Chapter 23 of 43

Chapter 23

14 min read3,498 words

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In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-October 1835. In northern China, it was now the season of clear autumn skies and cool breezes, and the Qing Empire was enjoying its last moments of glory before the storm. Meanwhile, in northern Mindanao, there was a bustling scene of activity. A new city named after the flying fish was gradually being built. With the establishment of brick and cement factories, the pace of construction had significantly increased. By now, the foundation of the southern city wall had been laid, and the construction of the upper structures had begun.

Under Long Yufei's direction, the firearms workshop was renamed the Flying Fish Arsenal. Zhao Yike, the eldest son of logistics officer Zhao Yi, was appointed as the factory manager, primarily as a reward for Zhao Yike. After a month of effort, the arsenal had achieved the goal of producing twenty Flying Fish rifles per day. This output was expected to increase further as more equipment was added and the workers became more skilled. The first batch of rifles had already equipped four companies of the Flying Fish Army. Bullet production had also increased to two thousand per day. However, Long Yufei was still unsatisfied. With the four main companies of the Flying Fish Army, totaling nearly six hundred men, each soldier could only receive three bullets per day, which was insufficient for training, let alone dealing with the threat from the indigenous people. Long Yufei gave Zhao Yike a strict order to increase bullet production to at least ten thousand per day within a month.

The main constraints on bullet production at the arsenal were the machinery and raw materials. However, with the second transaction with Antonio, two large steam engines arrived, one of which was used in the mines, and the other in the arsenal. In addition, several more advanced machine tools were purchased, and the workers had become more proficient after the initial period of adjustment. As for raw materials, a large amount of lead ingots was purchased, and Long Yufei also placed an order for fifty tons of lead ingots with Antonio. Moreover, a copper mine was discovered, and a non-ferrous metal smelting plant was established, capable of producing ten tons of brass per month. This eliminated the constraints on bullet production. Zhao Yike assured Long Yufei that within half a month, the daily bullet production would exceed ten thousand, and in the future, they would strive to increase it to over fifty thousand!

Due to the confession document, the bearded Spanish ship captain Antonio was forced to sell various products to the Flying Fish Company at low prices. However, Long Yufei was also considerate and did not excessively exploit Antonio's profits. This allowed Antonio to still make substantial profits from each transaction. Over time, Antonio seemed to forget that Long Yufei still held his weakness, and he began to do business with the Flying Fish Company with peace of mind. In reality, this was a win-win cooperation. The Flying Fish Company could obtain necessary industrial equipment and raw materials, such as lead ingots, saltpeter, and explosives, through Antonio. Antonio, on the other hand, could earn substantial profits from the Flying Fish Company and also obtain some specialties from Mindanao.

The transactions between the Flying Fish Company and Antonio always took place at sea in the Sulu Sea. By now, Antonio was still unaware that the pirates of Flying Fish Island had left the island. The pirates of Flying Fish Island had also stopped their activities in the South China Sea, seemingly disappearing into thin air. This strict confidentiality allowed the Flying Fish Company to overcome its initial difficult period. Once the Flying Fish Company fully developed, it would undoubtedly shock the entire South China Sea and even the world!

On October 14, 1835, Long Yufei, accompanied by administrative officer Li Decheng and deputy administrative officer Wu Yongxing, was meeting with two Chinese from northern Mindanao. The two Chinese were an elderly man and a young man from a place called Tubay, about thirty kilometers from the new Flying Fish City.

"Commander, the sight of Flying Fish City has truly broadened my horizons. There must be at least three thousand Chinese gathered here!" the older Chinese man said. His name was Liu Mingde, the village chief of a Chinese village called Balang. Balang was a large village with over two thousand people, making it one of the larger Chinese villages. However, even so, Balang's current situation was not good. The indigenous people of Mindanao still frequently attacked them. Although they successfully repelled the attacks, their own losses were significant. If this continued, Balang would not be able to escape the fate of being destroyed. Wu Yongxing and Liu Mingde were old acquaintances. After the Wu family village joined the Flying Fish Company, he sent a message to Liu Mingde, hoping that Liu Mingde's village would also join the Flying Fish Company. However, Liu Mingde did not make an immediate decision. It was only when faced with danger that he thought of the Flying Fish Company. This time, he came to personally inspect the reality of the Flying Fish Company. However, upon arriving at Flying Fish City, the construction of the city walls and the chimneys belching smoke gave him a great shock!

"Yes, Mr. Liu. Although Flying Fish City is not yet completed, the total number of Chinese here has already reached over three thousand four hundred people!" Long Yufei said with a smile. Thanks to Wu Yongxing's efforts, several small Chinese villages in the vicinity had moved to Flying Fish City, increasing the city's population from over one thousand five hundred to over three thousand. The Flying Fish Army had also expanded significantly, with four main companies and two more companies in intensive training. Long Yufei also hoped to incorporate Balang Village into the Flying Fish Company. This would bring the total population of the Flying Fish Company to over five thousand, allowing for the formation of four more companies, bringing the total number of companies in the Flying Fish Army to ten, with over one thousand four hundred soldiers. With such a force, equipped with new rifles and the newly developed wooden-handled grenades, Long Yufei's Flying Fish Company would be capable of dominating northern Mindanao!

"Commander, the Chinese in Mindanao have long suffered from the oppression of the indigenous people. Your actions and those of the Flying Fish Company are undoubtedly a great blessing for us Chinese!" Liu Mingde continued.

Long Yufei nodded, waiting for Liu Mingde to continue.

"Brother Liu, if Balang Village joins the Flying Fish Company, our strength will be even greater! We can then unite more Chinese. The indigenous people will no longer be able to bully us!" Wu Yongxing said impatiently. He did not understand why Liu Mingde was still hesitating. Joining the Flying Fish Company would be a great benefit for Balang Village and all the Chinese in Mindanao!

"Mr. Liu, I sincerely welcome Balang Village to join the Flying Fish Company and work together to achieve the great cause of the overseas Chinese! I guarantee that the villagers of Balang Village will be treated equally after joining the Flying Fish Company!" Long Yufei said.

Liu Mingde hesitated for a moment and then said, "Commander, I am willing to join the Flying Fish Company. However, it is hard to leave our homeland! The people of Balang Village have lived there for two hundred years and are accustomed to their lives. They are unwilling to leave. How about this: Balang Village will purchase a batch of rifles from the Flying Fish Company. In the future, the Flying Fish Company and Balang Village can cooperate, and if the indigenous people attack, we can support each other!"

A flash of dissatisfaction crossed Long Yufei's eyes. He was a technical expert and not very adept at social niceties. If it weren't for the two thousand people in Balang Village, he would not have wasted so much time on this old man. His main focus was on improving and replicating steam engines and other machine tools. Relying solely on purchasing these machines from others was not a long-term solution and could easily lead to being controlled by others. Therefore, after the steel production stabilized, Long Yufei devoted himself to this research. As a double Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and metallurgy, and with some knowledge of old steam engines, he had made significant progress. It was expected that the Flying Fish Company would soon be able to manufacture steam engines on its own!

"Brother Liu, Balang Village is unwilling to join us?" Wu Yongxing asked in surprise. In his view, joining the Flying Fish Company would provide a strong backing, ensuring everyone's safety. How could Liu Mingde still be unwilling? Was his head kicked by a donkey?

"Brother Wu, although I am the village chief of Balang Village, I must respect the opinions of the villagers! We are very sincere in wanting to purchase the rifles from the Flying Fish Company. I hope Commander will consider our request in the spirit of our shared Chinese heritage!" Liu Mingde said with a troubled expression.

"Hmph! Mr. Liu, I'm sorry, but our rifle production is limited, and we don't have enough for ourselves, let alone for external sales! I have other matters to attend to, so I will leave you in the care of Mr. Wu!" Long Yufei said coldly and turned to leave. He had seen through Liu Mingde's reluctance to join the Flying Fish Company, fearing that he would lose his power. Therefore, he only wanted to purchase rifles to strengthen his own position. This was something Long Yufei absolutely could not allow! Chinese people often suffer from being too clever and having too many thoughts, which hinders unity and makes them vulnerable to oppression by other ethnic groups.

Long Yufei turned and left, and administrative officer Li Decheng also followed, leaving Wu Yongxing to receive Liu Mingde and the young man who came with him.

Seeing Long Yufei leave, the young man who came with Liu Mingde looked displeased but did not say anything more. This young man was Liu Mingde's grandson, Liu Wu, a man with grand ambitions but limited abilities!

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