Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 18 Plan
"Okay, let's discuss this."

After the Spaniards left the room, Luo Zhenhui glanced at the instructors and student representatives present and spoke in a deep voice.

"Captain, attacking Spanish coastal ports and seizing some production and living supplies is risky, but for our long-term development, I believe it's necessary," said navigation instructor Major Wei Yingbin. "After all, with so many of us, we can't just live like those Native Americans, eating raw meat and eating blood."

"Moreover, as time passes, the supplies we carry on the Breaker will eventually be exhausted. In this situation, we must plan ahead. In addition to surviving, we must also seek self-development, self-production, and even achieve partial self-sufficiency. At this stage, we have nothing and can only 'borrow' some from the Spanish, including food, seeds, livestock and poultry, production tools, and even daily necessities."

"Indeed, our current goal is survival and development," Captain Dong Xinping, a military doctor, took over the conversation. "For the past few months, due to the low, if almost nonexistent, intake of grains and vegetables, everyone in the camp has been suffering from a variety of ailments, including indigestion, bloating, constipation, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Although we obtained a large amount of tea after capturing the Spanish galleon, which has alleviated these problems somewhat, the situation remains uncertain."

"Now, Vancouver Island—oh, should I say, Qiming Island—has entered winter. The wild vegetables, mushrooms, and fresh fruits in the forest are almost extinct and difficult to obtain. This forces all of us to rely solely on venison and fish as our staple food. In the long run, this will have a significant impact on our health. As you all know, we don't have many medicines, and we can't meet everyone's medical needs. Therefore, in order to ensure that everyone survives in this time and space, it is very necessary to borrow some supplies from the Spanish, especially grains and food. Oh, and by the time the time comes, we will also need to obtain some herbs from them for long-term use."

"I also agree with launching a raid on Mexico to plunder more production and daily necessities," navigation instructor Captain Kuang Xu added. "We can say now that aside from the Wavebreaker, we have nothing. We're practically destitute. It's been over four months, and I've almost forgotten what rice and steamed buns taste like. There aren't many vegetables here, just unknown wild vegetables, grass roots, and fungi. Our lives are comparable to those of the Red Army crossing the grasslands back then."

"Also, as you've all seen, the potatoes we planted in August aren't growing well because they're out of season, and the yield is very low, far below our expectations. They can't provide us with the necessary food and vegetables. If we continue like this after this winter, not only will those Spanish prisoners, but even our cadets will probably lose confidence in continuing. Currently, Fort Shixing has taken shape and has a certain level of defense. Furthermore, since it's winter now, we shouldn't be at risk of invasion. So, let's gather our best forces, sail south on the Breaker, and unexpectedly capture a Mexican coastal town to obtain the supplies we desperately need."

"That's right, it's winter now, making outdoor work difficult. We might have to halt all our construction work," said Major Meng Shengxin, the navigator. "So, we can't just sit there and do nothing, can we? The northwest monsoon is currently in full force, so sailing south to Mexico is smooth sailing. We'll be there in less than two weeks. By the way, after repairing and replacing the leaking bottom hold, mast, and planking on the captured Spanish galleon, we found that we're still short of some sailcloth. We need to get some back from the Spanish so that we can have two completely intact galleons. We need these ships if we want to expand our business and recruit people from the Ming Dynasty."

"Hmm." Lieutenant Colonel Li Xianqing, the political commissar, smiled after listening to the speeches. "Everyone wants to go to Mexico and make a killing. They're pretty much unanimous in their opinion. So, what about you, as representatives of the cadets? Do you have anything to say or any good suggestions for me?"

As soon as the words fell, everyone's eyes turned to the two student soldiers who were attending the meeting.

"Report to the captain, political commissar, and instructor, on behalf of all the cadets, we will resolutely obey any orders from the decision-making committee." Cadets Chen Rui and Li Liang immediately stood up, saluted, and responded loudly.

"Everyone, sit down and talk." Li Xianqing pressed his hands lightly a few times and said gently, "You two are members of the decision-making committee and have the right to express your opinions and different views. You should know that we have always had a fine tradition of unity between officers and soldiers, emphasizing political equality, solidarity and mutual assistance, sharing weal and woe, practicing guided democracy, and establishing conscious discipline. Since this is a meeting to discuss, you must speak freely without any reservations. Tell us, what do you think? If you have any good suggestions, please feel free to put them forward."

Not long after landing on Qiming Island, in order to survive and develop in this strange and desolate place, all the naval officers and soldiers of the "Polang" established a temporary decision-making committee, headed by the captain and the political commissar, and participated by five instructors and two cadet representatives, in order to fully develop the effect of collective wisdom, pool everyone's wisdom, and form a positive development situation of co-construction and sharing.

A few days ago, a cadet soldier suddenly suggested that why not go south to raid the Spanish Mexican colonial territory and plunder some production and living materials needed for the base. This would not only speed up the development of the base, but also slightly improve everyone's miserable life.

Although this is somewhat risky, it is much better than staying in the fortress and accumulating wealth bit by bit.

Before this, people may not have known much about the situation in Spanish Mexico and were hesitant to take risks easily.

But it’s different now!

They captured over fifty Spanish sailors, and through brief interrogations, they were able to gain a general understanding of the situation there. More importantly, with the guidance of these Spanish sailors, they could accurately and quickly locate the ports and towns along the Mexican Pacific coast. Then, they could raid one or two smaller towns, rob them, and then immediately sail away.

The sea was vast, and even if the Spaniards wanted to hunt them down, they would certainly not be able to find their specific direction and location.

Once this suggestion was put forward, it immediately attracted the attention of the decision-making committee, and several deductions and discussions were carried out.

To this end, they also took the nautical charts and logbooks seized from the Spanish galleon and studied and scrutinized them in detail.

After some discussion, they decided that this move was highly feasible. If successful, it would not only solve the base's material shortage problem, but also allow them to explore the route to Spanish Mexico in advance.

It can be predicted that if they want to develop on Qiming Island in the future, they will definitely not be able to avoid the Spaniards, and they will inevitably have to deal with the neighboring Spanish colonial territory of Mexico.

In that case, why not go and get to know the place earlier, say "hello" in advance, and find out the situation at the same time.

Today, the boatswain, helmsman, lookout and other personnel of the former "St. Louis" were summoned to inquire about the situation in the Pacific coastal area of ​​Spanish Mexico. The purpose was to further confirm the specific situation there so as to reassure everyone.

Just as the Spaniard said, in order to guard against the invasion of European pirates from England, the Netherlands and other countries, some of the more important ports and towns along the Pacific coast of Spanish America have been armed, with forts built and troops stationed.

If you want to launch a sneak attack on these places, you will definitely not end up well, and you might even be eaten by the enemy.

However, the time travelers went to Spanish Mexico not for wealth, nor did they want to attack their treasure ships.

Their purpose was simply to steal some food, seeds, livestock, poultry, farm tools, and even some basic necessities such as pots and pans.

Well, just like those poor northern Tartars in Chinese history, they took back all the useful things.

"Should we bring some people back?" After holding it in for a long time, Li Liang asked in a timid tone under the eager gaze of everyone.

“…” Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in silence for a long time.

(End of this chapter)