Intelligence
When Su Ming arrived at the medical center, Jielusi was focused on treating Zijin's fractured right hand.
"How is the situation?" Su Ming approached and asked in a low voice.
A soft healing spell glowed from Jielusi's hands. She glanced up at Su Ming and said solemnly, "Congratulations, mother and daughter are safe!"
Su Ming remained silent, but if he had to say, both mother and daughter were safe. Although the Faerie Dragon Misaila was seriously injured, her life was not in danger.
Zijin lay on the hospital bed, her face slightly paler than usual, with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.
In addition to multiple comminuted fractures in her right hand, she also had two deep lacerations, but both have been properly treated and bandaged.
Upon hearing Su Ming's voice, Zijin slowly opened her eyes.
How is the follow-up being handled?
"All the escaped goblins have been captured," Su Ming replied immediately, "Including their transport team that evacuated beforehand. However, the most valuable prisoner is still that petty leader, Botuni, whom you personally captured."
Zijin nodded slightly. "What about the Dragon-Breaking Cone that failed to launch?"
As a weapon specifically designed to counter dragons, it is essential to thoroughly understand its detailed characteristics and operating principles.
"Newman has successfully recovered it," Su Ming said, "But the goblins' technological approach is completely different from the system Newman is proficient in."
He went to check it out immediately, and as a mechanical engineer, Su Ming's sanity was almost wiped out by the chaotic combination of elements.
"Newman said he could do a preliminary analysis, but couldn't decipher the core mechanism," he continued.
"It seems we'll have to find a way to capture a few goblin technicians." Zijin sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in her voice. "Unfortunately—the dragons' intelligence infiltration of the Gray Ridge Kingdom is almost nonexistent."
This can't be entirely blamed on the dragons; there are plenty of goblins in the valley. But in the Gray Ridge Kingdom across the valley, there isn't a single dragon.
Objectively speaking, a gap does indeed exist.
"Just focus on recovering," Su Ming comforted him. "I just came to see you; don't worry about work at a time like this."
Jielusi completed the magical healing. Zijin extended her uninjured left hand and placed it on Jielusi's arm, using the leverage to sit up from the hospital bed.
"Actually, it's alright." Zijin stretched her shoulders and neck, explaining, "The wound hurts terribly, talking about these things helps to distract me."
Upon hearing this, Su Ming stretched out his hand, and a faint light flashed above his palm as two small white pills instantly condensed into shape.
He turned around, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to Zijin along with the pills.
"For pain relief."
"----The last time I heard this word was when I encountered Yexiya at sea?" Zijin raised an eyebrow, recalling.
At the time, Su Ming added the active ingredient of a powerful painkiller to the bullet, which made Yexiya become more and more delirious the more he was hit.
Zijin took the water glass with her left hand, only to find that she had no hand to reach for the two pills.
"Uh, the potency and dosage of this medicine are much weaker than last time, it's not as strong," Su Ming explained.
He thought Zijin would put down the water glass first, but she simply lowered her head slightly and took the two pills from his outstretched palm with her mouth.
The warm, moist touch from his palm made Su Ming's hand tremble slightly involuntarily. "Hey!"
Zijin swallowed the pill nonchalantly, took a sip of water, and then glanced at Su Ming. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Su Ming said awkwardly, withdrawing his hand.
Jielusi found some bandages and tools, carefully immobilized Zijin's broken right hand, and then used a white bandage to sling her arm around her neck.
"It's a comminuted fracture. This hand absolutely cannot be moved for seven days, and you shouldn't even think about using it to fight for two weeks." Jielusi gently patted Zijin's uninjured shoulder, instructing her, "It needs a Healing Spell treatment once a day, and you also need to massage the uninjured muscles in your arm to prevent atrophy and adhesion."
As Su Ming listened, he recalled the miserable treatment he received when he fractured his scapula, even the bandages he used for treatment were secondhand, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment.
"So, what's your thought process?" Zijin steered the conversation back on track and asked Su Ming.
"Fighting goblins isn't difficult in itself; the trouble lies in the aftermath," Su Ming replied hesitantly. "It's not something that can be easily handled."
In various simulations on the main battlefield, dragons combined with the Final Bone Mad Machines would have a high chance of winning. However, the vast lands and huge population of goblins make managing them a complicated matter. In particular, the inevitable counterinsurgency wars would be a huge trouble and burden no matter how you look at it.
"But it seems a fight is unavoidable." Zijin said with certainty, "Don't be fooled by Gelie's strong support for all our reforms lately; on this kind of issue, he will never change his mind. Or rather, the entire Dragon Race will only make the same choice on these kinds of problems!"
A thought suddenly flashed through Su Ming's mind. But he still nodded, "I understand."
****
After leaving the ward, Zijin and Su Ming headed to the Dragon Division of the medical center.
Stacy had just finished surgery on Misaila, and several human assistants were carefully climbing onto the body of the giant Faerie Dragon lying on the ground, busily wrapping her with wide, canvas-like bandages.
A Blue Dragon stood to one side, continuously casting gentle water-based healing spells, a blue aura enveloping the wound; another Silver Dragon used its tail and claws to gently move Misaila's massive body, working alongside the human assistants to bandage her wound.
"Congratulations, mother and daughter are safe and sound!" Stacy said with a smile when she saw them.
"Here we go again. Someone has already said that," Su Ming replied helplessly once more.
"How is Misaila doing?" Zijin asked with concern.
Stacy gestured with her hands to explain, "The vital organs in my abdomen weren't injured, but the second pair of wings on my back, specifically the Achilles tendon area, are quite badly injured and will require ongoing treatment and repair. But don't worry, I'll definitely be able to fly again in the future."
Zijin gave a soft "hmm" and walked to Misaila's enormous head, reaching out to gently stroke the scales on her snout.
Misaila wearily opened her enormous dragon eyes, her mouth opening and closing slightly, but no sound came out.
"She's mostly recovered. Let her rest for a few days, and she'll be able to get up again," Stacy comforted her. "I need to deal with Hongyao's severed claw."
Zijin waved to her, "Go for it!"
Seeing Misaila's dejected appearance, Zijin patted her cheek again before turning and leaving with Su Ming.
Just then, a series of soft, thumping sounds, growing louder as they approached, came from afar. A small Faerie Dragon suddenly rushed into the medical area. She immediately saw Misaila's pitiful state, her abdomen bound tightly with bandages, and burst into a deafening wail!
She rushed to Misaila's side without a care in the world and threw herself into her mother's arms. The force of the impact made Misaila tremble all over, and Little Zisu's snot and tears instantly covered Misaila's face.
Misaila's huge dragon eyes, which had been half-closed in exhaustion, suddenly widened, filled with utter despair.
"You're welcome." Zijin turned around, waved her uninjured left hand in the direction of Misaila, and a "kind" smile appeared on her lips.
"Very well, as expected of the vengeful Zijin." Su Ming sighed silently as he looked at Misaila's tearful expression.
****
Just as I stepped out of the Dragon Medical Zone, I ran into Qiluo. A leash was comically wrapped around her beautiful unicorn horn, and she was sparring with Stacy's Newfoundland dog from the previous night.
This big dog had the upper hand in terms of stamina when dealing with Stacy, but it was no match for the unicorn. It was dragged around and tossed about by Qiluo.
Su Ming finally seized the opportunity and successfully plucked a handful of the dog's fluffy head.
Did Stacy ask you to walk her dog?
"Yes!" Qiluo replied cheerfully, clearly having a lot of fun.
Su Ming glanced back at the direction of the dragon ward, where Little Zisu was still pushing and shoving Misaila's head, crying, "Mommy, don't die!"
He felt a pang of pity for her, and after thinking for a moment, suggested, "Qiluo, why don't you let Little Zisu play with her for a bit?"
Qiluo sized up the little Faerie Dragon's three-meter-tall figure and felt it was quite a challenge. One dog was fine, so adding a baby dragon wouldn't matter.
"Okay!" she readily agreed, and trotted off at a brisk pace.
The Newfoundland dog, leashed on a leash, was helplessly dragged forward by the unicorn's brute force, its four paws futilely scraping marks on the ground.
"Hi, Little Zisu." Qiluo leaned closer, unleashing her Natural Affinity. This was especially effective on children, and the fairy dragon immediately looked at her with starry eyes.
"Don't cry, your mother is just too tired and needs a good night's sleep," Qiluo comforted her.
"Really?" Little Zisu asked, sobbing, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Of course it's true!" Qiluo Luo assured her confidently, then nimbly tossed her head and pulled the disoriented Newfoundland dog in front of her and Little Zisu, the leash dangling from its leash. "Look, shall we play with this little puppy?"
Now it was the Newfoundland's turn to widen its eyes! It let out a terrified "woof" and quickly took off running, only to find that Little Zisu's little paws had already grabbed its leash with lightning speed.
"Great!" Zisu immediately stopped crying and started laughing, jumping up and down happily.
****
A sudden gust of wind carrying immense pressure swept in, followed by a dull thud as the Dragon King Gelie, his enormous figure covered in shimmering golden scales, landed beside Su Ming and Zijin.
He narrowed his imposing vertical pupils, carefully examining Zijin's condition. "It seems—she's alright?"
"It's alright," Zijin replied calmly. "The goblins have the wrong target; this attack wasn't aimed at me."
"I have summoned all the dragon elders for a meeting," Gelie said in a deep voice, like a muffled thud rolling over rocks. "Are you two able to attend?"
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Zijin replied.
Su Ming was slightly taken aback. He wasn't a member of the Dragon Race Council, so his tone was more formal in his reply, "It would be my honor!"
After a brief visit to Hongyao and Misaila, Gelie spread his enormous dragon wings and carried the two towards the administrative center, "Central Court."
The Dragon Race elders, except for the injured Hongyao, gathered once again, their massive bodies standing in the "Central Court".
They lay down on the ground in the open valley.
Elder Zhimeng Weaver was also present. She nodded slightly to Su Ming and then wove a vine-covered suspended chair for the two of them once again.
Gelie turned his gaze to Elder Mo Yuan, signaling him to begin his report.
He was the first to arrive after the ambush and naturally took charge of the cleanup.
"A total of one hundred and two goblins participated in this attack," Elder Mo Yuan's voice echoed through the valley. "They were divided into three action groups: the first group arrived in advance at the outer area of Dragon Court to set up ambush positions; the second group was responsible for transporting the ' Dragon-Breaking Cone ' weapons to the scene; and the third group consisted of professionally trained goblin soldiers responsible for operating these weapons to carry out the ambush."
"Can we confirm that the Gray Ridge Kingdom directly instigated this?" asked a dragon elder who was always cautious.
"It's certain. Although no survivors were left, the necromancers helped imprison the souls of many death goblins," Elder Mo Yuan answered confidently. "I have personally interrogated these souls, and the evidence is beyond doubt."
Su Ming raised his hand.
Dragon King Gelie Lie nodded in agreement, "You may speak freely."
"Do you have any specific information about the Dragon-Breaking Cone?" Su Ming asked Elder Mo Yuan.
This incident was an internal matter for the Dragon Race, and Su Ming did not participate in the interrogation. Considering that an impending war was unavoidable, what he was most concerned about was naturally the technical details of the enemy's weapons.
"Based on the soul interrogation of the operator, this is the data for the Dragon-Breaking Cone," Elder Mo Yuan said, projecting a report into the central sky.
Su Ming quickly scanned the information above. "Effective range 5 kilometers, maximum altitude 1000 meters, maximum speed - uncertain?"
"Based on the recent encounter, it was around 150 knots (approximately 278 km/h), but the stability was very poor," Zijin added.
Upon hearing this, Gelie seemed slightly relieved. "That means we can outrun it with our 'Lightning Dash ' high-speed maneuverability!"
The elders analyzed the data and concluded that, given the dragon's speed, powerful breath, and long-range area-of-effect spells, they were capable of fighting it.
In particular, they have an advantage in flight altitude. Dragons can reach a maximum flight altitude of over 2,000 meters. Of course, this altitude is not conducive to ground attacks, as a large amount of power needs to be consumed in resisting the Magic Power disturbances at high altitudes.
Generally speaking, an altitude of around 1200 meters is the "comfort zone" where dragons can fly stably and freely cast spells and exert their power.
From this height, you can throw alchemical bombs or breathe dragon breath to strike from outside the effective range of the Dragon-Breaking Cone.
Su Ming frowned slightly – the data for the "Dragon-Breaking Cone" was just right at the edge of the dragon's ability to suppress it.
Would goblins make such a mistake that was just barely countered?
He took out his phone and quickly connected with his secretary in the office. "Send me the intelligence from Green Thorn Port today as soon as you receive it."
"Yes, Chairman Su!" the secretary replied immediately.
"If we're dropping bombs from a height of 1200 meters, there aren't many Dragon Race capable of doing it accurately; the hit rate will likely be very low," another elder said, pointing out a challenge. "Dragon breath is the same; it'll be very scattered—we need to organize specialized training."
"It doesn't matter if we miss!" roared a fiery dragon elder, his scales trembling slightly with rage. "Then we'll blow the entire goblin city to rubble!"
Elder Zhimeng gently raised his paw, signaling the angry elder to calm down, while simultaneously projecting another set of data onto the center. "The territory of the Goblin Gray Ridge Kingdom is similar in size to our Dragon Valley, both exceeding one million square kilometers. However, the total goblin population is as high as eighteen million. Among them, there are 31 cities with a population exceeding thirty thousand."
There are 179 towns with populations between 10,000 and 30,000.
She glanced around at the assembled dragon elders, "And our Dragon Race's reserves of alchemical explosives are extremely limited; a single large-scale battle would completely deplete them."
Zijin looked at Su Ming. The Ruby Base had accumulated quite a lot of reserves during this period. The industrial production speed under abundant energy supply was beyond the reach of the existing system in this other world.
Su Ming shook his head slightly, indicating that she shouldn't rush to bring up this matter.
"Then we should prioritize attacking their Dragon-Breaking Cone production plants and storage warehouses!" Elder Mo Yuan suggested tactically. "According to interrogation intelligence, the goblins currently have approximately two thousand Dragon-Breaking Cone in reserve, with a daily production capacity fluctuating between ten and twenty. If we can destroy these facilities and significantly reduce the number of Dragon-Breaking Cone, our subsequent tactical options will become much more flexible!"
This idea was quite good, and it received unanimous approval from the elders present.
****
Gray Ridge Kingdom, Green Thorn Port.
The port's previously sparse berths have recently become extremely congested with a dense throng of ocean-going cargo ships.
Others were equally busy. Even though night had long fallen, large numbers of porters and sailors were still moving along the brightly lit pier, unloading mountains of cargo from the ships like ants.
Inside the city lord's mansion in the center of Green Thorn Port, in an extremely luxurious reception room custom-built to human height, a lady in magnificent attire sat gracefully. Her posture was elegant, and her expression indifferent. Beside her, a composed middle-aged man in an elegant formal suit stood respectfully attentively.
Soon, a goblin servant announced loudly, "King Nilunke has arrived!"
The woman remained unmoved, showing no intention of getting up to greet him, and simply sipped her coffee.
A young goblin king, wearing Mithril gear crown, strode in. Seeing the other party's rude behavior, he merely swayed slightly, suppressing his anger, and his face beamed with the characteristic enthusiasm of a goblin. "Your Highness, Princess! Minister Fernand! Thank you for the Star Empire's incredibly generous assistance!"
The visitor was Princess Janet, King Xialike's younger sister. They brought with them a large quantity of advanced weaponry specifically designed to target large creatures for the Goblin Kingdom.
Over the past two weeks, the Star Empire's transport fleet has been continuously delivering the key raw materials needed to produce the "Dragon-Breaking Cone" to this location, allowing the goblins to accumulate their war preparations at a rate of over a hundred per day.
Therefore, the young goblin king, out of consideration for the fact that she was his benefactor, tolerated the disrespect of the imperial princess!
Janet then rose and gracefully extended her hand, which was gloved with lace. King Nilunke tiptoed and kissed the back of her hand.
"This time, we've invested everything we have," Janet's voice held a hint of scrutiny. "You mustn't falter in the upcoming war!"
As agreed by both parties, this massive support was an investment in the war against Dragon Valley. The Gray Ridge Kingdom contributed some of its assets as collateral and, upon victory, was required to provide the Star Empire with substantial dividends.
King Nilunke grinned, revealing sharp teeth, and said confidently, "I will certainly not disappoint Your Highness!"
He then gestured, and a goblin general clad in fine armor stepped forward.
The goblin general bowed and introduced himself to the guests of the empire, "I am General Babaluo!"
He straightened his back, his tone filled with unwavering confidence in victory, "While dragons are individually incredibly powerful, their numbers are extremely small! The truly elite fighting dragons comprise only one-tenth of their total population! Even if we include those with decent strength, there are at most three thousand!"
Babaluo patted his breastplate forcefully, "And we Gray Ridge Goblins possess two thousand brave and fearless citizens, and top-tier anti-dragon weapons! We can use our superior numbers to overwhelm and annihilate them!"
"We have secretly deployed more than two new types of Dragon-Breaking Cone in key areas of the border region and around the production factory!" King Nilunke continued, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness. "All officers and soldiers are on high alert! Just waiting for them to attack!"
"Yes!" Babaluo said, "Our wise and mighty King Nilunke deliberately arranged for the assassination to be carried out with an old-model Dragon-Breaking Cone, just to lure these easily angered and explosive lizards out of their lair and make them willingly step into our territory! Then, we can give them a head-on blow and annihilate them!"
Princess Janet put down her coffee cup, her face still bearing that forced smile. "Then I wish the indomitable Gray Ridge Kingdom victory."
****
With the war imminent and King Nilunke with many affairs, he soon took his leave.
But Janet then requested to obtain further details about combat readiness from General Babaluo.
After a moment's thought, King Nilunke realized that the "big investor" was probably still not entirely at ease with this huge investment and wanted to know more. He naturally agreed.
"General Babaluo, be sure to answer every question Princess Janet asks in detail, so that our friends from the Star Empire who have come from afar will be satisfied!" King Nilunke.
This is a subtle way of telling him not to say things he shouldn't!
"Yes, my king!" Babaluo responded with a reassuring look and bowed to accept the order.
As soon as he left the reception room, King Nilunke's smile vanished, replaced by a crestfallen expression. This Janet, relying on her status as the princess of the Star Empire, dared to be so arrogant and rude!
The goblin servant standing nearby, clearly sensing the king's displeasure, immediately stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, once we have defeated the dragons, and even enslaved them, then even the Star Empire will have to defer to your will!" He thought for a moment, then added, "Why not ask King Chengrik for the hand of a mere princess?"
King Nilunke's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this, "That's a brilliant idea!"
He couldn't help but laugh out loud, tilting his head back proudly as he strode out.
The millennia-old feud with the dragons continues to this day. The goblin ancestors endured humiliation and hardship, accumulating wealth and power over many years, which has now finally fallen into the hands of Nilunke.
Our grand vision and great undertaking will be accomplished in no time!
The people of the Star Empire, despite possessing vast resources, are timid and cowardly, only daring to provide financial support from behind the scenes, but unwilling to engage in courageous battles.
King Nilunke thought to himself with a sneer.
****
Inside the room, Janet immediately removed the hand that King Nilunke had just kissed, her face showing undisguised disgust, and casually tossed it to the ground.
"That stinky, green little dwarf!" she cursed fiercely, "Just you wait, you'll be crying soon enough!"
General Babaluo straightened up, the respectful expression on his face fading in favor of a calm, analytical one. "This Nilunke is still too young and impetuous." He turned to Princess Janet and performed a standard blessing ceremony befitting the Temple of the Bright God. "Ever since we poisoned that cunning goblin prime minister, no one has been able to control this hothead. A few words of flattery from us and he's become so arrogant he's lost all sense of direction!"
"You have done an excellent job this time!" Janet Langyan said. "The Holy See will certainly reward you handsomely!"
These greedy goblins had been scouring the world for special materials for years, secretly preparing weapons to target dragons. Meanwhile, Elder Yinfei, responsible for foreign affairs for the Dragon Race, seemed oblivious to this, turning a blind eye and letting things drift.
Janet's brief appearance on behalf of the "Star Empire" to express their willingness to fund the war was enough to ignite the arrogance of this goblin king.
However, the sheer volume of supplies they acquired was real! Even the wealthy and powerful Ming Shen Temple still felt a pang of regret.
But if we can successfully drag the dragon race and the Final Bone Mad Machines into a quagmire of war, this investment will definitely be worthwhile!
From a certain perspective, even the Temple of the First Light was forced into this situation. If the Final Bone Mad Machines and the Giant Dragon were allowed to develop for a period of time, who knows how formidable they would become!
"Lang Meiming!" Babaluo responded devoutly.
The "Foreign Minister Fernand," who was standing beside Janet, reached out and loosened his bow tie. The magic of disguise on his face vanished like ripples on water, revealing another serious face.
"Bishop McIntyre!" The goblin Babaluo immediately bowed again, his tone even more respectful.
"This King Nilunke didn't doubt the authenticity of the Star Empire's Foreign Minister's identity at all." Bishop McIntyre's lips curled into a mocking sneer.
"After all, my status as the Imperial Princess is genuine," Janet said. "These goblins deserved to die for causing us to fight so fiercely."
Babaluo suddenly seemed to remember something and added to the report, "There's something: King Nilunke's assassination target this time isn't Bay Owl or Bone King, but rather the newly risen and diligently governing Dragon King of the Dragon Race!"
Janet's expression changed slightly, but she immediately understood the reason. King Nilunke clearly did not believe that the Bay Owl and the Bone King were that terrifying; they preferred to take the opportunity to eliminate the new Dragon King who was leading the Dragon Race towards change.
The enemies designated by the Star Empire are unimportant; dealing with the Dragon Empire is a matter of real benefit.
Outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant—that's a goblin tradition!
"These good-for-nothing idiots!" Bishop McIntyre couldn't help but exclaim. "Greedy and calculating, their minds are always preoccupied with petty gains!"
"No problem." Janet quickly regained her composure, "Anyway, regardless of whether the assassination attempt succeeds or not, the war between Gray Ridge and the Dragons is inevitable. As for Bay Owl and Bone King— " A cold glint flashed in her eyes, "Ultimately, we'll have to deal with them ourselves!"
Bishop McIntyre nodded in agreement, "These goblins will be able to hold back the main force of the Dragon Race, and they will also draw the attention of 'Final Bone Mad Machines '! This is the perfect opportunity for us to strike and kill Bone King and Bay Owl in one fell swoop!"
****
While Princess Janet and her entourage were plotting something, in a quiet, unassuming little restaurant in Green Thorn Port, ordinary little things were also quietly taking place.
This is an ordinary restaurant run by humans. According to the customary practices in Hong Kong, the restaurant's customers are mainly humans. During this period, the level of activity in Hong Kong has increased dramatically, especially in the last few days, with torches being lit and artists working overtime day and night.
Sailors and porters crowded the small shop's tables and chairs, and the turnover increased by more than three times the usual amount.
Finally, as night fell, the number of customers in the shop gradually dwindled, and the noise began to subside.
The female shop owner carefully wiped her hands clean with her apron, which was stained with some oil, and leaned wearily against the counter to catch her breath. She exchanged a glance with her parents-in-law, who were helping out in the shop, and the two elderly people nodded to her.
"We'll keep watch outside, you go upstairs and rest for a while."
The female shop owner immediately responded, climbed up the narrow second floor, and closed the door. She walked to the gas table and picked up a somewhat crudely made toy dog.
She grabbed the dog's tail and pulled out a thin metal wire, skillfully hooking the end onto a small hook in the corner of the room. This hook was connected to a metal clothesline on the roof.
When Jie Fu handed these things to her, he mentioned that they could act as an "antenna" for steam engines.
The shop owner's husband was a necromancer. She thought they were separated by death after that incident, but unexpectedly, fate smiled upon them and they were reunited. Her husband told her to wait patiently for a while longer, and all the necromancers would be removed from their wanted lists, allowing them to return to a peaceful life.
The special task that Jie Fu gave her was to use this device every day to communicate with the person on the other end and report on the situation in Hong Kong.
She picked up the dog and examined its eyes closely. Only half of the yellow area in its pupils was visible, indicating that the device's battery was down to half and it needed to be exposed to sunlight.
The female shop owner skillfully twisted off the dog's head, took the air nozzle, pressed down on the ear, and began to speak to it.
Soon, she successfully established communication with the "liaison officer" whose location was unknown.
"Such a magical alchemical tool, the 'liaison' must be thousands of kilometers away," the female shopkeeper thought to herself.
What she didn't know was that radio communication devices based on shortwave signals could easily traverse thousands of kilometers by utilizing the reflection of the ionosphere at night. Although there was inevitably some background noise, the communication was completed without any problems.
The female shopkeeper pulled out information she had secretly jotted down on a small note during the day from her apron pocket and began her report methodically, "Today, our shop had 340 customers, and a total of 65 ships in port. Seven ships entered the port, and seven departed—a special ship entered the port today. The sailors were all talking about it while eating at the tavern. The 'Shattered Crank' ship gave up its most convenient berth to that ship before even unloading its cargo. A person also disembarked from that ship, veiled, but with a very—"
The female shopkeeper diligently carried out her report. On one hand, this was something her husband had solemnly entrusted to her. On the other hand, she would receive a generous reward of three silver dollars for each piece of information she successfully provided, and if the information was particularly valuable, she would receive an additional substantial bonus.
At first, she was also uneasy, but then she thought that as long as she was careful enough, there would be no danger.
After all, what the female shop owner collected was just ordinary public information from Hong Kong, or even just snippets of conversation among the shop's delivery staff.
Moreover, unless she says it herself, who would guess what this unassuming watchdog is actually used for!