Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

After the initial shock subsided, Huang Shi eventually regained his composure.

So he began to take a second look at Lin Yi and the guards behind him.

Lin Yi was tall and imposing, with a calm and resolute gaze. This demeanor was completely different from the merchants who came to Manila for trade; rather, it resembled that of a high-ranking Manila military officer he had met before.

As for the guards behind him, they stood ramrod straight, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, clearly not ordinary people.

"Who exactly is your young master? Why have you come here to help us?" Huang Shi asked, frowning. He roughly assessed the supplies in the house; they were all the food, medicine, and most importantly, firearms that he desperately needed.

"Our young master is a local gentry from Fuzhou. He heard from the merchants about what happened in Manila and was filled with indignation. He was outraged by the atrocities committed by these foreigners and saddened by the plight of his compatriots. The young master said that he believes we Chinese are not the kind of people who will just sit and wait to be slaughtered. He believes that there must be people of ideals still resisting. So he specially sent me here to try my best to find the brave people who are still resisting and to provide them with as much assistance as possible, so that the flame of revolution can continue to burn, and one day, a single spark can start a prairie fire."

"A single spark can start a prairie fire!" Huang Shi's eyes suddenly widened as he murmured the phrase repeatedly.

In reality, despite persisting for so many years, the Spanish forces grew stronger day by day, while his own men grew weaker. Hearing these words today, a strong sense of confidence surged within him once more: Yes, a single spark can start a prairie fire; what are temporary setbacks to fear?

"Yes, that's exactly it." Lin Yi pointed to Huang Shi and the people behind him. "The Spanish, also known as the 'Ganlas' people, their tyrannical rule will not last. Under their powerful oppression, both the natives and the Chinese will eventually reach their breaking point. As long as you preserve your resistance and persevere, the hope of victory will come one day. At the same time, our young master advises you never to try to confront the Spanish head-on. You should remember the sixteen characters: 'When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue.' Based on this, keep the Spanish in constant turmoil, and their rule will eventually collapse."

"When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue." Huang Shi's eyes had never been so bright.

In a daze, he felt a bright light flash through his mind, illuminating the path ahead.

Before this, he was completely helpless in his struggle against the Ganlasi people; only the hatred of his family drove him to grit his teeth and fight back. But now, these sixteen words suddenly gave him a sense of direction for his future, and perhaps he could truly achieve something great.

He took a deep breath, then bowed to Lin Yi and said, "Please thank your young master for me. Your help to us is invaluable. If the day ever comes when the Ganlasi people are driven away, I will definitely go to Fuzhou to pay my respects to your young master."

"Don't worry, there will be opportunities," Lin Yi said with a smile, patting the other person on the shoulder.

……

"Have all supplies been procured?"

"The two most important ships have been loaded with saltpeter. The other two ships are also filled with pepper, cloves, cardamom, pearls, tortoiseshell, and other items. In addition, some seeds of chili peppers and tomatoes, which the young master specifically requested, have also been collected."

Are all personnel in place?

"All crew members who went out to sea have returned to their posts without exception."

Are sufficient supplies of fresh water and food available?

"Fresh water and food are all ready, enough for twenty days."

"Are all ships ready?"

"All vessels have completed inspections and are ready to set sail at any time."

"In that case, pass on my order: the fleet shall depart immediately and return home," Lin Chengbi commanded loudly from the bow of the ship.

After the order was given, cheers erupted from all the ships. Everyone shouted in unison, "Let's go home!"

The four ships then weighed anchor and set sail. After spending more than ten days in Manila, the group finally set sail again, ready to return home with a ship full of supplies and silver.

For the past ten days or so, everyone has been quite satisfied. The money Lin Chengbi gave everyone allowed them to enjoy themselves in Manila. By this time, except for a few frugal individuals, most people had almost spent their money, and if they stayed any longer, morale would start to decline.

As the ship sailed away, Lin Chengbi gazed at the still bustling and vibrant Manila in the distance, unconsciously licking his lips and muttering to himself, "I will return. Manila, just wait! One day, you will be mine!"

These days, the crew members are busy enjoying themselves, but Lin Chengbi is acting out of character, not having a single day of rest. He found several guides, and under the escort of guards, he traveled all over the area within dozens of miles of Intramuros, Manila.

He had visited many farms, both Chinese-owned and indigenous farms. He had also taken in all the terrain around Manila.

At this moment, he finally believed Lin Hao's words completely.

Luzon is indeed a gift from heaven; it's a waste to give it to these rude Spaniards.

In his view, the area surrounding Intramuros Manila was mostly fertile plains stretching for dozens of miles. Even the barren lands seemed to him to have great potential for cultivation.

Most importantly, tens of thousands of hardworking Chinese people are tirelessly cultivating new land here. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of indigenous people, under the guidance of the Chinese, have also cultivated a large amount of land.

According to Lin Chengbi's rough estimate, the total cultivated land area that has been reclaimed so far has reached more than 200,000 mu.

And this is far from the limit of Luzon. Perhaps, as Lin Hao said, Luzon Island has the potential to cultivate millions of acres of fertile land.

In reality, Lin Hao's description of Luzon was quite restrained. The entire island of Luzon has tens of millions of acres of arable land. However, considering the current development difficulties and fearing that a larger number might frighten his family, Lin Hao only mentioned several million acres.

In fact, the arable land area of ​​the Central Plains north of Manila on Luzon Island alone exceeds the combined arable land area of ​​Taiwan and Fujian provinces, not to mention the Cagayan Valley in the north, which is not much smaller.

In later generations, Luzon Island was home to over 60 million people. Even without the support of modern industry, with current technology, developing Luzon Island solely as an agricultural base would be enough to feed millions of people.

A perfect land that could support millions of people, and the only obstacle to controlling this land was a thousand Spanish soldiers who had traveled a long way.

Who could resist such temptation? Lin Chengbi, for one, was now completely preoccupied with Manila. He couldn't wait to return and share everything he had seen with Lin Hao. If possible, he even hoped the other would change strategy, targeting Luzon first, then Taiwan.

Compared to the barren land of Taiwan, Luzon was clearly more in line with the eternal legacy of the Lin family that he envisioned.