Outnumbered? I'll conquer America with an unlimited number of suicide soldiers.

Chapter 75 Naval Battles and the Plague

Following the white-clad attack, the Wind Chaser and Wave Chaser remained anchored in Honolulu for a few more days.

It wasn't until the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine was verified before Kamehameha IV and the land was acquired that Hongwu and his entourage set sail.

As for Yongle, he remained on the island for the time being.

Zeng Tai assigned him one hundred fully armed Chinese and white suicide soldiers, and even a machine gun, to deal with the whites on the island.

His only task was to gain the trust of Kamehameha IV while weakening the white power on the island as much as possible.

As for the natives, we don't need to worry about them. Even if smallpox is cured, they will still face the troubles of sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea.

With a population of only tens of thousands, the large number of infertility cases and neonatal deaths caused by sexually transmitted diseases will fundamentally sever the continuation of Hawaii's population.

The Wind Chaser and Wave Breaker slowly sailed out of the harbor, hoisted their sails, and headed northwest.

Shortly after the two ships left, several white sailors who were watching the ships on the dock suddenly turned and ran towards a thousand-ton merchant ship in the distance.

The merchant ship resembles a bald eagle spreading its wings, which is also the ship's name.

Haiying.

"Captain, the swarm of Qing insects is gone!"

Several sailors quickly boarded the ship and reported the matter to the captain in the cabin.

The captain, a middle-aged man with a fierce face, heard about this, went out of his cabin, took out his binoculars, and looked into the distance.

"Men, raise the sails and go after them!"

He stared at the two ships sailing away, a cruel smile creeping across his face. "Mr. Wells gave us so much money; we can't let him down."

"yes!"

More than seventy sailors responded enthusiastically and began to get to work.

Soon, the Sea Eagle raised its sails, adjusted its course, and gave chase.

An hour later, on the lookout tower of the Wind Chaser, a sailor suddenly shouted, "Brother, there's a ship following us, it's the Sea Eagle!"

Upon hearing this, Hongwu rushed to the ship and raised his binoculars to look.

On the distant sea, the Sea Eagle was chasing after them at full speed, cutting through the waves with its white sails billowing. The white-headed eagle statue on the ship, poised to take flight, was particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

"How far?"

"They're two knots faster than us, they'll catch up in two hours!"

Hongwu nodded, then turned to Rong Hong, who had come out of the cabin, and asked, "Mr. Rong, a fight is about to break out. Are you going to wait in the cabin or watch from the deck?"

Rong Hong thought for a moment, then walked to the ship's side and held onto the railing: "I'll stay on deck and watch. I'll take this opportunity to see just how powerful our cannons really are."

"Okay, then stand firm."

Hongwu nodded and began to shout.

"Notify the Wavebreaker, we will begin spiral maneuvers, one to the left and one to the right. Whichever ship the Seahawk is chasing, the other will circle around to its rear and open fire!"

"yes!"

The two ships quickly began spiral maneuvers, drawing two arcs on the sea surface.

The captain of the Sea Eagle, a few nautical miles away, couldn't help but sneer when he saw this.

"Did you think separating would make things better?"

He lowered his monoculars and shouted, "Hard to port! Let's chase the one on the left!"

The first mate of the Sea Eagle asked with some concern, "Captain, what if another ship circles around to the stern and attacks us?"

Upon hearing this, the captain scoffed and said nonchalantly, "With that 12-pounder cannon on their ship? The Sea Eagle is a thousand-ton ship with thick hull plates. Their cannon can only scratch the surface of our ship."

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"I'm afraid they haven't even fired a few shots before we take down one of their ships with a single salvo."

Upon hearing this, the first mate said nothing more and began to turn the rudder to port.

On the deck of the Wind Chaser, the gunners were already in position.

The 120mm breech-loading cannon gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Its long, slender barrel and smooth lines made it seem like a product of a completely different era from those bulky, old-fashioned muzzle-loading cannons.

The gunners skillfully opened the gun doors, loaded the shells, closed the doors, and locked them.

Hongwu walked to the gun position and personally adjusted the firing angle.

"distance?"

"Three nautical miles, still out of range," the observer shouted. "Boss, they're chasing us."

Hongwu nodded without saying a word.

The Sea Eagle is getting closer.

Two and a half nautical miles.

Two nautical miles.

One point five nautical miles.

"Into firing range!" the observer shouted.

Hongwu raised his hand, signaling the gunners to stand by.

"Wait a little longer. Wait until they get closer, until the Breaker Waves gets in position."

The Wind Chaser continued forward, with the Sea Eagle in hot pursuit.

The distance between the two ships was constantly decreasing, from 1.5 nautical miles to 1 nautical mile, and then to 0.8 nautical miles.

On the Sea Eagle, the captain could already clearly see the figures on the deck of the Wind Chaser.

"Prepare for battle!" he roared. "Port guns, load! Once we're within optimal range, unleash a salvo and send these Qing worms to their doom!"

On the port side of the Sea Eagle, the hatches of all six 9-pounder guns were opened, their dark muzzles aimed at the Wind Chaser. The gunners nervously loaded and aimed, awaiting the order.

Just then, a sailor on the lookout tower suddenly shouted, "Captain, behind us! Another Qingchong ship has circled around to our rear!"

The captain of the Sea Eagle turned around sharply and saw the Wave Breaker rapidly approaching from the right rear of the Sea Eagle.

"Don't panic, take out that one in front of us first!"

He remained completely calm, having anticipated this scenario.

He turned to the gunner, about to give the order to fire.

"boom!"

A loud bang came from behind.

The captain was stunned.

That distance—is it about a nautical mile? What kind of cannons are they firing?

He looked back and saw a black dot flying toward the Seahawk at a visible speed. It then landed on the sea surface thirty meters to the port side of the Seahawk, creating a huge column of water.

"What?!"

The captain's eyes widened in disbelief. "This distance, this power—how is this possible?!"

A second shell landed immediately afterward, this time even closer, only a dozen meters away. Seawater poured onto the deck, soaking several sailors to the bone.

"How could it be so fast?" the first mate exclaimed. "Their cannons just fired once. Are there hidden cannons on board?"

"Swerve to avoid it!"

The captain no longer cared about the ship ahead; he just wanted to get away from here as quickly as possible.

But it was too late.

The third shell, with its trajectory corrected, hit the Sea Eagle precisely.

boom!

The Sea Eagle exploded in a massive fireball, sending wood chips flying and flames scattering everywhere.

The helmsman was killed instantly, the rudder was blown off, and the ship lost control and began to spin on the sea.

Ten seconds later, another shell arrived.

boom!

This time it hit the starboard side.

The shell easily tore through the thick hull plating that the Haiying was so proud of, and exploded inside the ship.

Flames and debris raged in the ship's hold, killing five or six gunners instantly, and overturning two 9-pound cannons into the sea.

Then came the fifth, sixth, and seventh shots.

Every ten seconds, a shell would whistle in.

Although some were destined to fall into the sea, the fate of the Sea Eagle was already sealed.

Those shells filled with bitter acid were far more powerful than ordinary ammunition; they created a huge hole with each explosion, and flames spread rapidly, billowing thick smoke.

Seeing the panicked sailors, the captain knew the ship was beyond saving. He grabbed the first mate and rushed to the other side of the vessel.

There is a small wooden boat there that can be used as an escape tool now.

But it was too late.

A shell hit the waterline of the Haiying, right where the ship's ammunition magazine was located.

After a deafening explosion, the Sea Eagle was almost blown in half.

Seawater rushed in, and the ship tilted rapidly. Within minutes, the thousand-ton armed merchant ship sank completely into the Pacific Ocean, leaving only the wreckage floating on the surface and a few survivors struggling in the water.

On the deck of the Wind Chaser, Rong Hong stared at the gradually calming whirlpool in the distance, speechless for a long time.

Hongwu walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder.

"Mr. Rong, how are you feeling?"

Rong Hong snapped out of his daze and took a deep breath.

"Stimulate."

Hongwu grinned: "There will be even more exciting things to come."

He turned around and shouted, "Adjust course, destination: Hong Kong!"

The Wind Chaser adjusted its course and continued westward.

Behind them, the wreckage of the Sea Eagle was still burning, with black smoke rising straight into the sky.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco.

Beitan District.

This is a slum near the coast, with dilapidated houses, narrow streets, sewage, and garbage everywhere, inhabited by a large number of poor Irish, Italian, and Mexican people.

Nobody cares about this place on a regular basis, except for the landlord who collects the rent every month.

But today is different.

Hosea stood at the entrance to the North Beach district with dozens of police officers, covering his nose and looking grave. Behind him stood several doctors brought in from Chinatown, each with their mouths and noses covered by gauze masks.

"Are you sure it's a plague?" he asked.

One of the doctors nodded, his voice muffled: "Confirmed."

"I went to see those who were sick, and the symptoms were exactly the same. First, there was severe pain, high fever, and swollen lymph nodes, which then developed into chest pain and coughing up blood."

This morning, more than a dozen similar cases were discovered.

Hosea's brow furrowed even more.

"What plague?"

"Judging from the symptoms, it could be plague."

The doctor pointed to the dilapidated neighborhood and said, "Look at this place. Sewage, garbage, rats, lice, and densely populated areas—it's practically a breeding ground for the plague. Dozens of people can be infected every day."

Hosea frowned, then said, "Seal off this place."

"From now on, no one is allowed to enter or leave. All patients are to be centrally quarantined, and those who have been in contact with patients are also to be quarantined for observation. This must be implemented immediately."

"Boss, what should we do if the people inside start making a scene?" someone asked.

"Then send them to meet God!"

Hosea said menacingly, and then began to connect Zeng Tai in his mind.

"My lord, something has happened in North Beach District."

Zeng Tai's voice quickly followed, tinged with a hint of languor: "What is it?"

"plague."

Hosea succinctly stated, "Plague has been discovered in the North Beach area, infecting dozens of people and killing several."

The sanitation here is appalling; sewage flows freely, garbage is everywhere, and rats swarm. If this isn't controlled, it will quickly spread throughout San Francisco.

Zeng Tai remained silent for a few seconds.

"plague----"

He muttered to himself, his tone devoid of emotion, and then suddenly cursed.

"Damn it, I knew it. San Francisco is a fucking cesspool, it's bound to explode sooner or later."

He paused for a moment, then said, "But this is also an opportunity; we can use it as an excuse to clean up the sanitation situation in San Francisco."

Hosea said, "Understood. I've already ordered North Beach sealed off; not even a rat is allowed to escape. The patients are in centralized quarantine; let their God save them."

"I will send people to burn down all those houses infected with the virus, clean up the garbage that needs to be cleaned up, and drain the sewage that needs to be drained."

Zeng Tai nodded: "Once Beitan is cleaned up, we can follow the same approach and do the same in other districts."

Hosea said, "Yes, but the police station might not be manpower enough."

"Jianyuan will send someone over, and they'll also transfer some doctors and nurses from the clinic for you."

"What about the council—"

"Humphrey will handle it," Zeng Tai said. "The funding proposal will be a formality tomorrow. The mayor, speaker, and treasurer are all our people; no one will object."

Hosea said, “My lord, you must also be careful over there; the plague may have already spread.”

Zeng Tai chuckled: "Put your heart back in your belly. Ever since the 'pest control and hygiene' campaign started in Chinatown, there's been no more garbage, ditches, or sewage pits."

After they started buying rat tails for one cent each, the rats in Chinatown were almost wiped out.

An hour later.

Xinghantang arrived faster than expected. Two hundred people, dressed in uniform and carrying tools, stood in neat rows at the street corner.

Jian Yuan personally led the team to find He Xi'a.

"Hosea, our lord has given the order, we will obey your command."

Hosea nodded without any formalities.

"Jianyuan, have your men guard the outer perimeter. Don't let even a rat escape. Leave the inside to us."

Jian Yuan turned around and gave a few instructions to the men of Xinghan Hall. The two hundred men immediately dispersed and set up roadblocks at various intersections.

Hosea led dozens of police officers and doctors into the North Beach area.

The scene on the street was worse than what he had seen outside.

Sewage flowed freely, garbage piled up everywhere, and several fat rats scurried in and out of the garbage heap, unafraid of people.

Several ragged children squatted by the roadside, their faces dirty, looking at them with blank eyes.

Suddenly, a burly Irish man rushed out, pointing at them and yelling, "What right do you have to block off this place? We're not prisoners!"

Hosea glanced at him.

"Plague! There's a plague outbreak here. If we don't lock it down, the whole of San Francisco will be wiped out."

The man's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Rat—the plague?"

"All patients are in centralized quarantine, and those who have been in contact with patients are also under quarantine for observation. For others, we are conducting door-to-door checks, and anyone with symptoms must report immediately."

Hosea turned to the doctor behind him, "Anyone who dares to resist, shoot them!"

The doctors nodded and got to work, carrying their medicine kits.

The police followed behind the doctor, responsible for protecting his safety.

Soon, shouts and yells erupted from the street.

Hosea stood at the street corner, looking at the dilapidated neighborhood and the stubborn Irish, Italians, and Mexicans, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

This place definitely needs to be cleaned up.