Take Wadulan, for instance. Because of the Advance Team, his ship was wrecked, lives were lost, and all the cargo was gone. If it were someone else, they would have been cursing in the streets long ago. But Wadulan could see an opportunity in this; he exchanged a ship and its full cargo for Luo'er's favor, turning it into a high-risk investment in relationships.
As long as the gamble paid off, he couldn't claim to have reached the heights overnight, but at the very least, filling a basin to the brim was not out of the question.
Of course, his daring to make such bold investments was also based on his valuation of Luo'er's character. He was convinced that Luo'er was a man who kept his word, kind and honest, which is why he dared to place his capital on Luo'er. Had it been someone heartless, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to curry favor with Luo'er when heading south.