novelAbuy Chapter 73: How much compensation? How will it be paid? Who will pay?
Chapter 73: How much compensation? How will it be paid? Who will pay?
The transport boat docked at the gangway. Two Dutch sailors came up first, skillfully securing the mooring lines. Then, a middle-aged man in a white colonial civil servant uniform stepped onto the gangway. He was about fifty years old, with neatly combed hair, gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, and carrying a black briefcase.
"Van der Wiel," Lin Hai glanced at the list, "Director of the Batavia Port Authority."
Van der Wiel stepped onto the deck and was immediately stunned by the sight before him. He wasn't unfamiliar with warships—although the Dutch Navy had declined, its home fleet still had quite a few decent ships. But this one… it was beyond just "decent."
The deck's steel plates were astonishingly thick, with welds so smooth they looked like they were cast from a single piece. The secondary gun turrets were larger than many main guns he had ever seen. Not to mention the four enormous main gun turrets in the distance, their barrels thick enough to fit a person inside.
"Welcome aboard, Mr. Van der Wiel," Lin Hai said in fluent English, his tone polite but cold. "I am Lin Hai, the first mate of the 'Revival'. Please show me your identification."
Van der Wiel snapped out of his reverie and pulled a document from his briefcase. Lin Hai took it, carefully checked the photo, name, and title, and then handed it to the clerk behind him for recording.
"Please understand, we need to conduct a security check." Lin Hai nodded to the Marines behind him. "Please open your arms."
Two officers stepped forward and skillfully but professionally searched Van der Wiel. Aside from a pen, a pocket watch, and a set of keys, no weapons were found.
"Passed." Lin Hai gestured for Van der Wiel to stand aside. "Please wait a moment; your companions need to be checked one by one."
Next to board the ship was Major Van der Heiden, the garrison commander. This middle-aged officer, in his forties, wore a crisp military uniform, his chest adorned with medals. His face was flushed—whether naturally so or from anger, it was unclear.
"You have no right to search officers of the Royal Netherlands Army!" Van der Heiden's first words upon stepping onto the deck were a protest. "This is an insult to the Kingdom!"
Lin Hai remained unfazed: "Major, according to international naval practice, anyone boarding a foreign warship must undergo security checks. If you refuse, you may return now."
"you--"
"Van der Heyden," Van der Wiel whispered, "don't forget the governor's orders."
Van der Heyden gritted his teeth, but finally opened his arms. The search was a bit rougher than Van der Weir's—the Marines clearly recognized him as the commander who had given the order to fire yesterday. But they remained professional and didn't do anything out of line.
The identities of the next five people are, in order: Colonial Treasurer de Jong, Judicial Officer van der Sant, Translator (a young Indonesian), Clerk, and a character that Lin Hai found somewhat unexpected—the Dutch East India Company's representative in Batavia, an old man with white hair named van der Berg.
After all seven people had finished their checks, Lin Hai gestured for them to follow: "Everyone, please come with me. The captain is waiting in the conference room."
The bridge conference room is not large, but it is decorated in a very simple and professional manner.
The long conference table was made of solid wood, polished so smooth it reflected one's image. Seven chairs were placed on one side, and only five on the other—those were for Representative Lanfang. On the wall hung a nautical chart of the South China Sea, as well as a cross-sectional drawing of the "Guangfu" warship. Two electric lights hung from the ceiling, providing bright but not glaring light.
Lee Te was seated in the main seat, already waiting there.
He wasn't wearing a formal dress uniform, but rather a dark blue captain's service uniform, with two gold stars on his epaulets indicating his rank. Xu Wen sat to his left, a notebook and pen open in front of him. Zhao Tieshan sat to his right, his back ramrod straight, his hands resting on his knees. The other two seats were empty—Lin Hai would sit in one, and the other was reserved for the translator, even though Li Te's English was good enough.
The door opened.
Lin Hai led seven Dutchmen in. Li Te didn't stand up, but simply gestured, "Please sit down."
Van der Wiel hesitated for a moment, then sat down opposite him first. The others followed suit, their chairs dragging slightly across the floor.
"I am Captain Li Te of the 'Restoration'." Li Te got straight to the point, without pleasantries or formalities. "Time is precious, so let's get straight to the point. You all know about the massacre that happened in Batavia yesterday, right?"
His English had a slight accent, but it was very fluent and his vocabulary was precise.
Van der Wiel cleared his throat: "Captain, first of all, on behalf of His Excellency Governor Van der Linden, I would like to extend a warm welcome to your ship. Regarding yesterday's events, we need to clarify one point: it was not a 'massacre,' but rather a legitimate act by the Dutch colonial authorities to maintain order in accordance with the law."
"Justifiable action?" Litt raised an eyebrow. "Shooting and killing forty-seven civilians, including nine women and three children, the youngest being only six years old—is that considered justifiable action under Dutch law?"
"Those people are a mob!" Van der Heyden couldn't help but interject. "They attacked the military and police, disrupting public order!"
"Is there any evidence?"
"All the military and police personnel present at the time can testify to this!"
Lee laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh.
"Major, if I have one of my sailors testify that you attempted to attack me after boarding the ship, do you think that testimony would be valid?"
"You—you're slandering me!"
"No, I'm just stating a simple point." Li Te leaned forward, placing his hands crossed on the table. "Testimony from our own people has no legal standing in an international court. Moreover, as far as we know, there were at least two hundred other Chinese witnesses present at the time. Did you accept their testimonies?"
Van der Wiel quickly tried to smooth things over: "Captain, we understand your concerns about this matter. But please understand that maintaining security in a colony is a complex matter. Sometimes... unfortunate misjudgments can occur."
“Misjudgment?” Li Te repeated the word. “A fine ‘misjudgment.’ Then, Mr. Van der Wiel, I’d like to ask: if it hadn’t been forty-seven Chinese who died yesterday, but forty-seven Dutch people, would you still use the word ‘misjudgment’? If it had been a little Dutch girl shot in the back, dying in her mother’s arms, would you still be sitting here talking to me about ‘public security’?”
The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.
Treasurer De Jong spoke, his voice calm but with the characteristic bureaucratic shrewdness: "Captain, our meeting today is to seek a solution to the problem, not to escalate the conflict. His Excellency the Governor has authorized us to consult on the compensation matter."
"Compensation?" Li Te looked at him. "How much? How will it be paid? Who will pay?"