Chapter 8, Gunfire on the Island

Lin Fei stood up and walked towards the distant woods. As he was walking, a strange smell suddenly wafted from deep within the forest. Yu Xier and Niu Dalong, along with Niu Dahu, covered their noses, and Yu Xier quietly asked, "What is that smell?"

Lin Fei waved his hand to signal the three to stop, and quietly said while pointing in the direction of the sound, "Someone is coming, everyone hide." The four of them concealed themselves behind a tree, peering towards the source of the noise in the moonlight. Before long, they saw two people carrying something as they emerged from the woods, but due to the darkness, it was difficult to discern what they were carrying.

At this moment, the sailor exclaimed: "The water is twelve meters deep, equivalent to thirty-seven point three seven zero zero feet, which is four times the current draft depth, we can drop anchor"

The Pangu whaling ship slowly approached the small island. When it was still two kilometers away from the island, Lin Fei said to Liu Daming: "Prepare the sounding hammer to measure the water depth. If conditions permit, drop anchor. The hydrological situation near the shore is unclear, and it would be troublesome if we run aground as we get closer."

When the whale meat was finally cooked, each person received a bowl. The whale meat tasted very much like beef. Everyone in the prisoner of war camp had been eating things that even pigs and dogs would not touch, and now, tasting whale meat, they suddenly felt it was the most delicious food in the world

Lin Fei said: "What if the one shooting on the island is not a Spaniard but a pirate? Can your Spanish save us?"

A sailor from the Zhiyuan ship immediately took out the sounding weight. By this time, Japan had already implemented a public system of measurement across the country, which included units such as "meter," "second," and "kilogram." Therefore, the scale on the sounding weight was also in "meters," which made Lin Fei, a modern individual, feel very comfortable. However, Liu Daming, Yu Xier, and the sailors of the Zhiyuan ship did not share this comfort. The Beiyang Fleet was trained by the British and used the imperial system of measurement, which included units such as "inches" and "feet." As for the infantry on the ship, they were even more accustomed to the traditional market system of measurement, which included units such as "shichi" and "cun." Thus, the scale on the sounding weight was also in "meters," which made Lin Fei, a modern individual, feel very comfortable. However, Liu Daming, Yu Xier, and the sailors of the Zhiyuan ship did not share this comfort. The Beiyang Fleet was trained by the British and used the imperial system of measurement, which included units such as "inches" and "feet." As for the infantry on the ship, they were even more accustomed to the traditional market system of measurement, which included units such as "shichi" and "cun."

Lin Fei laughed and scolded, "Nonsense, there are a total of sixty-three of us now, and we don't even have a single gun. Isn't it seeking death to go and fight the heavily guarded Spaniards in Manila? Let's first find a small island to take refuge and proceed step by step."

Everyone turned to look at Lin Fei, who said: "There is a Japanese girl on our ship, Chiyo Mikako. The ones we have enmity with are the little devils, and that girl is innocent. Everyone must not bully her."

Liu Daming laughed heartily and said, "Why go to such a small island? Shouldn't we go directly to attack the capital of the Philippines, Manila?"

Lin Fei gave this whaling ship a brand new name—Pangu. The name signifies the creation of the world by Pangu. Under Lin Fei's call, everyone also cut off their unsightly braids. The Pangu whaling ship alternated between using sails and a steam engine, drifting on the vast East China Sea for ten days and nights. A small island appeared in the horizon. Lin Fei glanced at the British-published "World Navigation Guide" he found in the captain's cabin and learned that this small island was located north of the Philippines, named "Itbayat Island".

Everyone stood up with great excitement, just about to head to their respective posts, when Lin Fei suddenly said: "By the way, everyone come back, I need to inform you about one more thing."

Lin Fei smiled and said: "This island is the territory of the Spaniards, and there may be Spaniards on it. Old Yu has a European appearance, so bringing him along gives us an additional means to deal with the Spaniards. You don't need to worry too much; just focus on keeping an eye on the Pangu whaling ship. It is our lifeline. If it drags anchor, runs aground, or runs into a reef, we will be finished!"

Lin Fei was looking towards the island when he suddenly caught a glimpse of Yu Xier taking a notebook and a pencil out of his pocket, writing something in the notebook. Unable to restrain his curiosity, Lin Fei asked, "Old Yu, what are you writing?"

Yu Xier was speaking when suddenly he heard a "bang—pop" sound coming from the island. The faces of the four individuals changed instantly, for this sound was that of a gunshot! Moreover, it was fired from a rifle, certainly not from a shotgun.

Liu Daming was taken aback and said, "I don't know what kind of monsters and demons are on the island. I, Old Liu, can fight and am not afraid of death. What can that old foreign fish do?"

Liu Daming listened to the report and said loudly: "Drop anchor!" A sailor ran to the anchor winch, pulled the anchor release handle, and the anchor fell into the water, causing the anchor chain to clatter. The anchor quickly sank to the bottom, deeply piercing into the mud, and the ship gradually came to a stop

Lin Fei carried a bowl of whale meat and walked into the captain's cabin. He pushed the door open and saw Chiyo Miyaka curled up in the corner of the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head buried in them, her shoulders shaking as she cried. Lin Fei said softly, "Miss Chiyo, please don't cry anymore, have something to eat."

Lin Fei and others returned to the Pangu. As soon as Liu Daming saw Lin Fei, he laughed and said, "I heard gunshots in the distance and thought you had been killed by the Spaniards. We were just about to storm the island to avenge you, and here you are back."

Lin Fei said: "Those two fellows are not tall, and they are not strong. I can handle them by myself, but I am afraid they will shout and attract their accomplices. You all prepare the cloth to gag them; when I capture them, you will block their mouths."

Lin Fei said to Liu Daming: "Let us first go to that Ibayat Island"

Liu Daming then ceased to speak further and instructed someone to find Yu Xier. Soon, Yu Xier arrived. Lin Fei selected two infantrymen, one named Niu Dalong and the other Niu Dahu, who were a pair of brothers. This pair had trained in the Great Flood Fist for a year and could be considered skilled among the infantry.

Lin Fei said to everyone: "Lower the small boat, I will take a few people to the island to have a look." So everyone lowered the small boat from the whaling ship. Liu Daming wanted to go to the island with Lin Fei, but Lin Fei shook his head and said: "Go and call Old Yu, I will go to the island with him."

It was only after the sky had completely darkened that Lin Fei led Yu Xier, Niu Dalong, and Niu Dahu onto the island. This time, they brought harpoons and machetes, all of which were from the whaling ship. After landing on the island, they plunged into the coconut grove and quietly made their way toward the direction from which the gunfire was coming.

Lin Fei looked through the telescope towards the island and only saw a vast expanse of coconut trees. He put down the telescope, shook his head, and said, "I can't see anyone; I don't know where the gunfire is coming from"

Lin Fei signaled for the three not to make a sound, suggesting they wait and observe. Soon, he saw two individuals disappear into the nearby woods, and after a short while, they reemerged, the object they had been carrying no longer in sight. The two then retraced their steps along the path they had come from. Lin Fei whispered, "Let's go and see what it was they were carrying."

Lin Fei pondered for a moment, pointed at the Pangu ship, and said, "Let us return first and come back in the evening"

Yu Xier shook the notebook in his hand and said with a smile: "I want to study Chinese culture diligently, so I have decided to write down everything I hear about Chinese culture. I just heard Niu Dalong say..."

Lin Fei chuckled twice and said, "There is something strange on the island; we will go ashore again tonight." At that moment, gunfire was heard again from the island. Until nightfall, the gunfire on the island occurred at intervals, prompting everyone to discuss, "What exactly is happening on this island? What is the meaning of these gunshots?"

Lin Fei gently shook his head and said, "I don't know either. I guess those two guys who carried the corpse will definitely come back. When they do, we will find a way to capture them and then ask them about the situation."

It is not permissible to anchor a ship casually on the sea; there are depth restrictions for anchorage. Generally, the water depth at the anchorage must reach three to five times the ship's draft. If an anchor is dropped in shallow water, the anchored vessel is likely to run aground due to the effects of wind and current. Liu Daming then shouted through a megaphone: "Prepare the sounding hammer, report the water depth."

Upon seeing Lin Fei speaking very seriously, everyone responded in unison. Lin Fei then instructed everyone to return to their respective posts and to cook some whale meat for everyone to eat. Liu Daming went to the command room to take the helm, Yu Xier went to the steam engine room to oversee the steam engine, and Lin Fei selected a dozen or so individuals from the infantry to learn from the sailors of the Zhiyuan ship how to be seamen. Li Mingbai personally took a group to cook the whale meat

Niu Dalong then asked, "Are we still going to the island?"

Lin Fei walked at the forefront when he suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the distant bushes. His extensive experience in jungle warfare informed him that this sound was definitely not produced by an animal, as the sounds made by animals are continuous, whereas this noise was intermittent.

Niu Da Hu said, "Lin Shangguan, what do we need to do?"

Yu Xier was at a loss for words, nodded slightly, and Lin Fei grabbed the wooden oar, paddling the small boat to turn. At that moment, gunfire erupted one after another from the island

Niu Dalong hurriedly asked, "Lin Shangguan, why are there gunshots on this island?"

At this moment, Yu Xier said: "We do not need to wait until evening; we can go up now. I understand some Spanish, enough to deceive the Spaniards on the island and prevent them from harming us"

Chiyo Mikako tightly hugged her curled-up legs against her chest, remaining silent, while Lin Fei let out a soft sigh and walked out

Chiyo Mikako raised her head and saw Lin Fei, recognizing him as the person who had taken her hostage. She shrank back towards the corner of the bed, looking at him timidly, her whole body trembling. Lin Fei placed the bowl and chopsticks on a nearby table and said, "Don't be afraid. When we have the opportunity, we will let you go back. We will not harm you."

As the four men rowed closer to Ibaiyat Island, just as they were about to reach the shore, Lin Fei set down his oar and took out a monocular from his pocket to gaze at the island. This monocular had been salvaged from a whaling ship; although its maximum magnification was only four times, it was certainly much better than the naked eye.

Lin Fei listened to the sailor's report and thought to himself: "It is astonishing that a single ship uses three different systems of measurement! We must unify the systems of measurement in the future"

Lin Fei furrowed his brows and said, "This is the smell of a corpse; it seems that what the two people just carried was indeed a body." Just as he was speaking, a deep ditch appeared before him, and a strong stench of decay wafted up from the bottom of the ditch, where several corpses lay in disarray. Niu Dalong asked in a low voice, "Who are these corpses?"