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Standing trembling on the boat, Boss Liang was filled with regret. He had seen the lobbyists before and had even made up his mind to escape, but before he could actually fight, he was stunned by a surprise attack from the Red Flag Gang.
It is not surprising that a huge ship like the treasure ship has cannons, but what is surprising is that the cannons are so accurate. He only brought six ships in total, and one of them was sunk. He didn't even have time to raise the white flag!
Fortunately, the Red Flag Gang was kind enough to rescue all the crew members who fell into the water, but even so, his family suffered heavy losses.
After being captured, everyone was detained on Wuyuan Island and there was no boat to escape.
And I heard that the coalition forces had another battle with the Red Flag Gang, and this time the entire army was defeated and many people were captured.
It seems like the situation is about to turn around. Does the previous agreement still count?
When he thought of this, he felt confused and couldn't help but look at the people around him.
There were a few familiar faces on the small boat. They were all ship owners who participated in the alliance this time. They were the ones who raised the white flag after being attacked and seeing the situation was not good.
Unfortunately, there were soldiers watching him, so Boss Liang didn't dare to speak to them, and he didn't know what they were planning.
Although their hearts were in a mess, the small boat arrived at the destination, and the soldiers drove them onto another large ship like sheep.
This ship is a Fuzhou-style ship with a high attic at the stern where the captain lives.
But just by looking at the fully armored guards on the deck, Boss Liang knew that he might have arrived at the flagship of the Red Flag Gang.
Is this the time to meet that Cheng Gang leader? But why is there no atmosphere of great victory on the ship? Instead, there is a chilling and murderous atmosphere.
Could it be that he wants their lives?
He was so frightened that when he arrived in front of the leader of the Red Flag Gang, Boss Liang didn't bother to look any further and opened his mouth to beg for mercy.
Unexpectedly, someone was quicker than him and knelt down with a thud: "Boss Cheng, I'm Qian San! I said before that I would join the Red Flag Gang..."
This shout stunned Boss Liang, but he found that he was not the only one who was stunned.
There were seven or eight ship owners in the room, and more than half of them were standing there in a daze.
Wait, could it be that everyone is hooking up with the Red Flag Gang and has already had second thoughts?
The group was stunned, but the young man sitting at the head wasn't surprised. He said, "I'm aware of your appointment with our gang, but I'm afraid the Ghost Book also knows, so he's being used as a scapegoat."
Now everyone suddenly realized their mistake. No wonder they, who had been guarding the rear and had hardly been on the battlefield, were the first to suffer.
This Ning guy is so unkind! How could he treat his allies like this? Even though they have some connections with the Red Flag Gang, didn't they even bring troops with them? And yet they were abandoned so easily!
Boss Qian, who had spoken first, reacted the fastest. He immediately said with a sad face, "We were all mistaken in trusting the bad guys. We really had no intention of harming your gang. We beg Master Cheng to be magnanimous and let us go."
Now, the others also reacted and started crying and begging.
Cheng Xi stared at the group of groveling men without a smile on his face. He spoke again in a cold voice, "You weren't the only ones betrayed by Ning Fu. Just now, the pirate ship was defeated, and I led my troops in pursuit, only to run into an ambush by government troops. Ning Fu lied to me that these soldiers were your allies, and used the remaining ships to block my path. As a result, they were completely destroyed by the government's artillery fire, and he escaped first."
The group of people who heard this were stunned. Some of them were like Boss Liang, who had been trapped and captured yesterday, while others were defeated by the boat people in a big battle today.
But no one expected that soldiers would appear! And these soldiers were not sent by Ning Fu, he also tricked all the coalition forces! What should we do?
Glancing at the crowd, Cheng Xi said, "Some of you are traitors, and some of you are defectors. I don't care what you think. The Red Flag Gang is going to use your men to save the lives of those government troops."
With a loud bang, the crowd erupted in excitement. Why were they going to start a war with the government troops? Boss Liang couldn't hold back any longer and said in a plaintive voice, "Boss Cheng, I was momentarily confused and deceived by Ning. I have no intention of targeting your gang. But these government troops are not something anyone can handle. I still have my family business in Panyu City!"
This statement immediately resonated with everyone. Helping the Long Whale Gang to fight the Red Flag Gang was, to put it bluntly, a fight between two groups of pirates. It was dangerous, but the benefits were not small either.
Helping the Red Banner Gang to fight the government troops is another matter. If the imperial court finds out, won’t the whole family be implicated?
How many people would be so stubborn as to be a fence-sitter? Moreover, although these people were part-time sea raiders, they were still merchants by profession. How could they dare to go against the imperial court?
"Do you still think you can turn back?" Cheng Xi smiled, but his smile was cold. "The court has issued a maritime ban, and you are colluding with the wanted criminals of the Long Whale Gang. If they are investigated, your property will be confiscated and your entire family will be exterminated. When has the government ever been afraid of maritime merchants? They are just fat pigs and sheep, how can they rebel?"
Boss Liang's face turned pale. It was true that they were maritime merchants, but the imperial court had always been ruthless in dealing with maritime merchants.
If you have no connections and no background, you will end up being skinned and dismembered.
His family did have connections with the government, and they had some connections with the clerks in the government office, but it was useless when they ran into the soldiers! They wanted food and wages, so where could they deduct it from them? They were just taking advantage of these fat sheep.
This is really walking into someone's trap, and it's probably going to be difficult to resolve peacefully.
But even so, they had no intention of killing officials and rebelling! They weren't big ship gangs like the Long Whale Gang or the Red Flag Gang. Who would have the guts to do that?! Only then did the group realize that something was amiss.
This "awakening" was exactly what Cheng Xi wanted, and he immediately said, "The Red Flag Gang intends to dominate the South China Sea, and they will inevitably fight a few battles with the imperial court in the future. If they win, no one in Panyu will dare to attack the Red Flag Gang anymore, and I will have the final say in this sea area. If they lose, they will just abandon their old camp and flee, and there will always be a chance to make a comeback. But if you make the wrong choice, I'm afraid you will only end up dead."
Boss Liang's face immediately turned green. This was a naked threat. If they didn't follow the Red Flag Gang now, they would definitely suffer if they won. If they lost, they would still be forced to suffer a fate worse than death. If they couldn't defeat the imperial army, could they not deal with a few small ship owners like them?
Qian San, who had been kneeling before, suddenly stiffened his neck and shouted, "I said at the beginning that I would surrender to Gang Leader Cheng. Now I will follow Gang Leader Cheng, no matter how hard it takes!"
He actually agreed! Boss Liang shuddered. Could he make up his mind so quickly?
Unexpectedly, the young gang leader smiled faintly upon hearing this: "Boss Qian is thoughtful. The Red Flag Gang is not the Long Whale Gang, and Cheng is certainly not a cunning villain like the Ghost Scholar. As long as there is food and drink, I will not treat my allies unfairly."
This was said openly, but Boss Liang's knees weakened and he knelt directly on the ground: "I am also willing to follow the gang leader!"
Is this referring to the Red Flag Gang? Not at all. It's just pointing out how vindictive the Long Whale Gang is. He was just a fence-sitter, but he was sold out by that bastard Ning Fu. If the Red Flag Gang really falls, and the Long Whale Gang takes over the South China Sea, will he still be alive?
They are all heroes of the sea, but he would rather follow this young gang leader than fall into the hands of the ghost scholar!
This kneeling woke up many people.
Since it would be a dead end whether falling into the hands of the imperial court or the Changjing Gang, it would be better to fight with the Chiqi Gang. At least if they win, they can truly dominate one side.
If I follow them then, won’t I be able to have something to eat?
Life or death, is there any need to choose? No one is stupid!
Then all the people in the circle knelt down, pounding their chests loudly, wishing they could die for the Red Flag Gang.
Of course, we cannot believe this statement completely. Even a 30% discount is a bit too much, but when it comes to the battlefield, it is a layer of insurance. It all depends on how it is used.
At this time, the only thing we can bet on is the plan of the commander.
After gathering the surrendered soldiers, Cheng Xi immediately went to meet the leader of the Tanka people.
Unlike those sea merchants who were part-time pirates, the Tanka people were legitimate fishermen. It would be fine for them to join the fight against pirates and reap the benefits of a favorable battle, but it would not be so easy for them to confront the officers and soldiers head-on.
As expected, there were three Tanka villages in total, and only one was willing to stay, while the other two had no intention of going against the government.
Cheng Xi did not force them to stay, but instead carefully informed them of the location of the government troops and advised them to bypass the island.
Such an open and aboveboard behavior naturally won the favor of many boat people. Without staying for long, the small boats ran away in groups during the night.
This sea area is like home to them. Even if they don’t return to the boat village, they have a place to hide.
And these will inevitably be discovered by the enemy.
To her, it was just a group of boat people who left without helping, but to the enemy, it was a force that left at night and hid somewhere on the sea.
Any qualified general should divert his attention to guard against this "surprise force".
The more enemies are restrained, the more advantageous it will be for her.
All that was left was to prepare for the next great battle. Cheng Xi breathed a sigh of relief. Without knowing the details of the enemy army, she wasn't completely confident this time. She would wait and see what new information Lu Jian had.
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