Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

After making a grand and ambitious speech about the future, Lin Hao was thrilled, regardless of what the listeners thought.

Having lived in this era for so long, he can finally speak freely about his dreams.

Lin Haocai was too lazy to get involved in the power struggles with that group of people in Da Ming.

Setting sail overseas and colonizing the world—that's the true romance of a man. Only when he has built a vast maritime empire through ocean trade can he deal with the corrupt officials of the Ming Dynasty with complete ease.

As dawn broke, Lin Hao and his group arrived at their destination, a small island forty kilometers away from Ningde County.

The island is called Dongluo. It has fresh water, a pier, and a dozen or so small wooden houses. It was one of the islands where the Lin family used to stay.

Most importantly, this area is now part of Fuzhou, while Ningde is part of Fuzhou-Ningde. Since they are not under each other's jurisdiction, it is much more difficult for the officials of Ningde County to cause trouble for them.

The southern side of Dongluo Island is concave, forming a harbor with a shape similar to an inverted V. The water is deep enough to dock large ships, and the island has enough fresh water for long-term habitation.

When Lin Hao and his group arrived, the shore was already filled with a crowd of people who had been waiting eagerly. They had been waiting there since early morning, and when they saw Lin Hao's Haicang ship arrive, they waved their arms excitedly.

When the bird boat docked, Lin Hao was the first to disembark and approach an elderly woman with white hair.

"Grandma, your grandson has successfully rescued Grandpa and Father."

Hearing Lin Hao's words, the old woman nodded excitedly, "Great, great, it's good that you're back. I'm relieved to see you back."

As the old man and the Lin brothers were carried off the boat, everyone swarmed around them, and sobs filled the air.

An hour later, outside the large wooden house in the very center, everyone waited anxiously.

With a creak, the door opened, and several maids poured out several large basins of bloody water. At the same time, an old man with a long beard carrying a medicine box slowly walked out.

"Dr. Chen, how is my husband doing?"

Lin Hao's grandmother was the first to step forward and ask.

"Although Grandpa Lin is old, he is still in good health. Although he suffered a lot this time, he will recover soon as he gets some rest."

This was within Lin Hao's expectations. Among everyone, the only one who hadn't been tortured was the old man; the others were more seriously injured.

"It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright. How is my son?" she asked again.

"Well, the injuries of these gentlemen are quite severe. I have already cleaned their wounds and given them some wound medicine, but what happens next is up to fate." Doctor Chen shook his head and then handed several prescriptions to the group.

"Give them their medicine according to their prescriptions on time. If all goes well, they can be cured within ten days."

As for what would happen if things didn't go smoothly, Dr. Chen didn't say, but everyone had a bad feeling.

"Dr. Chen, thank you for your trouble. There are also some wounded people who need your treatment." After the group of women and children went to visit the wooden house, Lin Hao led Dr. Chen to another room.

There was another group of wounded men here, all of whom were his men who had been captured along with him; there were seven of them in total.

The good news is that most of these people have knife wounds, and their status doesn't qualify them to be subjected to torture.

Those who survived this long with knife wounds are generally not too serious; the serious ones have already died, or were even finished off on the spot.

This was a large house resembling a warehouse, which had been temporarily converted into a large dormitory-style room with seven beds. A large amount of supplies were also piled up in the corner.

There was no other way; the conditions on the island were really limited. Even the place where the Lin family patriarch had stayed before was similar, the only difference being that the room was a bit bigger and there was no clutter piled up.

"Young Master!"

Upon seeing Lin Hao enter the room, one person struggled to get up, intending to bow, while the others also tried to stand up.

"Lie down, everyone. No one is allowed to get up," Lin Hao said coldly.

Everyone instinctively obeyed the order. In the Lin family, Lin Hao's words were like imperial edicts, second only to the old man and almost as authoritative as the family head.

One reason is that his status as a scholar naturally inspires awe among this group of people. Another reason is that the Lin family guards' treatment was basically secured by Lin Hao.

Given the productivity of that era, even landlords would hesitate for a long time before they could afford a decent meal, let alone the guards who were barely making ends meet.

However, after Lin Hao started making money by engaging in maritime trade, he overruled all objections and greatly improved the treatment of the family guards. Not only was their monthly salary increased to one tael, but they also had meat with every meal. They even introduced wives to those who performed well. Such treatment was rare in the world.

Otherwise, they would have run away the moment the officials arrived; why would they have foolishly stayed behind?

The only downside is that while the treatment has improved, this young master Lin Hao is too much of a troublemaker. He comes up with all sorts of ways to torment them every day, treating them like soldiers.

"Big Head, how are you feeling?" Lin Hao went to the first bed, where a tall, burly man was lying with a large gash on his chest, from which blood was seeping through the bandages.

"Young Master, I'm fine. I'm tough and resilient. This little injury will heal quickly. As long as you're alright, Young Master, that's all that matters."

"That's good. Focus on recovering. I've already brought your mother and sister to the island, so there's no need to worry about them. As for your father... we'll find a chance to take revenge." Lin Hao comforted Da Tou while helping Doctor Chen bandage his wounds.

The father of this big-headed man was the leader of the family guards. He was at the forefront of the fight against the government officials who were trying to arrest him. He killed a large number of the officials and even fought his way up to the centurion in charge of the group. The centurion was so frightened that he mobilized all his forces to surround and kill him. In the end, he was killed.

However, it was precisely because of the desperate resistance of the Lin family guards that the soldiers were too frightened to pursue them, allowing Lin Hao to take away the women and children of the Lin family. Otherwise, the Lin family would have been wiped out in one fell swoop.

However, of the 20 guards who stayed behind to cover the rear, only 7 remain.

The Lin family originally had more than 30 guards, but now, even including those who accompanied Lin Hao to escort the women and children to safety, there are only 17 left, a loss of half of their elite forces.

This forced Lin Hao to use these young soldiers to break into the prison.

"Young Master, my father said that his life was given to him by the Lin family, and he has never regretted it." As he said this, Da Tou gritted his teeth and remained silent, letting Doctor Chen do whatever he wanted to him.

"Once you've recovered, I'll introduce you to a young, unmarried woman so you can properly carry on your family line."

"Really! Young master, you can't go back on your word. Also, I want one with a big butt!" Big Head's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this.

"Is that all you've got? When have I ever lied to you?" Lin Hao stood up and promised the men below who were staring expectantly, "You're all great. In a few months, once you've all healed, I'll personally arrange wives for you!"

"Thank you for your kindness, young master." Upon hearing this, everyone felt no pain from their injuries and thanked him in unison. They had been worried that being captured would make the young master dislike them, but Lin Hao's performance made them feel that their previous sacrifices were worthwhile.

"Lie down, all of you, and get some rest. And you, Er Lengzi, what are you thanking me for? You already have a wife, don't expect me to give you another one."

"Having one more wouldn't be a bad idea either," the guy called Er Lengzi said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Get lost! We haven't even started yet. Go away, or your tigress will come after you." The group burst into laughter.

"I...am not afraid of her," Er Lengzi said defiantly.

"Then what happened to the scratches on your face last time?"

"That...that was a cat scratch."

"Haha, your cat's paws are really big." Everyone laughed heartily, and the room was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.

After accompanying Dr. Chen to treat everyone's wounds, Lin Hao comforted each of them before leaving.

After treating the injured guard, Lin Hao called Uncle Fu over and explained the next steps before returning to the room where the old man and the others had been resting.

The next step is the most important thing, after all, not everyone wants to be a pirate like me.

When everyone arrived, it was around 10 a.m. (巳时). After working for several hours, it was now around 4 p.m. (申时). The sun was still shining brightly, showing no signs of setting soon.

As the last rays of sunlight touched him, Lin Hao took a deep breath and then pushed open the door to enter.