Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 335 Dawn

On the slipway on the southwest side of the harbor basin, the air was filled with a mixture of smells of sawdust, tar, and steam.

Louis stood on the makeshift test platform, his gaze fixed on the newly assembled experimental ship, Prototype 1.

It was the first small boat with a steam paddlewheel structure, completed in three weeks by the Red Tide Craftsmen and a shipbuilding team from the Southeast Province.

The paddle wheels on both sides of the aft cabin were huge and heavy, connected to the steam engine by gears.

“Ready to start,” Mike whispered.

The technician nodded, turned the valve, and the steam engine roared to life, the paddle wheel spinning rapidly.

Water splashed at the stern, but the next instant, the Dawn shook violently and began to veer to the left.

"The paddlewheel is veering to the left!" a sailor shouted.

"Relieve the pressure! The stern is rocking too much!"

The paddlewheel churned the water frantically, but its speed was far slower than expected.

The sailors were dumbfounded, and some even muttered under their breath, "It's not even as good as my old fishing boat... at least it doesn't spin around by itself."

Louis didn't move, only staring at the chaotic waves at the stern of the ship.

Not far away, the old boatman Bernard stood on the shore, frowning, and said softly, "It makes a loud noise, but it doesn't go fast..."

The deck began to make a soft cracking sound as the planks twisted.

"The hold is shaking!" someone shouted.

Louis finally spoke: "Shut down."

The steam valve slowly closed, the paddle wheel gradually slowed down, and finally stopped at the midpoint with a creak, hanging in mid-air like a pair of sunken wooden wheels that failed to complete their dance.

Louis's gaze swept over the cracks on the Dawn: "Stop steam propulsion and convert the Dawn to a pure sail configuration."

Mike whispered, "Sir, why don't you try modifying it...like adding a voltage regulator?"

Louis waved his hand: "I was too hasty. Let's build traditional ships first, and talk about it when the technology is more mature."

After the sea trial, Bernard and his crew cleaned up the site, while Mike and the Red Tide Steam team were responsible for dismantling the damaged paddlewheel structure.

Louis stood on the shore, but his eyes did not show much disappointment; he had expected this all along.

“The steam engine isn’t enough; we need to keep grinding it,” he said softly. “It’s not the right time yet, but the kid will get it working sooner or later.”

Lewis instructed Mike to compile all the records from this experiment... and pack them all up and send them to the Red Tide Workshop for Hamilton's reference.

Meanwhile, at the dock, although the steam propulsion project was temporarily shelved, this did not keep Louis away from the shipbuilding workshop.

He simply adopted a more pragmatic approach, no longer fixated on achieving a so-called epoch-making ship in one go.

We offer suggestions based on fundamental principles and attempt to make a series of small but precise improvements to the traditional hull structure.

Of course, most of these suggestions came from his memories of knowledge from his past life.

Louis never gave orders in a commanding tone. More often than not, he would squat down next to the drawings, doodle in the corner with a pen, and then ask, "Would it save some effort if we did it this way?"

The first thing to be changed was the sail system.

He suggested replacing the original three square sails with a hybrid structure of square sails and slant sails, and introducing pulley systems to reduce sail lifting resistance.

After the trial installation, the efficiency of raising and lowering one mainsail almost doubled, and the operation that originally required four people could now be easily done by two.

Mike nodded repeatedly, praising Lord Louis as a genius.

The old boatman Bernard, standing nearby, frowned and muttered, "Will this work?"

This young lord was not a shipwright after all, and the failure of the steamship proved this point. As a shipwright with pride, he disliked this behavior.

Bernard watched as Louis squatted by the side of the boat, drawing the rope path, and then turned to ask, "If we replace the foresail pulley with a double-axle type, would it reduce the number of times we have to climb the mast when furling the sail?"

He looked at the diagram for a while before he understood what Louis meant, and replied, "Theoretically, it's possible, but it would increase the risk of slipping."

"Then let's give it a try."

Bernard nodded in agreement, maintaining a polite smile on his face, but inwardly he was unconvinced.

He had seen nobles who interfered in the work of craftsmen before, who, after hearing a few words about shipbuilding principles, thought they could improve the hull structure, only to end up modifying perfectly good ships so badly that they couldn't even catch the wind.

Therefore, he was experienced in dealing with this, and only had someone try to assemble one set according to the drawings. When it failed, this shipbuilding genius would naturally learn his lesson.

But the result was unexpected. The pulley ran smoothly, the sail was raised and lowered smoothly, and even the rope did not get stuck or slip.

The efficiency is unbelievable.

"It actually works?" Bernard couldn't help but exclaim.

He looked back and examined the pulley grooves, which were even more regular and smooth than those he had designed himself.

That night, he secretly returned to the work shed, traced the blueprint again, and added a few lines of annotations to the side.

The next day, Louis came to inspect the workshop. He glanced at the structure being tested, and without a word of boasting, said softly, "This part can probably be improved... but you are the one who truly understands ships. You decide how to modify it."

Bernard was silent for a moment, then nodded; "Understood, sir."

This time, he truly understood.

…………

Just as the tide receded in the southwest of the harbor, a dull "click" came from the slide rails over at the workshop.

Two thick oak tracks extend from the slipway into the bay, their surfaces still bearing traces of dried salt frost.

Bernard stood to one side, glanced at the end of the slide rail, and whispered, "The tide is just right, and the embankment isn't loose on the other side. We can go into the water."

Russell didn't reply, but turned his head to look at the center of the slipway, where the unnamed ship was already ready.

Louis named the ship Dawn.

It is the first ship to be officially put into use in Dawn Harbor, and also the first combat and transport ship hull to be built under the Red Tide Territory construction system.

The boat is about 17 meters long and 5.5 meters wide, with the hull made of local northern oak.

The rigging system, with pulleys optimized by Louis himself, allows the mainsail to be raised quickly, even with just two skilled sailors.

The lower deck has been configured, heavy objects have been uniformly pressed down, the living quarters are located at the rear, and watertight doors are installed at both ends of the passageway, along with dehumidification channels.

The stern actually had a reserved space for a steam engine, but it has not yet been put into use.

The protective features were not neglected either; there were sliding rail attachment points on both sides of the hull, which could be used to temporarily load projectiles or melee weapons.

The middle section is pre-installed with two magic explosive shell ejectors, corresponding to sixteen spare magic explosive shells inside the cabin, stored in a fully enclosed, shockproof manner.

The bow is fitted with a detachable ram, used to damage fishmen boats or intercept ships.

The crew used Red Tide standard short crossbows and bayonets, with special racks on the bulkheads for easy access.

Bernard stood aside, inspecting the joint between the bow and the keel, and then glanced at the ropes between the mast and the pulley.

"Slide rail assembly, ready!"

Russell waved his hand behind him, and several craftsmen immediately started the steam winch on the platform.

"Click! Click! Click!"

The heavy Dawn began to move slowly, sliding along the oak rails toward the harbor basin.

Several short shouts of "Tighten up!" came from the deck.

The boatmen on both sides of the slide rail kept their eyes glued to the bottom docking point, afraid that any friction might cause an accidental spark.

However, the sliding process was smoother than expected, with no tilting at the bow and no significant swaying when the stern entered the water.

The hull's waterline just barely covers the lower red paint mark, indicating that the center of gravity control is in line with expectations.

Russell watched as the ship steadily rose to the surface, a sense of relief washing over him: "It can do it."

The craftsmen and boatmen watching from the shore burst into cheers.

Louis stood on the dock steps, his gaze calm. Elliott, standing beside him, whispered, "Sir, everything is going well."

“At least it didn’t sink.” Louis replied softly. “Continue.”

The ship's veteran crewman, Bernard, has taken over command.

He was accompanied by four skilled crew members and two young technicians.

Today's test is not just about sailing, but also about confirming that it is a ship capable of fighting.

Bernal issued the instruction: "Raise the mainsail one step, unfold the jib one-third, turn the rudder slowly, and test with the wind."

The helmsman quickly took his position, the sail rigging system activated the pulleys, and the newly designed rails and counterweight system smoothly raised both sails. The sails billowed in the wind, and the entire hull began to slowly tilt towards the outside of the harbor basin.

The hull traced several gentle arcs back and forth in the inner bay, demonstrating good handling response and stable directional correction.

Several crew members began to perform repositioning maneuvers on the deck to check the maneuverability between different points.

Meanwhile, the knights alternately wielded bayonets and crossbows, performing standard combat formation changes within the limited deck space. Although they were only practicing, their movements were clean and well-coordinated.

"The deck layout is reasonable, and there will be no collision when turning around," Bernard reported. "The width inside the cabin has not been compressed too much, and the shifting is smooth."

The next step is to test the remote attack capability.

"Prepare the magic explosive bomb."

The target was a raft floating fifty meters away, gently bobbing on the water.

"Ready to launch."

The first magic explosive bullet traced a low arc, landing slightly off-center, but still exploding at the edge of the target.

A cloud of white mist erupted from the sea surface, and the wooden frame at the center of the explosion was shattered, sending water columns several meters high.

"It's a little off-center, adjust the angle again," Bernard said calmly.

The second shot hit the center of the raft, and the shockwave from the explosion traveled back through the water, but the Dawn ship did not experience any abnormal shaking.

Louis squinted for a moment on the shore before speaking, "The shockwave didn't reach the bottom of the cabin; the shock-absorbing layer is quite solid."

Elio nodded: "It can be used in actual combat as a means of long-range attack."

The Dawn circled the harbor three times.

Bernard stood at the helm, his expression much more relaxed than at the beginning.

He adjusted the sails slightly and then circled around the north side of the dike for a short distance.

The wind wasn't strong, but it was stable enough, and the ship's reaction was faster than he expected.

"We can go one more lap!" he shouted to the shore, and with a slight movement of his feet, the boat cut diagonally into the next arc.

This was an additional test he proposed himself.

It wasn't in the plan, but no one objected, because everyone on the harbor shore wanted to see it run one more lap.

After completing the fourth lap, the sails were slowly furled.

The Dawn began its return journey, moving along the original sliding track towards the main dock without any deviation.

“It’s done,” Bernard said in a low voice.

The next second, a loud shout erupted from the dock.

"Long live the dawn!!"

"Long live the Lord!!"

Mike put down his pen and muttered, "Sure."

Bernard stepped down the gangway, walked to the shore, and gave Louis a standard salute: "Reporting, sir, the Dawn has successfully returned."

“Very good.” Louis raised his hand and gave a brief order: “The Dawn is officially incorporated into the first batch of mass-produced ship prototypes in Dawn Harbor.”

Establish standard process files, including sail and cable configuration, material ratio, and assembly procedures.

Based on today's sea trial records, all details will be further optimized by the crafts team.

Louis paused, then ordered in a deep voice: "I want to see six ships of the same type launched within two months."

Mike and Bernard exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously: "Understood."

Louis's gaze swept across the entire Dawn, finally settling on the Dawn Harbor emblem, which was polished to a gleaming shine.

The first ship in Shuguang Port has completed the entire process of design, construction, launching, and sea trials for the first time.

It wasn't perfect, but it was a success.

He turned to Elliott: "The whole port will be closed tonight for a day of rest. Let's eat meat, drink alcohol, and celebrate."

The dock fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a thunderous roar of cheers.

"Long live the Lord!!"

"There's going to be a feast tonight!!"

Some craftsmen raised their hammers high, while some sailors jumped into the harbor, soaking themselves in the water, shouting and laughing like children.

Mike stood next to Louis, chuckling as he muttered, "We need to get the kitchen to prepare in advance, otherwise even the pots will be taken tonight."

That evening, several rows of stove racks were set up early on the open space on the west side of the port, and simple windbreaks were also erected by the sea.

Freshly caught sea fish are gutted and cleaned, then skewered on iron skewers along with pieces of smoked meat, emitting a fragrant aroma.

A skilled cook brought from Red Tide City directed a dozen young people to flip the wok.

Not far away, someone had temporarily set up a wine barrel rack and was passing wine into large wooden cups.

Louis did not stand at the front, nor did he make a point of speaking.

He simply sat quietly in the high-backed chair to the side, took the wooden cup handed to him by Elliott, and listened to the noisy clinking of glasses, laughter, and shouting of the people around him.

This is a genuine celebration for the workers.

…………

When Louis woke up, it was still dark.

He moved his arm and first touched a warm body temperature, then felt the softness close to him and a faint breath.

She slightly opened her eyes and saw a strand of long white hair clinging to the side of her neck.

Sif's hair had grown a bit longer, and when she slept, it lay close to her face, making her features, which were unique to her barbarian heritage, appear even more defined.

She was still asleep, her brow relaxed, her hand resting on Louis's side, naturally close to him.

Louis didn't say anything, but muttered under his breath, "Tsk, it's been almost half a month, why is there still no movement?"

It was impossible to tell whether his tone was disappointed or sarcastic.

The opportunity to create Orsus could have been used to advance the human creation plan, but unfortunately... it didn't work out.

Emily stayed in Red Tide City to oversee things and take care of Orsus.

Sif accompanied him to the port this time to oversee port affairs, coastal defense, and negotiations on the resettlement of some fishermen.

Louis carefully got out of bed without disturbing the person in his arms, put on his robe, and walked to the window.

It was just dawn outside the window, and in the distance, one could faintly hear the footsteps of workers and the sounds of timber being moved from the direction of the port.

"Let's see how my luck is today."

He stretched out his right hand and waved it in the air. A semi-transparent interface appeared, and the text jumped rapidly in front of his eyes.

[Daily intelligence update complete]

(End of this chapter)