Chapter 22: [Li Huamei][y203] and the Navy Crowd

Meanwhile, aboard the Hangzhou, Li Huamei was openly mocking Le Lin at the helm, saying his steering would only lead the ship onto the rocks. Le Lin’s crisp US Navy uniform was soaked by the flying spray, and he had to endure the beautiful woman’s relentless teasing. He looked miserable. Then she shouted at the navy men who had been clinging to the mast and yards for over an hour, unable to furl the sails, “How long are you country bumpkins going to hug that mast? Are you planning to marry it?!”

Li Haiping was trembling up there. Climbing the yards on a mast swaying over ten meters high was no ordinary feat. Although he had made it up, he didn’t dare to venture onto the yards, let alone furl the canvas. He clung to the rigging, feeling his body constantly rising and falling, and cursed inwardly—he hadn’t expected sailing to be this difficult. It seemed he was destined to be a die-hard supporter of steam-powered ironclads.

Looking over, he saw that Old Di was in an even worse state. Old Di had originally been in the army but had somehow decided he wanted to be a marine. Banking on his two years of service in the coastal defense force, he had become the company commander of the marine company upon joining the navy. He was fond of discussing military construction, constantly talking about K98s, Tiger tanks, and 88mm cannons, making him a rare Germanophile among the navy crowd. He had always claimed that climbing the mast was a piece of cake for him, but he had failed miserably on his first sea training. He hadn’t even made it to the yards and was hugging the mast halfway up with his eyes squeezed shut. Damn it, Li Haiping thought, we modern people shouldn’t be afraid of heights. We have to climb several stories no matter where we are…

“Alright, all of you, come down. You look pathetic.” Li Huamei had probably given up on them.

“My leg is cramping today, I can’t use my strength,” Old Di said, emphasizing the objective factors as soon as he was down. “Really, look, it’s still numb—”

“It’s a miracle from God that you’ve managed to survive in Lingao until now,” Li Huamei laughed. “And you want to sail your own ship? You can’t even climb a mast.”

It was incredibly frustrating, yet undeniable. Li Haiping was speechless. However, she was full of praise for the detailed division of labor for each sailor and the continuous targeted drills. At the same time, she was extremely interested in the Derringer pistols issued to the navy men. He saw this and was secretly pleased; as long as she had a weakness, she could be dealt with.

Panting, his clothes stained black from the mast, Meng De protested, “Who says a captain has to be able to climb a mast? Does a captain have to stoke the boiler himself?” Realizing that Li Huamei didn’t know what a boiler was, he corrected himself, “We are high-quality personnel who have mastered technology more advanced than climbing masts!”

Li Huamei smiled without a word, but she knew he was right. She had learned from her mistress that the Australians possessed many new and strange things, and experiencing them firsthand was a completely different feeling. The sight of the enormous iron ship in the bay was an unparalleled shock. The largest ships she had ever seen at sea were the great carracks of the Spanish and Portuguese. These sea monsters of over a thousand tons were like whales compared to the iron ship’s shark. The sheer height of its hull, taller than a city wall, left her in awe.

Their pistols and rifles—she didn’t know anyone else in the world who possessed firearms that could be fired without a matchlock, a wheel lock, or a flintlock. What secret was hidden in that small copper cap? This interested her even more than the iron ship. Not to mention the binoculars that every officer wore—they could see farther and clearer than all the telescopes owned by all the Europeans from the East Indies to Macau.

There were also things that were not so scientific. The strangest was a small box that could talk to people from a distance. At first, she thought it was a simple trick, but when she actually heard a voice coming from the box and was able to carry on an endless conversation with it, a great fear arose in her heart—what else could such a thing be but witchcraft?

But these people didn’t seem to be practicing witchcraft at all. Macau was a bizarre colonial trading city with all sorts of cultures and beliefs, and naturally, there were people who dabbled in various forms of sorcery, so Li Huamei knew a little about it. This group of people didn’t just not practice witchcraft; they had no religious beliefs to speak of. Their daily words and actions were those of atheists.

In the few days she had been in Bopu, she had encountered something surprising almost every day. She would stumble upon something new and unheard of, from the great iron ship to a simple piece of paper they used, and even some of their strange habits, like always carrying a pack of coarse paper, which they used not only for the toilet but also as a handkerchief to wipe their mouths.

Overall, she felt that the Australians were more like Europeans. Their understanding of technology, the items they used, their style of dress, and even their mannerisms were similar. But they were indeed of Chinese descent. Later, when she heard from the navy men that they were descendants of Song dynasty immigrants, she became even more convinced of her judgment.

If Li Huamei had grown up in a family that blended Chinese and Western cultures and was thus at ease with two completely different cultures, then the Australians possessed a completely new culture, one she had never experienced before. This transformed her initial passive acceptance of her mistress’s mission into a strong curiosity.

“That iron fast ship of yours is indeed good,” Li Huamei agreed. “But it seems you can’t build another one.”

“That’s for now. In a few years, you’ll see. Our cruisers will cover the entire China Sea,” Li Haiping declared with great enthusiasm, completely forgetting his own pathetic performance on the mast.

“Is that so? Then will you sell one to me?”

“Well,” Li Haiping hesitated, “that’s up to our leaders. I don’t have the final say. But,” he said with great solemnity, “if you’re willing to be our navy’s head instructor, giving you a ship in the future would be no problem at all!”

Li Huamei giggled. “Just kidding. I know those iron fast ships of yours are treasures. I’d better go back to making my own money. Teaching you how to climb a mast is a small favor. It’ll be enough if you can sell me a few guns in the future.”

“Of course, of course!” Li Haiping nodded repeatedly, forgetting that he was not the head of the navy. “As long as you help us with training, a few guns are nothing—”

Just then, the roar of cannons came from Cape Lingao, and plumes of white smoke rose into the sky. It was the weapons design bureau of the Industry and Energy Committee test-firing their cannons. These were the newly cast 150mm muzzle-loading rifled cannons for the Cape Lingao battery. They were the largest caliber cannons manufactured by the weapons design bureau since D-Day. When firing a 48-pound Minié ball, their maximum range was nearly four kilometers—a terrifying distance for the time.

Everyone excitedly raised their binoculars to watch. Sure enough, several sampans with red flags were moored in a line at a distance from the Cape Lingao beacon tower. Water spouts constantly erupted near the sampans, rocking the small boats up and down.

“What kind of accuracy is this? A dozen shots and not a single hit,” Li Haiping said with a grim face. “Looks like we’ll have to triple the request for training ammunition in the next budget application. Otherwise, the enemy will be on top of us before we can hit them.”

Several other navy men chimed in in agreement.

It was Old Di who knew what was going on. “What are you blabbering about? They’re calculating the firing tables. You think those boats are targets? They’re firing from near to far.”

“Those are ranging boats,” Le Lin said.

Li Huamei snatched Li Haiping’s binoculars and watched for a long time, her eyes shining. “This cannon is very good, and the gunner is very skilled. The shots are very accurate.”

This was a slap in the face. But they were used to Li Huamei’s taunts and didn’t mind. However, anyone could see that she was extremely interested in the cannons—she had been in Bopu for almost a week and had not yet seen the transmigrator army’s cannons in action.

“If you’re willing to sell me cannons, I’ll help you train your sailors!” Li Huamei said, putting down the binoculars with a heavy tone.

“Deal!” Li Haiping slapped his chest again. The few lechers from the maritime department exchanged dark smiles—the mermaid had finally taken the bait. There were also a few with a stronger sense of organization and discipline, including Le Lin, who were a bit worried. The Executive Committee hadn’t approved this matter, and even their own naval commanders hadn’t agreed. How could they make such promises so casually?

“I’ll be responsible for reporting this to the leadership! You’ll definitely be received in the next few days.”

“My, what a big shot,” Li Huamei pursed her lips. “I’m not that interested. What’s an Executive Committee member worth? A few small coins. A monkey in a crown!”

The navy men burst out laughing. Making fun of their leaders was always a favorite pastime for the Chinese.

“Compared to meeting some committee chairman, I’d rather go see the big iron ship—” Li Huamei suddenly let out a charming sigh. “It’s so big—”

The lechers’ minds immediately went astray, and they all indulged in a collective fantasy.

Meng De immediately declared, “We’ll talk to the leaders again. It’s no big deal to let you on board.”

Although the intimacy between the navy men and Li Huamei was rapidly increasing, due to the caution of the high-level officials in the Department of Maritime Forces, Li Huamei’s movements were still restricted. Apart from the sailboat, she was not allowed on any of the motorboats, from the Fengcheng to the landing craft. Ma Qianzhu had been very wise in appointing only former PLA navy officers to the main naval command positions, hoping to use the self-discipline instilled in them by years of Party education to implement the will of the Executive Committee.

Thus, two factions had informally formed within the navy: one was the naval command group, composed of former professional officers like Chen Haiyang, and the other was made up of navy enthusiasts and former navy soldiers. The two future major factions of the navy were beginning to take shape at this time.