Chapter 94

Having received generous military aid from two national-level benefactors, Luo Zhengdao’s privateer fleet was completely transformed. After inspecting his team, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction. However, he quickly suppressed this excitement, knowing that the first step of a long journey had just begun, and it was too early to celebrate.

Overthrowing the goblin empire's rule over the mainland was not something that could be accomplished with mere words. Like the empty talk of saving the country through diaries or maps in the old world, such actions would only end up as a laughingstock. To launch a solid counteroffensive and reclaim lost territories, the task sounded easy but was fraught with countless difficulties.

Losing the land but keeping the people means losing both; keeping the people but losing the land means gaining both. Even Luo Zhengdao, who had a university degree but only a basic understanding of political science, knew this common sense. Adhering to the aforementioned military principles, Luo Zhengdao wisely brought a batch of loyal and reliable core personnel from Qiongzhou. Using these people as the backbone, he continued to recruit professional pirates who were either greedy for high profits or indifferent to whom they served, thus forming this semi-regular pirate fleet. Now, everything seemed to be on track, and he was about to face the next thorny choice.

Anyone who has read military history knows that roving bandit tactics without a base can only bring endless destruction and cannot build a nation. Such bandits lacking the ability to build cannot achieve much.

Currently, with sufficient military strength, Luo Zhengdao needed to find a piece of land for rest and recuperation, to solidly begin building his rear base, ultimately forming self-sustaining capabilities. Otherwise, even an invincible army would be left with the sad sight of subordinates scattering like birds and beasts if they were defeated once on the front lines.

Luo Zhengdao, with the mindset of a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it refers to someone who has traveled through time or dimensions, often with advanced knowledge or technology), and not following the conventional path, his subordinates, the pirates, didn’t quite understand his methods. However, with the simple thought that "even though I don’t understand it, it seems very powerful," these "不明觉厉" (不明觉厉 means "not understanding but feeling the power") subordinates still chose to follow Luo Zhengdao’s orders without hesitation.

After this makeshift grand inspection, the entire fleet personnel boarded their ships and began their daily routine. One-eyed Foul Chopin and First Mate Brando Fiery Flame appeared in the captain’s cabin of the flagship, the Avenger. They placed a thick stack of papyrus on Luo Zhengdao’s desk, and then Foul Chopin spoke:

"Your Excellency, as per your request, we have screened the islands, flylands, and rock formations within the vast Starry Sea. Here is the list of candidates. Please make your decision!"

There was no doubt that parchment made from the skins of cattle, sheep, or even monsters was of high quality, durable, and water-resistant, with the only drawback being its high price. Apart from making large books for temples, mages, scholars, and nobles, ordinary people wouldn’t even imagine using parchment for a report, as that would be too extravagant!

The papyrus in front of Luo Zhengdao was much more affordable in price, but its quality was too fragile and thin. Once it was completely dry, even a slight movement could cause it to crumble into a pile of unrecognizable debris. Luo Zhengdao, dissatisfied with the rudimentary writing materials of the new world, felt many inconveniences and was filled with resentment. He couldn’t understand why the previous穿越者 (穿越者) emperor, who had accomplished so much in his life, didn’t develop papermaking technology. Since he came from the Chinese cultural sphere, how could he forget the classic Four Great Inventions?

Muttering complaints, Luo Zhengdao skipped over the unfamiliar words and difficult paragraphs, and his gaze finally landed on the last page of the papyrus.

At this moment, Luo Zhengdao looked up at his two subordinates, pointed to the papyrus, and said:

"This flyland is quite large and has a good location. Why did you put it at the end of the list?"

Brando Fiery Flame leaned over to read the content on the papyrus and immediately understood, explaining:

"Oh, Your Excellency, the situation is this. Wick Reef is a desert, lacking fresh water and vegetation. Without water, it’s impossible to cultivate the land. Despite the abundant sunlight, it cannot support long-term living. If we choose this place, solving the water problem alone would be a headache every day."

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao activated the skill "Let Me Think," closed his eyes, and thought carefully for a moment. Then he opened his eyes and said firmly:

"I really like Wick Reef. What do you think?"

Foul Chopin, a loyal servant of the Foul family, valued the family’s interests above all else. Even if it meant defying Luo Zhengdao’s orders, he would not hesitate. Hearing Luo Zhengdao’s decisive words, Foul Chopin immediately turned red in the face, slammed his hand on the table, and loudly rebutted:

"Your Excellency, the lack of water is a big problem. Please forgive my blunt speech, but what do you see in a place where even birds don’t defecate?"

Compared to his emotionally agitated subordinate, Luo Zhengdao remained calm, gently waving his hand and saying:

"Hey, Foul, don’t get so worked up! Look at the geographical location of Wick Reef. It’s about 1,500 nautical miles from the southeastern coast of the mainland, which is a three to four-day voyage for the Avenger. Whether we are raiding the eastern coast of the mainland or attacking merchant fleets, it’s an ideal base for launching operations. The harsh environment can prevent the goblins from using their superior forces for a long-term siege. Isn’t it an ideal forward base?"

This ambiguous reasoning did not convince Foul Chopin, who rebutted with a huff:

"Your Excellency, if we debate, I can’t argue with you, but please consider carefully. Developing Wick Reef, a barren island, will be very difficult, and we don’t have the money to invest."

Brando Fiery Flame, seeing the situation, also chimed in:

"Yes, Your Excellency, maintaining a long-term presence on Wick Reef will consume a lot of resources. It would be better to choose another island or reef as a base."

Despite their well-reasoned arguments, Luo Zhengdao had already made up his mind. He narrowed his eyes, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, and said to himself:

"No problem, difficulties can be overcome. I’ve decided. The base will be on Wick Reef."

Seeing that their efforts to persuade Luo Zhengdao to change his mind were in vain, Foul Chopin and Brando Fiery Flame exchanged glances and sighed in resignation. After a moment of silent confrontation, seeing that Luo Zhengdao showed no sign of compromise, Foul Chopin reluctantly obeyed his order, saying with a heavy heart:

"Your Excellency, if this is your final decision, we will comply. However, I earnestly request that you reconsider this plan and not waste valuable time and resources on this barren island."

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao laughed and nodded:

"Very well, I need a detailed plan and timeline for developing Wick Reef, as well as a budget. I’ll leave this task to you both."

In the vast Starry Sea surrounding the mainland, the number of islands, flylands, and rock formations was countless, like stars in the sky. The number of flylands suitable for long-term settlement by intelligent races was far fewer than it seemed.

In recent years, the goblin fleet had swept through many islands and flylands, most of which were colonies controlled by powerful nations like the Bright Dynasty, the Yaling Empire, and the Elf Federation. The small, backward countries established by the native inhabitants of the new world were not yet a priority for the second goblin empire, which was still busy stabilizing the mainland and hunting down human exiles. The goblins felt that their forces were stretched thin, and their pursuit fleets were already overextended in the Starry Sea. Moreover, the resources in these areas were not significant enough to attract their attention.

Knowing this, the goblins would not waste their efforts on barren and unprofitable lands when there were more lucrative targets nearby.

Wick Reef, favored by Luo Zhengdao but strongly opposed by his subordinates, was undoubtedly one of those barren and unprofitable lands, with a large area and a harsh natural environment. Such a desolate place, where even the most resilient plants could not survive, was not a priority for the intelligent races of the new world, who had many other options. Thus, Wick Reef had always been an unclaimed territory. A blank slate, despite its harsh environment, was actually a good thing for Luo Zhengdao, who had limited resources. If he had chosen a prosperous island, it would have become a liability, attracting a large number of human exiles and becoming a constraint on his freedom of action.

If the goblin fleet attacked, not fighting would mean losing all respect and being seen as a coward, making it impossible to attract new followers. Fighting, however, offered little chance of victory and could even cost him his life, a foolish and losing proposition. Luo Zhengdao would not engage in such a risky venture.

Most of his subordinates, opposing Luo Zhengdao’s stubborn decision, believed that establishing a base on Wick Reef was a foolish and irrational act. However, when it came time to work, they did not defy his orders.

Ten days later, Brando Fiery Flame, who had been working late for days, presented a document to Luo Zhengdao with dark circles under his eyes:

"Your Excellency, this is the list of materials and the construction timeline for developing Wick Reef. Please review it and let me know if there are any issues, and I will make the necessary revisions."