Novels online

Chapter 1030: It's Too Heavy

A river-sea vessel from Gao Family Village, packed with workers, arrived at Zhoushan.

In the past, the ships primarily carried workers commuting between the island and the mainland. Now, however, many workers had permanently settled on the island, reluctant to return to the mainland. They had already moved all their relatives from the mainland to live with them in the employee dormitories, where the living conditions were far superior to their old homes.

Their relatives and friends were also brought to the island, one after another.

With such arrangements, the workers had no reason to return to the mainland. Why wouldn't they embrace living on the island with their entire families? After all, supplies were plentiful, life was fulfilling, and there was no longer any oppression or exploitation from corrupt officials.

Consequently, most of the passengers on this journey were newly recruited workers, including two impoverished brothers from Suzhou. Both were filled with apprehension; despite hearing glowing accounts of the island from distant relatives, arriving somewhere new always brought a degree of nervousness. It was akin to a modern person visiting a new restaurant for the first time, still consulting online forums about trivialities like which foot to step in with first.

Before the ship even reached its destination, the pilot stepped to the bow and emphatically addressed the anxious workers gathered on deck. "We're almost at the island! First, let me give you all a stark warning: what's being built on this island is a matter of utmost secrecy! Do you understand what 'top secret' means? It means if you leak even a single word, you'll have stones bound to your feet and be cast into the sea."

The new recruits flinched, their eyes wide with alarm.

"If you know you're loose-tongued and prone to gossiping about everything," the pilot declared, "then this isn't the job for you. Get off at the small island up ahead and wait for the next ship back to the mainland. Only those who can keep their mouths shut will be permitted to continue to the main island."

Having traveled all this way, there was no question of the workers turning back. They could only fervently remind themselves to keep their mouths sealed.

Before the vessel had even docked, the workers were utterly astonished. Ahead, a colossal port of impressive scale emerged. The sheer magnitude of the construction was staggering; a lengthy expanse of coastline was entirely dominated by wooden scaffolding.

Scores of massive vessels, each stretching dozens of meters in length, lay anchored there.

These massive ships were undeniably warships. On their decks, marines were engaged in fierce sparring, their battle cries echoing even from a considerable distance.

A behemoth of a ship thundered past the workers' cargo vessel. The workers heard an authoritative voice, clearly that of a captain, bellowing: "Port 30 degrees..."

"All hands, prepare for battle!"

"Gunports fully open!"

At his command, the marines immediately scurried into a flurry of activity.

The realization dawned on the workers instantly: A military port!

No wonder such strict secrecy was enforced; this was a military port after all.

Hadn't the imperial court previously renounced its overseas islands? Why was it now so ostentatiously building a military port and training marines here? It seemed the imperial court had truly undergone a fundamental shift.

The workers dared not ask. They docked, then cautiously disembarked.

Next, they were escorted into a newly constructed building, which still exuded the scent of fresh paint. After listening to an exhaustive list of precautions, the foreman who had been speaking loudly announced, "As long as you adhere to the regulations and work diligently, you will receive a total of four taels of silver in wages each month. Skilled workers will earn even more."

A cheer erupted from the new workers.

Then, they began to receive their work assignments...

The two brothers from Suzhou were assigned to construct the shipyard. They followed the foreman out of the building and walked east along the beach. After a considerable distance, a sentry post appeared ahead, manned by a group of heavily armed soldiers.

They passed through the sentry post only after being inspected by the soldiers, then entered the shipyard.

The two brothers murmured to each other, "Could a shipyard truly require such stringent security? It's simply a matter of shaping timber..."

However, the moment they stepped into the production workshop, they were confronted with a sight that left them utterly dumbfounded.

An immense framework of steel, forming the skeleton of a ship, rose before their eyes.

The ship's entire keel was forged from solid iron; its 'steel muscles and iron bones' were no mere figure of speech.

Numerous workers, identifiable by their Yellow Hats, were diligently installing massive iron plates onto the keel, all under the precise instruction of their Blue Hat foremen.

The Suzhou brothers were stunned into disbelief. "A ship made of iron?" one whispered. "Can it even float?"

"Newcomers, over here!" A Blue Hat beckoned them. "Hurry, put on your hats. In the production workshop, it's mandatory to wear safety helmets at all times."

The brothers joined the throng, each collecting a Yellow Hat and donning it.

The Blue Hat explained, "You're new here and unfamiliar with the trade, so your duty will be to lift steel plates. Over there, you'll see steel plates delivered from the armored workshop. You are to transport them to the side of the large ship and hand them to the assembly workers. Understood?"

The two brothers replied in unison, "Understood!"

The two brothers quickly found their designated positions. Forming a team with several other laborers, they hoisted a mammoth steel plate from the warehouse, placed it on a cart, maneuvered it under the ship's hull, and secured it with steel cables.

From above, the assembly workers called out a few commands, and with a synchronized effort, an ingenious system of pulleys hoisted the steel plate into the air. The assembly workers then carefully affixed the suspended plate to the ship's frame...

Then, with massive rivets, they pounded them into place with resounding thuds.

The two Suzhou brothers gaped in astonishment. "Can a ship built like this really work?" one wondered. "It's made of iron, and assembled piece by piece. Won't the seams leak?"

The Blue Hat scoffed good-naturedly. "That's not for you to worry about! Just focus on learning, and you'll slowly understand in time. But if you never grasp it, then you'll simply remain entry-level porters."

The two brothers retreated sheepishly and resumed their task of moving steel plates.

As they were engaged in their work, they noticed a procession of people approaching within the factory. Leading the group was a young master, who appeared highly educated, wearing a White Hat. He was accompanied by a retinue of Blue Hat foremen.

When the brothers had first arrived, they'd considered the Blue Hats to be formidable figures, beyond their reach. Now, seeing a large group of these Blue Hats showing such deference to the young master in the White Hat, they realized *he* was the true master of this domain.

That young master was none other than Bai Gongzi. He was frowning, intently studying the schematics in his hand. "No matter how many times I recalculate," he mused aloud, "the final result consistently shows this ship is inordinately heavy—an exaggerated, incredible mass. The steam engine, cannons, coal, and the steel hull itself—every single component contributes to an unbelievable weight."

He wore a grim expression. "With such a heavy displacement already, its payload capacity will be severely limited."

Bai Gongzi let out a long sigh. "It's clear that the practice of wooden vessels carrying five hundred soldiers, common in the era of sails, simply cannot be replicated on our steam-powered ironclads. From now on, these ships will only be able to transport a minimal complement of soldiers."