Yin Feng refused to negotiate with Fernando in person, which made Fernando feel insulted by Ruoda. He suddenly stood up and reached for the sword at his waist with his right hand. Before he could draw the sword, Yan Siqi quickly raised two flintlock pistols. Pointing at Don Fernando: "Don't move,"
Several of Yin Feng's personal guards drew their swords one after another, and the room was suddenly filled with swords and swords. Father Catalina could no longer sit still. He quickly stood up and stood in front of Fernando, holding down Fernando's hand with all his strength, " What are you doing? Have you forgotten our mission?" He warned the Pampanga governor in a low voice: "Wake up, our current situation is bad enough,"
The priest turned to Yin Feng and saw that he was drinking tea leisurely. He smiled bitterly and said: "Mr. Yin, you are teasing us. If you don't want to negotiate with us, why are you detaining us at the port?"
Yin Feng sneered: "We, China United Company, are willing to cooperate with businessmen from all over the world, but we do not cooperate with enemies who have pointed their swords and guns at us. The Spanish authorities in Luzon have not shown sincerity in wanting to live in peace with us. We Of course I can’t talk to you about anything,”
Fernando also calmed down and sat back at the table angrily; Yin Feng waved his hand, and his bodyguard also retreated.
Fernando said with a grim face: "Our Spanish Empire is willing to negotiate with your commercial company, which has already made a big concession. We are sincere in seeking peace..."
Yin Feng raised his hand and interrupted the governor of Pampanga: "Mr. Governor, before you and your government compensate our dead relatives, and before our goods and properties lost under Manila are returned, "We have nothing to talk about, and I don't want to see you again next time we negotiate. What we want to see is a Spaniard who did not participate in the massacre in Manila,"
After Yin Feng finished speaking, he stood up and planned to leave.
Father Catalina said anxiously: "Wait a minute, Mr. Yin, if you surround the Maria at the dock like this, we will not be able to convey your intention to negotiate to the Luzon colonial government."
Yin Feng sneered and said: "We will open the channel tomorrow, and the Maria should leave the port as soon as possible; before that, please pay in full the costs related to the water and food supplied by our company to you,"
Father Catalina was startled: "What, the fee?"
Yin Feng smiled happily: "Of course, we never said it was free supply. We are businessmen and will not do loss-making business. You will not be allowed to leave Taiwan Port unless you pay off the fees."
…
Yin Feng kept his word. The sailboat that had been dredging the channel outside the port arrived around the Maria. Fernando was in his cabin, watching the sailboat clearing the channel through the window in distress. Father Catalina and Ann Captain Andrea was in his room, and no one spoke for a while.
Captain Andre was still seriously ill and said feebly: "Governor, are we going back like this?"
Fernando looked at him angrily: "What can we do? The situation is very unfavorable to us. We were fooled from the beginning and were led into the port terminal by them. As a result..."
Father Catalina said coldly: "These Chinese pagans are indeed different from the original Barian people. Dear Mr. Fernando, the honor of the Spanish Empire has been seriously offended. We will never allow such a thing to happen again." happened, please tell me, with the military strength of our Luzon colony, can we capture this seaport?"
Don Fernando was stunned for a moment, and said with an ugly face: "This, maybe, maybe it is difficult to attack this port head-on with just the strength of the Philippine fleet. The forts here are very strong and the design is very clever. It must be the Dutch or The Portuguese helped them build it. Moreover, in the past few days, I have discovered that fortifications are also being built on the south side of the harbor. If such a large-scale fort fortification is built there, there is no way to capture this port with the strength of our Philippine colonial army. ,"
Father Catalina put on an expression that said, "I knew this would be the answer." He sneered and said, "You mean, to capture this trading port established by Chinese merchants, we need to mobilize troops from the Americas or Europe. "
Everyone present knows that the Spanish and the Dutch, British, French and other colonial countries are now competing for colonies all over the world. In Europe, they are fighting over conflicts of religious, political, economic and other interests. In fact, it is difficult for the Spaniards to receive direct military support from their home countries in Europe or the Americas.
Captain Andre said with a wry smile: "His Majesty the King will not give up the Philippine colonies, but he will not necessarily support launching a war against China."
Don Fernando slammed the table, causing the wine glasses, books, and documents on the table to jump up.
"God bless, no matter what the people in Madrid say, we must avenge the insult we suffered here," Fernando stood up: "Mr. Captain, order all crew members to prepare to leave the port. I must now draft a report and report this to the Royal Prosecutor's Office in Manila. Everything I have learned about the trip,”
…
It took another three days for the battleship Maria to carefully pass through the outer channel and enter the Taiwan Strait.
Originally, the Maria wanted to go north to Jilong Tamsui in an attempt to investigate the situation on Taiwan Island. However, the warships of the China United Company had been closely "following" the Maria, and the ships were distributed around the Maria. There were more than sixty warships, and the Maria was very short of food and fresh water. She had no intention of getting entangled with the Chinese company's sailing ships in the strait, so she had to turn around and return south.
For several days in a row, storms raged on the sea, and heavy rain washed away the land in the farms and plantations of the Zhonghua Company. Several old farmers hired by Jiangnan were busy leading people to dig water conservancy facilities everywhere, but this year's agricultural harvest may have been affected. influence.
However, the grain harvests in the first two years alone are enough to feed all the residents of Taiwan Port for several years. The management of China United Company is not very worried about agricultural issues. These days, Yin Feng has been studying his own " Manuscript of "Book of Heaven", let's see if there are any other golden fingers that can be opened before launching a counterattack against the Spanish.
It's a pity that he is not an expert in military history after all. He knows about many inventions and creations in military history but does not know why. The Chinese company's army is already very advanced in this world in terms of technical equipment and tactics; the Dutch's Morris Line The tactics have been taught to the Chinese company's escorts, and are developing towards linear tactics under Yin Feng's promotion; to make the Chinese company's army advance in more military technical fields, Yin Feng is already more than capable and does not know what to do. Where to start.
A cup of herbal tea was placed in front of him. He looked up and said, "Wan'er, go and have a rest."
Wan'er, a young woman who was actually in her early 20s, said softly: "Madam has been here. Seeing that you were still reading, she made you some tea."
Yin Feng sighed; in his heart, he still liked to be with this fisherman girl who was attached to him, it was more relaxed and comfortable, but facing Zeng Jing, he always felt a sense of guilt, stemming from his moral obsessiveness.
"You go to bed first. Wait a minute. I will hide these documents under your dressing table." Yin Feng stood up, held Wan'er in his arms and kissed her mouth. Wan'er's soft body was heating up. , and hugged Yin Feng back.
"boom,"
At this time, a huge roar came from the north of the city, which was particularly shocking in the silent night. Both of them were startled. Wan'er asked tremblingly: "What is this?"
Yin Feng shook his head, and then was suddenly startled: "No, that's the location of the Weapons Research Department."
He comforted Wan'er and immediately pushed out the door. He met Yan Siqi and several personal guards. Yan Siqi said while getting dressed: "Captain, this is the location of the Weapons Research Department." Yin Feng said solemnly: "Yes Yes, Zhenquan, go and wake up shopkeeper Li Yue, Lin Xiao and a few others right away. I’ll take them there first.”
The area near the Weapons Research Department was already blazing with flames and people were shouting. When Yin Feng arrived nearby, the employees of the China Company who lived around the Weapons Research Department had already gone out to put out the fire. This was originally the key security department of the escort team, and the most confidential information of the China Company. In one of the places, the escort team has an exclusive small courtyard to the west of the research department. A whole team of escort soldiers is stationed. They have blocked the gate of the research department and various entrances and exits, and are determined not to allow others to enter the courtyard of the research department. .
When the soldiers saw Yin Feng, they quickly let him into the yard. Yin Feng discovered that the fire was burning around the warehouse of the Explosives Research Institute in the West Campus. Since there was a large amount of flammable and explosive materials stored there, not only the fire could not be extinguished for a while, but also the fire was burning in the yard. There were constant explosions.
Fortunately, the recent continuous violent storm only subsided in the evening. The walls of the houses in the yard were wet everywhere, and the fire did not spread to the surrounding areas. The soldiers and the staff of the institute were desperately fighting the fire. Hundreds of people automatically lined up in several long queues. Get water from the creek flowing through the courtyard of the center of the research department to put out the fire.
In the chaotic crowd, Yin Feng caught Li Yue, the nominal head of the research department who was sweating profusely and running around. Among all the company's senior executives, his family lived closest to the weapons research department and he was the earliest to arrive.
"What's going on? Is it an accident? Are there any casualties? What's the damage?" Yin Feng asked a series of questions. Li Yue kept panting and couldn't answer a word. A tall man stood up behind Li Yue. Li Yue's deputy and Li Yue's senior brother, Li Dalu, answered for Li Yue: "Shipowner, someone secretly entered the warehouse of the Explosives Research Institute and was discovered. He may have lost the torch in panic, which triggered the incident. explode,"
"Entered the warehouse secretly, did anyone see it?"
"Yes, a sentry from the escort saw it and chased him. As a result, the warehouse exploded. The soldier was injured and has been carried down for treatment. In addition, there were only three clerks on duty and one craftsman was injured. No one died," Li Dalu spoke concisely and quickly summarized the matter.
Yin Feng suddenly looked around and said doubtfully: "What's going on? The people who participated in putting out the fire are all from the Tang Dynasty. Where are those Western instructors and craftsmen?"
Li Yue relaxed his breath at this time, sighed and said: "I have asked the brothers in the escort team to detain them all in the east courtyard,"
Yin Feng asked very sensitively: "Could it be related to them?"
Li Yuedao: "The guard brother who was the first to see the thief, before he was injured and fell into coma, he kept saying: Folangji man, thief, Folangji man... Therefore, as soon as I got here, I took those Western The teachers and craftsmen were all imprisoned,"
"Even people from the red-haired country have been locked up,"
Li Yue noticed that Yin Feng seemed to be dissatisfied with the way he handled it, and said hesitantly: "Yes, the weapons research department is the most important secret place. We'd better be careful."
Yin Feng had no time to explain and immediately said: "Go and release everyone and let them go back to their homes. Can they still swim out of Taiwan Island? It only takes a few days to strictly check at various city gates." Brother Li, our weapons production is at a critical juncture right now, and we cannot reduce the efforts of these people. Of course, before letting them go, we need to count the number of people to see if there is a shortage of people."
Li Yue nodded: "Yes, I didn't think carefully. I will let him go, but what if..."
"It's okay. Lin Xiao will be here soon. I asked him to send someone to monitor the foreign residential area, just in case."
A guard soldier hurriedly ran over, saluted Yin Feng and said: "Report to the captain, the injured sentry has woken up..."
Yin Feng quickly asked: "What did he say? Did he see the thief clearly?"
"He said that the thief's name was Andor. He was a newly hired gunpowder craftsman from the Ministry of Ordnance. He came to Taiwan from Macau just a month ago."
Yin Feng took a breath: "They are really Portuguese from Macau,"
Li Yue said: "I met this person once. He is a craftsman in the gunpowder laboratory of the Ordnance Research Department. Now, we can count the total number of Western instructors to see if this Andorra is really absent and unable to come."
Yin Feng now has more issues to consider: In this era, Uncle Bin Laden's suicide bombing has not yet been invented. The purpose of the Portuguese who sneaked into the warehouse must not be to cause damage. So, if this unlucky guy really wanted to Stealing the military technology of China United Company, then, does he have the baton of the Macau authorities behind him?
All foreigners involved in the work of the weapons research department have signed contracts with the company for more than three years, and they are not allowed to work in the most critical technical departments, or even enter some laboratories.
Most of the local Portuguese are old mercenary companions recruited by Colonel Cutre, and some are Li Lihua, various craftsmen and technicians hired by Yin Feng in Macau, a total of nearly eighty or ninety people, because Cutre The colonel went to Macau with Roaquan's special forces, so the current leader of the local Portuguese residents, Colonel Coutre's old friend, the old Portuguese mercenary Andre Ricardo, became the acting leader.
Now, all the Portuguese people gathered in the great hall of the headquarters of China Company, chattering around Andre Ricardo. A burst of neat footsteps entered the great hall, and ten soldiers of the escort marched, He walked to both sides of the lobby and stood at attention neatly. Yin Feng then entered the lobby accompanied by Yan Siqi and other personal guards. Someone shouted loudly: "The boss is here,"