Natsuki has never been a person who sticks a hot face to someone else's cold ass, and the joy that welled up in his heart quickly ebbed, and he said in an understated tone: "Princess Louise and I have come to watch the King's Cup Water Race, and people say that this will be the most exciting race, I wonder if Madame and Miss are also here for this?" ”

"Yes, everybody wanted to know how fast the speedboat could win the £100,000 prize, so they all came curiously. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 Ignoring the surprise just now, Mrs. Hill's expression was as calm as the surface of a lake, and the more she did, the more she was able to show her dignified beauty.

"Probably as fast as a sailfish!" Natsuki said casually, and he didn't care about the "secret" contained in it - the average speed of the Sailfish is about 90 kilometers per hour, and it can reach 110 kilometers in short sprints, and the new speedboat test speed of the Friedrich Royal Shipyard is exactly at this level. It won't be long before people will be able to witness this "miracle" with their own eyes at the mouth of the Thames.

At this time, Charlotte raised her face: "Dad said that no boat can swim as fast as a sailfish." ”

Accustomed to Louise's gentle smile when she spoke, looking at the cold and delicate little face in front of her, Natsuki suddenly had the idea of mischief, so he deliberately put on a very serious expression: "Then we can make a bet, if the result of this championship exceeds that of the sailfish, I win, otherwise you win, how about it?" ”

Mrs. Hill didn't seem to have any intention of interjecting, and perhaps it seemed to her that it was just a fairy tale between two minors. Charlotte winked: "Sailfish can swim about 60 nautical miles in an hour." ”

With thousands of years of human sailing experience, it is not too difficult to visually estimate the speed of a sea fish, and 60 nautical miles is roughly equivalent to the speed of a sailfish determined by science, but Charlotte's way of speaking makes Xia Shu feel that this is a clever and cunning chick, so he responded with a smile: "Your sailfish is a world champion." ”

"How's it if you win at more than 60 knots?" Miss Hill finally had an expression on her face that was more than grim - a proud provocation.

Natsuki wasted no time in responding: "What's the stake?" ”

Charlotte had clearly made the bet, and she said quickly, "If I win, let us each pick a piece of clothing here that suits you, and you will pay the bill." ”

Even if he bought all the clothes here, Natsuki would not end up on the streets, and he quickly thought of his quid pro quo: "Then if I win, how about inviting me and Louise to the house for a few days?" ”

This time, Charlotte turned her head to look at her mother's face, and Mrs. Hill was a little surprised, but this bet was obviously within the psychological range that she could accept, so she said unhurriedly: "It is a great honor for us to invite His Royal Highness the Prince and Princess of Prussia. ”

"Then it's a deal." Natsuki smiled slyly.

Seeing Xia Shu's expression, Charlotte pouted and said, "Okay, don't be a debt when the time comes!" ”

"I vouch for it in my personal honor." Natsuki replied, and then Louise also came over, and after she greeted Charlotte and her daughter politely, Natsuki said to her sister, "Miss Hill is going to invite us to their manor, it seems that we are in Thetford or Sudbury, and I heard General Hill talk about it last time." ”

Charlotte was disdainful of Natsuki's confident gesture, but she was not easily angered, and she said to Louise: "Our manor is in Thetford, which is a fairyland, but I'm not sure if the human invention of a vehicle can reach the amazing speed of a sailfish." ”

"Sailfish?" Louise looked at Natsuki innocently, "Is the swordfish faster than the cruiser?" ”

Charlotte was speechless, and Natsuki shrugged slightly, at least at this moment, they found a little bit of resonance.

At dusk, Natsuki and Louise take the train east from London to Great Wakeling in Kent, which is located on the north bank of the Thames estuary, with a straight and flat coastline and idyllic seaside scenery, and more importantly, a large number of boats that do not interfere with the busy commercial routes on the Thames. This day is the last day of the registration deadline, and there are hundreds of boats in the water area designated by the organizers, which are different shapes and colors. Those professional racing boats are like ancient Roman warriors, with shiny armor and muscular muscles, and there is no superfluous burden on their bodies; The private yacht looks like a dressing gown, giving it a lazy and bloated feel, and even with the excess loads removed, the planks and strips used for grooming add a lot of burden; Usually the traffic boats operating in the port or waterway are like running yard men, whether they are well-dressed or sloppy, they cannot change their light structure and single purpose; On top of that, you'll find a number of makeshift speedboats built for prize money, all of which are of different sizes and have strange appearances.

The Royal Shipyard has arrived in the UK with its crew and equipment, and the team is still led by the experienced Uncle Wiesel. While many of the contestants were still looking for a hot meal, the uncle had already rented a seaside shelter with a boathouse, so that their new speedboat would not have to be in the wind and waves like most of the participating boats, and could be properly maintained and overhauled before the race.

Eating a seafood feast prepared by a professional chef and listening to Uncle Wiesel's anecdotes about the event, Natsuki's tired body and mind after a day of shopping finally relaxed. Judging from the condition of the boats present, most of them are ordinary people who come for the big prizes, and there are very few who are truly competitive. However, the prize money of this event has skyrocketed, but the threshold for participation has not been raised, so that more than 600 boats have passed the registration, far exceeding the number of boats in the previous race, and the organizers have to temporarily modify the competition system, changing the original non-sequential racing to the pre-final system, all participating boats are divided into 20 groups to start the finals, and the top three in each group advance to the finals.

After killing the second salmon, Natsuki took a sip of brandy and asked the chief speedboat pilot of the Royal Shipyard: "Gold, can our 'Kraken' run at more than 60 knots at the mouth of the Thames?" ”

Gord is a young German with a beautiful goose-egg face, a nimble mind, quick reflexes, and an amazing balance. During the sea trials off Danzig, he piloted the "Kraken" to a top speed of 62 knots, but the weather and sea conditions in the North Sea are different from those in the southern part of the Baltic Sea, and Gord thought for a while: "Your Highness, I don't dare to guarantee that the average speed of the whole journey can exceed 60 knots, but I am still very confident that I will defeat those stinky fish and rotten shrimp and win the championship." ”

That wasn't the answer Natsuki was looking for, and he turned to Wizel for advice.

The uncle's answer was unhurried: "The course of the King's Cup is a round trip along the coast of Great Wackering, and the weather is fine these days, and half of the voyage down the river can reach a more ideal speed. 60 knots...... It shouldn't be too difficult! According to the official race record, more than 54 knots can be set to set a new record, what is the special consideration of His Highness to propose this 60 knots? ”

Natsuki smiled but did not answer, and after a while, the attendant informed that Prince Gustav of Sweden had come to visit.

"This guy is simply a bear in the forest, and he can smell people from more than ten kilometers away!" Natsuki's teasing language was not malicious, and Louise on the side suddenly widened her eyes with curiosity. On the way, she listened to Natsuki's story about the sailfish, and she realized what kind of joke she had made earlier.

The halls and corridors of the house were covered with wooden floors, and the sound of heavy footsteps came from far and near. As soon as the tall Gustav entered the restaurant, he said in the high-pitched voice that is customary for Scandinavians: "It is presumptuous to hear that the noble German princes and princesses are here uninvited!" ”

This girl is not only the orthodox prince of Sweden, but also the old patron of the Royal Shipyard, how can Natsuki think of him for being presumptuous, and beckons him to sit down with a smile.

As the descendants of the Vikings, the Norse people still retain their industrious and brave, rough and bold and even violent and irritable character, as soon as Gustav's ass touched the chair, he unceremoniously grabbed an empty wine glass and a bottle of brandy, poured half a glass in one go, and raised the wine glass in high spirits: "Although we will meet tomorrow in the arena, this will not change the great friendship between us!" ”

After saying that, the Swedish prince drank all the wine in the cup, and all the shipyard engineers, maintenance technicians, pilots, and even Wizel were all present, except for Natsuki who just smiled and took a sip. Two years ago, he didn't drink a drop of alcohol, and he only lifted the taboo a little when he entered the year of dancing spoons. In fact, in the upper circle, almost no one will blush and force others to drink, let alone a minor like Natsuki.

Gustav was accustomed to Natsuki's reservation, he poured himself another large glass without restraint, and after the waiter had added utensils, he picked up the silver spoon and went straight to the black caviar on the table, and then stuffed the spoonful of the best delicacy into his mouth, the pleasant feeling stayed on his face for a few seconds, swallowed the food, took a large sip of wine alone, and exclaimed contentedly: "Hey, Prinz, your treatment is too luxurious!" Tsk, what a person who will enjoy it! ”

This full table of dishes is basically made from local ingredients, bought and cooked, except for black caviar, which is an expensive import. However, Xia Shu did not defend himself, and generously invited: "If Your Highness is willing to appreciate your face, you will eat here for the next few days!" ”

Gustav glared at this: "How can that work!" Although we are not rich in Sweden, we still have the ability to entertain friends. This time, we have hired a chef who is particularly good at cooking beef and mutton, and when the competition is over tomorrow, His Highness will bring everyone with him anyway! ”

Natsuki chuckled, and Louise pursed her lips and snickered.

Gustav obviously didn't understand why they were laughing, but he didn't mind, and said as he drank, "As soon as I heard that the British royal family offered a prize of 100,000 pounds for the championship, I guessed that you would definitely come to the competition." My ace speedboat was built by you, and it can't outrun your latest speedboat, so it seems that this time it will only be second. There's nothing unconvincing about losing to you, but I have a small request - to hand over your new speedboat to me after the race. ”

Through previous understanding, Natsuki knows that this Swedish prince has a demeanor and brains, and now he seems to be very knowledgeable about current affairs. Unfortunately, this time was different, and he politely refused: "I'm afraid this speedboat won't work, but I can guarantee that in a few months, we will provide a newer and better speedboat to His Highness, and the price is guaranteed to be the most discounted." ”

Gustav was curious and asked, "Why not?" ”

Natsuki paused for a moment to think of the right wording, then replied, "Due to certain laws of the market, it will sell for far more than what it actually worth. Given the good relationship we have worked on for many years, I don't want you, Your Highness, to pay you an unnecessary price for it. ”

Gustav was not a man of letters, nor did he have the patience to ponder the deep meaning behind these words, he raised his head and made another glass, holding the cup in his right hand and slamming it on the table: "How expensive can it be?" £50,000? £100,000? ”

Natsuki shook his head and whispered, "I'm afraid it's more than that." ”

Gustav froze, his eyes full of doubt.

"Then again, our speedboat may not be the winner." Natsuki said, "I heard that His Highness has modified the 'Neeld' with a more powerful engine, and the speed should be much higher than last year's victory in the King's Cup." ”

Gustav was not a very scheming man, and he nodded: "Although the speed has increased, it is still far from the expected performance." I think that the design structure of the speedboat is the key to determining the speed! ”

He had been involved in rowing for several years, spending a lot of money just to buy equipment and hire technicians, and Gustav seemed to have gradually figured out the essentials. The reason why the Royal Friedrichshipyard has become a leader in the field of speedboats is not because of its excellent mechanical engineers or excellent boatmaking technology, but most importantly, because it has an unrivalled "wisdom", that is, Natsuki. As a professional naval engineer a hundred years later, although he is not an expert in the field of speedboats, he is enough to become a world-class designer of this era.

(End of chapter)