Chapter 77: The Pretender Game
What is the puppet army?
In response to Elizabeth's question, Zhu Xianhai just laughed and said.
“Didn’t you say that the Mapuche are our allies? In that case, let’s use the Mapuche.”
“With the Mapuche?”
Elizabeth was surprised.
"Aren't they back yet? How long are you going to wait?"
"So, I say, we should use 'fake troops'!"
The puppet army...is the army of pretenders.
“We look the same as the Mapuche, so why should we pretend to be Mapuche?”
Zhu Xianhai smiled at Elizabeth and said.
"There is a saying in China, 'pulling a tiger skin as a flag'. Pulling the flag of Nanhua will easily expose ourselves. In this case, let's pull the big flag of the Mapuche. Of course, we will only play the role of them when necessary. For example, the horses. My plan is this. This time, let Bailey bring the horses out, just like usual, but what about us? We don't need to hand over the horses like in the past Instead, we will pretend to be Mapuche and take the horses away. We need horses, and so do the Mapuche. In this way, the possibility of Nanhua being exposed will be greatly reduced."
In fact, thinking about it now, Zhu Xianhai found that his previous handling was indeed extremely inappropriate. After all, time is what Nanhua needs most right now.
The better Nanhua's confidentiality workstation is, the longer it can gain more time, which can give it time for "growing up".
"Not only this matter, but also other aspects must be kept confidential in the future. Um...America Company...you can continue to use the name of this company..."
After thinking about it, Zhu Xianhai said.
"Just use the name of American Company to deal with the outside world."
"That's a good idea!"
Elizabeth nodded.
"The name of the company can always reduce the vigilance of others. Even now there are some colonial companies, such as the Hudson's Bay Company in North America. These companies with franchises have power like a country. Maybe in the future, we can do this. What do you think?"
"company?"
Zhu Xianhai didn’t know much about the Hudson’s Bay Company, but as for the countries controlled by the company...Isn’t India controlled by the East India Company the best example?
Whether it is a company or a country, it is actually just a name. The key is to gain time first and gain time to develop yourself. This is the most important thing.
"That's true. However, the most important thing right now is to get through this hurdle first. Send a message to Bailey and ask him to prepare. Also..."
After thinking for a while, Zhu Xianhai said again.
"We need to find out if someone is really following us!"
…
Over the past few days, Romario had been keeping an eye on Pele at America's, watching how he acquired horses and waited for them to be shipped out.
However, the wait lasted for three days. Three days later, on the morning of the next day, dozens of Viedma cowboys drove the horses out of the horse farm outside the city. The scene of thousands of horses marching in a mighty procession was quite spectacular. Of course, it could not be concealed. When the horses left, Romario, who got the news, immediately changed out of his military uniform and transformed himself into a Mapuche. Except for his mixed-race appearance, he looked no different from a Mapuche. He was covered with a felt blanket and even carried a spear.
In fact, Romario has lived in the tribe since he was a child. His mother was a white woman who was kidnapped by the Mapuche. She taught him Spanish and Catholicism since he was a child. When he grew up, he escaped from the tribe. Later, he joined the provincial army and has been serving in the army ever since. With his familiarity with the grassland and his advantages in appearance and language, Romario often went in and out of the grassland to carry out reconnaissance missions.
This time is no exception.
However, the only exception was that he needed to track the American Company's cavalry.
After the cowboys drove the huge herd of horses out of Viedma, they headed southwest, and Romario kept a distance . According to the intelligence they had obtained before, the cowboys would hand over to another group of cowboys the next day.
This time was no exception. They first handed over to a group of cowboys, and then the cowboys continued to drive the horses and continued to head southwest.
"Are they going to the tribe?"
Romario had been following them from a distance, observing their direction. It was difficult for such a large herd of horses to conceal their whereabouts on the grassland, and one could even track their whereabouts just by following the horse hoof prints on the grassland.
Everything seemed to be going more smoothly than he had imagined.
On the third day, Romario discovered where the horses went. It was not that he discovered where the horses went, but that he saw the real customers.
Those customers are not other people, but...
"Mapuche!"
Looking from afar at the people who appeared near the herd of horses, they were all riding horses, and without exception they were dressed like Mapuche people. Without even having to investigate, Romario guessed where the horses had gone - they were sold to the Mapuche people.
"Damn smugglers..."
Almost without thinking, Romario figured out their identities, and of course, also figured out Pele's identity - a smuggler!
It was common for merchants to engage in smuggling with the Mapuche between the Province of Buenos Aires and the Confederation.
"Okay, mission accomplished!"
Now, there is no need to follow up any further, since
When Romario was happy about completing the task, he did not notice that a few kilometers away, there was also a "Mapuche" observing him. The Mapuche was dressed not much differently from him. It could even be said that even if they met, they would not feel any difference between each other. It was just that they had "met" from the very beginning, from Viedma until now.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Romario had no idea that he had been targeted from the beginning. He even secretly imagined how the lieutenant would reward him after returning to Viedma. He never thought that he would become someone else's "reward". Of course, no one wanted his head. Even on his way back to Viedma, someone was protecting him all the way, fearing that he would encounter any accidents.
Finally, the people who escorted Romario left quietly after seeing him return safely to Viedma...
