Late Ming Dynasty: The Counterattack Begins with Sea Pirates

Chi Honghai looked at Governor Hans with a hint of wickedness in his eyes. He did not directly state the specific figures, but continued to test the other party's bottom line.

"Your Excellency, you naturally know that building warships is a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. If we want to reach the day when our cooperation is successful as soon as possible, I think we should make sure that more people can do more work."

That's true, and the Dutch can wait three to five years.

But Chi Honghai understood that the Dutch themselves also needed to build a port in Chihkan City, so the number of craftsmen they could allocate to him was naturally very limited.

One is doing things for yourself, the other is doing things for yourself by helping others. Although the returns are not comparable, the former is safer, more stable, and risk-free.

After much pleading and cajoling, the governor finally agreed to provide assistance to the craftsmen.

Fifty shipbuilders, ten blacksmiths, ten sailmakers, and several Dutch translators.

The number of workers was small, but these craftsmen were able to maintain the construction progress of one or two ships at the same time.

Digging any further would definitely yield nothing. Chi Honghai knew that the Dutch were among the most shrewd, and their calculations regarding commercial interests were far superior to those of the Portuguese.

However, there are some advantages as well. The Dutch have always been known for their good business integrity, so once both parties have started to cooperate and fulfill their agreement, it's highly likely that the other party won't go back on their word.

Although they didn't know if this matter in the East would damage their reputation for maritime business, they would at least not do it unless absolutely necessary.

While some might not believe it when shop owners badmouth each other, it's worth investigating when buyers or partners do so.

Before leaving, Governor Hans bid a warm farewell to Chi Honghai and wished them a safe journey.

Chi Honghai returned to Hong Kong Island with a ship full of precious talents, and the cargo ship with the special flag was not pursued by Zheng Zhilong's forces this time.

Back on Hong Kong Island, the islanders noticed that the dozens of foreigners who had come down all looked over in their direction. However, their gazes were mainly filled with curiosity about the phenomenon, rather than any regard for these foreigners as monsters.

Residents who live along the coast year-round have heard of and seen what foreigners look like, so they naturally don't have that kind of fear of seeing ghosts.

To ensure the livelihood of these talented individuals and to highlight their status as citizens of "Guangzhou Prefecture," Chi Honghai specially vacated newly built houses, prioritizing the relocation of these talents together and improving their corresponding living standards.

Just as Chi Honghai was personally arranging accommodations for them, Instructor Lang returned to the south bank from the north bank.

Upon seeing Instructor Lang, Chi Honghai suddenly realized something, and felt guilty, as if he had been caught cheating.

As for Chi Honghai, he understood that the Portuguese and the foreigners were two different groups. Although they were on good terms in daily life, who knew what their opinions might be behind the scenes.

He looked at Instructor Lang somewhat guiltily, not because he felt he had wronged Instructor Lang, but because he was worried that the conflict between the two would erupt at this moment.

If things go wrong, Instructor Lang will resign, and the Dutch will lose their motivation, which will do him no good at all.

Instructor Lang looked at the twenty or so foreigners on the road, walked straight to them, and said to Chi Honghai.

"Sir, are all these people new here?"

Chi Honghai feigned composure: "Yes, these are craftsmen specially transported from over there for shipbuilding."

As for which side that was, Chi Honghai did not mention it.

"That's great. This way, we won't have to worry so much about the ship getting damaged on the next voyage, and everyone can focus on how to win."

He listened to Instructor Lang's words with disbelief. Logically speaking, shouldn't he be extremely jealous and throw out a few sarcastic remarks?

"Instructor Lang, did you know they were Dutch?"

"Sir, you seem to be worried about something? The Dutch and the Portuguese are all at your service. As long as we work together as one, we are all on your side."

Chi Honghai was very certain of what Instructor Lang said: those who work for him are his own people.

After their conversation, Instructor Lang left Chi Honghai and led his men to the warehouse to retrieve equipment to continue training on the north bank.

Meanwhile, Chi Honghai continued to oversee the relocation of the technical personnel.

After a day of rest.

Led by Chi Honghai, the technicians arrived at the former carpenter's workshop and toured the ship models they had made.

Although the Western model is still just an empty skeleton, the shipbuilders who visited it all agreed that it was a good way to simulate shipbuilding and gain experience. At the same time, they pointed out some errors in the model on site and clarified the problems they had encountered in just a few words.

Chi Honghai was very satisfied with the new technicians' conscientious and responsible attitude.

The man was satisfied, but he overlooked an important issue.

When Chi Honghai had the carpenters simulate the shipbuilding process, he actually omitted the steps of selecting materials and drying the wood.

So when the Dutch technicians mentioned the wood material and drying process, Chi Honghai realized that they hadn't done this before!

Because the timber used in Western shipbuilding might differ from that used in Eastern ships, he first asked the Dutch technicians what kind of timber was needed for shipbuilding.

After receiving the answer "oak and pine," he was stumped.

There's no such thing on Hong Kong Island!

Oak and pine trees generally grow in temperate northern regions, but Hong Kong Island was even further south than the south during the Ming Dynasty, so there was no way such a thing would be found there.

There's only one solution right now: buy it.

There are now two sellers: a Frank and a Dutchman.

However, even though the Portuguese were close by, once they learned that he was going to buy a large amount of oak and pine, they could pretty much guess what he was up to. Although he could use Zheng Zhilong as a cover, it was better not to expose himself.

Moreover, on previous visits to Macau, I didn't see much timber there, and the Portuguese had no intention of building ships in Macau. The timber on the island was reserved for ship repairs, and even if they emptied the island, it might not meet their needs.

Then we still have to go to the Dutch. Although the journey is long, at least they know what we want to do and understand why we need these things. The only downside is the long journey and the uncertainty. What if Zheng Zhilong isn't here this time, but some other Zhilong instead?

Money is a minor issue; the main things are people, boats, and cargo!

After much deliberation, Chi Honghai instructed Shen Er to summon Liu Qingjiang and have him take the ship and cargo ship captured from the pirate den, along with a translator, to the Dutch to buy timber.

He also instructed that two-thirds of the ship should be filled with oak, only one-third with pine, and as much rope as possible should be loaded.

Liu Qingjiang received Chi Honghai's order and led his men to board the ship and set sail.

And facing these Western technicians, Chi Honghai certainly wouldn't let them sit around and collect their wages for nothing these few days.