Zheng Zheng hesitated for so long, Tao Donglai had already expected in his heart that he might not agree to it, so he was not too surprised when he heard this answer. Tao Donglai nodded and said, "I think Mr. Zheng may think that if he agrees to our request, he will feel that the place of Black Earth Port is out of the control of Annan, right?"

Zheng Zheng nodded and said, "The rest of the conditions are negotiable, but you have a request for that black soil port...... It is difficult to obey the fate. ”

Tao Donglai will not give up his original plan because of his words, the occupation of the black earth port is a strategic plan for the development of the crossing group, and for this reason, the crossing group will even really not hesitate to start a war with the North Vietnamese regime Of course, before this possibility happens, the executive committee headed by Tao Donglai will try its best to find a peaceful solution to the problem.

"With regard to the status of the port of black earth, we may recognize that its sovereignty belongs to you, and if necessary, you may send a local official to set up a seat there, at our expense. Tao Donglai offered to make concessions. Sovereignty is a thing, in the end, it is who has the biggest fist who has the final say, so Tao Donglai does not care about what hidden dangers will be left for future expansion if he says it now.

Even in the face of a relatively weak opponent such as the North Vietnamese regime, it still needs to be more cautious in expressing its position, so as not to bring unnecessary trouble or even a military conflict to itself. In a few years' time, when the crossing group will become strong and strong, and the official enclosure will begin, the Executive Committee will be able to confidently draw all the overseas colonization sites such as Heitu Port under its own territory in the name of "since ancient times", and anyone who refuses to accept it will be beaten with muskets and cannons.

As for the North Vietnamese regime sending officials to the port of Heitu to establish a government office, it was even more trivial. As for the method of dealing with the interference of the local government, there is already a successful example of the Yulin Inspection Division, and the Black Soil Port can also be done according to the gourd painting scoop, and the North Vietnamese regime can accept as many people as the Black Soil Port can handle, which is nothing more than raising a few idlers, and crossing the group will not be so bad for rice and grain.

Sure enough, when Zheng Zheng heard Tao Donglai say this, his face looked a little better, but he still didn't let go: "However, I heard that the local area is rich in refined coal, and it continues to be trafficked abroad after the opening of the port. ”

Tao Donglai found that this Zheng Zheng was not a second-generation official who didn't know anything, and if he wanted to fool him and become lame, he had to work hard.

Tao Donglai thought for a while and said, "We are willing to rent the Black Earth Port area from you by paying rent. So you have both sovereignty and income, so you have the best of both worlds. ”

Xie Chun and Qian Tiandun, who were sitting next to him, couldn't hold back their coughs, Tao Donglai came up with this idea for Zheng Zheng, isn't it the Vietnamese version of the 17th century? I pay the rent, the sovereignty belongs to you, and the governing power belongs to me, but after the lease is out, it is difficult to take it back.

Zheng Zheng was stunned and said, "Rental?"

"That's right, it's rental. Tao Donglai glared at the two people next to him fiercely and warned them not to be too dramatic.

"We can rent ten Haihan guns per year to rent uninhabited land in and around Heitu Harbor. Tao Donglai seriously persuaded Zheng Zheng and said: "That place in Heitu Port has no real value to you, it is nothing more than coal buried underground. However, I know that there is also coal production in the area north of Thang Long Province, so the coal from the port of Black Earth is not a necessity for you, so it is better to give it to us to develop in exchange for the arms you need. ”

Zheng Zheng coughed dryly and said, "Can I ask first, what is the price of the artillery you are going to sell?"

"Since this is the case, it is better to ask Mr. Zheng to go and see the real thing first! Tao Donglai stood up and took the initiative to invite Zheng Zheng. As for the price, Tao Donglai did not rush to report it to Zheng Zheng, he was convinced that Zheng Zheng would be more receptive to the offer after seeing the weapon target cover-up.

Zheng Zheng didn't take any more shelves this time, he took a boat from Thang Long Mansion to this place, wasn't it just to see the guns of the Haihan people? It's just that he didn't expect in advance that the content of this transaction was not simply to end with money and goods, but actually involved in territorial issues. He didn't think so much about the matter of the Black Earth Port before he came, but he just thought that when necessary, he just sent an army over to take it back, but he never thought that the Haihan people would put forward so many twists and turns, bent on protecting their interests in that port.

In fact, Zheng Zheng also believes that what Tao Donglai said is not unreasonable, coal is not a scarce resource for North Vietnam, and there are coal mines in Taiyuan and Luping north of Thang Long Province. Although there are still remnants of the Mo Dynasty in the northern mountains that have not been completely wiped out, there are also coal mines in Ruguan near Thang Long Province, and even if the Black Soil Port can be recovered now, one more place to produce coal is not of great practical significance to North Vietnam. What's more, it is said that the place has to be reached by sea boat for more than half a day from here, and it is also a very troublesome thing to transport coal out, and in Zheng Zheng's opinion, it is far better than exchanging coal for more practical benefits.

Of course, this is also because Zheng Zheng did not know how much coal was buried in the ground in the Black Soil Port, and if he knew that there was much more coal in that place than the entire area of the current North Vietnamese regime combined, then things might not have gone according to the ideas designed by Tao Donglai.

However, Zheng Zheng was still more cautious about Tao Donglai's proposal to use arms as an exchange condition for rent, and he had to see with his own eyes to determine whether the Haihan people's arms were usable. As for the price, Zheng Zheng really didn't care much about the problem faced by the current North Vietnamese regime that there was no place to buy firearms, not the price of the supplier.

The preparations made by the Military Police Department for the weapons demonstration this time can be described as quite sufficient, and the area on the peninsula was set up one day in advance to build a shooting range, and all the specifications were copied in accordance with the artillery training base of the base camp, and the forts, explosion-proof ditches, distance markers, and earthen targets were all available. These pigs are not used to comfort the crew or entertain guests, but to be used as targets, using bloody reality to prove the power of weapons to the other side.

Zheng Zheng was also quite curious when he saw a pigsty in the shooting range, and it was only after Qian Tiandun's explanation that he suddenly realized. However, he still had doubts about whether the artillery could hit these live targets at a distance of more than half a mile, in his opinion, although the power of the artillery was great, but the accuracy was really very limited.

Tao Donglai is not worried about this problem, several guns used for demonstration have been repeatedly calibrated and test-fired when they were in Shengli Harbor, and there are several detailed firing tables to ensure the accuracy of the impact point, and after being transported here, they have been calibrated many times, and two rounds were test-fired yesterday afternoon, so it can be said that the preparations have been foolproof.

The observation point of the shooting range is set up on a gentle slope nearby, just on the side of the gun position and the target, from where the entire shooting process can be clearly seen without the need for a telescope. In the first phase of the test launch, six artillery pieces will be used to bombard the pigsty at the same time, in an effort to bring the greatest visual shock to the North Vietnamese delegates who are watching from the sidelines.

On this trip, the Military Police Department sent almost all the existing gunners, and it was barely able to realize this weapon demonstration plan. Qian Tiandun, who was in charge of the command, reminded those present with a long whistle that the weapon demonstration had begun. The artillerymen of each battery trotted into the field in columns, assembled on the gun emplacements and stood by.

"Mr. Zheng, among the six guns you see now, the four in the middle are of smaller caliber and are called Type 27 Type A guns, and the two guns at both ends are slightly larger in caliber and are called Type 27 Type B guns. These two kinds of artillery use special gun carriages and our Haihan exclusive development of the rope firing device, each of which can be operated flexibly by only four people...... Tao Donglai seized the time to introduce to Zheng Zheng the situation used to demonstrate this artillery.

The so-called A and B guns are 6-pounder guns and 12-pounder guns, respectively. However, this kind of code name based on the weight of the shell can only be used internally, and it is not easy to explain to customers what "pounds" are. The 18-pounder and 24-pounder guns, which have a larger caliber, will not be sold to the public at this stage for security reasons.

Next, under Qian Tiandun's whistle command, the artillerymen loaded their ammunition in strict accordance with the operating procedures, and even pretended to take aim. Qian Tiandun pulled out the saber on his waist and pointed diagonally at the sky, and at the same time let out a short whistle to indicate that he was ready.

Tao Donglai raised his hand here, Qian Tiandun glanced at it, and immediately waved the saber down, and the gunner of the six guns pulled the rope in his hand, and fired the cannonball almost at the same time.

Almost instantaneously, the six shells flew the distance between the gun position and the target, tearing the small wooden pigsty and the pigs inside to shreds with tremendous kinetic energy. The shock of this close-up view was very strong, and Zheng Zheng sat slumped in his chair and couldn't speak for a long time.

"Mr. Zheng, let's take a closer look. Tao Donglai smiled and invited Zheng Zheng.

Seeing the other party's pale face, Tao Donglai felt very satisfied, to achieve the current effect, the meticulous preparations he had made before were completely worth it. The moment the shell hit the target just now, even Tao Donglai himself felt very shocked, not to mention Zheng Zheng, who had never seen this kind of scene at all.

When we got closer, the visual shock became even stronger, and the shells tore several unlucky pigs to pieces, blood and minced meat covered a large area within a radius of seven or eight feet, and even the air was filled with a smell of blood that could not be dissipated. It is entirely conceivable how lethal these guns would have been if this had been on the battlefield.

Zheng Zheng glanced at it a few times, and felt a little sick to his stomach, so he hurriedly signaled to Tao Donglai that he had seen enough. After Zheng Zheng and Tao Donglai returned to their seats, the two most accurate guns prepared began to shoot at fixed target positions at different distances.

"Mr. Zheng can see how accurate our artillery is when designing for targets at different distances. Tao Donglai lost no time in continuing to introduce: "The artillery produced by our Haihan is all equipped with precisely calibrated shooting meters and observation tools, and with these means, even a layman can quickly become a sharp artillery on the battlefield." As long as we are equipped with artillery, we can easily kill ten or even a hundred times more enemies with a small number of artillery units in the course of battle! No one can resist this kind of artillery bombardment, and no unit can have the courage to continue fighting after being attacked like this! If you want to defeat the rebels in the south in a frontal battle, artillery will be one of your indispensable weapons!"

Zheng Zheng had to admit that the artillery displayed by the Haihan people was extremely sharp, and after seeing with his own eyes that these artillery pieces easily destroyed several earthen fortresses hundreds of zhang away, Zheng Zheng thought that this weapon could not only be used in field battles, and when Wang Shi went south with this weapon, all the rebel cities would collapse under the roar of cannonballs!

Zheng Zheng had already made up his mind about this, and he had to try to convince the Haihan people not to sell this powerful weapon to the rebels in the south at the same time.

Finally, when the demonstration was over, Zheng Zheng couldn't wait to ask, "I don't know what the price of these two guns you demonstrated?"

Tao Donglai was already reassured at this time, but he was not in a hurry at all, and said with a smile: "Mr. Zheng doesn't need to worry, the price we quoted must be fair." In addition to artillery, we also have muskets for sale, Mr. Zheng might as well take a look at the muskets produced by my Haihan!"

Zheng Zheng had no choice but to hold back his urgency and wait to see the musket demonstration of the Haihan people.

Because the musket demonstration was made with an arquebus, the array prepared by the Military Police Department was a standard three-stage shot. Sixty militiamen, who had been trained for a week in Port Victory, were to demonstrate this musket tactic in a three-row row of twenty men. The target of the demonstration is the remaining live pigs.

Zheng Zheng has a collection of several muskets in his home, including the Franco-mechanical arquebus from the West, the original Lu Mi gun from the Middle East, and the bird gun made by the Ming Army, but this kind of collection is just for fun, at most it is used when hunting in the mountains and forests, as for what tactics should be used for this sharp weapon on the battlefield, Zheng Zheng This is the first time to see the demonstration. It's not that he is shallow in knowledge, but the number of muskets in Vietnam is limited, and it is simply not enough to equip the army in a structured manner, so naturally there is no tactic to speak of. In his original idea, this weapon should be at the front of the army before the battle, like an archer, and shoot as many as he could. As for melee combat, this kind of fire-stick weapon is exempt.

But the Haihan people's musket tactics demonstration really opened his eyes, the three rows of musketeers under the officer's whistle command very neatly completed the steps of loading, aiming, shooting, and changing positions, full of rhythm, and the power was also very obvious, after the three rows of musketeers completed a shot, the pigs tied to the stump a hundred paces away had all fallen. However, the musketeers still carried out a complete tactical demonstration of ten rapid fire according to the content of the previous exercise.

After the demonstration, Tao Donglai again invited Zheng Zheng to observe the shooting results up close. In addition to a few pigs that were beaten to pieces, a specially built earthen wall behind it was also riddled with bullet marks, Tao Donglai pointed to the bullet marks on the earthen wall and said to Zheng Zheng: "Mr. Zheng, at the demonstration distance just now, the musket we provided can easily penetrate the ordinary iron armor, you can imagine how many soldiers on the other side can maintain the courage to move forward under such a firepower." It takes at least half a year to train a qualified soldier, and to train a musketeer who can shoot, we can just pull a person with all four limbs and a normal brain, and we can let him master the weapon in his hand within half a month. Using the muskets produced by our Haihan can help you save a lot of training investment, and the time for the army to become an army will be greatly shortened. ”

Zheng Zheng nodded again and again when he heard this, holding a sample of a musket handed over by Tao Donglai in his hand, and he really felt that he couldn't put it down. Even if he is not an expert, he can see that the level of craftsmanship of this gun is not in any way below that of his own collection, and the demonstration just now has fully demonstrated the power and reliability of this weapon. If there's one thing to find on it, it's probably the lack of melee ability.

But Tao Donglai seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and made a gesture to Wang Tom next to him. Tom nodded, walked over to the lined up musketeers, and commanded in a loud voice: "All of them!

The musketeers pulled out their sleeve bayonets from the scabbards on the side of their thighs, and it took only two or three seconds to load them on the barrels, and then the group of musketeers in front of Zheng Zheng immediately became short spearmen with basic melee ability.

"This ...... This ......" Zheng Zheng really can't find the right adjective for the changes in front of him, such a sharp long-range weapon also has the ability to fight at close range, is the Haihan people going against the sky?

Tao Donglai said with a smile: "This auxiliary weapon is called a bayonet, and it can be used with a musket. Of course, this ancillary weapon comes at an additional cost. ”

Zheng Zheng stared at this group of musketeers with their heads held high, and seemed to have seen the scene when Wang Shi set foot in Hue Mansion, as for Tao Dong's "extra pricing", he didn't even listen to a word in his heart.