Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

The "difficult thing" that Uncle San mentioned turned out to be a group of people when Lin Hao arrived.

"Third Uncle, who are these people?" Lin Hao sat down, took a sip of water, and then asked directly.

"Hao'er, you're here. These are the hostages Li Jiu has kidnapped. What do you think we should do with them?" Lin Chengfeng chuckled and pointed to the people standing outside. They were being held back in the courtyard by guards, looking around nervously.

A "hostage" is someone taken hostage by pirates. Ordinary people cannot be called hostages; only people of status can be. After a pirate hijacks a ship, people of little value are usually dealt with on the spot, while people of status are taken hostage, and ransoms are demanded from their families.

"So many?" Lin Hao glanced at the group; there were at least twenty people. Li Jiu's business was quite large. No wonder he became their enemy; the first thing he did was kidnap people. It seemed to be a case of path dependence.

"Yes, these people all come from wealthy families. What do you think we should do?" Lin Chengfeng handed Lin Hao a piece of paper with information about these people written on it.

Lin Hao took it and glanced at it carefully. He found that they were all people from coastal counties, and their identities varied. Some were heads of families, some were stewards, and some were family members.

"This is easy." Lin Hao walked directly to the prisoners.

"Li Jiu has been killed by our Four Seas Gang. Now that you've fallen into our hands, the ransom will be paid to our Four Seas Gang. Are you willing to pay the ransom?"

"We are willing, we are willing. But please, sir, grant us some more time. Li Jiuding's ransom is far too high, and our family cannot raise the funds in such a short time," someone pleaded in a low voice.

"Heh, that's easy to handle." Lin Hao shook his head dismissively. "I know the ransom Li Jiu set for you. I'll halve it all. I'll let you go back now, and you'll have to pay the ransom here within three months."

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Lin Chengfeng, was stunned. Halving the ransom was understandable, but releasing the hostage now? What the hell?

"Is this really true, sir?" someone asked in surprise.

Lin Chengfeng looked at the other party and said with a smile, "Our Sihai Gang values ​​integrity above all else. We said we'd release you, and we will. However, we hope you will also be trustworthy."

"Master, aren't you afraid we won't come back to send the money after we leave?" The speaker was younger than the others and looked at Lin Hao in disbelief.

Lin Hao smiled slightly, but did not answer directly. Instead, he pointed outside and said, "Our Four Seas Gang hates people who break their promises the most. This Li Jiu took our money and tried to attack our ship. So you see, his head is hanging outside."

After arranging for people to be taken away, Lin Chengfeng said to Lin Hao, "Hao'er, wait a moment. There's another group of hostages for you to decide on."

"Anyone else? Who else deserves special treatment from Third Uncle, and where is that person?" Lin Hao asked, puzzled.

Lin Chengfeng put down his teacup: "Their situation is a bit special. Please come with me."

A moment later, Lin Hao and Lin Chengfeng arrived at a courtyard. After pushing open the door, they saw a bed inside, a young woman sitting beside the bed, and a boy lying on the bed. The situation seemed to be very bad.

"These are... Li Jiu's family members?" When the water fortress was being cleared that night, there were indeed quite a few women. Lin Hao simply ordered his men to lock them in their rooms and not to let them run around. He did not take a detailed count.

"No." Lin Chengfeng shook his head. "This woman and the boy on the bed are both hostages of Li Jiu, but their identities are not ordinary."

Upon hearing this, Lin Hao's gaze finally fell on the woman.

Upon closer inspection, one immediately noticed a difference.

The young woman sat quietly on the edge of the bed, her figure slender and graceful. A plain silk dress draped down to her ankles; though the fabric was not luxurious, the cut was perfect, accentuating her beautiful figure just right. Her jet-black hair was coiled like clouds behind her head, held in place by a single, warm jade hairpin.

Her profile was gentle and delicate, her eyebrows like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn water, and her skin had a faint jade-like hue in the sunlight streaming in from the window. But her eyes were filled with an overwhelming sadness and weariness.

Such beauty is beyond the reach of Li Jiu, and such temperament cannot be cultivated by ordinary people.

However, from the moment Lin Hao and Lin Chengfeng entered the room, the young woman seemed completely unaware, simply looking down at the child on the bed.

Lin Hao took a few steps closer and his gaze fell on the bed.

It was a boy who was about five or six years old.

But his appearance was completely different from the children Lin Hao usually saw.

The child was emaciated, his face ashen, his lips blue, and he was so thin that he seemed to be nothing but skin and bones. His exposed skin was covered with fine red rashes, a shocking sight.

Lin Hao frowned and stepped forward to lift the blanket.

The boy's hands and feet were visibly swollen and dark red, and several of his fingernails had even begun to loosen and fall off.

Lin Hao's face immediately darkened. "Who is so cruel as to poison a child with mercury?"

He muttered a curse under his breath.

The voice just fell.

The young woman, who had been sitting there listlessly, suddenly looked up.

"poison?!"

She stood up as if struck by lightning, her eyes instantly filled with panic.

"This... young master..."

Her voice trembled slightly.

"You're saying...my son is poisoned?!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Hao frowned and reprimanded her, "The situation is so serious, even a blind person could see he's been poisoned. As his mother, didn't you take him to see a doctor?"

The young woman's face immediately turned deathly pale.

She bit her lip slightly, tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

"I...of course I've seen it."

She shook her head gently, her expression sorrowful.

"The doctors on the island all say... he was born weak and had insufficient qi and blood."

Her voice choked slightly as she spoke.

"But I always felt something was wrong... so I took him out to sea to seek medical treatment."

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I just didn't expect... that we would be robbed by Li Jiu's pirates halfway there."

"How long have you been on this island?" Lin Hao asked.

"It must have been more than a month." Her eyes were somewhat lost, as if prolonged despair had numbed her.

Lin Hao thought for a moment, then asked, "Has his condition improved since he came here?"

"This..." The young woman thought for a moment, her eyes brightening slightly. "The child seems to be doing better here. He used to be so noisy and restless, and I couldn't sleep at all. But here, especially recently, he seems to be sleeping longer and longer."

As she said this, she seemed to suddenly realize something. A glimmer of hope suddenly lit up in her previously dim eyes.

next moment.

"thump!"

She knelt down and kowtowed to Lin Hao, saying, "Since you are so knowledgeable, you must have a way to cure my child. Please save him, I will be eternally grateful."

She lay prostrate on the ground, her shoulders trembling slightly. Her once dignified and upright figure now exuded a delicate and helpless beauty.

"Heh, what's it to me?" Lin Hao said coldly.

Although the sight of her kneeling and kowtowing on the ground was pitiful, especially her full and rounded curves, which made Lin Hao's breath quicken, who was Lin Hao? Although he was a fledgling in this life, he had seen the world in his previous life, and mere beauty could not sway his will.

These words struck the young woman like a thunderbolt. She had thought that since the other party was so easy to talk to, he would help her if she pleaded a little, but she never expected this response.

She slowly raised her head. Her once clear eyes were now filled with disbelief and despair. After a moment, she seemed to have finally made up her mind. Her face gradually flushed. She lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper. "As long as you can cure my child, I... I'm willing to do anything for you."

Lin Hao scoffed, "Heh, you wish. You're too weak to even lift a chicken, you can't carry anything, what use are you to me? I have no interest in keeping a vase."

Lin Hao tucked the boy back in, then looked down at the young woman and said, "I'll give you ten breaths to prove your worth, or you can fend for yourself."