novelhk Chapter 33 Intelligence Network
Chapter 33 Intelligence Network
Time seemed to pass for a long time. Manager Chen's expression kept changing, from fear and hesitation to excitement and longing. In the end, these emotions slowly settled down and turned into a kind of resolute determination.
He slowly stood up, walked to Zhang San, and without asking how he could prove his identity, he extended a slightly trembling hand, patted Zhang San's shoulder, and said in a deep voice:
"Zhang...Zhang Yishi, I believe in you, and I believe in the royal army in the north! I'm not fleeing Manila anymore. What do you need me to do? Although I'm just a merchant, I've been in Manila for decades and know all sorts of people. I have connections at the docks, in warehouses, and even in supplying the military. As long as I can help the royal army and help us Chinese, I...I'll risk everything!"
Hearing his statement, Zhang San felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart. He quickly supported the slightly swaying, excited Manager Chen and whispered, "Master is very understanding! His Highness will never forget Master's contributions. Right now, the most important thing is to establish an intelligence channel connecting Manila and the outside of the city. If the message cannot be sent out, everything will be in vain."
Manager Chen composed himself, his excitement gradually replaced by caution. He gestured for Zhang San to sit down, and then returned to the table to carefully consider his options.
"What Zhang Yishi said is absolutely right. If the message can't be sent out, knowing more is useless." He lowered his voice and said slowly, "Sending someone directly with documents north is too risky. The checkpoints and outposts along the way are increasingly strict. Once caught, it's a death sentence. If we smuggle them through caravans traveling between the north and south, given the current situation, the Spanish are watching those heading north very closely, especially Chinese caravans."
He pondered for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "However, there's always a way. I know a few boat captains and cargo brokers who work at the docks. They're shady characters and often have some shady dealings. For example, some small boats will smuggle contraband or help people cross borders illegally."
These people are daring; if paid enough, they might be able to smuggle messages into the cargo, or have reliable sailors drop them off on a remote coastline along the way, where they can be met by people on land.
Zhang San nodded: "This plan is feasible, but it requires an extremely reliable person, and we can't rely on just one line; we can't put all our eggs in one basket."
"That's right." The shopkeeper gave Zhang San an approving look and said, "There's another way. There might be channels within the city that can send messages out directly. Some natives, although they work for the Spanish on the surface, also take on private jobs. They are familiar with the mountain paths and may be able to bypass the checkpoints on the main roads."
However… these people are harder to approach; you need to be careful and probe them, and you must offer them a sufficiently compelling reward or promise.
Zhang San listened attentively, quickly weighing the pros and cons of the two routes proposed by Manager Chen. The small boat was the most direct way to smuggle the goods, but it was also the riskiest. Utilizing the locals, on the other hand, required extremely high levels of reliability and secrecy.
"The master's considerations are thorough." Zhang San pondered for a moment and said, "Time is of the essence, so I think we can take a two-pronged approach."
"Oh?" Manager Chen asked, somewhat curious.
"On the one hand, please contact your trusted boat captain as soon as possible, offer him a large sum of money, and try to establish a direct emergency channel to transmit the most urgent military intelligence. On the other hand, we can try to contact the indigenous merchants or hunters who do small business between Manila and the northern Ilocos tribe. They may be able to act as messengers, even if they only carry verbal messages or simple coded symbols each time, and offer them a large sum of money."
He paused, then added, "Besides relaying messages, we also need to build a simple communication network within Manila, better to have fewer but better ones. For example, at the docks, we need someone to keep an eye on the movements of warships and troop transport ships; near the military camps, we need someone to monitor troop movements and the movement of supplies; and around the Governor's Palace and key departments, it would be best to have some informants, even if they are just cleaning servants, they can sometimes hear crucial news."
The more Manager Chen listened, the more he felt that Zhang San's thinking was clear and meticulous, and that he didn't seem to have the insight of an ordinary soldier. He nodded and said:
"I'll do as you say. I'll personally contact a few old acquaintances at the docks and warehouses. They're all old friends I've known for over ten or twenty years. They're tight-lipped and loyal. I can also find opportunities to contact and bribe the low-ranking servants at the military camps and the governor's mansion through the supply channels."
As for connecting with indigenous merchants… we need to be even more careful. I know a mixed-race broker whose mother is from Pampanga and whose father is Chinese. He knows both sides, so perhaps we could try to probe his intentions.”
"Master, please be careful, safety first." Zhang San solemnly instructed, "All contact must be through a single line, and horizontal communication is strictly prohibited. When passing messages, use code words or secret writing methods that only we understand. I will teach you some simple methods later."
The two discussed in detail the initial steps of the operation, the code words for meeting, and how to handle emergencies, until late at night.
From that day on, Manager Chen truly joined Zhang San's intelligence network. Under the pretext of preparing for potentially stricter inspections and needing to inventory and manage relationships, he frequently went out to "drink tea" and "discuss business" with old acquaintances, but in reality, he was expanding the scale of his intelligence network through them.
Meanwhile, the governor's mobilization orders were also sent to various places. Although the commander of Cavite Fortress carried out the order and sent a company north, he could not help but complain to the governor's office that this had seriously weakened the defense of the shipyard and port, especially in the face of possible threats from the sea.
Commanders of forward fortresses in the far south, such as Zamboanga and Iligan, were even more distressed when they received the transfer orders. They were not facing the so-called "Moroes who only knew how to plunder," but a stubborn enemy with a mature political system, organized by the Sultan, skilled in naval and land attacks, and also equipped with European-style firearms.
Once their garrison is weakened, their years-old defenses could crumble instantly, and even their fortresses could be captured by the Moros.
However, despite the inevitable complaints and delays, no one dared to openly disobey orders. But the efficiency was predictable, and the resulting force was destined to be hasty, exhausted, and discontented.
The conscription of indigenous vassals sparked widespread resistance, with messengers carrying stern documents bearing the governor's seal traveling through villages and communities, proclaiming demands that bordered on extortion.
More soldiers, more food, more labor, and it had to be completed within a harsh timeframe.
Many chieftains and leaders looked grim and complained in private. News of the Spanish defeat had already spread quietly, and now they were being asked to fight to the death against the Ming people who had defeated the Spanish. What else could this be but sending them to their deaths?
Some of the more powerful tribes began to make excuses or send only symbolic elderly and weak people to shirk their responsibilities; while the weaker tribes dared not speak out and could only silently endure the situation, but their dissatisfaction and doubts about the legitimacy of Spanish rule were growing insidiously.