Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

The fires tonight weren't set randomly. One purpose was to disrupt the transmission of orders from the county government and the search process. The second was to lure away the guards at the city gates. After all, the areas where the fires were set were deliberately chosen, so they wouldn't be fooled.

Lin Hao didn't believe that in this era there were still yamen runners who would stay at their posts even when their own homes were on fire.

Just as Lin Hao drew his arrow in preparation, there was movement on the city gate.

"Damn it, how did my house catch fire?"

A man who appeared to be the leader looked anxiously into the distance; he knew the place on fire all too well.

"Li Ergou, Qiao An, each take two people and hurry to my house to put out the fire!"

"Team leader? Aren't you going? That's your home." The person next to him looked at him in surprise. When did he become so responsible? This wasn't like him at all.

"We just arrested the Lin family during the day, and now this incident has happened in the county town tonight. What a coincidence! I'll stay here and keep watch; I might even get a big reward. You guys go quickly and come back as soon as you've put out the fire."

"Foreman, there are only a few of us, what if..."

"Hmph! My reputation as Ghost Blade Li Hu is not for nothing. With me here, no one can move the city gate in the slightest. Enough talk, get out of here."

A moment later, a group of people hurriedly came down from the city wall and ran towards the fire, disappearing around the street corner a few moments later.

Watching the figures disappear, the squad leader named Li Hu breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Just as he was about to go back to rest, he saw four figures emerge from the shadows of the street. The key point was that each of them was holding a bow. The bow of the leader was even more exaggeratedly large, more than a person's height. At this moment, he had already drawn his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed it at him.

"Oh no!" Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and a chill ran down his spine from his tailbone to the top of his head.

In the nick of time, he only had time to tilt his head slightly before a sharp pain shot through his neck as an arrow grazed it, leaving a long wound.

Just as Li Hu was feeling fortunate to have escaped with his life.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

"Pfft! Pfft!"

An arrow pierced his neck, this time hitting the bullseye. Simultaneously, another arrow pierced his heart.

"Rapidly, so fast!" The thought flashed through my mind, but blood had already blocked my throat, and I couldn't make a sound.

As the leader was shot dead, the other three also hit their opponents. Those men were far less vigilant than the leader. In an instant, four of the original six guards died, leaving only two.

The sudden change left the remaining two dumbfounded. Before one of them could react, he was shot dead by Lin Hao's arrow. Only the last person tumbled and crawled away from the city wall.

"Lin Yi, Lin Er, take two men and rush up! Open the city gates immediately!"

Lin Hao sheathed his bow and led everyone straight to the city gate. The remaining person was no longer able to interfere with their group.

Once we're outside the city gates, the biggest danger of the night will be over; the only remaining challenge will be escaping the pursuit of the government troops.

-----------------

Ningde County is very close to the sea; the bay is just a few miles to the east.

Although they were traveling in the dark, and the group was carrying wounded people, Lin Hao was fortunate to have taken precautions against night blindness, which was the most common disease of the era. So, by the light of the dim moonlight, they arrived at the seaside safely after half an hour, where a waiting boat arranged by Lin Hao was already waiting.

Meanwhile, the people in the county town finally realized what was happening, and the county constable led a group of local soldiers and laborers in pursuit of Lin Hao and his group.

But when the other side tracked them all the way to the shore, they found that Lin Hao and the others had already disappeared.

"County Lieutenant Li, it seems the thieves have already left by boat. Should we go to the water fortress to find a boat and pursue them?"

A junior leader asked the person in charge.

"It's too late. By now, they would have already escaped from Sandu Bay. Let's go back and report to the magistrate, and then send the navy to annihilate them. Go back!"

......

Sandu Bay, also known as Sansha Bay, is a huge bay off the coast of Ningde.

Praised by Dr. Sun Yat-sen as "one of the few in the world and unique in China," this super port is surrounded by mountains, with a narrow entrance and a large interior, covering a water area of ​​over 720 square kilometers. It has only one outlet, which is only 2 kilometers wide. It is not only a natural sheltered harbor but also a fortified sea fortress that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

With a depth of over 10 meters covering 173 square kilometers, it far exceeds the Cam Ranh Bay naval base in Vietnam, which is known as Asia's largest naval port, and is eight times the size of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe. It can accommodate hundreds of 100,000-ton vessels at any time.

Its location is also uniquely advantageous, situated right in the center of the entire Chinese coastline, with Taiwan Island to the east. It is a strategic hub that naturally connects the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and leads eastward to Taiwan.

Unfortunately, Taiwan was not recovered in later generations. The Matsu Islands opposite the port are less than 25 kilometers away in a straight line, and can be directly covered by army artillery, which made it completely lose its strategic significance.

"If we can take over this place in the future, it will be of great value to me."

Lin Hao gazed at the wide bay, his mouth watering.

Unfortunately, it's just a thought. With my current strength, I'm not qualified to think about this at all. The only effect of this bay on me is that the water is deep enough that I don't have to worry about reefs, and I can boldly sail towards the exit.

After arriving at the seaside, Lin Hao and the others successfully met up with the waiting boats. They then traveled from the south, passing by the two larger islands, Sandu Island and Qingshan Island, before arriving at the waterway connecting to the open sea. Only then did everyone finally relax.

In Guanjingyang, near the outer sea channel in Ningde, there used to be a beacon gate water fortress, but it was later moved to Songshan. Although there is still a small outpost, it has been abandoned for many years and cannot stop people from leaving. Lin Hao did not even see any lights when he passed by, and he doubted whether anyone was still stationed there.

By this time, the sky was beginning to lighten, and a medium-sized bird boat with its sails fully hoisted was speeding off the coast of Fuzhou.

This was a medium-sized bird boat. Although Lin Hao had been in charge of the family's lucrative maritime trade for four years, this was the first time he had ever boarded his own family's boat. His father had previously forbidden him from taking boats, let alone going to sea, on the grounds that he was too young.

Standing at the stern of the bird-shaped boat, Lin Hao carefully examined it. He noticed that it had a small head, a bulging belly, a long and straight body, and upturned sides, making it a standard high-speed near-shore vessel.

Bird ships, named for their high speed and resemblance to seabirds flying at high speeds over the sea, evolved from the wave-creeping ships of the Jiajing era. During the Wanli era, bird ships were further enlarged, but their speed remained considerable, making them popular with both the Ming army and pirates. In Zheng Zhilong's fleet, which later dominated Chinese waters, there were even large, double-deck bird ships capable of carrying more than twenty cannons at once.

Overall, the shipbuilding technology in the East is not backward, and various large ships can still be built. However, the ship design concepts are completely outdated, and the combat capabilities are worlds apart from those of the Western galleons.

However, in the waters near Fujian at this time, this bird boat was the perfect choice.

"Is the young master worried about the future?" An old man appeared silently beside Lin Hao. Lin Hao turned to look at him; the man was the Lin family's butler and the person who would meet him at the beach.

His name is unknown, only that he is called Uncle Fu. After his grandfather saved his life, he stayed in the Lin family as a housekeeper. He is a truly trustworthy person, otherwise Lin Hao would not have entrusted his future to him.

"Uncle Fu, you're mistaken. I have no worries about the future. On the contrary, right now, standing here on the sea, I feel a surge of pride and joy."

Lin Hao looked at Uncle Fu, then at his men who had fought alongside him out of the county town on the deck, and then at the sailors navigating the ship, before confidently saying:

"Ladies and gentlemen! I can assure you that the future will not only not get worse, but will become better than you can imagine!"

Because times have changed! The future world belongs to those who control the ocean!

Whoever controls the ocean controls the world, and we have now officially taken this historic step; the future surely belongs to us!