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Chapter 1102: Ships Gathering 3
"One cigar is enough for me. That thing is called a landing ship, which was named by His Majesty. Its purpose is simpler, to lower small boats to carry soldiers ashore. The Huangshan class is large in size and has a spacious deck. With some fixed accessories, it can carry dozens of small boats without affecting navigation."

Listening to several subordinates muttering behind him and even making bets, Navy Chief of Staff Zhu Haiou couldn't help it and planned to sell at a low price to grab the business. Although a cigar is small, a mosquito leg is also meat, and it doesn't cost anything, just a few words.

"...That's all, and you still have the nerve to ask for a cigar? Dream on, we don't even want to know!" It's a pity that Wang Yuanjing and Tao Daxiang were not easy to deal with. They looked at each other and immediately reached a consensus, blatantly trying to renege on the debt.

"Hey, I'm a hot-tempered man, how dare you tease your superiors? You guys catch these two, I have a high-quality product given by His Majesty, one for each of you!"

Zhu Haiou was also not vague. In terms of fighting cunning, as the naval chief of staff who had been sitting in the office and dealing with court officials for many years, he had much more practical experience than the front-line officers and soldiers. Without thinking, he used the trick of killing three soldiers with two peaches.

"Hey, hey, what a shame! Is it worth it for a grown man like him to smoke a few cigars? It's just some royal gift. Don't you think that he doesn't even smoke? How could His Majesty give him cigars?

Hurry up and dress yourself up, the one with the surname Dad is coming soon, don’t let outsiders laugh at you! This grandson must have done it on purpose, why did he choose this surname when there are so many other surnames. It must be that he doesn’t listen to me, otherwise I would have made him change this unlucky surname!”

Seeing a group of middle and senior officers really rushing up for a few cigars, Huang Nanping impatiently patted the side of the ship and spoke. This voyage might be the last time in his life that he would personally command a large-scale operation. No matter what others think, he is very serious anyway and does not want to be careless.

"General Huang, his last name is Angelo, Diego. Even if we follow our custom, he should be named An. It's just that he didn't listen to your advice and stayed. Don't be so petty.

I think Angelo is good at judging people. I have been with you until now. At most, I can be a commander, and I have to be stationed overseas all year round. After joining the Maritime Transport Command, I became the commander of Chengdu in just two years. I can settle down in Tianjin and live comfortably and happily. "

Tao Daxiang took the opportunity to avoid the encirclement, but instead of being grateful, he ridiculed his immediate superior on the spot.

When the Maritime Command was separated from the Navy and transferred to the General Staff, Angelo, then the captain of an armed cargo ship, did not stay and gave up his naval post to join the Maritime Command. He was regarded as an outlier by some naval commanders. Huang Nanping was one of them, and he was Angelo's immediate superior, so he had the most objections.

But the result just proved that his vision was wrong. Angelo was quickly valued for his many years of experience in driving the Manila galleon across the ocean. He was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the Maritime Transport Command. For several years, he was on equal footing with Huang Nanping. This resentment has not dissipated to this day.

"Bah! If he didn't want a wife and children, he shouldn't have joined the navy. If I had known he was a coward, I shouldn't have recommended him to Governor Yuan and His Majesty!"

But Huang Nanping didn't think so. He came from a family of pirates. He had been on a ship since the day he was born and had spent most of his life on a ship. He instinctively felt that the ship was his home and that as long as he was alive, he should not leave the ship.

"Hey, Old Huang, be careful. No one should spread gossip. If I find out, I will punish you severely!" Li Rumei, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up with a stern tone and a serious expression.

Deep down, he didn't like this Spanish shipping captain who was once a prisoner of war, but everyone has their own ambitions. Although the Maritime Command was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Navy, it was still under the General Staff and was still traveling on the sea. There was a lot of overlap in their work, and it would be inappropriate to make things too rigid.

In addition, in this Hawaiian Islands operation, Angelo was appointed by the General Staff as the deputy commander, in charge of logistics and transportation matters, and he had the right to express different opinions on clearing islands, building bases, and naval operations, and he must not let a few gossips disturb his mentality. "Don't worry, Governor, there are no gossipers in the navy, and no one except Your Majesty will talk too much with outsiders. But I am a little confused. It is obviously an operation led by the navy, so why let the Shipping Commander participate in the command?"

Li Rumei's prestige in the navy is higher than Huang Nanping's. Both of them are the earliest veterans who followed Yuan Keli to establish the navy, but one is a son of a general and the other is a pirate, so they are definitely not the same.

In addition, although his brother Li Ruzhang had retired from the military and became a cabinet minister, he was, after all, a veteran who founded the army, and even if Yuan Keli were alive, he would have to be respected.

His face darkened, and the officers immediately restrained their expressions, straightened their uniforms and lined up at the side, welcoming the deputy commander aboard. However, some people were still not convinced and quietly spoke up for the navy.

"You don't understand, little pockmarked boy. Although Angelo Dusi drives a cargo ship, he has an ability that none of us can match."

As long as Huang Nanping was present, the scene would never be serious unless he was in front of the emperor. He was used to talking and laughing with the sailors on the ship. After he was promoted to a high position, his personality did not change and he was still outspoken.

“What can you do? I have seen the strong winds and waves at the Cape of Good Hope more than once. Even if I don’t have as much experience in sailing as him, I am the commander of the marines. You captains should be no worse than me!” The general known as Xiao Mazi was in his thirties, a short man with a square head and a distinct Shaanxi accent.

But there is not a single pockmark on his face. His name is Ma Lun, the grandson of the border general Ma Gui. He joined the navy in the 1622th year of Jingyang () and is currently the commander of the Wenjia Guard of the Land Warfare Department. Although he is not a pure army, he can be regarded as a son who has inherited his father's business and continued the general heritage of the Ma family.

Since he joined the navy relatively late, Angelo had already left the navy by the time he was promoted to the ranks of middle and senior officers. The two men had hardly ever met or interacted directly, so he didn't know much about the inside story.

"Antosi is a Spaniard. Before he defected to the Ming Dynasty, he was the captain of a Manila galleon, whose home port was in Acapulco. He went to America to make a living at the age of nineteen. He has been to Mexico City and Lima, and is very familiar with the situation in the Spanish Viceroyalty."

The person who answered the question was Li Rumei, and her voice was quite loud. It was obvious that she was not just speaking to Ma Lun, but also to let the naval generals present know the reason, so that they would not be dismissive in their future work.

"Well, you are dumbfounded, right? You, a country bumpkin, insist on competing with others who drive ships. Even a cargo ship is much better than you!"

This reason was so powerful that all the generals present were immediately discouraged. Indeed, no one dared to say that he knew the Spanish Viceroyalty in America better than Angelo.

This action of traveling thousands of miles to occupy the Hawaiian Islands and build a naval base was only the first step in the strategy to conquer America. The next step was to use the Hawaiian Islands as a springboard to formally attack the west coast of America. Angelo was well-deserved to be the deputy commander-in-chief.

(End of this chapter)