As soon as the timer arrived, he began to gradually heat the glass tube at the tail with a gas fire. Let it gradually heal into a strip and then break naturally. This process requires very careful care, and the glass tube must not be allowed to appear a little gap, otherwise the previous work will be wasted. Xiao Bailang's sunglasses were almost on the fire, and beads of sweat were dripping down from his labor protection hat.

"That's it!" With Xiao Bailang's roar, a complete shiny hot water bottle was finally born. It is carefully packed into a rattan thermos shell and secured.

"Fill it with boiling water!"

Mo Xiao'an saw that all the workers were sweaty and their backs were wet, and sweat stains were oozing from the back of the thick Tubulao protective clothes, and he was very upset. The furnace and annealing kiln in the workshop emit heat, making the temperature in the workshop nearly 50 degrees. The only cooling measures were the ventilation windows above the 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 Xiaoan said with emotion.

"It's like this in factories." Xiao Bailang drank a large cup of tea and swallowed a piece of salt, "The pharmaceutical factory also brought a lot of anti-heat medicine." The furnace foreman rotates every fifteen minutes. Nothing can happen. ”

After an hour, Mo Xiao'an poured water from the thermos - the water was still piping hot, and when measured with an industrial thermometer, the temperature barely dropped.

The heat preservation effect is satisfactory after testing. Mo Xiao'an was in high spirits, and the care person brought a lot of barrels of kvass from the food factory to distribute to the workers. The indigenous workers didn't really understand the use of such a painstaking effort, but when they saw Mo Xiao'an so happy and knew that they had probably made something good, they all laughed along.

"Let's make some more wide-mouth thermoses."

"Just ask the machine factory to open a few more molds." Xiao Bailang agreed.

"Shopkeeper Lin, please—"

The little pirates standing on the side of the ship respectfully made a gesture of invitation, and Lin Baiguang calmed down and put his hand on his arm. Calmly stepped from the deck to the trestle.

The trestle is very rough and wobbly when stepped on. The water crashed under the rapid flow of water, and droplets splashed. The bay of Nanri Island is densely packed with ships of all sizes that have dropped their sails. It's dusk, and smoke is curling from many of the boats.

Lin Baiguang finally saw the camp of the real Ming pirates for the first time in his life. At sunset in the summer, the bay is filled with a steady stream of ships, masts like a forest, and sails like clouds.

Countless boats, large and small, line up from the shore all the way to the end of the bay. Lin Baiguang was almost dumbfounded. Never before in the modern world had he seen so many ships at once, and how could he not be surprised by the sight in front of him.

This is not a modern industrial society, it is an era when everything has to be done by hand. How much manpower and material resources would it take to build such a large number of ships!

Such a fleet, set sail, and where it goes, it will not be able to build a completely new country! The Chinese have expanded to the limits of what they can achieve on land, but they have stopped at sea, always lingering near the sea, and have not taken this crucial step.

Lin Baiguang sighed, and his eyes showed greed. It's a pity that such a huge fortune will soon disappear from the sea: it will either be turned into a blazing torch on the sea, or it will be swallowed up by Zheng Zhilong. Thinking of this, a sense of eagerness enveloped him.

Most of the boats were small coastal fishing boats or cargo ships of more than forty or fifty tons, with a simple structure, and they looked no different from the boats of ordinary fishermen he had seen in Lingao. Occasionally, there are hundreds of tons of large ships mixed in, and there are even Western-style sailing ships. Lin Baiguang noticed that almost every ship had guns of different sizes and styles, which were erected and tied to the deck in various ways, and the pirates sat by the guns very casually to eat and smoke, and there were even women and children on board.

This kind of large settlement of pirate groups seems to be a rarity.

Suddenly, a woman's screams came from a ship, and I couldn't help but be taken aback: I saw a woman tied naked to the ship's gang, and a lean pirate was whipping her bare back, buttocks, and thighs with a whip soaked in seawater. With each pump, the woman let out a scream that was enough to tear her eardrums, and writhed desperately on the wood.

Men and women, young and old, blind to the boat, working and smoking on their own.

Because of the distance, Lin Baiguang only vaguely heard the man's scolding: "...... What do you think you are? Pretend to be serious and don't look at the place! See if I don't break your stinky X, and give it back to the master to take Qiao......"

This extremely interesting 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 who did not have the slightest mercy in their hearts.

Shi XIV led him ashore. Contrary to what he had imagined, the pirates on Nanri Island had not built any stockades, forts or anything like that, and there were some ships on the shore that were being repaired on the beach, and the pirates had built some straw huts that could be regarded as temporary shelters. Obviously, the pirates did not think that anyone could rush ashore to threaten them directly - the fleet was their fortress.

Lin Baiguang had already changed into the costume of the Ming people in advance, so he did not attract many onlookers. Along the way, I saw that there were several open spaces on the shore fenced with broken wood and stones, and on all sides there were pirates with knives and guns and whips wielding, and many people were locked up in squatting or lying down, men, women, and children, ranging from large families in silk and satin to poor people in tattered clothes. It's just that squatting in this place that is neither sheltered from the wind nor rain for ten days and months, and many people are already colorless and dirty. There were a few people hanging from the stakes outside the fence wall, probably dead, flies flying on them.

There was a cemetery about outside the fence wall, which was not buried deep and emitted a disgusting stench,

"It's the box office." Shi Shishi said, "The tickets caught everywhere are locked up here." ”

"What are you doing with these poor ghosts?" Lin Baiguang pretended to be surprised.

"When you go ashore to plunder, where is there time to divide the poor into the rich, and then talk about it when the pot comes." Shi 14 Dao.

"If you can't pay the ransom, what's the use of arresting it?"

"Just like you Australians, for work." Shi Shishi said with a smile, "We are not as ingenious as you, and we have made so many exquisite goods, but there are all kinds of miscellaneous jobs in the gang, and some of the subordinates who do not spend money are also more convenient." ”

Those who were caught and could not pay the ransom were all used as servants, from collecting firewood, lighting fires, repairing ships, carrying water, and so on, sleeping for days, and eating without a meal - pirates did not care about the life or death of these captives, and if they could survive a few months without dying, the leader might release them if he showed kindness, and if there was a shortage of people in the gang, he would be dragged to be pirates.

The women who had a little grace were used to satisfy their physiological needs, and when they were tired of the taste, they were sent to the mainland to be sold, and sometimes to the South Seas to be sold--although the Chinese merchants who did business in the South Seas could get close to the indigenous women, but the women from the country were more likely to get their favor - and they were sold for a good price.

Lin Baiguang followed him through the box office, and saw from a distance that there was a complete village on the hill by the sea, with the old names of Zhucai floating on it, and he couldn't help but be surprised. This stockade is well repaired and neat! When he got closer, he saw that the wall had collapsed in many places, and the houses in the village had also collapsed, and then he looked at the enemy building on the wall, the flagpole and the like, he knew that this was originally a water village of the Ming army, which was abandoned for a long time and then occupied by pirates

Around the stockade, there are many sheds and tents densely built, which are about the residences of the cronies and big and small leaders of Zhucai's old men. There were also more pirates carrying knives and bamboo poles and spears, and Lin Baiguang knew that this place was about close to Zhucai's old tooth tent.

The group went all the way to the abandoned village of the Ming army. Along the way, they constantly encountered small groups of pirates patrolling, more sophisticated than the refugees they encountered on the beach, showing that they were getting closer and closer to the Chinese army of Zhu Cailao.

However, even from Lin Baiguang's unprofessional point of view, Zhucai's old land camp is not necessarily clever, at first glance, it is random and unruly, the sentry posts and patrols are very casual, and the fortifications in many places are very lax, and they live in vain.

Such a team looks like a normal pirate centaur. can also land repeatedly, go deep into the interior to rob states and counties, and most of them are still invincible. Either his strongest men are not on Nanri Island, or his opponents are too indiscriminate. Lin Baiguang believes that the latter is more likely.

The evaluation of the combat effectiveness of the Ming army has always been at two extremes in the crossing group, one is that it feels vulnerable. There are hundreds of people who can shoot all over Guangdong and even Nanjing. One is that no matter how indiscriminate the enemy is, it is still a regular army, and no matter how strong we are, we are also amateurs, and it is difficult to win without full body armor, AK47, and Maxim machine guns.

Now it seems that at least the Ming army in Guangdong and Fujian has nothing to fear, and Zhu Cailao's men and horses of this level can also crisscross Guangdong and Fujian provinces, so that the Ming army is helpless, judging from the equipment, training and discipline level of the Lingao County Security Regiment, it is not possible to defeat three or four times the enemy with one enemy and ten times.

After walking for a while, although there was still a long distance, Lin Baiguang could still clearly see the big flag on the stockade embroidered with the word "Zhu" under the clear sky. There is also a flag next to it, embroidered with the words "Commander of the Three Armed Forces".

The Ming flag pirates were also hung up. Lin Baiguang was dumbfounded. It seems that even rebels such as bandits and pirates have the weakness of worshipping the system.

Outside the gate of Dezhai, Shi 14 stopped. I said a few words to the little pirate standing guard. Back to Basics:

"Shopkeeper Lin! I'm sorry to sit here for a while. Let me go in and say back. Shi 14 said, "If the big shopkeeper is in the stockade, he will see you soon." ”

"Okay, there you go." Lin Baiguang nodded. Shi 14 and the surrounding gave a few words, and went in on his own. The little pirates here brought a table and chair, invited him to sit down, and brought a bowl of tea.

Lin Baiguang saw that the tea bowl was missing, and there was a circle of stains on the edge, and the tea was yellow and clear, so he didn't know what the taste was. He swallowed his disgust, took a big sip, and smashed his mouth to make a look of satisfaction.

The tea is bitter and astringent, with a salty smell of seawater. Lin Baiguang said: "I finally drank a bowl of tea!" ”

The bandit who brought the tea smiled: "Whether the tea is good or not, the little ones don't know, this water is salty and bitter, and you really can't drink it without adding some tea." ”

Although there is fresh water on Nanri Island, it cannot withstand the gathering of more than 10,000 people, and drinking water every day is very problematic, and most people have to dig wells to get water. The groundwater on such a small island is somewhat infiltrated by seawater, and it can only barely survive.

Although the pirates guarding the gate didn't know who he was, Lin Baiguang was sent by Shi Shixi, and his identity was obviously not low. He was dressed as neither rich nor cheap, and he exuded a fierce spirit, and everyone estimated which way he was like. The greeting was also a little polite: the big shopkeeper has had a hard time recently, and a colleague is about to talk about the union.

Lin Baiguang also intended to lead them to speak, he was the director of the office, and he was particularly good at talking about flowers and being able to engage in interpersonal relationships. He has his own set of skills that can speak well, and he quickly got into conversation with a few of the gatekeepers, and became familiar with each other.

Soon, Lin Baiguang knew something from the mouths of these little pirates: the fleet gathered here was basically all the belongings of Zhu Cai Lao, and it was said that the big shopkeeper would take them to "do the big ticket". What is the big deal, they don't know. Lin Baiguang knew that it was obviously referring to the attack on Min'an.

Lin Baiguang didn't inquire about sensitive matters such as ships and numbers, and he felt that this was not something that needed to be cared about. What he wanted to know was the morale of the bandits and the state of supply. It is crucial to pull away the men and horses when the troops are scattered. From the few words he said about chatting with the pirates, he sensed that the morale of the pirates was not high - it would be a great trouble to gather such a large group of people together and eat, drink, and laze every day. In order to supply grain and vegetables, it was necessary to send a fleet out every day to collect, and that's it, and from time to time there were shipwrecks. Some small stocks have gone back and forth because of the difficulty of eating and the inconvenience of getting water.

"That is, our Chinese army here, eat and drink every day without worry, and sometimes you can eat a little meat. The other small stocks were all eaten but not eaten, so they had to catch fish and eat them every day. One of the pirates said proudly.

In this way, Kan Dashan, who was covered by clouds and mountains, didn't know how long it had been, just when Lin Baiguang had already drunk the fourth bowl of tea and was about to lose his strength, suddenly a loud conch sound came from the Chinese military camp.

"The big shopkeeper has been upgraded!" The little boss said, "I'm afraid the big shopkeeper is going to see you at once." ”

As the sound of conch resounded through the camp, many small groups of bandits suddenly appeared, all of them with swords unsheathed, and rushed to stand in line on both sides of the wall and road.

This is the majesty of the greeting. Lin Baiguang said darkly.

From the haode side, this is respect for him as a messenger, and from the bad side, it is dismounting. Maybe it's a bit of both, and it's up to you how you respond.

Looking at the lively and chaotic scene in front of him, Lin Baiguang was full of emotion in his heart, he tried his best to defy public opinion, and ventured here alone, just to be able to blend into the inside of the pirate group.

Just as he was thinking about it, several well-dressed pirates ran all the way from the road in the gate, came to the side and said in a loud voice: "May I ask who is the same way?" ”

From his shouting, Lin Baiguang guessed that Zhu Cai Lao was not willing to leak the news of his arrival. As for him Weishenme doing this, I still don't understand. I can only act at the opportunity.

Lin Baiguang arched his hand and said: "It's exactly below!" ”

The leader changed his salute, and then said, "This fellow Taoist, our big shopkeeper, please go to the old camp to rest first!" Please! ”

It turns out that the pirates are also called "Lao Ying", is this title a common word in the Ming Dynasty army?

Lin Baiguang nodded, and bowed to the few pirates standing guard at the door and said, "Brothers, thank you for taking care of you!" There will be a period later! ”

Everyone hurriedly and respectfully bowed their hands in return. I think this fellow is beautiful and has good etiquette, but I don't know which way he is a hero?

When I walked along the road to the gate of the old camp, two lines of teams had been placed outside the door to welcome Lin Baiguang's arrival.

This group of people are neatly dressed, their weapons are shiny, and they look very fierce, and they are obviously the elite cronies of Zhucai Lao. Compared to the refugee-style pirates you see along the road, it's like heaven and earth.

The weapons in the hands of the pirates lining both sides of the road glittered in the sunlight, and the momentum was compelling at a glance. They were holding the Ming Army's standard spear in one color, and they were fighting knives across Japan. On the indifferent face was a pair of fierce eyes, shooting a terrifying look.

Under the gaze of the wolf-like pirates on both sides, Lin Baiguang embarked on the road leading to the Chinese army, and the wordless sense of coercion was indeed terrifying - in the past, when Lin Baiguang saw this kind of scene in TV movies, he only felt that he was pretending to be and putting himself in his shoes to feel the horror during the period, and at one point his face was a little pale, and he felt that he was about to run out of breath.

At this time, Shi Shixi, who had gone in to report earlier, ran out and shouted, "There is a distinguished guest!" ”

Lin Baiguang was strong and calmed down - the matter has come to this point, and it is useless to be afraid. I couldn't help but close my eyes and pray in my heart:

"Seniors who have struggled in various time and space, and convey your royal qi to me through time and space!" After secretly praying several times, when I opened my eyes again, I only felt that my whole body was full of strength, and there was a faint halo behind me, with two words written on it: "protagonist".

"Labor leads the way!"

After following Shi Shishi for a while, a gate appeared on the road in front of him. Another pirate shouted at the door:

"Someone take the sword!"

"I didn't." Lin Baiguang said calmly, "Is this brother going to search?" ”

"No, no!" Shi 14 hurried over to negotiate with someone. He accompanied him all the way, knowing that this shopkeeper Lin was unarmed and completely bare-handed

[зZcｎ.]