April 6, 1643, Monday, February 18, the sixteenth year of Chongzhen of the Ming Empire.

In the early morning, a rare formation of transport ships of the Chinese and US Navy appeared in the open sea of the overseas territory of Pearl Island, consisting of six large transport ships and escorted by one frigate. The formation carried 2,260 officers and men of the Eastern Brigade of the Chinese and American Defense Army, and the number of transport ships dispatched accounted for half of the Chinese and American Navy.

In the past two months or so, the officers and men of the Eastern Brigade have completed the first phase of the formation training at the overseas consulate of Yueshan Island in the Indian Ocean. Even if there are a considerable number of veterans, it may take several months for the entire brigade to truly form combat effectiveness.

More than two months ago, Brigadier General Deng Jian, former commander of the Haizhou Regional Command, was ordered to come to Pearl Island and became the first supreme commander of the Army's Far Eastern Regional Command.

It has probably not been seen for many years that the Wehrmacht has been stationed on such a large scale, and when more than 2,000 officers and soldiers of the Eastern Brigade lined up to pass through the city of Guò, almost 10,000 people in the entire Pearl City were empty.

Except for the serious officers, the soldiers of the Eastern Brigade all changed into tropical thin cloth uniforms, even if the steel helmet was tied around the waist and only a soft cloth hat was worn on the head, it was still all kinds of sweaty wolf bèi, but no one dared to wipe it lightly. A team of more than 2,000 men formed a curved line through the city and walked like a long snake towards the army garrison camp in the western interior.

In addition to the hundreds of recruits recruited from Pearl Island, most of the officers and soldiers showed curious eyes on this large Far Eastern town with a population of nearly 30,000 and prosperity no less than that of the mainland.

"What used to be nothing more than a tattered fishing village and a bunch of beggars is now plump enough to mock Nanshan Harbor and the city of Yuexi, and even the English dancers. But it's still so hot and annoying, it's such an uncomfortable place......"

Crossroads. In front of the newly built Far East Regional Command building, the officers of the brigade headquarters broke away from the ranks and prepared to be received by Brigadier General Deng Jian. The officers were smiling at the cheering townspeople, while Makarov, who was the sergeant major at the brigade headquarters, was staring intently at the elaborate and atmospheric street garden and a pub not far away. Although there are some mean words in his mouth, there is a gleeful look in his eyes.

"Lieutenant Colonel Qiao Yan, before Colonel Jean arrives, you will temporarily serve as the training director of the Far Eastern Regional Command, do you have any opinions?" After meeting several old subordinates one after another, Deng Jian turned his head to a silent Chinese lieutenant colonel among the officers, only to see that the other party was looking a little distracted in a certain direction of the city.

“…… I'm sorry. General, I guess it's going to be more difficult with my abilities, right? Qiao Yan hurriedly turned around and saluted, not hiding the cautious nature of his honest character.

"Hehe, it's still very cautious, but it's not good to be too modest. I read General Scott's report earlier, and he spoke highly of your ability to organize and train troops. I think General Scott recommended a number of excellent officers for us this time. Although the Eastern Brigade is a brand new unit, it can definitely grow into the strongest elite of the Wehrmacht! ”

Deng Jian, who was born as a migrant worker at the dock, was the most typical iron-blooded soldier of the army, and did not have too many strong pro-oriental emotional impulses, and Deng Jian led the army affairs of the entire Far East. It is the best choice for the General Command of the Army. After rising in status and knowledge over the years, Deng Jian has become more elegant, and in the face of his old subordinates who were still unknown in the Northern Campaign, Deng Jian seemed full of ambition.

"Yes. General, I'll do my best. The team around him continued to move forward, and Qiao Yan accidentally saw Yu Shan, so he accepted Deng Jian's appointment after squeezing out a smile.

……

In the cheering crowd in the middle of the road. A Chinese-American Navy sergeant major, who appears to be on vacation, is watching the ranks of the Army with a child in his arms, and is beside him. Another middle-aged Chinese couple had a bad expression.

"Isn't it a big deal that so many soldiers have entered the city...... Huzi, is there really no problem for a big girl to go to the capital these days? The middle-aged sister-in-law of the Chen family tightly dragged a girl about fifteen or sixteen years old beside her, looking a little nervous.

"The teacher said that the capital Manchester is much bigger than here, and the newspapers have written that it can still snow there in winter. People are so old that they have never seen snow ......."

The girl next to the sister-in-law of the Chen family saw that her mother was worried about her admission to Manchester City Vocational and Technical University, so she quickly tightened her mother's sleeve.

"What are you talking about? What kind of Rausch son was born, and the daughter's family thought that the wings were stiff after learning a few words, and they thought that life here was uncomfortable? If you dare to leave the house, your mother and I will have to break your legs! On the other side, the man of the Chen family glared angrily, and resolutely opposed his daughter's behavior of holding the school's chicken feathers as an arrow, "Huzi, tell your niece reason, don't think that the outside is the world of flowers, I don't know the depth!" ”

The girl of the Chen family, who was scolded by her parents, is the baby girl who Huang Huer entrusted to the Chen family to raise more than ten years ago, and is now about to graduate from middle school. Huang Hu'er herself, on the other hand, officially applied to move to Pearl Island three years ago to serve in the Asian Fleet for long-term volunteer service, and finally became neighbors with the Chen family.

"Brother Chen, this is a good thing. Now the Higher Vocational and Technical College in Pearl City will have to wait a year to get it done, and the big girl is born to study, and it is not ashamed to go to the capital to study and see the world. ”

Huang Hu'er touched the head of her son in her arms, smiled at the girl of the Chen family who was flushed, and began to help speak: "Sister-in-law, when the child arrives in Manchester City, if you are not at ease, you can go to my sister and brother-in-law's house to live, and I will write a letter for the eldest girl to bring with me." ”

"Uh-huh, I'm going to live at my aunt's house!" When the Chen family girl heard that someone supported her, she immediately laughed like a flower.

"Hey, a girl's house, is it appropriate to run to the capital...... Why don't I go and watch her too? Seeing that the people he trusted the most had pushed the children out, the sister-in-law of the Chen family was also a little hesitant.

"Hmph, don't come back if you are embarrassed in the future!" Seeing that his wife's attitude was relaxed, the Chen family man blew his beard and glared, so he simply turned around and walked home.

"Don't worry. Why don't I send you a telegram a week to help you ask? Huang Hu'er smiled again, and was a little helpless about the old-fashioned elder brother of the Chen family.

"No, no! Send a telegram for a word and a dime, how expensive is that, and now you are dragging your family...... Why not once a month? The sister-in-law of the Chen family saw that her husband was leaving in a huff, and quickly lowered her voice embarrassedly.

A family episode faded away in the midst of the bustle, and when the back of the last officer and soldier of the Eastern Brigade disappeared to the edge of the city, the Pearl City regained its old rhythm and atmosphere. It is foreseeable that the entry of a large number of troops will inevitably bring a lot of economic income to the local area.

Several inland farm areas on the outskirts of Pearl City. The first crop of rice is ripe and about to be harvested. Nearly 10,000 acres of rice fields are already golden, several steam tractors with combine harvesters are doing the final inspection work, and a number of farmers wearing sunshade hats are standing on the side of the road with a smile and pointing.

With large-scale import channels of rice from Siam, Champa or Annam, the local rice cultivation in the overseas territory of Pearl Island can only be regarded as a symbolic industry, and it has not been valued by local farmers because of the low cost of manpower and the low purchase price of the state. But since this year, the Mingzhu Grain Bureau has suddenly raised the local rice purchase price, and the price of rice for rice farmers on Mingzhu Island has reached an all-time high. US$ 15 per tonne of rice.

Old citizens and farm operators like the Chen family have contracted 100 acres of paddy fields, and after removing various costs and taxes, they can earn about $400 in net profits this year from just two crops of rice. It does not include vegetables and fruits planted between the two seasons. These earnings are proper landlords in Daming, and the days are quite promising.

Affected by local policies, many rice farmers on Pearl Island are considering whether to continue to buy or lease land to expand the scale of rice cultivation. Although rice is by no means a local agricultural project that makes a lot of money. But it is better to be familiar with the stability of dìng, even if the price of rice drops again in the future, you can still change to other crops.

……

A week after arriving at the new station. Without waiting for all the officers and men to adapt to the local climate, the second phase of military training of the Eastern Brigade began. Now this month, the climate on Pearl Island is a little more humid than that of the Caribbean and Madagascar, which makes more than 2,000 officers and men a little unbearable.

The day after Ren Xingzhong arrived on Pearl Island, he received a promotion notice from the Ministry of Defense and became a captain in the army. In addition to serving as the commander of the first company, he also served as the deputy commander of the first battalion. Today, at least half of his company is made up of soldiers from the mainland, which is one of the most unaccustomed companies.

“…… Dear Anne, this season, the climate of Pearl Island is similar to that of the Caribbean, but it is more humid, and the military uniform may be soaked with sweat after only an hour of exposure to the sun. Of course, we probably won't really be here in the future...... The city of Pearl is more beautiful than I thought, and the half-sleeved tulle skirt and pigeon-feather sunhat that were popular in Manchester City last summer were popular in the boutique here, presumably due to the climate...... Sergeant Major Yu Shan has been transferred to my battalion, and with the help of an experienced veteran like him, my job will be easy......"

The sky was a scorching sun, the ears were full of all kinds of slogans for training officers and soldiers, hundreds of sweaty soldiers were doing the tactical maneuvers of crawling forward, and a group of non-commissioned officers were shouting and shouting. In the pergola of the training ground, Ren Xingzhong looked at the coconut groves and banana groves in the distance, and began to write letters.

"Captain, I think we should rest for two more days." Yu Shan, who was fortunate enough to be transferred to any battalion as a battalion sergeant major, walked down from the training ground with a trace of wild banana leaves in his mouth and poured bitter water on Ren Xingzhong.

"This is the training schedule drawn up by Sergeant Major Makarov at the brigade headquarters, I thought you must have communicated with Guò before." Ren Xingzhong covered the diary with a smile and handed over the kettle beside him, "Probably he hopes to make the soldiers sweat thoroughly for a few days before they can really adapt to the climate here." ”

"That premise is that he must ignore the fact that there are more than fifty unlucky ghosts with diarrhea in the camp now, and they were shivering from the cold a few months ago......," Yu Shan poured water into his mouth, looking very dissatisfied, "That big monkey must be overexcited, you should know how dark the psychology of a person like him is!" ”

Yu Shan's "intermittent resentment" was well known to passers-by in the Eastern Brigade for a short time, and the soldiers liked this little sergeant major who spoke for the little soldiers. And Sergeant Major Makarov's rudeness and sometimes wise foolishness also impressed the officers. The two experienced and experienced Master Majors are trusted by the Army's Far East Regional Command.

"Then today's training will be counted at 15 o'clock in the afternoon. In addition, having the soldiers drink more saline can help improve environmental adaptation. Ren Xingzhong looked at the sun above his head, and then took out his pocket watch to take a look. In the end, Yu Shan's opinion was respected.

"Sergeant Major Yushan! Please report to the Regional Command at 5 p.m. for inquiries. ”

While the two were exchanging training matters, a herald ran into the training ground and handed Yu Shan an order.

"Just me? Didn't say anything? ”

Looking around, Yu Shan pinched the sweat-soaked command paper, his expression was a little puzzled, and he thought that he had offended some big person. Or that the goods commissioned by himself and Makarov from Moonhill Island have arrived on Pearl Island, and then they have been known by others.

"I heard that it was recommended by Sergeant Major Makarov, it seems that he chose someone to go to the Northern Continent, and I don't know about the rest." The heralds are also honest. When he saw that the order arrived, he gave a military salute and ran away again.

"the big monkey! Is it only a few days before we go to war? Yu Shan looked at the back of the herald in the distance, and his face was rotten again.

"There are still a few hours left, you can go back to the camp early to rest and prepare. By the way, last time you were talking about sending a shipment from Gassan Island with Sergeant Major Makarov? If it arrives, I will entrust it to the people of the Oriental Union Group to get it. Sergeant Yushan, I know this is a rare opportunity, but I think your energy should be more focused on the troops. ”

Ren Xingzhong seemed to know what Yu Shan was thinking at this time, and took out a business card of a business manager of OUCC Group in the Far East from his pocket. Quietly stuffed into the other party's hand, and then walked away.

"Young Master Ren is getting more and more official...... These days, it's really not easy to make a fortune. Yu Shan glanced at the business card in his hand, revealing a helpless expression.

……

The office of the Army Far Eastern Regional Command. From the time I bought it to now, it is still in the process of simple renovation. It used to be the hall where the Far East Branch of the Oriental Union Group was first established, and it was only one street away from the city hall. In the internal meeting, an ad hoc meeting initiated by the Ministry of National Defense was underway, and Deng Jian was not the only one who participated in the meeting. They also included Fan Li, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Far Eastern Affairs Department, and Jin Xiaohan, director of the Asian Intelligence Department, who came from Hong Kong.

“…… With the cooperation of Zhao Mingchuan, the problem of Zhao Youheng, the governor of Guangdong, was basically solved. Loan assistance is provided by the Oriental Union Group, with the Liangguang gentry and Nanhai firms affected by us as the backstage. Behind the scenes, he participated in the formation of Zhao Youheng's Guangdong New Army. ”

In addition, Sun Erxi has helped Zhang Jianye to take refuge in Zhao Youheng and serve as the chief instructor of the New Army. Zhao Youheng acquiesced in Zhang Jianye's construction and will bring in military advisers from us to coordinate the formation and training of the new army. In terms of equipment, the OUCC intends to refer to the Irish and Temasek models and sell Type 34A breech-loading flintlock pistols and 8-pounder field guns to the Guangdong New Army. The first batch of weapons and equipment ordered by Zhao Youheng was shipped from the mainland last month, and it will probably take another month and a half to arrive. Because of the problem of production capacity, it is necessary to complete the production and supply of all tens of thousands of 34A breech flintlock guns, which I am afraid will continue until the beginning of next year. ”

Jin Xiaohan flipped through his notepad and explained the progress of the past month one by one.

"Even if Zhao Youheng and Zhang Jianye are in charge, it is unlikely that we will swagger in and send people in, right? Judging from Xiaojin's meaning, for such a scale of the Guangdong New Army, we must transfer at least 50 non-commissioned officers. The Eastern Brigade is still in training, and it is unlikely that it will be able to draw up so many manpower to deal with several directions. Deng Jian looked at the "Guangdong New Army Support Plan" drawn up by Fan Li and Jin Xiaohan in their busy schedules, and was still a little hesitant.

"Hehe, it's not shocking, as early as the Apocalypse, the Ming Dynasty repeatedly hired Portuguese officers and gunners from Macao to help the Ming army train, and even participated in battles. As for manpower, we will hire mainly from Blackwater Security, all veterans of the Army. Deng Jian, you can send some high-level backbones here. According to our plan, our main military advisers will be concentrated in Qiongzhou, and with the Nanhai Company and the Oriental Union Group there, everything will be easier to operate. ”

Fan Li waved his hand with a smile, indicating that he had already considered the actual situation.

"Well, in that case, that's fine. However, this advisory group must be under the general control of regular non-commissioned officers, and even if it is armed by landlords, it must really act like an army. Otherwise, those old oilmen of the Blackwater Security Company who have been scattered for a few years, God knows what bad problems they will bring to Daming. In this case, I have entrusted the specific matters to Lieutenant Colonel Qiao and Sergeant Major Makarov, and they will decide on the specific list of personnel to be sent. ”

Deng Jian saw that the matter was very well thought out, so he agreed to the final plan.

"By the way, what does Luzon say? You've got a lot to do this year. Just as he was about to end the meeting, Deng Jian suddenly asked again.

"With our favoritism, Li Guozhu's Luzon Independence Army basically took control of the situation, and all that remained was to talk to the Spanish plenipotentiary, and the whole negotiation process is estimated to be several months. Xiaojin and I can't get out of it, and the cabinet has entrusted Pearl Mayor Aniel as a temporary representative, responsible for participating in the entire diplomatic negotiations. ”

Fan Li's expression was very calm, and he seemed to be full of confidence in the "hermit crab" plan that he had outlined for many years. (To be continued......)