Just five days after the end of the first British purge, the famous newspaper Science and Pravda in Paris published a very long news report. The headline of the article was: "Experiencing Hell – A Report from the Battlefields of Ireland"

This is a news article with more than 30,000 words, which is completely unprecedented. Newspapers of that era were just starting, and because of the limitations of printing technology, the paper used was often only 16 pages, and it was naturally impossible to print large articles. In order to publish this long article, Science & Pravda had to make this issue of the newspaper as thick as a book.

In this article, the author, whose surname is Villefort, describes what he saw with his own eyes in Ireland, especially the British raid on the Irish countryside and the horrific atrocities committed in it.

Generally speaking, the French don't like the British in the first place, and are more likely to believe negative news about the British. But even so, the brutality of the British in this report is far beyond what the French could imagine.

But soon, more evidence came out, and this evidence was the British army's own battle report. In order to show off their "martial arts", in order to deter the Irish, so that they do not dare to resist again. The British army did not shy away from the war reports it issued, and even tried its best to show off the "achievements" it had achieved in Operation "Noose". These "achievements" also just prove the seemingly exaggerated report in the previous "Science and Pravda" newspaper.

Two days later, the Directory convened an emergency meeting and announced that it would further increase its assistance to the Irish people in their struggle. At the same time, His Holiness the Pope generously donated 1 million francs to help the "suffering Irish brothers", while he also condemned the atrocities of the British and called on Catholics throughout Europe to lend a helping hand to the "suffering Irish brothers".

Joseph also understood that the revolution in Ireland had reached a life-and-death juncture, and if the Irish really couldn't stand it, there would be no money to make in the future! So this time, after getting the grant, he actually did not carry out a large-scale "drifting" for the first time, but really honestly loaded everything that could be bought with this money onto the ship and shipped it to Ireland. Of course, "drifting" can be without, but "lubricant" is indispensable for a franc.

In addition to weapons, more advisers will also be on board to Ireland. They will be in Ireland, with the blood of the British, and also with the blood of the Irish, constantly experimenting with new weapons, new methods of warfare.

It was at this time that the military adviser Arnoldier de Villefort boarded a clipper bound for Ireland. He was a tall young man in his twenties, with two very long arms and large palms that seemed to be a little overhead. If it is in the future, it will most likely become one of the most showy on the college basketball court. He was of aristocratic origin, but he joined the revolution, and his brother Victor was the author of that long article that had just been published in the newspaper Science and Pravda.

"Mr. Villefort, the situation at sea has changed a little lately, and perhaps I should tell you that you may be prepared." When Villefort came aboard, Captain Morel said this to him and several others.

"What's wrong? What's changed? Villefort asked.

"Recently the British specially built a number of ships to intercept us." Morel replied.

"To intercept us? Just with those warships that are not easy to run to 6 knots? A young man named Leckler next to him said disdainfully.

"No, not a warship, it's a clipper like us. The Englishmen made some clippers. Morel said.

"Clippers? But clippers are unarmed, right? Villefort asked.

The clipper ship was too low on deck and wobbly to be unable to place its cannons. Otherwise, Joseph would not have used it only for shipping, but for those unprofitable transactions.

"It's that there are no artillery, it's not that it's not unarmed." "But, before the invention of the cannon, was there no pirate on the sea?" You know, those Vikings back then, rowing a dragon head boat and holding an axe, could rob at sea. ”

"You're saying the Englishmen are like the Vikings, intercepting us by broadboard?"

"It's not a broadside battle either. They approached us and threw 'little melons' at us, and we naturally responded with 'little melons'. However, if it really develops to the point of broadside battles, it will be very bad for us. Because our ships are mainly loaded with goods, there are not many people on it. But there was no cargo on board, only soldiers. ”

"Do we already have losses?" Villefort asked.

"Yes, Daken, it's the Dutch one-eyed dragon, whose 'Flying' had encountered an Englishman clipper a few days earlier. At the time he thought it was his own, because the ship looked exactly like ours, and even had a tricolor flying it. The boat approached them, and the people on board were waving at them, as if something was going on for them. ”

"And then?" Villefort asked.

"And then? Then the one-eyed dragon fell for it and brought the enemy closer. If it weren't for the fact that the guy on the other side couldn't hold his breath and threw a small melon that didn't fry first, the one-eyed dragon would definitely be finished. When the ship was exposed, the British flag was hoisted, and they threw small melons at each other with the one-eyed dragon, and the one-eyed dragon was lucky, his ship was returning at that time, and there was nothing on board, so it ran a little faster. In the end, I ran back. However, four people died on his ship, and the one-eyed dragon himself was wounded. Captain Morel replied.

"So, gentlemen, if an English ship appears, I hope you are all ready for battle." Captain Morel said again.

"We get it." Several passengers replied.

The news made Villefort both a little excited and a little nervous. Although he was not a junior on the battlefield, he had already fought many battles with Napoleon's Italian legions, and had won two medals. But it was all on land, and this time it was at sea.

However, perhaps the number of clippers in the hands of the British was still limited, and the sea was large enough, so Villefort and his party did not encounter other ships.

Naturally, Joseph also knew about the British's clippers. Although the British clippers had not yet caused them much damage, Joseph knew that this matter should not be taken lightly.

The losses were small now because the British themselves were not sure how effective this method of warfare would be. As soon as they found that this would work, with the shipbuilding capacity of the British and the reserve of sailors, they should soon be able to get a whole bunch of clippers out. And just as Morel said, the British did not need to carry cargo on their flying clippers, so in battle, they would have an advantage.

"Maybe I really should have a special weapon for the clipper?" Joseph thought so.

Originally, Joseph did not intend to invest too much scientific research in the flying clipper ship - the flying clipper ship would definitely be replaced by a steamship eventually, and it would not be possible to continue to waste points on this technology tree. But now it seems that the steamship will not appear in the short term, but the clipper ship has a strategic significance, so he has to continue to invest more time in the clipper.

"Obviously, the clipper ship can't fit the cannon. It can't be equipped with a bed crossbow (because the waves on the flying clipper boat are serious, and things like bows and crossbows are not easy to use when they get wet), what else can you use except small melons? ”

Joseph eliminated several things in a row, and finally he came up with a weapon that seemed to be a good match for the clipper against another clipper - the "Greek Fire".

Greek fire is a liquid incendiary invented by the real Eastern Roman Empire that can burn on the surface of water, and is mainly used in naval warfare. The Eastern Roman Empire used this weapon to defeat its opponents at sea and on land many times. It was actually the world's first flamethrower.

"As long as we can make the flamethrower more of a range than the little melon, our clippers will once again have an advantage over the British in terms of combat effectiveness. When the time comes, the situation will become that those who can beat us cannot catch up with us, and those who can catch up with us will not be able to beat us. Thinking so, Joseph had Lavoisier called for him, offered him the task, and told him that he could give him a hundred francs for every ship at sea to equip with it. It's just that in terms of technical indicators, Joseph especially emphasized that this thing should not be too big and not take up too much space that could have been given to the goods.

Lavoisier thought about it for a while, and began to bargain with Joseph as usual, and finally a new agreement was reached: if Lavoisier could develop a combat-ready ' within a month. Greek fire', then he would receive two hundred francs for each boat, a hundred francs for each ship if all the work was done within a month and a half, a prize of fifty francs for each ship if it had not been completed for more than a month and a half, and a fine of ten francs for each day of delay.

After signing such an agreement, Lavoisier went to work full of fighting spirit. Lavoisier thought he had gotten better treatment for himself, but he didn't expect that the "Greek fire" used on the ship could be used as a land weapon with a slight modification. Prior to this, the reason why he emphasized the size of the system was largely to facilitate subsequent modifications. And the modified land version, naturally, there is no need to give Lavoisier any more money.