Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

Lin Hao then asked a few more questions about the details of shipbuilding, and Guo Kai answered them all fluently and clearly. He could even explain the intricacies that many shipbuilders avoided talking about.

Lin Hao then realized that he had really struck gold.

Indeed, if it were just an ordinary shipwright, why would the Zhang family go to such lengths to acquire him? Now they've gotten a bargain for themselves.

Seeing Lin Hao's keen interest, Guo Kai hesitated for a moment before tentatively speaking:

"Young master, do you wish to build a ship? I am willing to build a ship for you. As long as you don't mind my meager skills."

After talking for so long, he felt Lin Hao's goodwill and gradually calmed down, speaking much more confidently than before.

"Building ships? Of course we have to." Lin Hao said calmly, gazing at the distant sea.

He paused for a moment, then looked away and pointed to the boats moored on the shore:

"But there's no rush right now. Mr. Guo, could you take a look first—I plan to tow these boats ashore and clean the hulls? Is there any effortless way to do that?"

There are eight ships on the sea, and each one needs repair.

Previously, they managed to clear two boats by pulling and tug them by manpower, but it was time-consuming and laborious, and almost exhausted them.

There is still one ship on the beach, which has been almost completely destroyed by the government troops.

At this moment, in Lin Hao's view, Shen Wangshu was leading a dozen or so people, working hard to repair the boat.

"Clearing the ships is indeed quite troublesome since there's no dock here," Guo Kai said thoughtfully.

But as expected of an old shipwright, he quickly came up with a solution: "Young master, we just need to build some ramps on the beach and surround them with barriers according to the size of the boats."

When the tide comes in, sail the boat onto the slope and moor it. Then, when the tide recedes, the boat will sit on it, and that's how you make a simple dock.

"This method is excellent! Mr. Guo is truly a genius!" Lin Hao was overjoyed. This eliminated the most manpower-intensive step of pulling the boats, and allowed for the simultaneous processing of multiple boats. The cleanup speed would be greatly increased.

"I don't deserve it. I'm just glad I could help you, young master." Seeing Lin Hao's expression, Guo Kai was in a good mood. As someone living under someone else's roof, he had to show his value.

"Then I'll leave this matter entirely to Mr. Guo. I'll arrange several teams for you later to ensure that this task is completed in the shortest possible time."

Lin Hao was eager to finish repairing all the ships, especially the government ships.

The condition of these ships was truly appalling. Lin Hao was genuinely uneasy about sending his men on board until they were properly prepared, as they could easily contract diseases.

"Please rest assured, young master, I will do my best to accomplish this task," Guo Kai assured him, patting his chest.

"Well, that'll be of trouble then." Lin Hao nodded, then thought for a moment and said, "As for the shipbuilding, Mr. Guo can also think about it in advance, what kind of manpower and equipment you need, as well as the site arrangement. After these ships are cleared, I'll come back to discuss this matter with you again."

"Yes, young master. May I ask what kind of ship you wish to build, a large one or a small one, so that I may prepare accordingly?" Guo Kai then inquired.

"It's a small boat, built in the Western style. As for the specific design, I'll give it to you in a few days." Lin Hao already had a plan in mind, and he just needed to find some time to draw up the drawings and build a batch first. If the performance was satisfactory, they would scale up the scale and build a large number of boats.

"Young Master wants to build those barbarian deck boats? That's going to take a long time, and the shipyard here..." Guo Kai hesitated.

"Don't worry, it's different from the current plank boats, and the first batch can be built smaller. It's still manageable to build them here."

Since Lin Hao wanted to build ships, he naturally chose a proven and mature solution. As for the existing Fujian ships, they could only be used for now. They would be phased out as the number of cannons increased in the future.

Fujian-style ships were only suitable for transport. If it were to engage in large-scale artillery duels, their inherent structural defects would prevent them from carrying too many cannons, and their resistance to artillery fire would also be very weak.

When it comes to cannons, Lin Hao has an even bigger headache.

As a time traveler, he was well aware of the key points of future naval warfare: giant ships and powerful cannons.

But all I have now are low-grade breech-loading cannons like the breech-loading cannons and the muskets with the most peculiar quality. The only ones that can barely be considered as "red barbarian cannons" are the two breech-loading cannons I captured from the government troops last time.

However, these cannons were outdated in design, as they were based on designs from decades ago. Their diameter ratio and smelting techniques were not top-notch, especially since these two were iron cannons, which were really big, thick and heavy.

After sending Guo Kai away, Lin Hao immediately went to another location.

Other craftsmen recruited from Lutou Village are also here.

However, the treatment was completely different from Guo Kai's, who received a separate room and supplies of rice and meat.

This large group of people were collectively detained in a closed room, which was only slightly better than what they had experienced on the previous ship.

These people were originally supposed to wait until their skills were evaluated, then be registered and assigned to corresponding positions to work.

But the island is too busy, and they haven't had time to deal with them yet.

These people were basically dragged out of their sleep by the Lin family guards, then shoved into the cabin with knives to their necks.

They lived in constant fear all day, terrified that the pirates might kill them in a fit of rage.

When Lin Hao arrived, he had just opened the door when he was immediately overwhelmed by the smell inside.

The stench of sweat, vomit, and even excrement immediately assaulted my senses.

"Ahem, what's going on here?" Lin Hao retreated speechlessly, looking at the guards beside him. These people were urgently needed talents on the island, so why were they being treated like this?

"There's so much space available for these young masters that we simply don't have room for them all, so they're all crammed together," the guard continued awkwardly. "Besides, I'm the only one guarding them, so I don't dare let them go out to relieve themselves."

Lin Hao sighed:

"I understand, it's not your fault."

He gave the order:

"Go find Uncle Fu and get some clean water and food."

The guards immediately obeyed and left.

Lin Hao took a deep breath and braced himself to go back inside.

The small room was crowded with young men, all of them staring at him with fear in their eyes.

Lin Hao cupped his hands and said:

"Gentlemen, please forgive us for our poor hospitality."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After waiting all day, their biggest fear was being dragged away and hacked to pieces, but now that they heard the other party say this, they finally felt at ease.

One of the men in the crowd mustered his courage and asked, "Sir... we're all a bunch of poor folks with nothing to our name. Have you arrested the wrong person?"

Lin Hao looked over and saw that the other person was wearing a brown short-sleeved shirt, short in stature, but with a rather robust physique.

"What's your name? What are your skills? Why are you being detained by the authorities?" Lin Hao asked.

"I am a leatherworker, my humble name is Li Dachui. I was angered by the constables' frequent extortion of silver, and I acted impulsively, so I was imprisoned," Li Dachui said, scratching his head.

"Yes, I'll remember you. I'll arrange accommodation, food, and suitable work for you later. On this island, there won't be any more of those tedious taxes and levies," Lin Hao said with a smile.

"Really?" Li Dachui exclaimed with delight, "That's wonderful! I'm happy to help you, sir."

"Just focus on your work." Lin Hao nodded, then turned to the others and asked, "Which of you are blacksmiths?"