"Brother Yang, Brother Xu, the military is talking about the captain of the Pioneer-class armored cruiser. Are you really not in a hurry?"
In an inn in the west city of Chang'an that was specially designed to accommodate naval officers and soldiers, Navy Lieutenant Commander Lu Wenhui asked while holding a wine glass.
"There are many school-level officers eyeing the positions of the two captains. It's no use just being impatient."
Xu Zhixuan laughed and said calmly.
"Brother Zhixuan, this is not like you before. When you were studying in the United States, you were the most radical and impulsive. How come you returned to your home country for a few years and after you married Meizi, your temper became more stable. It's really strange."
Navy Lieutenant Commander Chen Jurong, who also studied in the United States as a young boy and defected to Han in South America, joked.
"Haha, brother Chen, you don't understand. When you start a family and start a business, there is a charming and beautiful lady waiting for you at home. No matter how hot-tempered you are, your temper will be gone."
"What Brother Lu said makes sense."
Chen Jurong slapped his head and realized: "It seems that next time I should ask my wife to ask her to find some gentle and considerate Japanese women as wives for my brothers. It is best to be a lady from a noble family."
"It's okay for me to joke and chat privately, but if you see Meizi, don't discuss things about Japan. Meizi had already cut off contact with the Japanese family in order to follow me to South America. If I mention the past events about Japan again, it will inevitably cause confusion.
Make her sad."
"I forgot about it, brother Xu, don't blame me."
Chen Rong filled a glass of wine, punished himself with a glass of wine, and apologized.
"We are all brothers who have been acquainted with each other for more than ten years and have been studying in the United States since childhood. There is no need to be so alienated."
Xu Zhixuan magnanimously revealed the matter about his wife and said with a smile: "If Brother Lu and Brother Chen want to start a family, why not start a business in the capital. With the two brothers having a bright future in the navy, I am afraid there will be many people who know it."
All the beauties from Shuda Li are rushing to come and be brides-in-law."
"Brother Lu and I were also anxious about this matter. After arriving in the mainland at the end of 1882, our family members also immigrated to the mainland with the help of colleagues from the Military Intelligence Department. In the past two years, my father and mother have frequently introduced women in the capital to blind dates.
, but I met more than ten women, but there was no suitable candidate, so the marriage matter has been postponed until now and has not been resolved."
"Brother Chen, could it be that his vision is too high and he looks down on ordinary local women?"
"Brother Xu is really looking up to me. Our family is not a noble family that follows His Majesty in his actions. There are so many requirements and rules from there."
Chen Jurong shook his head and complained loudly: "It's just that my father and mother are more conservative. The women they introduced to my brothers for blind dates were all young ladies who had just migrated from the Far East. Moreover, due to foot binding at a young age, nine out of ten of the blind girls kept their feet.
little feet,
Brother Xu and Brother Lu, you all know me, Lao Chen. We have been overseas since childhood and received modern education in the United States for nearly ten years. After returning to our homeland, we often received instruction from His Majesty at the Naval Academy and the Naval Headquarters.
You think, can passionate men like us in the new era learn from the backward ideas of the older generation and marry a conservative woman with small feet and no common language with us?
Moreover, the imperial army attaches great importance to military training. If today Chen follows his parents’ wishes and just marries a traditional woman, and if the couple gets into discord in the future and the story comes out, how can Chen have the dignity to gain a foothold in the navy?”
"Haha, I didn't expect that Chen Rongju, who used to be carefree in the army, would still have such a side. It's really surprising!"
Xu Zhixuan had no sympathy for the other party and laughed loudly.
"Brother Zhixuan, you are a bit uninterested. Brother Lu and I are in vain for your campaign for the captain of the Pioneer-class armored cruiser, but you don't understand your brother's good intentions, and instead make fun of his difficulties!
No, your boy must pay for today’s meals and drinks!”
"Okay, okay, I've paid for the wine and meal. Now I invite Brother Chen to have a full glass of wine. I think Xu apologizes to Brother Chen for his negligence just now."
Xu Zhixuan filled up the other person's glass with a smile, then raised his glass and saluted him.
"That's pretty much it."
Chen Rongju drank the wine in his glass with satisfaction, without any hesitation.
"Brother Xu, Brother Chen, Brother Lu, according to Yang, there are too many officers at the major level competing for the position of two armored cruiser captains. I heard from several brothers at the Naval Staff Headquarters that now there are not only more than a dozen major-level officers.
Officers strive for the position of captain, and even some lieutenant colonel-level officers are participating in the competition.
Moreover, the four candidates selected, He Shulin, Yang Jiannian, Chen Binshi, and Wang Jinyong were the first batch of international students to receive military education from the German Navy. During the Argentine War, they participated in combat against the Argentine and Brazilian navies. Their qualifications and war experience
They are all superior to us, and I am afraid that the position of armored cruiser captain will eventually fall into their hands."
After the three of them joked, Yang Guangzong, who was sitting near the window at the main entrance, said seriously.
"In terms of actual combat experience, we are indeed not as good as Yang Jiannian and He Shulin."
Xu Zhixuan put down his glass and seriously acknowledged his competitor's advantage.
"However, in terms of understanding of modern Western naval warfare technology, Xu believes that the four of us are superior to Yang Jiannian, He Shulin and other foreign students of their generation."
"What Brother Xu said is true. Although Major Yang and Major He are senior naval officers, in terms of their level of Western naval military education, I went to sea to study military affairs in 1872, while they went overseas to study in 1874 and returned to China in 1874.
In 1878, compared with them, we had studied abroad for nearly ten years, received a more systematic modern naval military education, and were more familiar with modern naval technology and applications than they did. Therefore, comprehensively
Naval combat experience and naval military education are two major factors, and we are not completely without advantages."
"Mr. Yang has also considered the comparison of advantages mentioned by Brother Xu and Brother Lu before. However, I believe that soldiers do not act with the necessary certainty and should not make rash decisions."
"Could it be that Brother Yang wants to withdraw from the competition for the position of captain of the Pioneer-class armored cruiser?"
Chen Rongju's face was a little drunk, but his heart was very sober.
"Yes, after withdrawing from the DPRK today, Yang submitted a form to the Naval Staff Headquarters, applying to withdraw from the competition for the position of captain of the Pioneer-class armored cruiser."
Yang Guangzong did not hide anything and directly told the three people his thoughts.
"After the New Year, two Pioneer-class armored cruiser captain positions were vacant. At the same time, two 2,500-ton class cruisers, imitating the Pioneer-class armored cruiser construction technology and independently built by the three major local shipyards, were officially put into service. It seems that Brother Yang is targeting
He took the position of captain of a 2,500-ton cruiser."
Xu Zhixuan thought for a moment and understood Yang Guangzong's plan.
"Unable to hide it from Brother Xu, Yang has indeed set his sights on the position of captain of a 2,500-ton cruiser."
Yang Guangzong generously admitted his plan and explained: "The Yangwu-class cruiser has a displacement of 2,500 tons. Although it is independently built locally, the construction technology may be slightly different from that of the Pioneer-class armored cruiser, which was built under the full guidance of German engineers.
Difference, but the total tonnage of the Yangwu-class cruiser exceeds two-thirds of the Pioneer-class, and the warship's power system and weapon system are borrowed from the Pioneer-class armored cruiser. Compared with the Pioneer-class battleship, its overall combat performance may not have an irreparable gap. Therefore,
After taking into account the combat performance of the two-class warships and the difficulty of competition for the captain position, I chose to withdraw from the competition for the captain position of the Vanguard class armored cruiser."
"Both the Pioneer-class and Yangwu-class captain positions are at the lieutenant colonel level. The Yang brothers voluntarily gave up the competition for the Pioneer-class armored cruiser captain position and instead competed for the Yangwu-class cruiser captain position. It is a relatively safe choice."
Xu Zhixuan nodded in approval of the other party's choice, and then a smile appeared on his face, and he said with a smile: "The situation in Paraguay is unstable, and the Republic of Brazil is also ready to make a move. There may be a war in the next two years, and then the brothers will have the opportunity to fight and make meritorious deeds.
It doesn’t matter whether we succeed or fail in this election for the position of armored cruiser captain. Anyway, when the time comes for the navy to go into battle, even if we still command a 1,350-ton light cruiser, we will still not be afraid of those grandsons of the Republic of Brazil!"
"Haha, exactly, exactly"......
The four people raised their wine glasses, their faces filled with the unique confidence of young officers in this era.