To tell the truth, there is no shortage of resources in this South America, except for coal. Especially in Uruguay, there are almost none, at least the people who travel through it don't know where the road is.

"The problem of coal now has to be faced." Ma Qianzu sighed and said, "Let's discuss and discuss, how to solve this problem. Is it outsourced, or is it your own prospecting and mining? ”

Today's executive committee meeting room is no longer full of smoke and pomp, not because the old smokers have quit smoking en masse, but because the cigarettes brought from the old time and space have been smoked. Now when the Executive Committee meets, these members drink water vigorously.

"I personally don't think it's very reliable to buy out." Ma Jia thought about it and said, "First of all, this will increase the expenditure, and secondly, the source and quality will not be very stable, and we can't make plans at all when we produce, so I don't recommend outsourcing." ”

"What if you don't buy out? Do you know where there is a coal mine near Ludao? Shao Shude asked.

"As far as I know, there are basically none. In other words, even if there is, it is a small coal mine with very limited output, and it was not famous in the previous life, and it is difficult for the locals to know about it, so I don't know. "The closest coal reserve to us at the moment should be in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, which may be located south of the Paraná Plateau, near Porto Alegre." However, the coal here is basically inferior coal, with high sulfur, high ash, low calorific value, and the reserves are okay. ”

"How far is it from us? Which country is under the jurisdiction of the country? Peng Zhicheng asked.

"It's about two or three hundred kilometers away from us, and it's still borderland. There may be some indigenous people in the area, but I don't know exactly what happened. Gao Mo said.

As soon as the members of the Executive Committee heard that they were two or three hundred kilometers away, they immediately lost interest. With the ability to traverse the public's current situation, organize a large amount of manpower and material resources, and in the absence of sufficient logistical supplies, travel through a large barren land full of unknown dangers to another unfamiliar place to open mines, and then transport them back, which is basically a fantasy.

"Porto Alegre? Is this a seaport? Wang Qinian asked.

"It can't be said that Porto Alegre is actually an inland lake port located at the northern end of the Patus Lagoon. It's just that the Patus Lagoon is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow waterway that is directly navigable. The only concern is that the water in the Patus Lagoon is not deep enough, but it should not be a problem to navigate some small-tonnage flat-bottomed boats. We can try to build some of these ships and then land them in Porto Alegre and set up settlements and mining sites. Gao Mo introduced.

"It's about the ship again." Shao Shude said with a wry smile: "I remember that at first we were discussing how to increase steel production, then it involved the coal issue, and now it has developed into shipbuilding. But when it comes to shipbuilding, we don't have many such talents, and we don't have skilled sailors, right? ”

"Well, Lao Gao's suggestion is actually not bad." Ma Ganzu said, "The conditions are not ripe at this stage, but we can start making preparations from now on. Aren't there some shipbuilders in the shipyard, you can let them build a ship to practice their hands first, and then train a group of talents by the way. You can't just build some small wooden boats on inland rivers all day long, because if it takes a long time, the craft will be wasted. ”

"What about the coal problem? Outsourced? Tang Yuan asked.

"Let's buy it out first, next time we can negotiate with the captains who come to trade, as long as the price given is satisfactory to them, I think someone will be willing to bring coal." Ma Ganzu said and sighed: "It costs money everywhere, and it's really not easy to do this." ”

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Captain Johnston staggered to his feet, and several of his men were all bruised and swollen. A group of Dutchmen sat in front of them with a look of disdain, talking in a low voice as they ate the potatoes they had stolen.

Johnston felt a blackness in front of him, and he knew that he hadn't eaten enough for a long time. Ever since he and a group of Dutch were assigned to work at Mine 2, he and several of his older brothers have been in a nightmare. Perhaps the Dutch had long since grown tired of the British, and they took advantage of their outnumbers to torture John Ston's gang in a different way. Not only do you have to take on the dangerous work yourself, but even the food and water you get out of are often snatched.

Captain Johnston sat against the stone wall, panting violently. Yesterday, Johnson fell from the mountainside due to physical exhaustion while quarrying and died on the spot, so maybe he will end up like this sooner or later.

The Dutch, however, were no better, having heard that a Dutch had been killed on the spot by the brutal Charuya in a large-scale brawl at mine No. 1 yesterday, and a scuffle ensued. Stones, sticks, pickaxes, everything that could be used as a weapon came in handy. The Tatar mine guards blew their whistles loud and muskets and sabers into battle, and it was only after the last effort that the matter was calmed down. According to the gossip circulating in the mining area, the Tatars later carried away no less than 10 bodies from the No. 1 mining area.

While Captain Johnston was lamenting his bleak and hopeless human life, he did not know that a turning point in his life was coming. Wang Qinian, commissioner of the navy, and Jiao Tang, commissioner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, led a group of policemen from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the miners' lounge in the No. 2 mining area.

"This is the British pirate captain?" Wang Qinian looked at John Ston, who was unkempt, with a blue nose and a swollen face, and was a little speechless.

Jiao Tang gestured with his eyes. Liu Yun, the director of the Prison Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who was standing behind him, stepped forward and grabbed John Ston's prison uniform by the collar and said, "Mr. John Ston from Dover, there is now a chance for you and your loyal men to get out of this filthy place, I think you had better seize this opportunity, you know what I mean!" ”

"Yes, sir!" John Ston nodded feebly, glanced at the cowering Dutchman, and said, "Whatever you ask me to do, now I just want to get out of this damn place." ”

"Good." Liu Yun nodded and said, "Now take your men to the bathroom in the mine police lounge to take a shower and clean up the damn stench on your body." Then change into the clothes we prepared for you and wait there, and someone will look for you later. Do your thing well in the future, I don't want to see you back here again. ”

John Ston and his five men took a comfortable hot shower in the bathroom, and when they came out, they found that there were suddenly a few more people in the mine police lounge. One of them was a Tatartan officer, and the rest were old acquaintances.

"Mr. John Ston, Mr. Ruben Demer, Mr. Julien de Eblore, and gentlemen..."Lu Ming stood up from his chair and said, "I am Lieutenant Lu Ming of the East Coast Company, can you understand English?" It doesn't matter if you don't understand it, you can find someone to relay my words. ”

Julien de Eblore and John Ston nodded.

"I'm a person who hates nonsense, so I'm going to get straight to the point." Lu Ming continued, "We are planning to set up a new nautical school to teach all kinds of nautical knowledge. I also don't shy away from saying that our East Coast Company has not accumulated any experience in this area, and you are exactly the talent we need after a systematic naval theoretical education, or you have rich sailing experience and maritime knowledge. Now you have two choices: first, you will become a teacher at the newly established nautical school, with a monthly allowance of two yuan; Your subordinates can also serve as sailing practice instructors for a monthly allowance of one dollar; After five years of teaching, you will be free. Second, you can choose to continue back to the dark and desperate mine after this dinner to report to Director Liu Yun and Liu. So, gentlemen, tell me your options, and don't make me wait too long. ”

As long as you are not a fool, anyone knows how to choose. So, after a whispered conversation, everyone chose the first option.

"Good." Lu Ming smiled. Then he shouted out the door, and several Navy soldiers walked in with some clothes in their hands. It was made of woolen cloth imported from Europe, and it was many times stronger than the tattered linen prison clothes on their bodies. A group of people quickly changed their clothes, and then Lu Ming took these people to the newly established navigation school.

The navigation school is located on the south bank of the Big Fish River, opposite the No. 3 battery, with a beautiful environment. This time, Wang Qinian took advantage of the executive committee's intention to develop the shipbuilding industry, moved around, and was so bitter that he was stunned to let him drill a navigation school. This made Peng Zhicheng extremely angry, and recently he was clamoring for the Executive Committee to approve the establishment of an army officer academy in Dingyuanbao aimed at training grassroots officers.

The first class of the school enrolled 60 students, all half-aged between ten and fifteen, who were now sitting at two long dining tables. Aromatic food was placed on the table in front of everyone, and although the children couldn't help but swallow their saliva, everyone sat upright in their chairs with their hands on their knees, their eyes ahead.

"Stand upright!" After entering the cafeteria, Lu Ming shouted loudly. All the children stood up at the same time in an instant, and Lu Ming motioned for Yu Lian and the others to sit at the officer's table next to them. Then he walked up to the children, patted them on the shoulder, and sat them down at each time, until he had finished patting the shoulder of the last person.

"Open the meal!" Lu Ming ordered. As his words fell, a group of students and children immediately picked up wooden bowls and chopsticks and began to eat.

Dinner was plentiful. There were wheat crackers, salted fish, prawns, clam and tofu soup, vegetables, and even eggs, which are rarely enjoyed by the crossers, and the students ate quietly without anyone talking to each other. After eating, most of the students returned to the brick dormitory opposite the cafeteria. A small number of students stayed behind to clean up the tables and clean up.

"These students have been training for almost a week." After taking the incoming teachers to their dormitories, Lu Ming talked about the students: "From now on, I will be in charge of everything in this school. Students will study theory in the morning, practice in the shipyard in the afternoon, and political and cultural knowledge in the evening. In the next few days, I will take these students through discipline and physical training, and you will hurry up and sort out a teaching material, and start classes in a week, I hope you will not let me down. ”