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Since we are planning to send troops, in addition to preparing food and fodder and assembling a fleet, the most important thing is to inform our allies.
Ning Fu boarded the Xisai flagship with only a few personal soldiers. He was naturally received by Baron Luciano, the commander of the Xisai fleet.
"Didn't we agree to send troops next month? Why did we suddenly move it forward? The current wind direction is not in our favor." Baron Luciano frowned and looked quite displeased at Ning Fu's arrival.
As a relative of the Cisse royal family and the supreme commander of this ocean-going fleet, he has the final say in the army and no one else can give him orders.
Ning Fu smiled and said, "The wind is blowing a little against us, but the situation is favorable. The Changjing Gang is now the official army of the Dagan Dynasty. If we send troops, we can attract the official troops from Panyu and other places to encircle them. If we delay for too long, we will miss the opportunity. Besides, don't you want to rescue your subordinates?"
This Sicilian translation was smoother than any other translation, and it made Baron Luciano look even more unhappy.
The five captured officers just arrived in Hepu the day before yesterday and contacted the fleet, but the other side changed the battle plan in a blink of an eye. Could it be that they discovered something?
Even if the Long Whale Gang discovered their whereabouts, he wouldn't admit it. Baron Luciano said coldly, "It was your idea to send the fleet to Xiaoliuqiu. Now that the fleet has lost contact, shouldn't you take responsibility?"
"As long as we defeat the Red Flag Gang, we can naturally exchange them for prisoners. Or do you intend to sit back and watch us fight and profit from it?" Ning Fu sneered. "The Long Whale Gang hasn't given up on the strait, so returning won't be difficult. I hope you will consider this carefully."
This was no longer consolation, but had a threatening tone. Baron Luciano was furious, but the angrier he was, the calmer he became, because the young man in white was right. If they wanted to pass through the strait without any losses, this was the easiest way. It would not be beneficial for them to create any complications.
After being tough, Ning Fu softened his tone again. "Besides, we now have the support of the Dagan army, which means we have double the manpower. The Qingfeng Gang is busy with internal strife and has no time to spare. How can the Red Flag Gang defeat our coalition forces with only their strength? No matter what they promise, it's all nonsense if we can't win. Your Excellency should consider the practicalities more."
Did the Red Flag Gang offer a promise? Actually, no, they were outright threats.
According to the releasers, someone within the Red Flag Gang knew of the plight facing the Western Sea Nation. The Far East was a golden passage for them, and more than one group was eyeing the vast profits from the sea. While they had the upper hand, the enemy behind them could arrive at any moment.
Forming an alliance with the Long Whale Gang would certainly help them open up this route as quickly as possible and establish a foothold on the coast of the Eastern Continent, but since they controlled the strait, would the Long Whale Gang still help them if someone else arrived? On the contrary, without the Long Whale Gang, they would be able to take over the strait first, which would be of great benefit to the future situation.
Of course, these words cannot be said openly.
Luciano said coldly, "Now you have arbitrarily changed the time of dispatching troops, and the previous promise has not been fulfilled. You must give us an explanation."
Even with a title, this guy wasn't shy about talking about profit. Ning Fu was used to this kind of attitude, but today he looked at him a little longer before saying, "I've said before that if you can defeat the Red Flag Gang and the Green Phoenix Gang, I'll carve out territory in Panyu and Quanzhou and give you two large islands. Now that the two islands remain unchanged, how about giving you ten thousand slaves?"
Ten thousand slaves were more than enough to run two islands, but where would all those slaves come from? Luciano couldn't help but wonder, "How could they just get so many slaves? They're not all old, weak, or sick."
Ning Fu laughed heartily. "Dagan is in chaos right now, and there are countless refugees. As long as they have something to eat, they will work like slaves for you. As long as you cooperate with us and win this battle, the two large islands will fall into our hands easily."
Having the land and the slave labor to build fortifications did allow them to quickly establish themselves in foreign lands, but the more so, the more important the strait became to them. If they were caught by the neck, there would be no way to retreat.
After a while of hesitation, Baron Luciano finally nodded and said, "Then please prepare food and water. We will cooperate with you in the expedition."
Seeing the other party's expression, Ning Fu sneered in his heart. It seemed that he still had other ideas in mind. He didn't know what kind of promise the Red Flag Gang had made.
But it doesn't matter, as long as they are willing to send troops. He never expects these people to fight hard after a major defeat. As long as they can go with the army, his goal will be achieved.
After seeing the guests off, Baron Luciano called his adjutant and asked directly, "Have the five been interrogated separately?"
"We've interrogated them all, and their statements are all the same. The enemy refuses to release our people and demands a ransom, as well as the termination of the alliance with the Long Whale Gang." The adjutant said immediately.
This wasn't a pleasant request. Luciano, hands behind his back, gazed at the map on the table, his brow furrowed. The enemy's strength, capable of defeating a fleet of seven gunboats, was not to be underestimated. The losses were already considerable, and as the commander of the ocean-going fleet, he couldn't possibly stake all his resources on this one battle.
But the Long Whale Gang is not easy to deal with. They have fought several battles with them near the strait and know how fearless these pirates are. If they regret it now, they will probably suffer direct retaliation.
Since both sides are difficult to deal with, the best option is to watch them fight to the death, preserve strength, and ally with the winner.
Since Luciano could become the fleet commander, he was naturally an experienced soldier. The war in the Far East was also a war. As a guest army, they still had enough firepower advantage. It was not difficult for them to preserve their strength and avoid getting involved in a head-on conflict.
Of course, if the Red Flag Gang is vulnerable, he doesn't mind fulfilling his promise, defeating the pirates and retrieving his captured men.
Having made up his mind, Baron Luciano no longer hesitated and ordered the ships to form up and prepare for attack.
Such a big move naturally could not be hidden from others, and the news that the Changjing Gang was preparing to go to war spread to Panyu City almost at the speed of lightning.
"Is the Changjing Gang really going to send troops regardless of the wind direction?" Even though Lu Jian was usually calm and composed, his face changed at this moment. The situation was really changing every day these days, which made people anxious.
"The news from the island cannot be wrong." Sun Erlang said.
"Then Chief Sun, aren't you afraid of any unusual movements among the navy near Panyu?" Lu Jian asked the key question directly.
He had not expected that the imperial court would actually surrender a big thief like Xu Hei, and he had not expected that Ning Fu would be able to keep the original members of the Changjing Gang and directly turn these pirates into officers and soldiers.
No wonder Cheng Xi thought it wouldn't happen. Lu Jian had been operating in Hepu for a long time. Even he couldn't have imagined that Qiongzhou and Leizhou were so corrupt. Who could have expected such a change?
Now, the Changjing Gang has gone from being a bandit to an official, and the situation on both sides has immediately reversed.
Now it is no longer a question of how many people the Changjing Gang has or how many gunboats the red-haired foreigners have, but whether the local navy of Panyu can coordinate and send troops to attack from both sides.
Not to mention the navy, even the garrisons on the shore are not safe. They were all bribed by Ning Fu. If they cooperate with the Changjing Gang to encircle Dongning, how can they defend themselves?
However, even with such a life-or-death crisis hanging by a thread, Sun Erlang remained unmoved. He said, "The navy has already made backup plans. However, there are some issues with the shore garrisons, and the leader has already gone to request reinforcements. The most crucial issue now is the situation in Panyu City, so I'll need Mr. Lu's assistance."
"Are you talking about those maritime merchants? Now that the situation has changed, they may not be willing to take action. Merchants are profit-driven, so why would they place a bet easily?" Lu Jian said.
Originally, Panyu City's maritime merchants had a plan: to rely on the trading grounds to win over the crowd, then wait for the Long Whale Gang to attack and join forces to defeat the powerful enemy, and then share the profits. However, plans can't keep up with changes. Now that the Long Whale Gang has become a naval force appointed by the court, their willingness to take action has become a question.
"The gang leader said that it's up to Master Lu to win over the people's hearts. We can only ensure that the navy doesn't cause any trouble. As long as we can convince those sea merchants, there's still a chance of victory." Sun Erlang simply repeated what the gang leader had told him. He also knew that this was extremely difficult, but the Red Flag Gang had no other choice now.
With such an important trust, it can be said that the rear area was directly handed over to him.
In the past, Lu Jian might have thought about it for a while to see if it could be done. However, today he didn't hesitate much and nodded, saying, "Since she said so, I will do my best."
Hearing this straightforward answer, Sun Erlang added, "If there's anything that Mr. Lu isn't comfortable with, you can let Shopkeeper Zhong handle it. You'll be in charge of Panyu City."
This is like handing him a sharp blade. It seems Cheng Xi also trusts him very much. Lu Jian said, "Don't worry, Chief Sun. Leave the city to me. Does she have any other instructions?"
This made Sun Erlang pause before he said, "The leader also said that if there is any change in the city, Master Lu can seek refuge on Jinshan Island."
They didn't go to Dongning or Luoling Island, but ran to the territory of the Qingfeng Gang. Are they going to risk their lives? However, the next moment, Lu Jian smiled: "Leader, you worry too much. As long as I am here, I will not let Panyu fall into a desperate situation."
He had ventured out as a teenager, experiencing countless dangers. Now, he had a bank, a trading floor, a workshop, and the title of the eldest son of the Lu family. With so much leverage, how could he easily admit defeat?
Seeing him say this, Sun Erlang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then I'll leave the affairs of Panyu City to Master Lu."
This is like a game of chess. Any loss of any point will lead to huge changes. The number of chess pieces available to the Red Flag Gang is really not sufficient.
If it were a few months ago, Sun Erlang probably would not have believed this nobleman with ulterior motives, but now, he is willing to believe him.
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