As Vincent had predicted, the Spaniards were very interested in what Vincent had brought, and they also expressed their intention to order more similar supplies to him. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info Vincent also took the opportunity to confirm that there were no large number of warships in the port of Manila.

News of the almost total annihilation of the Spanish navy in the Far East was sent to Taiwan and Batavia almost simultaneously.

"Daddy, it's been determined, the Spanish battleship has sunk. At least we didn't find it in several ports on Luzon. And the Spaniards could not have hid it in Cebu, far from the main battlefield. To the extent of the damage to that ship, not to enter the port of Luzon, but to travel thousands of miles to Cebu, would be looking for death. So I'm sure that the battleship has sunk. Even with our reconnaissance, they escaped with only one corvette, and the losses were very serious. It is certainly no longer combative, so Daddy, I suggest, we should immediately send a fleet to land in Luzon and begin a total blockade and siege of the Spanish port. In Anping, Zheng Sen reported to Zheng Zhilong.

"Well, if that's the case, we can do it. I don't know what the Dutch are up to now, though. So I think it's better to take a break and look at the Dutchman's actions first. Anyway, the positions we have in Luzon today are not something that the Spaniards can take in a short time. Actually, I think it's better for the Spaniards to attack our strongholds than for us to fight the Spanish strongholds. Well, Arsen, do you think Daddy's statement makes sense? Zheng Zhilong shook his head and said so.

"Daddy, what's the news you've got? About the Dutch? Zheng Sen hurriedly asked. Zheng Sen knew that Zheng Zhilong had a lot of ears on the Dutch side.

"The Dutch are going to do something to Cebu. It's not once or twice that the Dutch have wanted to move the Spaniards, and after our win this time, the Dutch were a little moved again. I reckon that once the losses of the Spaniards were determined, the Dutch would have their hands on it. Zheng Zhilong said.

"Even if the Dutch had done it, the Spaniards would not have mobilized their forces in Luzon because of this." "They don't lose a big deal because of a small thing. But at least we don't have to worry about the Dutch suddenly colluding with the Spaniards. ”

"The Dutch will not collude with the Spaniards on the surface, they wish the Spaniards were finished." Zheng Sen said, "The children feel that if we don't move, they won't move. ”

……

In a European-style garden in Batavia, several men sit at a long table and chat. The two children ran over, picked up an apple from the table, turned around and handed it to the other child, then turned around and took another.

"Henry, you take your brother to the side to play, and Daddy has something to say to the uncles." A man bent down and reached out and slapped the child in the face. The boy took his brother and ran away.

"Sherlock, how do you think we can take advantage of the situation?" The man straightened up, picked up a glass of wine, and said to the other man.

"The easiest thing to do, of course, is to take advantage of this opportunity to do something to the Spaniards. The collapse of the Spaniards' maritime power in the Far East made it difficult for them to resist our attack on Cebu, and it was not difficult to take Cebu. It's just that Mr. Hammel, you know, the changes in the Chinese in recent years are really worrying. Sherlock, who was as stocky as an oak barrel for beer, replied.

"Yes. The Chinese have now become a bit like a European country. I don't know if it's sad or happy. Hamel nodded and said, "Now at sea, the Chinese are indeed very strong. It's too close to them, too far from Europe, to be compared with either the Spaniards or us in terms of manpower alone. However, compared to before, their attitude towards trade is very gratifying. As you know, we need to import a lot of goods from China, but it's hard for us to buy them, and the Chinese hardly order anything from us. This makes silver flow in one direction towards China, and makes our ships almost empty when they sail to China, which is an absolute waste. But now, the Chinese order a lot of various materials from us every year, such as rice, such as various copper ore and iron ore, such as struvite, and so on. We buy Chinese tea, silk, porcelain, and ship it back to Europe, making a lot of money; Then we can sell things to the Chinese and make a small profit, so in summary, the company has made huge profits in trade with China over the years, and the income of the entire company has almost doubled. I don't think anyone can live with such huge profits. As long as the Chinese continue to let us make money like this, it is impossible for us to take the initiative to do anything hostile to China. ”

"I know that, too, but, Mr. Hummel, I am still worried that if one day the Chinese are going to deal with us like the Spaniards, what will we do?" Sherlock said with a frown.

"First of all, it's just a possibility, and for some kind of possibility in the future that may not be realized, we have to pay the price of huge profits now. Do you think the company would do something like this? Moreover, we are not without other ways to reduce the possibility of war with the Chinese. For example, making war less than worth it for them. Hamel said.

"Let the war be too much for them?" Sherlock repeated.

"Yes, Sherlock. The reason why China has such a dominant position is largely that they are the only suppliers in many ways, and there are many sellers. We, the Spaniards, the British, the French. This situation is naturally unbalanced, and to achieve balance, we must make us the only, or at least irreplaceable, major sellers......"

At this, Hamel paused for a moment, a meaningful smile on his face.

"Spain is a seller close to us, and after the elimination of Spain, we are the main and irreplaceable middleman in a short period of time. In this way, in a short time, at least until we complete our term and return to Europe, the Chinese will not be able to do anything to us. As for the long term, such a long time, coupled with the increased profits obtained from it, will only tie our relationship with the Chinese more and more tightly. So at least for now, the question is not which side to stand on, but how to achieve greater benefits at a lower cost. Moving on the Spaniards was inevitable, the only question being when we did it, before or after the Chinese attacked Manila. Generally speaking, it may be less difficult to start after the Chinese, but the corresponding gains will be smaller. ”