Codex Pirates

Chapter 210 International Students

Outside the wall of the shipyard in Hongye Village, a small figure was jumping non-stop, trying to climb up the wall and blend into the shipyard.

"Usopp!" A red-haired boy walked slowly behind Usopp with a rice ball in his hand, and said vaguely, "If you continue to make trouble in the factory like this, you will be interrupted by the masters." As for the legs, it seems that some important person will come to visit in two days, and now it’s busy inside, so don’t ask for trouble.”

Usopp patted the dust in his hands, and stopped unwillingly.

Originally, William meant that sending Jesusbu's family to Kalmar City to take care of him would also allow Usopp to receive a good education, but Jesusbu was a very proud person in his bones, even though he was already an important cadre under William, one of the sharpshooters. The name Donghai is well known to everyone, and every gunshot seems to sound the death knell of the enemy.

But Jesus Bu never wanted his son Usopp to receive too much preferential treatment because of his identity and status. He also believed that by doing so, Usopp would never become a famous man and achieve higher achievements, so he did not agree with William's proposal. Opinion.

However, in view of the fact that Jesus Bu's original hometown, Silob Village, is too remote, and Jesus Bu's wife, Bancina, seems to be in poor health in recent years, Jesus Bu still let Usopp and Bancina's mother and son move to the village in recent years. The developed quite prosperous Hongye Village lives and seeks medical treatment.

Influenced by Jesus Bu's low-key, coupled with Benqina's precepts and deeds, Usopp did not develop the bad habits of a dude, but Usopp, who yearns for pirates and is full of curiosity, always likes to go to the shipyard in Hongye Village Run and peek at the assortment of new ships here.

As the pillar industry of the entire village today, the shipyard is always surrounded by high walls on weekdays. For a boy who is only nine years old and loves fantasy, it is like a mysterious forbidden area. Every factory building inside seems to be full of magic. Technology.

"Eric," Usopp rolled his eyes, "Someone came to visit? Is it because the shipyard has a new invention?"

The red-haired boy named Eric did not reply. Although he still looked childish and looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, but because of working in the shipyard all the year round, he was as burly as a bodybuilder. Beside Thorp, holding a rice ball in one hand, he easily lifted Usopp up with the other hand, grabbed the dancing boy with a long nose and left around the shipyard.

"Let go of me, I'm a big pirate who will be famous in the East China Sea in the future, how dare you treat me like this?" Usopp bared his teeth and claws.

Eric laughed: "When you grow up, you won't know if there are any pirates in the East China Sea."

"I will join the Morgan Pirates!" Usopp protested.

"Then I wish you all the best. When you really become a cadre of the Morgan Pirates, I hope you can sit on the new warship I supervised to build." Anyone can hear the perfunctory in Eric's tone.

But Usopp didn't take it seriously. With a quick mind, he immediately grasped what the other party revealed, and asked excitedly: "A new type of warship? Do you have a new type of warship?"

Eric smiled wryly when he heard this.

...

"Is this the new ship?"

Two days later, in the shipyard of Hongye Village, William frowned and looked towards the sea, where a strangely shaped ship was sailing.

It is said that the shape of this ship is strange because there are paddle wheels like wheels on both sides of it. One part is sunk in the sea, and the other part is exposed on the sea surface. Two paddle wheels move the water and provide the propulsion for the boat.

The director of the shipyard and the local village head Omar wiped cold sweat, looked at William, who couldn't distinguish between emotions and anger, and exchanged glances, and Omar stepped forward and said, "My lord, these are the master shipwrights in the factory. The new type of boat invented after working together is called a paddle steamer, which can travel even in a windless area, and a steam engine is installed on it, which can power the external paddle wheel, but... "

William glanced at Omar: "Just what?"

"It's just that this structure makes the boat not flexible enough. In the wind and waves environment, because the blades of the paddle wheel are partly exposed to the water, the sailing is not stable enough." Omar lowered his head, a little afraid to look into William's eyes, but he didn't want to Dare not to report the problem, let alone fool William with words, because he understands that no matter how gaudy he says, he will eventually be taken by someone and submitted to William for use. serious.

Omar is very clear that the young man in front of him is not an ignorant person. He is completely different from the prince in the palace who can tell why the poor can't afford bread and why they don't eat meat. He has worked hard, and some problems cannot be hidden from him.

Omar continued in a low voice, "The blades of the paddle wheel are also relatively easy to damage, and it is not convenient to dock on the pier, and it is easy to collide with the ships on both sides. In addition, if entanglements such as aquatic plants entangle the blades of the paddle wheel or shaft, the paddle wheel risks losing its rotation."

"Where's the propeller boat I mentioned last time?" William asked with a frown.

William had some impressions of this kind of paddle wheel-powered ship, but he hadn't seen it in his previous life, and they were all replaced by propeller ships. William had no interest in it at all.

The somewhat bald person in charge of the shipyard on the side stepped forward and said: "Still studying, the technology of using steam as a ship's power is the first time we have used it, and it is still very immature. The steam engine on the paddle steamer also often has problems. It is also very low, and sometimes it is driven by manpower, how to apply it to the propeller you mentioned requires us to continue to experiment."

William turned around and looked at the paddle steamer on the sea again. As Omar and the person in charge of the shipyard said, this new ship was still very unstable. After a few people talked, the ship stopped. The paddle wheel has stopped moving, and it seems that there is something wrong with the power.

"In two years, after the clipper ship was developed, the paddle steamer was developed. Your progress can't be considered slow." William glanced at the two responsible persons with embarrassing faces, "But I still hope that your It can be sped up a little bit more.”

"You want money, people, and resources. I have never refused. The weapons laboratory in Dampier may not be as rich as you." Omar and the director of the shipyard were a little uneasy, and William said "Since the brainstorming of the masters in the shipyard is not enough, let's brainstorm again. In two days, I will publish a message in the newspaper, solicit talents and ideas, and provide rewards, which can improve the stability and power of the existing steam engine. The minimum reward is 10 million Baileys, and if you can come up with a mature and usable steam engine, I will provide a bonus of 500 million Baileys."

When William turned his head again, he found that the eyes of Omar and the person in charge of the shipyard were red, and he said to the factory manager: "You can tell the shipbuilder in the factory about this first, and I will be in various places in the East China Sea in two days. This matter is published in the newspaper, and I will set up a special project team to be responsible for reviewing the matter."

"One more thing," William stopped the envious manager who was shocked by 500 million Baileys, "I'm going to select some young people in the factory and send them to the capital of seven waters in the great route to learn shipbuilding technology, you will give me a while Draw up a recommendation list and detailed information on the young people in the factory for my reference."

"Great route?" The factory manager was a little hesitant when he heard the words. Naturally, the status of the capital of seven waters is extremely high in the hearts of shipbuilders, but the notoriety of the great route is not so easy to dispel in people's hearts.

"The principle of voluntariness," William smiled, "I won't force those who dare not go."