The woman seemed to sense that he was looking at her, and turned her head sharply, just in time to meet Guan Xinzhong's gaze.

Even though she was masked, Kwan could still see the breathtakingly beautiful face behind the veil.

She winked at him, smiled slightly, and disappeared into the darkness in an instant.

"Did you just see that? Like a woman in the past? ”

"Didn't you see that?"

"Blind! Such a slender woman, I can't see it! ”

Listening to everyone's discussions, Guan Xinzhong's heart somehow felt extraordinarily sweet - he knew that her smile was for herself.

Autumn is crisp, there is not a single cloud hanging in the blue sky, and the stars in the sky are like blinking people's eyes, as if they are competing to tell a story. The emperor who rules the stars, the round moon, quietly leans against the canopy of heaven and looks down on all the beings on the earth.

The second live-fire shot that Kwan had been waiting for for a long time finally came. On the way to the shooting range, he was very excited, and after a month of hard training, he could finally show his results!

When they arrived at the shooting range, a carriage had already stopped there, and several officers were standing next to it. When the people inside got out of the car, the officers standing in front walked towards them. When the Oriental instructor saw it, he ran over in a few steps, and saluted the leader of them with a Western military salute, "The Linglin Jue Department, the front team of the Jianrui Battalion has completed the assembly of rifle and pistol shooting!" There should be 102 people, but there are 102 people, please instruct! ”

Hearing that the Oriental instructor called that person "Lin Jue's Department", Guan Xinzhong was taken aback, and looked closely, that person was indeed Lin Yiqing.

Lin Yiqing raised his hand and returned a Western military salute, "Take your team and join the ranks!" ”

"Yes!"

It was the first time Guan Xinzhong looked at Lin Yiqing so carefully. I saw Lin Yiqing walking up. His appearance was the same as when the Imperial City was competing, he looked very young, but his every move carried the intimidating power of the tiger, and it seemed that there was infinite power in his tall and heroic body. The angular face was weathered, remembering his own difficult career as a horseman. At first, he didn't speak, just looked at everyone one by one. Like Scrooge admiring his gold, he smiled with satisfaction at the end.

Standing behind Lin Yiqing is the Feiyang Tower, which is like an iron tower.

Feyantahun gave a lecture, and then announced the start of the shooting training.

"Whoosh!" A red signal rocket dragged its beautiful tail feathers into the sky, and the target shooting began. Kwan Xinzhong is the second group, and he stands behind to watch the first group play. Listening to the sound of fried bean-like gunshots, Guan Xinzhong's heart beat wildly, and the muscles on his calf kept trembling.

The first group was quickly finished, and the Toyo instructor waved to them. Guan Xinzhong forcibly suppressed the tension in his heart and stepped forward.

The Oriental instructor said a few words, and then he fired three yellow-orange bullets, "This is a test shot, and it doesn't matter if it is broken, the main thing is to familiarize everyone with the performance of the gun first." ”

Guan Xinzhong's heart relaxed a little, but his hands were still trembling, and the bullets couldn't be pressed for a long time. The Toyo instructor saw it. came over and said with a tiger face, "How did you do it?" The "horn" pressed the bullet for him twice. Guan Xinzhong turned his head and smiled apologetically at him, then leaned down to aim. Gradually, the gun was lifted up. The fingers gradually strengthened, one fire, two fires, and the white ring of the chest ring target showed a large semicircle. When he was about to pull the trigger, he didn't know who was holding the fire first, and the "horn" earthquake sounded every day. He was startled, and somehow he touched the trigger, and there was another loud bang, and a puff of smoke rose from the loess above the chest ring target. It's strange to say. All the tension before coming was all gone, and my heart was empty and clear, and my mind was full of thoughts on the target. He didn't wait for the target demonstrator to show the target, and in one go, he shot all three bullets, and then stood up, clapped his hands and stood aside.

After the three test shots were completed, the Toyo instructor came over to announce the results, and Guan Xinzhong was 15 rings, obviously a failure. However, Lu Shunguo was even worse, two of the three bullets missed the target, and the only one only hit 7 rings. The Oriental instructor first trained Lu Shunguo, and then turned around and ridiculed Guan Xinzhong again. After the training, another person was given five bullets, saying: "These five bullets are for assessment, and the results should be recorded, and I hope everyone will fight hard." ”

This time, Guan Xinzhong took a calm breath and aimed carefully, and the first shot, "Eight rings!" "After the target demonstrator finishes the ring, the rod points downward." Oh, it's laid. The second shot was slightly raised, "Nine rings!" ”

At this time, the Toyo instructor was standing behind him, nodded and said, "It's not bad, just fight like this." ”

After saying that, he left Guan Xinzhong and went to Lu Shunguo. Guan Xinzhong was shocked unconsciously, and the third shot was aimed more carefully, and after the shot, the target demonstrator shook left and right three times, ten rings! In the fourth shot, the target demonstrator was rocking from side to side; The fifth shot, or the ten rings!

After the fight, as soon as the instructor gave the command to "stand up", he jumped up at once, and after checking the gun, he jumped to the back. At this time, a colleague from behind him asked him, "How was the fight?" ”

Guan Xinzhong raised three fingers in his right hand and raised them high, "Three ten rings, one nine rings, and one eight rings!" ”

The Toyo instructor glared at him, "What are you yelling about!" Others are still fighting! ”

After the rifle was fired, the next thing was the pistol, this time, Guan Xinzhong was not as excited as last time, and his mood was a little comfortable.

It's strange to say, as soon as you practice hand shooting, you can hit it with a stone at a distance of 25 meters, but you just can't hit it! There were 32 people in the previous team, and 10 people failed, and 6 of them were bald!

The people in the first round of Guan Xinzhong's team also came down, and Guan Xinzhong didn't bother to inquire about their results, so he couldn't wait to get on the target. The pistol has a short body, poor stability, and a one-handed gun, coupled with a nervous mood, it is indeed difficult to fight. But Guan Xinzhong's hard work finally worked, the three bullets fired in advance all hit the target, and the others had one or two missed the target, Lu Shunguo was even more interesting, he was stunned at the target for a long time, and he couldn't find a hole on it!

Guan Xinzhong was secretly a little proud, thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi, the five bullets in the assessment, he was not in a hurry, and calmly moved the gun slowly down from the target. At the same time slowly pre-press the trigger. Just before he knew it, "bang", the gun went off, and just like that, he fired one shot after another. It is also considered a blessing, and the results are all 10 rings! And the impact point is densely gathered in the bull's-eye. No more than three fingers between the impact points!

The whole team was in an uproar!

Even Lin Yiqing was shocked by this, he personally went to test the target, and then nodded with satisfaction.

After the target shooting, the next step was the assassination training, and Lin Yiqing saw that all the people were stabbed accurately and ruthlessly! A soldier who was shot in a place where he was not wearing protective gear immediately bent down in pain. The team caught a glimpse and scolded: "Wreck! Just touch it and it becomes like this! Give me the gun! ”

The team spat and snatched the soldier's wooden gun and buckled the mask. A tiger jumping to the opponent's left flank is a shot!

His opponent unceremoniously came to a "left stab", the two wooden guns collided with a loud "pong", Lin Yiqing saw that the wooden gun in the soldier's hand almost got out of his hand, he couldn't help but be startled, thinking where did this team come from so ruthlessly!

The team tightened their protective gear, and they shot it fiercely! Unexpectedly, the opponent learned to be obedient this time, and dodged lightly, and the team used too much force. It staggered several steps before he stopped. He turned around, glared at his opponent, and said, "You kid is playing tricks." There's a kind of stand still! The opponent swung his gun and fought with him again.

Seeing this scene, Lin Yiqing's eyes flashed with approval, although he didn't say anything, but Fei Yang Tahun understood that Lin Yiqing was still satisfied with the results of his "tossing".

Fei Yang Tahun was about to take Lin Yiqing to watch the training of the artillery team. saw a retinue of Lin Yiqing's subordinates hurrying over, holding a letter in his hand.

"My lord, Minister Li of Berlin is in an emergency."

Lin Yiqing nodded, took the telegram and opened it and read it, when his gaze swept over the telegram. Feiyang Tahun saw that his expression suddenly became solemn.

"What's wrong?" Feiyang Tahun couldn't help but ask.

"The Japanese ordered two large ironclads in Germany." Lin Yiqing's expression instantly returned to normal, and he handed the telegram in his hand to Fei Yang Tahui.

Fei Yang Tahui listened to Lin Yiqing's words, and his expression couldn't help but be solemn.

Although he was born as a traditional Bo samurai, Feiyang Tahui was not a stubborn and old-fashioned person, and after reading "Dianshizhai Pictorial" for a long time, he also knew what it meant for the Qianguo to have a large ironclad ship in Japan.

In the East Japan Sea, the Sailing training ship "Phoenix Maru" is jolting forward.

To the people on land, the sails of a ship scorched by the scorching sun and blown by the sea breeze seem as light as air. In fact, the sails are made of heavy canvas that, once wrapped around the trusses, must be loosened immediately or they will break – and with them, the ropes, the sail strings, and even the masts will fall to the ground. The out-of-control sail is like a whip that cuts the head and covers the face, capable of sending a able-bodied sailor to the west for no reason. It's no surprise that this is a common occurrence on sailboats.

The bow jib of the Phoenix Maru is tied to the farthest end of the bow mast, which is the very topmost point. If one considers that the bow of a ship sailing in the deep sea always rises and falls, one understands that once the spinnaker breaks, the ship will be half-sunk and half-floating in the sea. The pressure of the water combined with the impulse of the ship could cause the bow mast to break. So sailors repairing spinnakers not only have to wrestle with the heavy sails that fly wildly, but they also have to watch out for the roaring ocean beneath their feet, just a few feet apart (sometimes shorter).

At this time, Navy recruit Kimura Hirokichi was repairing the bow sprit.

"Kimura-kun, did you see that rope?" Takahashi, an old sailor with new recruits, asked with a finger to the tangled rope at the far end of the mast that held the spinnaker to it.

Kimura nodded.

"Don't get tangled up in the sails, you just need to cut the ropes. The spinnaker will automatically release, we have other sails. Mind you, you have to cut it with a knife and swing under the mast right away, or the sails will sweep you in, get it? ”

Kimura nodded again.

"You have to time it well, or you will be swallowed up as soon as the boat rises and the sea rises."

Kimura was so confident that he jumped to the bow railing without much thought or worry. He stepped onto the bowsprit and thought he needed to walk twenty feet on it—it was not difficult, for there was a rope for him to lean on.

Kimura Hirokichi started, and according to what he had learned before, his eyes were fixed on the bow mast and the feet of the bare man, and he moved forward inch by inch. The hissing of the raging water below, the sting of the mast itself from foam, were nothing, and to his startle was the violent up-and-down vibrating of the mast up and down.

Halfway through, he glanced back. Since getting on board. For the first time, he saw the statue of the bow of the ship, a pale gray phoenix, its wings outstretched against the bow, its head held high, its beak wide open, as if it were singing. As soon as the bow of the ship tilted, the open beak of the bird kept pecking into the sea. Every time it rises, the foam drips, like a rabid dog with rabies. The sight frightened him, and for a moment he stayed where he was, until the boat shook so suddenly that he was almost plunged into the sea.

Urgency was imminent, but the only way to do this was to tighten your toes into the mast and grasp the supporting rope with one hand. He managed to let go of his other hand so that he could take out the twisting knife that Takahashi had given him out of his pocket.

He leaned forward and cut the rope with his hands. Heaven willing, the tangled rope is tight, and it is very easy to cut—I am afraid it is too easy. The last of the ropes hissed and cracked, and the sail echoed lowly, sweeping over his hand that was cutting the rope, sending the knife flying into the sea. Just as he fumbled awkwardly. The mast shook suddenly, and he slipped. It was pure luck to fall straight down, and it was only when I caught the bow mast that I could grasp it. He hung there, dangling his feet, just a few feet away from the raging sea below.

As the "Phoenix Maru" swayed, the sea water flooded his waist. And then to his chest. He tried to roll over, trying to hook the mast with his foot, but in vain. The waves continued to sweep over him, trying to pull him down, but he could only swing there. Crazy and helpless kicking and shaking. His head was dipped in the sea twice, swallowed a few mouthfuls of seawater, and choked his throat. In the end, he finally understood that only by calculating the time and matching the shaking of his feet with the upward momentum of the boat could he save himself.

The ship rose upward, and Kimura did his best, swinging his feet up and climbing the mast. But the Phoenix Maru sank again, and he was then immersed in the raging waves, and could only hold on to the smist. Then the boat went up again. This time he turned over with all the strength of his suckling, and finally stepped on the mast, but the whole person collapsed.

Someone must have beckoned the man at the helm, and the course of the ship changed, and the course of the ship changed to a calmer water, gradually slowing down, and the shaking was no longer so powerful.

Kimura gasped and spat into the sea, finally having the strength to get through the smit. Finally, he stepped onto the wooden insolent phoenix head and climbed over the railing. Takahashi helped him onto the deck and gave him a warm hug and compliments.

Captain Heihachiro Togo looked at him, his face as expressionless as a stone.

"Kimura Hirokichi," he roared, "come here! ”

Despite trembling violently, Kimura did not feel afraid. He got the job done, and the captain knew he was done. He quickly boarded the aft deck.

"If I tell you to do something," Heihachiro Togo yelled at him with a glare, "Remember! It is you who I command! It's no one else! Now it's you who are forcing us to change course and wasting time! Before Kimura could reply, he raised his hand, slapped him hard, and then turned and walked away.

Kimura was annoyed.

"Coward!" He shouted at Dongxiang in his heart, "Liar! ”

"I wish I could go back soon!" Takahashi whispered to him, "I'll go straight to court-martialed to sue him!" His captaincy won't sit for a few more days! Everyone will know that he is a cruel and ruthless little tyrant! ”

Kimura spat on the deck, and spat on the side of his riding boots.

In their eyes, Heihachiro Togo is like a ghost full of murderous intentions.

As the commander of the Satsuma Navy at the time, Heihachiro Togo, after surrendering to the government and spending two years in prison, re-entered the Japanese Navy and was appointed captain of the training ship "Phoenix Maru", responsible for training sailors.

As for Togo Heihachiro, because he himself is extremely violent, the sailors can be said to have had enough of his suffering. Neither the recruits nor the veterans had any good feelings about him.

Time passed little by little, except for Takahashi, who insisted that Kimura must learn how to deal with knives, including carrying knives, using knives, and even discarding knives. By the end of his first shift, he ordered Kimura to practice on deck for three hours.

The next two days were spent uneventful. During this time, however, the sky turned to an unchanging gray and the air was filled with moist moisture. As the sun sets the next day, Takahashi and Kimura are grinding the winch, and Kimura sees a branch floating among the waves, and a red bird perched on it.

"Look!" Kimura pointed to the bird and exclaimed happily, "Are we not far from land?" ”

Takahashi got up to take a closer look, and after looking at it for a while, he recognized what kind of bird it was.

He shook his head and said, "This bird is from a thousand miles away. I've seen it there. Red Bird, that's what the locals call it. ”

"How did it get here?" Kimura asked curiously.

After a while, he said, "Blown by a storm." ”

Kimura looked at him in surprise, "What kind of storm can blow a bird that far?" He asked, his eyes wide open.

"Hurricanes."

"What is a hurricane?"

"One of the worst of the storm."

"Can we avoid it?"

Takahashi looked at the steering wheel, the sails, and then the sky above, and then he frowned. "I've heard the first officer and the second officer arguing about this before. From what I know," he said, "I don't think our venerable little tyrant captain wants to avoid it." ”

"Why?"

"That's what the first mate said, the captain wants to run faster. If he can succeed in bringing the boat to the brink of a hurricane, the wind will send us on its way. (To be continued.) )

PS: Ask for collection! Ask for recommendations! Ask for a subscription! Click! Ask for a commuter pass!