Chapter 25

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The clear chimes of the bell rang out in the Flying Fish City, echoing far and wide! The Chinese people working in the mines and fields all raised their heads, and then, under the leadership of the officials, they orderly retreated to Flying Fish City! The slaves who were doing hard labor were also escorted back. To prevent these slaves from escaping, after the steel mill of the Flying Fish Company began production, a chain was forged for each slave. Although not very heavy, it restricted their movements, making it impossible for them to escape!

Since Flying Fish City was not yet fully constructed, Long Yufei and the other high-ranking officials of the Flying Fish Company were very vigilant. The Buena tribe had suffered a significant loss last time, and they would certainly not give up easily. Therefore, the Flying Fish Army specially dispatched scouts into the forest. Once any movement of the natives was detected, they would immediately report it, giving Flying Fish City time to prepare.

At the same time, the four main battalions and two newly formed battalions of the Flying Fish Army were also ready for battle! Under the command of the military officer Niu Meng, these troops gathered on the open ground outside Flying Fish City, preparing to engage the native army. The soldiers were equipped with the latest Flying Fish rifles, each with a belt of ammunition containing over a hundred rounds. Additionally, they had three wooden-handled grenades on their belts. The armory had just developed the grenades, and after testing, they proved to be quite effective. Now they were being equipped for use by the front-line troops!

Under the leadership of their superiors, the soldiers began to form orderly ranks, preparing for battle. Due to the performance of the Flying Fish rifles, this time the Flying Fish Army did not form three ranks but a single line. The open ground outside Flying Fish City was very spacious, and the four main battalions, numbering over five hundred, did not feel crowded when lined up. The two newly formed battalions served as reserves. These new recruits had joined the Flying Fish Army for less than half a month, and many had only just learned how to fire a gun, with poor marksmanship. They would not be sent to the battlefield unless absolutely necessary.

The Chinese people gradually returned to Flying Fish City, many hiding inside, watching everything outside. Many had a look of fear in their eyes, as they had suffered much at the hands of the natives, with some even losing family members. Especially those who had recently joined the Flying Fish Company, they had come with high hopes, but they did not know the true strength of the Flying Fish Army. Now they could only pray that the Flying Fish Army would defeat the accursed natives and protect them! The villagers of Wu Family Village, who were the first to join the Flying Fish Company, remained calm. The strength of the Flying Fish Army in the battle against the Buena tribe had left a deep impression on them. They believed that the Flying Fish Army would definitely win!

"Relax, little brother, the Flying Fish Army is very powerful, we will definitely defeat those natives!" said a middle-aged Chinese man. With most of the young people joining the Flying Fish Army, those responsible for production and labor were mostly older people. This was inevitable; to survive on Mindanao Island, they had to ensure a strong military first.

"Um! I hope so!" said another middle-aged man, who had just joined the Flying Fish Company and still seemed somewhat worried!

The high-ranking officials of the Flying Fish Company, including the commander Luo Sangū, deputy commander Long Yufei, political officer Li Decheng, logistics officer Zhao Yi, and deputy political officer Wu Yongxing, also came outside the city. Their presence undoubtedly gave others a great deal of confidence. If even they were not afraid, why should others be?

The soldiers of the Flying Fish Army were also full of fighting spirit. Apart from the original pirates of Flying Fish Island, the other soldiers were mostly the children of the local Chinese, who had a deep-seated hatred for the natives. Moreover, they were now fighting to protect their families, with no room for retreat. They could only fight bravely!

"Brave warriors! Those accursed natives will never live in peace with us! They are always thinking of plundering our wealth, raping our women, and killing our compatriots! We must rise up and fight to protect our families and compatriots! Although the natives are numerous, I believe we will definitely win this battle!" Long Yufei said to the soldiers of the Flying Fish Army.

The soldiers of the Flying Fish Army had determined looks. After such a long period of training, they had mastered the performance of the Flying Fish rifles. They also believed that the savage natives would not be their match!

Not long after, the dark-skinned natives emerged from the forest. They trampled the fields outside the forest, destroying the crops. These natives knew nothing of creation; they only destroyed out of their beastly nature!

The dense crowd seemed endless. Once the number of people reached the thousands, it appeared boundless. The natives let out wild, animal-like roars, instilling fear in the hearts of others.

"Heaven! How many natives are there? Which native tribe has so many people?" Deputy political officer Wu Yongxing exclaimed in shock!

The Chinese people hiding inside Flying Fish City also became panicked. Originally, they had great confidence in the Flying Fish Army. But seeing the endless sea of natives, they felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads, chilling them from head to toe.

"Yufei, those natives must number in the thousands! Can we win?" Luo Sangū said, somewhat worried. Although she was a pirate leader accustomed to life and death, the situation now was completely different. In the past, the pirates of Flying Fish Island mainly engaged in robbery, moving swiftly on the sea. Now, it was a full-scale war! A war involving thousands of participants was something Luo Sangū had never imagined.

"Relax, Yuhua, we will win. You must have faith in us!" Long Yufei said with a smile. Over the past period, he had interacted more with Luo Sangū, and their relationship had rapidly warmed, though the final barrier had not yet been broken!

Liu Mingde and his grandson, who were still in Flying Fish City, were also stunned by the scene.

"Grandpa! The natives outside number at least ten thousand! Flying Fish City will definitely fall, and the people of the Flying Fish Company will surely be killed by the natives. We should escape quickly!" Liu Wu said anxiously. He did not have any confidence in the Flying Fish Army, believing they were doomed this time.

"Wait, let's see the strength of the Flying Fish Army first!" Liu Mingde said. Although he also did not have much confidence in the Flying Fish Army, he knew that the people of the Flying Fish Company were not fools. If the situation was hopeless, they would have fled first. The warship docked at the pier alone was enough to evacuate the high-ranking officials of the Flying Fish Company. But now, the warship had not left and was instead preparing for battle. The cannons on the warship had been pushed out, aimed at the open ground outside the city to the south!

Seeing his grandfather's determination, Liu Wu, though afraid, had no choice but to stay.

The natives left the forest, densely covering the fields cultivated by the Flying Fish Company, completely disregarding the crops that had just sprouted.

The chief of the Buena tribe, Enado, followed a muscular man with a fawning expression. The Buena tribe had been almost destroyed in the last battle, and he knew that relying solely on the Buena tribe's strength, they could not take revenge on the Flying Fish Army. Therefore, he decisively contacted other native tribes, especially the largest Mangabang tribe in northern Mindanao.

The Mangabang tribe lived near the Mangabang Mountains, with a large population. Including the smaller tribes that depended on them, the total population of the tribe was over forty thousand. This time, the chief of the Mangabang tribe, Sando, was incited by Enado and led the tribal army, aiming to completely eliminate the Flying Fish Company. On one hand, to remove the threat posed by the Chinese to the natives, and on the other, to plunder the wealth and women of the Chinese!

"Chief Sando, ahead is the territory of the Chinese! Recently, more and more Chinese have migrated here, and now they number two to three thousand! These despicable Chinese are even trying to build a city wall. Once they complete it, it will be much harder to deal with them!" Enado said with indignation. This time, he had brought all the men of the Buena tribe, including boys as young as ten, totaling two thousand. Together with the eight thousand troops sent by the Mangabang tribe, they numbered over ten thousand. In his view, even if the Chinese guns were powerful, they could not withstand their attack!

"Haha! Don't worry! Our tribal warriors are invincible, and these Chinese are no match for us!" Chief Sando said arrogantly.

"Chief Sando, the Chinese guns and cannons are very powerful! We must be careful!" Enado said.

"Hmph! Enado, you have been scared by those Chinese. That is not what a tribal chief should say! If that is the case, the Buena tribe has no reason to exist!" Chief Sando said.

"Yes, yes!" Chief Enado nodded repeatedly. The Buena tribe now needed the help of the Mangabang tribe; otherwise, with their weakened strength, it would be difficult to survive. Their former enemies would not miss this opportunity to strike!

"Warriors! Attack! Kill the Chinese, plunder their wealth and women! Victory belongs to us!" After resting for about half an hour, Chief Sando of the Mangabang tribe gave the order to attack!

Over ten thousand natives, roaring, began their assault on the Flying Fish Army's defenses!

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