The Wind Rises in 1898: Becoming a Warlord Starting in Southeast Asia

Chapter 124 Sugar-Coated Blade

Before the whistles of the Japanese fleet had completely faded, another merchant ship flying the Stars and Stripes slowly entered the Guiyantan Wharf. The ship was small and had come to load bicycles.

Despite it being the rainy season, the muddy roads of Luzon did not hinder the sale of bicycles.

The section from Cavite to the front lines in Manila, in particular, was far better than the muddy roads in other areas. Lightweight bicycles became a valuable tool for traveling and sending messages, and were highly praised by the US military.

To Chen Feng's surprise, Connor actually came with the ship in person.

As soon as he stepped ashore, he strode forward, patted Chen Feng on the shoulder familiarly, and teased him warmly, "Chen, I never expected you to be such a well-hidden great writer!"

Chen Feng chuckled inwardly: You're so out of touch! "The Rise of Great Powers" has been serialized in the Luzon Daily for almost two months now, but then he thought, most Americans don't read Chinese-language newspapers, so it's normal that they don't know about it.

He remained outwardly composed, warmly shaking hands with Connor and casually asking, "This batch of bicycles is well-stocked and ready to be loaded onto the ship. But why did you come all the way here yourself? For such a small matter, wouldn't a lieutenant have sufficed?"

Connor smiled mysteriously, pulled him quickly to a secluded spot on the dock, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then lowered his voice to say, "I didn't come here for the bicycle. I have some top-secret news for you—we've reached an agreement with the Spanish colonial government, and on the 13th of this month, the Spanish will secretly surrender to us! I'm only here to give you this news because we're friends."

A secret surrender?

Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat, and then he understood.

Now the independence army is really in for a beating!

This means that the Spanish completely disregarded the Philippine independence army and directly handed over their colonial rights to the Americans.

Once news of their surrender spreads, the independence army will not only be unable to enter Manila, but the very positions they fought so hard to capture may become bargaining chips in a deal between the US military and the Spanish.

But Chen Feng knew perfectly well that Connor's words were not simply out of friendship.

Americans are never one to act without a reason, so there must be a deeper calculation behind this.

Sure enough, Connor abruptly changed the subject, pulling his arm closer and lowering his voice: "I know that your Chinese Free Army's territory has already reached the outskirts of Malolos. When the Spanish surrender and the situation becomes chaotic, you can take advantage of the opportunity to seize the city!"

Damn it!

Chen Feng cursed inwardly.

That old bastard's got a good plan!

It's obvious they're trying to provoke the Chinese Free Army and the Independence Army into turning against each other prematurely, so the US military can reap the benefits!

At that time, the independence army will certainly not dare to touch the well-defended and powerful US military, and will inevitably vent their anger on the Chinese Free Army, turning all their firepower to attack them.

What a vicious scheme.

Without a second thought, Chen Feng shook his head and refused: "Connor, don't make fun of me. Our Chinese Free Army suffered heavy casualties in the last attack on the San Juan del Monte defense line, and we haven't recovered yet. Although we've recently recruited some new soldiers, they're all greenhorns who have never been on the battlefield. With this kind of strength, let alone taking Marolos, it's doubtful whether we can even hold our own territory."

He deliberately feigned weakness because he didn't want to be used as a pawn by the US military.

Connor, clearly prepared, smiled and offered an even bigger lure: "Chen, have you forgotten the Chinese autonomous region I mentioned to you last time? General Dewey and General Merritt have already agreed that as long as you can capture Malolos, the city will be officially ceded to you, becoming an autonomous region for the Chinese, and the US military will not interfere!"

call!

What a huge sugar-coated bullet!

Chen Feng was secretly alarmed.

It must be said that this offer is indeed tempting.

Malolos is an important stronghold of the independence army. It is well-defended and densely populated. If it can be captured, the power of the Chinese Free Army will increase several times over, and it will also gain the legitimacy to establish itself in Luzon.

This saved me several years of effort compared to building my own career from scratch.

But he knew even better that beneath that sugar coating lay a deadly poison.

Once a real battle begins, the Chinese Free Army will become the mortal enemy of the independence army, while the US military can sit back and watch the two sides fight to the death, easily seizing control of the entire Luzon.

Connor, that old fox, clearly knew he would be tempted, which is why he revealed the specific time of Spain's surrender. He wasn't afraid of leaking the information to Luna at all.

Chen Feng suppressed the turmoil in his heart and nodded slightly, saying, "This is such a big matter that I need to consider it carefully and cannot give you a hasty answer."

A knowing glint flashed in Connor's eyes, knowing that Chen Feng was already interested. He changed the subject, his tone carrying a subtle warning: "By the way, you've been frequently transporting Chinese immigrants from Qing China to Luzon lately, and this has already reached Washington."

Some important figures are very dissatisfied with your land-grabbing and population-gathering practices. After the war, this large-scale immigration will probably not be able to continue.

Unable to transport immigrants?

Chen Feng's heart sank.

If we really want to take Malolos, a large area of ​​land needs to be cultivated, and factories need labor to expand. Without Chinese immigrants, can we rely on those resentful natives?

That's simply unrealistic.

At the end of the 19th century, the United States had just coveted the Chinese market through the Open Door Policy, but it was struggling to find a stable foothold in China and was eager to find agents to infiltrate it.

This is precisely the leverage we can utilize.

Chen Feng changed the subject and asked, "Connor, you should have found out about my background by now, right?"

"certainly."

Connor smiled confidently. "The American intelligence agencies are not just for show. You lost both your parents at a young age and were raised by your master, Wang Zhengyi, who was also involved with the Qing Dynasty's reformists."

Chen Feng went along with his nonsense, but his tone was unusually firm: "I came to Southeast Asia to make a living, not to settle down in Luzon."

My only goal is to use Southeast Asia as a springboard to accumulate strength, and in the future, launch a counterattack against the Qing Dynasty and establish a republican government for the Chinese people. This is my true objective.

Upon hearing this, Connor's expression froze, and a strong look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The United States had long wanted to intervene in Qing Dynasty affairs, but it was inconvenient to directly intervene because the powers such as Britain, France, and Russia had already divided up their spheres of influence.

If Chen Feng could really stir up trouble in China, or even seize a piece of territory, the United States could use his support as a pretext to indirectly penetrate the Chinese market and achieve greater benefits beyond the Open Door Policy.

More importantly, Chen Feng has a pleasant working relationship with the US military, and the US military is still relatively weak and easy to control, making him far more reliable than supporting other forces.

However, the United States was unwilling to break ties with other major powers over this, and it could not afford to leave any ammunition in the open.

After a moment's thought, Connor said bluntly, "Chen, you must understand that the United States will not openly support your counterattack against Qing China. It will neither provide military assistance nor send a fleet to escort you. This would provoke intervention from the great powers."

"I see."

Chen Feng immediately responded, presenting the conditions he had just devised: "I lack the strength right now and don't need these for the time being. I only need the US military's tacit approval to continue recruiting immigrants from Qing China, so that I can have a stable base for development in Luzon."

I can sign an agreement with you, publicly declaring that the Chinese Free Army's sphere of influence in Luzon will be permanently limited to the city of Malolos and its surrounding areas, and will never expand outwards, nor interfere in the affairs of other areas of Luzon.

This promise was exactly what Connor wanted.

This satisfies the US's need to support proxies while limiting the development of the Chinese Free Army, preventing it from becoming a new threat to Luzon, and allowing him to profit from it.

Connor hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation and said, "I can't make the decision on this. There's also an anti-Qing force that has been running between the US and Japan for years. You might not get much support, but I will do my best to make it happen."

"Of course, I'll be waiting for your good news." Chen Feng nodded.

This is merely a stopgap measure.

The United States wanted to use him to infiltrate Qing China, while he wanted to expand his power with the tacit approval of the United States.

Once the Chinese Free Army has grown strong enough, not only will Marolos be his stage, but the entire Luzon region, and even Southeast Asia, will be his stage.

At that point, it's still uncertain who will be taking advantage of whom!

Guiyantan Wharf was still bustling with activity. Just as Connor's bicycle transport ship left the port, Wang Liang's fleet of ships transporting immigrants followed closely behind, sounding their horns as they docked.

The boat had barely dropped anchor and the gangplank was not yet firmly in place when a figure carrying a canvas bag eagerly jumped off, nearly stumbling from the swaying of the boat.

He was about thirty years old, with his braid cut very short, clearly influenced by new ideas; he wore a slightly crisp, starched indigo short jacket with frayed white edges on the cuffs, and his trouser legs were covered with coal dust from the bottom of the boat, making it clear that he had traveled a long way.

What caught the eye most was the thick book he was clutching tightly in his arms, as if it were a rare treasure. Even though he was covered in dust from his journey, his eyes burned with a burning passion.

This man was none other than Chen Ronggui, who had traveled thousands of miles to seek refuge with him.

He had barely settled in when he was captivated by the sight before him: dockworkers were working together to lift a heavy piece of equipment, shouting energetically as sweat streamed down their dark backs, yet they exuded a vibrant energy, completely unlike the listlessness he had witnessed at the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau.

Chen Ronggui subconsciously touched the blueprints in the canvas bag, his eyes burning even brighter.

"This gentleman looks unfamiliar?"

A steady voice came from beside me.

Chen Ronggui turned around and saw that the newcomer was dressed in a blue-gray military uniform with a pistol at his waist. His face was resolute, his eyes were sharp but with a gentle smile, and he was followed by several capable guards. It was clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

"My name is Chen Ronggui, and I come from the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau in Shanghai, specifically to seek refuge with General Chen!"

He strode forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke with barely concealed excitement, his voice trembling slightly, "I heard in Shanghai that General Chen led the Chinese Free Army, defeating the Spanish colonial army with only a few thousand men, and vigorously developing industry in Luzon. Such courage to stand against the great powers and fight for the Chinese people fills me with immense admiration!"

Chen Feng reached out and shook his hand, his gaze falling on the book in his arms. He smiled and said, "Mr. Chen looks like someone in the tech world? Is that copy of 'The Rise of Great Powers' you're holding, the British edition? The Qing government has confiscated it now, so it'll be hard to find one."

"Exactly!"

Chen Ronggui hurriedly handed the book to Chen Feng. The pages were already worn and curled, and the book was filled with red annotations. There were also several clippings from Hong Kong newspapers. "I read the first three chapters and eagerly awaited the next chapters. But the corrupt Qing government actually confiscated this book of strategies to save the country!"

I had to ask a friend in Hong Kong to help me buy the complete version.

To be honest, General, I studied at MIT, majoring in power machinery. After graduation, I participated in the debugging and improvement of gasoline engines at a joint venture factory in the western United States.

After returning to China, I wanted to do something practical for the self-strengthening of Chinese people, but the officials of the Jiangnan Bureau only knew how to buy foreign machines and line their own pockets. My design of a new engine was shelved and they even said it had no practical value!

During that period, I was truly disheartened and almost gave up!

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