Jin Feng smiled and said: "If an iron pot is thrown into water, won't it float?"
"The iron pot is one piece, will not leak, and can naturally float. But sir, can you make an iron pot as big as a boat?" Hong Taoping asked back: "Or, sir, can you make an iron pot as big as a boat?
Iron plate?"
"No, at least not yet." Jin Feng shook his head: "But is a wooden boat made of a piece of wood?"
"This..." Hong Taoping was stunned.
Yes, wooden boats are also made of pieces of wood.
If wooden boards can be used, why not iron boards?
It's just that the iron output in Dakang is too low. Kitchen knives and hoes in people's homes can be used as heirlooms. No one has ever thought of using iron to build ships.
"Sir, to use iron to build a ship, doesn't it require too much iron?"
"Have Mr. Hong forgotten what I do?" Jin Feng said with a smile: "To be honest, I have sent people to find iron ore in the Hui-Su area. The iron content is very rich. Just mine some and it will be enough."
Build countless iron ships!”
Iron is one of the indispensable raw materials for industrial development. When Qing Xinyao agreed to let Jin Feng explore for minerals in Sichuan and Sichuan, Jin Feng began to arrange people to search for various minerals.
As a science student, domestic resource distribution is a must-answer question starting from junior high school, and Jin Feng has long been familiar with it.
However, at that time, Jin Feng did not have the right to mine minerals such as gold, silver, copper, and iron, so even if they found them, they could only report them to the court.
Given his status at the time, he was making wedding clothes for others.
Therefore, even though he knew that there were large iron mines in Panzhihua, Sichuan, and Wuyang County, the fiefdom of the Ninth Princess, Jin Feng did not say that he would make plans when the time was right.
Now that he has become the current imperial advisor, the emperor's son-in-law, and the king of Yizhiyi, he is at the height of his power throughout Dakang, so naturally no one will restrict his mining.
In Jin Feng's plan, after returning to Sichuan to deal with the Dujiangyan issue, he would start arranging people to open the mine, which would also solve some of the people's work problems.
But something like piracy happened in the middle, so Jin Feng could only postpone the mining business and go to the East China Sea to clean up the shipyard first.
However, before he left, he had already ordered a warehouse full of mining equipment and arranged for the Ninth Princess to prepare manpower for him. Work would be almost ready to start when he returned.
Due to his personality, Jin Feng has always spoken and acted casually, which made Hong Taoping almost ignore his identity, always thinking that Jin Feng was a craftsman who was obsessed with shipbuilding, just like himself.
After listening to Jin Feng's explanation, Hong Taoping finally realized that Jin Feng was not only a superb craftsman who could draw pictures, but he was also a powerful upstart in the court.
Thinking of this, Hong Taoping's tone became a little weaker, but he still said: "Even if Mr. has enough iron ore to build a ship, the sealing of wooden boards and iron plates are different. Building different ships requires different wood to prevent leakage.
The method of leaking is also different. The iron plate is very hard, so I’m not sure whether I can build an iron ship using the method of building a wooden ship.”
"This is indeed a problem, and I am currently trying to figure it out."
Jin Feng nodded and said: "An expert told me that in an overseas continent tens of thousands of miles away, there is a tree called rubber. After its sap solidifies, it can be made into mats. Using these mats to splice iron plates may solve the problem.
Penetration problem.
So I need you to build a sea ship as soon as possible and go overseas to bring back the seeds of this tree. Then we can build a bigger and stronger sea ship and find out whether there is an end to the sea!"
In fact, there are many ways to solve the leakage of iron plate splicing, but in order to increase Hong Taoping's enthusiasm, Jin Feng was not going to tell Hong Taoping other ways.
Shipbuilding is Hong Taoping's favorite career, and voyages are also his dream.
Hearing what Jin Feng said, Hong Taoping's breathing became a little heavier, and he patted his chest and promised: "Don't worry, sir, I will do my best to build the sea-going ship you need as soon as possible!"
"I believe in Mr. Hong's abilities!"
Jin Feng patted Hong Taoping on the shoulder: "If you need anything, just tell my people. If you need money, give me money. If you need people, give me supplies. If you need supplies, give supplies!"
"Thank you sir!"
Hong Taoping became even more excited.
He liked shipbuilding since he was a child and was quite talented. However, when his father was still alive, many of Hong Taoping's ideas were rejected by his father.
It’s not that his design is not good, but that his father needs to support many people in the Hong family, and he has to repeatedly calculate costs and profits every time.
Hong Taoping's design focused on practicality and beauty, but not on cost, so it was rejected.
This also makes Hong Taoping always feel like his hands are tied.
It's better now. After the decline of the Hong family, the clansmen who relied on the Hong family in the past became Hun Xunsan, and some clan members even avoided Hong Taoping.
With the Hong family acting like this, Hong Taoping will naturally not miss his old relationship again.
After following Jin Feng, many tribesmen came to join him and wanted to find official positions in the shipyard, but they were all driven away by Hong Taoping.
Now he doesn't need to consider cost issues, nor does he need to consider his tribe, he just needs to focus on building ships.
This kind of life was what Hong Taoping had dreamed of before.
"Don't worry, sir, I will fully cooperate with Mr. Hong!"
Han Feng saw that Jin Feng attached great importance to sea ships, so he also followed suit.
"Old Han, before I came here, my sister-in-law specifically complained to me and asked me to transfer you back. I had no choice but to bring Daqiang here."
Jin Feng said: "You can go back and explain to Daqiang, and then you can leave."
Tang Xiaobei, who was standing aside, couldn't help but curled his lips secretly when he heard this.
Han Feng's wife Shi Lingyun followed Zhang Liang to Yuguan City. How could she talk to Jin Feng?
Tang Xiaobei knows Shi Lingyun's whereabouts, and Han Feng must know even more.
However, he was not stupid enough to expose Jin Feng, but replied seriously: "Yes! I will take over with Daqiang tomorrow."
He knew that Jin Feng must have other things for him to do with his arrangement.
"Don't worry about it tomorrow. Isn't everything going on here? Da Liu, find someone to call Da Qiang over. Let's have a small meeting."
Jin Feng turned to look at Hong Taoping: "Master Hong, if nothing happens, I'll leave first?"
"Sir, go ahead and get busy!" Hong Taoping waved his hand and said, "The gantry has been hoisted, and there is nothing else to do in the dock."
Jin Feng nodded and took Tang Xiaobei, Han Feng and others back to his residence.
When they arrived, Da Liu had already called Da Qiang over.
When Qing Mulan was besieged by bandits on Wulang Mountain, it was this hunter named Daqiang who led Jin Feng to the rescue.
Afterwards, the Zhenyuan Escort Bureau expanded its recruitment, and Daqiang also successfully passed the assessment. He then performed well in the subsequent bandit suppression and Damanang Slope battles, and was soon promoted to company commander by Zhang Liang.
Now he married a girl from Xihewan, and brought his wife, younger brothers and sisters to Xihewan. He had settled down in Xihewan and gained the trust of Jin Feng and Zhang Liang.