47

He Ling was eloquent and quickly explained the situation in Erwang Village.

Yan Yuan's heart moved. This seemed to be something he could do with. Before he could think clearly, Cheng Xi had already spoken: "Are there any women from Erwang Village coming this time?"

He Ling nodded vigorously: "Yes! Sir, do you want me to find someone to ask in detail?"

"No rush, let's do this later." Cheng Xi stopped the eager little girl and turned to look at Li Lai, "Are those surrendered soldiers still in the cabin?"

"Yes, not many people died on the road!" Although Li Lai didn't know what the gang leader meant, seeing his expression, he felt that this matter was nothing. He immediately put aside his anxiety and talked about business.

Several people died in just two days of sailing. It seems that the condition of these prisoners is worrying.

Yes, there were a lot of women and crew members crammed into the small cabin, and with more than 60 surrendered soldiers, it was no different from a slave ship. It was a good time to establish authority.

Cheng Xi turned around and said, "Ayuan, bring the group of surrendered soldiers here and follow our plan."

How to deal with the surrendered soldiers had been discussed long ago, but the name "Ayuan" made Yan Yuan stunned.

Wasn't that what the military commander had called him back then? The next moment, he realized that without a courtesy name, others could only call him that if they wanted to show closeness.

Collecting his thoughts, Yan Yuan bowed and accepted the order.

…

"This life is unbearable!" someone in the narrow shed cursed softly. "It seems that the Red Flag Gang doesn't treat us as human beings. The drill of standing in line is just torture! They are afraid that we will rebel."

They have been living a miserable life these days. Every day they have to stand in the sun, not allowed to move, and they have to keep their chests and stomachs held in and stand straight.

They often stand there for most of the day, and if they move a little, they will be beaten and scolded.

Isn't this pushing people to death?

"That's right! That guy surnamed Yan is also a piece of shit. I think he is the accomplice. Otherwise, how could all the leaders die in such a confused state? When I saw him pretending at the beginning, I knew he was not a good guy!" Someone immediately echoed and started cursing together.

Someone changed his tone, "Let me tell you, let's just pretend first. Once we get the weapons, we'll find a time to seize the ship and run away. With so many people, how can everyone be willing to do that? Then we can grab some people, go ashore, take a look around, and rob a couple more merchant ships. Wouldn't that be another happy and carefree life?"

"Brother, what you said makes sense. We just have to be careful and not let them see the flaws..."

A few people whispered to each other for a long time, and suddenly someone outside shouted, "Come out, the boss wants to see you practice!"

In this den of thieves, is there any need to ask who the "boss" is referring to?

No matter what they thought in their hearts, this group of people instantly remembered the burning corpse ship. Without a moment's hesitation, everyone crawled out and stood in the yard.

Yan Yuan put his hands behind his back and looked at the group of men coldly: "After training for so long, you should know the rules. Today, the host will review the troops and call on them. Who can board the ship and who can only do menial work? It all depends on your performance."

You finished practicing so quickly?

Several people immediately showed their joy and exchanged glances secretly.

As long as they behave well and can board the ship, they will not find a chance to escape. Once they leave the island, they will be free to fly freely. No one can stop them!

Everyone had their own thoughts. The group of people puffed out their chests and followed Yan Yuan to the dock with high morale.

However, when they saw the scene at the dock clearly, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

What's going on? Why are there so many people kneeling? Wait, weren't those the ones who escaped during the chaos a few days ago? How could they be recaptured? Could it be that the Red Flag Gang has omnipotent connections?

All his fighting spirit was wiped out at this moment, and the figure on the platform fell into his eyes again.

Still so handsome, still so cold, just looking at him makes one's legs tremble and dare not even breathe.

It seemed that those eyes could see through their thoughts, and once they found someone disrespectful, they would chop off their heads and leave no trace of their bodies.

The people who had conspired before were so scared that they didn't even dare to raise their heads, just hoping to survive this.

However, even praying to all the gods and Buddhas was useless. The man surnamed Yan had already looked over and called out coldly, "Zhang Gou'er, Liu Dan'er, Wang Xiao, Sanzhu..."

Before he finished calling the roll, one of them felt his legs weaken and he knelt down, howling, "Chief! Chief, I was just bragging to them. I had no intention of causing trouble. It's all that scoundrel Zhang Gou'er who has evil intentions..."

Seeing that things were getting worse, Zhang Gou'er shouted, "They have no intention of stopping us. Run! Seize the boat and run!"

As he said this, he made a move to escape, but unexpectedly a knife came faster and chopped him on the head, and blood spurted all over the ground.

Yan Yuan didn't even take the knife away, pointing at everyone: "Those who have no involvement in this matter, stand still!"

If it had been a few days ago, Zhang Gou'er's shout might have really caused chaos among the surrendered soldiers, and they would have scattered in a hurry.

However, today, except for a very few who were so scared that they sat down on the ground or knelt down to beg for mercy, everyone else stood straight and motionless.

The whipping with thorns during the drill taught them the necessity of obeying orders, while the group of pirates kneeling beside the platform taught them that running away was useless.

Although they have been training all day these days, they are still well fed and no one beats or scolds them. The occasional beating is just to make them stand straighter and not be lazy or slack off.

Therefore, even if there are complaints, not everyone is as resentful and plotting as Zhang Gou'er.

What was the big deal about standing in the scorching sun for an hour or so? Could it be worse than the hardship of fishing at sea? The Red Flag Gang members, though stern, weren't as cavalry-sporting as their former leaders, nor were they willing to rob them of their hard-earned money like officials.

In that case, what is there that can’t be overcome?

Therefore, when they watched more than a dozen people being dragged out by the group of ferocious Red Flag Gang members, and watched the guys who were begging and howling for mercy being beheaded, those people did not move.

Just as blood was flowing all over the ground and everyone was trembling, the person standing on the platform spoke: "During the training these days, there are also a few people who can endure hardships and obey orders. They will all be promoted to team leaders, each leading a team of ten people."

As he spoke, he began to call out names one by one. Those whose names were called looked up in surprise, unable to believe what they heard.

However, when Yan Yuan called people out one by one and asked them to stand behind him, a feeling of joy rushed to his head.

The gang leader really didn't lie to them! The Red Flag Gang didn't want to kill them, they were really training their troops and wanted to promote reliable people!

If I lead a team, will I be able to board a ship one day, join a gang, and wear a red belt around my waist like those men, exuding an air of arrogance from the inside out?

The person on the stage helped them resolve the doubts in their hearts.

Cheng Xi raised his voice and said loudly, "These seven captains and seventy surrendered soldiers will be transferred to the reserve team from today. As long as they train diligently, they can join our Red Flag Gang and serve on the ship. The rest of you will be transferred to menial positions. If you work diligently, you will also have the opportunity to join the gang. Our Red Flag Gang only wants brave and trustworthy people, not cunning rats. You should keep this in mind!"

If these words had been said just now, some might have pretended to obey but secretly disobeyed, but now with over a dozen heads rolling on the ground, who doesn't know the weight of his words? More importantly, as long as you can endure hardship and obey orders well, you can truly be promoted! There is no need to flatter or curry favor with others. You can earn promotion through hard work alone. If you can make a name for yourself, who would be afraid of hardship?

The surrendered soldiers, who had been silent, fearful, and even a little shaken, slowly straightened their backs again.

No one knew how to cheer, and no one dared to speak, but hope was indeed burning in their eyes.

This real "show of force" also caught the attention of the pirates who had just been captured.

They were captured, put on board, and sent back to Luoling Island. They thought they had no chance of survival, but they never expected to see such a scene.

If they didn't have those messy thoughts, could they still survive?

He had fled, fought in chaos, and been captured. He had escaped death and fallen into death several times. Now he saw hope again. Who wouldn't be ecstatic?

They were all following orders, being driven around by others. They didn't really care who was in charge or what methods were used. As long as they could survive, as long as they could, they were fine!

Looking at the surrendered soldiers on both sides who had changed their minds at the same time, Li Lai secretly sighed that the captain was right, only the gang leader could win over the hearts of the people so easily.

If they could even subdue the surrendered soldiers, what would that little incident in Erwang Village matter?

Yan Yuan saw more. Once they had gone through this training, they would become soldiers who could go into battle, rather than bandits who could only be won over by money and women.

With such a well-trained and powerful army, what can ordinary pirates do?

What the young lady said before was not just a fantasy, but a practical plan.

If he could pacify the coastal areas and eliminate foreign threats, where else could he go? Perhaps one day, the Red Flag Gang would become so powerful that no one could despise them, and the imperial court would send troops to recruit them. Wouldn't that then clear the military commander's name and avenge his wrongdoing?

After staying on the boat for two days, even though several familiar women were crowded in the room, Wang still felt nervous, fearing encountering pirates or shipwreck, not to mention that there were so many surrendered soldiers locked up in the cargo hold outside, she could not sleep well.

After finally reaching the shore, she had just breathed a sigh of relief when He Ling came up to her.

"The gang leader wants to question me?" Hearing this, Wang was really shocked and her face turned pale. "I'm just a woman, what can I know? Miss He, did you find the wrong person?"

He Ling hurriedly said, "The gang leader just wanted to ask about the affairs of Erwang Village. My sister is from Erwang Village and has a clear mind, so she came to ask you."

"But...but..." Wang stammered for a long time, unable to finish the sentence. She was just a sold woman, what did she know?

Seeing this, He Ling laughed and said, "Sister, you forgot that the gang rule against bullying women was set by the gang leader! We are where we are today because of the gang leader's kindness. How can such a person be scary? Besides, the gang leader is very handsome, unlike those rough guys who are annoying!"

Wang wanted to nod at the first two sentences, but when she heard the last one, she was in a state of confusion. What was the point of talking about handsomeness at this point? This little girl looked smart, but she also had her moments of stupidity.

However, she had to admit that these words made her fear less intense. After thinking about it, Wang asked carefully, "Then may I ask Miss He, what does the gang leader want to ask?"

"Alas, sister, you didn't know that someone in Erwang Village actually wanted to lure the bandits to attack the camp, saying that they wanted to take you back. This made the gang leader furious, and he wanted to find out the truth and deal with you severely!" He Ling said angrily with an angry look on her face.

Wang was stunned, her face turning pale. "But that bastard Wang Laowu?! He sold us out, not content with that, and wants to harm others! Sister, take me to see the gang leader quickly. I will explain all the evil things going on in the village!"

This was exactly what He Ling wanted to hear, and she immediately took Wang to the conference room.

However, when she arrived at the place and saw the group of murderous guards, Wang couldn't help but feel fear again. She didn't dare to raise her head and walked into the house tremblingly.

The leader of a large ship gang commanding hundreds of men must be a terrifying figure. Would the other party really listen to her? Would they think she was stupid and scold her instead? Wang had seen too many men like this before, and she felt increasingly uneasy.

At this moment, a very clear voice came from the front: "Are you from Erwang Village? Can you tell me in detail about the situation in the village?"

The speaker's voice was gentle, without any threat. Wang looked up unconsciously and saw a young man sitting in the main seat. He looked at her with a calm but questioning look.

Wang's face turned red all of a sudden. She had never seen such a handsome young man!

Is this really the leader of the Red Flag Gang? By the way, some of the women in the camp also said that the leader was good-looking, but how could those gossipy women really describe this man's demeanor?

Wang's fear had vanished without a trace. Panic filled her heart, she hurriedly said, "Erwang Village originally had people farming and fishing. Then, for some reason, one family became so powerful they seized the position of village chief and even the village farmland. Anyone who dared to speak out was dragged into the ancestral hall, beaten and scolded, and even expelled from the village. We were all good families, how could we stand this? We just let them bully us. These bastards clearly didn't fish, but they took the catch and colluded with the fishmongers, making a fortune. When they encountered bandits, they ran away so quickly. Countless villagers lost their lives defending the village. And yet, those bastards targeted orphans and widows like us and wanted to sell all the girls..."

As she spoke, a feeling of grievance that was difficult to conceal came over her, and she couldn't help crying: "That bastard Wang Laowu really deserves a miserable death!"

This series of nagging complaints can already outline the current situation of Erwang Village.

Even such a poor fishing village can produce wealthy families that exploit others.

Cheng Xi sighed secretly and said to comfort him: "Wang Laowu has been executed, and I will also find someone to redress your grievances."

This sentence was said calmly, but the meaning contained in it made Wang cry even harder. However, He Ling, who was standing by, was quick-witted and quickly stepped forward to persuade her.

Li Lai was also irritated by the woman's sobbing and cursed, "I didn't expect this villain to be so cruel! He should have been skinned alive!"

Cheng Xi shook his head: "Whether it's killing or cutting, it's a rotten life, not worth mentioning. If we clean up Erwang Village and give everyone justice, that's the key."

"Please give me your instructions, boss!" Li Lai immediately perked up. This was a big matter that both the captain and Boss Sun were undecided about, so naturally he had to listen to the boss's arrangements!

"Take Wang Laowu's head and lead people to Erwang Village to arrest all the people in charge in the village. I, the Red Flag Gang, showed kindness, but was bitten back. How can we let it go so easily? However, every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor. Since this group of people usually do evil things, why not gather all the villagers together and talk about their evil deeds. Pick out a few who are full of evil and have deep roots and kill them. Confiscate their property and distribute it to the villagers, and then elect someone to act as the village chief. If there are people who don't want to stay in Erwang Village, they can all be brought to the camp and other arrangements will be made." Cheng Xi stated the means of handling in an orderly manner.

"Isn't this just like the Lord of Justice?" Li Lai was stunned.

Isn't this kind of thing of getting rid of harm for the people something that only officials in storybooks would do? How could the gang leader say it so easily?

But if the village is massacred because of a few bad apples, wouldn’t the other oppressed villagers be wronged?

This method is still more appropriate. You are worthy of being the gang leader. You just think differently from others!