Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

"Name, identity, referrer, literacy?"

"My name is Zhang Dingbian, a former soldier from the Dinghai Thousand-Household Garrison. My recommender is my brother, Zhang Dingyuan. I can only write my own name."

Upon hearing this, the boy registering looked up at the other person, which immediately made Zhang Dingbian nervous.

"What's wrong? Can't I join? You all said it doesn't matter what your status is." Zhang Dingbian immediately became anxious. He desperately wanted to join the Four Seas Gang and eat meat every day. What's more, after joining the warriors, he would receive a five-tael settlement allowance and a one-tael referral fee. With that, his family wouldn't have to go hungry this year. He could even buy his mother a piece of cloth to make clothes.

"No, not at all. As long as you pass the test, we'll take you in no matter who you are. But you should think it over carefully. We're pirates. Once you're on this ship, there's no going back," the boy advised, looking up at him.

"Of course I've thought it through, I want to join," Zhang Dingbian said firmly. Then, seeing that the other party was still uneasy, he said as Zhang Jiangchun had instructed him before coming: "Please rest assured, I am just a retired soldier, not on the military register, and I have not been registered, nor am I on the imperial register. Besides, I am now 'dead'."

Even among military households, not everyone is registered; most are unregistered. As long as you can ensure that your family can consistently produce a male servant to fill a vacancy, few people care.

Although the surplus members of military households were required to register according to regulations, they generally did not take the initiative to register unless the military household needed to participate in the imperial examinations, in which case the surplus members would be specifically asked to register.

"Alright, take your exam card and wait in the back for instructions." The boy quickly registered the student and then handed him a wooden card with a number on it.

"Am I done already?" Zhang Dingbian asked excitedly, holding up the sign.

"It's still early. We still have to go through more tests. We've only passed the preliminary selection so far," the boy replied with a smile. In reality, this step was just a simple screening, eliminating those with obvious physical or mental problems, as well as those who were too old or too young.

Whether they enter the combat unit or the workshop will require even stricter assessments.

But no matter what, once this step is taken, the Four Seas Gang won't let these laborers leave, and they'll have a long-term source of income. The Four Seas Gang is in dire need of rebuilding, and there will always be a place where they can contribute.

In the distance, seeing Zhang Dingbian successfully pass the screening, everyone cheered excitedly.

This means that the Four Seas Gang doesn't mind the military surplus joining, so their families can also try their luck. Five taels of resettlement fee! This winter won't be so cold after all.

Even several regulars present wanted to try their luck, but they were persuaded to stay.

If Zheng Ding escapes, they will be implicated as well, and they don't want to take any risks unless they are in dire straits.

"Let's go back and get someone. We need to send them over quickly before the imperial order comes down, or we'll miss our chance," Zhang Jiangchun said with a smile.

"Wait a minute, let me go get the recommended money first," Zhang Dingyuan said with a smile.

A moment later, Zhang Dingyuan returned with a small amount of silver and led the crowd to the dock.

Dongluo Island is different now than before. Previously, it only picked up and dropped off workers once a day.

But now, with the increasing frequency of personnel and material exchanges, there is a dedicated ferry responsible for ferrying people to the land, making several trips a day.

At this moment, the dock was packed with people heading back.

Upon inquiring, everyone discovered that they all needed to go back and call for reinforcements.

......

"How many people have signed up so far?" Lin Hao asked Lin Shiyi.

The other teenagers have all been assigned specific tasks and are now busy helping their respective hall masters organize their work. Lin Hao's most senior companion has now become Lin Shiyi.

The person in charge of recruiting and registering personnel this time was Eleven.

"Young Master, the number has now reached 417. Many people are currently leaving by boat to go back and find their loved ones. It is estimated that a large wave of people will arrive in two days. Is the number of people a bit excessive, Young Master?"

Lin Shiyi asked worriedly. In fact, according to Lin Hao's previous plan, the number of people to be recruited this time was theoretically only over six hundred. Now it is more than half completed, and the number is expected to double in a few days.

"It's alright, it doesn't matter if it exceeds the limit. I'd rather have people available for now than have no one to use later," Lin Hao said nonchalantly. Then, seeing that Lin Shiyi was still a little confused, he explained again, "Shiyi, you need to know that the most valuable asset in this world is manpower. Everything else is secondary. Only with people can our Four Seas Gang have a future."

However, Lin Hao also admitted that he had underestimated the enthusiasm of these people. He had previously thought that everyone would be wary of his pirate identity, so only a small number of people who were afraid of being poor would join, which was why he had specifically offered a referral fee.

But Lin Hao forgot that this was Fujian, a legendary strategic location fought over by military strategists.

Fujian is 90% mountainous, with a large population and limited land, making it impossible for people to be self-sufficient in food. Since ancient times, the people here have been full of adventurous spirit.

As long as they can make money, they have no fear of the ocean or the law. Historically, Fujian has been the place with the most Chinese emigrants.

Even during the Qing Dynasty, when the country was closed off from the world and maritime travel was strictly prohibited, people from Fujian dared to risk their lives to cross the ocean in dilapidated ships.

Having worked here for so long, they have come to understand that the Four Seas Gang never hesitates to pay them. Since they can make money, there is no need to consider anything else.

......

The next morning, at Dongluo Island Wharf.

Grandpa Lin brought Lin Hao and the others here.

After yesterday's excitement, apart from the few hundred recruits who are undergoing testing, most of the workers have left and gone back to their hometowns to recruit more people. After all, recruiting one person earns at least one tael of silver, and at most one tael, which is much more lucrative than working.

However, the Lin family members came here not for this, but because Lin Chengbi, the second uncle of the Lin family, was about to set sail for Southeast Asia to conduct trade.

This time, in addition to the supplies from the three warehouses that had been seized, there were also a large amount of supplies that the Lin family had recently collected and purchased, filling four ships. Moreover, three of them were large Fujian-style ships.

It can be said that the most valuable part of the Lin family's assets are contained in it.

The ship's entourage was exceptionally luxurious, with Lin Hao essentially throwing the most combat-capable members of the Lin family onto the ship.

There's no other way. Carrying too many people on ocean voyages is too disadvantageous, as it consumes too much supplies and water. But if you carry too few people, you're more vulnerable to robbery. So you have to be as selective as possible.

The four ships were personally led by Lin Chengbi, with Lin Er, Lin Si, Liu Aniu, and Lin Wu as captains, and Da Tou and Lin Yi leading the sixty most elite men to escort the ships.

In this era, ships going to Southeast Asia usually only had a few professional escorts on board, ten was considered a lot, and 60 was already a great number. Only pirates would fill their ships with people to make it easier to jump overboard and rob the ships.

Moreover, everyone brought a powerful weapon with them this time; if the pirates dare to come, they will surely be killed.