Chapter 416 Recruiting Surrender

Ran Yao originally felt it wasn't worth risking his little life for twelve ships, but now that he had brought back even more ships and was still alive and well, he couldn't help but be happy for him from the bottom of his heart.

Li Di was busy on his side, directing the ships to move to the anchorage. To clear anchorage for these nearly eighty ships, Wu De also arrived: "purifying," rationing clothes and food, and arranging accommodation for more than a thousand people were not big issues for the Quarantine Camp, which was already familiar with the business. However, this group of people was not like the refugees transported from Guangzhou; they were a gang of pirates, so they had to be dealt with carefully. Wu De was afraid Yang He was young and inexperienced, so he decided to supervise it personally.

"Do we need to mobilize another company for reinforcement?"

"No need," Wu De said. "There are already two companies of Marines here, plus an infantry company for riot control. If we, with regular troops trained for several months, can't handle a thousand old and young pirates, we might as well run away to Australia." He paused. "Besides, don't make it too tense, or people will think we are going to double-cross them."

Thus, the tone of "loose on the outside, tight on the inside" was set. But "what if they want to see Ren Fu or He Xin?" These two had arrived in Lingao earlier, and their whereabouts and treatment could obviously be seen as a model.

"Don't let them meet for the time being. Little Wei, this Ren Fu is yours to train well."

"Doesn't the training belong to Ran Yao? Mine is at most brainwashing." Wei Aiwen pressed down his peaked cap, which was about to be blown away by the sea breeze, and touched his Sam Browne belt.

"He Xin is actually easy to talk to—this guy has no opinion; he's just a spineless jellyfish and grass on the wall; he'll do whatever you want him to do. Ren Fu won't do; he thinks we aren't loyal, refusing to sell grain and detaining his ships..."

"Tell him Zhu Cailao is finished?"

"How can we say that? If we say that, won't it look like we intentionally screwed Zhu Cailao?"

"We need to enlighten him well and let him know that we in Lingao represent the correct direction of historical development." As Wu De spoke, he thought this matter was a bit thorny. He took Yang He to the Quarantine Camp.

Telegrams kept coming between the two sides. Le Lin had already reported the approximate number of personnel on the ships. The kitchen at the Quarantine Camp immediately got busy. The dampers of the recently modified coal briquette stoves were opened to blow wind in, and soon the newly added honeycomb briquettes burned red. In the pots was the customary first meal of the Quarantine Camp: thin porridge.

Wu De took a look and shook his head: "Add half more rice, and add more vegetables."

"Didn't they say people who have been hungry for too long shouldn't eat a full meal..."

"They are not famine victims. Even if they ate a bit less and worse recently, they can't be mentioned in the same breath as refugees who haven't eaten or drunk for many days—add more vegetables; there are no vegetables to eat at sea."

Dormitories, clothing, and health personnel preparing to conduct physical examinations and treatment for them arrived one after another. After all preparations were made, to add atmosphere, Dingding had already hired the only folk band in the county to wait at the pier, ready to play music to welcome them. He also planned to ask students from the National School to line up to welcome them.

But Chen Haiyang said: "No need to be too solemn. Such pirates shouldn't be overly honored, lest they breed arrogance!"

After exchanging information with Le Lin, Lin Baiguang returned to Shi Shisi's flagship. The entire fleet sailed towards Bopu under the escort of the patrol fleet.

Before long, four strangely shaped ships with colorful flags hanging from their masts were seen breaking through the waves ahead. The rolling spray was imposing. Shi Shisi was startled. These ships had no sails or oars, yet they traveled so quickly; they must be the Australians' "Iron Fast Ships." In an instant, these four iron fast ships rushed to the front of the fleet. Just as Shi Shisi was about to tell the helmsman to be careful, the four ships split to the two wings, avoiding the fleet and outflanking them.

As if to perform, these four iron fast ships changed formation from time to time around the entire fleet, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes bringing up the rear, sometimes leading the way, and sometimes shuttle back and forth through the fleet.

"So fast!" Shi Shisi was an old pirate and naturally knew what this terrible maneuverability meant. The other party not only didn't need to consider the wind direction but could also adjust the sailing direction at any time and any place, as flexible as a fish. No wonder the Australians could establish a foothold in Lingao with only a thousand people and seven or eight ships, and neither Liu Xiang nor the Big Boss could do anything to them!

Hearing that the Australians' "Iron Fast Ships" had come to welcome them, the sailors and family members on the ships swarmed onto the decks to see these "Iron Fast Ships" that had long been thunderous to their ears—using no sails or oars, made of iron but not sinking, and possessing "supernatural power."

"It's really made of iron! Oh my mother. Iron actually doesn't sink in water!"

"Probably not Chinese iron."

"Who knows! Without sails, yet they run so fast."

"Monsters! Monsters!" Some sailors shouted in terror, only to be knocked to the ground by a slap from a leader, and immediately dragged into the cabin by trusted aides and locked up. If the Australians hear this, we'll be in deep trouble.

The leaders knew very well in their hearts that this was both a courtesy and a warning from the Australians. Their moods were very complex. After all, except for Shi Shisi, no one knew the situation in the Australian place clearly.

After escorting them for a segment, the fishing vessels suddenly increased horsepower and soon disappeared from their sight, leaving as quickly as they came. At this time, the buoys outside Bopu Port had appeared in Lin Baiguang's line of sight. Then, a puff of white smoke rose from the towering Bopu Beacon Tower, followed by the sound of cannon fire like rolling thunder.

"This is firing a salute to welcome everyone," Lin Baiguang said.

Seventy-eight sea vessels of various sizes—the largest over 300 tons, the smallest over 40 tons, all Guang ships and Fu ships common on the southeast coast—now lined up along the natural breakwater made of piledup rocks at Lingao Cape and dropped anchor. This naturally formed rock embankment had been transformed into a real sea-blocking dike. Roads were built on the dike, a lighthouse was erected, gun emplacements were built, and a trestle bridge was built to facilitate personnel landing. The pirates on the ships thus supported the old and the young to land on the dike from the trestle bridge.

On the pier, the band Dingding found was taking turns playing "Happy Reunion" and "Flowers on Connected Branches."

Shi Shisi and a dozen or so main leaders had changed into their best clothes and, under Lin Baiguang's guidance, went to have an audience with the "Grand Australian Chief."

The place Chen Haiyang chose to receive the defecting pirate leaders was in front of the Customs House in Bopu. Although the Customs House was just a three-story red brick building, there was a large open space paved with cinders in front, and although the clock tower didn't have a clock yet, it still looked majestic. Especially standing on the square in front of the building, one could clearly see the huge silhouette of the ship Fengcheng across the bay behind the Customs House. It was enough to leave a deep impression.

Chen Haiyang had a high-backed Navy captain's chair placed on the steps in front of the Customs House. Navy cadets were transferred from the Military and Political School as guards. They all wore Navy uniforms and carried the newly issued mechanism Navy cadet sabers. The cadets lined up on his two wings, their backs straight and exceedingly martial.

Extending from the bottom of the steps to the entrance of the square, the Army and Navy each had sixty men serving as guards, their polished bayonets forming straight lines.

The pirate leaders followed Lin Baiguang and walked cautiously. Except for Shi Shisi, it was the first time for everyone else to come to Lingao. The instant shock when the huge iron ship appeared in their field of vision had not yet faded. Seeing the tall buildings standing across the bay, stretching out long arms, emitting bursts of white smoke from time to time, and sending rumbles...

"It's turning, it's turning!" someone exclaimed in a low voice.

Sure enough, the long arm on a huge building was slowly rotating. Below was a long rope hoisting some huge cargo. Suddenly, a high-pitched and passionate scream came from afar, the sound crossing the bay and shooting straight into the clouds, making them all shudder.

"Damn, what ghost is screaming..."

"Don't talk!" Shi Shisi whispered.

Shi Shisi had thought that the Grand Chief of Lingao would be somewhat polite, exchanging greetings at the pier, clasping fists, and then everyone drinking and eating meat together—this was the routine for most people who brought troops to defect to a Big Boss over the years. He didn't expect the official authority here in Lingao to be so full. He couldn't help but feel a bit awkward inside.

A cordon was set up outside the square. The servants and personal generals of the crowd were not allowed to enter, and their swords and weapons were left outside. From the entrance to the bottom of the steps, two rows of soldiers stood guard heavily. The entire square was solemn and silent, with only the sound of flags fluttering in the wind.

Lin Baiguang led them through the cordon to the bottom of the steps. Without any order, these people all knelt down with a whoosh.

Chen Haiyang could now speak a few sentences of Cantonese and Hokkien of this space-time, but he didn't say a word, only ordering them in standard Mandarin with perfect enunciation to rise, saying there was no need to kneel. Xiong Buyou, serving as the interpreter at the side, stepped forward and translated it once in Cantonese and then in Hokkien.

This kind of etiquette was the result of a consultation among several people present. Chen Haiyang not speaking dialect was to indicate the status of Mandarin as the "National Language," and having Xiong Buyou translate in popular dialects showed respect for the surrendered people.

Shi Shisi and the others hurriedly stood up. They saw that the Grand Chief sitting on the steps looked only in his early thirties, sitting on a high-backed rattan chair, wearing only a blue cloth button-down jacket that Australians liked to wear, with a cloth belt around his waist—this outfit was simple to the extreme, almost no different from the young personal soldiers around him.

It was the first time for everyone to see such a simple Grand Chief, and they were somewhat at a loss.

It was Shi Shisi who had dealt with the Crossing Group more; he hurriedly took a step forward, clasped his fists in salute, and said some words for "docking" and defecting, like "have long looked up to your great name, willing to come and serve, will work together with one heart in the future," etc. After saying this, he presented the register he brought—this was the roster of names and the account book of ships, grain, weapons, and gunpowder copied out at sea over the past two days—as a sign of submission.

(End of Chapter)