Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

The workshops are severely understaffed, the soldiers are severely understaffed, and the errand runners under each hall are also severely understaffed.

Therefore, once all personnel arrangements were in place in the council hall, the first order issued by the Four Seas Gang was a recruitment order.

In no time, an order was issued throughout the entire Dongluo Island.

"From this day forward, the Four Seas Gang will begin recruiting members, who will be divided into soldiers, clerks, craftsmen, workers, and hangers-on."

Soldiers, clerks, and craftsmen all need to pass a screening process, but as long as they pass, they will all receive a settlement allowance of five taels of silver.

Even if you don't pass the test, it's okay. You will be assigned to a position in the gang workshop or other positions in the gang. Although there is no settling-in allowance, you will be provided with food, accommodation and salary!

Furthermore, anyone who recommends someone to the Four Seas Gang will receive one tael of silver. If the recommended person is recruited as a soldier, clerk, or craftsman, the referral fee will increase to one tael!

The news immediately caused a stir throughout Dongluo Island.

You should know that the largest number of people on Dongluo Island right now are not the members of the Four Seas Gang, but countless villagers who came to work after hearing the news.

The number of people in this group has been increasing rapidly over the past month, now exceeding one thousand. Basically, all the able-bodied men from the nearby villages have come. However, for a long time, they have been working silently while watching the others on Dongluo Island drink and eat meat.

It's impossible not to be envious, but the selection criteria were too strict before, and they were only given one chance. They were waiting all the time, and now the opportunity has finally come!

On the street next to the tavern, Zhang Dingyuan and a few companions squatted by the roadside, holding pieces of meat they had just received from there, and a small cup of cloudy wine in a bamboo tube.

"Ah, this is wonderful! I never thought I, Zhang Dingyuan, could eat meat and drink wine at the same time in my life. This kind of life is like a dream." Zhang Dingyuan tore into the piece of meat in his mouth. This meat was whale meat, and naturally no spices were added to it. But even so, he ate it with great relish, completely satisfied.

"Brother Zhang, they're recruiting again on their island. I heard they'll give you a five-tael settlement allowance and a one-tael monthly allowance. Lots of people have signed up."

Liu Qiang, standing next to him, had no appetite. Although he had meat in his mouth, he didn't chew it. Instead, he stared intently at the square in the distance, where the recruitment announcement had just been made. The square was now surrounded by countless villagers, and most of the workers were queuing up to sign up.

Meanwhile, a large number of family members were watching the commotion from the outside, and only these people were squatting there, looking out of place.

"Just eat your meat in peace. What else do you want? We are military households. Do you think we would join the bandits?" Zhang Dingyuan glanced at the other party with disdain.

"That's not right. Aren't we helping them with their work right now?" Sun Ning muttered from the side.

"Sigh, you have to understand that working is working, and being a soldier is being a soldier. They're not the same thing." Zhang Dingyuan sighed heavily. Did these people think he didn't want to go? Well, he had no choice.

"Don't think too much. Desertion is punishable by beheading. Besides, everyone has a family to support. Don't drag your family down with you. The important thing is to work hard, earn some money, and go back to improve your family's life." Zhang Dingyuan downed the wine in his bamboo cup in one gulp, concealing his disappointment.

"We won't be able to keep up for much longer. I heard the new adjutant has ordered the reconstruction of Dinghai City. We'll probably have to go back to service soon. And then... tsk tsk, I wonder how many people will be worked to death," someone suddenly interjected.

When this was mentioned, everyone fell silent. They were military households, so naturally they were the ones who had to do the repairs of the garrison. Not only did they work for free, but they also had to bring their own rations. The repairs would take at least a few months. If they hadn't earned some silver on Dongluo Island, no one dared to imagine how miserable things would be.

"Damn it! That damned imperial court," someone muttered under their breath.

Zhang Dingyuan also fell silent. He had thought that the money he earned this month would alleviate his family's poverty, but if this was true, then all their work would have been for nothing.

"Zhang Jiangchun, this is no joke. Don't make things up if you don't have accurate information." Zhang Dingyuan glared at the man.

"What nonsense am I spouting? Don't forget, I'm a junior officer, I have an official position, unlike you bunch of bumpkins. I have my own sources of information. Believe it or not, it's up to you." Zhang Jiangchun said disdainfully, curling his lip.

"What's the use of a little flag? He's just working for the pirates with us, and we haven't seen him bring us any food. If you could bring us money and food, we'd bow down and worship you," Zhang Dingyuan said indignantly.

"My whole family is starving, I wouldn't give you any even if I had some," Zhang Jiangchun rolled his eyes, then focused on eating his meat and ignored the other man. In those days, even the lowest-ranking officials in the garrison couldn't make ends meet. This meat was a rare delicacy for him, something he might not even get to eat during the New Year.

Although Zhang Dingyuan had the upper hand verbally, he felt no joy at all. Seeing Zhang Jiangchun enjoying his meal, he was immediately enraged and snatched the meat from the other man's hand.

"What are you doing! You're defying me! Give the meat back to me right now!" Zhang Jiangchun was immediately anxious. He was reluctant to eat this meat and had been savoring it in small bites. He had only eaten a small piece so far! If he lost it, he would be at a huge loss.

Everyone was shocked to see this. Although they usually didn't take Zhang Jiangchun, a mere junior officer, seriously, he was still a level above them in status. They could only talk tough, but they didn't dare to bully him.

But what's wrong with Zhang Dingyuan today? Is it really necessary? It's just forced labor, right? It might be tough for them normally, but they've earned quite a bit on Dongluo Island recently. Surely they can make it through.

Zhang Jiangchun reached out to grab it, but he was no match for Zhang Dingyuan's strength and was easily pushed away.

"Zhang Jiangchun! If you want this meat, you can have mine too." Zhang Dingyuan put his half-eaten piece together and handed it to the other man.

Zhang Jiangchun took the hand with some skepticism, but the other party's large hand remained completely still.

"What...what do you mean by this! Are you trying to mess with me?!" Zhang Jiangchun's face turned bright red.

"No, I'm not as clever as you, but I grew up with you, I know you too well," Zhang Dingyuan said leisurely. "If you didn't have a plan, you'd be pacing around anxiously right now, not leisurely savoring it. Tell me, what's your solution?"

"Don't talk nonsense. I don't have any ideas. I'm just making a living off what I earn. Let go and give me back the meat," Zhang Jiangchun said anxiously.

"Do you think I believe you? Or do you think my fists do?" Zhang Dingyuan clenched his other fist in front of the other person and said coldly.

These words startled Zhang Jiangchun, but he still gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Seeing this, the others also chimed in with their own words of advice.

"Zhang Xiaoqi, please, just tell me your ideas quickly. We're all in this together, so we need to help each other out now."

"Yeah, if you have any ideas, just say them. We've all grown up together, you can't just stand by and watch us suffer."

"What can we do? I've only been here a short time and haven't earned much money yet. If I have to serve in the military, my whole family will starve to death."

A cacophony of voices arose, and Zhang Jiangchun ultimately couldn't withstand their onslaught. He sighed and said, "What else can I do? My younger brother, Zhang Jiangxia, drowned a few days ago while fishing at sea."

"Nonsense, I saw that guy jumping around when I came here," Zhang Jiangchun's neighbor retorted.

"Exactly, I saw it too, and that kid is such a good swimmer, he won't die no matter who dies."

Everyone thought Zhang Jiangchun was talking nonsense, but then they saw Zhang Dingyuan release the two pieces of meat he was holding and hand them to Zhang Jiangchun. He then nodded and said, "Please accept my condolences. Speaking of which, my younger brother was on that boat too. It's so sad that my brother was only twenty years old and he's gone like this. It's truly unfair of God."

The crowd was even more bewildered, especially the person next to him, who stared blankly at Zhang Dingyuan and said, "Brother, I think I'm the only one in our family who's over twenty, right? I think... I think... maybe... I might not be dead yet... right?"