109

After a fierce fight, I didn't feel anything at the time, but afterwards my waist and legs ached and I couldn't move. If I were injured, I might have to go to the hospital to stay in bed.

It’s not that going to the hospital is bad, it’s just that it’s a bit uncomfortable to just lie there and let the nurses serve you.

But now, no one in the Red Flag Gang dares to talk nonsense in front of a nurse. Their lives are in her hands. If they talk nonsense, won’t they be punished?

If this angers the nurses, not to mention the bosses, the brothers who have been to the hospital may come and teach them a lesson. Who would dare to cause trouble for no reason?

But now, regardless of these trivial matters, all the soldiers are only thinking about one thing: there will be a celebration banquet on the island tomorrow.

"Have you heard? The ship we robbed this time was loaded with gold and silver!"

"Really? How much is it? Is it ten thousand taels?!"

"Idiot! Such a big ship, and it only carries 10,000 taels of cargo? I think it must be at least 30,000 taels!"

This shout immediately drew a gasp of surprise.

Thirty thousand taels! If you pile it up, it would probably kill someone, right? I can’t even think about it!

"Then we split it into two parts, isn't that right, isn't that... how much is it?"

"What are you thinking about? The one who made the greatest contribution this time is the gang leader. How much can I give you? I think ten taels per person is good enough."

"Kid, do you know how many people are participating in this battle? Thirty ships, more than five hundred people! Three or five taels per person is enough, and I guess the leaders can get more."

These wise words made many people a little discouraged, but soon everyone became excited again.

"Three or five taels isn't bad. We only distributed some silk cloth before, and the money we received wasn't much."

"Hey, the gang provides you with food and drink, and you even get a share of the profits when you're on board. What are you complaining about?"

"Who complained? Who complained? That's all I said..."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing here." Someone immediately tried to stop the fight. "We have meat, wine, and even a reward. What are you still arguing about when this is a good thing?"

"That's right, it's not easy to survive safely."

This echo actually made the atmosphere a little colder. Someone suddenly snorted, "As long as a man is a member of the Red Flag Gang, even if he dies on the battlefield, it's worth it!"

This immediately caused cheers and laughter.

"The gang leader treats us well, it would be best if we can live happily!"

With this kind of ambition and the power of a great victory, when the celebration banquet was held the next day, although due to the rules they were not allowed to whisper to each other when the gang leader was speaking, the energy in everyone's eyes could not be concealed, and was full of joy and anticipation.

Standing on the high platform, looking at the dense crowd below, Cheng Xi shouted, "The Lu family has repeatedly harassed us all for this shipload of treasures. Now we've captured them, and we've also dealt a blow to the Jiangdong clan. Anyone who dares to target the Red Flag Gang will be wiped out!"

This straightforward sentence made the soldiers shout out.

Some were cheering, some were howling, but in the end they all merged into one sentence.

"Victory to the Red Flag Gang!"

The thunderous shout startled flocks of seabirds. Cheng Xi reached out and suppressed the sound with his palm: "In this battle, all participants have made contributions. Each of them will be rewarded with 20 taels of silver!"

With a "wow", there was an uproar below.

"Twenty taels?! There are actually twenty taels!"

"Everyone gets twenty taels? Seriously?!"

"Ahhh! The leader is so righteous!"

Everyone knew that they had caught a big fish this time. However, everyone also knew clearly that if the gang leader and Chief Yan had not sneaked onto the enemy ship and persuaded the enemy to surrender, they would never have been able to capture the thousand-ton treasure ship.

They clearly took the credit, and yet they were willing to share such a generous reward with them. Who wouldn't be happy?

Cheng Xi let the group yell enough before speaking again: "Chief Yan, Chief Li, and Chief Lin will each receive a reward of fifty taels of gold sand and five hundred taels of silver. Chief Yan can be considered the first to achieve this feat and will receive two more blessed ships under his command. The other three chiefs will each receive one blessed ship!"

This time no one said anything, as they were all shocked by the number. Besides, money was secondary. If they could add new ships, wouldn't the troops under their command increase again? Who knows how many soldiers they could lead in the future. Could their Red Flag Gang be so powerful?

Although no one spoke, the atmosphere below was extremely tense. Cheng Xi looked around and said, "Although this battle was a great victory, some people were injured and some were killed. For the injured, the reward will be doubled. For the killed, a school will be opened in the future, and all sons and daughters can attend!"

There was silence for a moment, and the next moment, countless people shouted.

"The leader is kind and righteous!"

"Thank you, boss!"

"I am willing to die for the leader!"

Those chaotic shouts were exactly what they were thinking.

Even if they were adrift in the sea, even if their heads were tucked away on their belts, were these "desperadoes" truly fearless of death? Of course they were, but the gang's rules stipulated that anyone killed in battle would receive a compensation.

Even if he is just a soldier, as long as he has sons and daughters, his orphans can receive rice and food every year until they reach adulthood. If he has no children, he can adopt one, receive the same pension, and have priority to join the army in the future.

Now, not only can you join the army, you can also go to school! That's a school. Even if you are a peasant, you know the benefits of going to school. You hope that your children can learn to read and write, to do math, and become truly respectable people.

This is more grateful than money, rice, and all the rewards. The gang leader is truly doing good for them. How can he still be considered a human being if he doesn't fight for them?!

Facing the surging cheers, Cheng Xi's face remained calm, and she was not overwhelmed by the enthusiasm. She certainly knew the benefits of winning people's hearts, but she also understood clearly that these people had not received orthodox education and had no clear ideas and beliefs. Their blind obedience was the basis of her growth, and their awe was the foundation of her foothold. However, these alone were far from enough.

After the cheers died down again, Cheng Xi spoke again: "After this battle, the Red Flag Gang has gained countless treasures. Some people may think, why not continue to plunder? There are so many ships floating on the sea. If they can just seize two of them, wouldn't they have a lot of money, eat and drink well, and become the king of the world?"

The audience immediately fell silent, because this was the voice of many people. Although there had been rewards for every battle before, none of them had been so generous.

Since you can make money easily, why not continue doing it?

Cheng Xi sneered: "If you want to be a pirate for a long time, I'm afraid it's wishful thinking! In the future, when the government launches a campaign and the business gangs strangle you, how can you escape if you are a scourge to one side? I will never be a thief, and I will not wield my sword against the weak or the good. If you surrender to me, I will feed you and clothe you warmly, and let you walk with your back held high; if the people on the shore surrender to me, I will protect their lives and prevent them from being bullied; if the people in this sea area surrender to me, I will give them order and stability, so that they can do business smoothly on the sea. In the future, when I go to the underworld and stand before the King of Hell, I can proudly say that no innocent souls have died under my sword!"

This sentence was so powerful that everyone in the audience held their breath.

Are they thieves? Of course not! The moment they joined the gang, they swore an oath to abide by the gang rules, not to rob people on land, and not to abuse women.

Every battle they had fought before was either to protect themselves or to kill bandits, and there had never been such a looting.

However, the gang leader said at the beginning that the Lu family had repeatedly troubled them because of this fleet.

What else is there to say about the enemy? Just fight and it's over!

Who hasn't been bullied by pirates when they were born on the sea? They didn't learn these skills to go to hell and be fried in oil and fire by the King of Hell after death.

Seeing that the arrogance and blindness had subsided, Cheng Xi slowed down his tone: "There will be wars in the future. We will fight to seize territory, defeat powerful enemies, and plunder and kill. But don't forget, the Red Flag Gang is not a gang of bandits. I want you all to stand upright in front of the world and say that you are a man of integrity!"

The Red Flag Gang was established for such a short time that there was no chance for ideological construction.

Most of these people are fishermen, fighting against the sea, the strong wind, and the life-threatening nature. They are born to be more rebellious than the inland farmers.

This is certainly the best sailor, but he may also fall into anarchic madness and be unable to be controlled or managed.

So she had to pull the reins and guide them with self-respect and pride.

In the future, she will also teach them what class is, what equality is, and what freedom is, but before that, the most urgent thing is to learn what a "human being" is.

The man on the stage was actually not very tall, and his voice was not very strong. He had a sharpness that was unique to young people, but he could go into the enemy camp alone, rush to the front, think first, and show them a path that had never been taken before.

Isn't such a person a real hero?

Countless people were breathing heavily, their chests heaving, as if a hot current was churning in their hearts, about to burst out.

The young man on the stage suddenly laughed: "Are you guys heroes?"

This smile made the energy burst out, and people could no longer suppress it and started shouting.

"yes!"

"Of course!"

Cheng Xi laughed out loud: "In that case, I'd like to get drunk with you all! Come on, serve the wine! Serve the food!"

Large jars of wine and plates of fish were brought up.

There were rewards, awards, reprimands, and praise. Who wouldn't be beaming with joy at such a celebration? Everyone took their seats, and the first thing they did was raise their wine bowls to toast the people on the stage.

"Cheers to the Gang Leader!"

"I wish the gang leader a long life!"

"Have a baby soon!"

In the face of the messy toast, Cheng Xi was not polite. He picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. He turned the empty bowl upside down, which caused everyone to cheer.

Li Niu, who was sitting nearby, couldn't help but blink and couldn't help looking at Lin Meng and Yan Yuan.

Is this really a woman? Are you kidding? What kind of woman could be so bold and unrestrained? Are they all lying to me?

After slapping himself hard on the leg, Li Niu picked up the bowl decisively: "Boss, I'll toast you too..."