cellar and loaded into trucks, the Governor could not help but feel very sad.
This rescue operation in just a few days cost the Ceylon Colony two full years of tax revenue. Coupled with the expenses and losses incurred during the war with the Dutch, it can be said that the past few years have been in vain.
The Governor could only comfort himself that at least he had saved the city of Colombo and did not lose this most important source of wealth. If this place is really taken away by the Dutch, then he probably won't be able to continue his job as governor and will have to return to his country to accept punishment.
In addition, the Colombo authorities have to organize 3,000 workers to go to Hambantota to work for the Haihan people. The tentative construction period is half a year.
The bad news is that the reconstruction and restoration work of Colombo City is bound to be affected by this, and the good news is that all the travel expenses of these workers will be borne by Haihan himself.
But what really makes the Governor of Ceylon uneasy is that after these people go to Hambantota, how many people can return to his rule?
He knew that Haihan had a strong ability to absorb people. If these people got better living conditions in Hambantota, they would probably never return.
The only good thing is that Haihan is unlikely to conduct identity checks on these workers one by one. He can take this opportunity to arrange for spies to sneak in and conduct long-term surveillance of Hambantota.
When Gao Qiaonan led his troops to leave the Port of Colombo three days later, the Governor of Ceylon did not come out to see him off again. He must have been a little angry because he was so severely ripped off by Haihan. However, Takahashi Minami didn't care what the Portuguese would think. This time he brought back more than 30 boxes of silver coins and the first batch of more than a thousand workers, which was a fruitful achievement.
Among the various forces on the island, the indigenous Kandyan Kingdom and Portugal have recognized Haihan's rights and interests in Ceylon. The Dutch suffered a big loss this time, but the strength gap between the two sides is obvious. It is unlikely that the other side will take retaliatory measures. They will probably still negotiate with Haihan senior officials through diplomatic channels.
But even if the Dutch bring the matter to the executive committee, they probably won't get any benefits. Entering the Indian Ocean is one of the long-term development strategies set by the Executive Committee. During the implementation process, it must be a natural move to remove the stumbling blocks in the way.
If you want to avoid getting beaten, don't play the role of a stumbling block next time.
After Takahashi Minami led his troops on the expedition, many construction sites in Hambantota were in a state of semi-stoppage, and work was not resumed until the troops returned.
The more than a thousand workers brought back were immediately assigned to various construction sites to serve as a new force after work resumed.
Most of these workers were Indians from the Goa colony. Most of them had seen the majesty of the Haihan Army in Colombo, so they did not dare to act too lazy.
Moreover, the situation that the Governor of Ceylon was worried about is also happening. After arriving at Hambantota, Gao Qiaonan announced to them that in addition to the normal labor income while working here, those with outstanding performance can also apply for He stayed in Hambantota for a long time and even applied to obtain Haihan nationality.
Although many people may only know Haihan's army in front of them, these people basically have a consensus, that is, Haihan's strength must be higher than Portugal and the Netherlands. If there is a chance to attach to such a powerful country, then Of course it is much better than being squeezed at the hands of the Portuguese.
As for the spies planted by Portugal among the laborers, Takahashi Minami actually expected it, but he didn't care too much about it. After all, not only the Portuguese can use such intelligence-gathering methods, but Haihan does the same.
In places like Colombo, the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Security will next send intelligence personnel to the local area under various cover identities, perhaps even more than the Portuguese sent to Hambantota.
However, the progress of the Ministry of Security will obviously be much slower than that of the Military Intelligence Bureau. Currently, the branch established by Li Dechang in Phuket only has a dozen people. Only a few people can truly complete foreign intelligence tasks independently, which is obviously not enough. to cover Colombo city.
Among the two companies Takahashi Minami left in Colombo, there were personnel from the Military Intelligence Bureau. In the name of assisting defense, they could openly collect information about Colombo's city defense and garrison situation, which the intelligence personnel of the Ministry of Security did not have. advantages.
The progress Takahashi Nan had made in Ceylon was reported in the newspaper about half a month later. This is also an intentional move by the Ministry of National Defense to strengthen publicity of military achievements achieved overseas.
Although the public talks about the results of the special operations division, the impact of this incident on public opinion among the people is very limited. There is no other reason, because the location of Ceylon Island is another five or six thousand miles to the west from Star Island. This place is too far away for ordinary people, and they can no longer perceive the difficulty of the troops fighting there.
But in any case, the construction of Hambantota Port has been regarded as another overseas territory, and the empire's territory is constantly expanding westward. This is of course something that all citizens should be proud of.