Chapter 414 Entry Evaluation
As soon as Ruan Jinggui left, the mine supervisor arranged for him to switch to a lighter job. Wu Sen naturally connected the two things. From this small transfer, Wu Sen can judge at least two things: first, Ruan Jinggui should have gained a certain degree of trust from the Haihan people, saying good things for him and having an effect; second, the Haihan people did indeed treat him Have a certain amount of attention, otherwise it is unlikely that you will be given this kind of adjustment in work remuneration.
After Ruan Jinggui's persuasion and his own experience, Wu Sen gradually began to understand the current situation. The Hue court had been declared destroyed and was basically destroyed by Haihan, North Vietnam, the Ming Dynasty, and Portugal, both overtly and covertly. There will be the possibility of a comeback. In this case, if you choose to continue to be loyal to the Hue court, the most effective way is probably to commit suicide and serve the country, because even if you are doing hard labor in the mines, you are still essentially working for the enemy. Continuously growing in strength, how could a person who claimed to be loyal to the old communists do things in disguise to support the enemy after being captured?
Of course Wu Sen didn't want to die like this. He didn't intend to be buried with the fallen Ruan family, but he didn't want to surrender to Haihan easily. There were also deeper reasons. As Ruan Jinggui guessed, it was mainly because he still had an unwillingness to admit defeat and simply attributed the South Vietnamese Navy's defeat in the war to the gap in the armament levels of the two sides. However, as his contact with the Hai Han people increased, he gradually realized through reflection that this understanding was not comprehensive. The gap between the two sides was not only in the military aspect. Hai Han's war mobilization ability was also far from comparable to that of South Vietnam. , although the war was lost on the battlefield, the factor that really determines the outcome is outside the battlefield.
In the next few days, Ruan Jinggui temporarily put down his position as Schneider's personal assistant. Instead, accompanied by Fu Li, he came to Tiandu Iron Mine to "talk" with Wu Sen every day.
Now that Ruan Jinggui has pried Wu Sen's mind, the topic of discussion will naturally become more targeted. If there was an element of wooing Wu Sen morally and familially before, then it gradually evolved into a promotion of Haihan's comprehensive strength. Much of what Ruan Jinggui described shocked Wu Sen.
From Ruan Jinggui's mouth, Wu Sen learned for the first time that while the Haihan people were dealing with South Vietnam, they were also fighting against rogues, pirates and other forces in the Ming Dynasty at the same time, and they still had the power to support North Vietnam, Champa and even Champa with military assistance. Ming Dynasty official army and other armed forces. The war with the Hue court in South Vietnam was just one of the larger-scale wars it launched against foreign countries.
Our own side has put all its efforts and even risked its life, but the opponent still retains a considerable part of its strength. This is undoubtedly a great tragedy for a soldier whose duty is to fight. If there was still a glimmer of thought in Wu Sen's mind to find an opportunity to make a comeback and seek revenge, then Ruan Jinggui's description was enough to make him give up on this delusion.
Once a person's mind becomes alive, it is difficult to take it back. After Ruan Jinggui persuaded him for a few more days, Wu Sen finally put down his face and relaxed, and promised Ruan Jinggui that he could "go to the Haihan Navy first to check the situation." Although the statement was very tactful, it was undoubtedly a disguised admission of his intention to change his family and submit to Haihan.
On May 2, 1629, after being imprisoned as a hard labor for more than ten days, Wu Sen finally regained his freedom. However, he was not the only one who received this treatment. There were also 17 prisoners of war who also belonged to the South Vietnam Navy. Almost all of these people were Wu Sen's former colleagues and subordinates. After being escorted to Sanya, they all followed Wu Sen's orders. . Now that Wu Sen has chosen to surrender, the group of people who followed him in the hard labor camp will follow the chickens and dogs to heaven.
Of course, due to consistent security considerations, these former South Vietnamese sailors will not be assigned to serve in the same place. After further identification, they will be assigned to the merchant fleet, various terminals, ports, and shipyards under the Ministry of Shipping. and other units, only a very small number of the best can hope to enter the Haihan Navy's establishment. Wu Sen's whereabouts have not yet been finalized. He must undergo a skills review by the Navy and related departments before the Military Commission makes a decision on his specific appointment.
After spending a few anxious days after being released from prison, Wu Sen finally received a notice from the Military Commission, asking him to be on standby at Pier 5 of Victory Port the next morning. Wu Sen knew that this test was related to his future, and he did not dare to neglect it at all. When it got dark, he got up and packed up. He went to the labor canteen on the pier to have breakfast, and then went to Pier 5 to wait for the military. people.
Pier 5 is located at the mouth of Tiandu River. On the other side of the pier is the current Haihan Navy Station. You can see seven or eight unique-looking Haihan warships parked on the shore. Wu Sen was very impressed with this kind of warship. He had seen this kind of warship when he was in Donghai. However, the Haihan Navy at that time was probably not yet formed. There was only one such warship in Donghai Port. Combat. However, when Hai Han attacked Hoi An Port half a year later, there were more such warships. The fleet lined up on the river and used broadside guns to fire at the fortifications on the shore, easily repelling the South Vietnamese defenders.
When attacking Hue this year, Wu Sen had no idea how many ships came from the Hai Han militia, because except for the first day of the battle between the two sides, he saw the Hai Han warship sailing into the estuary of the Xiong River from a distance, and later on There was no chance of getting close to his opponent until he became a prisoner and was taken aboard. However, according to the habit of a naval officer, he can roughly estimate the number of warships owned by Haihan Navy from the observed situation.
Currently, there are about eight warships docked outside the naval base. Because two of them are larger, Wu Sen cannot confirm whether there are other ships blocked behind those two ships. Based on what Ruan Jinggui introduced a few days ago, the Haihan people have several ports along the coast of Annan, the south coast of Qiongzhou Island, and the Guangdong coast of the Ming Dynasty. Most of them have troops stationed there, so the Haihan Navy must be stationed in more than just Victory Port. , even taking the three places of Annan, Qiongzhou Island, and Guangdong, the Haihan people have at least three combat fleets. A simple calculation is that there are at least twenty warships, and maybe a little more, because he is flying from Sanya Port On the way to the Tiandu Iron Mine, he also saw the scale of the Victory Port Shipyard. With so many slipways, Wu Sen would not be surprised if one or two warships were launched every month.
Just based on the current scale of the militia navy, Wu Sen knew that Annan would probably not be able to catch up to this level for a long time, because the few shipyards in Annan were almost all concentrated in South Vietnam, where maritime trade was relatively developed. , and these shipyards have been completely destroyed in several attacks by the Haihan people. Almost all the navy and shipwrights in South Vietnam were plundered by the Haihan people. Now they can at most build some fishing boats, as big as the Haihan warship. There is no need to have any illusions about sailing boats. Haihan's deliberate attempt to eliminate Annan's shipbuilding industry obviously had a certain purpose. If Annan wants to develop its own navy in the future, I am afraid it will have to rely on the charity of the Haihan people.
But compared to the wooden sailing warships on the other side of the river, there was something else here that attracted Wu Sen's attention more. Next to Pier 5 are the large ships brought by the Ministry of Shipping that were docked and sealed during the crossing. So many steel behemoths are lying quietly on the shore. Even if they are motionless, the visual impact is very amazing. Since the opening of Victory Port, it has become a "tourist area" that outsiders will definitely visit. Anyone who has been to Victory Port will be surprised by the "Haihan Iron Ship" here, and the tonnage of and the largest ro-roller "New World". Its huge hull has become a symbol of Haihan's power in the minds of local naturalized people. The anniversary celebrations of the two consecutive years have also been celebrated on the "New World". Various celebrations and awards were held on the deck.
Wu Sen has only obtained the status of a temporary immigrant and has no authority to go on these large ships to find out. He is not even qualified to enter the docking area for visits - ordinary people want to visit these steel behemoths at close range. , at least you must first obtain the status of a formal naturalized citizen, and then you can enter the docking area to satisfy your curiosity on designated public opening days. Among the naturalized people who joined Haihan's rule, there were even some who came to get close contact with the large iron ships.
Ordinary people would naturally join in the fun and wonder when they see this thing, but for professionals like Wu Sen, they can indeed see more things from these large ships. Not to mention anything else, the iron materials used to build these large ships are no longer able to be supplied by ordinary local governments. Wu Sen has been here for many days, and he has naturally heard rumors that the Haihan people came across the sea in these large iron ships. Although many people think this is a lie or some kind of magic used by the Haihan people. After all, the iron ships Sailing on the water is really unreasonable, but Wu Sen is more willing to believe that this rumor is fact.
Wu Sen has been in the navy for many years and knows a little bit about shipbuilding technology. Although he doesn't know what Archimedes' principle is and what the buoyancy formula is, it is not surprising at all that metal can float on the water. Just throw it You can see the difference immediately when the copper basin reaches the water. As for how this strange-looking ship without sails or oars can gain power to move on the sea, Wu Sen believes that it is not some magic. Although he didn't quite understand the details, he thought it had something to do with those strange power devices made by the Haihan people - those things could drag thousands of kilograms of heavy objects by burning coal, so if they were made If it is larger, it can naturally drive a large ship to sail in the water.
If we judge based solely on his talent in physics, it has to be said that Wu Sen's observation skills are stronger than those of his Ming counterpart Luo Shengdong. When Luo Shengdong was staring at the big iron ship on the pier in a daze, he didn't see it as clearly as Wu Sen. However, in addition to having the same status as prisoners of war, they also have some things in common. For example, after seeing this magical ship, they are all itching and eager to find a way to get on the ship as soon as possible to find out.
After Wu Sen served as a scarecrow on the dock for half an hour, the military finally arrived. Today's evaluation team has a strong lineup. Wang Tom, the supreme commander of the Haihan Navy, and Sun Changmi, the Minister of Shipping, are here, as well as the Ruan brothers, Wu Sen's few close friends in the local area. In addition, the evaluation team actually invited a special guest, Yazhou Navy Admiral Luo Shengdong, who happened to be staying in Victory Port these past few days. In fact, Luo Shengdong was not invited by Wang Tom and Sun Changmi, but came out on his own initiative. Luo Shengdong hosted a banquet for Ren Liang and Anxi at Victory Port last night. After a good meal, Ren Liang talked about Wu Sen, a prisoner of war who was undergoing "thought transformation" recently. When Luo Shengdong heard this, he became excited and asked Ren Liang to arrange a time so that he could have a chance to "get to know" this Annan colleague.
Luo Shengdong's words were obviously a bit competitive. After all, Ming Dynasty and Annan fought several times in the early years, but basically they did not get any benefits. Instead, they lost tens of thousands of soldiers and horses in Annan, and they had to pinch themselves. He admitted Annan's independence with a pinched nose. If the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty didn't have any resentment in their hearts, it would definitely be a lie. Although Luo Shengdong has sincerely convinced Haihan, it does not mean that he has become a good old man with no temper. I heard that among the prisoners of war under Ren Liang's command, there is actually a general of the South Vietnamese Navy, so he naturally wants to find him. This is an opportunity to weigh in on this colleague.
Ren Liang couldn't defeat him, so he told him that there would be a professional skills assessment test early the next morning. Haihanfang would send examiners to judge Wu Sen's professional strength and then decide on his next appointment and arrangement. Luo Shengdong immediately became interested and asked Ren Liang about the examiner candidates. After Luo Shengdong completely surrendered to Haihan, he had always performed well. As time went by, he was gradually regarded as "one of their own" by the time travellers, so Ren Liang did not hide it from him. It happened that these two people were also familiar with Luo Shengdong, and had spent as much time dealing with them as Ren Liang. So Luo Shengdong immediately went to invite Wang Tom and Sun Changmi, and then persuasively asked for an evaluation. Quota for the group.
If it were anyone else, this social approach might not work. After all, relationships are relationships, and you still have to have a correct attitude when it comes to work. But Luo Shengdong is in this field, and he is also in the same field as Wu Sen, the subject of the inspection. It makes sense from a professional point of view to let him join the evaluation team. Of course, he can express some personal opinions during the evaluation process, but the specific scoring and final judgment will definitely not be his part. After all, the executive committee will not be enlightened enough for the Ming Dynasty officials to criticize the Haihan Militia. The employment plan dictates.
The appearance of the Ruan brothers here also acted as a mediator to some extent. They had already met the two examiners and the guest commentators who suddenly appeared in advance, so the work of introducing the two parties was naturally completed by the Ruan brothers. .
Wu Sen was really shocked when he heard the names of the two chief examiners, a navy commander and a shipyard director. He did not expect that the Haihan people would send such high-ranking figures to evaluate him. Such importance The degree also satisfied the little vanity in his heart. However, Wu Sen also knows that the reason why the Haihan people value themselves so much is probably more than half of the credit goes to the Ruan brothers. If they hadn't been working hard to build momentum for themselves outside, the Haihan people probably wouldn't treat themselves like this. Bora treated.
When Ruan Jinggui introduced the last one, Wu Sen was probably a little more shocked than the first two. Since it was the Haihan people who wanted to test their abilities, it was understandable that a senior official from Haihan would come forward in person. However, he did not expect that this person turned out to be a senior officer in the Ming Dynasty's army, and he was also a senior officer just like his position before being captured. Navy Commander!
Although Luo Shengdong did not wear official uniform to attend today's occasion in order to avoid suspicion, Wu Sen could tell that this identity was probably not fake. The general named Luo in front of him still has a bun. He is obviously not from Haihan, but a soldier is a soldier. The murderous aura on his body is more recognizable than his official uniform. An officer who can be a general can also There is a hint of the majesty of a superior person, which is something Wu Sen can relate to.
"I've met General Luo!" Although he didn't quite understand what the Haihan people's purpose was in inviting a Ming navy commander to come here, Wu Sen still met Luo Shengdong politely.
"General Wu, you're welcome!" Luo Shengdong returned the greeting with a smile, cupping his fists, and dug a hole for Wu Sen.
Wu Sen was very alert and immediately said: "I am a prisoner of war awaiting punishment at this time. There is no need to mention my previous official position!"
Luo Shengdong responded: "It doesn't matter, as long as you have real ability, you will naturally have a chance to be a general again!"
"You talk so much, why don't you play the leading role today?" Sun Changmi heard a hint of gunpowder in Luo Shengdong's words and scolded him.
Luo Shengdong has been running a private salt business for more than a year, and he has already learned how to laugh and curse. Hearing this, he quickly laughed and said: "I was just joking with Brother Wu, Mr. Sun, don't pay attention!"
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While a few people were talking, an "Exploration-class" warship had sailed over from the other side and docked behind the pier at the dock. The sailors on the ship lowered the folding gangway from the side of the ship for people on the dock to board the ship. Several people, led by Wang Tom, climbed onto the deck of the ship. Wang Tom gave an order, and the sailors raised the sail again and let the ship slowly sail away from the dock.
Seeing that the ship had arrived at the harbor and was about to sail out of Victory Harbor, Wang Tom and Sun Changmi still did not talk about the specific content of this exam. Wu Sen became a little anxious and took the initiative to ask: "Dare you ask General Wang?" , when will the assessment start today?”
"It's already started!" Wang Tom said with a smile: "The evaluation has already started from the moment you board the ship. But don't be nervous, we won't let you try to command or drive this ship. Unfamiliar ship ”
(End of chapter)