activa-t Chapter 1 Awakening in Southeast Asia
Chapter 1 Awakening in Southeast Asia
Chen Feng was filled with deep regret!
I shouldn't have impulsively written a story about rebirth in the late Qing Dynasty!
Other people write novels where the protagonist is either reborn as a king or general, or transmigrates to a peaceful and prosperous era, living a life of luxury.
When it came to him, he found himself directly mired in the quagmire of the late Qing Dynasty.
"Damn it!"
Chen Feng cursed under his breath, gripping the braid at the back of his head tightly with his left hand, so hard it almost tore his scalp off.
system?
system!
Get out here right now!
Chen Feng roared wildly in his mind, but only silence answered him.
Damn!
No system!
My mind is filled with fragments of history I jotted down while researching in my past life.
Is this a way to break the deadlock?
Chen Feng's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat, and he felt a pang of panic.
He stood frozen for an unknown amount of time until the sun was high in the sky, at which point he was forced to accept the fact that he had no more cheat codes to use and began to look around.
Beneath my feet is a small seagoing vessel in the style of the 19th century, with thick black smoke billowing from its smokestack. The hull is rusted and dilapidated, looking as if it might fall apart at any moment. Five or six people are scattered on the bow deck.
Crunch~ Crunch~
The sea breeze, carried by the ocean current, swept in, causing the ship to rock violently.
Chen Feng felt dizzy for a moment, but luckily he reacted quickly and grabbed the handrail in front of him to avoid falling.
Before he could catch his breath, countless memories that weren't his own surged into his mind:
"The twenty-fourth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign..."
"As your teacher, I am about to do something great, something for the country and its people, something I will do even if it means dying nine times!"
"Individual bravery is utterly ineffective against modern firearms and cannons!"
"Take Mu Ning to Southeast Asia, to Luzon to find your Uncle Yang, and make sure she is safe!"
......
The 24th year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign?
That translates to 1898 AD!
call!
Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the manuscript he wrote before his rebirth was set in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China.
The Hundred Days' Reform.
The Eight-Nation Alliance.
Southeast China is protecting itself.
......
As long as you follow the general trend of history, it shouldn't be too difficult to make a living and live a peaceful life.
Chen Feng instantly felt much more relaxed.
and many more!
wrong!
What the hell is Luzon?
This place is hot, and it's full of indigenous people. It's also a colony!
Moreover, Spain and the United States have been locked in a fierce battle for the past two years!
How did the original owner end up in this den of dragons and tigers?
"Waaah~"
A long, drawn-out blast of the ship's horn suddenly pierced the sky, followed by cheers from the cabins, a mixture of various languages:
Oh my god...
"Yoshi...yoshi..."
"Have we arrived in Luzon yet?"
......
There are so many foreigners!
There were quite a few Japanese devils too!
Chen Feng, being new to the place, didn't want to cause trouble. He frowned, quietly retreated behind the crowd, and slipped into the cabin to continue sorting through the original owner's memories.
This person is also named Chen Feng, and he is eighteen years old this year.
When he was seven years old, his parents were killed by bandits. He was taken in by a security guard when he was homeless. From then on, he practiced martial arts day and night.
Images of honing his strength and practicing techniques flashed through his mind. Chen Feng rolled up his sleeves, looked at the bulging muscles on his forearms, and with a thought, a set of boxing moves clearly appeared in his mind.
Not bad!
With at least the ability to protect himself, his martial arts skills are more than enough to deal with three or five ordinary strong men.
Once things settle down, I'll figure out how to get a gun; that will give me even more security.
As Chen Feng was pondering, his sleeve was tugged.
"Senior brother, what are you thinking about?"
Chen Feng turned around and saw his master's daughter, Wang Muning.
She was only twelve or thirteen years old. Her eyebrows and eyes had not yet fully developed, and her body had not yet grown. She had short hair, and her face was smeared with soot. Dressed as a boy, she looked particularly thin and small.
The master's name selection is terrible!
Mu Ning, Mu Ning, yearning for peace and tranquility.
But looking at this world, where is there even a trace of peace?
But... what exactly is this important matter that Master is talking about?
They would fight for their country and its people, even unto death!
The biggest event in the past two years was the Hundred Days' Reform, but none of the Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform had the surname Wang.
Could it be that Master is a progressive and is planning an assassination or rebellion?
Chen Feng searched through the original owner's memories, and all he found was martial arts training. Before parting, his master only gave him half a bag of silver dollars and a letter of introduction to Senior Uncle Yang, with no other clues.
"Senior brother, is that Luzon?"
Wang Muning pointed out the porthole, her tone full of curiosity.
Chen Feng followed her finger and saw a long, narrow golden beach, behind which was a lush tropical rainforest, and beyond that, it was shrouded in mist and could not be seen clearly.
Just as he was about to speak, two Japanese men dressed in kimonos suddenly walked over.
The two men, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, both had samurai swords hanging from their waists, wore strange hairstyles, and had a scrutinizing look in their eyes.
"Haha, Manila Bay is just ahead, located in the southwest of Luzon Island. We still have half a day's sailing to go before we reach the pier."
The short, stout Japanese man smiled broadly and spoke Mandarin with a heavy Beijing accent, appearing exceptionally attentive.
Offering unsolicited favors is either a sign of malice or theft.
Chen Feng had long been aware of the true nature of the Japanese, and his inner alarm bells were ringing, but he remained outwardly calm.
Wang Muning, being young and unaware of the dangers of the world, eagerly asked, "How big is Luzon? How many Chinese people are on the island?"
The short, stout Japanese man stroked his chin and said slowly, "It's about the size of three Taiwans. As for the Chinese population, I heard there are around 200,000, but I can't say for sure."
Only 200,000?
Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat.
It's not because there's too much, but because there's too little.
He had previously read that there were over 100,000 Chinese on Luzon Island at the end of the Ming Dynasty.
Three hundred years have passed, how come there is still only this small population?
Did Chinese people in this era also experience the same life pressures as later generations, making them unwilling to get married and have children?
That doesn't make sense either!
These days, there's no other entertainment besides having babies at night, so there's no reason why the population shouldn't be growing.
The short, stout Japanese man kept staring at Chen Feng's expression. Seeing the doubt on his face, he rolled his eyes and his tone suddenly became serious: "Actually, there were 100,000 Chinese in Luzon in the 16th century, but since the Westerners came, they have launched four massacres! If it weren't for the rise of our great Japanese Empire, which deterred these Westerners, there would be even fewer Chinese in Luzon now."
"Is that so?" Wang Muning seemed to understand but didn't quite, and wanted to refute but didn't know where to begin.
Chen Feng was too lazy to play along with the Japanese soldier, so he simply turned his head away and remained silent.
The atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Upon seeing this, the tall, thin Japanese soldier frowned and harshly rebuked, "You're being unreasonable!"
This is the familiar Japanese accent, exactly the same as in anti-Japanese war dramas.
The short, stout Japanese man quickly waved his hand to stop his companion, then put on a smile again: "My name is Aoki Nobuyuki. I have come to Luzon to purchase medicinal herbs."
Purchasing medicinal herbs?
I don't believe you for a second!
Chen Feng sneered inwardly. Even a fool could tell that this guy was here to gather intelligence.
In January of this year, Spain and the United States went to war in Cuba. Given the United States' covetousness for its Southeast Asian colonies, how could it possibly let go of Luzon, which was occupied by Spain?
Meanwhile, the Japanese, with their eyes set on the whole of Asia, would naturally take the opportunity to send spies to Luzon.
More importantly, on May 1st, the US fleet launched a surprise attack off the coast of Manila, targeting the main force of the Spanish Navy!
and many more!
Isn't today May 1st?
This time travel is just too outrageous!
Chen Feng turned to look at the calendar hanging on the wall, and felt that the red "one" on it was particularly glaring.
Can't go to Manila!
Sending a civilian ship into the battlefield is no different than sending it to its death!
Chen Feng panicked and was about to move his feet when a piercing shriek ripped through his eardrums.
It's a cannonball!