Chapter 552 - 59: Captives
All disputes and angry emotions completely dissipated the moment the gunfire rang out.
Realizing they had become targets under enemy aim, all the Spaniards scrambled to find the nearest cover to evade, even Lisoben, the native, was no exception—
Having just witnessed the terrifying power of firearms, he hid faster than the Spaniards.
The sturdy trunk gave everyone a sense of security. Havier, sweating profusely in fear, pressed his entire body almost completely against the ground, cautiously lifting his head to look towards the direction where the gunfire came from, trying to find traces of the enemy.
The other Spaniards, while concealing their bodies, were taking the matchlock guns from their backs, ready to immediately retaliate against the enemy.
They all thought the enemy was also using the inaccurate matchlock guns, which was why the first round of shooting missed, never expecting that it was deliberate by the enemy.
...
As someone originally from a hunter background, who later became a sailor to make money, Havier was the most skilled in using matchlock guns among them.
No matter how awkward his posture was, he could smoothly use a ramrod to push gunpowder into the barrel and was confident he could fire it successfully.
However, that was only possible without interference.
Sunday and others, from a high vantage point and with telescopes aiding their observation, had a clear view of all the sailors’ small movements from above.
"Pay attention to protect my safety later. Shoot to kill anyone raising a hand to load bullets."
Sunday instructed in a deep voice and lifted the gun in his hand, aiming at a Spanish sailor about to start reloading, and fired a shot at the bush beside the sailor’s head.
...
The restrained attitude towards the Spaniards was not because he feared these outsiders, but because, before starting the plan, Chen Zhou specifically instructed that more Spaniards need to be kept alive—
To find out where the island’s treasures were buried, the movement of the Spanish plundering fleets, the ship’s firepower, and who led the raid fleet.
Only the Spaniards on the island could answer these crucial questions.
If they could capture this group alive and bring them back to the island for interrogation to gather enough detailed intelligence, the subsequent operations would be effortless.
Moreover, Chen Zhou actually didn’t intend to completely sever ties with the Spaniards.
The island’s resources were not rich enough, lacking many mineral resources and chemical materials, and he couldn’t build a large fleet in a short time.
Hence, Chen Zhou wanted to use the Spaniards, relying on their fleet to bring endless supplies to the island.
Including Lai Fu’s "wife", also needed to be brought over by the Spaniards from foreign lands.
As a large dog, Lai Fu was transitioning from prime age to old age.
Chen Zhou had no way to extend Lai Fu’s life to keep it with him through 28 years of challenges.
The only thing he could do was help Lai Fu leave descendants, letting it accompany him in another way, guarding the entire island.
...
The operation was led by Chen Zhou, with Sunday, a former native, and other indigenous people from the island assisting him to fill the gaps and supplement the details in the plan.
All precautions were remembered in Sunday’s mind.
But trying to capture all the Spaniards alive had a condition—
Once this group resisted stubbornly and might cause casualties among the sailors, he wouldn’t hesitate to use bullets.
After all, Chen Zhou also instructed that warriors are always more important than treasures, as long as someone has a gun, anything can be contested.
...
The sound of the gunfire almost arrived simultaneously with the bullet.
The soil beside Havier’s head burst with a bang, scaring him to quickly put down his gun and dared not make any move.
Once might be a coincidence, but twice certainly not.
He frowned, squinting his eyes, shrinking back further, observing through the dense bushes—
"If it was a matchlock gun attack, the shooter should be nearby, but they’ve shot twice already, why can’t I find where they are?
If I can’t see them, they shouldn’t be able to observe me either. If they’re far away, how could they know my movements?
Also, judging by the sound of the gunfire, they should be very far away..."
The more Havier thought, the more something felt wrong. Reviewing the two bullets that came at them, he vaguely felt that this time the enemy’s weaponry was superior to theirs, completely different from those on the island who only used wooden spears and arrows.
These sea bandits always bullied the weak and feared the strong, acting despicably when encountering a weaker opponent, and only thinking of preserving their lives and fleeing when encountering a powerful enemy.
Unsure whether he was still being closely watched, Havier looked around and started to employ a devious plan.
He shouted out loud.
"Their guns are better than ours, and there are more of them. Retreat quickly before they come over!"
...
Despite having just argued, everyone was united at this moment, with no one doubting the truthfulness of Havier’s words.
A Spanish sailor hiding at the forefront was the first to respond, crouching and hurriedly running back with the long matchlock gun in hand.
Seeing this, the other sailors also picked up their weapons, planning to return to their camp and make a plan from there.
The camp still had a few people left and was built with simple defensive works. As long as they returned to their temporary residence, even if the enemy had more people, they would hesitate to take on this "hard bone".
Everyone else had already risen and moved, except for Havier who still lay on the ground, cautiously observing if anything unexpected happened.
Soon, his suspicion was confirmed.
A bullet flew from a distance, accurately hitting the leg of the first person who attempted to escape.
As that person ran, he suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground, letting out a wail.