Chapter 20

"WHAT? Pirates are coming to attack us?" Xiao Mingli shouted, somewhat losing his composure.

"Yes," Gao Mo nodded solemnly. "Captain Kwait learned this information while his ship was docked for repairs in Guyana. They're not really pirates, but rather some smugglers—French smugglers who are interested in our porcelain but unwilling to pay for it."

"Why would they attack us?" Xiao Mingli still hadn't processed the news.

"Not everyone wants to do business honestly," Wang Qian said coldly. "We have porcelain, and it seems we have a lot. Such high profits are hard for many to resist. Even this Kwait, if he didn't know we had some strength and wanted to monopolize the porcelain trade, I think he would have the same idea as those French smugglers."

"Old Gao, is this information reliable?" Ma Qianzu asked seriously. "This is important because it means we need to adjust our focus for the next period."

"Captain Kwait told me that this information is not a secret in Guyana and Pernambuco. The French smugglers (or pirates) have already gathered two large ships. They are still waiting to see if more people will join them. But no matter what, they will head south by the time the January trade winds start. We must be prepared. The good news in this bad news is that these bandits have no idea about our strength," Gao Mo replied with a serious expression.

"I think we must take this matter seriously," Ma Qianzu mused for a moment and said, "Better to believe it is true than to believe it is false. We can't afford to take risks. The army and navy must start preparing for war. All ongoing projects must be reviewed, and any non-essential ones should be temporarily halted. Resources must be concentrated to serve the possible war. In addition, I propose that we hold an early general assembly." As he finished speaking, Ma Qianzu raised his right hand. The general assembly was held annually, fixed in December each year.

Soon, the other ten members of the executive committee raised their hands one by one to indicate their agreement.

After the executive committee determined the policy, they immediately began to spread the news to every corner, notifying every representative of the general assembly (i.e., all the time travelers). At the docks, on fishing boats, in the fields, in stables, in brick kilns, in workshops, on watchtowers, and in front of gun emplacements, every time traveler who received the notification hurried back. Of course, each unit left necessary personnel on duty; a group of several dozen time travelers from Fort Dingyuan set sail back, authorized by all the people of Fort Dingyuan.

This was the second time the general assembly was convened temporarily or early. The last time was when the Orange River suddenly entered the Big Fish River in the first half of the year.

The meeting hall was adjacent to the residential area, with poor lighting. The small meeting room was crowded with over 400 people, making it feel cramped. Liu Weimin, the chairman of the general assembly, who had not been seen for a long time, presided over the meeting. Liu Weimin first briefly introduced the topics of today's meeting, and then the heads of various departments detailed them.

The first few topics were about the annual work summary and the next year's work plan, which were quickly glossed over. Soon, the main topic of the day came up: Executive Committee Chairman Ma Qianzu proposed a motion to prepare for war and deal with the possible attack.

This proposal immediately sparked the meeting. The time travelers were facing an external threat for the first time. Intense discussions lasted for a full half hour, followed by a vote.

This time, the time travelers were clearly united in their resolve. Almost all 400 people present voted in favor, and the proposal was passed.

On November 17, Captain Kwait, after receiving an additional payment of 100,000 ducats in cash, set sail back to Amsterdam with 316 sets of porcelain. The time travelers then began their frantic war preparations.

First, they inventoried their war supplies. Including the supplies brought by Captain Kwait, the time travelers currently had 10 24-pound cannons, 12 18-pound cannons, 10 12-pound cannons, 8 8-pound cannons, 2 6-pound cannons, 4 4-pound cannons, and 4 3-pound cannons, totaling 50 cannons of various types.

While the number of cannons was sufficient, skilled gunners were in short supply. The time travelers continued to install 12-pound and larger caliber ship cannons at the three port fortifications while also training more gunners. Additionally, former gunners among the immigrants were given special attention. The executive committee promised that if they participated in the possible war, they would immediately gain the status of free citizens after the war and receive a generous reward. Even if the war did not break out, they would still receive a substantial bonus.

By November 18, when the port fortification defense team was formed, there were only about 100 experienced gunners, of which only 60 to 70 were time travelers. Fortunately, there was still some time, and the time travelers recruited a large number of new gunners from the immigrants to begin training.

The fortification defense team, in addition to the artillery, also included an expanded infantry unit based on the police force, with a provisional strength of 250 people. This unit was equipped with 200 Suo firearms, 50 new-style dog-lock firearms (early flintlock firearms), and several high-precision hunting crossbows.

This unit was established to defend the city and the fortifications, with the main members being time travelers and the first batch of Swiss immigrants. These immigrants had been there for over half a year and were more loyal than the subsequent batches. Of course, pirates have a poor reputation and are known for their ruthless behavior, so it was unlikely that anyone with a rational mind would join them.

Currently, "Tatan Port" and Fort Dingyuan had a total population of 1,985 people, including 568 time travelers. Among the immigrants, the first batch of 182 Swiss immigrants (1 deceased) were relatively reliable; the second batch of 227 Finnish and Livonian immigrants were considered basically reliable; the third, fourth, and fifth batches of immigrants were numerous, and due to the short time, the influence of the time travelers among them was still weak.

Of course, weak influence did not mean they would cause problems. After all, they were people who couldn't make a living in the old continent and came to the new continent just to have a full meal. The time travelers had not mistreated them in this regard, and with the notorious pirates as the enemy, there was no need to worry about anyone defecting or turning against them.

The walls surrounding the main city had been completed two months ago, with 1.5-meter-thick brick walls capable of withstanding most light artillery fire from the army. The south, north, and west city gates were made of sturdy oak, covered in iron, providing some protection.

The installation of cannons on the fortifications continued. The time travelers, using manpower and animal power, managed to install the cannons on the gun positions. After much effort, by the end of November, the firepower of the three fortifications had been significantly enhanced. The main fortification, Fort No. 1, had 10 24-pound cannons, 4 18-pound cannons, and 2 12-pound cannons, providing strong naval firepower; Fort No. 2 had 4 18-pound cannons and 4 12-pound cannons; Fort No. 3 also had 4 18-pound cannons and 4 12-pound cannons.

These cannons were installed in semi-enclosed shelters, each corresponding to a specific area. With extensive test firing and a thorough understanding of each cannon's performance and design parameters, the enemy fleet would be in a dire situation when it arrived.

In addition to the naval cannons, the three fortifications also had several land defense gun positions. These positions were mainly equipped with light artillery used by the army, though not in large numbers. The remaining army artillery was installed on the city walls at each city gate to deter enemy infantry.

From that day on, the docks of "Tatan Port" were filled with the constant sound of cannon fire. The gunners were conducting live-fire training, measuring various shooting parameters. At this point, it would be foolish for the executive committee to be stingy with money. Like marksmen, gunners are trained with ammunition, and the more they train, the more accurate they will be in battle.

The production of the 31st-year full-body armor was in full swing. The weapons workshop could produce about 70 sets of armor per month, and with some stock, by January, there would be a conservative estimate of over 150 sets. This armor, which could protect against musket fire from a distance, was highly favored by the time travelers and immigrants. Having more of this life-saving equipment significantly boosted the morale of the troops.

On November 20, the 150 acres of potatoes outside the city were harvested, yielding nearly 300,000 pounds of potatoes.

Despite the impending war, the executive committee did not delay agricultural production. A new 400 acres of potato fields were planted over the following week.

In addition, daily training was conducted with overtime. All unnecessary entertainment activities were canceled, and a tense atmosphere enveloped "Tatan Port."