Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

"Which of you is a blacksmith?"

Lin Hao asked three times in a row, but no one answered; they all just looked at him timidly. Just as Lin Hao was considering whether to take some action...

The guy who spoke earlier, Li Dachui, spoke up.

"My lord, I know all these people. Let me introduce them to you," Li Dachui said respectfully as he stepped forward.

"Oh? You know them all very well?" Lin Hao said with a smile.

"Of course, I've spent the longest time in Lutou Village among this group. I know all the others, and I know a bit about their skills," Li Dachui said with a simple smile.

"Alright, then select the blacksmith among them; I need him. Also, just call me Young Master," Lin Hao said directly.

"Yes, young master. There are six blacksmiths among them, and the one with the best craftsmanship is Li Neng." Li Dachui pointed out the blacksmiths one by one in the crowd, and then fixed his gaze on a middle-aged man with bare arms.

A commotion immediately arose in the crowd, especially among the one who had been singled out, Li Neng, who was filled with fear and unease.

"Ahem, everyone, don't be afraid. I, Lin Hao, am not the kind of thief who kills indiscriminately. Since I have invited you all here, there is naturally something great waiting for you."

Lin Hao smiled and comforted the group, not caring whether they believed him or not. They were already there, there was no escaping, and once they stayed for a while, they would naturally see who treated them well.

Lin Hao called the blacksmiths over and asked, "What do you usually forge? Has anyone made muskets or cannons?"

The Lin family had their own blacksmith, but his skills were only average. He was an ordinary blacksmith from the village, good at making common tools, and had even made muskets, but the success rate was worrying.

Lin Hao urgently needs a suitable blacksmith to forge weapons that belong to the Lin family.

If we keep relying on buying things, we'll run into problems sooner or later.

These people in front of me are mostly craftsmen. Craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty have the task of forging weapons, and they should be much better than my family's half-baked blacksmith.

As for why Lin Hao was so certain, it was because when he captured these people in Lutou Village, the seized supplies included more than a dozen bird guns, both finished and semi-finished, which ordinary people could not make.

The six people in front of Lin Hao exchanged glances, and then Li Neng stepped forward and said:

"Young master, we are all craftsmen from the imperial court. We were arrested and brought to the dock village because we didn't pay the required craftsman's wages this year. Please understand and let us go home. We still have elderly mothers, wives and children at home..."

Lin Hao said calmly, "Working for the Lin family will earn you a basic salary of two taels of silver per month. If you do well, you'll receive extra bonuses. Outstanding performers will earn no less than 40 taels per year. It will be paid in cash and settled monthly."

The moment those words were spoken, the men's eyes widened in disbelief. What? You're paying? Why didn't you say so earlier!

Lin Hao looked at Li Neng, who saw his expression change several times before he said firmly, "I have a younger brother at home who can support our parents. Please make arrangements for me, young master."

"What about you guys? Is there anyone who doesn't want to do it?" Lin Hao asked the others.

"Young master, are you really going to give me money?" someone asked cautiously.

"Of course, why would I need to lie to you? Besides, I can give it to you first," Lin Hao said nonchalantly.

These people can't leave anyway, so as long as they're here working, Lin Hao doesn't care how much salary he gets in advance.

"I'm willing, young master. I used to be in charge of forging muskets. I can forge any kind of musket, even the Lumi musket," the man said excitedly.

"Very good, what's your name?" Lin Hao nodded with satisfaction.

"I am Li Mu, and I am willing to serve you, young master," the man replied respectfully.

The others then expressed their willingness to work for the Lin family, and at this point, Lin Hao also figured out their backgrounds.

They were all craftsmen, and all of them were responsible for forging firearms. Li Neng, in particular, had even forged cannons.

Lin Hao was overjoyed. It was like a pillow being delivered when he was sleepy. At the same time, a question arose in his mind: was it a coincidence that these people gathered in Matou Village, or was it intentional on the part of the Zhang family?

But no matter what the other party thought, Lin Hao unceremoniously snatched this generous gift.

Just then, the guards and servants brought food and water.

Lin Hao directly bestowed it upon several blacksmiths and Li Dachui, and began to feast on it in front of everyone.

This scene immediately made the other craftsmen anxious. They had been tempted when they heard Lin Hao's conditions, but Lin Hao had completely ignored them.

Now, how could they resist the aroma of food, especially since they hadn't eaten all day?

"Young master, I also have a skill. Please give me a chance." One of the remaining craftsmen stepped forward.

"Oh? What skills do you have?" Lin Hao asked with a smile.

"I'm a carpenter."

"Okay, come and eat meat!" Lin Hao said heartily.

After settling things with the group of artisans, Lin Hao had the rooms cleaned and then provided them with plenty of food and water.

Then he led the six newly recruited blacksmiths to a courtyard.

Here are the two captured cannons, along with other miscellaneous small cannons, totaling more than thirty.

These were all dismantled from the government army's warships. Lin Hao didn't have anyone to operate these ships, so he could only dismantle these cannons.

Once the repairs are complete, Lin Hao plans to deploy them all onto the existing large ships to significantly enhance firepower.

However, Lin Hao now wanted to see if the newcomer, Li Neng, had any potential.

"Young Master, what brings you here?" As soon as Lin Hao arrived, a middle-aged bald, burly man came over to greet him.

"Uncle Li, how's the research on these cannons going?" Lin Hao asked with a smile.

This man was Li Qiang, the blacksmith employed by the Lin family. He had several apprentices under his command and usually forged knives, spears, and farm tools. Upon hearing Lin Hao's question, he immediately looked distressed and said:

"Young master, I have recorded the dimensions of these cannons as you instructed, but I really don't know how to build them."

"Alright, stop sulking. We've brought you reinforcements today," Lin Hao said casually, gesturing to the people behind him.

"Li Neng, can you even make this?" Lin Hao asked, pointing to the two largest cannons in the courtyard.

Both of these are standard Hongyi cannons, thinner at the front and thicker at the back, with cannon ears at the center of gravity for easy adjustment of elevation angle.

It's not very big; it's about five feet long (approximately 160 cm) and weighs only about 500-600 jin (250-300 kg).

"Replying to Young Master, this is the No. 2 pig iron casting machine. It's not difficult to make. As long as you give me enough manpower and iron materials, I can make it for you in about a month," Li Neng said confidently.

"Oh? So slow? What kind of cannon casting method are you using?" Lin Hao asked, frowning.

"Reporting to the young master, the temperature is still high this season, so the lost-wax casting method cannot be used. Therefore, I can only use the clay mold casting method."

Li Neng cupped his hands and continued, "So that the young master may know, casting cannons with clay molds is extremely time-consuming. It requires making molds from highly pounded clay and then slowly air-drying them, or slowly baking them over charcoal fire."

The entire process takes at least a month, and in bad weather it can take several months. If you are impatient and the clay film is not completely dry, you will cast a defective product, which can cause the casting to explode.

The reason I said a month is because these two cannons aren't that big; that's why I dared to make such a boast. If they were two thousand catties heavy cannons, it would take at least three months.

Lin Hao frowned even more deeply after hearing this. Although he knew that the current method of casting cannons was time-consuming and laborious, he did not expect it to be this troublesome.

"What if we don't use mud? What if we just use an iron mold?" Lin Hao suddenly asked.

"Absolutely not, young master! Cannons cast from iron molds are extremely brittle. If used, they will surely crack or even explode," Li Neng hurriedly said.