It took Lando more than half a year to get used to life in this time and space - he could speak Italian fluently, and could pretend to be aristocratic. He quietly hired a ship and returned to Dongsha.
The fishing boat on the island was safe and sound. He managed to sneak in and took out some guns and ammunition for his own use, as well as a few emergency kits - the modern medicines inside were priceless.
Changes are both disasters and new opportunities. After Lando settled down, he began to think about his future.
In this strange time and space, it would be no problem for him to make a living by relying on his skills and the firearms in his hands. But he was a little unwilling to continue like this.
What about going to Europe? Lando quickly rejected this idea: He is an American and has no idea about Europe. How can he make a living after traveling all the way back? The United States does not exist yet. Of course he can become an immigrant himself, but
It's too bitter.
Lando thought about floating the ship, and relying on these guns and motor boats, he might as well become a pirate himself. Manila's galleons would transport a large amount of silver every year, and a considerable part of this silver would go to Macau and be used to send goods to China.
People buy all kinds of goods. The Jesuits are also actively involved. Lando has seen too much.
If you can get a ship, the South China Sea will be full of gold! Portuguese ships, Spanish ships, Dutch ships, every one of them is not loaded with silver and bound for China. As long as you rob one, you can
Developed! With money, you can recruit desperadoes, buy ships and cannons - Lando is very different from the Chinese time travellers. He has never used his brain to make anything by himself. He has become accustomed to using all ready-made weapons.
Now he is very good at playing matchlocks and flintlocks, and he is one of the top ten masters in the local area in swordsmanship.
When you have robbed enough, and you have capital and troops, you can directly create a small independent country and become the king. There are so many unopened wastelands! Tie up a few Portuguese women you like, and then sneak to Australia or New Zealand.
It was good to be a colonist. Soon he realized that he had no place to refuel, and he didn't have any subordinates. If a person became a colonist alone, he would probably be eaten by the Maori.
In addition, he did not have the technical means to salvage the ship. Disappointed, Lando decided to hang out in Macau for the time being, and then try to gather a group of reliable people.
But he soon became disappointed: in Macau, a city full of adventurers, everyone talks about money, and the only ones who have ideals are missionaries. After more than a year, he didn't even make a real friend -
―There are quite a few friends who drink and gamble.
As for his backers and patrons: the Jesuit priests, their soul-seeing smiles contained a lot of content that frightened him.
He began to miss his old friends, each of whom was alive or dead. As long as one or two of them were still alive, there would always be someone to help each other, which would definitely open up a small situation.
If there is anyone he can trust in this time and space, it is his black slave - he won it from the gambling table. In order to commemorate the third part of a certain movie that he wanted to watch but did not see, he gave this black slave
The boy was named Shlick.
Schlick is a melancholy black man who is taciturn. But he is loyal enough to Lando - Lando at least still adheres to the basic human rights concepts of modern people in the 21st century: feed him well, do not whip him, and will not kill him at any time.
When the bet is lost.
Every morning, Shlick would respectfully prepare face wash and clothes for him. The communication between master and servant basically relied on eyes, gestures and a strange conversation: Shlick spoke a strange Spanish, Lando said
It must be broken Portuguese.
The differences between Spanish and Portuguese are very small, and their language communication can barely achieve mutual understanding.
"I'm going to have no money again." He muttered, turned around and walked from the pier to the small inn where he lived. After narrowly escaping from Zheng Zhilong's hands, Liu Xiang generously gave him three hundred Spanish pesos - also
Trying to recruit him to serve him, this tall and strong man fought one against a hundred on the big ship. He was obviously not an ordinary person, and he needed a strong general like this.
Lando refused. Having this life-threatening experience once was enough.
After returning to Macau, Gelanzani rewarded him with another hundred pesos. Just as everything begins and ends, the four hundred pesos finally came to be used up. He ate, drank, gambled, and sometimes provoked
Woman - Lando once seduced the wife of a well-known local Portuguese businessman, and then beat the jealous husband almost to death. For this, he became infamous. If he hadn't thought that Jesus would go through life and death, Jesus would have stepped in to end it.
In this case, he might have to run away.
These enjoyments quickly emptied his wallet. In fact, Gelanzani took good care of him and gave him small jobs from time to time, but he was very stingy. He never exceeded fifty.
Pesos.
He is strapped for money and his livelihood is difficult. If this continues, he may have to live in the form of things. The Jesuits will not give him any money if they don't have a mission. They are always welcome to eat for free - if it's bread, bean soup
If it can be considered a meal with sour wine mixed with cold water.
He began to seriously consider whether to work for Liu Xiang - his agent in Macau always welcomes desperadoes from all over the world to serve him - especially Europeans. He really needs someone to control European guns for him, and start
The terms of the offer were not bad, four hundred Spanish pesos per year for the gunner. Lando guessed that he should be worth a thousand Spanish pesos per year.
The inn was in full swing. It was an inn run by Portuguese Jews. A small inn of this type should have everything: an enthusiastic proprietress, a chubby boss, a noisy dining room, and a room that could barely be called comfortable. Lando took a fancy to it.
It is relatively clean here - Jews are the most hygienic compared to Europeans in this time and space - and the food is good. Although the price is a bit expensive, I still consider this place as a long-term stay.
In the blink of an eye, he had stayed here for more than two years. As usual, if he stayed here for a long time, he would get some discounts - such as outstanding debts. When he saw the landlady, he realized that he owed the rent and house money here for almost three months.
The landlady's face looked very ugly, and the candles on the candlestick she gave him were almost gone.
"Good night to you." She didn't even say the word "sir".
"Good night, madam." He made the most charming smile of an Italian man. Not many women could resist this smile, but the Jewish woman was obviously indifferent to him. He turned around and went to greet the guests who could afford to pay.
He quickly slipped back to his room, a small room on the third floor - officially called "the attic". Shlick was sleeping on a straw bed in front of the door. When he saw him coming, he quickly climbed up
stand up.
"Go to sleep, go to sleep, you nigger." Lando muttered, opened the door and walked in.
The furnishings in the room were extremely simple. He hung the clothes behind the door and carefully brushed them twice. Then he sat down and took out half a loaf of bread from the drawer - the other half was given to him before going out.
Shlick. If the situation is good, the waiter will bring him food when he comes back. Now of course, there is no need to think about it.
He took off the holster of the pistol that he always kept with him, and put it under the pillow. This hard Chinese-style pillow also contained a few modern possessions he picked up from the ship: a medical kit, a book on East and Southeast Asia.
A regional atlas, a pocket compass and a wallet with several hundred dollars hidden inside were now just floral papers.
Lando ate his bread with cold water and thought about his future.
As a pirate, he is weak and weak, so it is impossible for him for the time being. He is unwilling to work as a mercenary for Liu Xiang - it is too dangerous, and he cannot play his role at sea, unless he joins a gang.
Otherwise vz68 is of no use at all, and bullets are limited...
At this time, he once again thought of the strange group of Australians - although he had never seen them again after that time. But Lando was 100% sure: this was a group of people from the same time and space as him. From what they called themselves "
You know the ridiculous statement "Australian".
Australians, you are a bunch of Chinamen!
As for how these Chinese guys got to this time and space, I'm afraid only God knows.
But the Chinese people are obviously in a much better situation than themselves. They are neatly dressed and look good. They are also selling various goods. When he first saw the "crystal mirrors" that the rich Chinese were competing to show off, he was
My jaw almost dropped.
Isn't this a plastic mirror? He has seen it in many dime stores around the world.
Then more and more news spread to Macau, such as the Australians building a castle on a large island in southern China. They had an iron ship bigger than the largest Galen ship, and there were many strange things.
.Moreover, firearms are very powerful.
After comprehensive analysis, Lando came to three conclusions: the so-called Australians are the Chinese from the 21st century; they have modern ships and weapons; they have many people.
As for the big island in southern China, it is of course Hainan Island.
He checked the atlas he carried with him and found an unfamiliar place name on the map: Lingao.
Lingao. He remembered that Father Comange told him that he was transferred to Macau from Lingao by the Chinese government. He also recalled that he was almost naked and was beaten by a group of ragged Chinese soldiers holding spears and swords.
Escort to the ship, it seems to be a desolate place
Lando had a vague feeling that he would come here and have a great relationship with them.
What do these Chinese people want to do when they come to Lingao?
As more and more goods came from Lingao, Australian goods became a well-known brand, and when many goods showed obvious signs of being produced in this time and space, Lando revised his judgment to: This group of people
The Chinese also have machinery and equipment, engineers and qualified technical workers.
Even the so-called "Australian products" changed his life: paper specially used for wiping buttocks in the toilet appeared on the market, and the price was surprisingly low, so Lando's excretion finally no longer became an economic burden.
The Chinese even began to supply matches, cigarettes, rum and soda in oak barrels to Macau. There are many such vendors on the streets of Macau, carrying two small barrels with taps on their backs, one for sour and sweet drinks.
One of the sodas is rum. You can buy it alone or in a mixture. In summer, you can even add ground mint leaves to it. Lando thought, isn't this a cocktail?
God, Lando thought, at least the Chinese made his life in this time and space less difficult.
News of Lingao's "Australian" lifestyle gradually spread to Macau, including their good streets, perfect municipal management, and lights that shine like stars every night...
Now, Lando, who was desperate to start a new business to conquer the world, seriously considered for the first time the idea of defecting to the Australians, or the Chinese. At least - they have enough toilet paper and clean toilets. In addition, in the 21st century,
He still likes Chinese food.
Instead of working for Liu Xiang, it is better to join the Chinese. As people from the same time and space, we should have a common language. Speaking of which, when I saw them in Gelanzani's official residence, they were
There was also a European among them—a very pretty girl who seemed to be Latina.
Since there are Europeans, there will be no rejection of another European. Talandu has no motherland in this time and space, so the other party certainly does not need to worry about him in this regard.
Having served as a volunteer himself, he should be the professional talent they urgently need. There will definitely be food to eat and a high status when he goes there - how can Liu Xiang understand his value? But the Chinese in the 21st century must understand.
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that defecting to Lingao was a bright road - he even wondered why he didn't think of it earlier, because at least he would have missed one year of fasting.
And he also has a big gift! Lando thought that the weapons and ammunition sunk on the reefs of Dongsha Island alone were a huge fortune. With this, he could also get a good position in Lingao's group.
He began to plan his "defection to freedom" and didn't even bother to eat bread. It was easy to get to Lingao. The Australians, like all maritime powers in the region, had semi-open agents here. From time to time there were
Ships travel between the two places. And there are no travel restrictions on the Lingao side. Anyone can go if they want to.
Suddenly he thought of a question: Are this group of modern Chinese in Lingao under the command of their government? Could the Chinese government have mastered some secrets that travel through time and space, and is planning some amazing conspiracy in Lingao in this time and space?
?
If this is the case, if I rush over to reveal my identity, I am afraid I will be silenced immediately!
Lando's enthusiasm immediately cooled down. No matter how clean the toilet and delicious food are, the premise is that he can live freely. If he is locked up or simply shot, it will be meaningless.
He couldn't help but think about the matter, and then he thought that if the other party wanted to know if there were other Americans besides him who arrived in this time and space, it would endanger their mission, and they might even torture him...
He shuddered at the thought and began to eat bread again.
That night, Lando had a strange dream. One moment he arrived at Lingao, put on "people's clothing", and sat in a grand auditorium for a meeting; the next moment he became an agent of the US government, in the wilderness.
He went up to meet the SEAL team and said loudly: "Lingao is in that direction"; after a while, he was tied to a chair again, and several Chinese in training uniforms looked on coldly in the dark secret room.
He seemed to want to torture him, but when he called for help, he realized that it was actually Gelanzani who was interrogating him. He said: "You heretic! Prepare to atone for your sins."
Then he found himself standing on a pyre filled with wood.
Lando yelled, rolled off the bed, and woke up.
He touched his forehead, which was covered in sweat.
"God!" he cried, it was terrible.
"Master, how are you?" Shlick poked his head in from outside the door.
"I'm fine!" Lando said, "Pour me some water to wash my face."
Lando did not receive any breakfast service in the dining room. The landlady just reminded him with a smile that he still had three months of unpaid debts.
Lando and Shlick had no choice but to wander around the streets. Lando wanted to see if he could meet any acquaintances with whom he could have a meal. If that didn't work, he had to go to the Jesuit church for dinner.
A short black woman wearing cotton clothes suddenly came closer. Her appearance made him lose his appetite for breakfast.
"Mr. Lando! Mr. Lando!" she shouted in Portuguese.
"What's the matter?" He looked at the black woman. It seemed that she should be a slave girl of a rich man. Her appearance was different from that of African slaves. Her eyes were yellow and slanted. Appearances didn't help.
It can be called ugly in any time and space.
"Please come over here." The black slave girl motioned him to a Chinese tea stall on the roadside.
"Sorry, I don't have time." Lando said carelessly. He was too lazy to talk to such an ugly woman.
"What if we have this?" The black slave girl took off a money bag from her waist, and the silver coins made a pleasant friction sound.
"Okay. I never refuse women."
The black slave girl asked for a pot of tea and seemed to want to say something to him. But he looked at the Chinese stall owner with vague eyes as he fried something in the pot - he vaguely remembered that this thing could be eaten in Chinatown, and it seemed to be called fried dough sticks.
The aroma of fried dough sticks made him obsessed with it.
The black female slave gave him a helpless look, took out some Chinese copper coins, and asked the stall owner to bring you dough sticks and sesame cakes.
Lando picked up the sesame buns with a reserved and arrogant attitude like a gentleman, followed the example of other Chinese people, folded and rolled up the fried dough sticks, and ate it with big mouthfuls.
"Give my servant another piece." He asked the stall owner in Chinese.
So Shlick also got a piece of sesame cake and fried dough sticks.
"I would like to ask Mr. Lando if he is free recently?"