A small pirate vessel crept into the outer waters of Zhoushan Dinghai Port.
Before it could get anywhere near the harbor, a twenty-meter patrol electric boat from Gao Family Village sped out to intercept it.
Unregistered ships were strictly forbidden from approaching Dinghai Port.
At present, Zhoushan Dinghai Port was being constructed according to full military specifications. It housed the core fleet of the Gao Family Village navy, and nearby, a shipyard was under construction, one that would soon produce steam-powered ironclads. Everything here was top secret.
Allowing unknown ships to wander close was out of the question.
As the electric patrol boat closed in, the pirates aboard the smaller vessel hurriedly waved signal flags, clearly requesting communication.
By now, Gao Family Village's sailors had learned a wide range of common pirate flag signals, taught by the reformed pirates undergoing Labor Reform. With these men always present, interpreting such signals posed no difficulty.
The patrol boat responded with a flag signal, agreeing to talk.
Not long after, a man from the pirate ship boarded the Gao Family Village patrol boat.
The visitor had black hair and yellow skin, clearly an East Asian man. His clothing, however, was bizarre. He wore a Western-style suit, clearly trying to project refinement and gentlemanly elegance.
It was obvious he had picked up this style from Westerners.
The captain of the patrol boat was only a middle school dropout. He had not completed his education, but he had studied the "Heavenly Books" bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun. His knowledge and worldview far surpassed those of ordinary people.
Seeing the man's outfit, the captain sneered.
"Who are you, and what business do you have coming to our Zhoushan Island?"
The man in the suit straightened his posture and spoke in an affected, dignified tone.
"I am an administrator under Lord Liu Xiang, one of the last great heroes among the Wind and Cloud Eighteen Scholars. I usually handle diplomatic affairs on Brother Liu Xiang's behalf."
"Oh?" The captain laughed lightly. "Diplomacy? That word is usually used for dealings between nations. When did pirates start using it? You might want to call it something else."
"Like collusion."
The man in the suit froze.
This response caught him completely off guard.
This fellow is not some ignorant pirate brute. He is educated.
He quickly adjusted his expression.
"The wording is unimportant, as long as you understand my intent."
The captain crossed his arms.
"So you're here to strike a deal."
The man cleared his throat.
"One could put it that way. Brother Liu Xiang has always believed in befriending heroes and brave men across the seas. Within the Seven Seas, we are all brothers. He wonders whether he may have unintentionally offended you brothers flying the colorful flag, and asks that you forgive any past misunderstandings."
The captain chuckled inwardly.
So he's trying to talk things down first.
The man continued, "Brother Liu Xiang has some old comrades and subordinates stationed on Zhoushan and Shengsi. One is called Swordsman, another White Sheep. It seems they were captured by your forces. These men are important to Brother Liu Xiang. If possible, we hope you can release them. We are willing to offer suitable compensation."
The captain shook his head decisively.
"No."
The man blinked.
"No?"
"They committed piracy and were lawfully apprehended. They cannot be released, and they cannot be bought with money."
The man frowned.
"What exactly is this crime of 'piracy'?"
The captain recited without emotion, "Piracy refers to operating a vessel without authorization from a belligerent nation or any recognized navy, with intent to commit violence, coercion, or theft against other ships, or against the people and property aboard them."
The man's jaw slowly dropped.
What in the world? He just recited a legal definition?
What country even uses this law? I've never heard of it.
Although he said nothing aloud, his expression clearly showed disdain.
The captain snorted.
"I know you don't agree with this law. To be honest, I don't fully agree with it either."
The man stared.
"Huh?"
Then why are you enforcing it?
Before he could ask, the captain laughed.
"Why bother with so much reasoning? Crime or no crime, what does it matter? Catch a pirate and shoot him. Simple. Making laws, defining crimes, Labor Reform, it's all unnecessary. Just execute them all. That's the cleanest solution."
The man in the suit was utterly stunned.
The captain waved his hand impatiently.
"Alright. Anything else?"
The man hesitated, then asked, "Who exactly is your leader?"
The captain lifted his chin proudly.
"Our leader is Dao Xuan Tianzun."
The man's pupils shrank slightly.
That name sounds disturbingly similar to the White Lotus cult's Unborn Mother. These people might be fanatic believers. Fanatics are the worst. They charge into battle screaming slogans, completely fearless, even under gunfire.
Terrifying.
But still.
No matter how fanatical they were, cannon fire killed all the same.
The man did not believe this new force could surpass Liu Xiang. His earlier humility had merely been an attempt to retrieve Swordsman and White Sheep cheaply. If that failed, force was always an option.
Since the other side showed no respect, there was no reason to continue pretending.
The man let out a cold laugh.
"Very well, you colorful-flag bearers. Brother Liu Xiang has never provoked you. Yet you arrive uninvited, shouting for war, seizing our men, occupying our islands. This is a grave insult. Go tell your so-called Dao Xuan Tianzun to immediately release Swordsman and White Sheep, and withdraw from the Zhoushan Archipelago. If you do, Brother Liu Xiang may choose to overlook this matter. Otherwise, from now on, any ship flying a colorful flag should be very careful in these waters."
The captain burst out laughing.
"There's no need to trouble Dao Xuan Tianzun with this. I can answer you myself."
He laughed even harder.
"We're terrified. Absolutely terrified. Hahahaha!"
The sailors behind him, along with the reformed pirates, roared with laughter.
"So scared! Too scared to sleep at night!"
The man in the suit clenched his fists.
"You ignorant youngsters who don't know your place! Brother Liu Xiang has the Westerners backing him. You probably don't even know how large their ships are. Your arrogance won't last long."
The captain's expression turned cold.
"Mind your words. Speak properly and I'll treat you as an envoy. Keep insulting us, and I'll treat you as a provocateur."
"When two nations go to war, envoys are spared. But no one ever said provocateurs are protected."
He grinned faintly.
"So think carefully before you speak again."
The man stiffened. He no longer dared to provoke them.
"Hmph. There is no point continuing this conversation. Take care of yourselves."
He turned and returned to his small pirate ship, steering southward.
Behind him, the Gao Family Village captain picked up a tin megaphone and shouted after the departing vessel,
"Tell Liu Xiang that he too is guilty of piracy. He can wait for us to come arrest him, or if he doesn't want to be shot, he can jump into the sea and kill himself. He can choose a more elegant death."
The man in the suit trembled with rage, but he had come alone, without force. He dared not respond, only fleeing as quickly as possible.