"Brother Yang, Brother Xu, the army is talking about the captain of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser, are you really in a hurry?"

In an inn in the west city of Chang'an, which specializes in receiving naval officers and soldiers, Navy Lieutenant Lu Wenhui asked with a wine glass.

"There are quite a few colonel-level officers staring at the positions of the two captains, and it is useless to be in a hurry."

Xu Zhixuan smiled and said calmly.

"Brother Zhixuan, this is not like you before, when you were studying in the United States, you were the most radical and impulsive, how did you return to your homeland for a few years, and after marrying Meizi, this temperament became stable, it's really strange."

Navy Lieutenant Chen Jurong, who was also born in the United States as a child and defected to the Han Kingdom in South America halfway, quipped.

"Haha, Brother Chen, I don't understand, I have a family, there is a delicate and beautiful lady waiting at home, and no matter how hot my temper is, I can't wear it out."

"What Brother Lu said makes some sense."

Chen Jurong patted his head and came to his senses: "It seems that next time, I should beg my sister-in-law to let her find a few gentle and considerate Dongying women for her brothers to be daughters-in-law, preferably the kind of ladies from noble backgrounds." ”

"I don't care about laughing and chatting in private, but if you see Meizi, don't discuss things about Dongying, Meizi has cut off contact with the Dongying family in order to follow me to South America, and mentioning Dongying's past again will inevitably make her sad."

"I forgot about it, Brother Xu."

Chen Rong held up a glass of wine, punished himself with a glass, and apologized.

"We are all brothers who have studied in the United States since childhood and have known each other for more than ten years, so we don't need to see each other like this."

Xu Zhixuan generously revealed the matter about his wife, and said with a smile: "If Brother Lu and Brother Chen are interested in starting a family, why not take a look in the capital, with the bright future of the two brothers in the navy, I am afraid that there are many well-informed ladies who rush to be daughters-in-law." ”

"Brother Lu and I are also anxious about this matter, after arriving in the mainland at the end of 1882, the relatives of the family have also moved to the mainland with the help of colleagues in the military intelligence department, and in the past two years, my father and mother have introduced women in the capital to blind dates, but I have met more than ten women, but there is no suitable candidate, so the marriage has been delayed until now has not been resolved."

"Brother Chen, isn't his vision too high and he can't look down on ordinary local women?"

"Brother Xu really exalted my brother, our family is not a noble family that follows His Majesty's actions, there are so many requirements and rules from there."

Chen Jurong shook his head and complained bitterly: "It's just that my father and mother are conservative, and the blind date women introduced to my brother are all beautiful ladies who have just migrated from the Far East Continent, and because of their young foot binding, nine out of ten blind date women have small feet.

Brother Xu, Brother Lu, you all know my old Chen, we have been at sea since we were young, received nearly ten years of modern education in the United States, and after returning to our homeland, we often received His Majesty's teachings at the Naval Academy and the Navy Headquarters, you say, can a hot-blooded man like us in the new era learn the backward concepts of the older generation and marry a conservative woman with small feet and no common language with himself as a daughter-in-law?

Besides, the imperial army is the most important military cultivation, if Chen follows his parents' wishes today and marries a traditional woman as his wife, and the husband and wife are not in harmony in the future, and the matter comes out, how can Chen have the face to gain a foothold in the navy? ”

"Haha, I can't imagine that in the past, in the army, Chen Rongju, who was very arrogant, would have such a side, it's really surprising!"

Xu Zhixuan didn't sympathize with the other party at all, and laughed.

"Brother Xuan, you are a little uninteresting, in vain Brother Lu and I are concerned about your election for the captain of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser, but you kid is not considerate of your brother's kindness, but makes fun of your brother's difficulties!

No, today's food and drinks must be paid for by your kid! ”

"Okay, okay, the wine money and meal money are being paid, and now I invite Brother Chen to drink the wine in the cup, so Xu apologized to Brother Chen for Fang Cai's negligence."

Xu Zhixuan smiled and poured wine into the other party's cup, then raised the wine glass and saluted the other party.

"That's pretty much it."

Chen Rongju drank the wine in the cup with satisfaction, without thinking at all.

"Brother Xu, Brother Chen, Brother Lu, according to Yang, there are too many colonel-level officers competing for the position of captain of two armored cruisers, and I heard from a few brothers in the Navy's General Staff Headquarters that there are now not only more than 10 major-level officers vying for the position of captain, but even some lieutenant colonel-level officers are also participating in the competition.

Moreover, among the contenders, He Shulin, Yang Jiannian, Chen Binshi, and Wang Jinyong were the first batch of students to receive military education from the German Navy, and during the Argentine War, they participated in the operations against the Argentine and Brazilian navies. ”

After the three of them joked, Yang Guangzong, who was sitting at the main entrance near the window, said seriously.

"In terms of actual combat experience, we are indeed inferior to Yang Jiannian and He Shulin."

Xu Zhixuan put down his wine glass and seriously admitted the advantages of his competitors.

"However, in terms of the degree of understanding of modern Western naval warfare technology, Xu believes that the four of us are a cut above Yang Jiannian, He Shulin, and their generation of international students."

"What Brother Xu said is true, although Major Yang and Major He are the predecessors of the navy, but in terms of receiving the military education of the Western Navy, I am equivalent to going to sea to study military affairs in 1872, and they went to sea to study in 1874, and the time of return is 1878, compared with them, we have studied abroad for nearly ten years, received a more systematic modern naval military education, and the familiarity with modern naval technology and application is also more than they know, so, Considering the two main factors of naval combat experience and naval military education, we are not completely without advantages. ”

"Yang also took into account the comparison of the advantages mentioned by Brother Xu and Brother Lu in advance, but I think that there is no need for a soldier to act with confidence, and he should not make a rash decision."

"Brother Yang wants to withdraw from the competition for the position of captain of the Pioneer-class armored cruiser?"

Chen Rongju's face was a little drunk, but his heart was very sober.

"Yes, after retiring from the DPRK today, Yang submitted a form to the Navy Staff Headquarters, applying to withdraw from the competition for the position of captain of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser."

Yang Guangzong did not hide it, and directly told the three of them what he was thinking.

"After the New Year, the captains of the two Pioneer-class armored cruisers were vacant, and at the same time, the two 2,500-ton cruisers built by the three major local shipyards were officially put into service after imitating the construction technology of the Pioneer-class armored cruisers.

Xu Zhixuan thought for a moment and understood Yang Guangzong's plan.

"I can't hide it from Brother Xu's eyes, Yang really fell in love with the position of captain of a 2,500-ton cruiser."

Yang Guangzong generously admitted his plan and explained: "The displacement of the Yangwu-class cruiser is 2,500 tons, although it is built locally, and the construction technology may be slightly different from the Pioneer-class armored cruiser that was built under the guidance of German engineers throughout the process, but the total tonnage of the Yangwu-class cruiser exceeds two-thirds of the Pioneer class, and the power system and weapon system of the warship are all borrowed from the Pioneer-class armored cruiser, and its overall combat performance may not be irreparable compared with the Pioneer-class battleship, so, After taking into account the combat performance of the two-class warship and the difficulty of the competition for the position of captain, he chose to withdraw from the competition for the position of captain of the Vanguard-class armored cruiser. ”

"The captaincy positions of the Pioneer class and the Yangwu-class are both at the lieutenant colonel level, and it is a relatively safe choice for the Yang brothers to take the initiative to give up the competition for the position of captain of the Pioneer-class armored cruiser and instead strive for the position of captain of the Yangwu-class cruiser."

Xu Zhixuan nodded in recognition of the other party's choice, and then a smile appeared on his face, and he said with a smile: "The situation in Paraguay is unstable, and the Brazilian Republic is also ready to move.

It doesn't matter whether the election for the position of captain of the armored cruiser is successful or not, anyway, when the time comes to use the navy, it is still commanding the 1350-ton light cruiser, and we are still not afraid of the group of grandsons of the Brazilian Republic! ”

"Haha, exactly, exactly............

The four raised their glasses, their faces filled with the confidence peculiar to young officers of this era.