Chapter 11: An Unexpected Visit

Six policemen arrived.

Leading them was a stout middle-aged man.

Judging by his insignia, he was probably the Chief.

“Who’s in charge here?”

The Chief asked in a haughty tone.

Lee Jun-hyuk stepped forward.

“I run this farm.”

The Chief glanced him up and down.

“An East Asian, huh. Your name?”

“Lee Jun-hyuk.”

“Hmm…”

The Chief gave an order to his subordinates.

They pulled out some documents and began reading.

“A report has come in. Illegal trading is happening on this farm.”

“Illegal trading?”

Lee Jun-hyuk was startled.

It had already begun.

Sabotage by the Spanish-descended farm owners.

“What illegal trading are you talking about?”

“We’re here to confirm it. Open the warehouse.”

There was no point in refusing.

Jose nervously opened the warehouse door.

The policemen poured in.

They began rifling through the molasses sacks.

“Be careful, handle them gently!”

Lee Jun-hyuk protested.

“Shut up.”

One officer sliced a sack open with a knife.

Molasses spilled onto the floor.

Brown crystals scattered everywhere.

“This is…”

Jose grimaced.

Other officers roughly handled the sacks.

It was blatant harassment.

“Chief.”

Lee Jun-hyuk spoke calmly.

“What exactly are you looking for?”

“Contraband.”

“Molasses is contraband?”

“That’s for us to decide.”

The Chief sneered.

“An East Asian running a farm? Suspicious, isn’t it?”

The racial discrimination was blatant.

“I am operating legitimately—”

“I said shut up!”

The Chief shouted.

At that moment, an officer came forward holding something.

A small packet.

“Chief, look at this.”

The Chief opened it and smirked.

“Opium.”

“What did you say?”

Lee Jun-hyuk was shocked.

Opium?

Impossible.

“That’s not mine!”

“It came from inside the warehouse.”

“Someone must have planted it. It’s a setup!”

“Make that excuse in court.”

The Chief gestured.

“Seize it.”

Two officers moved in.

Lee Jun-hyuk clenched his fists tightly but couldn’t resist.

Just then, Carlos stepped forward.

“Wait a moment!”

“What is it?”

“This gentleman is an employee of Morgan Trading Company.”

Carlos pulled out documents.

“Here is the Company Registration Certificate. How do you plan to handle an official employee of an American company being treated like this?”

The Chief’s expression shifted subtly.

The name Morgan seemed to burden him.

“Hmm.”

He whispered something to his subordinates.

After a moment, he turned back.

“Fine. Today this will end as a warning.”

“But the opium—”

“We will confiscate it. And…”

The Chief approached Lee Jun-hyuk.

Speaking in a low voice, he whispered.

“Be careful. Next time, even if it’s Morgan, you won’t be so lucky.”

Then he led his men away.

Everyone remained frozen until the sound of hooves faded into the distance.

“Señor.”

Jose spoke with a pale face.

“This is, this is completely—”

“A setup.”

Lee Jun-hyuk said coldly.

“Someone deliberately planted the opium to frame us.”

The workers murmured among themselves.

Their faces were marked by fear.

“What do we do now…?”

Miguel asked.

Lee Jun-hyuk looked around the warehouse.

Molasses spilled on the floor.

Smashed sacks.

At least 20 tons were ruined.

“Bastards.”

He cursed inwardly but kept his face composed.

“Let’s start cleaning.”

“Huh?”

“Clean up the spilled molasses, organize the torn sacks.”

“But—”

“And Jose.”

Lee Jun-hyuk said firmly.

“The plan proceeds as scheduled.”

“Are you sure? But the police came.”

“If we’re afraid, we’ll only give them what they want.”

Lee Jun-hyuk looked around at the workers.

“You all are involved too. If we give up now, we’ll be treated like this forever.”

Silence fell.

Then Ramon picked up a broom.

“Let’s clean.”

Miguel nodded.

“Right. Let’s work.”

They all moved as one.

While cleaning, Lee Jun-hyuk’s mind was elsewhere.

Who had planted the opium?

The warehouse was locked with a padlock.

But it was probably easy to pick.

“Jose.”

“Yes?”

“Did anything strange happen last night?”

Jose shook his head.

“Nothing at all… Ah, wait.”

He seemed to recall something.

“There was a dog barking at dawn. But it quieted down quickly.”

“What time was that?”

“Around three a.m.?”

Three in the morning.

It was highly possible someone snuck in to hide the opium.

“We should have night watch from now on.”

“But the money…”

“I’ll take the shift.”

Miguel volunteered.

“We can rotate night shifts.”

“Thank you, Miguel.”

Lee Jun-hyuk said sincerely.

They worked hard for two hours.

Cleaning spilled molasses and organizing the torn sacks.

Fortunately, about 150 intact sacks remained.

“This is enough.”

Lee Jun-hyuk said.

“The first shipment will be only 50 tons.”

“Will you really do it?”

Jose asked anxiously.

“Considering the police visit today, their interference has escalated.”

“So we have to move faster.”

Lee Jun-hyuk’s eyes were resolute.

“At an unexpected time, in an unexpected way.”

***

It was lunchtime.

The workers ate the packed lunches they had brought from home.

Mostly corn bread and bean dishes.

Lee Jun-hyuk ate the lunch Maria had packed.

Sandwiches and fruit.

“Señor.”

Ramon approached.

“Yes?”

“Are you really shipping at dawn?”

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

Ramon was young.

Only twenty-five.

The same age as Lee Jun-hyuk.

“It can be dangerous, but!”

Lee Jun-hyuk looked at Ramon.

“What if we do nothing?”

“We’ll keep living like this.”

“Exactly. Not getting paid on time, being abused, the farm going under.”

Ramon nodded.

“Do you have a family?”

“A wife and two children.”

“For their sake, we have to do this.”

Ramon’s eyes changed.

Determined.

“I will. Definitely.”

In the afternoon, they surveyed the harvestable area.

About thirty acres were ready for immediate harvest.

But manpower was lacking.

“We need at least twenty people to harvest properly.”

Jose said.

“Where will you find them?”

“There are people in the village looking for work…”

“Then why don’t they come?”

Jose frowned.

“To be honest, our farm’s reputation isn’t good. They say we don’t pay on time.”

“We can pay now.”

“But I’m not sure if they’ll believe it.”

Just then, Carlos made a suggestion.

“I’ll go to the village and recruit directly.”

“Is that possible?”

“If you show cash, they’ll come. If you give some advance pay…”

Lee Jun-hyuk pulled money from his pocket.

Out of the 500 pesos he received yesterday, 400 remained.

“Take 200 pesos. Give two pesos daily as advance pay. If you bring even ten people, that’s enough.”

“Understood.”

Carlos left for the village.

The sun began to set.

Lee Jun-hyuk returned to the warehouse.

He had to prepare the molasses for shipment at dawn.

“These sacks are in good condition.”

Miguel pointed.

“Good. Select 50 sacks and stack them near the entrance.”

While working, Lee Jun-hyuk kept watching his surroundings.

There might be someone spying.

Night fell completely and darkness descended.

One by one, the workers returned home.

Only Miguel, Pablo, and Ramon remained.

“I’ll stay here tonight.”

Miguel said.

“To keep watch and for tomorrow’s early work.”

“I’ll stay too.”

Pablo agreed.

Lee Jun-hyuk felt grateful.

“There should be vermin in the lodging. Use it if you want.”

“It’s fine. We’re used to it.”

Just then, Carlos returned.

Several people followed behind him.

Seven in total.

“I could only bring seven.”

Carlos apologized.

“That’s enough.”

Lee Jun-hyuk welcomed the newcomers.

Most were young men.

Their eyes were wary.

“Can we start working from tomorrow?”

“As long as the pay is good.”

One answered gruffly.

“Two pesos a day, paid every Friday.”

“I got the advance, but will you really pay weekly?”

There was suspicion in their eyes.

“I promise on my name.”

Lee Jun-hyuk said firmly.

“Be here by six a.m. tomorrow. Latecomers get deducted pay.”

The men murmured as they dispersed.

Whether they’d all come was uncertain, but it was a start.

“Let’s return to Havana now.”

Carlos said.

“No. I’ll stay here too.”

“What? But…”

“There’s work at dawn.”

Carlos looked worried.

“It’s dangerous.”

“I know.”

Lee Jun-hyuk entered the office.

There was a dusty sofa.

He had to spend the night here.

Carlos decided to stay as well.

“Can’t leave you alone.”

***

It was 10 p.m.

Miguel stood guard outside.

He said he would take turns with Pablo.

Lee Jun-hyuk couldn’t sleep.

2 a.m.

Would Zhen Hao come as promised?

And would the shipment go smoothly?

He looked out the window.

The night sky was filled with stars.

A clear sky rarely seen in New York.

The early morning had arrived.

Lee Jun-hyuk got up and called Miguel.

“It’s time to prepare.”

Miguel woke Pablo and Ramon.

“The carts?”

“Prepared behind.”

Jose had secured two carts.

Each could carry 25 sacks.

Four people began loading the sacks.

They were heavy.

Each sack weighed fifty kilograms.

“Be careful!”

Lee Jun-hyuk warned.

Each sack was money.

By 1:30 a.m., all 50 sacks were loaded.

“Let’s go.”

Lee Jun-hyuk climbed onto the front cart.

Miguel held the reins.

Pablo drove the rear cart.

Ramon and Carlos rode together.

They left the farm.

The Cuban countryside was quiet at dawn.

Only the sounds of hooves and cart wheels echoed.

Moonlight faintly illuminated the road.

“Do you think someone’s following us?”

Miguel asked, glancing back.

Lee Jun-hyuk looked but saw nothing.

Still, unease was real.

After about an hour, they reached the outskirts of Matanzas.

“There it is.”

Miguel pointed.

The lights of the harbor shone in the distance.

Then—

From behind came the sound of hooves.

Multiple horses.

“Damn it!”

Miguel cursed.

“We need to hurry.”

The carts picked up speed.

But the heavy load prevented them from going faster.

The horses’ hooves drew nearer.

Lee Jun-hyuk’s heart pounded.

He couldn’t see who was chasing them in the dark.

But he was certain they had no good intentions.

“Miguel, can we go faster?”

“This is the best we can do. The load’s too heavy.”

Miguel’s voice was tense.

His grip on the reins was tight as he kept checking behind to gauge the distance.

Bang!

Suddenly, gunshots rang out.

“Get down!”

Miguel shouted.

Instinctively, Lee Jun-hyuk ducked.

A second gunshot followed.

He heard bullets whiz overhead.

“Stop!”

Voices shouted in Spanish from behind.

“Don’t stop!”

Lee Jun-hyuk shouted back.

Not far from the harbor.

The glow grew closer.

The scent of the sea faintly reached them.

Then, ahead, another light appeared.

A torch.

“Zhen Hao!”

They had arrived at the meeting point.

Zhen Hao and five workers anxiously assessed the situation.

“Hurry! This way!”

Zhen Hao gestured.

The cart stopped at the harbor dock.

A small cargo ship awaited.

The crew was ready to receive the cargo.

At that moment, the pursuers also arrived.

Five men.

Fernandez and his subordinates.

“Hey there.”

Fernandez dismounted.

“How dare you sneak out under cover of night?”

“This is legitimate trade.”

Lee Jun-hyuk got off the cart to confront them.

“Nighttime trade is legitimate?”

Fernandez sneered.

His men drew their guns.

The harbor air grew heavy.

Then Zhen Hao stepped forward.

“This is the Chinese Quarter. This isn’t a place you can mess around in.”

Behind him, Chinese people began gathering.

Ten, twenty.

Soon over thirty surrounded them.

Some wielded clubs, others held sharp knives.

Fernandez’s expression stiffened.

“What is this…”

“We’ve endured long enough.”

Zhen Wei-liang revealed himself.

Though old, his eyes and posture were strong.

He carried an overwhelming presence.

“You Spaniards have been ignoring and harassing us every day, haven’t you?”

The atmosphere instantly reversed.

Outnumbered, this was originally Chinese territory.

Fernandez and his men looked at each other, clearly unsettled.

“Fine. We’ll retreat for now.”

Fernandez ground his teeth.

“But this isn’t over, Mister Lee.”

“We’ll be waiting.”

Lee Jun-hyuk replied coldly.

Fernandez’s group turned their horses and left.

No one relaxed their guard until the sound of hooves faded.

“Thank you, Mr. Zhen.”

Lee Jun-hyuk bowed to Zhen Wei-liang.

“We must help each other, even among East Asians.”

The old man smiled warmly.

“Now, let’s load the cargo. We have to finish before dawn.”

Together with the Chinese workers, Lee Jun-hyuk’s group loaded the molasses sacks onto the ship.

Though heavy, the work went smoothly thanks to the numbers.

“The first shipment goes to Havana.”

Zhen Hao said.

“There it will be handed off to the American trader. I’ve already made contact.”

“What about the price?”

“One hundred thirty-five dollars per ton. After transport costs, you’ll get one hundred thirty dollars per ton.”

Though slightly below market price, it was a fair deal given the lack of direct sellers.

***

At 4 a.m., the ship set sail.

Lee Jun-hyuk stood on the dock watching it disappear.

They had passed the first gate.

“This is just the beginning.”

Carlos muttered beside him.

“Yes, it’s just the beginning.”

The return journey was quiet.

The sky began to brighten, tinged with red.

Cuba’s dawn was beautiful, but Lee Jun-hyuk had no time to appreciate it.

“It will only get harder.”

Fernandez was not the type to back down.

Retribution would surely come.

But now there was no turning back.

Having taken the first step,

he had to see this path through to the end.