Chapter 8

"Mr. Long… Mr. Long, why did you risk your life to save me!" Luo Sangu said, her head lowered.

Long Yufei was taken aback, then turned his head with difficulty to look at Luo Sangu. At this moment, Luo Sangu no longer seemed like the fierce pirate leader, but rather a delicate young woman. The light in the cabin was dim, with an oil lamp on the wall. Under the dim yellow light, Luo Sangu's shy appearance made Long Yufei momentarily lost in thought.

To be honest, Luo Sangu was very beautiful. Although her life at sea had made her look mature, she was still just a twenty-year-old girl! In a later era, girls of this age would still be enjoying their college life, studying and falling in love. But in this era, to support the livelihood of the thousands of people on Feiyu Island, Luo Sangu had to shoulder this heavy burden with her delicate shoulders. Despite being the feared female pirate leader in the South China Sea, behind her strong facade, she was still just a young woman at heart!

Long Yufei remained silent for a long time, which made Luo Sangu feel a bit strange. She raised her head and glanced at Long Yufei, only to see him staring at her with a burning gaze. That fiery look made her feel as if she were melting. Even though Luo Sangu was used to life and death and was a ruthless female pirate leader, at this moment, she still felt unsure of how to face him.

"Ah!" Luo Sangu let out a startled cry and quickly lowered her head, like a frightened little rabbit!

Long Yufei also snapped back to his senses, realizing that his actions had been a bit rash.

"Boss, I'm sorry, I was a bit too forward!" Long Yufei hurriedly apologized. Although he felt a ripple in his heart at this moment, he did not want to leave a bad impression on Luo Sangu.

"It's okay!" Luo Sangu said, her voice as soft as a mosquito's!

"Boss, as a man, it's my duty to protect you!" Long Yufei said.

Luo Sangu raised her head and looked at Long Yufei, feeling a warmth in her heart. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this way. It seemed like when her father was still alive, he would protect her from the wind and rain. After her father's death, she never felt this way again!

"Thank you, Mr. Long!" Luo Sangu said. At this moment, she had adjusted her mood. Although her view of Long Yufei had changed significantly, she didn't know how to continue, so she suppressed the strange feelings in her heart.

"Boss, have all the British been executed?" Long Yufei changed the topic in a timely manner.

"They've all been thrown into the sea to feed the fish!" A murderous look flashed in Luo Sangu's eyes. The British final assault almost cost Long Yufei his life. If not for Long Yufei stepping in to block the bullet, she would have already been dead. In a fit of rage, the British met a terrible end. All the British were executed, and their bodies were thrown into the sea, becoming food for the sharks.

"What about the Spanish captain?" Long Yufei asked. The bearded Spanish captain had done a great service, and Long Yufei had promised not to kill him. Moreover, the Spanish captain had other uses for Long Yufei. Feiyu Island lacked many important supplies, such as steel, machinery, food, and ammunition, which needed to be purchased from outside. If the people of Feiyu Island were to do it themselves, it would be impossible. They needed an agent. The bearded captain was a good choice. They had jointly destroyed a British naval cruiser, making them partners. If the news leaked, not only would Feiyu Island face disaster, but the bearded captain would also be doomed. Therefore, the bearded captain had no other choice but to cooperate with Feiyu Island.

"The bearded one is fine, after all, you said to spare his life!" Luo Sangu said.

"Boss, the bearded one can be very useful to us!" Long Yufei said. He then explained his plan to Luo Sangu, who nodded in agreement, her gaze softening.

Which young woman doesn't yearn for spring? Luo Sangu, now in her twenties, was considered an old maid in this era. The people she usually interacted with were all fierce pirates. Long Yufei, with his knowledge, vision, and strategy, gave Luo Sangu a very unique feeling.

"Mr. Long, your plan is good. Once we return to Feiyu Island, you will be responsible for dealing with the Spanish captain!" Luo Sangu said. Life on Feiyu Island was very hard. They needed to find someone to sell the goods they robbed at sea and to buy the food and ammunition that Feiyu Island desperately needed. The previous middlemen had kept the prices low, and the pirates risked their lives for very little gain. If they could have an agent, especially a Westerner, their situation would undoubtedly improve.

"By the way, Mr. Long, on this British warship, we found a batch of weapons. There are five hundred muskets, two thousand pounds of gunpowder, and tens of thousands of bullets!" Luo Sangu said.

"So many muskets? That's great! If used well, it could significantly boost Feiyu Island's strength!" Long Yufei said excitedly. Although these muskets were old flintlock models, if they could be modified and equipped with rifled barrels and percussion locks after buying the necessary machinery, they would become very powerful breech-loading rifles. The pirates of Feiyu Island, although skilled in close combat, would inevitably be replaced by modern firearms as the times changed.

"Mr. Long, you should rest now! We will return to Feiyu Island by tomorrow afternoon!" Luo Sangu said. After Long Yufei fell unconscious, she had been by his side. Now that he had woken up, she felt relieved. There were still many things that needed her attention!

"Alright, Boss!" Long Yufei nodded. He was already planning how to convince the pirates of Feiyu Island to accept his suggestions. Compared to living by plundering at sea, establishing a base among the islands of the Luzon archipelago, gradually developing military strength, and attracting more Chinese to join and grow in power, was a more stable approach. However, Long Yufei knew that convincing the pirates of Feiyu Island would be very difficult! Of course, if he could first convince Luo Sangu, it would be much easier!

The British naval cruiser 'Coventry' sailed eastward quickly with favorable winds and currents. The armed merchant ship 'Black Pearl' followed behind, and the other pirate ships of Feiyu Island were scattered around.

Although this operation had been costly for the pirates of Feiyu Island, with over thirty pirates killed and more than twenty injured, their gains were also significant. The 'Coventry' and the 'Black Pearl' alone were enough to elevate Feiyu Island's strength. The British naval ships were more powerful than the pirate ships. Not to mention the weapons on the ships and the two hundred kilograms of gold on the 'Black Pearl'!

When Luo Sangu led the victorious pirates back to Feiyu Island, a power struggle was already underway on the island!

Previously, when Long Yufei suggested luring and killing the British naval officers on the 'Coventry', one of the pirate leaders, Chen San, strongly opposed it, believing that Long Yufei's plan would lead to their deaths. However, Luo Sangu ultimately adopted Long Yufei's suggestion, which greatly displeased Chen San. He led his loyal followers away. Thanks to Luo Sangu's pirates holding off the British warship, Chen San managed to escape and return to Feiyu Island unharmed.

When Chen San returned to Feiyu Island and informed the islanders that Luo Sangu and the pirates had all been killed, the entire island fell into panic! This time, Luo Sangu had led the main force of Feiyu Island on the expedition. If they were all killed, it would severely weaken Feiyu Island. A weakened pirate group would make life even harder for the islanders!

On the afternoon of his return to Feiyu Island, Chen San gathered the pirate leaders for a meeting. The main topic was who would take over as the leader of Feiyu Island. Chen San had long coveted this position. Previously, he had tolerated Luo Sangu's leadership because of his own ambitions. Now that Luo Sangu was dead, or so he believed, it was his turn to take the position!

"Gentlemen! Our operation was going smoothly. We had successfully defeated the Spanish and looted their treasure ship. But the sudden appearance of a British warship ruined everything!" Chen San said.

"Why did you return, but the Boss didn't?" a rough voice asked. A middle-aged man, one of the pirate leaders, raised the question.

"Uncle Li, I tried to persuade the Boss to leave with us! But the Boss believed the lies of that pretty boy Long Yufei and decided to fight the British warship head-on. Wasn't that suicide?" Chen San said with a resentful look.

"Chen San, so you didn't see the Boss die with your own eyes?" Zhao Yi asked. He was in charge of the island's weapons workshop and supplies, and held a high position on the island.

PS: Second update! Sorry for the delay, I had some evening commitments! Thanks to the readers 白马王子只要** and 小小水手 for their support and reviews!