Today's weather was clearly not as good as yesterday's, the sky was foggy, the streets were raining annoyingly, and everywhere there was a dampness seeping into the marrow.

If it was in the past, Arthur would definitely have to point to God and curse before going out.

But now, he doesn't care, doesn't care at all.

Well, at least, that's what he said.

An ordinary pub in London's East End, where the all-night party has just ended.

The waiter didn't even have time to clean the table of wine and grease stains, and the lame table, which was missing half a leg, was occupied by two new guests.

One of the two guests was a strange man with a pipe in his mouth, a sailor's hat, bloomers, and big-toed shoes.

As for the other, it's even stranger.

Another guest hung an unopened bottle of wine in his left hand, a ninety percent new pipe in his right hand, a lively bunny with twine tied to his shoulder, and a pair of playing cards he had just bought from the store in his trouser pocket.

His eyes stared straight at the waitress until he saw that the other party's face was red and hot, and then he politely asked, "Madam, can I marry you?" ”

That weird guy saw this very rarely, and finally couldn't bear it anymore and scolded.

"Arthur! What the fuck are you fucking doing? You don't look like a hooligan at all, but like a fool! Fuck it, you're blind with that handsome face! Have you forgotten what I just taught you? Get out of the way, I'll come! ”

After saying that, the strange guy Kuo Shao personally walked up to the waitress and demonstrated it to Arthur.

His playful eyes went back and forth between the other's chest and face, he picked up the other's chin with his fingertips, and then said in a flirtatious tone: "Little girl, are you interested in playing with me?" ”

"Play with your mother, mongrel!"

There was a crunch sound.

Elder has an extra visible slap print on the left side of his face.

The waitress pinched her waist and pointed at Elder's nose and scolded angrily, "You have provoked the wrong person! Haven't you heard of your grandmother's 'Pepper Penny' from the mouths of the drunkards nearby? ”

Elder crouched on the ground with his left face covered, and he screamed in pain.

"! She's a girl, why is her hand so strong? ”

Arthur glanced at the tray full of beer glasses in the waitress's hand and shrugged innocently.

"I think a person who can hold up twelve pints of beer with one hand, even if she is a petite and lovely lady, should not have much strength."

"Shut up, Arthur!"

"You don't seem to be any better than me, at least I haven't been beaten."

"Am I not demonstrating to you?"

"False demonstration?"

Elder barely breathed for air.

He held back for a long time before he spoke, "Arthur." ”

"What's wrong?"

"It's a shame for you to go to the history department."

Arthur was very interested in his words, and he nodded, "I think so too." ”

"If you come to study classical literature, sooner or later you will become a great writer. Shelley? Byron? Neither of them deserves to lift your shoes. You are the true master of satirical literature. ”

"Elder you've really won a prize." Arthur modestly said, "I usually think that I can just go hand in hand with them, and not much more. ”

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. But the premise is that you have to be serious about what you said before. ”

Elder raised his hands: "Okay, okay, I surrender." Let's sit down and have a bite to eat. You braved the rain to call me out early in the morning, you wouldn't have come all the way to fight with me, would you? ”

"Not really, I wanted to ask you about the arrangements. Do I really not have to do anything before I set sail? ”

Elder leaned back in his chair with one leg on the table, nearly knocking the oil lamp over.

"That's not all, although the Royal Navy's management during the rest period is relaxed, but since you are on board for the first time, you should be given some basic training.

For example, it teaches you how to use a sextant to identify the course, what wind will blow in which sea area in what season, and let you understand the basic structure inside and outside the cabin, which is probably something like that.

But that doesn't matter, most of the work is left to the sailors and officers anyway, as long as you don't learn too badly.

Because after you finish your studies, the Admiralty may do a few simple tests on you.

If you don't pass the exam, you'll be in big trouble. ”

Arthur ordered a bowl of mashed potatoes, and as he ate it, he asked, "That sounds pretty formal." Why is it different from the situation you described to me earlier? Didn't you say that the Royal Navy was a garbage organization with internal corruption, nepotism, and rigid regulations? ”

Elderian rolled his eyes and said, "Unfortunately, Arthur. Although the Royal Navy is a garbage organization, I have to admit that it does have some merits. ”

"For example?"

"For example, the Royal Navy's officer selection mechanism."

"Didn't you say that most of the people who were selected were related households? By the way, I almost forgot, your uncle is a rear admiral in the Royal Navy.

In that case, why don't you get an officer? Navy Captain Elder, listen to this title, it's just handsome. ”

Elder snatched the wine from Arthur's side, pulled the cork out with his hand, and took a sip on his head.

He scolded: "Handsome! What is so handsome about a naval captain, this is nothing more than the lowest rank of the first rank among the official officers of the Navy. ”

Arthur quipped, "It's cooler than Patrol Officer Arthur, right?" ”

"That's right." Elder laughed, "But you're no longer the patrolman Arthur, but the naturalist Arthur." ”

"You haven't told me why you didn't want to be an officer."

"Of course, it's because I'm too old. If I had really decided to follow the path of the Navy, I would have gone to the Navy's School when I was twelve. After one year of training at the school, he will go to the ship as a cadet for six years. For the past six years, I've had to do all the work on the ship. Arthur, do you think this is like a human life? ”

Arthur thought for a moment and replied, "It's really hard. However, if you can become an officer, it will be worth it to work hard for six years, and it will be good to get through this period. ”

"Oh! Arthur, what do you want? After six years of service, they do not necessarily become naval officers, and some people can't even mix up with an acting ensign after six years.

And the most important thing is that all cadets have to return to the Admiralty after six years of probation to take the exam, and only those who pass can become regular officers of the Royal Navy, and those who fail are waiting to change careers to run ships in the merchant navy.

The pass rate for that exam is outrageously low, and if you don't have the means at home, even if it's a little softer, don't worry about passing. ”

Arthur asked, "In that case, then why do you still say that this is the merit of the Royal Navy?" ”

Elder took another sip of wine, and by this time he had already drunk half a bottle of Arthur's wine.

"Although you have to rely on relationships to pass this exam, you can't do it if you don't have some skills. What's more, even if the one who passed the exam couldn't, he had been working on a ship for six years since he was a teenager, which was much better than the real waste who was pampered on the shore. ”

Arthur was still a little skeptical: "Is there no one who can be so hard as not to take this test?" ”

Elder shook his head solemnly: "This is where the Royal Navy has rare advantages. Do you know Prince William? He was the king's son, but he had to work on the ship for six years before passing an exam before he could be awarded the title. The Admiralty is usually stiff like a medieval antique, but this is the only thing I recognize. ”

"Then why didn't you go to the Naval Academy? Isn't your uncle a major general? ”

Elder rolled his eyes and said, "How did I know that he would become a major general in the Navy, and he was only a colonel when I was twelve." If I had known that he would climb so fast, I wouldn't have been stubborn back then. ”