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No wonder this handsome young man chose to open up a sea route.

Seeing Cheng Xi's serious expression, Lu Jian suddenly smiled and said, "If you are willing to lend me a hand, once we capture Luoling Island, I will hand this place over to you. Money and weapons are all fine, as long as you can protect my way north."

This is a huge temptation. Occupying a key sea route and having a wealthy and capable businessman behind it to support it is hard to resist for any ambitious fleet owner.

Cheng Xi remained unmoved. "Brother Lu's family affairs are not my concern. However, the situation on Luoling Island is now settled. I'm afraid it will be difficult for my few ships to capture the island. If Brother Lu has other plans, why not let me know first?"

It’s not surprising that Lu Jian wants to help, but it’s a bit strange that he comes to her.

The Qingfeng Gang had already sent over a dozen ships. Could she really claim the credit? If they couldn't break through, would they be able to give Luoling Island back once the Qingfeng Gang occupied it? Then the Luoling Island reward would be nothing more than a hollow promise.

If Lu Jian really wanted to win her over and support her, he would not do such a stupid thing.

Hearing this, Lu Jian clapped his hands and laughed. "You really understand me, my dear brother! In fact, I also made arrangements to invite the Qingfeng Gang's army this time. In a few days, while the two sides are at war, I will personally go to Luoling Island to negotiate with the bandit leader. It's called a pacification, but in fact it's an internal and external cooperation. If we can capture the bandit leader in one fell swoop, there's no need to worry about not taking this island."

Cheng Xifeng's eyes narrowed suddenly. This man was even crazier than she thought! Perhaps it was because the Qingfeng Gang had been delaying that he resorted to such tactics. This would not only allow the Qingfeng Gang to make up their minds to send troops, but also allow him to maintain some advantage at the decisive moment, so that the Qingfeng Gang would not be wiped out completely.

Lu Jian must have his own troops, but if he had this new force, wouldn’t he be more confident in capturing the island?

And he had planned all of this in advance!

He was calculating against Lu Jian, but wasn't Lu Jian calculating against him, either? He'd assumed she'd return to Hepu during the new rice harvest; he'd assumed she'd be able to keep her fleet and build a food route; he'd assumed she was ambitious, wanting to wipe out the bandits on Luoling Island in one fell swoop, clearing a path for herself. If he miscalculated even a single point, he'd have to go to the island alone, risking his life.

And he was not wrong.

Cheng Xi also laughed, rubbing his knees and laughing: "Brother Lu has such courage, how can I not accompany him?"

He was going into danger, fighting for his life together. Yet, the young man was laughing heartily, showing no fear at all.

Even without this game and these calculations, he is still a benevolent person.

However, even after the agreement was made, Lu Jian still had one more question: "Since my dear brother has agreed, I'm afraid the grain shipment will be delayed this time. Do your men have any complaints?"

Since they were going to land on the island, they would have to requisition their ships, and Cheng Xi, the leader, would most likely go along. If his fleet was only assembled on a makeshift basis, it would cause serious problems. Lu Jian's question was both a reminder and a test.

Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Brother Lu, don't worry. I have recently established a boat gang called the 'Red Flag Gang'. The boats under my command are all manned and will not cause any problems."

This was even more shocking than Lu Jian had imagined. He had originally thought that most of these ships were hastily assembled, just to get some benefits from him. Who would have thought that the other party had even built a ship gang? No wonder they only brought a captain this time, and he was able to stand by and act as a guard.

Lu Jian couldn't help but sigh, "My dear brother, your thoughts and methods really make me admire you. If that's the case, just leave two boats to take me to the island."

Cheng Xi thought for a moment and said, "In that case, it would be best if the fleet sailed together and, once we reach Luoling Island, we could send two ships ashore. The other ships should return as quickly as possible to prevent the defeated soldiers from causing chaos on shore."

This not only takes into account navigation safety, but also takes into account the defeated soldiers.

If Luoling Island really fell, many bandits would probably escape and the coastal areas would be affected.

Since he has established a shipping gang and opened up a grain route, he must also have a base on land, so it is natural for him to worry.

Lu Jian answered straightforwardly, "Of course, my dear brother, do you need anything to prepare?"

"My ship mostly uses spears and guns, and I also need fifty sets of rattan armor and fifty swords. If there is kerosene for starting a fire, maybe we can prepare some." Cheng Xi answered straightforwardly. This is a landing battle, and the difference between having armor and not having armor is too big.

As for the number of fifty, it is actually not too much. At least forty people should be arranged for the two ships. I think the sponsor will not have any objection.

Sure enough, Lu Jian nodded and said, "I'll prepare all these things, as well as the water for sailing, within three days. Once we hear from the Qingfeng Gang, we'll set sail immediately. By the way, do you want to bring rice this time?"

"Let's buy 1,500 dan first, and then we'll talk about other things after we've taken control of Luoling Island." Cheng Xi knew very well that weapons could be provided by the other party, but food was best treated as a trade. If he tried to take advantage of even this little bit, who would be the one who would control the food supply in the future?

Lu Jian naturally understood the implication of his words and said with a smile, "This is not difficult, and it will be shipped to the ship as soon as possible."

At this point, the two of them had concluded their discussion. Cheng Xi stood up and said, "The matter is urgent. I have to go back and make some arrangements first. I will come back to find Brother Lu the day after tomorrow."

Lu Jian also stood up and said with a smile, "With your help, I feel at ease. I only hope that this time I can show my skills and break through the barriers."

This was referring to himself, as well as Cheng Xi. The two faced the same situation, and the choices they made were incredibly similar. Lu Jian had originally thought he was the only outlier in the world, but he hadn't expected to meet another one today.

Cheng Xi also smiled: "Thank you for your kind words, Brother Lu."

She came with a plan, but the result she got was better than she expected.

This Mr. Lu also revealed his true face. It was a face completely different from that of a modest gentleman. It was full of ambition and cruelty, but Cheng Xi did not hate this face.

In this world, conspiracies and tricks are certainly useful, but what ultimately matters is intelligence and courage, and the person in front of him has both of these qualities.

The smile they exchanged revealed a tacit understanding. Lu Jian personally escorted the distinguished guest out, and the two walked side by side. He wore a wide robe with large sleeves, while the other wore narrow sleeves and a waistband. Although their styles were clearly different, he felt a long-lost sense of pleasure.

When they reached the door, Lu Jian couldn't help but say, "My humble brother's courtesy name is Mingde. You can just call me by that courtesy name from now on."

Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow. In ancient times, it seemed that only those who were close to each other would call each other by their courtesy names. This Mr. Lu was trying to show his affection. She readily said, "I don't have a courtesy name yet, but I am the eldest son of my family."

Calling him by birth order was the standard ancient way, but she had trouble saying "Da Lang"; it felt odd. As for a courtesy name, she decided to forget about it; she couldn't think of any.

Only scholars and officials would give a courtesy name. When he said "no courtesy name yet", did he mean that he would get one in the future, but he was just too young? Looking at the young man who was a head shorter than him, with thin and long hands and feet that had not yet fully grown, Lu Jian smiled and bowed, saying, "Then I will wait for your good news, my dear brother."

Cheng Xi also bowed and said goodbye, then turned and left.

After getting in the car, Lin Meng came back to his senses and asked in a low voice, "Leader, are we really going to attack Luoling Island?"

He listened to the conversation from beginning to end, but still couldn't figure out how they jumped from chatting to attacking Luoling Island. Moreover, it sounded like they would go to the island with Master Lu, which was different from the original plan!

Cheng Xi raised his eyebrows: "Fight, why not?"

"That's Luoling Island!" Lin Meng said anxiously. "Even if the Qingfeng Gang has mobilized their troops, there must still be hundreds of people on the island. How can we defeat them?"

Although they looked like they had eight boats, in fact, there were only about eighty people on four boats who had actually practiced, and the remaining four boats were just for show.

Cheng Xi smiled. "Warfare is never about numbers, but about capturing the leader. How many leaders can a gang like Luoling Island have? Besides, Master Lu is no fool. Since he dared to go into battle himself, he must have an agreement with the Qingfeng Gang. We're just following suit, which is much simpler than the original plan."

Lin Meng's eyes widened as he listened. How could he have imagined such a method? Cheng Xi said it so easily, so he must be sure of it.

If they weren't even afraid of the pirate ship, how could they be afraid of this? Lin Meng hurriedly said, "Didn't you say to bring two ships? Chief, take me with you!"

"Let's go back first." Cheng Xi said simply. There were still a lot of things to deal with, so he had to see the person first.

When they returned to the dock, they summoned the two captains and explained everything they had discussed today. Li Niu immediately became excited: "If the leader thinks it's feasible, let's go! They are just a group of pirates, there's nothing to be afraid of!"

Although this is different from what was said before, it’s always right to listen to the leader.

But that was a man with a well-planned plan. How could a ruthless man who even dared to break into the county government office be afraid of a mere pirate?

Sun Erlang pondered for a moment and said, "If what the leader said is true, those four ships might be in trouble. We need to make them obey orders first."

Putting aside how to land on the island and how to fight, there are four ships in their fleet that are not from the Red Flag Gang. If something goes wrong during the operation, it will be a disaster.

Cheng Xi nodded. "I'll talk to them. As for you, Mengzi and Aniu will come with me to the island, and Erlang will take the remaining ships back. Remember to organize manpower immediately after returning to assist in the defense of the village. Not only the three villages, but it's best to notify the other villages as well. If a real fight breaks out, a large number of pirates will be defeated and may flee to somewhere else."

On the battlefield, defeated soldiers are always the most troublesome problem, let alone defeated bandits. She has already established a food supply route and a base in Dongning County, so how can she let anyone destroy it?

Sun Erlang immediately said, "I understand!"

Those people who stayed in the village at the beginning are now needed. Besides, there are two boats going back with them, so there should be enough manpower.

But in this case, the problem of the four ships became even more worrying. Sun Erlang really couldn't think of a way to make the four ships obey orders.

After all, the return voyage passes through a war zone. If these people are distracted, they may easily get into trouble if they encounter pirates or even just fleeing bandits.

But these weren't his concerns. After giving the order, Cheng Xi had Sun Erlang summon the four captains. Without hesitation, she stated, "The Red Flag Gang is joining forces with the Green Phoenix Gang to attack Luoling Island. This return voyage might be risky."

Sun Erlang almost showed a look of surprise. Isn't he afraid of scaring people away by saying it so openly?

Sure enough, one of the four captains immediately shouted, "Can my ship leave later?"

Cheng Xi said frankly, "Of course, I can refund you half of the money you paid. But we won't be returning to pick up anyone. After we capture Luoling Island, bandits will invade the villages on the shore, so we have to send people back to defend them."

This sentence immediately made the captain's face turn ugly. Is this a matter of money? He didn't dare to come alone, so he paid the money and went with the fleet.

If I were to get out of the group now, would I have to drive back on my own? Would I even be able to get back then?

Someone was more able to grasp the key point: "Wait, are there bandits harassing the village? Gang Leader Cheng, can you confirm this?"

"Yes. Luoling Island will definitely be occupied by us, but the sea area is too large to stop all ships. There will definitely be bandits, and their number is estimated to be quite large." Cheng Xi said decisively.

"Then we must go back! We have to let the villagers take precautions!" The other party immediately became anxious. It takes a village to maintain one boat, and the boat is full of people from the village. Who would abandon their family just to avoid danger?

"Is it risky to go back?" someone else asked.

"There are definitely risks, but with two sides fighting, not many people will set their sights on merchant ships. As long as you follow the Red Flag Gang's ship closely and obey their orders, you will still be safe." Cheng Xi answered straightforwardly.

"What are we waiting for? We want to return with the leader!" several people shouted.

Zhong Ping, who had been standing aside, deep in thought, suddenly spoke up: "May I ask, Gang Leader Cheng, can we join the Red Flag Gang?"

When these words came out, the captains around him were all stunned. Why did he suddenly bring up this? Cheng Xi smiled and said, "To join the Red Flag Gang, you must swear an oath of blood. You cannot rebel, you cannot violate the gang rules, and you cannot disobey the gang leader."

This requirement was certainly not stringent, and it only stated conditions, not promises. Unexpectedly, Zhong Ping nodded and said, "Everyone on this boat is willing to join the gang!"

There are indeed smart people out there.

Cheng Xi secretly praised him. Was the most important thing about that statement just now the risk? Was it the bandits? Actually, neither of those things were important. The most important thing was that they were going to join forces with the Qingfeng Gang to attack Luoling Island, and they were bound to take it.

Regardless of who prevails, Luoling Island will inevitably change hands, and the route to Hepu will certainly be controlled by them. The Qingfeng Gang operates the Japanese route, mostly from Liangzhe and Minzhou to the Japanese island. Who will be the final owner of Luoling Island?

This is the obvious "winner", and it is very likely to get bigger and bigger. Isn't now the best opportunity to surrender? Cheng Xi originally thought that he had to say a few words before these people would react, but he didn't expect someone to speak directly.

This question and answer immediately made the other three captains nervous. After a moment's thought, one of them understood the crux of the matter and immediately followed suit, saying, "We have been with the ship all the way here and know the leader's kindness and righteousness. We are willing to serve you!"

Although the orderly retreat during the previous encounter with the Qingfeng Gang may have been just a tacit understanding between allies, the fleet's structure is indeed trustworthy.

Besides, if we didn't tell them about the possibility of a fight until we got to Hepu, who knew what the Red Flag Gang was up to? Of course, it would be better to just go along with it!

There are already one and two, so are you still afraid that no one will follow?

The four captains unexpectedly unanimously requested to join the gang. Cheng Xi pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, when we return, we will send a few people to your village to practice defense to prevent pirates from invading. After we occupy Luoling Island, we can discuss the distribution and future shipping route arrangements."

Did they also get a share of the spoils? The captains had never imagined such a benefit. They immediately cast aside their worries and were all overjoyed.