Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

Three days later, at the Dongluo Island training ground.

The gentle slope on the west side has been thoroughly cleared by a large number of laborers in the past few days, and now it has been leveled into a large drill ground that can accommodate three or four thousand people.

At this moment, after several days of selection, all the soldiers and sailors chosen stood here.

The original plan was to recruit 416 soldiers. The Four Seas Gang already had guards, and with the addition of those recruited from various places, they had a total of about 150 soldiers. Logically, recruiting another 200 or so would be enough. The sailors were even simpler; they already had about 20, and adding another 80 or so would complete the manpower for ten warships.

But Lin Hao changed his mind.

At his behest, the Four Seas Gang recruited 534 soldiers and 300 sailors this time.

Although there were more people, Lin Hao didn't change the organizational structure in his mind—the extra people were all considered as unofficial. Any soldier or sailor who was not up to par was immediately moved to the unofficial level; if an unofficial soldier performed well, they could be promoted to a higher position.

Those who are officially employed receive all the benefits they are entitled to. Those who are not officially employed don't have this privilege; they only receive a small amount of money when participating in drills or fighting. Most importantly, the resettlement allowance is significantly less than that of the two positions.

Regular soldiers and sailors each received a settlement allowance of five taels of silver, paid on the spot. Those not officially employed received half the allowance initially, with the remaining half to be paid upon their official appointment.

This arrangement ensures that both the officially appointed personnel are under sufficient pressure and a pool of promising recruits is cultivated. If the army needs to be expanded in the future, these individuals can be readily deployed.

The soldiers were under Lin Hao's command, while the sailors were under the command of the War Hall. However, before that, all soldiers and sailors would undergo standardized basic training to improve their obedience and discipline.

All the selected personnel, whether soldiers or sailors, were dressed in uniform blue outfits and lined up neatly in the center of the training ground.

These people were carefully selected from those who signed up over the past few days. Although they were still far from the military Lin Hao had imagined, the large group of people gathered together neatly, especially since some of them had undergone several days of preliminary training, made them look quite presentable.

Lin Hao stepped forward and first offered a brief congratulations to everyone—those who passed the selection were all commendable. He then mentioned that half of the settlement allowance would be paid out shortly. A cheer erupted from below.

However, Lin Hao then announced that this recruitment was for all those who passed the initial screening, and their assignments would only be confirmed after completing a two-week basic training period. Only those who passed the assessment could become official combat soldiers; otherwise, they would only become reserve combat soldiers. Furthermore, if someone failed to be selected as an official combat soldier, the remaining half of their settlement allowance would only be paid after they passed the assessment and became an official combat soldier.

Once they become regular combat soldiers, they immediately receive a monthly stipend of one tael. Reserve soldiers, on the other hand, do not receive a monthly stipend and can only receive compensation for each instance of combat or training.

Lin Hao then announced that Lin San would be in charge of coordinating the training of all new recruits, and that all the remaining teenagers would be assigned to work under him.

With personnel arranged and resettlement allowances distributed, Lin Hao gave the order, and everyone began training on the spot.

Just as Lin Hao was busy training the new recruits, a bird ship swayed and drifted ashore at Nangantang Island—the water stronghold of the pirate Li Jiu.

"Third Master! Third Master is back!"

The pirates on the shore immediately became excited.

The boat docked, and a pale-faced man, supported by others, shakily stepped onto the pier. The henchmen who had gathered around were stunned—when Third Master left, he was as strong as an ox, how could he have returned in such a state?

"Third Master, are you... injured?" someone asked kindly.

"Bullshit...bullshit!" Li Kui shoved the man away impatiently, panting heavily. "Where's my brother? I have something important to tell him in person."

He took a few more breaths, one hand supporting himself against the wooden wall and the other supporting his lower back.

He had barely left the Red Chamber these past few days on Dongluo Island. The beauties there were all incredibly alluring. If he hadn't run out of money, he would have almost forgotten why he even came here.

However—Li Kui smacked his lips; the taste was truly exquisite. Those women guarding the Red Chamber, in terms of appearance, figure, and skill, far surpassed the women he usually abducted from the shore. It was a pity they weren't free.

Right now, he was anxious to discuss with his elder brother how to take over Dongluo Island. His time at the Red Mansion hadn't been wasted; he'd gathered all the information he'd gathered: Dongluo Island's most capable soldiers had already gone to Southeast Asia on merchant ships. The people on the island now looked intimidating, but they were actually just farmers who'd only trained for a few days.

Once he conquered Dongluo Island, wouldn't all those women be at his mercy? No! He needed to think further ahead. The images of the Lin family women he'd inadvertently glimpsed flashed through Li Kui's mind, fueling his burning desire. Perhaps his goals shouldn't be so narrow. After conquering Dongluo Island, what woman wouldn't be at his disposal?

A moment later, in a spacious hall, Li Kui met his cousin—the pirate leader Li Jiu.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Kui recounted his experiences of the past few days, along with some slightly embellished information, in detail. He focused on the Lin family's military strength and the merchant ships that had sailed to Southeast Asia.

"So, the Lin family really did rob tens of thousands of taels of silver worth of goods?" Li Jiu's eyes lit up.

"No mistake." Li Kui nodded. "I've heard the truth. In the past few days, the settlement allowance he's given to his men alone is no less than ten thousand taels, and they've also promised a bonus of twenty thousand taels. In my opinion, the goods the Lin family robbed this time are worth at least one hundred thousand taels. If they transport these goods to Southeast Asia and exchange them with the foreigners, doubling the value, that's two hundred thousand taels."

After a pause, Li Kui continued, "The Lin family has been in the maritime trade for four years, and who knows how much wealth they've accumulated. Judging by the way they spend money, they must have a lot of silver in their cellars. The only problem is their men; although they haven't been training for long, they seem quite capable."

"Ha, a bunch of peasants." Li Jiu waved his hand. "Farmers who've never seen blood, no matter how well they pretend, they'll wet themselves in fear. The key question is, when do we make our move? Should we rush over immediately, or wait for their ships to return?"

"Of course we'll wait for the ship to return," Li Kui said, raising his voice. "Dongluo Island's meager assets have probably all been converted into goods and loaded onto ships. If we attack now, and a messenger escapes, once the fleet returns and finds out, that money will be out of our reach. As for waiting for the ship to return—it's just a few dozen more veterans, isn't it? What are we afraid of?"

"When will the merchant ships return?" Li Jiu asked.

"Ten days in Manila is enough, plus the time they spend trading and waiting for the wind, the round trip will take about two months. I heard from the island that they will definitely be back before the end of the year—they're still waiting for their share of the profits."

Upon hearing this, Li Jiu slammed his fist on the table.

"Alright! Let's make our move before the New Year and wipe out the Lin family in one fell swoop!"