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Chapter 1211 Competitors
In early June, after more than 6 days of non-stop sailing, the two warships Han 20 and Qin 35 arrived at Pearl Harbor with seawater all over their bodies and barnacles all over their bottoms. What greeted them were not colorful flags and enthusiastic officers and soldiers of the East China Sea Fleet, but black muzzles and strict inspections.

"No wonder the port defense system hasn't been completed in almost two years. If it continues to be built like this, I'm afraid it won't be enough in two years. Lao Liang, you are more familiar with these things. Is it really necessary?"

While waiting for the small boat to board for inspection, Settle climbed up to the mast lookout, held up the latest naval monocular telescope and carefully observed both sides of the channel into the port, then asked questions to the old boatswain beside him.

"It is said that the design drawings here have been revised by His Majesty more than ten times, so it must be necessary. Unfortunately, without the port area drawings, we cannot see the full picture. Just looking at these gun emplacements, they are indeed strong enough. Pulling the entire South China Sea Fleet here to bombard for three days may not be effective. It's just too expensive. If all of them were cast into cannons, they would be enough for half of the fleet."

Lao Liang lived up to his name, he was so old that he had no hair at all, few teeth left in his mouth, spoke with a lisp, and had a hunched back. In terms of seniority, Huang Nanping had to call him "big brother". He was also a backbone in the pirate gang, and was very successful with his good carpentry and ship repair skills.

After being recruited by Yuan Keli, he continued to work on the ship with Huang Nanping as a boatswain. Unfortunately, his cultural foundation was too weak, and no matter how many merits he had made, he could not move up.

He worked in this field for more than 20 years and became the longest-serving boatswain in the Ming Navy. He was also awarded the rank of General Anyuan twice, with a red epauletted triangular gold star, a higher rank than that of Settle.

As the saying goes, an old man in the family is like a treasure. The ship is a small society and a big family. With such an experienced and knowledgeable old officer whose friends, buddies and subordinates are all over the navy, whoever meets him will have no worries.

When it comes to the port's defense system, most captains would not get involved in this area, but he, a boatswain, can quickly see the doorway and even knows a lot of gossip that is only circulated among the top leaders. It's nothing else, just a lot of experience and a wide network of contacts.

"What! You said those artillery batteries are made of iron?" On the other hand, Settle looked a little naive, staring with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

"It can't be wrong. Next time when I have a chance to go back to Dagukou, I'll take a close look at the Dongshan Fort. Not only is the cover made of iron, but it's also buried more than two meters deep underground. They all look almost the same.

I heard from the staff that this thing was also designed by the emperor, and each one weighs at least 30 tons. The naval guns we use are like tickling us, at most they will just make a scratch and bounce off.

But if our ship was hit by the shells in it, it would probably not last long. They were all 150-caliber shore guns, with barrels as thick as masts, and it took two people to carry the shell heads.

I just don't know who your majesty is trying to protect yourself from by making these iron turtles. They are all rusted, so there shouldn't be any cannons that can penetrate them. Who knows? Your majesty is a god, so I don't think he would waste money and food carelessly."

Lao Liang and Settle are a good pair that get along very well. The older one is imparting his experience all the time, and the younger one is willing to learn, while at the same time they are able to retain some of the drive that young people should have.

If it were someone else, Lao Liang would not have said so much. What if anything he said involved military secrets and was reported by someone, it would not only cause trouble for himself, but might also implicate others.

"It seems that His Majesty is very determined to move eastward, and the navy must be expanded, and it won't take too long. Do you think if I perform well this time, is it possible for me to command a fleet?" Since Lao Liang was serious, Settle didn't argue, at least it was more than half credible. However, he thought more long-term than the boatswain, and had already noticed from the scale and level of Pearl Harbor's construction that the emperor was determined to take America. Otherwise, there would be no time and effort to build this naval base nearly 10,000 miles away from the mainland into an iron wall.

"Your Majesty, didn't you agree to the appointment as the Arab commander? Why have you changed your mind?" Lao Liang was really attentive to this captain who was younger than his son. He not only fully assisted him in his work, but also gave him guidance in life and career.

"The Arabian Sea is so small, it's hard to move around! Please help me calculate. Tao Daxiang will definitely return to the East China Sea Fleet. He can't stay here forever. It seems that no one in the South China Sea Fleet can replace Wang Yuanjing immediately.

The only ones capable of independently commanding a fleet far from home are our Indian Ocean Fleet's Sister Commander and Chief of Staff Wang. If the two of them don't compete with me, who else is qualified?"

Settle did change his mind. He had no idea how vast the Pacific Ocean was unless he crossed it. He had never felt it strongly from the nautical charts before. This direct flight to the Hawaiian Islands completely relaxed his body and mind.

Who wants to spend their days in the navy circling around in a small bay, chasing pirates or checking merchant ships all day? Compared with the vast Pacific Ocean, the Arabian Sea is just a small bay, and there is no room for them to display their talents.

As for whether the emperor would agree, Settle thought he could put it aside for now. As long as he could deal with his competitors, he would be just one step away from success. He did have a small advantage in this regard. His elder brother could see the emperor more conveniently, so it was not easy for him to slander him. It was still possible to ask for mercy for his younger brother's future.

Of course, the premise is that you must be good enough, otherwise not only will you not be able to fly solo, but you will also drag your brother down with you. The emperor is absolutely ruthless in this regard, and even the uncles and uncles of the royal family will not give the slightest face. If anyone does not have real talent and only wants to climb up by nepotism, it will definitely backfire.

"...There aren't many candidates, but there are some. For example, Captain Yan of the garrison fleet has been serving in Enniao Port for many years. In fact, he is almost the same as leading an army. His ability is unquestionable."

Old Liang was well aware of Settle's little plan. He was not against the children of officials. Ever since the emperor issued an edict requiring every family of civil officials, military generals, meritorious officials and nobles to send at least one male to serve in the army, there was no shortage of such people in the army, and most of them performed no worse than the children of ordinary people.

However, he was not optimistic about Settle's vision, mainly because his competitors were a bit strong. Even with his brother, a marquis, helping him in Beijing, he probably couldn't cover the sky with one hand.

"If you hadn't mentioned him, I would have forgotten him. When I was an intern on a ship, I was assigned to Captain Yan's ship. He's a smart guy, but he doesn't have a big heart. He's particularly homesick.

After completing this mission, I will ask someone to find out what he has to say. Although His Majesty is a man of few words, he is always very sympathetic to soldiers who have risked their lives. I don't think he will force Captain Yan to abandon his family and career to pursue a better future."

Settle deeply agreed with the candidate proposed by Lao Liang. Yes, if we really compare them in terms of ability, experience and qualifications, Yan Bushi is indeed more suitable than himself.

(End of this chapter)