Global Colonization

Many write about the late Ming, but few write about the "sea." What sets Global Colonization apart is that it moves the point of salvation from Shanhaiguan to the ocean surface: the protagonist not only wants to hold Liaodong but wants every sea the sun shines on to become Ming territorial waters, so the Armada, the sea coachmen, and the empire on which the sun never sets come ashore one after another to become his opponents in the story. The author's "cheat" is also designed with restraint—the time-travel ring's entire energy can transport only one thousand tons of material and is spent once used up, forcing the protagonist to judge what to ship first and where to use it: grain seeds, gunpowder, blueprints, or machinery. Each trade-off generates dramatic tension, giving more to chew on than "unlimited power." In execution, military affairs drive the main line, interspersed with court intrigue; the author clearly recognizes that the late Ming's predicament was not confined to the battlefield and that the greed of the gentry bloc was also part of the state's decline, so both court and local scenes are handled with care. The pacing is brisk and the payoffs dense; the first volume, "A Difficult Beginning," runs from drilling troops at Tongzhou and the Qi Family Army standard all the way to self-manufactured muskets and cannons, suited to readers who want to read it in one sitting; the downside is the sheer bulk of a web serial and occasional piled-on detail, so lovers of historical accuracy should temper their expectations.