Chapter Seven, Going to the South Seas, Conquering the World

Yu Xier nodded and said, "Mr. Cannon is not wrong; it is indeed the case!"

At this moment, the prisoners of war gathered around and said, "Commander Lin is truly remarkable! How did you know that the little devils would not dare to disobey you?"

Li Ming thought for a moment, then slapped the deck hard and said loudly: "Anyway, going back means starving and suffering, I will follow Commander Lin!" The infantry prisoners of war all echoed: "Yes, that's right, we will follow Commander Lin." However, the sailors of the Zhiyuan ship frowned in unison, as they were more severely affected by the poison of the "loyalty to the monarch" ideology than the infantrymen from impoverished backgrounds.

If we head west, we will reach the Qing Dynasty, and we have already stated that we will not return; heading north leads to Korea, and at this time it is already under Japanese control, leaving us without a place to stay if we go there. We can only head south, where we first encounter Taiwan Island, followed by the Philippines, and then Malaya and Indonesia. Among these, Malaya is under British control, while Indonesia is under Dutch control.

At this moment, Lin Fei looked at Yu Xier and said, "Old Yu, you are British, are you coming with us?"

Lin Fei waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet, and then said: "I would like everyone to think about the days in the Great Qing Empire, were they comfortable?"

Liu Daming then followed Lin Fei to the main deck, where Lin Fei called Yu Xier and others to the deck. The group sat in a circle on the deck, and Lin Fei spoke first: "Brothers, we have escaped from the hands of the Japanese. Now it is time to think about where to go next"

Lin Fei said, "Alright, let the subordinates keep an eye on it. You come out, and we will hold a meeting."

Liu Daming's attitude inspired the sailors, who exclaimed, "Yes! We will follow the gunner and not go back!"

Lin Fei finished speaking and put away the map, then said: "The ship is fully equipped with a magnetic compass and nautical charts, so finding the route to the Philippines is not difficult; this ship has both sails and a steam engine, and although we do not have much coal, it is sufficient for us to reach the Philippines; there is also plenty of whale meat and whale oil on board, enough for us to eat. We will now change our course and head to the Philippines to conquer the world!"

The Japanese soldiers rushed towards Lin Fei like madmen. Lin Fei picked up the young girl and took a few steps onto the whaling ship. At that moment, the whaling ship swayed slightly, leaving the dock and heading out to the harbor. Gunfire erupted on the shore, and Lin Fei lay down on the deck, with bullets flying over his head.

The whaling ship quickly sailed over five hundred meters with the current. Lin Fei watched the gradually receding coastline, knowing that the Japanese could not catch up with him, and that they could not deploy warships to capture him either, because in this era there were no radars and no global positioning systems; it was impossible to locate a ship in the vast ocean.

Liu Daming stood up and said loudly: "Old Lin is right, the court is indeed rotten to the core. Brothers of the Zhiyuan ship, haven't we seen too many of these things? Let's pick one to discuss. Our 'Beiyang Navy Regulations' clearly state that the officers are not allowed to go ashore, but look at those officers, aside from our Lord Deng, which one of them is not on land with three wives and four concubines? I have had enough of them, we are not going back!" Let's pick one to discuss. Our 'Beiyang Navy Regulations' clearly state that the officers are not allowed to go ashore, but look at those officers, aside from our Lord Deng, which one of them is not on land with three wives and four concubines? I have had enough of them, we are not going back!"

Liu Daming laughed heartily and said, "Rest assured, it works well."

Lin Fei said: "Brother, think carefully, even if we return to the Qing Dynasty, can we really avenge our country? Why can't the shells of our Zhiyuan ship fit into the gun chamber? Why were shells that did not meet the specifications allowed on board? Because someone took the money! Ask Chief Steward Old Yu again, is the coal we are using high-quality smokeless coal? No! The high-quality smokeless coal has all been sold abroad for silver!"

Lin Fei frowned and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? All of you go back to the cabin, there are still many things to deal with later, stop thinking about women for me!"

Lin Fei instructed him to guard outside Chiyo Yoshika's cabin, preventing anyone from approaching this room. He then went to the control room, where Liu Daming was steering with two sailors from the Zhiyuan ship. Lin Fei asked, "Are the nautical charts and magnetic compass functioning well?"

Li Ming nodded and said, "Of course! Isn't it said that fallen leaves return to their roots? Where else can we go if we don't go home?" Everyone echoed in agreement, but Lin Fei remained silent. At that moment, Liu Daming said, "Old Lin must have other ideas. Old Lin, where do you want to take us brothers?"

Lin Fei sighed lightly and said, "In any case, I do not wish to return to the Great Qing Empire!"

Li Ming sighed deeply and said, "It is indeed a matter of faith, but my parents, wife, and children are all in the Qing Dynasty. If I leave like this, won't I be abandoning them all?"

Chiyo Miyuki choked with emotion as she said, "I want to go home, please, let me go home..." Chiyo Miyuki cried pitifully, her shoulders and neck trembling incessantly. The bruise on her neck, caused by Lin Fei's arm, was particularly striking. One of her wooden clogs had fallen off, and her white sock lay on the deck, revealing her delicate little foot, which was covered in scratches and bloodstains.

Lin Fei looked at the others and asked, "Is everyone thinking this way?"

Li Ming chuckled twice and led everyone back to the cabin. Lin Fei walked up to the young girl, squatted down, and asked in Japanese: "Does your eye still hurt?"

Lin Fei said loudly: "Let me be clear, the Qing court is corrupt and incompetent, we cannot go back! I want to lead you all to carve out a territory that belongs to us! In our territory, no one will go hungry, no one will be bullied, who is willing to follow me in this endeavor?"

Although Lin Fei did not understand the backgrounds of these individuals, his historical knowledge informed him that this era discriminated against soldiers. The saying "A good man does not serve in the army, and good iron is not used for nails" serves as clear evidence. In this era, those who could serve in the military were often those who were so impoverished that they had no other means of survival and had no choice but to join the army to make a living

Li Ming and others fell silent, at which point a sailor from the Zhiyuan ship said, "Gunner, while our infantry brothers are suffering, our fleet brothers are quite different!" The sailor's words were not unfounded; those who could join the Beiyang Fleet were all selected through examinations, and their quality and treatment were significantly higher than that of the infantry.

A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd. At that moment, Li Mingbai approached Lin Fei and, pointing at the weeping girl on the ground, said with a mischievous grin: "Lin Shangguan? How should we deal with this woman? It's been several months since our brothers have been with a woman." As soon as Li Mingbai finished speaking, the group of captives broke into wicked laughter.

The United Kingdom is the world's foremost power, one we cannot provoke; the Netherlands is also formidable, and we cannot confront them either. The only place we can go is the Philippines, which is currently under Spanish rule. Spain was the world's leading power over three hundred years ago, but its national strength has been declining year by year. Just a few decades ago, Spain was embroiled in internal conflicts, further weakening its power. Therefore, the Philippines is our first territory!

Lin Fei struck the deck with a punch and angrily said: "Do you still call this https://www.hetushu.com.com 'Li Mingbai'? I think you should be called 'Li Hutu'. After we conquer the world, we can bring them over to enjoy a life of comfort, which is much better than staying in the Great Qing and suffering"

Lin Fei said as he took out a world map from his pocket, which he had obtained from the captain's cabin. He unfolded the map and pointed to it, saying: "Here is Nagasaki, Japan, which is where we are located. If we head east, we will enter the vast Pacific Ocean, with a distance of seven to eight thousand nautical miles to the North American continent. We cannot go in that direction"

There are many factors within the Philippines that facilitate our conquest. First, there are many Chinese in the Philippines, who share the same language and ethnicity as us, and can serve as our strong allies. Second, there are a large number of indigenous people in the mountainous regions of the Philippines, with whom we can unite. Third, the southern part of the Philippines is dominated by Muslims. For over three hundred years, the Spaniards have invaded the Philippines but have never been able to defeat these followers of Islam; they are also potential allies for our coalition.

The sailor continued, saying: "Our Commander Deng tells us every day that a good man should be loyal to his sovereign and serve his country. If we do not return to the Great Qing now, would we not become disloyal and ungrateful?"

The girl ignored him, crying softly. Lin Fei said, "Miss Chiyo Mikasa, I sincerely apologize for what happened today. Rest assured, we will not harm you."

Liu Daming smiled and said, "What is there to say? Of course, it is to return to the Great Qing Empire!"

Lin Fei first looked at Liu Daming and said, "Old Liu, we are brothers in life and death, why don't you express your stance first?"

Lin Fei said loudly: "Alright! Since everyone is willing to follow me to conquer the world, I will tell you all where we are going, so come and take a look."

Lin Fei patted his chest and said, "I, Lin Fei, told you in the prisoner of war camp that I have a way to rescue you with the help of books. Now I tell you, I can create such a world, do you believe it?"

A chorus of voices erupted, with many saying: "If not to the Qing Dynasty, then where else can we go?"

When Lin Fei spoke these words, there was a moment of silence among the crowd. After a long pause, Li Ming finally said: "Sir Lin, is it true that the world you mentioned will not suffer from oppression and hunger?"

Lin Fei let out a breath, relaxed his arms, and the girl exclaimed "Ouch" as she fell onto the deck, crying softly. It seemed as if Lin Fei's strength had been drained in an instant, and he sat down heavily on the deck, gasping for breath.

Li Mingbai and the other infantry prisoners of war looked troubled upon hearing Lin Fei's words. Lin Fei said: "Brothers in arms, before you became soldiers, you suffered under the oppression of landlords and tyrants. As soldiers, you have endured the grievances caused by corrupt officials. If we return to the Qing Dynasty, will you not still have to endure their oppression?"

Lin Feitao spoke incessantly for a long time, and the crowd understood only half of what he said. However, they all secretly gave him a thumbs up in their hearts, thinking: "Master Lin knows so much; following him is definitely the right choice"

Yu Xier smiled and said, "Although I am British, I have been with the brothers of the Zhiyuan ship for seven years. I cannot leave you; I will follow you!"

Lin Fei let out a bitter laugh and said, "I was just gambling with my life, and as a result, we won the bet; the little devils listened to my words."

Lin Fei looked at her and felt a wave of guilt in his heart. He let out a soft sigh, picked up her wooden clogs and white socks, helped her put them on, and then carried her to the captain's cabin. He called over a sailor from the Zhiyuan ship, the same sailor who had told Lin Fei, "The shell casing has been filed down by one-tenth of an inch, yet it still cannot fit into the cannon's chamber." His name was Sun Yong, the chief gunner on the Zhiyuan ship, and he could be considered a senior non-commissioned officer.