As soon as the timer expired, he began to use a gas fire to gradually heat the glass tube at the end, so that it gradually merged into strips and then broke naturally. This process required very careful attention, and no gaps could appear in the glass tube, otherwise all the work would be wasted. Xiao
Bai Lang's sunglasses were almost touching the fire, and beads of sweat were dripping from his labor protection hat.
"Okay!" With Xiao Bailang's roar, a complete and shiny thermos bottle was finally born. It was carefully put into the rattan thermos shell and fixed.
"Put boiling water in!"
Mo Xiao'an felt very sorry when he saw that all the workers' backs were wet with sweat, and the thick homespun protective clothing had sweat stains on the back. The furnaces and annealing kilns in the workshop radiated heat, making the temperature in the workshop nearly 50 degrees. The only thing
The best cooling measures are the ventilation window above the factory building and the two large wooden barrels at the door - filled with oral saline and hay tea prepared by the pharmaceutical factory.
"It's so hard." Mo Xiao'an sighed.
"Factories are all like this." Xiao Bailang drank a large cup of tea and swallowed some salt tablets. "The pharmaceutical factory also brought a lot of summer-relieving medicine. The furnace workers rotated every fifteen minutes. Nothing will happen.
.”
An hour later, Mo Xiao'an poured water from the thermos bottle - the water was still boiling hot, and when measured with an industrial thermometer, the temperature barely dropped.
After the test, the insulation effect was satisfactory. Mo Xiaoan was in high spirits, and the caregiver brought a lot of barreled kvass from the food factory and distributed it to the workers as a reward. The indigenous workers actually did not understand that it took so much effort to make it.
What are the uses of things? But seeing Mo Xiaoan so happy and knowing that he had probably made something good, they all started laughing.
"Let's make some more wide-mouth thermos bottles."
"Just ask the machinery factory to open a few sets of molds." Xiao Bailang agreed wholeheartedly.
"Shopkeeper Lin, please—"
The little pirates standing on the side of the ship made a respectful gesture of invitation. Lin Baiguang calmed down, put his hand on his arm, and walked calmly from the deck to the trestle.
The trestle is very rough and rickety when you step on it. The sea water flows rapidly under your feet, and foam splashes everywhere. The bay of Nanri Island is densely packed with boats of all sizes with lowered sails. It is dusk now.
At midnight, smoke was rising from many boats.
Lin Baiguang finally saw the real pirate camp of the Ming Dynasty for the first time in his life. Under the summer sunset, there was an endless stream of ships in the bay, with masts like forests and sails like clouds.
Countless ships of various sizes were lined up from the shore to the end of the bay. Lin Baiguang was almost dumbfounded. Never in modern time and space had he seen so many ships at once. How could he not be impressed by the sight in front of him now?
He was surprised.
This is not a modern industrial society, it is an era where everything must be done by hand. How much manpower and material resources will be spent to build such many ships!
Such a fleet sets sail and cannot establish a brand new country wherever it goes! The Chinese have expanded on land to the limit that a farming nation can survive, but they have stopped at sea, always lingering in the offshore, and never set foot in the sea. Take this crucial step.
Lin Baiguang's eyes showed greed as he sighed. Unfortunately, such a huge fortune will soon disappear from the sea: either it will turn into a blazing torch on the sea, or it will be annexed by Zheng Zhilong. Thinking of this, a kind of eagerness arose. The mood enveloped him.
Most of the ships were small coastal fishing boats or cargo ships of more than 40 to 50 tons, with simple structures. They looked no different from the ordinary fishermen's ships he saw in Lingao. Occasionally, there were some large ships of hundreds of tons mixed in, and even some There were Western-style sailing ships. Lin Baiguang noticed that almost every ship had cannons of different sizes and styles, set up in various ways and tied to the deck. The pirates sat casually beside the cannons to eat and smoke. There are also women and children.
This kind of large settlement-like pirate group seems really rare.
Suddenly, a woman's scream came from the ship. When she heard it, she couldn't help being surprised: she saw a woman tied naked to the side of the ship, and a lean pirate was beating her hard with a whip soaked in sea water. With each slap on her bare back, buttocks and thighs, the woman let out a scream that could tear her eardrums, and twisted her body desperately on the wood.
There were men and women on the boat, young and old, working and smoking indifferently.
Because of the distance, Lin Baiguang could only faintly hear the man's scolding: "...Who do you think you are? You pretend to be serious and don't even look at the place! See if I don't beat you to pieces, and I'll give you Joe... "
This extremely SM-like scene made Lin Baiguang shudder - he reminded himself that he was facing such a group of people, who were almost not bound by any laws and morals, and had no mercy in their hearts.
Shi Shishi led him to the shore. Unlike what he imagined, the pirates on Nanri Island did not build any facilities such as strongholds or fortresses at all. There were some ships on the shore that were being repaired on the beach, and the pirates built some The straw hut is considered a temporary residence. Obviously, the pirates do not think that anyone can wash up on the shore and directly threaten them-the fleet is their fortress.
Lin Baiguang had already changed into Akito's clothes beforehand, so he did not attract many people to watch. Along the way, he saw several open spaces on the shore surrounded by fences of residual wood and stones, surrounded by people holding swords and guns, waving their hands. The whip pirates were guarding the place, and there were many people squatting or lying inside. They were all men, women, old and young. There were rich people wearing silk and satin, and there were poor people in rags. It was just that in this place there was neither shelter from the wind nor rain. After squatting for ten days and several months, many people had turned pale and were covered in filth. Several people, probably dead, were hanging on the wooden posts outside the fence, with flies flying everywhere.
There is about a cemetery outside the fence. It is not deep and emits a disgusting stench.
"This is the box office." Shi Shishi said, "The tickets captured from everywhere are kept here."
"Why did you catch such a poor man?" Lin Baiguang asked, pretending to be surprised.
"When we go ashore to plunder, we won't have time to separate the poor from the rich. We'll wait until the pot is served." Shi Shishi said.
"If you can't pay the ransom, what's the point of arresting him?"
"It's the same as you Australians, used for work." Shi Shishi smiled and said, "We are not as ingenious as you and can make so many exquisite things, but there are many kinds of chores in the gang, some of which are free. It’s easier to use my subordinates.”
Those who were captured and could not pay the ransom were all used for labor, doing everything from gathering firewood, lighting fires, repairing ships, carrying water, etc. They slept in the open air and ate every meal - the pirates did not care. If these prisoners can survive for a few months, the leader may be kind enough to let them go. If there is a shortage of people in the gang, they will be dragged into becoming pirates.
The slightly more attractive women are used to satisfy physiological needs, and when everyone gets tired of it, they are sent to the mainland to be sold, sometimes to Nanyang. Although Chinese businessmen doing business in Nanyang can take advantage of indigenous women, but Women from China are more favored by them - they can be sold at a good price.
Lin Baiguang followed him through the box office and saw from a distance that there was a complete stockade on the hill by the sea, with Zhucai Lao's name flying on it. He couldn't help but be surprised. The stockade was so neatly built! When he got closer, When he took a look, he saw that many parts of the stockade wall had collapsed, and some of the houses in the stockade had also collapsed. Looking at the watchtowers and flagpole seats on the wall, he knew that this was originally a Ming army's water fort, which was abandoned. After a long time, it was occupied by pirates.
Around the stockade, many tents and tents were densely built, which were probably the residences of Zhu Cai's cronies and bosses. There were also more pirates carrying knives and bamboo poles and spears. Lin Baiguang knew that this place was probably close to Zhu Cai's. The toothpaste is broken.
The group of people headed all the way towards the abandoned stronghold of the Ming army. Along the way, they kept encountering small groups of patrolling pirates. They were more capable than the refugee-like pirates they met at the beach, which showed that they were far away from Zhu Cai Lao's country. The army is getting closer and closer.
However, even with Lin Baiguang's unprofessional eyes, Zhu Cai Lao's land camp was not necessarily smart. At first glance, it seemed that it was randomly placed without any rules. The sentries and patrols were very haphazard, and the defenses in many places were very lax. Just living on the outside.
Such a group of pirates seems to be of average level. They can also land repeatedly, go deep into the interior to rob states and counties, and are probably invincible. Either his strongest troops are not on Nanri Island, or his opponents are simply too many. Lin Baiguang believes that The latter is more likely.
There are always two extremes in the assessment of the combat effectiveness of the Ming army among the Cross-Travel Group. One is that they feel they are vulnerable, and that with hundreds of men and guns they can attack all over Guangdong and even take Nanjing directly. The other is that they feel that no matter how ruthless the enemy is, they are still vulnerable. As a regular army, no matter how strong we are, we are still amateurs. Without full body armor, it is difficult for us to win with AK47 and Maxim machine guns.
Now it seems that at least the Ming army in Guangdong and Fujian has nothing to fear. People of Zhu Cai's level can also control the two provinces, leaving the Ming army helpless. With the equipment, training and discipline level of the Lingao County Security Corps,
Look, it is not possible to defeat ten enemies with one, but there is no suspense in defeating three or four times the number of enemies.
After walking for a while, although there was still a long distance between them, Lin Baiguang could still clearly see under the clear sky that the big flag on the village was embroidered with the word "Zhu" for Douda, and there was a flag next to it with the word "Zhu" embroidered on it.
"Commander of the Armed Forces".
The pirates also hung up the flag of the Ming Dynasty. Lin Baiguang was dumbfounded. It seems that even rebels like bandits and pirates have the weakness of worshiping the system.
Arriving outside the gate of Dezhai, Shi Shishi stopped and said a few words to the little pirate standing guard. He turned around and said:
"Shopkeeper Lin! Please sit here for a while. Let me go in first and report back." Shi Shishi said, "If the boss is in the village, he will see you soon."
"Okay, you go." Lin Baiguang nodded. Shi Shishi and the people around him gave some instructions and went in on their own. The little pirates here brought tables and chairs, asked him to sit down, and brought another bowl.
Tea comes.
Lin Baiguang saw that the tea bowl was missing, and there was a circle of stains around the edge. The tea was yellow and had an unknown taste. He suppressed his disgust, took a big sip, and smashed his mouth, pretending to be satisfied.
The tea was bitter and astringent, with a salty smell of sea water. Lin Baiguang said, "Finally I have a cup of tea!"
The pirate who brought the tea smiled and said, "I don't know if the tea is good or not. The water is salty and bitter. I really can't drink it without adding some tea leaves."
Although there is fresh water on Nanri Island, it cannot withstand the gathering of more than 10,000 people. Drinking water every day is very problematic. Most people have to dig wells everywhere to get water. The groundwater on such a small island is somewhat penetrated by seawater, so they can barely survive.
Just one day.
Although the pirates who were guarding the door didn't know who he was, Lin Baiguang was sent by Shi Shishi, so he obviously had a high status. He was dressed in a suit that was neither rich nor cheap, and he exuded a strong aura. Everyone guessed that he was...
The comrades from which road are greeted in a somewhat polite manner: The big shopkeeper has been having a hard time recently, so this comrade is probably here to talk about alliances.
Lin Baiguang also deliberately induced them to talk. He had been an office director and was a very good talker and good at interpersonal relationships. He had his own way of talking, and he soon struck up a conversation with the gatekeepers and started talking to each other.
Come to maturity.
Soon, Lin Baiguang learned something from the mouths of these few pirates: the fleet gathered here was basically Zhu Cai Lao's entire property, and it was said that the big shopkeeper wanted to take them to "do big business"
". They don't know what the big deal is. Does Lin Baiguang know? It obviously refers to the attack on Min'an.
Lin Baiguang did not inquire about sensitive matters such as ships and numbers. He felt that this was not something that needed to be concerned about. What he wanted to know was the morale and supply situation of the pirates. To pull away the troops when the troops collapsed, this was the most important thing.
It was important. From the few words he chatted with the pirates, he felt that the morale of the pirates was not high - gathering this large group of people together would be a huge trouble for eating, drinking and sleeping every day. In order to supply food and vegetables,
We had to send fleets out to search every day. Even so, there were ships that stopped from time to time. Some small groups had to come and go because it was difficult to eat and get water.
"That is to say, our Chinese army here has nothing to worry about eating and drinking every day, and sometimes they can eat some meat. The other small groups have no choice but to catch fish every day." One pirate also said
Said proudly.
I don't know how long it took for Lin Baiguang to talk about the mountains covered in clouds and fog. Just when Lin Baiguang had drank his fourth bowl of tea and was almost unable to hold on any longer, the loud sound of conch shells suddenly came from the Chinese military camp.
"The big shopkeeper has raised his account!" said the little boss. "I'm afraid the big shopkeeper will want to see you right away."
As the sound of conch shells resounded through the camp, many small groups of pirates suddenly appeared, with their swords unsheathed, and they rushed toward the wall and lined up on both sides of the road.
This is a dignified welcome. Lin Baiguang said secretly.
On the good side, this is a sign of respect for him as the messenger; on the bad side, it is a show of authority. Perhaps it is a combination of both, it depends on how you respond.
Looking at the lively and chaotic scene in front of him, Lin Baiguang was filled with emotion. He defied all opinions and ventured here alone just to sneak into the pirate group. Mr. Zhu Cai, a tycoon across the sea, could only dream of this.
He would never have thought that the purpose of his arrival was to poach him——
Just as he was thinking about it, several neatly dressed pirates ran all the way from the road inside the gate, came to the side and shouted loudly: "Which one of you is here with us?"
From his shouting, Lin Baiguang guessed that Mr. Zhu Cai was not willing to leak the news of his arrival. As for why he did this, he still didn't understand. He could only act according to circumstances.
Lin Baiguang cupped his hands and said, "That's right!"
The leader exchanged greetings, and then said: "Comrade, our boss, please go to the old camp to rest first! Please!"
It turns out that pirates are also called "Laoying". Is this a common term used in the Ming Dynasty army?
Lin Baiguang nodded, bowed his hands to the pirates standing guard at the door and said, "Brothers, thank you for taking care of me! See you later!"
Everyone hurriedly bowed their hands and bowed their hands respectfully in return. They all thought that this comrade was handsome and well-mannered, but they didn't know which kind of hero he was?
When we walked along the road to the gate of Laoying, two lines of people had been lined up outside the gate to welcome Lin Baiguang's arrival.
This group of people were neatly dressed, with shiny weapons, and looked very tough. They were obviously Zhu Cai's elite confidants. Compared with the refugee-like pirates seen along the road, they were like heaven and earth.
The weapons in the hands of the pirates lined up on both sides of the road gleamed in the sun, and at a glance they felt overwhelming. The Ming army standard spears they held in their hands were straddling Japanese swords. On their indifferent faces were a pair of
Shoot a frightening look at the fierce eyes.
Under the watchful eyes of the wolf-like pirates on both sides, Lin Baiguang walked on the road to the Chinese army. The sense of silent pressure was indeed terrifying - Lin Baiguang had seen this kind of scene in TV movies in the past.
, I just felt that it was pretentious, and I could feel the horror of the situation by putting myself in his shoes. At one point, his face turned a little pale, and he felt like he could hardly breathe.
At this moment, Shi Shishi, who had gone in to report earlier, ran out and shouted loudly: "We have a distinguished guest!!"
Lin Baiguang calmed down - now that things have come to this, there is no point in being afraid. He couldn't help but close his eyes and pray to God in his heart:
"Senior time-travelers who have struggled in various time and space, convey your bastard energy to me through time and space!" After secretly praying several times, when he opened his eyes again, he felt that his whole body was full of strength, and there was a faint feeling behind him.
There is a halo around, with two words written on it: "Protagonist".
"Please lead the way!"
After following Shi Shishi for a while, a camp gate appeared on the road in front of him. Next to the gate, another pirate shouted:
"Someone take down the sword!"
"I didn't." Lin Baiguang said calmly, "Does this brother want to search?"
"No, no need!" Shi Shishi hurried over to negotiate with the people. He accompanied him all the way and knew that shopkeeper Lin was unarmed and completely bare-handed.