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"What? That guy actually agreed to send someone back?" Shen Feng couldn't help but exclaim in surprise when he heard the result of the re-interrogation. This was too fast.
Although his defenses were broken, providing information and actively cooperating are two different things. That red-haired foreigner seemed to be a tough talker, so why did he give in so easily?
Cheng Xi did not hide it: "Besides Xise, there are many other Western countries plotting to seize the Strait. They also joined forces with the Long Whale Gang to speed up the process. I have made it known that if they dare to interfere in our war, in the future chaos among Western countries, the Red Flag Gang and the Green Phoenix Gang will also stand on the side of their enemies."
Shen Feng blinked, genuinely surprised: "Aren't the red-haired barbarians from the same country? How can the West be so chaotic?"
There were Western ships along the coast before, but there were too few of them, and most of them were foreigners with strange hair colors. Everyone called them "red-haired foreigners", and no one expected there to be so many rules.
"It's very chaotic, and each family has a fleet. Xise is only slightly ahead." Cheng Xi explained simply that there is too little communication between the East and the West, so it is understandable that misunderstandings arise between them.
Shen Feng glanced at Cheng Xi thoughtfully. Could this be the reason why she was so concerned about those Western ships? It seemed that when she dismissed everyone, Cheng Xi must have done something in private to make that man give up his thoughts and obey orders obediently.
But now is not the time to delve into these matters. Shen Feng asked directly, "Then how do we send the lobbyists back?"
"Send him to Dongning first, then go to Hepu along the land route and find an opportunity to contact the chief officer of Xise." Cheng Xi replied.
Shen Feng tutted his words: "This is going to ruin Ning Fu's plan. No wonder you are so confident."
The normal operation should be to declare that they have defeated the Xise fleet, send people to demand a ransom, and express their sincerity by the way, to persuade the other party to give up the alliance with the Long Whale Gang.
But Cheng Xi turned the world upside down. He first sent people to intimidate and threaten, and then asked for money to buy his life after the fight. This method was really arrogant and rude, just like a pirate.
He didn't know whether it would succeed or not, but secretly sending five people back to discuss such an important matter, regardless of whether Ning Fu could get the news, he would probably become suspicious of Xise, which would damage the relationship between the two sides.
Shen Feng could see the twists and turns here, but Cheng Xi didn't find it strange. He just said, "The captured officers will stay with you first. I will take the other sailors back, and the interpreter must also come with us."
"That's easy. I heard there's a barbarian camp over at Longhusha with a lot of wounded soldiers and another interpreter. I'll send people to clear it out in the next two days. Once we capture the person, you can set sail." Shen Feng finished speaking, sighing with regret, "It's a pity that one of our boats was damaged in the previous battle. It needs to be repaired before it can be launched. This time, we can only take three boats with us."
This little thought did not surprise Cheng Xi: "No problem, I will have someone unload the cannon and transport it away."
Shen Feng smiled: "Don't worry, I won't be greedy for the boat. I will definitely send it to you when it is repaired."
If you can repair a ship, you can also study the hull structure. It seems that Shen Feng is quite concerned about the structure of the soft sailboat. Cheng Xi did not object and stood up directly: "Then I will go to the ship to take a look. Brother Shen, please take care of the prisoners."
Unexpectedly, Shen Feng also stood up and said: "What big deal could happen now? I have never seen a Western ship before, why don't we go together?"
This was beyond Cheng Xi's expectations, but there was no reason to refuse, so the two of them went out together and walked towards the port.
At this moment, there were many ships docked in the harbor of Jinshan Island, some from the Qingfeng Gang and some from the Chiqi Gang, but the most eye-catching one was the Western gunboat.
Even though it was severely damaged and looked a bit tattered, the slender hull, the layered soft sails, and the dark gun ports were very different from ordinary Chinese ships, making people want to take a second look.
Standing on the dock, Shen Feng couldn't help but sigh, "Every time I see this ship, I find it strange. The bow and stern are not high. Doesn't it have to lower its head when sailing on the sea? And those sails, no wonder they have so many sailors on board."
The bow of a Chinese ship is mostly square, with high ends and low middle. Waves rarely press down on the bow, and even if there is water, it will be discharged directly along the curve of the ship.
But Western ships were different. Their bows only had a slight rise, and they had to carry cannons, which looked like they would be buried by the waves, not to mention the dense soft sails. It would take an immense amount of manpower to control the course and speed. No wonder the number of captured soldiers was more than twice what he had imagined.
This thing was truly bizarre no matter how one looked at it. To train a centaur would take at least half a year to achieve. It was precisely because of this that Cheng Xi's emphasis on it seemed even more bizarre.
Cheng Xi did not answer, but looked up at the densely packed ropes extending from the mast like a spider web.
Each pulley and each rope has a specific purpose. Sailors also have to climb up the mast along the rope net to fix and adjust the canvas to ensure the normal course of the ship.
This is a structure that would never appear in a Chinese rigid sailing ship, but it is also something that Cheng Xi is more familiar with and more unfamiliar with.
After a long moment, she said, "These are gunboats. They're built this way for a reason. If they can cross the ocean, how can they be any worse than others?"
After saying that, she got on the boat. Behind her, Shen Feng raised her eyebrows in surprise.
She was someone who always kept her emotions to herself, and her actions were even more sophisticated, so it was rare for her to show such emotion. It seemed these foreign ships were indeed somewhat different. Perhaps the person with the most intimate knowledge of maritime intelligence was only the former General Zhenhai, Qiu Sheng. Could it be that something General Qiu had said back then had caused her to react this way?
However, despite speculation, Shen Feng did not fall behind and followed Cheng Xi onto the deck.
After getting on the boat, Cheng Xi looked more carefully, from inside to outside, not wanting to miss a single spot. Shen Feng was not impatient, but followed her around with great interest. After all, he made a living by the sea, and had personally experienced the power of naval guns. How could he not be curious about this new thing?
When they moved to the middle gun deck, the people who were carrying the artillery arrived, and Li Fu, the artillery commander, personally went to the scene to supervise the dismantling work.
Li Fu originally thought that this gunboat would be occupied by the Qingfeng Gang, but he didn't expect that there would be an operation to unload the guns. He was so happy. But when he arrived at the place, he saw Shen Feng, the leader of the Qingfeng Gang. He immediately became nervous again, and was even more afraid that there would be any changes.
No longer caring about being reserved, Li Fu personally went to help dismantle the bronze cannon. Not only did he urge them to do so, he also yelled at the people below from time to time.
"Are you blind, kid? Watch out, don't knock the cannon over. Over there, I'm talking to you! Handle the cannon powder with care, understand? It's okay to blow yourself up, but don't fucking damage my cannon..."
A big victory is enough to make people happy, let alone when it comes to dividing the spoils of victory.
Shouts, laughter, and scolding rose and fell, making it as noisy as a market. However, the happier it was, the quieter Cheng Xi became. It wasn't until she walked out of the cabin, came to the bow, and placed her hand on the rudder that she finally let out a sigh of relief.
She had seen such ships in textbooks, on screens, and in museums. Even though the shapes were slightly different and the flags were quite different, they were almost the same as what she remembered.
Compared to the East, the history of Western navigation was more complete and advanced, something she had been familiar with since childhood. With this kind of "material evidence" in hand, the transformation of people and history became even more impossible to ignore.
The fact that she had defeated the red-haired captain with a French sentence and a map did not make her feel proud at all, but rather confused and frightened.
Why can't she understand Westerners, but she can understand the people around her? Shouldn't Chinese pronunciation change even in the same era and region?
Is it the alienation of perception brought about by this body, or is it that this is simply a dream that is too long and too real, and the brain in the dream has made reasonable deductions on its own.
At this moment, Cheng Xi couldn't even tell the difference between reality and illusion.
If everything in front of her is fake and embellished, does what she does still have meaning?
Taking a step back, even if all this is true, history has undergone a drastic change at some point.
All her experiences and all her experiences are insignificant and shallow in the tide of the times.
No one can truly control history, just like no one can change the monsoon at sea. In the boundless ocean, all you can do is drive your boat to keep up or be overturned by the waves.
Is everything she knows really reliable? Is there any meaning to her goals?
Even though Cheng Xi's mind was firm enough, she couldn't help but feel dazed until she held the shiny steering wheel in her hands.
The weight, the style, the feel, they are all so real, just like the laughing gang members, and just like the lingering smell of the sea.
She was already in the sea, still holding the rudder in her hands. Even for the sake of the people around her, she had to keep going.
"Why, you don't want to leave it behind?"
A nonchalant, even frivolous voice came from behind him. Cheng Xi shook his head: "It's just a boat, not as important as you think."
Has she returned to normal? Shen Feng immediately noticed the change in her. She was no longer indifferent and cold. She seemed to have suddenly woken up from a dream and returned to her soul.
Did he figure it out, or did he let go of his worries? Shen Feng couldn't guess at the moment, nor was he interested in guessing. He just smiled and said, "Since you don't care, don't waste your time here. Why don't you find a place to have a drink?"
Cheng Xi turned her head and met Shen Feng's slightly curved willow-shaped eyes.
After a war, there is bound to be a celebration banquet, and getting drunk is standard procedure. However, what he was talking about was not a banquet, but a more personal invitation.
Did he see something, or was there some other plot? A single man and a single woman drinking in private was inappropriate in this era.
However, after a moment of silence, Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Okay."
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