lcionline Chapter 241 Negotiation
Chapter 241 Negotiation
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The eight Wuyi-class warships that had been lying in ambush at the port of Zeelandia, along with more than a dozen troop transport ships, were there to "welcome" this remnant army.
Upon receiving news of the impending battle at Liaoluo Bay, the fleet, led by Yan Guang, departed from Nan'ao Island and marched towards Zeelandia Harbor. Although some of Liu Xiang's old, weak, and disabled men were present at the port, they were no match for the Qiongzhou Battalion. A few shots from the harbor terrified them, and they surrendered without a second chance to land the special forces and the Second Battalion. The city of Zeelandia, several miles away, remained completely silent, whether unaware of the commotion at the port or indifferent to the pirates' fate.
After dealing with these "weaklings," the Qiongzhou camp quietly waited for the defeated army to arrive.
Although the simulation predicted Zheng Zhilong had a higher chance of winning, no one knew the outcome until the final betting odds were announced, so Yan Guang and the others could only wait. Meanwhile, on the battlefield at Liaoluo Bay, more than a hundred nautical miles away, the battle was indeed full of twists and turns, and the process was far more thrilling and exciting than the result.
Even Liu Ye, who was on the battlefield and knew history beforehand, didn't expect that Zheng Zhilong, who had a winning hand, almost ruined things. If he hadn't intervened, the Dutch would have nearly turned the tables. It truly proves the saying of later generations: the meaning of life lies not in having a good hand, but in playing a bad hand well.
As for how to deal with the routed troops, there were some initial disagreements. Battalion Commander Xu Yifan suggested that they first ambush the enemy, let them into the port, and then sink their ships after they landed to cut off their retreat. Then, the special forces and the Second Battalion, who were hiding on land, would intercept them and capture the Dutch and Liu Xiang's remnants before they entered Fort Zeelandia.
Li Fei, however, held a different view. He believed that it would be more difficult to capture these remnants alive once they were released ashore.
"Although there is only one road from the port to Fort Zeelandia, there are many places to hide on land. If they go into the forest, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It would be better to bombard them directly at sea. If they are willing to surrender, that's fine. If they are not willing to surrender, we will sink them. It is always easier to retrieve people from the sea than to search for them in the forest."
After careful consideration, Yan Guang, the commander of the operation, chose Li Fei's suggestion, which led to the scene of the interception outside the port.
When the Dutchman and Liu Xiang appeared outside the port in a disheveled state, Yan Guang breathed a sigh of relief: he was sure to get the credit.
He asked Li Fei, who was standing beside him, "Are you confident in dealing with the remnants of Hongmao and Liu Xiang's forces?"
Li Fei was entrusted with an important task, commanding eight Wuyi-class warships. Upon hearing this, he smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Yan, the Red Hairs can't even handle our dozen or so patrol ships, so how can they possibly defeat eight thousand-ton warships? It's really using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!"
"Very good, I entrust the naval battle entirely to you. You must capture these ships, and preferably capture all the men alive, so as not to fail the general's trust."
Li Fei cupped his hands in greeting and replied, "Yes, sir!"
Under Li Fei's command, eight Wuyi-class warships lined up in a single file, blocking the only way into the port, and assumed a combat posture.