496: Chapter 497 The Dragon Banner Flutters, Overwhelming the World; Treasure Notes Rampant, Looting Gold and Silver

Genoa port, once the prosperous pearl of the Mediterranean Sea, was now shrouded in an atmosphere of depression and oppression.

At the docks, a few local small sailboats were sparsely moored, their hulls dilapidated, their sails patched.

In stark contrast, in the center of the port, were those few behemoths resembling mobile fortresses—the great ming treasure ships flying the Sun and Moon Dragon flags!

These great ming treasure ships had massive hulls and sleek lines.

On the towering masts, giant sails billowed, painted with intricate patterns. On deck, Great Ming sailors in uniform, equipped with fine weapons, stood straight, their eyes sharp, looking like statues, exuding an aura that warned strangers to stay away.

Every arrival of the Great Ming fleet caused a sensation throughout Genoa and even the surrounding areas.

Because they brought what the European continent needed most and was scarcest at the moment—iron!

"Look! The Ming Kingdom's ships are here!"

Someone shouted, and the originally quiet dock suddenly became tumultuous.

Ragged commoners, sullen craftsmen, and even some small nobles and merchants who had lowered their status and mixed into the crowd, flocked to the port, their eyes filled with longing and... a trace of humiliation.

As the huge gangplank was lowered, several Great Ming "merchant officials" dressed in gorgeous silk and wearing jade belts walked down.

Their gazes swept over the shabbily dressed, expectant Europeans on the dock, and a hint of imperceptible contempt curled the corners of their mouths.

"Gentlemen, for this transaction, the rules remain the same."

The lead merchant official spoke in a slightly stiff but clearly intelligible local language, "Ironware, porcelain, silk, tea, all have fixed quotas."

"Priority is given to exchanging for great ming treasure note, followed by gold and silver. No other goods will be accepted!"

A low commotion broke out in the crowd.

"Treasure note... where would we still have so many treasure note..." someone complained in a low voice.

"Yes, last time I exchanged for those few sickles, I spent all the treasure note I had saved for half a year..."

"Gold? My God, gold is almost as rare as rocks!"

A Genoa merchant dressed decently squeezed forward, a humble smile on his face: "Respected Ming Kingdom lord, look, I have some fine wine and woolen cloth here, can we..."

The merchant official didn't even lift his eyelids and interrupted him directly: "Very well, you can use your supplies to exchange for great ming treasure note."

Soon, the transaction began.

Quality goods were handed over to the Great Ming merchant officials, and in return, they received some great ming treasure note.

Then they took the great ming treasure note to purchase the goods of the Ming Kingdom.

They lined up, carefully holding their meager or substantial "great ming treasure note," or a few gold or silver coins hidden away, and walked to the trading table.

"I want two shovels and five sickles." A man looking like an old farmer handed over a small stack of crumpled treasure note, his voice trembling.

The Ming Kingdom accountant calculated quickly, clicked a few times on the abacus, and said coldly: "Not enough. I can only give you one shovel and one sickle."

The old farmer's face fell. He wanted to argue, but when he saw the expressionless Great Ming sailors standing nearby with their hands on their sword hilts, he swallowed his words, could only nod helplessly, took the pitifully few iron tools, and left with a hunched back.

On the other side, a person looking like a minor noble took out a small bag of silver coins.

"I want a set of fine porcelain tea sets, and... and ten catties of tea."

The merchant official weighed the bag of silver coins and curled his lips: "This bit of silver is only enough for half a tea set, or three catties of the most ordinary tea. Choose for yourself."

The minor noble's face was ugly, and he gritted his teeth: "Half a tea set!"

Such scenes played out repeatedly during the transaction process.

The Great Ming Empire, with absolute military and economic advantages, firmly controlled the initiative of the trade.

They used the ironware and various exquisite goods that Europeans desperately needed to exchange for the last remaining gold and silver on the European continent at extremely high prices, and pushed their invincible "great ming treasure note."

Every light piece of treasure note that flowed out meant real wealth flowing into the Great Ming.

And the European countries, in order to obtain treasure note to purchase necessities, had to sell the only valuable resources they had in their territories—whether it was timber, grain, or manpower—to the Great Ming at extremely low prices.

A global economic system with the Great Ming at its core and treasure note as its medium was ruthlessly crushing the old order.

The wealth of Europe, like a punctured balloon, was continuously flowing to that vast Empire in the East.

And what they got in return was often just a small amount of supplies to maintain basic survival and operation, and those scraps of paper printed with square characters and dragon patterns.

As the sun set, the Great Ming fleet, loaded with gold, silver, and goods plundered from Europe, disappeared over the horizon in the complex and helpless gazes of countless Europeans.

Leaving behind only a Genoa port that was further hollowed out and even more dependent on the East.

And people shivering in the cold wind, not knowing how they would survive tomorrow.

...

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away.

New Zealand, sunny beach.

Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi stood on his left and right like the most professional maids, one gently fanning him, the other peeling fruit for him.

The virtual projection of Taichu was displaying global economic data streams before him.

Gold reserves... rising.

Silver reserves... rising.

Overseas circulation of great ming treasure note... rising sharply.

Trade deficit of European countries... continuing to expand.

Lu Chen watched those constantly jumping numbers and curve charts, a hint of an imperceptible arc curling the corner of his mouth, and then he waved his hand to close the projection.

"Hmm... this coconut juice is not bad, bring another glass." He ordered lazily, as if what he had just seen was merely an inconsequential game data.

To him, this might... really just be a game.

A game where he set the rules and controlled the whole situation.

And the whole world was his chessboard.