Chen Shouxu met intensively with the Germans, the chieftain, and the representatives of the sailors he selected in one day to solicit opinions on improving the ship's laws. The provisions drafted in the early days should not be excessive, and the penalties should not be excessive, so as not to arouse unpleasant memories of the sailors' experience of serving on merchant ships and warships. After the wind was released and the sailors were prepared, Chen Shouxu held a crew meeting.

In order to avoid the impact caused by the people on shore, Chen Shouxu even sailed the Storm out of port.

In fact, before the congress, various gossip was already circulating among the sailors. After the conference began, in order to calm the morale of the army, Chen Shouxu first threw out his next target for plunder, Maracaibo City, located at the mouth of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, close to Aruba. The gold and silver of the Spaniards were the things that most aroused the desire of sailors.

Next, Chen Shouxu promulgated the ship's legislation. The law regulates everyone, including the captain, in four ways: the system of distribution of the spoils of war between officers and sailors; rules for life on board; operational aspects; Punishment for offenders.

Among them, the distribution of loot remains unchanged, and the biggest change is in combination with the credit union's cash withdrawal regulations and the mandatory withdrawal of half of the loot as a public fund.

In terms of life on board, it is forbidden to bring women or boys on board without permission; It is forbidden to steal and gamble on board; During the voyage, you must not get drunk without the permission of the captain; reiterate cabin fire protection measures; It is forbidden to force a woman without her consent.

The operational aspect is mainly concerned with rewarding casualties and punishing offers of desertion, desertion and ignorance.

In dealing with offenders, Chen Shouxuan completely abandoned the caning, which would make most pirates feel quite bad. The punishment is not in the heavy sentence, but in the coverage, to ensure that there is a penalty for the exceeding. The means included cleaning decks, canvases, hammocks; tidying the bilge, cleaning the toilets; reducing the supply of alcohol; Locked on the deck, exposed to the sun, rain and other lighter measures. Serious offenders such as rape, theft, desertion, and homicide are subject to exile, a springboard, and the death penalty. Chen Shouxu was also cautious about the death penalty, requiring that a sailor's jury be called for the death sentence.

Many of these laws are common to some pirate teams, such as theft, women, gambling, murder and escape, and Chen Shouxu's punishment is actually even lighter than that of other pirate ships, and the sailors have been noisy for a while and passed.

The most controversial is the command and the distribution of the spoils. On the issue of command, Chen Shouxu helped him share the doubts and anger of the sailors through a committee of many people. The spoils of war were distributed, and Chen Shouxu made concessions to the sailors in the form that the credit union shareholders had audit rights and that the new pirate joint members would receive equity if they were recommended by five old shareholders. The sailors were most worried about the captain's misappropriation of treasure, so Chen Shouxu completely relinquished the right to manage the finances, and any major expenditure had to be approved by a general meeting of shareholders.

This was the most informative meeting ever received by the sailors of the Tempest. Many people feel like their brains are going to explode, and they haven't finished the day. On the night of the adjournment, Chen Shouxuan was extremely nervous. The pirate group calls it advocating freedom, to put it mildly, but in fact it is lawless, and it is common to kill the captain if he drinks too much. Chen Shouxu in the captain's cabin stayed awake all night, and the only thing that accompanied him was Tiqi, the black slave he had liberated.

"Titch, you've been a sailor on a ship for a long time. What do you think they're going to do with me? Chen Shouxu's tone showed that he was in a state of excitement, and his hand holding the brandy was trembling, "Is it exile or cut off my head and hang it on the mast?" ”

Titch's expression was serious, "No. You're sure to get the advocacy of most sailors. ”

"How can you be so sure?" Chen Shouxu swallowed a sip of wine and handed the bottle to Titch, "Pirates are fickle people, and their thinking is very random. ”

"Titch feels that the Indians and blacks on the ship will definitely support you. There is nothing in your law that deals with race or color. ”

Chen Shouxu sat up straight, "But that's not enough." The skeleton of this team is always white, or rather, English! The technical backbone of this ship is all them. ”

Titch put the wine aside, "Titch is a fighter. Titch had never seen a victorious commander betrayed by his subordinates. ”

"Hehehe......" Chen Shouxu smiled bitterly, "Caesar has also suffered many mutinies, and he often defaults on military salaries and relies on mouth cannons to draw cakes. The soldier was fooled by him because he could fight, right? ”

"Who Caesar is Tiqi doesn't know. Titch only knows that victory will solve all problems. ”

Chen Shouxu jumped up from the bed, slapped the black man on the shoulder, and spit out a national curse, "You're right, I'll take them to war and completely subdue them." ”

Chen Shouxu didn't know how the crew would discuss and connect at night, and he didn't know how many well-intentioned people would add fuel to the fire. He ushered in the morning sun in a hazy drunkenness, and also ushered in the verdict of the crew meeting.

Chen Shouxu's core in the entire draft law is actually two.

First, there was a clear division of pirates, with and without the right to vote. Obtaining the right to vote is still relatively easy at the moment, but as the team expands in the future, it will certainly become more and more difficult to obtain. This is visible to all pirates, so they are actually the beneficiary. and the establishment of a council of commanders on top of the right to vote, in effect re-shaped an officer class among the pirate community. This hierarchical system, which is sure to gradually expand in the future, and the differential treatment that Chen Shouxuan intends to introduce later, constitute the upward ladder.

The second is to make sure that all sailors walk on this ladder of ascent, so that their behavior is orderly. Hopefully, this will shape the unresilient pirates into a stable team.

Chen Shouxu stepped onto the deck and exhaled deeply, the time for the resolution of the crew meeting seemed particularly long.

It was Dorp and Cochlin, as the representatives of the crew, who announced the results of the meeting to Chen Shouxu.

"The General Assembly adopted the captain's proposal, but they had one thing to revise."

"Please."

"Establish a separate Finance Committee. The captain can be a member. ”

Chen Shouxu pondered for a moment, "I agree in principle. There is no problem with the Finance Committee, but it is now understaffed and cannot be large. ”

"There are tentative four, the captain, the captain of the ship, the chairman of the credit union and a sailor, and the sailors do not need to be elected, and the shareholders take turns to serve as sailors."

"Yes."

After the passage of the Crews' Assembly, the law was written and all sailors signed the oath. For the crew who do not agree or accept, they can take the share of the previous loot and leave the ship.

Chen Shouxu finally exhaled a long breath, for him, compared to the transformation of the sailboat, this is the first trace he carved. But as Titch said, it's all about winning the groundwork. Only by winning the battle can you get gold and silver, and only by winning the battle can you provide more positions and keep everyone on the path to the rise.

Looking at Chen Shouxu's figure in the crowd, Maiden said to Walter, "We may have followed a fake pirate captain." ”

"He understands like we do that only discipline is the guarantee of lasting victory." ”

"No, it's not just a victory in the battle. I have a feeling that there is something else in his intentions......"

Walter turned to look at Maiden, "Phillips and Lozelle, two pirate captains, had similar laws. ”

Maiden smiled, "He's different, don't pay attention to the details of the provisions." It's not clear yet, but we'll see......"

After the crew meeting, the Tempest returned to port. After receiving the silver paid by the Governor and disposing of the spoils, the Rose and the Guard left one after another. All that remains of the harbor are the Tempest and the Revenge.

The news of Chen Shouxu's intention to plunder Maracaibo had already spread in the harbor, and since it had been announced at the Sailors' Congress, there was no secret to speak of. The sailor who got drunk at the bar made it known to everyone in the harbor that night.

Roberts, the captain of the Revenge, came to the door, and in Chen Shouxu's cramped captain's cabin, Roberts asked Chen Shouxu to join the group.

This is the first time that a pirate captain has applied to join the group, Chen Shouxu asked, "Can you tell me why?" ”

Roberts smiled wryly, "To tell you the truth, I'm almost deposed by the crew. ”

Chen Shouxu didn't speak, and motioned to Roberts with his eyes to continue.

"You know. The Revenge was a ship I built with my own money, and the crew was also recruited by me. But after a year at sea, I have experienced several failed hunts, and although I have achieved some victories, I have not actually gained much profit, and my crew is very unhappy with the current situation. ”

"Didn't the Revenge get more than £2,000 this time?"

"This time it was a gain, but more than 2,000 pounds and 40 people a point, not much. And after this time, they are even more convinced that the Vengeance can only win if it joins a strong team. ”

"Why me? Wayne and LaBush are stronger now. ”

"No one on my boat likes the tyrannical style of Ravbush. ' Wayne in White is a privateer, and we can't maintain a long-term relationship with him. ”

"I see." Chen Shouxu said a little apologetically, "If it was before, you joined the team of the Storm, this is no problem. But recently the Storm passed a law that only those who accepted the law and signed the oath could join. ”

"I've heard about your laws. Actually, I agree with you very much. If I could, I would like to make such a law on board the ship. It's just a pity I can't. ”

"Are you sure you can get your crew to accept my laws?"

"I can't guarantee it. I can only make this proposal at the crew assembly before I am deposed, and I hope it will be passed. ”

Chen Shouxu sighed, "You can initiate a proposal." If you don't pass, you can take the consenting person on the Storm. If it passes, you're welcome to join. ”

"Thank you", it was this phrase that Roberts was waiting for, and he was now afraid that his life would be at risk if he was deposed by the sailors.

In order to ensure Roberts' personal safety, Chen Shouxu, at his request, sent observers to his ship at the crew meeting. The Vengeance's meeting ended in a stalemate, with the crew of the Tempest having only a narrow numerical advantage. Seeing that there was a trend of infighting, Chen Shouxu decisively led armed sailors into the field.

"You bastards." Chen Shouxu pointed at those who objected and scolded, "The Revenge is a ship built by Captain Roberts at his own expense, and you were personally recruited by him. It's your choice to be a pirate, no one forces you, even if the benefits are not much, but who gives you the power to drive Captain Roberts off the ship? This is a shameful theft. Roberts is now willing to share ownership of the ship with those who approve of it, and I think it's up to you to get the fuck off. ”

Sharing ownership of ships is also a rule of the Storm Credit Union, and the current situation can indeed help Roberts win the confidence of some people.

With Chen Shouxu's intervention, the results of the decision of the crew meeting of the Revenge were successfully implemented. The Vengeance was the equivalent of a split family, and following the precedent of the Tempest, the opposing sailors disembarked with their share of the loot and left on their own.

This was the best result that Roberts could have achieved, and he took off his captain's hat and saluted solemnly, "Captain, thank you very much, you will be my commander from now on." ”