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Cheng Xi simply agreed: "Thank you, Brother Mingde."
Cheng Xi also discovered that Lu Jian's attitude was gradually changing, not in the superficial sense, but in some details.
For example, his thinking is becoming more and more thorough, and he can think of some needs in advance without even having to mention them.
This is different from "responding to every request". It strengthens the emotional investment, but it is all done quietly and subtly, just like their relationship is deepening step by step, with more consideration and tacit understanding.
But Cheng Xi doesn't care about these.
No matter how gentle Lu Jian appears to be, his thinking is extremely utilitarian and he is good at forbearance. Most people have no idea what he is thinking.
While forming an alliance with him wouldn't hurt, it would be hard to be close to him. It would be best if she could maintain a gentlemanly relationship and seek mutual benefit. After all, her food supply depended on Lu Jian, and the other side's sea routes also needed her support. There was no real conflict of interest between the two, so it would be best if they could maintain a stable relationship.
As she spoke, she called Li Niu over and gave him a few instructions. Li Niu already knew his mission and nodded quickly, saying, "Boss, I'm not bad at leading troops. Don't forget to leave some men for me when the time comes!"
Now that Li Niu is considered a gang veteran, it is natural for him to be promoted to leader and take charge of more ships.
It was clearly a crucial time to subdue the surrendered soldiers, but he was forced to take the boat back to change guard. Yan Yuan, this kid who suddenly appeared, became the coach. It was like eating a basket of sour oranges, and it almost made Li Niu's teeth sore. He was really envious and jealous.
Cheng Xi laughed and scolded, "If not you, who should I send? Hurry back and guard the village well. I'll let Erlang take care of it."
Sun Erlang is not good at attacking but good at defending. He can be good at defending against pirate attacks for a while, but he is not as good as Li Niu in fighting and killing and intimidating the enemy.
As the island entered a period of development, it needed someone like Sun Erlang, who was meticulous, to take charge of affairs.
Li Niu just complained and had no intention of disobeying. Hearing that the gang leader valued him so much, he became happy again.
Lu Jian, however, saw the "old man's" jealousy towards the "newcomer." Just where did this newly recruited swordsman come from, and why did Cheng Xi value him so much? He was about to leave, so it would be better to clarify this matter in advance.
Since the ceremony was over, Lu Jian did not linger any longer and said goodbye before returning to the village. As he entered the courtyard, he asked, "How is the situation with the seriously injured man?"
Lu Sanding sighed: "It's still not good. I just woke up and I'm still confused and a little weak."
Lu Jian thought about it and said, "Take me to see it.
The injured were placed in the backyard of the courtyard. The two people who were unconscious before were able to get out of bed, but the seriously injured one was still lying in bed unable to move.
Lu Jian asked Lu Sanding to wait outside the door, and walked to the bedside alone. He said in a gentle voice, "Are you feeling better? We can leave the island tomorrow. After we get ashore, I will definitely ask a famous doctor to treat you."
Unexpectedly, the head of the family would come in person and said that he would invite a famous doctor to see him. The soldier was so moved that he sobbed and struggled to stand up and salute.
Lu Jian held him down and said, "You're seriously injured now, don't move. By the way, do you remember what happened when you were attacked before?"
The man was seriously injured. He lay on the bed and panted for a long time before he managed to speak: "It's a... powerful... swordsman... We can't stop him... Blow the whistle, Cheng, Chief Cheng, come here..."
He stumbled over a sentence for a long time, but there was no useful information at all.
Lu Jian frowned. He had heard several times from the Red Flag Gang and his own people how the three people were attacked and how they were rescued.
The only thing missing was the process of Cheng Xi conquering Yan Yuan. If he was not mistaken, Yan Yuan was no ordinary swordsman, his fighting power was not weak, and his abilities were even more outstanding. As soon as he arrived, he was taken in by Cheng Xi as his right-hand man.
But how could such a person easily join the Red Flag Gang? Cheng Xi is so cautious, how could he let an outsider take on such an important position?
Everything is so weird, the only person who might know the secret is the person in front of me.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Jian spoke again: "Did you see how Gang Leader Cheng defeated that man?"
The man shook his head with difficulty: "Little one... lie, lie on the ground... I, couldn't..."
"What about that voice? Did you hear what they said?" Lu Jian asked.
"Little one, it hurts, it hurts so much... No, I didn't hear clearly..." These few words have exhausted the injured man. He opened and closed his mouth for a long time, but no words came out. It was obvious that he could not continue.
Lu Jian was very disappointed. It seemed that the man was already seriously injured at that time. He was lying on the ground, unable to see or hear. No wonder Cheng Xi simply sent him back instead of killing him to silence him.
Sighing, Lu Jian stood up and said, "Well, take good care of yourself. If you remember anything, you can ask someone to find me."
He wanted to leave after saying that, but before he could even turn around, he heard another confused and faint murmur from the bed: "Someone, someone, said it, said it...Miss?"
Lu Jian suddenly stopped and turned around to ask, "Who said that? What else did they say?"
However, this time, all he got was a faint sigh of relief.
Standing beside the bed, Lu Jian frowned in thought. They were supposed to be mortal enemies, yet they mentioned "young lady" when they met. Whoever they were referring to must be an old acquaintance of theirs. So, did Yan Yuan also know Cheng Xi, or even have a subordinate relationship with him? Why would such a capable swordsman end up in a den of thieves? Could he be trying to protect someone? Could the "young lady" they were referring to be Cheng Xi's relatives and sisters who had fallen on hard times?
No wonder Yan Yuan was sent to guard the women's camp, and no wonder Cheng Xi said it was a "misunderstanding."
For a moment, Lu Jian felt that everything was suddenly clear, but his curiosity became even stronger.
What exactly was Cheng Xi's origin? How could a "young lady" be surrounded by such a formidable swordsman? And with such a background, how could he be alone at sea? Lu Jian was certain that the people Cheng Xi had always kept by his side were genuine fishermen. Shouldn't he also have a few powerful figures like Yan Yuan around him?
The more I know, the less I understand. I'll have to investigate thoroughly after I get back!
"Chief, those surrendered soldiers have been taken to rest. They will only be given porridge and water tonight, and will be marched out to line up early tomorrow morning." After arranging the surrendered soldiers, Yan Yuan came back to report.
This was also what he and Cheng Xi had discussed. They would starve the people for a few meals first, and then train them hard, so that they could pick out the troublemakers and those with unstable minds.
Those who can be disciplined will be given some time to persevere, those who can't will be killed as an example to scare the monkeys, and those who are too weak will be replaced to do menial work, so the remaining ones will be available talents. After that, it will be time to train and promote those who need to be promoted, and soon the combat strength will be strengthened. When Sun Erlang returns with his men, the camp will be able to operate normally.
Cheng Xi nodded: "It doesn't have to be too complicated at the beginning. Just practice standing in line as I said, and then we can start the formal training after the screening is completed."
Yan Yuan nodded immediately.
The drills for training sailors and infantrymen are completely different, but standing in formation is the foundation of the foundation, especially the method Cheng Xi mentioned of standing with your back straight, which is really hard, tiring and boring.
Anyone who can hold on is a qualified soldier. Isn't this the best way for the surrendered soldiers who have just been intimidated?
However, this method of taking advantage of the situation was nothing. What really shocked Yan Yuan was the "persuasion to surrender" itself.
Killing a few people is easy, but piling up a mountain of corpses and having people worship them is something that ordinary people can imagine. Even Yan Yuan, who has led troops for many years and experienced countless battles, does not have such means.
The young lady had never led soldiers before. No matter how much the military commander taught her privately, she was just a girl in the boudoir and had not left the house for a few months.
What kind of talent could one possess such sophisticated tactics? And what kind of past could one have forged such a strong character? Sometimes, Yan Yuan couldn't bear to think about what had happened in the past few months. While he admired her, he couldn't help but feel a sense of regret and remorse. If he had been able to get to her sooner, would things have turned out differently?
But what I hadn't done before, I must think ahead now. Quickly glancing around, Yan Yuan suddenly lowered his voice: "Captain, I accidentally said something wrong that day. Those three Lu family private soldiers are a hidden danger after all. Should we eliminate them in advance?"
The sudden encounter had momentarily overwhelmed him, and he'd called her "Miss" in front of everyone else. If the three people present had heard, it would have been a disaster! Those men were the Lu family's private soldiers, and he had always disliked Lu Jian, a man too hypocritical to trust even in an alliance. How could such a secret be revealed?
Unexpectedly, Cheng Xi shook his head and said, "Don't bother."
Yan Yuan suddenly became anxious: "Even if that guy surnamed Lu can't guess the leader's identity, you can't let him know that you are a woman!"
A woman's identity has always been a weakness. When the young lady said that someone in the Red Flag Gang knew about it, he felt that something was not good. Such a major matter that could shake the morale of the army should be kept secret. How could he tell others casually?
"But I am a woman. Even if I can make others mistake me for a boy, how long can I hide it?" Cheng Xi asked back.
It would be fine if we just met, but if he still looks like a teenager after three or five years, with no Adam's apple and no beard, it will sooner or later arouse suspicion.
This wasn't the heartland of the Central Plains where Mulan served, but the scorching South China Sea. Some things couldn't be hidden. Furthermore, she had just arrived in this world and encountered a dire situation, forcing her to use her identity as a woman to escape. Many in Lin Village knew the truth, making it a difficult secret to keep. Pinning all her hopes on this would be unwise.
Yan Yuan had never expected her to answer like that, and couldn't help but say, "If Miss's identity were to become known, who knows how many people would harbor evil intentions. Not to mention Lu Jian, I'm afraid even his subordinates would want to seize power! This is a matter of life and death..."
Cheng Xi raised her hand to stop him. "I know all this, but even if I'm a man, wouldn't others harbor greed and ambition? The way to control people is through skill and method, as well as how to win their hearts. Besides, I want to clear my father's name, and one day I'll tell the world my life story."
She actually had such a plan! Yan Yuan suddenly felt a pang of sadness in his chest.
This is revenge for his father, how can he not reveal his identity? Everyone knows that General Qiu has only one daughter and no sons.
However, after a long silence, he finally said slowly: "If you can hide it, you should keep it secret for a while longer. Miss, you may not know how the world views women..."
When they first met, he had felt contempt and doubt.
If I'm like this, what about others? I'm afraid they'll be even more vicious and cruel. Rumors can melt metal, and repeated criticism can destroy a person. How can anyone endure this?
Cheng Xi smiled calmly, "I know, and I've never been afraid either."
How could she not know? In most people's minds, the military is a man's world, and special forces is a forbidden area. As a woman, setting foot in this area, the maliciousness she faces is unimaginable to others.
Even her father, who was proud that she was "like a boy", changed his attitude after learning that she was selected into the Marine Corps.
They all thought she shouldn't be, couldn't be, was being competitive and overestimating her abilities. Even she herself had wondered why she wasn't a man.
But later, she realized that she was not a man, she was not born one.
However, some things aren't determined by gender. If you can't even accept yourself, how can you overcome those prejudices and obstacles?
She is a woman, in her past life and in this life. As long as it is her choice and what she wants, what does it matter if there are thorns all over the place?
Seeing Yan Yuan's expression, Cheng Xi relaxed his expression for a rare moment and added, "Besides, those three people might not have heard what you said. Given Lu Jian's temperament, going to eradicate them would only make him suspicious. It's better to leave them alone."
It was an ambiguous matter to begin with, so wouldn't it be confirmed once they took action? Cheng Xi didn't think she could keep it a secret for much longer. Even Sun Erlang had suspected she had a relationship with General Qiu, so how could Lu Jian not be suspicious? Add to that the sudden appearance of Yan Yuan, and it was only a matter of time before they figured out the truth.
Instead of worrying about these things, it is better to focus on development, improve the system construction, and cultivate a group of subordinates who are completely loyal to you. The sea is a world of collapsed order and moral disorder. The only thing that works here is strength.
If you have strength, you have the capital to speak.
This is exactly the reason why there are far more female bandits and pirates outside the system than female officials and generals struggling within the system.
This frankness, and the subsequent meticulousness, left Yan Yuan speechless for a long time.
At that moment, he knew he had lost to this little girl, both in terms of mind and will. After a long moment, he slowly nodded, "I will follow the leader's orders."
All he could do was to try his best to protect her. Even if the whole world was full of enemies, he would stand behind the young lady and never retreat a single step!
…
The next morning, Lu Jian stood at the dock and said goodbye to Cheng Xi. "Come back next time. I'm afraid the island will be very different."
His words came from the heart, and were filled with emotion. Cheng Xi also smiled and said, "Now that we've met, Brother Mingde's fleet must have become quite established. I'll have to treat you well. By the way, I don't know what can be grown on this island. If Brother Mingde finds any seeds from the West, don't forget to send some over."
He even asked for seeds. Lu Jian laughed: "My dear brother, you really don't miss anything."
"To support such a large family, of course I have to think of more ways." Cheng Xi said with a smile.
This might sound like a coaxing move, but it's no joke. Crops like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peppers, and tomatoes were all introduced during the Age of Exploration. While I don't know how advanced navigation has become in this world, it's always a good idea to try and find out.
If it is introduced and planted in advance, it will be a gold mine.
Lu Jian naturally didn't take this seriously and said casually, "I'll keep an eye on it. If you have any difficulties, just send someone to find me. If the Lu family uses any tricks, I hope you will let me know."
Cheng Xi said sternly, "Brother Mingde, don't worry. As long as Luoling Island is in my hands, I won't let them do anything reckless."
This is the key to their alliance, and it naturally needs to be reiterated now.
Lu Jian was still quite confident in Cheng Xi's credibility, and said a few polite words before boarding the ship and setting off.
Standing at the bow of the boat, watching the figure gradually moving away, Lu Jian sighed softly in his heart.
This man was more patient than he thought, and he didn't even mention the three injured people.
Just from the few words he heard, Lu Jian knew that Cheng Xi and Yan Yuan had some private conversation that night. If he had been more cautious, he should have killed the man on the spot. Even if it was not easy to do it, he should have asked about it in an apologetic manner afterwards to make him more vigilant, or even get rid of the man himself to make him feel at ease.
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