bullyxtreme Chapter 535 Stepping Stone (Page 12)
Chapter 535 Stepping Stone (Page 12)
"Lord Alpha, this is my summary and analysis of the existing intelligence." Su Wanqing stood in front of the blackboard in the conference room, her voice clear and efficient.
The blackboard was covered with dense writing about the current state of the island.
At this moment, Alpha was lazily nestled in the large armchair, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly resting.
Outside the window, the sound of waves gently lapping against the ship's side was exceptionally clear in the dead of night.
On Alpha's shoulder, the bunny girl Firefly hung around his neck like a koala, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Soon after, it began to snore softly and evenly, clearly having fallen into a deep sleep.
"Read it aloud, I don't want to see the words." Alpha's voice was hoarse and tired.
He needs to clear his mind and devise the most advantageous strategy before landing tomorrow morning.
Su Wanqing nodded, picked up the pointer, pointed to the first part of the blackboard, and reported in a steady voice: "Lord Lei, the Ottoman Empire is currently exercising oppressive rule over Cyprus. High taxes are the biggest nightmare for the people. Farmers not only have to pay heavy land taxes, but also face various kinds of exorbitant taxes. Even more serious is the land confiscation policy—imperial nobles forcibly deprive a large number of farmers of their land, but the taxes are not reduced at all. In addition, the tax farming system implemented on the island means that the taxes are subcontracted layer by layer, and by the time they reach the bottom-level farmers, it is an unbearable burden."
Alpha's brow furrowed slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. His primary concern wasn't the economy, but rather the degree of instability in the situation.
"How is the peasant resistance going? What about the Empire's suppression efforts?" Alpha opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at Su Wanqing.
Su Wanqing met his gaze and continued her report: "Due to the oppressive policies, peasant uprisings have been frequent. However, with years of famine and heavy taxes, as well as natural and man-made disasters, large-scale famine has led to a sharp decline in the island's population, which is now less than 100,000. Large-scale armed resistance has not been seen for a long time. The Ottoman Empire seems to think that there is no major threat here, and its main garrison has been completely withdrawn. Currently, only about 3,000 local noble private soldiers remain on the island to maintain order."
"Less than 100,000? Three thousand garrison troops?" Alpha repeated in a low voice, the gloom in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a glint of ambitious light.
This means that if Alpha wants to take over this area, it will face very little resistance.
"Understood, you can go back and rest now." Alpha waved his hand, closed his eyes again, and began to mentally rehearse the various possibilities after landing.
"Wanyi, let's go back." Su Wanqing put away the documents.
Turning around, she found that Su Wanyi had also fallen asleep by the table, still holding Liu Ying's hand tightly.
She sighed helplessly and gently tugged at her younger sister.
"Huh? Have we arrived?" Su Wanyi opened her eyes groggily, looking completely bewildered.
Seeing this, Alpha stretched out his long arm and gently pried open the two people's tightly clasped fingers.
He carefully picked up Liuying, who was sleeping soundly on his shoulder, and stood up: "It's okay, you can rest in this conference room, I'll take her back to the bedroom."
Alpha carried the seemingly weightless bunny girl into the inner cabin, leaving Su Wanqing and her sister looking at each other in bewilderment.
However, not long after, faint sounds of indecent sexual activity could be heard coming from the next bedroom.
Su Wanqing's ears burned, and she hurriedly pulled her sister away from this place of trouble.
Su Wanyi kept her eyes tightly closed, but her eyelashes trembled slightly with tension. No matter how much her sister Su Wanqing pulled her, she did not move and pretended to be asleep.
"If you want to listen, then listen by yourself. I'm not going to care about you anymore!" Su Wanqing angrily shook off her sister's arm, turned around and left, leaving Su Wanyi alone in the empty conference room.
Once she was sure her sister was far away, Su Wanyi, like a kitten that had just stolen some cream, tiptoed to her feet.
She held her breath and, following the intermittent, blush-inducing, decadent music, slowly moved to Alpha's bedroom door.
The door was ajar. She mustered her courage and cautiously peeked inside, hiding in the shadows in front of the bed.
However, her every move had already been observed by the person in bed.
Suddenly, a strong hand reached out and grabbed her slender calf!
Su Wanyi was so frightened that she quickly covered her mouth to prevent a scream from escaping.
"Wanqing? What are you doing here?" Alpha's voice rang out in the quiet night, tinged with surprise.
At this moment, the stars and fireflies in her arms were already overwhelmed and fell into a deep sleep.
Alpha looked at the girl who had come to him without saying anything more.
He pulled her onto the bed and pinned her down.
The girl's scream was instantly swallowed up, replaced by a more chaotic and painful low moan.
This absurd farce finally came to an end when the night was at its deepest.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Su Wanyi forced herself to get up, her body aching terribly.
She staggered back to her room, her face still flushed from the previous night's frenzy, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Captain Carson, notify the fleet to proceed directly to Limassol." Alpha closed the documents in his hand, his tone calm yet conveying an undeniable decisiveness.
Now that we have figured out Cyprus's true situation.
It is over 200 kilometers long from east to west and less than 100 kilometers wide from north to south.
The entire island had a population of less than 100,000 and was located very close to the core area of the Ottoman Empire.
Alpha then completely abandoned the idea of risking occupation.
"Yes, Lord Ray!" Captain Carson accepted the order and immediately waved the signal flag. The massive fleet then adjusted its course and sailed westward through the waves.
In Alpha's view, the strategic value of this barren and sparsely populated "tiny place" is far less than its risks.
This place is too close to the Ottoman land power center, and the enemy can mobilize a large force to take absolute control at any time.
Even the most fearsome pirate alliances dare not easily approach this area.
Rather than risk angering a behemoth for a trivial outpost.
It would be wiser to use it as a safe and secluded temporary rest stop.
Alpha specifically ordered the fleet to sail to the western coast, where there are continuous mountains and sparse population, which is perfect for them to act discreetly.
At 3 p.m., under the blazing sun, the fleet finally arrived in Limassol.
However, the scene before them left everyone somewhat bewildered, both amused and exasperated.
The port city marked on the map appears dilapidated in reality.
They searched for a long time before finally finding three usable berths, thanks to Carson's small boats repeatedly scouting the area.
The massive fleet had to form a long line and take turns docking to allow the heavily armored knights to disembark.
Three consecutive days of rough seas had taken their toll, even on knights who were usually as resolute as steel.
At this moment, they were all pale-faced and unsteady on their feet, looking like they had contracted a disease called "soft-legged shrimp".
When their feet finally touched solid ground, the sense of relief after surviving the ordeal almost brought tears to their eyes.
Alpha observed coldly, already having made up his mind: in the coming period, training must focus on naval adaptability.
Not only should we conduct group coordination training, but we should also start by focusing on basic disciplines such as standing at attention and marching in step.
At the same time, everyone must be made to adapt to the rhythm of the sea as soon as possible, and the embarrassing situation of collapsing upon landing must not be repeated.
Looking around, the desolation of Limassol far exceeded expectations.
Alpha realized that this might be because the western mountainous region where they landed was sparsely populated.
In fact, most of Cyprus's population and economy are concentrated in the eastern plains.
Here, due to the long-term oppression of the Ottoman Empire and the rampage of the pirate alliance, the area was in a state of chaos.
The once-thriving maritime trade has long since ceased, leaving behind only desolation.
In the vast port, besides a few hundred fishermen struggling to make a living, there were only a dozen or so Ottoman officials and local auxiliary soldiers responsible for maintaining order.
When the fishermen and minor officials saw this massive, menacing "imperial fleet," they were all terrified and hid behind dilapidated houses, too afraid to show their faces.
They were convinced that these were just more tyrannical agents sent by the Ottoman Empire to levy exorbitant taxes, and fear made them even more cautious in their breathing.
However, to everyone's surprise, this army did not engage in burning, killing, or looting.
Alpha ordered the camp to be set up and began to clean up the dilapidated harbor, repair the docks, and build temporary accommodations.
Alpha was well aware that this place might become an important transit point for their future operations, and it was worth investing some effort in its development.
The fleet was simply busy with its own tasks and showed no intention of disturbing the locals.
The fishermen relaxed slightly, but remained vigilant and dared not approach.
It wasn't until evening that two elderly men who looked like administrators, leaning on canes, walked out of the crowd, their steps unsteady.
They cautiously inquired about Alpha's purpose and identity in Common, speaking with a heavy accent.
After dismissing several administrators, Alpha did not disturb the order of the abandoned city.
Night fell, dark as ink, and quietly enveloped the coast of Limassol.
Alpha stood atop a makeshift watchtower, his cloak fluttering in the wind.
His eyes were sharp as he scanned every corner of the harbor.
The fortifications are being reinforced, the berths are being widened, and several supply ships are slowly approaching the shore to unload provisions and building materials.
Order is being quietly rebuilt on these ruins.
At first, the fishermen watched from a distance, like startled seagulls, scattering at the slightest disturbance.
But several days passed, and the army remained steadfast in its boundaries, neither disturbing civilian homes nor forcibly requisitioning supplies.
They even took the initiative to repair the fishermen's damaged fishing nets when the dock was being repaired.
Gradually, tentative contact began.
A few daring fishermen brought over their fresh catch at dusk, muttering in broken Mandarin, "Just a little something."
Alpha accepted the fish and ordered his men to reciprocate with salt and cloth.
This back-and-forth exchange silently built a fragile yet genuine trust.
However, the calm in Limassol is merely a facade.
On the top floor of a half-collapsed stone warehouse on the east side of town, a figure was hidden behind a broken window frame, his eyes fixed on the harbor like a hawk's.
He was draped in a gray-brown cloak, his face hidden in shadow, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes.
The cold records documented the docking locations of every ship, the storage sites of every batch of supplies, and the intervals between patrol shifts.
He was a secret agent sent by the Ottoman Empire to Cyprus, codenamed "Raven," and belonged to the "Golden Hall Secret Guard" directly under the Sultan.
Raven, a spy for the Pirate Alliance, had already infiltrated the Empire, and now he was about to inform the outside world of everything about this fleet.
“They are neither pirates nor ordinary mercenaries,” Raven whispered to the messenger beside him, his voice like sandpaper scraping. “They have no insignia on their flags, but they are disciplined and well-trained. Within three days of landing, they had already planned out fortifications and supply lines… This is the style of a regular army, and they don’t seem like the bandit soldiers of the Empire.”
The messenger lay prone on the ground, rapidly scribbling with a charcoal pencil: "Should we report this to Istanbul?"
"No need, we're only responsible for supervision, nothing else." Raven took out a very thin roll of parchment from his pocket and wrote a short message in secret.