Chapter 390 - Rong Operation

Of course, leadership didn't summon him to hear about difficulties, but to get things done. However, before getting things done, it never hurt to emphasize difficulties first—lest leadership always think things were easy.

Besides, what he said was factual. The transmigrator collective knew little about internal pirate affairs. Winning over defectors required inside connections; otherwise there was no starting point.

Currently the collective held a batch of pirate prisoners—some had been absorbed into the Army and Navy, some became commune laborers, others remained in labor camps doing hard labor. Lin Baiguang believed that even those considered "reliable" after joining the military hadn't been "revolutionary" long enough for high loyalty; their "revolutionary will" wasn't firm. Sending them back into enemy territory for life-and-death "infiltrate and extract" work wasn't suitable.

"The viable approach is exploiting existing connections for a quick strike."

Lin Baiguang's "existing connection" was Shi Shisi. This man wasn't among Zhu Cailao's core subordinates. From interrogations, they knew pirate groups highly valued blood relationships—core members were almost all relatives. Even without blood ties, they were servants or adopted sons with strong personal dependency. Shi Shisi had none of these.

"Zhu Cailao's core people would be hard to turn—and would create complications even if we did. So my idea is recruiting peripheral minor leaders like Shi Shisi. First, their small scale makes them easy to absorb; second, being mid-to-lower level, joining us wouldn't create status-drop feelings."

Such peripheral backbone had group attachment emotions but wouldn't die for the cause—like modern company employees who'd definitely jump ship when it was sinking. Relatively easier to recruit.

"What's your plan?"

"First let me understand Shi Shisi's specific situation." Lin Baiguang said. "I'd like the Executive Committee to make me negotiation representative. This gives me reason to directly contact Shi Shisi, talk extensively, understand his thinking, build rapport—preparing for next steps."

"That's no problem." The Executive Committee didn't actually intend negotiating with Zhu Cailao anyway; having Lin Baiguang stall was perfect.

So the next day, Lin Baiguang became negotiation representative. He first invited Security Bureau Technical Division Chief Wufo to set up a "bugging room."

"This is easy." Wufo was a seemingly honest but scheming middle-aged man, an electronics engineer by training, with a passionate hobby for electronic surveillance. Now he could openly practice his trade—peeping into others' secrets kept him youthfully energized.

"The surveillance target is..." Ran Yao explained the mission.

"If the subject has no concept of recording, it's simple: just microphone pickup with tape recording."

Wufo favored tape recorders because, compared to precision digital devices, recorders and tapes better suited the transmigrator collective's future production capacity.

So Shi Shisi was lodged in a luxurious commercial house room—the most premium available. Furnishings were comfortable; the room was equipped with microphone and camera. This was specially reserved for indigenous VIPs. Since this time-space had no such technology, concealment was simple. Beside this room was a small hidden chamber with recording equipment and a monitor.

Next, Lin Baiguang found someone from former Zhu Cailao gang members who'd "joined the revolution"—someone familiar with Shi Shisi—assigning him to accompany Shi Shisi for dining and sightseeing, catching up on old times.

"Your task is ensuring he eats well and has fun. Understand?" Lin Baiguang raised his eyelids at this naval-uniformed man. Suddenly summoned by the Political Security Bureau, sweat beaded on his forehead—everyone knew these colorfully-dressed people were the Australians' Embroidered Guard.

"Budget is 100 Circulation Vouchers daily. Don't be afraid to spend."

"Yes, Chief!"

"Whatever he thinks or says, report to me every evening."

"Understood, Chief!"

The man saluted and quickly retreated. Lin Baiguang then phoned Dugu Qiuhun, simultaneously sending an OA email containing digital photos of Shi Shisi and the assigned companion.

"Starting tomorrow, 24-hour surveillance on these two. Daily reports to me."

"Who are you?!" Dugu Qiuhun's tone was impatient.

"I'm Lin Baiguang from Political Security Bureau. Problem?"

"Oh, oh—Political Security Bureau. No problem."

Shi Shisi was happily enjoying VIP treatment at East Gate Market. Born poor, though he'd made money as a pirate, he rarely had places to spend it. Arriving at this dazzling world, his eyes couldn't take it all in. He wished he could experience everything. His companion obligingly spent freely. At night, sitting behind the tavern's large glass window, Shi Shisi gazed at the glittering streets with an intoxicated expression.

Unfortunately, East Gate Market's nightlife remained quite backward. Shi Shisi disdained local streetwalker quality. Given brothels' potential instability and general reluctance to become brothel owners, East Gate Market remained primitive in this regard.

According to various reports, Shi Shisi was enchanted by East Gate Market and filled with curiosity about Australians—last time he'd only felt fear. This second visit showed earthshaking changes. Shi Shisi found everything fresh.

When conversation touched Zhu Cailao's situation, Shi Shisi didn't hide—revealing that the brothers were all tired of fighting. Piracy was ultimately for personal wealth and pleasure; easy targets were best. Constant life-and-death combat was pointless!

Shi Shisi couldn't help recalling the good old days over a decade ago, when they'd dominated Fujian-Guangdong waters, trading and robbing freely. Useless Imperial forces couldn't touch them. Here he expressed extreme hatred for Zheng Zhilong—without this traitor, maritime heroes wouldn't struggle so hard.

Lin Baiguang let him enjoy himself for several days. After reviewing full surveillance reports and wiretap transcripts, he'd basically grasped this man's personality and temperament before officially engaging him.

Though a 17th-century pirate might not be intellectually inferior to a 21st-century civil servant, regarding relationship-building and schmoozing skills, Shi Shisi was far outmatched by an officialdom veteran like Lin Baiguang—not to mention Lin Baiguang was an office director by background, a position always held by "capable people."

Besides engaging Shi Shisi, he didn't neglect the pirate sailors lodging at Bo-pu. He personally accompanied them to bathhouses and tea houses. Seeing their tattered clothing, he ordered sailor work uniforms from the garment factory. This low-cost gesture won many hearts.

Evenings, he hosted sailors at Half-the-Sky Restaurant. These pirate sailors were poor fishermen or bankrupt farmer refugees—though risking lives as pirates, they were still bottom-rung people. First-time visitors receiving such warm hospitality were naturally moved. Plus his expansive demeanor and eloquence—within two days, the pirate sailors were calling him "brother." Lin Baiguang had excellent memory; after a few drinks, he could call out everyone's name.

After dinner, Lin Baiguang thoughtfully had Dugu Qiuhun summon all East Gate Market's prostitutes to service the sailors—expenses from Political Security Bureau operational funds.

Dugu Qiuhun complained loudly, directly phoning Ma Qianzhu.

"No problem—if he wants prostitutes, get him prostitutes!" Ma Qianzhu said indifferently.

"Public-funded prostitution—that's unprecedented..."

"This is mission execution. Just do whatever he requests."

Handling Shi Shisi wasn't so simple. Fortunately, besides drinking and bathing, Lin Baiguang had 20th-century weapons sufficient to handle this 17th-century bumpkin.

That evening, after Shi Shisi had eaten his fill, he was led to a windowless room. A projector hung from the ceiling; Toshiba's English logo was projected onto the white wall.

Before Shi Shisi understood what was happening, the wall suddenly brightened. He nearly screamed—lifelike human figures had appeared!

"Stay calm."

Soon Shi Shisi relaxed, then tensed again—but from different causes. "Yamete" and women's suggestive moans filled the room.

The power of Teacher Sora Aoi was infinite. Shi Shisi was completely defeated. Lin Baiguang watched coldly; halfway through, Shi Shisi repeatedly tried reaching out to touch certain parts of Teacher Aoi. The colorful shifting mosaic clearly puzzled him.

When it finished, Shi Shisi impatiently asked: "What... is this..." His expression was terrified and dazed, drool trailing from his mouth.

"This is an Australian secret show, called AV."

"AV?" Shi Shisi nodded repeatedly. "Good watching. Can I watch again?"

"Wouldn't that be repetitive?" So they showed him an uncensored version. This time Shi Shisi watched with blood boiling. Lin Baiguang thoughtfully arranged a prostitute in his room.

After this, their friendship progressed by leaps and bounds. Shi Shisi had thought the Australians' place was "quite nice"; now he thought it was "excellent." He inquired several times about Australian plans for Lingao—whether they intended permanent residence, whether they planned expanding. Lin Baiguang judged that besides scouting for Zhu Cailao, this questioning implied evaluating potential new employers. This greatly increased his confidence in recruiting Shi Shisi.

Several days later, he approached Ran Yao with his proposal.

"What? You want to go back with Shi Shisi to Zhu Cailao?"

"Correct." Lin Baiguang nodded. "I've talked with Shi Shisi and sounded him out—he's very worried about the future. His words suggest that if Zhu Cailao falls into desperate straits, he definitely won't die for his leader."

"Can't we just recruit him directly?"

"Recruiting him is no problem—he greatly envies our conditions. But his strength is too small." Lin Baiguang said. "Shi Shisi only has seven ships, under 400 men. Directly recruiting just him is meaningless."

Ran Yao thought: the Executive Committee hadn't specified expectations, but merely recruiting Shi Shisi clearly wasn't impressive enough.

"Your appetite's not small. What's your plan?"

"Zhu Cailao's group has quite a few peripheral backbone like Shi Shisi. But these people don't have Shi Shisi's direct impression of our strength, so when defecting, we won't be their first choice." Lin Baiguang explained: when defecting to a new power, people naturally have misgivings. If a representative is present to explain, effects are much better—like companies doing on-site recruiting.

Infiltrating enemy territory to turn them was traditional enemy work. But this required exceptional courage. Ran Yao rather admired his nerve.

"What identity would you use? Shi Shisi can't secretly bring you there."

"I'll go openly as negotiation envoy. Please have the Executive Committee give me a detailed negotiation plan, completely authentic." Though they didn't actually intend negotiating, preparations had to seem genuine.

"That's no problem." Ran Yao said. "But the enemy is a fleet. Once aboard Zhu Cailao's ship, how much room for maneuver will you have?"

Lin Baiguang said: Shi Shisi had revealed important intelligence—Zhu Cailao was currently at Nanri.

Nanri Island was Fujian's third-largest island, located at the junction of Xinghua Bay and Pinghai Bay. Besides the main island, it had over a hundred islets and reefs. Geographically excellent—a suitable shelter on Taiwan trade routes. Surrounding deep-water channels included the famous Nanri Waterway, historically a maritime traffic hub. Zhu Cailao occupying here was obviously to access Taiwan trade routes.

Once on the island, though movement was restricted, there was room for activity. Besides, he didn't intend directly urging defection—rather using personal interaction to build trust.

Lin Baiguang continued: through his envoy status, contact Zhu Cailao, pretend willingness to support him, haggle over terms—actually stalling. While lingering, through Shi Shisi, meet peripheral mid-to-lower-level leaders. When Zhu Cailao's Min'an attack failed and morale collapsed, then urge them to defect.

"How is that possible? Your talks won't last a month—three to five days at most. Underworld types are more suspicious the higher their level. Once he suspects you, you're dead!"

"We don't have much time anyway—only thirty days until Zhu Cailao's death. I'll find ways to stay. For this plan to succeed, I must be with his fleet when he falls."

"Too dangerous." Ran Yao said. "Even if you understand pirates, you may not accurately grasp their psychology. Besides, won't Zhu Cailao have planted his own people? If you start recruiting, you might be directly killed."

"That's why we act after the Min'an defeat." Lin Baiguang insisted. After the defeat, Zhu Cailao's fleet would be pursued by Zheng Zhilong and Ming forces. At that point, he couldn't effectively control all ships. When morale was shattered during the rout, rallying them could very likely succeed.

(End of Chapter)