Chapter 1521: Intercepted

Near Hamburg.

The Swedish Army on land pursued at high speed, with gunfire ringing out incessantly.

On the Elbe River, Sweden urgently mobilized its navy to strike.

A chase began on the wide river surface.

However, the Swedish Empire navy could not catch up to the fleet ahead at all.

Very quickly, the Swedish fleet was left behind.

They were still using the most primitive Steam Engine, and their speed was far inferior.

On the Elbe River, several fast ships sped away. Ling Chen looked at the flickering firelight in the darkness and the Swedish people cursing on the shore; he grinned and shouted loudly:

"I am the great thief, Jones!"

"If you Swedish cowards have the guts, come and kill me!"

The Swedish officers and soldiers on the shore looked at the fast ships speeding on the river, helpless.

In the dark night, they could not see who these robbers were, but they heard a name from within: Jones.

Who is Jones?

The Swedish officers and soldiers instantly associated this with the wanted criminal who had recently risen to fame, named Jones!

"It's him!" The Swedish officer's mind flashed with the image of that arrogant-to-the-extreme great thief, and he was instantly consumed by rage.

To think a thief would dare to rob their Swedish Empire's goods!

"Ah! Jones, you just wait for me!"

Although Ling Chen could not see the Swedish officer's exasperated state, he could imagine it.

Just how twisted that face must be right now.

A smile appeared on Ling Chen's cold face; this time, they had a bountiful harvest.

The ship of grain and fodder they intercepted was enough to sustain them for a period of time.

However, this was far from enough. They had solved the most basic problem of food and clothing, but they still had to solve other problems.

For example, weapons, mineral resources, and so on...

This army of two hundred thousand had to fight, and the supplies they brought from Longyan Port could not support them in too many high-intensity battles.

Since they began stationing here, their troops had already experienced a shortage of ammunition.

There were also Longyan Cannon; although Ling Chen brought technical troops with the army to maintain them and develop cannonballs for the heavy weapon that was the Longyan Cannon.

But a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. Although these technical troops were capable, without materials and without a Factory, they would be useless even if they were immortals.

Now the problem of food and clothing could be considered alleviated,

and weapons production could proceed.

Ling Chen stood on the ship, feeling a bone-chilling cold as the wind blew past.

Ling Chen tightened his clothes and sighed as he looked at the ink-black river water in the dark night.

Winter had already arrived. Ling Chen had learned from the locals that the river, which ran straight from Hanover to Hamburg, often froze over in winter.

Now that winter had arrived, launching surprise attacks on the port of Hamburg from this river would be incomparably difficult.

Being bandits and raiding constantly was not a long-term plan.

The place called Hamburg must be taken.

But it absolutely could not be the Longyan people.

If Hamburg became a city of Longyan, then these countries of the Franco-Austrian Alliance would absolutely no longer allow their merchants to come here to trade.

Secondly, the strategic significance of this city was very important.

It could serve as a button connecting the Baltic Sea and the North Sea by land, acting as a transportation link between the allied countries. Furthermore, if the allied countries controlled Hamburg, they could prevent Britain from landing there.

Across from Hamburg was British territory.

After the Franco-Austrian Allied Army occupied Hamburg, it would be much more difficult for Britain to enter the European mainland.

But all of this premise was built on Hamburg being in the hands of the Franco-Austrian Alliance.

This was equivalent to cutting off the connection between Prussia and Britain.

It was a pity that although Britain knew the importance of this city to Prussia and itself, it did not send a single soldier when Hamburg was attacked by the Franco-Austrian Allied Army.

To provide aid.

Instead, it allowed the Franco-Austrian Allied Army to occupy this place.

It allowed the various countries of the Franco-Austrian Allied Army to connect through Hamburg.

"What a pity." Ling Chen sighed.

Britain's inaction made both Longyan and Prussia, as allies, feel chilled.

Since the war began, Britain had not provided Prussia with any form of military aid on the European mainland.

As for economic aid, Britain had always claimed it existed.

But because of the current war situation, Prussia had no way at all to receive a single penny of economic aid.

On the riverbank, the pursuing Swedish ships finally caught up.

But to the Longyan army, these fleets were simply vulnerable.

Although their ships were old vessels captured from the Franco-Austrian Allied Army with average firepower, Longyan Cannon could be equipped onto them.

After simple improvements, these Warship already possessed impressive combat power.

After just a few Longyan Cannonball shots, the Elbe River was a sea of fire, and the Swedish troops who came to pursue suffered heavy losses.

Ling Chen took a glance, said nothing more, and headed south along the Elbe River.

Returning to Hanover.

And on the other side, the furious Swedish Empire, although they did not know when the great thief Jones, who had been roaming nearby, had acquired such powerful naval ships.

But this did not prevent them from doubling the bounty on Jones.

Regardless of whether it was Jones who did it, he would have to pay the price for this matter!

And the result of this was.

Last night, after the master thief Jones, who had been engaged in a fierce battle with a streetwalker in an inconspicuous Small Tavern, woke up.

He looked with a blank expression at the lackeys who had surrounded him.

"Boss, we know you did a big job last night and robbed a ship of cargo; as long as you tell us where the cargo is."

"You will still be our boss."

Jones was dumbfounded, stared at the lackeys surrounding him, and shouted coldly: "Were your heads kicked by a donkey!"

The lackey snorted coldly, unmoved, and slapped Jones across the face.

Last night, Jones was alone by himself, so he must have done something big.

Otherwise, his bounty would not have doubled this morning.

Moreover, the Sweden people in Hamburg even said they wanted him captured alive.

The meaning was very clear: this guy had pulled off a big job last night.

"If you don't believe it, look for yourself."

The lackey threw out a bounty notice; Jones took it, glanced at it, and his face was full of shock.

His bounty amount had directly doubled, and it was also printed that he could only be captured alive.

As a bandit leader, Jones immediately realized that something was wrong.

"Boss, do you have anything you want to explain now?" The lackey's eyes flashed with a fierce light.

Jones's expression turned cold; this lackey was only bound to him by interests.

Now that the interests were gone, he was definitely going to make a move.

He reached his hand under the pillow.

A look of joy appeared on the lackey's face, and he walked over.

Bang!

The lackey fell to the ground in response, scaring the streetwalker nearby so that her body trembled.

Jones glanced at her and tossed out a Silver Coin.

He put on his clothes and turned to leave; he could not stay here, he had to leave immediately.

To lay low for a couple of days.

Afterwards, he would investigate who was impersonating him to commit robbery, and when the time came, he would ferret out that bastard and kill him.