Outnumbered? I'll conquer America with an unlimited number of suicide soldiers.

Chapter 87: Reaching Level 12 and the Enraged Royal Navy

Chinatown.

Zeng Tai pulled his thoughts away from Hongwu and the others.

"Naval battles are still a thrill to watch; they remind me of my time aboard the Jackdaw."

Jian Yuan, standing to the side, scratched his head and couldn't help but ask, "My lord, you've even sailed a boat before?"

Zeng Tai raised an eyebrow and said, "Of course, back in the day, I wielded two swords and commanded four weapons, wreaking havoc in the Caribbean. You know Edward the Blackbeard, right? He's one of my underlings."

Jian Yuan's lips twitched, his face clearly showing disbelief.

Although he wasn't quite right in the head, he knew that Edward Teach the Blackbeard had been dead for over a hundred years.

Zeng Tai didn't care, stretched, and got up from the recliner.

"Fine, don't believe me then. What are we having for lunch today?"

Jianyuan said, "Let's try something different today and have Shandong cuisine. I plan to make four dishes: Braised Pork Intestines, Stir-fried Double Crispy Dishes, Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions, and Braised Fish Fillets in Fermented Rice Wine Sauce."

"Remember to clean the Nine-Turned Intestines thoroughly," Zeng Tai instructed.

You can rest assured.

Jianyuan said, "By the way, my lord, why didn't you have Hongwu and the others deal with those British soldiers who fell into the water?"

"With so many small islands nearby, there's a high chance they'll survive. Wouldn't that leak information about the Wind Chaser and Wavebreaker? Our ships can't stop the Royal Navy's fleet in Hong Kong."

"Because it's unnecessary."

Zeng Tai squinted at the sky, where the sun shone brightly. "The 'Fear of Death' group has already turned several of them into their own people; they'll handle things."

As soon as he finished speaking, the system upgrade interface popped up in front of him.

【Name: Life for Life System】

[Host: Zeng Tai]

[Level: 12]

[Effect: Automatically generates 2,048 elite warriors daily, whose physical strength is 2.2 times that of a normal adult Homo sapiens male.]

Current number of assassins: 35120

Number of summonable assassins: 2048

[Upgrade condition: Kill 4096 humans (1/4096)]

[Currently Unlocked Sub-items]:

[Hive Consciousness]: You can simultaneously access all information perceived by your subordinate assassins and communicate telepathically. With your permission, all your assassins can form a communication sub-network and achieve long-distance communication.

[The dead fear death]: ————

[Warspace Teleportation]: You can place a newly summoned assassin next to an already summoned assassin. After consuming a certain number of summoning slots, you can instantly teleport an already summoned assassin and its equipment to the side of another assassin.

Consumption quota = Total mass (kg) / 100

[Thirst for knowledge]: ————

[Exquisite craftsmanship]: ————

[Practicing medicine to help the world]: ————

Strategic Planning: ————

Lord of Humanity: ————

[The Angel of Death]: ————

"Look, they've got it all sorted out."

Zeng Tai whistled as he sensed the new consciousnesses emerging in his mind.

"Now, even the captain and first mate are on our side."

[Please choose whether to unlock a new sub-skill or upgrade an existing one.]

A system prompt appeared, and Zeng Tai thought for a moment before choosing to unlock the new sub-skill.

【Soul of Ten Thousand Machines】: You can choose to summon assassins with this trait.

Those with this trait are the ultimate specialists in the fields of production and construction. With the aid of their skills, they can complete all mechanical tasks such as manufacturing, repair, and assembly at an unbelievable speed.

The cost is occupying four summoning slots.

"Holy crap, has Om Messiah appeared?"

Zeng Tai stared wide-eyed at the skill description, his mind immediately racing.

"If these were used to build armored cruisers, wouldn't the ship's launching speed be accelerated by several months or even a year?"

As he was lost in thought, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Wait a minute, System, isn't the new skill a bit redundant with 'Ingenious Craftsmanship'?"

"Exquisite craftsmanship" refers to exceptional practical and hands-on skills, while "the soul of all machines" represents the ultimate specialist in the fields of production and construction. Isn't this just a different way of saying the same thing?

Unexpectedly, the system, which had been completely silent for so long, finally started to respond.

[After testing, this sub-skill has little similarity to "Exquisite Craftsmanship".]

"If there aren't many similarities, then there are similarities. I don't care, I want compensation."

After a long silence, the system replied again:

[Sub-item skill "Exquisite Craftsmanship" has been upgraded]

[Original effect: You can choose to summon a suicide soldier with this trait. Suicide soldiers with this trait will have super practical and hands-on abilities. The cost is that they occupy two summoning slots.]

Areas of interest: Civil engineering, power engineering, communications, and military industry.

[New Feature: Added Aerospace Engineering specialization. Those who choose this specialization will be skilled in building and repairing rockets.]

The capability to develop satellites, space stations, and even improvised orbital weapons.

?

"No, buddy, this year is 1855, not 1955."

Zeng Tai's lips twitched. "The technologies needed for spaceflight are either not yet invented or under development. Technological leaps aren't done like this!"

The system stopped responding this time.

Zeng Tai waited a few seconds to confirm that the system was indeed playing dead before he sighed and looked away from the interface.

Well, something is better than nothing.

After all, you'll need it eventually.

Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Royal Naval Base, Commander-in-Chief's Office.

Rear Admiral James Stirling, Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Fleet, put down his report, his brow furrowed.

On the desk in front of him lay a brief oral record, while Lieutenant Colonel Harvey sat opposite him in a chair, wrapped in a thick blanket and holding a cup of hot tea.

He was rescued by a passing merchant ship, along with several of his subordinates who also survived.

"You mean," Stirling began slowly, "that the Rattlesnake was ambushed and sunk while pursuing two merchant ships hijacked by pirates?"

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey nodded: "Yes, General."

"How many pirate ships?"

"Two ships, those two hijacked merchant ships."

Stirling's brow furrowed even more: "Two 400-ton armed merchant ships sank a steam-powered Tier VI ship equipped with 12 cannons?"

"Ha, Harvey, are you playing some kind of April Fool's joke on me?!"

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey paused for a moment, then said, "General, those two ships are extremely skilled at maneuvering. They used the complex terrain of the archipelago to their advantage, splitting their forces: one lured us into a narrow waterway, while the other attacked from the rear. So—"

"Enough, Harvey!"

Sterling slammed his fist on the table, suppressing his anger, and said, "You've served in the Royal Navy for so many years, I've watched you grow up with my own eyes. I don't believe that the meager firepower of two armed merchant ships could cause you such a huge loss!"

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey remained silent.

Stirling sighed: "The sinking of a Royal Navy warship by a group of pirates will tarnish our prestige throughout the Far East."

"Harvey, even I can't help you this time."

"I know, General," said Lieutenant Colonel Harvey. "I am willing to accept any punishment."

"Go and get some rest," Sterling waved his hand. "The military court will be investigating this matter tomorrow."

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey left the office accompanied by two Navy sailors.

Sterling watched him leave and then rang the bell on the table.

Soon, his adjutant came out from the side door. "Your Excellency, Commander."

Sterling asked, "What did the other soldiers who came back with Harvey say?"

"Their testimony is consistent with that of Lieutenant Colonel Harvey; they were indeed ambushed in a narrow waterway."

"The first mate testified that the enemy bombs were very lucky, hitting the same area several times in a row, which ignited the coal bunker and ultimately caused the warship to explode and sink."

"You're very lucky?"

Sterling repeated the word, his tone tinged with doubt. "Do you think they might collude?"

The adjutant took a document from his pocket and handed it to Sterling: "Commander, I think the chances are very slim."

"The other sailors who were rescued by other merchant ships said that the orders they heard from beginning to end were all reasonable, except for one thing that they found strange."

Sterling took the file, his brow furrowing. "Strange?"

The adjutant nodded: "Yes, a sailor from the damage control team said that the cannons of the merchant ship opposite were extremely powerful, blowing through the watertight compartments in one go and even setting the wood on board ablaze."

Sterling said, "Investigate those two ships, find out where they came from, and what kind of ammunition they used."

"I have a feeling this is definitely not an ordinary merchant ship."

"Yes, Commander."

The next day, the Winchester.

This ship was the flagship of the Royal Navy's China Fleet, a fourth-class ship with a displacement of 1700 tons and 50 guns.

The island is undoubtedly the dominant maritime power in the entire Asia-Pacific region.

A makeshift courtroom was set up on the aft deck, where four colonels sat, with Major General Stirling himself in the center.

Behind them hung a huge Royal Navy ensign, which fluttered in the sea breeze. Naval soldiers stood solemnly on either side, armed to the teeth.

After hours of questioning, debate, and evidence gathering, Major General Stirling stood up and announced the verdict: "Lieutenant Colonel Henry Boyce Harvey."

Harvey, stand at attention.

"After deliberation, this court finds that you committed minor negligence in the pursuit of the pirates, failing to adequately assess the enemy situation, which led to the sinking of the ship. However, considering factors such as the complex terrain, this negligence does not constitute gross dereliction of duty."

He paused, then continued, "This court has decided to relieve you of your post as captain of the USS Rattlesnake and transfer you to a shore-based logistics department, while retaining your military rank."

Do you have any objections to this?

Lieutenant Colonel Harvey saluted: "No objections, General."

Sterling nodded and adjourned the court.

But instead of leaving, he looked at the four colonels beside him.

"Gentlemen, a Royal Navy warship has sunk, sunk by pirates. This is a disgrace to us!"

"Therefore, I have decided that, with the exception of the Winchester, the entire Chinese fleet will be deployed to completely wipe out all pirates near Hong Kong!"

"I want every pirate in these waters to know what will happen if they dare to touch a Royal Navy ship!"

""

The four colonels stood up and saluted simultaneously.

"Yes, General!"

Meanwhile, on the West River.

"Boss, there's a boat ahead!" Yuan Laosan shouted from the lookout tower.

Hongwu raised his telescope and saw clearly the shape of the ships.

Two fast crab boats, ten long dragon boats, and ten plank boats—these were the Qing navy stationed outside Jiujiang Town to prevent the Red Turban Army from advancing south.

"Is this all the ships they have for their main force?" Tang He also raised his binoculars.

"This is hardly a main force. The main force of the Qing navy is all upstream, trying to prevent the Red Turban Army from entering Guangxi."

Hong Rengan shook his head and said, "These are probably teams assembled from various outposts of the Guangdong Navy, only used for blocking and reporting messages."

"They've set up their formation," Rong Hong said from the side. "Should we just charge in?"

Hongwu nodded: "Charge!"

The Wind Chaser and Wave Chaser continued to sail against the current, maintaining their speed.

On the Qing navy's side, on a fast crab boat, a naval officer dressed in official robes was looking around with binoculars.

"It's a British flag." He lowered his binoculars, frowning. "What are the British doing here?"

The captain standing nearby leaned over and said, "Sir, should we stop them and ask them?"

The guerrilla hesitated for a moment.

According to regulations, foreign merchant ships entering inland waterways are subject to inspection. Especially now, with the Red Turban Rebellion raging, what if they were colluding with the Red Turbans—

But the British—

He had heard about that war more than a decade ago; the British cannons could fire from a great distance, and it was questionable whether their small cannons on ships could even reach the enemy.

While they were hesitating, the two merchant ships were getting closer and closer.

"Go stop them!"

The guerrilla gritted his teeth and said, "Tell those foreigners we're catching bandits, and tell them to turn back!"

Before he could finish speaking, a muffled roar came from the foremost merchant ship.

The guerrilla instinctively shrank his neck, and then heard a loud bang behind him.

He turned around abruptly and saw a long dragon boat a few hundred paces away engulfed in flames. The entire boat exploded into pieces like paper, with wreckage and corpses flying everywhere.

"This, this—"

The guerrilla opened his mouth wide, but couldn't make a sound.

The second cannon shot rang out.

Another fast crab boat was hit, and it exploded just as spectacularly.

Several sampans next to the fast crab boat were overturned by the river, and some unlucky ones fell into the fire and sank to the bottom of the water with cries of pain.

The river surface instantly turned into a complete mess.

"Stop! Stop!"

The guerrilla fighter finally came to his senses and yelled at his men, "Stop! Make way! Let them pass!"

He no longer needs to give the order.

All the Qing army ships were frantically trying to avoid each other on both banks, making way for the two merchant ships to clear a wide waterway.

Some of the sampans that couldn't be rowed away in time had their soldiers jump into the water, clearly terrified.

Hongwu looked expressionlessly at the panicked ships and soldiers jumping into the water to escape, and gently waved his hand.

"keep going."

The two boats navigated the chaotic river upstream and disappeared in the direction leading to Jiujiang Town.

On the river, the guerrilla slumped at the bow of the boat, letting out a sigh of relief.

Looking at the floating wreckage and corpses, he squeezed out a sentence: "Damn it, send someone quickly, send someone to report to Lord Shen that two British ships fired cannons, killing hundreds of soldiers, broke through the blockade, and headed towards Jiujiang Town."

"Sir, aren't several hundred too many?" the captain advised. "It might cause trouble for the higher-ups."

"Damn it, how are we going to plug the hole if we don't report more?" The guerrilla glared at him. "Just report it like this!"

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