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Now that the rebels have been wiped out, the foreigners have been captured, and even the artillery has been dismantled, there is no point in staying on Jinshan Island.
However, Cheng Xi still stayed for a few more days, waiting for the Qingfeng Gang to sweep Longhusha and find the other interpreter and the wounded of the Western Fleet, and then he set off to return.
Apart from the five people selected by Lance, there was not a single officer on the remaining three Western ships.
All weapons and ammunition were cleared away, leaving only sailors able to operate the ship.
Because they couldn't speak the language, their freedom was restricted, and they didn't have weapons, these people were submissive to the guards sent to them and didn't dare to act recklessly.
The more you are in a foreign land, the less secure you feel. At this time, as long as the lower-level soldiers are not treated harshly, most people are willing to obey orders obediently, whether it is the orders of their own officers or the orders of other jailers.
Cheng Xi called the interpreter to his side and began to ask some questions about the situation in the Strait and foreign countries, and also wanted to learn the language of Xisai.
As for the negotiators who were going to be sent back, they were all left aside and ignored, and the news about them was deliberately blocked.
There is no sunlight above the sea, and that is a fear that can make people collapse. After some time, these guys will not resist, but will just try their best to behave well and want to return to their own fleet smoothly.
These arrangements seemed safe and thorough, and naturally meant nothing to others, except Li Niu, who had some doubts in his heart.
After thinking it over, he couldn't help but come forward and ask, "Boss, if we just go back like this, won't the Long Whale Gang be able to find out about the situation of this battle?"
He originally thought that this great victory would be kept secret, just like those foreign lobbyists would be hidden and sent to Hepu by land.
This is meant to paralyze the enemy and sow discord between the Long Whale Gang and the Xise Fleet. But now, instead of choosing a safer and more hidden route, they return in a high-profile manner. What's the logic behind this?
"Do you think he doesn't know the outcome of this battle?" Cheng Xi sneered. "I'm afraid by the time I arrive at Jinshan Island, the news will have spread, and the backup plan will have been prepared. Instead of hiding it, it's better to return home as soon as possible and boost our morale."
A strategist like Ning Fu would certainly arrange several backup strategies when setting up a conspiracy trap. No matter how she acts, they will be taken into account. The only problem may be that the other party is remotely controlled and there is no way to counter her moves. All the countermeasures are pre-determined.
The more this happened, the less she could hide.
Once you shrink back, you may face a worse situation.
Just like the Qingfeng Gang incident this time, if someone else were sent, it would most likely be a protracted battle, and the initiative would be lost immediately. The best option was to defeat clever tactics with force. Furthermore, wars are all about morale. If a victory is concealed after returning, it would likely only weaken the morale of one's own troops.
Li Niu was also a smart man. He understood immediately: "The gang leader brought back these Western ships and asked us to train diligently. Is he also trying to make the ghost scholar suspicious?"
If they had taken those Western ships under their wing, wouldn't the people on board have defected to the Red Flag Gang? Yet they remained silent on the matter and even secretly sent lobbyists over, making anyone who came suspect that Cisse was hedging his bets and harboring ulterior motives.
The relationship between these two allies is probably in jeopardy.
Cheng Xi nodded: "Ning Fu may not be deceived, but the Changjing Gang is not controlled by him alone. As long as he can incite the thoughts of others, this operation will not be in vain."
Ning Fu holds an extraordinary position in the Changjing Gang, but he is still only the second in command, with the big boss above him, so there will be no shortage of conflicts of interest.
Now Li Niu felt relieved. He had previously suspected that the gang leader had agreed to something with Shen Sanda, which was why he returned in such a high-profile manner. It seemed that he was overthinking it.
With this plan in mind, the fleet increased its speed. The wind was already favorable, and they were returning victorious, so they returned to their home territory in the blink of an eye.
However, this time Cheng Xi did not choose to return to Luoling Island directly, but led his troops to Xishan Island first. This is an important area at the mouth of Panyu Sea and also the newly established private port of the Red Flag Gang.
The sudden arrival of such a large fleet caused the entire Haikou to boil over. Opposite Xishan Island was the Doumen navy camp, and even the government troops were frightened.
Such a military attack made the sea merchants tremble with fear. They hung their flags high, fearing that the Red Flag Gang would not see the proof that they had paid the money.
Sun Erlang was also very surprised by Cheng Xi's sudden arrival and waited at the dock early.
After getting off the boat, Cheng Xi looked at the port that was almost rising from the ground and nodded: "Well built. How's the reaction next door recently?"
Sun Erlang immediately said, "The artillery at Doumen has been turned around and is staring at us day and night. However, there are more and more deserters, so they should be unable to fight."
The morale of the army has collapsed, and it will be difficult to send out more troops.
Besides, they had done so much with the navy, so this situation was predictable. Cheng Xi said, "The Qingfeng Gang has finished its business. I'll stay here for a while."
Sun Erlang was startled: "Boss, are you worried about Panyu getting into trouble?"
If the gang leader could keep an eye on something personally, it would probably be a big trouble. However, with so many spies in charge, he didn't find any signs of trouble in the city.
"If one plan fails, we must try another. Since the Changjing Gang didn't launch a general attack while the main army was away, it means they have other plans." Cheng Xi turned to Li Niu and said, "Niu, you lead the main army back first. Remember to leave the Western ships on Wuyuan Island. The training cannot stop, and the soldiers must also keep a close eye on them. Take those lobbyists directly to Dongning, and have Taoist Le find a way to send them to Hepu."
Li Niu's heart trembled, knowing that the matter was of great importance, and he immediately agreed. Sun Erlang, however, was a little worried: "If the ghost scholar really has plans, wouldn't it be dangerous for the leader to stay here?"
"He's thousands of miles away. Even if he were extremely intelligent, he wouldn't be able to predict everything so clearly." Cheng Xi said calmly, "Besides, it won't be long before the wind changes direction. We should implement any arrangements we have."
Winter has already arrived, and there are only a few days left before the wind direction changes. If a major disturbance breaks out before we send out our troops, we will be in great trouble as we will be attacked from both sides.
Although Sun Erlang was still a little uneasy in his heart, he kept his mouth shut. This battle was of great importance to them. Once they were defeated, Dongning would have no chance of recovery, and this was absolutely not something the gang leader and he could allow.
After everything was arranged, the fleet sailed towards Luoling Island again, as if this trip was specifically for showing off its power. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and merchant ships began to travel on the sea again.
Of course, there were also many gossips spread by gossips, such as the Red Flag Gang was going to help Shen Sandao, the young lady from the Qiu family also went, Shen Feng was seriously injured, the Green Phoenix Gang almost changed hands, and there were also stories about the defeat of the red-haired foreign soldiers. The stories were really bizarre and made people curious.
Of course, it doesn’t matter who spread these words. What matters is that everyone knows that the battle was won, and it was won quite easily.
In this way, the relationship between the Red Flag Gang and the Green Phoenix Gang will probably become closer. When the Long Whale Gang attacks, won't it be a one-on-two situation? No matter how powerful the Long Whale Gang is, it can't be so powerful, right?
The originally somewhat uneasy mood was finally put at ease, and the business in the trading floor became more prosperous.
However, some people noticed something strange.
"These rumors have only been spread recently?" Lu Jian frowned slightly, looking unhappy.
The attendant said carefully, "It was only after Gang Leader Cheng's fleet left that the news gradually spread."
"Is there anyone who is fanning the flames?" he continued to ask.
"This is hard to find out clearly. There are too many busybodies." The attendant felt a little embarrassed. It was not because their strength was not good enough, but because the true teachings were too widely spread.
The matter involves two great maritime tycoons, a man and a woman. One is the daughter of General Qiu, and the other is Shen Sandao. The rumors are spreading like wildfire.
After a moment's silence, Lu Jian said, "Have someone keep an eye on it and try to suppress it as much as possible. Also, we need to send more people recently to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble."
He wasn't sure who spread the gossip, but whoever it was, must have had a purpose.
But the thought that there might really be something behind it made him feel a little unhappy.
However, these are secondary. Since the Qingfeng Gang has put down the rebellion quickly and efficiently, it is hard to say whether someone will do something bad again. Maybe the Changjing Gang has secretly prepared something, so we must not let our guard down.
However, contrary to Lu Jian's expectations, a few days later, some news really came, but it was not from the city.
"A group of bandits has attacked nearby and are likely to harass Panyu City?" Lu Jian stood up suddenly. He really didn't expect that bandits would come to attack Panyu.
This is the capital of Yuezhou, and there are countless garrisons nearby. Who would be so desperate as to come here and try to pull out the tiger's teeth? Or is this all done to lure the tiger away from the mountain?
"Send someone to find Manager Zhong immediately and be on guard against any sudden changes in the city!" Lu Jian gave the order immediately.
There is no time to lose and we need to communicate properly with the butler to avoid any changes.
The attendant immediately received the order, and soon returned in a hurry: "Master, Manager Zhong wants you to come over. He said someone brought a message from Xishan Island, and we must talk in secret."
Could it be that the big boss Sun Erlang got the news and sent his confidants over?
Without saying much, Lu Jian immediately ordered someone to prepare a car and went to Zhong's house in person.
The fish stall was on the street near the dock, but Zhong Ping himself lived in the city. His house was not big, but there were many secret agents stationed around it. It couldn't be said to be impregnable, but at least it could protect people from thieves and bandits.
As soon as Lu Jian got out of the car, he saw Zhong Ping coming up to greet him: "Mr. Lu is here, please come in quickly!"
This was too much courtesy. Could it be that Sun Erlang had come in person, so the shopkeeper Zhong had to come out to greet him personally? With a plan in mind, Lu Jian didn't say much and followed the man into the house.
He had made all the necessary preparations and felt that this matter would not be simple. However, when he entered the hall and saw the person sitting in the main seat, he was still surprised and stopped.
"Why are you here?"
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