Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

The inventory of the spoils continued until midnight.

Lin Hao had to stop his inspection of the three government ships after only one visit; they were too filthy inside, even worse than the pirate ships they had previously captured. He couldn't understand how these people could tolerate it.

Lin Hao could no longer stay there, so he immediately ended his inspection of the spoils and began to deal with the prisoners.

Lin Hao's initial assessment of the number of government troops was roughly correct. Excluding those killed or scattered, the Lin family captured a total of more than 260 people.

There were more than forty dead bodies, and with the addition of some government troops who escaped into the mountains during the chaos, the total number was basically around three hundred.

After Lin Hao disembarked from the ship, he didn't waste a single moment and immediately began interrogating the key personnel.

Name! Occupation!

"Young Master Lin, I am Shen Xiu. We've met before. Don't you know who I am?" The Shen family butler smiled obsequiously at Lin Hao in the interrogation room.

Originally, as a non-combatant, he hadn't even disembarked. When he saw the situation was bad, he tried to escape, but was caught red-handed by Liu Aniu who had returned.

"Answer only what is asked. Don't say anything irrelevant." Lin Hao frowned and reprimanded him rudely.

"Yes, yes, I will tell you everything I know." Butler Shen nodded repeatedly.

"Why were you on the ship? Did you leak our information to the authorities?" Lin Hao continued to press.

"Young Master Lin, this is a misunderstanding. My master heard that the government ordered you to take action against the Lin family, so he specially sent me to persuade the Fourth Young Master. It's a huge misunderstanding. It was the Fourth Young Master who insisted on his own way, which led to this result." Shen Ye immediately began to complain, tears streaming down his face as he spoke, crying very sadly, seemingly regretting that he had failed to persuade Shen Wangshu.

"Heh." Lin Hao chuckled, then said to Shen Xiu, "Bullshit! Guards, drag him out and execute him."

Two guards rushed over, grabbed Shen Xiu, and dragged him away. This scene terrified Shen Xiu, who was performing at the time.

"Young Master, listen to me, I was wrong, I shouldn't have lied to you, I'm telling the truth, I'm really telling the truth." Shen Xiu struggled desperately, but the two guards held him firmly and dragged him all the way to the door.

Then a bloody wooden block appeared in front of them. Two guards pressed Shen Xiu's head down onto the block, and then another guard drew a long knife from his waist.

The cold blade pressed against his neck; the guard gestured briefly before raising his longsword to gather strength.

Shen Xiu was so frightened that his legs went weak, and a puddle of water instantly appeared on the ground. He had actually wet himself from fear.

Seeing the guard holding up his long sword, he was filled with remorse. How could he have known that after only a few years, the kind young man from back then would become like this, killing without hesitation?

Lin Hao slowly walked to the other person's side and said calmly, "Considering we've known each other, don't blame me for not giving you a chance. You have ten seconds to say something that interests me. If I think it's valuable, you live; otherwise, you die!"

After Lin Hao finished speaking, he began counting before the other person could react, "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

In such a short time, Shen Xiu had no time to think, or even to think about what Lin Hao was interested in. Under the immense pressure of death, his blood vessels bulged, his heart pounded violently, and his mind was more focused than ever before.

"Six, five, four..."

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"Yes! There's something that Young Master might be interested in. Xishan Village, north of Funing, is our Shen family's supply depot. All the goods destined for overseas are gathered there now. We're waiting to set sail next month." Shen Xiu had no choice but to reveal the most important thing on his mind.

"Oh? Xishan Village, that's an interesting thing. But how do I know you're not lying to me?" Lin Hao asked with great interest.

"This... I'm telling the truth. I went there first to complete the purchasing tasks assigned by the head of the family before coming here," Shen Xiu quickly added.

"Without any proof, what if it's a trap?" Lin Hao smiled slightly, then, under the other person's terrified gaze, began counting again, "Three, two..."

"Don't kill me! It's the truth, I'm telling the truth!" Shen Xiu cried out in despair, struggling desperately, but the guards behind him held him firmly. Seeing that the guards' knives were about to strike, he hurriedly said, "Fourth Young Master knows, he knows too. You can ask him to verify, I really am telling the truth."

Shen Xiu's face was covered in snot and tears, mixed with the blood from the wooden stake, making him look extremely disheveled. His voice was hoarse from screaming for so long, but he couldn't care less at this moment, his heart filled with fear of death.

However, after a while, he noticed that the knife above his head seemed to have disappeared, and Lin Hao stopped counting.

He looked up in confusion, only to find that the guards behind him were no longer restraining him, allowing him to easily move his head away from the wooden stake.

Looking up, she saw Lin Hao smiling broadly at her and saying, "Butler Shen, you've suffered. I was just asking casually, why are you so agitated? Here's what we'll do: go and rest first, I'll call you when it's time to leave."

Even though it was the other party who had just been shouting for a fight, Shen Xiu didn't dare to voice any objections at this moment. "Yes, yes, young master is right. I was too agitated. Please forgive me, young master."

"Sigh, getting excited isn't good for your health; it can shorten your lifespan. If Butler Shen calms down, someone will come to question you in detail later. Remember to explain the Shen family's affairs clearly to avoid getting excited again later, don't you think?" Lin Hao said to him meaningfully.

"Yes, yes, I will tell you everything I know, please rest assured, Young Master Lin."

After seeing Steward Shen off, a new person was soon brought in.

It was Shen Wangshu, the person in charge of this government-led encirclement and suppression operation.

"Tsk tsk, what have you done? How could you treat my Uncle Shen like this? Untie him right now." It turns out that Shen Wangshu is still in the same state as when he was captured, and he hasn't even taken the smelly sock out of his mouth.

In those days, people didn't even have a pair of socks, and they rarely changed them, let alone soldiers who weren't known for their hygiene. The smell was indescribably awful.

Once the guards untied her, Shen Wangshu immediately ran to the door and vomited uncontrollably on the ground.

After the other person had finished vomiting, Lin Hao said leisurely, "Uncle Shen, if you've finished vomiting, then come and have a cup of tea. It's almost cold."

Upon hearing Lin Hao's words, Shen Wangshu hesitated for a moment before finally turning around and carefully examining Lin Hao.

After a while, seeing Lin Hao's leisurely and calm tea-drinking posture, Shen Wangshu finally let out a long sigh, then went to the table and chairs, picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Nephew Lin, you have quite the spirit! You're just letting me go like this? Aren't you afraid I'll kidnap you?" Shen Wangshu asked, staring at Lin Hao.

"What do I have to be afraid of? First, Uncle Shen, you're no match for me. Second, Uncle Shen, you're not someone who wants to die," Lin Hao said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wangshu immediately lowered his head. He had already lost completely when he wanted to die but dared not.

"Alas, since ancient times, death has been the only truly difficult thing," Shen Wangshu sighed heavily. "Tell me, what do you want? What can I do to survive?"