Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

The morning mist had just dissipated, and the fleet of the Chinese Independent Brigade was anchored outside San Francisco Harbor.

The massive ship cast a deep shadow on the shimmering sea. Sailors stood in formation on the deck, their uniforms crisp and their bayonets gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Ma Yongzhen was dressed in a crisp military uniform, with a pistol at his waist and shiny leather shoes on his feet. He was the vanguard officer for this debt collection mission.

"Commander, do you think those ugly bastards will obediently pay up?" Zhao Dazhuang asked in a muffled voice, holding a machine gun.

Ma Yongzhen glanced at him. "They won't pay? Then beat them until they do. Little Ribble is a lesson learned the hard way."

Zhao Dazhuang grinned. "That makes sense."

The landing craft was slowly lowered and carried Ma Yongzhen and his entourage toward the dock.

Waves lapped against the ship's side, and seagulls circled overhead.

On the distant dock, a group of U.S. Navy officers were already lined up and waiting, their expressions complex.

Colonel William Smith stood at the front, dressed in a white military uniform, but his complexion was not good, with dark circles under his eyes, clearly indicating that he had not slept all night.

Yesterday I received orders from Washington: under no circumstances should the Chinese Independent Brigade be allowed to land.

But they're already on the shore, why not let them get ashore?

What can stop them?

With your mouth?

"Colonel, they're here," the adjutant whispered a reminder.

William took a deep breath, straightened his military cap, and forced a smile.

The landing craft docked and the gangplank was lowered.

Ma Yongzhen strode off the ship, followed closely by Zhao Dazhuang, and then Liu Xiaoliu, Dajun, and Zhou Xingxing filed out.

The translator, Xiao Zhang, followed beside Ma Yongzhen, holding a notebook in his hand.

William stepped forward and gave a standard military salute. "Welcome, welcome, Commander Ma, it's an honor to meet you."

Ma Yongzhen stopped and looked him up and down. "What did you say?"

He couldn't understand bird language.

The translator, Xiao Zhang, quickly came over: "Commander, he said you're welcome and he's heard so much about you."

"oh."

Ma Yongzhen nodded, his gaze sweeping over the American officers, and went straight to the point, "Are you ready with your compensation? Don't push me to the edge."

Xiao Zhang translated the words.

William's smile froze for a moment. "Of course, of course. The compensation is ready: three hundred million taels of silver. This is our sincerity."

The translator, Xiao Zhang, relayed the message truthfully.

Ma Yongzhen frowned immediately. "Three hundred million taels? Are you trying to fob us off? How much did the Eight-Nation Alliance rob from us back then?"

How many of our gardens did they burn down?

How many of us were killed?

How much did that idiot lose?

Now that you've lost 300 million taels of silver, you still have the nerve to show it off?

"No, it seems you foreign devils haven't figured things out yet. I think we should collect the money ourselves."

When William saw Ma Yongzhen's expression suddenly change and his tone become unfriendly, his heart skipped a beat.

He doesn't understand Chinese, but judging from his expression and tone, it's definitely not a nice thing to say.

William quickly grabbed his translator, his voice strained: "What is he saying? Why is he angry?"

The translator wiped the sweat from his brow: "Colonel, he said three hundred million taels is too little, it's like throwing money away to beggars, and that you have no sense of responsibility. They want to collect the money themselves."

William's face turned pale instantly.

Come and pick it up yourself?

How do I retrieve it?

Isn't that just looting from the shore?

Once they reached the shore, it would be difficult to get them back down.

The fate of island nations is imminent. Who can stop those warships, planes, and tanks?

Once they reach the shore, they can take whatever assets they want along the way.

Human desires are endless; once this door is opened, the entire Ugly Kingdom will suffer.

All the wealth of the Ugly Kingdom will be taken away.

He absolutely cannot let them get ashore.

"Four hundred million!"

William held up four fingers. "Four hundred million taels of silver!"

Translate this message immediately.

Ma Yongzhen glanced at him. "Four hundred million? Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?"

William gritted his teeth. "Five hundred million!"

Translation: "Commander, he said five hundred million."

Ma Yongzhen snorted, "Where's my Italian cannon?"

He turned to Zhao Dazhuang and said, "Go, push the cannon up here."

Zhao Dazhuang paused for a moment, then understood and turned to leave.

Although William couldn't understand it, the pronunciation of the word "Italian cannon" and the expression made him guess that it wasn't a good thing.

He grabbed the translator, his voice trembling: "Wait! Wait! Six hundred million! Six hundred million taels!"

The translator quickly shouted, "Commander, they've increased it to 600 million!"

Ma Yongzhen stopped, looked back at William, then at the translator. "Six hundred million?"

He shook his head: "Liu Liu, go and get my big knife."

Liu Liuliu was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening, replied "Yes," and turned to leave.

William panicked, veins throbbing on his forehead. "Seven hundred million! Seven hundred million!"

He practically yelled it out.

The translator conveyed the message in a trembling voice.

Ma Yongzhen stroked his chin. "Seven hundred million? That's an unlucky number."

He glanced at Liu Xiaoliu, "July is the Ghost Festival."

Liu Xiaoliu nodded: "The commander is right. The Ghost Festival is the day when the gates of hell open, which is unlucky."

William's face was contorted.

He couldn't understand what they were saying, but he knew they were complaining that it wasn't enough.

"Eight hundred million! Eight hundred million!"

This was his final line.

If we keep taking money from the government, they won't be able to pay salaries.

A slow smile crept onto Ma Yongzhen's lips. "Eight hundred million? Not bad, that's a good number, may you prosper!"

He thought for a moment, "I'll round it down to eight hundred and eighty-eight million, eighty-eight thousand, eighty-eight thousand, eighty-eight taels. Nine eights, that's auspicious for wealth!"

Liu Liuliu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The translator painstakingly conveyed the new quote.

William's mind went blank for a moment, and he almost lost his balance.

Eight hundred and eighty million eight hundred and eighty thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight taels, which is nearly one hundred million more than eight hundred million.

Is this how you round down to zero?

You're not just rounding down the zero, you're adding another zero after the first one!

How is this account settled?

The bottom line given above is 600 million, and this has already exceeded it by more than 200 to 300 million.

The authority above gave him a maximum of 600 million; how is he supposed to explain that?

Seeing his unpleasant expression, Ma Yongzhen hardened her face and said, "What? You don't want to? If you don't want to, I'm going back."

He gestured as if to turn around, "Liu Liu, pass the word down, prepare..."

"No, I'm not unwilling."

William practically lunged forward, grabbing Ma Yongzhen's arm, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, and said through gritted teeth:

"We'd love to, we'd love to."

If they don't want to, their country will be destroyed.

He didn't want the fate of island nations to be repeated in the Ugly Country.

Let alone 888,888,888 taels, even 8 billion would be something he would agree to.

Otherwise, it's not just a matter of losing money, it's a matter of losing your life.

With the extra money, the whole country can tighten its belt and manage.

Ma Yongzhen stopped and looked at him. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely certain, very certain, and absolutely certain."

William nodded vigorously, afraid that the other party would be dissatisfied and nitpick to raise the price; his main tactic was to be obedient.

"Then let's write an IOU."

Ma Yongzhen waved his hand, and Liu Xiaoliu handed him paper and pen.

William took the pen, his hand trembling.

He signed his name, wrote down the astronomical figure, and then stamped it with the seal of the U.S. Navy.

Every stroke of his pen felt like cutting his own flesh.

Once he signs, he will be a disgrace to the United States.

But he dared not not write.

Ma Yongzhen took the IOU, glanced at it, and nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, that's more like it. Remember, pay it off within three days. We'll wait three more days, otherwise..."

The rest was left unsaid, but those who understand will understand.

William nodded repeatedly, not daring to utter a single word of dissent.

……