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

Chapter 130 Double Insurance Strategy

The moment this thought crossed Chen Feng's mind, a resolute flame ignited in his eyes.

But then he thought about it again and was in a dilemma.

Tianjin was a completely unfamiliar place to him.

A prison break is never a matter of reckless courage, but a meticulously planned operation involving life and death.

It is necessary to conduct a preliminary survey of the layout of the Tianjin Prefectural Government prison, the pattern of guard shift changes, and the types of locks used in the cells.

We need to plan our evacuation route carefully: should we escape to the concession by land, or take a boat out to sea overnight?

They also need to prepare enough manpower and weapons, not only to break through the prison guards' defenses, but also to deal with the swarming pursuers that follow!

All he had at his disposal were the brothers who had fought alongside him through the fires and daggers of Luzon.

Who can we send?

Generals like Tian Gang, Kong Yunfei, and Ren Dayong are the core pillars of the Chinese Free Army and are capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities.

However, they knew nothing about the Qing court and the northern regions. If they were actually sent there, they probably wouldn't even know which way the Tianjin docks were headed, which would only cause problems!

After weighing the options in his mind, Chen Feng finally decided to make the trip himself.

Firstly, although the Qing government had issued a warrant for his arrest, they only had a blurry portrait. Relying on such a thing to catch people would probably only result in catching ghosts.

Secondly, in order to safely return to Luzon from Tianjin by ship and avoid the interception of the Qing navy, it was necessary to rely on the protection of foreign merchant ships, which required going through the concessions.

He quickly narrowed it down in his mind among the five foreign concessions in Tianjin:

The French Concession? Scratch that! The French had long been colluding with the Qing government's police force; if a stranger came to their door, they would most likely be tied up and sent out as a reward.

The Japanese concession? Absolutely not! This territory was just designated this year, and that old bastard Aoki Nobuyuki has been eyeing the Free Army's mines. Going there would be like throwing lambs to the slaughter.

The British concession? Although extraterritoriality was strong, the British had never been fond of the Chinese Free Army, as evidenced by their lack of initiative in making contact. They might have used it as a bargaining chip in their dealings with the Qing government.

The American Concession? If Connor had known he was leaving Luzon at this critical juncture, he would never have helped make arrangements.

All that's left is the German Concession!

A smile appeared on Chen Feng's lips.

Over the past month, he has been getting along very well with the Germans.

The Lihe Trading Company had just shipped three vessels of urgently needed machinery and equipment, which were then transshipped to Luzon via Singapore.

Representatives from Krupp even made a special trip to visit, hoping to discuss larger-scale exports.

Moreover, many of the goods owned by the German trading company were stockpiled in the Free Army-controlled area, fearing that the US military would seize them under the pretext of wartime control, and were waiting to be transported away after the war.

Germany needs him as a fulcrum to influence the situation in Southeast Asia. Aquinado's prestige has been greatly damaged, and the independence army is now in the hands of Mabini and Luna, who will never sign a traitorous agreement with Germany.

If he were to fail in Tianjin, it would be detrimental to Germany in every way!

Even if something went wrong in the German concession, they could still escape to the American concession and return to Luzon with American help.

The US military has invested so much money in the Chinese Free Army, and now the independence army is still besieging Manila. They will never hand themselves over to the Qing government.

Double insurance!

This is feasible!

Thinking of this, Chen Feng immediately summoned Qian Biao and instructed him: "Contact Consul Kluge immediately through intelligence personnel and tell him that I have important matters to discuss and wish to see him."

"yes!"

Without saying a word, Qian Biao turned around and left quickly.

Chen Feng followed him out of the room and looked at the busy figures in the camp.

Since capturing Malolos, he did not move the Free Army's old camp there, and the bicycle factory and military factory remained in their original locations.

The situation is still unstable, with the US military and the independence army on the brink of war in Manila. If they were to turn against each other, Malolos would inevitably become a war zone, and all the hard-earned resources must not be destroyed by gunfire.

They hadn't walked more than a few steps when they saw a new batch of immigrants entering the camp one after another, with their families in tow, waiting to receive living supplies and land allocation.

After the first group of immigrants actually received land, the news spread back to China, and immigrants were no longer all young and strong; more and more people came with their wives, children, and elderly parents.

In chaotic times, only by having more people can one obtain more land and survive by sticking together.

Wang Muning, dressed in a neat short outfit, was leading temporarily reassigned female workers to settle the elderly and weak and to distribute dry food to the children.

The sunlight shone on her face, making her look less delicate and more composed and capable.

Chen Feng strode forward and casually instructed, "You go ahead and get busy. Come find me at the stone house when you're done."

Wang Muning looked up, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, but still obediently nodded: "Okay!"

Chen Feng mounted his horse, turned it around, and galloped towards Guiyan Beach.

Today, the number of indigenous laborers under the control of the Free Army exceeds five thousand. Although many have been lost due to exhaustion and punishment, the rate of replenishment is even faster by capturing laborers from surrounding tribes.

The official road leading from Guiyantan to Laoying has long been paved with smooth stone slabs, allowing vehicles transporting immigrants and supplies to pass through without hindrance.

From afar, Zhang Xiuwu's figure could be seen. The scars on his face had scabbed over and healed, but two hideous brown marks remained, like two small snakes crawling on them.

He was brandishing a leather whip, lashing it hard at a native laborer slumped on the ground, cursing, "You son of a bitch, dare to slack off? I'll beat you to death!"

"Anger damages the liver!" Chen Feng reined in his horse and shouted with a laugh.

Zhang Xiuwu turned around and saw it was Chen Feng. He immediately put down his whip, glared fiercely at the native, kicked him in the backside to make him get up and work, and then turned to say, "General! These natives are just spineless cowards. They won't work hard unless they're whipped. It wouldn't be a loss to kill a few!"

Not far away, Li Chenghua was directing a team of laborers to move stones; he was now the battalion commander.

The poor guy who was arrested and sent to a Spanish labor camp along with Zhang Xiuwu and Chen Feng back then is now capable of standing on his own.

During the last battle for San Juan del Monte, he was hit in the left hand by a stray bullet, losing his little finger and ring finger. Fortunately, it did not affect his ability to hold and aim the gun, so he was not transferred away from the front line.

Upon seeing Chen Feng arrive, he quickly walked over and explained, "General, Commander Zhang is right. These natives are lazy by nature. If we don't teach them a lesson, they won't be able to finish the project."

Chen Feng glanced at the indigenous laborers sweating profusely under the scorching sun, his eyes completely unmoved.

In his eyes, these people were nothing more than tools to be used, and their lives or deaths were not worth mentioning.

He patted Zhang Xiuwu on the shoulder and lowered his voice: "Forget about these laborers. Immediately select one hundred trustworthy men from your men. They must all be skilled and have excellent marksmanship. Bring them weapons and ammunition and have them go to Hong Kong with Wang Liang's fleet. They will wait for me there to meet up."

"Hongkong?"

Zhang Xiuwu was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt, "General, are you going to... the Qing Dynasty?"

Chen Feng neither denied it nor offered any further explanation.

His decision to transit through Hong Kong to Tianjin was a last resort.

Wang Liang's fleet had long established connections along the southern coast. When transporting immigrants and goods, as long as they paid taxes according to regulations and bribed local officials, they could travel without hindrance.

Tianjin was different. Although the Qing Dynasty was in decline, the Beiyang Fleet still had several dilapidated ships roaming the Bohai Bay, intercepting and inspecting Chinese merchant ships from time to time. Not to mention the Qing government's complete ban on Chinese people carrying guns.

Without weapons, a prison break is just wishful thinking.

But foreign merchant ships were different.

Those Qing officials were all afraid of the "foreign masters," and they had to be extremely careful even to get close to the ship, let alone board it for inspection.

He had already planned to use the privileges of German merchant ships to transport people and weapons from Hong Kong to the German concession in Tianjin.

"This matter is top secret; absolutely no information must be leaked."

Chen Feng emphasized, reminding them, "You guys go first. The weapons on the ship have all been dismantled and mixed into the mechanical parts for customs declaration. Wang Liang knows what to do. I'll depart a day later. After arranging everything in the camp, I'll immediately head to Hong Kong to meet up with you."

Although Zhang Xiuwu still had doubts, seeing Chen Feng's serious expression, he knew this matter was of great importance, and immediately straightened his back and said, "Your subordinate understands! I guarantee that the most elite brothers will be selected, and not a single word will leak out!"

Li Chenghua listened from the side, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes: "General, I'd like to go too!"

"You stay."

Chen Feng shook his head and said, "You've been directing the road and water conservancy construction very well during this period. If someone else is put in charge, it will delay the progress of the project."

Li Chenghua was deeply moved by Chen Feng's high regard for him and immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute: "General, rest assured! Your subordinate will work day and night to clear the road as quickly as possible and will not delay the task!"

Chen Feng mounted his horse and once again instructed Zhang Xiuwu: "Remember, once we get to Hong Kong, have the brothers change into civilian clothes and not wander around the docks. Listen to Wang Liang's instructions to find a place to hide, learn the northern Qing Dynasty accent, and we'll plan the next steps once I arrive."

After saying that, he turned his horse around and galloped towards the camp.

When they returned to the stone house, Wang Muning was already waiting inside.

She was holding an English version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and flipping through it. When she saw Chen Feng return, she quickly put down the book and went to greet him: "Senior brother, what brings you here?"

Chen Feng closed the door: "I need to leave for a while to handle an urgent matter."

Wang Muning's doubts deepened: "Where is Senior Brother going? How long will he be gone?"

"I can't say the exact location, I'll be back in a month at most."

Chen Feng avoided her gaze, keeping his tone as calm as possible, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. You stay here and keep an eye on those children's school; make sure their studies don't fall behind."

Wang Muning felt a sudden chill run down her spine when she saw his evasive gaze.

She knew Chen Feng too well; he would never be so secretive unless it was a matter of life and death.

She bit her lip and asked softly, "Is it... related to my father?"

Chen Feng froze, not expecting her to ask that question so suddenly.

He remained silent for a moment, but finally couldn't bear to lie to me, and slowly nodded: "Your father has run into some trouble in Tianjin, and I'm going to help him resolve it. You staying here and protecting our home is the greatest help you can give me."

"I want to go with you!"

Wang Muning's eyes instantly reddened, her hand gripping the document trembled even more violently, tears welled up in her eyes but stubbornly refused to fall, "My father is in trouble, I can't just sit idly by!"

"No!"

Chen Feng flatly refused, saying, "Tianjin is fraught with danger; you'll only cause trouble if you go!"

"I won't cause any trouble!"

Wang Muning said urgently, "I've learned shooting, I know some medicine, and I even speak some foreign languages. I can be of help in a critical moment! Please let me go, senior brother!"