The Third Section: He Xiangnu is Overthrown

  Mao Si, who had fallen asleep in a daze not long ago, ended his first sleep after arriving on the Devil's Island when the dawn broke in the eastern sky. He quickly and silently put on his clothes, combat boots, helmet, backpack, gun, and bullets, arranging them in their proper positions. Then, he gently pushed open the wooden door and walked out, starting to run along the narrow and uneven stone path on the half-mountain waist of the Devil's Island.

  The monkey is a low-level rascal who can only live in the cave at the foot of the mountain. At this time, he held back his urine for a long time and finally found a gap from his brothers' bodies to drill out. He lifted his pants and took out that thing, closed his eyes and started enjoying the pleasant process of relieving himself. When he opened his eyes contentedly, he happened to see a "mental patient" running at half mountain waist. The colorful clothes indicated that it was not the fool who was rescued yesterday, but thanks to the monkey's innate farsightedness, this fool was spared from the disaster of being sunburned, starved or thirsty on the small reef.

  "Damn it! Looks like I ate too much at Lao Da's place last night, and now I'm running with a hangover! Neurosis!" Ma Hou felt strange, after scolding himself, he wanted to crawl back into the hole and sleep for a while. It wasn't until he was about to enter the hole that he suddenly came to his senses - how did that idiot's running posture resemble the French soldiers' training exercises he had seen before?! Could it be...

  The monkey suddenly woke up, damn it! If we let the French dog legs run into the island, the 400 or so brothers of the Black Shark Gang and their families will be close to death. We have to take a closer look and report back to the big bosses afterwards.

  The monkey exerted his strength on both eyes, using the kind-hearted sunlight to carefully observe the fool's movements. Like a soldier, only when on duty would he get up early for a run; unlike that, the movement was somewhat different from that of French soldiers... Damn it, what's the point of paying attention to this? A guy who doesn't even know who he is, even if he's a spy for the foreigners, so what? Wasted time that could have been spent napping!

  The Black Shark Gang's headquarters on Devil Island was relatively formal. When the sun was high, a conch shell sounded across the island. This was the signal for the boss to gather all the brothers for a lecture. Ma Si, who had just returned to his thatched hut, was dragged by Long San, whose clothes were disheveled, to rush to the mountain gate. There was a large platform there, where the bosses liked to give lectures and train their brothers. However, since He Lao Da's death, training had never been conducted again.

  Standing in the somewhat disordered ranks, taking advantage of the gap when Gong Er Ge was shouting and saying something that his brothers couldn't understand, Mao San quietly explained the situation on Devil's Island to his new brother.

  The island is actually called Taiping Island (damn! The two island names are separated by 180,000 miles), and the island was occupied by the former leader of the Black Shark Gang during the Daoguang period. There are now over 400 brothers and nearly 700 "family members" on the island, with branches in Annan, Sulu, Malacca, Guangzhou Prefecture, Hong Kong, Macau, responsible for gathering intelligence, providing information and supplies, these branches also have more than 100 people. The personnel on the island are divided into Tianzi Team, Dizi Team, Xunfeng Team, Zhifa Team, Tianzi Team is the best-equipped old leader's confidant, usually responsible for guarding the mountain gate and island reef; Dizi Team is also well-equipped, mainly responsible for doing business (committing crimes), only when encountering a big deal will they use other forces or mobilize the entire gang; Xunfeng Team is mainly responsible for patrolling the surrounding waters, with dual functions of warning and reconnaissance, equipment is the worst; Zhifa Team is controlled by the military advisor, also responsible for some disciplinary and traitorous affairs. In addition, there is a special team - Niangzi Team, which is organized by some women who are eager to join in the fun, but the leader is a formidable figure - the former leader's daughter!

  The former boss surnamed He, and his real name was unknown to many in the gang. It was only heard that this boss was a Fujian native who had served in the navy (Fujian Water Force) and bore deep hatred towards the French and British! So in previous years, he led his men to specifically target British and French ships. As a result, in 1899, he was heavily retaliated against by the British. In order to divert the British warships and protect his brothers and family on Devil's Island, Boss He took a few of his men and deliberately engaged with the British for several days before being killed by cannon fire! Five other brothers also met their demise, including Mao San's older brothers Mao Da and Mao Er.

  Mao San hadn't finished introducing himself when Kong Er Gongzi finally ended his "zhi hu zhe ye" and invited out the former leader, Cai Da Ya. Cai Da Ya was the only son of the previous leader before last, whose father had passed on the position to He Lao Da before he died. He Lao Da had always taken good care of this younger brother, feeling that he owed him something, so he promoted the son of his predecessor. Until He Lao Da's heroic death in battle, Cai Da Ya, who held the actual power, naturally and rightfully became the new leader.

  "Brothers! This, this, oh, last night, these two brothers of the Mao family avenged our Black Shark Gang! Why did Big Brother and the others take revenge? Some brothers knew it last night, Brother Mao San and new brother Mao Si killed 8 British devils, including a lieutenant, haha! Unbelievable! I discussed with several leaders and decided to promote Brother Mao San as vice-gang leader. As for Brother Mao Si, let him get familiar with the situation first, and then assign tasks later. Everyone must respect Vice-Gang Leader Mao San just like they respect me, the gang leader! From now on, whoever can be like the Mao brothers, I'll make them gang leader too!"

  Cai Da Ya spoke passionately, but in his heart, he was overjoyed: Now that Mao San no longer has the Patrol Team, he's just a lone commander. Let's see how he'll hang in there later! Dare to challenge me? No way!

  "The Patrol Team is temporarily led by Wei Da Zhu. Now, everyone please let Vice-Gang Leader speak."

  "Oh, Old Three, come on up!" It was the voice of He Lao Da's old brothers.

  "Third Brother Ma, the boss is calling for you! Haha" These are Cai Daya and Kong Er Gongzi's people.

  Mao San coiled his braids on top of his head, strode onto the stage with a loud "thud thud thud", put his right hand on his waist, and cleared his throat to speak. However, he found himself at a loss for words! The audience below was in an uproar, some worried and anxious, others jeering and laughing, and suddenly everything was in chaos. Mao San saw that the hundreds of people below had lost all sense of order, and with a sudden surge of anger, he let out a loud roar!

  "Shut up and take a look! What kind of team are you guys on?! Where's the spirit we had when Old He was around?! Honestly, looking at this mess now, I'm not even worthy of Old He and my two brothers! Dammit, can't you stand up straight!" Mao San scolded, pointing at one of the small leaders of the Tianzi Team, startling him. Intimidated by Mao San's reputation as the number one expert in Quanbei, he quickly lowered his head, his mocking expression transforming into a respectful and astonished look.

  "Brothers, it's only been a few years, and look at what our Black Shark Gang has become! We've been living off past glories for years, not a single big deal has been made, and some of you have even disobeyed the old boss's rules and gone to rob ordinary people! I, I, I can't stand it! I'm not capable of being deputy boss, please leave this position to other capable brothers. I, Mao San, will no longer be the chief patrolman. With just one ship and 50 brothers, I must restore our former glory! That's all!" Mao San turned around and walked down from the stage, returning to his place in the patrol team.

  Cai Daya was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly understood. Mao San wasn't an uncouth person either, he had clearly seen that this deputy leader was a mere figurehead, so he straightforwardly expressed his refusal in front of the brothers, and even proposed a condition that couldn't be refused. Moreover, this condition had to be fulfilled properly, because all 400 pairs of eyes in the gang were watching!

  Kong Er Gongzi was taken aback, and immediately exchanged glances with Cai Daya, walking to the front of the stage. "Mao San Ye is indeed a true hero! Kong Er admires him, admires him! If all the brothers in the gang were like Mao San Ye, wouldn't the Hei Sha Gang be prosperous? Master, you see..." He spoke up to give Cai Daya some time to think, so the final decision still had to be made by the master, Cai Daya.

  "I think it's settled then, Mao San-ge will still be the deputy leader, and we'll assign Qing Long Hao as his flagship. As for the 50 people, he can choose them himself, and the weapons will also be chosen by him! That's it, everyone can disperse now!" Cai Da-ya had to put on a good show on the surface, making this promise that even he felt was painful.

  Mao San returned home with several older brothers who came to congratulate him, discussing the handover of the Qinglong number. As the younger brother Mao Si, he was naturally looked down upon by others! It wasn't until Mao San revealed that the business deal last night was done single-handedly by Mao Si that everyone reevaluated this strange and silly handsome young man.

  The Qinglong is the second-largest sailboat in the gang, formerly a French patrol ship that was taken over by Chai Daxiong and his brothers. It has been used as the main vessel ever since. Now it's docked at the southern wharf. This 19th-century warship is over 60 meters long, with three masts carrying square sails, and diagonal yards carrying triangular sails and longitudinal sails. Its displacement is around 400 tons, and its top speed can reach 15 knots (nautical miles per hour). The ship is equipped with 20 muzzle-loading cannons that can fire solid shot and shrapnel shells. Overall, it's the best ship in the Hei Sha gang at present!

  Mao San looked particularly happy surrounded by a group of people including Zhou Lai Fu, Zeng Er Liu, Huang Tuo Bei, Li Guo Liang and Zhang Qiu. He was very clear about the significance of today's victory for these old brothers! For a long time, everyone had been idle and dismissed by Cai Da Ya, their subordinates were also transferred away, and only Mao San, the patrol team leader, was doing well, while others were just small team leaders or even didn't have any position. These people were all former confidants of He Lao Da, who were most skilled in sailing and fighting (taught by He Lao Da), and were the absolute main force when the Black Shark Gang dominated the South China Sea! Now the new boss dared not to mess with the foreigners, nor dared to openly violate the previous boss's order "not to disturb the ordinary people", so there was no battle to fight, no work to do, and this batch of main forces became idle. And the days in the gang were getting worse and worse...

  Now that the opportunity has been seized, with the Qinglong and 50 sturdy brothers, business on the sea can thrive again! More importantly, with these, after doing a few deals, everyone in the gang will have a stronger backbone!

  Several people in the room were so excited that they almost blasted the lightly floating roof into the sky. Mao Si thought it was temporarily impossible to make a name for himself, so he wanted to sneak out and think quietly. As soon as he opened the door and took a step out, someone "bumped" into him, and his instinctive reaction made him steady his footing, but the other person was in trouble! The soft body collided with the copper wall and iron fort, and everyone knew how hard it was to bear.

  "Ah!" A startled and flustered woman's voice rang out, as Mao Si realized that the person he had just sent flying was actually a young and beautiful woman with piercing eyes and inverted eyebrows! No wonder he had thought earlier that those two soft and fluffy things were...

  "Who are you?!" The woman spoke up, her voice filled with suppressed (actually not suppressed at all) anger. It also drew out the few people in the house.

  "Hey, Miss He Xiang, what brings you here? Why are you sitting on the ground?" Mao San recognized the person as none other than He Lao Da's treasured daughter, He Xian Gu. He knew that it must have been Dumb and Xian Gu who bumped into each other at the door, and given Dumb's nature, it was a wonder that Miss didn't get hurt! Usually, Mao San treated Miss with great respect, always addressing her by her full name - Ning Shuang. But today, seeing Miss had gotten hurt and was angry, he knew the consequences would be severe! So he hastily put on a smile and changed his tone, quickly reaching out to help the still half-seated Miss up from the ground.

  "Don't you dare! Whoever knocked me down will come and pull!" He Jingfeng had never suffered such a loss before, but now he was being made a spectacle of by a group of old men. He was furious! Seeing Mao San coming to pull him, he quickly made up his mind. Let the guy who knocked him down come and pull, and take advantage of the opportunity to kick him hard, making sure to kick him to the ground!

  "Oh, yeah, yeah, Mao Si, you come and pull, this is the big sister." Mao San awkwardly withdrew his hand, pulling it back while still being a fool savoring the thrilling moment of collision.

  "Oh, okay!" Ah Si's eyes lit up as he quickly walked forward, bent down and stretched out his right hand to pull the beautiful woman who was sitting on the ground in a rage. This woman is really good-looking, so fair-skinned... even when she's angry, she looks great... I wonder how much more beautiful she'll be when she's not angry...

  He Jingfeng also noticed the perpetrator, who turned out to be a young and handsome man, only dressed a bit strangely. Could he be the fool who killed 8 British devils that people were talking about? Looking at his bright eyes, he's definitely not a fool! (Women's observational skills are just strong, an innate advantage, it's enough to make the 400 big men on Mogu Island angry) Oh, his nose is high, and his eyebrows look so good... should I fix him up or not? Of course, I have to! If not, this face will be lost!

  He Ningfeng stretched out her hand, just as the fool felt the woman's skin was tender, a sudden change occurred! A foot flew over quickly...

  With a "thud", just as he grabbed He Ningfeng's hand tightly, the fool felt his left calf being heavily struck, and instantly lost his balance. Under the pull of the woman's small hand in his right hand, he irresistibly fell towards the woman. How could the thin clothes of summer isolate the mutual feeling of two bodies? Cool, soft, firm, bulging... In short, it was as comfortable as it gets!

  The old pirates were stunned!

  He Ningfeng was stunned!

  The fool is so happy he's dead!

  "Hurry up and get up!" He Ningfeng was the first to wake up, after all, her daughter's clean body was being pressed down by a sturdy and strong smelly man, how embarrassing! Moreover, she was being watched by several unscrupulous old men. (She had always heard these old men talking about indecent things with her father at the dinner table!)

  The fool finally woke up. It was impossible to continue enjoying this, so he hurriedly got up with a red face. At this time, He Yingfeng didn't need anyone to pull her either, she directly jumped up and swung her beautifully lined right arm, slapping the man's face with a "slap" sound, leaving behind a souvenir (a palm print) before turning around and running away...

  It doesn't hurt on my face, nor does it hurt on my leg, and it feels quite comfortable! Stupid Mao Si stared blankly at the beautiful figure disappearing into the distance before coming back to his senses. He looked at a group of pirates with expressions of shock, mixed with a hint of envy and schadenfreude, and couldn't say anything. This kind of thing can't be explained well, "Accidental, purely accidental..."

  This interlude passed quickly, after all, having good ships, guns and cannons was the biggest surprise. The pirates, after watching a free show, began discussing who to choose, what guns and cannons to take, when to set off... and other boring topics.

  In Mao Si's view, that ship, those cannons and those low-quality pirates (all of them in the house) were completely suicidal in front of the well-equipped and well-trained British Royal Navy warship! It would be better for this old fool to eat arsenic less often! Otherwise, when the time comes, these guys won't have enough people to drag themselves away, it's a pity!

  It's better to find a quiet place to sort out the recent somewhat dispirited brain, and also take the opportunity to savor that wonderful feeling from just now.

  "Fourth brother, why don't we just hand over a few of the guns that were surrendered yesterday? Fourth brother!" But now Mao San was treating the fool as if he were a god, and when faced with such an intractable problem, he had no choice but to seek guidance from this half-witted deity. Seeing that the fool was still fuming, he raised his voice and let out a "lion's roar".

  "Oh, oh, what's going on?"

  "I say we equip the Qinglong Troop with a few of those fast guns that were handed in yesterday, what do you think?" Mao San had to repeat himself, and as he spoke, he made a "he's always like this" expression towards the older brothers.

  "Ah, we're in trouble! Looks like I won't be able to escape!" Mao Si wasn't stupid and immediately realized the danger he was in. "These people with high fever want me to take the fall for them, and now there's no way I can refuse! After all, that brother is still inside!"

  "I think it's better to go and take a look at the ship and cannons first. We'll be relying on them at sea." Since we can't escape fate's arrangement, let the storm come even more fiercely! However, increasing safety measures is still necessary. The situation with the ship and cannons must be grasped, as they will be crucial in deciding life and death later on.

  Good heavens! Why won't you even spare a fool like me?!

  ;