"Lyton, this idiot, hasn't grown up in so many years." A man on the dining table was complaining: "It's convenient for him to kidnap civilians from home as hostages. Why didn't he think about how the Republic will rule here after the war?"

It was a private dinner in nature, located in Red Sulphur Harbor, with two other people on the table - Antonio and Winters.

When Winters heard the speaker mercilessly defame Rost Layton, who was already a major general of the Army, he just kept drinking the soup without saying a word.

However, Antonio put down the tableware after hearing this and said, "The situation was special at that time, and he had no other good idea. But then again, Layton's reputation among the civilians on the island is now surprisingly good."

"Of course. He scared the islanders to pee their pants first, and then he used to eliminate the harm to the people. The Tanirians were of course grateful to him." The man snorted coldly and said disdainfully: "But this is temporary. The islanders will gradually forget their fear and gratitude. Maybe even Leighton's name will be forgotten. I only remember that the Venettas once arrested their families and filled in the moat."

If someone else said this, it would probably be considered a big talk.

However, the man on the dining table is qualified to judge Layton because he is Gus Ranchi, an old classmate of Antonio and Layton, and the newly appointed Governor of Achiemo Island.

Gus Ranchi's resume is unusual. He graduated from the Army Officer Academy in the same class as Antonio Serbiati and Rost Leiden, and also from the cavalry department.

After joining the army, Gus Ranchi was promoted step by step and was expected to receive the baton of the general in the same period as the first time. However, after serving for sixteen years, Gus Ranchi suddenly gave up his bright future in the army and turned to politics, becoming a glorious and humble public official.

Fortunately, there were also great figures in the administrative system. Gus Ranchi started as the lowest-level notary and rose all the way. He soon took the position of Modonggang Municipal Administrator and received the evaluation of "smart and capable, and discipline management" during his term.

Because of his background, background and past resume, Gus Ranch still maintains close ties with the army and military, and he is also considered an important communication bridge between the two major systems of administration and military.

It is precisely because of this that the ruling Five-man Group appointed him as the first governor of Akihiroshima.

Gus and Antonio had a deep friendship. For Winters, he was "the uncle who often came to visit his home when he was a child." Antonio invited Gus to a private banquet and called Winters over.

"As a soldier, you shouldn't consider politics." Antonio smiled tolerantly, and then frowned and asked, "But I haven't figured out what the so-called 'semi-colonial' in the resolution meant?"

"Semi-colonial" is the political status given to "new territory" such as Chi Iwo Island and Haiquan Island by the Venetta ruling committee.

"Hi, it's actually very simple. Think about it, since it's a semi-colonial, what is the other half?" Gus's face showed a "smart man who knows everything".

"Semi-overseas territory?"

"No." Gus shook his finger: "It is a semi-occupied area. But if he used this title, it would be equivalent to recognizing the Union's ownership of the archipelago. The five-man group did not want to rule the archipelago as a conqueror, nor did he want to give Tanirian citizenship now, so he created the term semi-colonial."

"It seems that the governor has no intention of truly accommodating the archipelago as part of Veneta?" Antonio's worry was deeper.

"The consul has a long-term plan for the archipelago. I believe that in the future, the archipelago will gradually have a political status equivalent to its locality, but it is not possible now." Gus Ranchi said as he left the dining table, walked to the window, looked at the Chisulphur Port Pier outside the window and said slowly: "I'll give Tanirian citizenship now, how can the Republic squeeze out money from the archipelago?"

As soon as these words came out, even Winters, who had been dining silently, stopped the movement in his hand.

Gus returned to his seat and smiled heartily, "To put it bluntly, I'm sent here to get the money."

"Is the finances so nervous?" Winters couldn't help asking.

"I don't know how many Dukats there are in the treasury, but war is definitely a expensive deal. The war with the Federation may make profits in the long run, but the short-term deficits must be filled as much as possible, so I came."

Winters' heart skipped a beat: "Fill it...how do you need to fill it?"

"Since we are enemies, all fixed assets of the Akihiro Island Council will be confiscated and cashed out. The property owned by the members of the Council will be confiscated and auctioned." After explaining briefly, Gus Ranchi leaned on the back of the chair and smiled: "The fastest way to create wealth is to build an empire, and the faster way to build an empire is to destroy an empire."

Members of the Council are equivalent to all the planters on the island. The fixed assets of the Council of Akihiro Island are essentially equivalent to the public property of all residents on the island.

"A planter on the island played a great role in the battle to capture Chisulphur Port. Can you give him some grace?" Winters thought of Kalman of Red Pine Manor at the first time.

"Yes, it's very simple." Gus replied in a relaxed tone: "Your legion sends me a certificate, and leave the rest to me."

Winters felt relieved, and thought of the slaves on the island, and asked, "What should we do with the slaves in that plantation."

"It's also very simple." Gus Ranchi was already confident: "Veneta's law does not allow any form of slavery, but slaves are important property of the plantation. So after the plantation is confiscated, all the slaves on the island can redeem themselves."

"Where did the slaves get the money to redeem themselves?" Winters laughed in silence.

"The Venetta government can lend them a sum of money to redeem themselves." Gus took a small sip of wine and said naturally: "The slaves who restored their freedom can only repay their debts with labor."

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content later! After listening to Gus' words, Winters felt that there was no big change. But this is not a field that he can argue with, so he didn't say anything more.

On the contrary, Antonio raised his eyebrows and asked, "Doing this is equivalent to capturing all the wealthy classes in Akio Iwo Island. Aren't you worried about arousing civil unrest?"

"Do you think there are many poor people on the island or rich people?" Gus Ranch spread his hands and said with a smile: "The main body of civilian change is 'people'. I will not extend my hand to the property of civilians and poor people. The power of the rich comes from wealth, deprive their property, leaving them only with the attributes of 'people'. I want to see how they resist me. Besides, aren't you there? As long as your sword is sharp enough, I can do whatever I want on Akio Island. I think they can resist, and they can clean Akio Island well."

"It seems that you have a complete plan for a long time." Antonio said carefully: "You have not changed over the years, and you are still so... radical."

"Otherwise, why should I come to Akiyoshima?" Gus Ranchi knocked on the table with his knuckles, and said happily: "Who will scrape the money of the poor in Chiyoshima? Only the rich people in Akiyoshima do this. Where does the property of the Council come from? Not all of them are squeezed out of the poor? I am different. I am too lazy to make money from the poor. I will scrape whoever has money!"

"My duty is to conquer Achiewoo Island, I have completed it." Antonio sighed: "As for how to rule here, that is your duty. I believe that the government has also considered you as the governor."

"I won't tell you this anymore, I know you're not interested." Gus saw that his old classmate was unhappy with his plan, and turned to look at Winters, who was competing with the ribs: "Child, your reputation on the island is also very good! Those citizen representatives asked me several times, 'Can I let Warrant Officer Montane stay'. How about staying here to help me? I can use some capable people."

Winters and Andre went to "buy firewood as a letter" before, but they didn't think too much about it. After transporting the dry firewood back to Chisulphur Port, they found that the residents were short of such daily necessities.

Originally, the surrounding farmers took the firewood to the city and sold it to the residents of Chiyi Port. After the Venetta army landed, the farmers did not dare to come. The firewood that residents had reserved was quickly exhausted and were worried about what to do.

Seeing that the residents of Chisulphur Port urgently needed fuel, Winters simply distributed several trucks of dry firewood they bought for free, which solved the residents' urgent need. Winters also visited the villages around the port and restored the supply of firewood in Chisulphur Port.

After a while, Warrant Officer Montane's reputation became very good among the residents of Chisulphur Port.

The two legions are about to set off, but there are still some soldiers left to garrison on Chiyi Island. It should be a 100-man team, and a centurion is missing.

When Winters heard Gus' proposal, he was really moved. I think it would be safer to stay in Chiyi Island to deal with several planters than to fight with the Union army?

He thought of Coza, Ella and Anna who hoped that he would return home safely.

Winters looked at Antonio.

Hearing Gus Ranch's proposal, Antonio was stunned at first, and then whispered to Winters: "You decide for yourself, if you want to stay here, stay."

Winters gritted his teeth, finally shook his head, stood up and bowed to Gus, and replied: "I lack the ability, but there are other people who are more suitable for Akeijima."

"Okay." Gus Ranch said nothing more, and said with a smile: "The Army is still as unethical as ever. He took away all the young men, and he would not leave a useful person for me."

"Always sarcastic about the army, aren't you also from the army?" Antonio also smiled.

Gus said with a stern face: "So when I was young, I was also awesome young man."

The two looked at each other and laughed.

The slightly drunk Gus Ranch looked at Winters again: "You kid really looks more and more like your father... I didn't look so much like this when I was a child... As a result, I look more and more like this... When I was in the military academy, Anton and your father were studying in the military academy..."

Meet the favorite entertainment activity of middle-aged males - recalling the glorious years of the past has begun again.

Winters rolled his eyes in his heart, smiled awkwardly, and continued to bury his head in drinking soup. Lugus and Antonio, you two, and I recalled my youth.

A few hours later, the drunk Gus Ranchi was carried into the bedroom by his servants, and Antonio and Winters rode away from the more requisitioned Governor's House of Achieve Island.

"Why do I think?" Only me and my uncle were the only ones, and Winters had no scruples: "Uncle Ranchi seems to have a personal grudge with the Union?"

Antonio said lightly: "Because Gus Ranchi... was originally a Tanirian."

...

...

The daunting star-shaped fortress of Chisulphur Port only lasted for one day, but the old city defense Tacheng fought hard for a month before finally conquering it.

The siege battle exhausted the Venetta soldiers and cast a shadow in the hearts of all the officers. Some officers even said privately: "If the Tani Guards are as difficult as William Kidd, then we might as well negotiate peace on the basis of the results of the war."

After more than a month of rest, the Great Vinetta Legion and the St. Mark Legion left Chitio Island.

The officers' concerns did not come true to some extent, and not everyone had the tenacious will of William Kidd.

Three weeks later, the Federation defenders of Cutthroat Port surrendered to the Venetta army.

Another month later, the Greater Vinetta Legion and the San Marco Legion captured Santorini.

It is December. The climate in the archipelago in winter is very different from that in the warm Venetta. The cold sea breeze in winter makes people's hands and faces crack, revealing bloody flesh, and it hurts when they touch it. The temperature is obviously not yet freezing, but wearing two layers of clothes doesn't feel warm.

This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! The waves on the ocean are getting surging, and it is difficult for sailboats to sail safely in this unpredictable sea. Only large round boats can carry supplies between the archipelago and Venetta.

After the main fleet was destroyed, the Tanirians changed their strategy and re-engaged their best work - the pirates.

Offshore islands, jagged coastal gaps, miasma-ridden lagoons... Tanirians are hiding light and flexible fast sailboats, waiting for opportunities to hunt down those Venetta transport ships that lack armed protection.

The Venetta Navy had to put more warships into combat protecting the route, and the cruel raid and counter-raid war started at the Senas Sea in winter.

The supply of the Venetta army was becoming increasingly difficult, and they had to break the original policies and instead raise supplies locally. This further aroused the resistance of the Tanirians.

Faced with an unfit environment, Antonio Serbiati and Rost Leiden still ruthlessly drove the soldiers towards the next Tanirian city.

However, when facing Gusa's strong city defense fortifications, even the ruthless officers could not allow the tired soldiers to attack.

The Battle of Gusa turned into a long and arduous siege. The Venetta people were unable to attack, and the Gusa defenders were unable to counterattack. In the biting cold wind, behind the three-meter-deep trench, the Venetta troops outside the city were quietly waiting for the people in the city to starve to death.

After eating all the food, mules, horses, dogs, cats, and even mice, leather, the Gusa people who had to start eating human corpses could not bear it anymore. The Gusa citizens and the Union troops began to attack and kill each other, and the fighting and screams even the Venetta people outside the city could hear clearly.

The next day, when Gusa citizens who had killed all the soldiers of the Federation surrendered, the Venetta people who entered the city found that this once vibrant and prosperous city... had completely died.

No Vineta could be happy, not only because of the tragic scene in front of them, but also because they received a message:

The military of the Republic of Fsland [Shaneland Republic] has entered Jingang and has been warmly welcomed by the Tanirian Federation. The United Provinces announced that the archipelago has officially become the eighteenth province of the United Provinces.

The Secretary of State of Lionel issued a stern note, demanding that the Republic of Veneta immediately return the occupied archipelago territory.

The front of the United Provincial Army's first "Goddess of Victory" corps pointed directly at the Veneta occupied area and confronted the Great Veneta Legion and the St. Mark's Legion across the river.

The Victory Goddess Legion was ready to rush and provoked small-scale bloody frictions many times. Everyone knew the idea of ​​trying to catch the two legions while the veterans of the Venetta army were exhausted.

The situation within the league is rapidly heating up, and even the Senes, who are the most optimistic about the league, dare not assert that there will be no civil war.

Many UN Provincial critics clamored to "completely resolve the chronic disease of unification among the Union countries" and "relieve the current situation of military independence in the Veneta Republic."

De Bela also tit-for-tat to add a new title to the title of Consul Venetta: three-fifths of the Lord of the Tanirian Islands.

On the one hand, this title is due to the nature of the Vinetta people's carefulness and cleverness, and they can put everything into balance - the Vinetta people occupied is indeed three-fifths of the archipelago territory.
To be continued...