The next morning, Brother Long's fleet of eighteen allied forces sailed in a grand procession toward the northern shore of the island. They had long since discovered that spatial teleportation was impossible on the island, and they used spatial teleportation multiple times throughout the day to shorten the distance, finally arriving at their destination after a hurried journey.
Brother Long put in a lot of effort this time, offering huge rewards to gather a large group of survivors to attack Zhang Shi. This time, there were more than twenty ships attacking. Regardless of their quality, at least their numbers were effective. More than twenty ships of varying sizes almost surrounded an entire sea area, which looked quite imposing.
After observing the area, Zhang Shi found no heavy weapons and immediately relaxed. The only suitable landing spot on the island was the north shore, so Zhang Shi only needed to station heavy troops there; the defensive pressure wouldn't be too great.
Brother Long ordered all ships to anchor at sea temporarily and demanded that all faction leaders come to his ship for a meeting. Cai Qing realized this was an opportunity, so he secretly contacted Zhang Shi, got through to him on voice chat, and broadcast Brother Long's every word and action live to Zhang Shi.
Inside the cabin, about twenty people sat casually at a long table, chatting or eating dried fruit, each doing their own thing. The scene was incredibly noisy, with absolutely no sense of urgency that a major battle was imminent.
Long suppressed the nameless anger rising within him and tapped the table, but no one paid him any attention. Seeing this, Xie Dong pulled out a hammer and threw it into the center of the table. The loud noise stopped the commotion, and the cabin finally fell completely silent.
Brother Long cleared his throat and stood up.
"Gentlemen, I won't bother with formalities. The reason you're all gathered here today is either because you have a grudge against Zhang Shi or because you're eyeing the abundant resources on his island. To be honest, when I first saw his island, I was also shocked. Why is it that we toil away at sea under the sun and wind, barely managing to make ends meet, while he can leech off us with just a flick of his finger in the trading market, reaping all the benefits without lifting a finger? Do you all think that's fair?"
Chen Beipan glanced at the chubby Long Ge, noticing no signs of sun damage on him, but still reluctantly flattered him.
"You all may not know this, but Zhang Shi and I are from the same district. He made his first fortune through fraud, saying things like he'd get rich first and then help all the survivors in the district get rich too. But once he became successful, he started monopolizing and driving up prices in the area, and he ruthlessly killed any survivors who disagreed with him. We survivors in our district suffered greatly because of him, but we had no choice but to bow down to him, only able to get the food we needed to survive. Now, we heroes from all walks of life have gathered here to punish Zhang Shi, and we have a legitimate reason to do so. This struggle is not only for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of all the survivors!"
Chen Beipan's words stirred up the emotions of everyone present. Although they knew in their hearts that his words should not be taken seriously, they still pretended to be indignant and claimed that they would tear Zhang Shi apart and rid the people of this scourge.
Seeing this, Brother Long's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He knew that while these people's words were equally unreliable, at least they had formed a united front on the surface, which was highly beneficial to his plan. He gently raised his hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down, and then continued:
“Very good, it seems everyone is of one mind. Zhang Shi is indeed cunning and greedy. He uses his resources and position to turn a blind eye to us survivors who are truly struggling on the brink of life and death. But today, we are no longer isolated individuals, but a united alliance. We have strength, wisdom, and above all, a desire for justice.”
At this point, Brother Long paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present to ensure his words resonated with each person. Then he continued:
"To ensure the success of this operation, we need to devise a meticulous plan. First, our fleet will be divided into three groups, forming an encirclement of the island from the east, west, and south to distract Zhang Shi. The main force, including myself and several leaders of major powers, will personally lead the main attack from the north shore. Remember, our goal is to strike at the heart of the island, destroy his defenses, and seize it."
Next, Brother Long meticulously planned the specific action plan, including the landing time, attack route, and retreat strategy, ensuring that every step was carefully planned and flawless.
After the meeting, the leaders returned to their respective ships and began preparations in earnest. Meanwhile, Zhang Shi, through Cai Qing's live stream, had a complete grasp of the entire plan. He admired Brother Long's efficiency; he had managed to unite a disorganized group into a cohesive force so quickly. Zhang Shi realized that this battle would be the biggest challenge he had faced since the island's establishment, but also a crucial moment to test his defense system and team cohesion.
Zhang Shi quickly gathered his men and shared the intelligence he had gathered, then looked at everyone.
"If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to share them."
Zhao Feng's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He had a deep-seated hatred for the Dragon Tiger Brotherhood, and since they dared to attack him today, his battle axe was determined to draw blood.
“Those rabble don’t even know our equipment. Most of their boats are wooden fishing boats. If they dare to get close to the island, they’ll all sink with a single cannon shot. I really hope they can be just as brave when facing cannons.”
Even the usually meticulous Ge Dalong didn't refute Zhao Feng's words, which shows that Zhao Feng's words were not without reason.
Although Brother Long's group was large in number, they had no ability to fight at sea. Despite having made a detailed battle plan in advance, they overlooked the most important point: they did not consider how to successfully land.
Zhang Shi had already deployed a large number of musketeers and artillerymen on the north coast of the island. Any ship that dared to invade would be blasted into dust in the first instance. For Brother Long's fleet, it would be considered a success if they could land on the island alive.
Zhang Shi nodded slightly. Just to be on the safe side, he contacted Cai Qing again and again to confirm that the fleet did not have any heavy weapons. Only then did Zhang Shi feel relieved. He kept his eyes on the north side of the island, hoping that the other party would come and deliver them soon.
After a morning of adjustments, Brother Long's eighteen allied forces finally launched their general offensive at noon. As planned, they split into several small boats and headed to other directions of the island to surround it, while Brother Long's main force led the charge towards the north shore.
Seeing the enemy's fierce approach, Zhang Shi didn't hold back. With a command, the cannons fired simultaneously, and a hail of bullets covered the fleet. In an instant, the sound of exploding cannons filled the air, and the fleet was filled with howls of ghosts. Brother Long was stunned by this sudden change and stood there dumbfounded.
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