Chapter 9, Directed Procurement

According to past practices, the Director of School Affairs, Robert, concurrently serves as the logistics officer for the Phoenix during its sea training. Naturally, before the warship sets sail, he is responsible for ensuring that all training materials are properly handed over to Lin Haijiang. How can an outstanding theoretical student like Lin Haijiang command a third-class battleship that is half-staffed and has a 90% shortage of officers during sea training?

Lin Haijiang, who had previously heard rumors about Robert and Miss Buvini, nodded seriously without showing any expression. It seems that this typical targeted purchase is likely unavoidable this time.

In the face of a significant shortage of sailors, Lin Haijiang devised a compromise solution, which was to hire a group of Chinese sailors or simply purchase a batch of enslaved black sailors, who could typically be found in the back streets of the port authority, although the quantities were usually not very large

China is the birthplace of bean sprouts. As early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the ancestors of the Chinese began to produce bean sprouts, which were then referred to as "Huang Juan" and were said to be primarily used for medicinal purposes. The "Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing" from the Eastern Han Dynasty is the earliest existing pharmacological work, documenting 365 types of medicinal substances, among which there are over 50 types of food, categorized into three grades: superior, medium, and inferior. Among the superior grade are sour jujube, grapes, and jujubes, while the medicinal properties of bean sprouts are classified as medium grade, alongside dried ginger, seaweed, and red beans. These foods have withstood the test of thousands of years of snow, rain, and wind, and are still commonly consumed by the general public today, playing an important role in nourishing the human body.

Lin Haijiang first arrived at Miss Bouvenie's grocery store, treading along the muddy road. Although the store belonged to Miss Bouvenie, she was not present; inside the store was only an elderly woman who had to shout to speak.

At this moment, Lin Haijiang's mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of how to make money to buy an ironclad warship. According to Lin Haijiang's plan, it wouldn't take much; just blocking the port of Alexandria in Egypt with one ironclad for a few days would likely yield enough funds to build three or five more ships. By the time the Royal Navy received the news, he would have already vanished without a trace. However, the pressing issue at hand was securing that first bucket of gold.

However, there seems to be some issues regarding the origins of these military supplies Considering the frequent scandals involving the British Army's habitual resale of military materials in various colonies in later years, it appears that the illicit trade of military supplies is indeed a long-standing and proud tradition of the British Empire's military

Lin Haijiang is also very aware that after this naval exercise concludes, he will likely have to return to his home country. According to Steward Zhao, the master inquired about his studies in a letter six months ago, asking if he had returned to the Guangdong Navy to serve as the captain of a small wooden boat.

Regarding the temporary hiring of Chinese sailors and black slaves on board, the third mate Mitron and others did not express any objections. After all, having a bit more manpower meant that his subordinates could endure much less fatigue. Moreover, the hiring fees were paid out of Lin Haijiang's own pocket. In his spare time, he could only lament that dear Mr. Lin was indeed a spendthrift

Just as Lin Haijiang had imagined, upon learning that he was leading this maritime training, the students rushed to Robert to pay the so-called "training fee". In fact, the so-called "training fee" was merely a disguised punishment imposed by the school on those students who were unwilling to endure hardship.

Subsequent scientists ultimately determined the cause of this mysterious disease, characterized by widespread bleeding throughout the body, to be a nutritional deficiency disease, specifically "scurvy" caused by a deficiency of vitamin C

Lin Haijiang is well aware that on ships embarking on long voyages, many sailors inexplicably develop skin bruises and gum bleeding, which later spreads to bleeding throughout the body, leading to the mysterious deaths of many. The same symptoms are also prevalent among exploration teams and military units.

Lin Haijiang is a clever person; he naturally would not ask, especially after the admonition from the director, Robert

However, it is evident that this year will not be the case. Not only did Major Edward Irwin, the commander, not participate in this naval exercise, but the entire deck crew included only "former Corporal" Lin Haijiang, who is now a Royal Navy cadet. The rest of the trainees are currently busy polishing the brass buttons on their uniforms, awaiting the celebration, as if the glory of the Royal Navy of the British Empire is limited to this alone

The development and expansion of the Dartmouth Naval College also signifies the arrival of another wave of overseas colonial expansion in Britain, prompted by the challenge posed by the new aristocracy to the old aristocracy

However, when the temporary Chinese sailors recruited by Lin Haijiang arrived at the port, the sailors on the ship understood that the large quantity of bean sprouts was actually prepared for his compatriots from the Qing Dynasty as hometown dishes

In the 18th century, when storage and preservation methods were still lagging behind, the ancestors of the Chinese had already solved this problem long ago, and the ordinary bean sprout became a legend

However, the scale, goods, and prices of Miss Buwini's grocery store truly astonished Lin Haijiang. The Royal Navy supply factory in London processes jars of vegetables, sealed oranges, lemons, pork, beef jerky, hard cardboard biscuits, and hard bread

It can be said that following the global Age of Exploration, driven by the desire to develop distant colonies, efforts were made not only to establish mid-ocean supply ports but also to research methods for preserving vegetables. Although significant improvements have been made, each long voyage still experiences an abnormal loss rate of 10% to 30%.

In previous years, the training commanders would often be troubled by the sudden ideas of these novice commanders, as well as the differing opinions and conflicts among the trainees

However, Lin Haijiang was not so kind as to share this effective remedy for scurvy with the British. Many crew members found it strange that Lin Haijiang had purchased a portion of soybeans

Robert's mind was also in a state of confusion, with thoughts racing back and forth. After all, the Phoenix is not a toy, nor is it a river gunboat, to be commanded on a sea exercise by a recently promoted Royal Navy officer. This has never happened in the history of Dartmouth Naval College.

What is destined to come will inevitably arrive, Lin Haijiang smiled slightly at this. Do not be misled by the addition of the word "Royal" in the school name; the transformation of the school into an academy represents a fundamental change in essence

In the 18th century, Chinese people brought bean sprouts to Western countries, and by the late 20th century, they were recognized by the international modern nutrition community, leading to a "bean sprout craze" in Europe and America, where they were classified as a "health food"

Robert felt utterly helpless. After handing over important supplies such as gunpowder barrels and ammunition boxes, he entrusted Lin Haijiang with a total of two thousand pounds in twenty small leather bags, and urged him to make sure to go to Miss Bouveny's shop at the end of the dock to purchase all the necessary supplies

On September 10, Lin Haijiang stood on the newly renovated deck of the Phoenix. In Lin Haijiang's eyes, the Phoenix was nothing more than a fresh piece of donkey dung, merely shiny on the surface

Almost everything bore the insignia of the Royal Navy of the British Empire, and it was only then that Lin Haijiang realized that everything sold in Miss Bouvenie's grocery store was standard supplies of the Royal Navy of the British Empire

It is regrettable that the Europeans of this era have not yet placed significant importance on bean sprouts; scurvy remains a deadly adversary for the great fleet's expeditions. Apart from the continuous establishment of supply ports, there are currently no particularly effective means for prevention and treatment.

Lin Haijiang was very surprised to receive a letter from Edward Irwin. The content of the letter was quite simple and concise, informing Lin Haijiang that as long as he sailed the warship out of the port and found a place to anchor for a few weeks to relax, he would have completed the task. It also stated that he would certainly offer a generous reward, and mentioned that Dartmouth Naval College was likely to be renamed Dartmouth Royal Naval Academy in the near future