Chapter 30

To be honest, South America is not short of any resources except coal. Especially in Uruguay, there is almost none, or at least the穿越者s (people from the future) don't know where there is any.

"Coal is a problem we can't ignore anymore," Ma Qianzu sighed and said, "Let's discuss how to solve this issue. Should we buy it from outside, or explore and mine it ourselves?"

The current executive committee meeting room is no longer filled with smoke as it used to be. This is not because these old smokers have all quit, but because the cigarettes brought from the old timeline have all been smoked. Now, during executive committee meetings, these committee members just drink water non-stop.

"I personally don't think buying from outside is a reliable solution," Ma Jia pondered and said, "First, it will increase expenses, and second, the source and quality won't be stable. We won't be able to plan our production, so I don't recommend buying from outside."

"What if we don't buy from outside? Does anyone know where there are coal mines nearby?" Shao Shude asked.

"Based on what I know, there are basically no coal mines in Uruguay. Or if there are, they are small and have limited output, and were not well-known in the previous life. It's hard for locals to know, so I'm not clear either," Gao Mo added, "The closest coal deposit to us should be in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The specific location might be south of the Paraná Plateau, near Porto Alegre. However, the coal here is mostly low-quality, high in sulfur and ash, and low in heat value, but the reserves are decent."

"How far is it from here? Which country has jurisdiction over the area?" Peng Zhicheng asked.

"About two to three hundred kilometers away. At this time, it's still unclaimed territory. There might be some indigenous residents, but I'm not very clear about the specific situation," Gao Mo shrugged.

The executive committee members immediately lost interest upon hearing that it was two to three hundred kilometers away. Given the current capabilities of the穿越者s, organizing a large number of people and resources to travel through a vast, unknown, and dangerous wilderness to mine in a foreign place and then transport the coal back is almost impossible.

"Porto Alegre? Is it a seaport?" Wang Qian asked.

"Not exactly. Porto Alegre is actually an inland port located at the northern end of Lagoa dos Patos. However, Lagoa dos Patos is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow channel, allowing direct navigation. The only concern is that the water depth of Lagoa dos Patos is not sufficient, but it should be fine for small, flat-bottomed boats. We can try building some of these boats, then sail to Porto Alegre, establish a settlement and mining site," Gao Mo explained.

"Back to the shipbuilding issue again," Shao Shude said with a bitter smile, "I remember we initially discussed how to increase steel production, which led to the coal issue, and now we're talking about shipbuilding. This deviation is too extreme. But speaking of shipbuilding, we don't have many experts in this field, nor experienced sailors, right?"

"Yes, Old Gao's suggestion is not bad," Ma Qianzu said, "The conditions are not ripe at this stage, but we can start preparing now. The shipyard has some shipbuilders, so we can have them build one as practice and train a batch of new talent. We can't keep building simple, low-tech river boats; otherwise, their skills will deteriorate over time."

"What about the coal issue? Should we buy from outside?" Tang Yuan asked.

"Let's buy from outside for now. Next time, we can negotiate with the ship captains who come for trade. As long as the price is satisfactory, I believe someone will be willing to transport coal," Ma Qianzu said, sighing, "We need to spend money everywhere; running this place is really not easy."

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Captain John Stone staggered to his feet, his subordinates in similar condition, all bruised and swollen. A group of Dutchmen sat in front of them, looking disdainful, eating the potatoes they had stolen and whispering to each other.

John Stone felt dizzy, knowing it was due to hunger. Since being assigned to work in Mine No. 2 with a group of Dutchmen, he and his old comrades had been living a nightmare. Perhaps the Dutchmen had long disliked the British, and with their numbers, they found ways to torment John Stone and his group. Not only did they take on the most dangerous tasks, but the food and water they received were often stolen.

Captain John Stone leaned against the rock wall, breathing heavily. Yesterday, Johnson fell from the mountain while quarrying due to exhaustion and died on the spot. Perhaps he would meet the same fate sooner or later.

The Dutchmen weren't much better off. It was rumored that a large-scale brawl had occurred in Mine No. 1 yesterday, where a Dutchman was brutally killed by the savage Charuans, leading to a full-scale battle. Stones, wooden clubs, and iron picks were all used as weapons. The Tartan mine police blew their whistles loudly, and muskets and sabers were used to finally quell the situation. According to rumors, the Tartans carried away no fewer than ten bodies from Mine No. 1.

As Captain John Stone sighed over his bleak and hopeless life, he didn't know that a turning point was about to come. Naval Commissioner Wang Qian, Internal Affairs Commissioner Jiao Tang, and a group of Internal Affairs Department police arrived at the miners' rest room in Mine No. 2.

"Is this the British pirate captain?" Wang Qian looked at the disheveled and bruised John Stone, speechless.

Jiao Tang gave a nod. Liu Yun, the head of the Internal Affairs Department's prison administration, stepped forward and grabbed John Stone's prison uniform collar, saying, "Mr. John Stone from Dover, there is now an opportunity for you and your loyal subordinates to leave this dirty and despicable place. I suggest you seize this opportunity, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir!" John Stone nodded weakly, glancing at the cowering Dutchmen, "Whatever you ask me to do, I just want to leave this damned place."

"Very good," Liu Yun nodded, "Now take your subordinates to the mine police rest room's shower to wash off this stench. Then change into the clothes we have prepared for you and wait there. Someone will come for you later. Do your job well; I don't want to see you return here."

John Stone and his five subordinates took a comfortable hot bath in the shower. After coming out, they found that the mine police rest room had a few more people. One was a Tartan officer, and the others were familiar faces.

"Mr. John Stone, Mr. Reuben de Meer, Mr. Julien de Ebro, and the rest of you..." Lu Ming stood up from his chair and said, "I am Lieutenant Lu Ming of the East Coast Company. Do you understand English? If not, you can have someone translate for you."

Julien de Ebro and John Stone nodded.

"I hate pointless talk, so I'll get straight to the point," Lu Ming continued, "We are planning to establish a new navigation school to teach various navigation skills. I won't hide the fact that the East Coast Company lacks experience in this area, but you have either received systematic naval education or have rich navigation experience and knowledge, which is exactly what we need. You have two choices: First, you can go to the new navigation school as teachers, with a monthly allowance of two yuan; your subordinates can also serve as practical instructors, with a monthly allowance of one yuan. After five years of teaching, you will gain freedom. Second, you can choose to return to the dark and hopeless mine after this meal and report to Director Liu. So, gentlemen, tell me your choice, don't keep me waiting."

As long as one isn't a fool, anyone would know which choice to make. After a brief discussion, everyone chose the first option.

"Very good," Lu Ming smiled. He then called out to the door, and several naval soldiers brought in some clothes. These were made from wool fabric imported from Europe, far superior to the tattered linen prison uniforms they wore. The group quickly changed into the new clothes, and Lu Ming led them to the newly established navigation school.

The navigation school was located on the south bank of the Big Fish River, opposite Battery No. 3, with a beautiful environment. Taking advantage of the executive committee's desire to develop the shipbuilding industry, Wang Qian lobbied hard and managed to establish the navigation school. This made Peng Zhicheng extremely envious, and he was also advocating for the executive committee to approve the establishment of a military academy in Dingyuan Fort to train junior officers.

The first batch of 60 students, all boys between ten and fifteen years old, were sitting neatly at two long tables. Each table had steaming hot food, and although the boys were salivating, they all sat with their hands on their knees, looking straight ahead.

"Attention!" Lu Ming shouted as they entered the dining hall. All the boys stood up instantly. Lu Ming gestured for Julien and the others to sit at the officers' table. He then walked to the boys, patting their shoulders affectionately, and had each one sit down until he patted the last one.

"Meal time!" Lu Ming ordered. As he spoke, the boys immediately picked up their wooden bowls and chopsticks and began eating.

The dinner was abundant, with wheat cakes, salted fish, large shrimp, clam and tofu soup, vegetables, and even eggs, which the穿越者s rarely enjoyed. The students ate quietly, without whispering. After the meal, most of the students returned to the brick dormitory opposite the dining hall to rest, while a few stayed to clean the tables and sweep the floor.

"These students have been training for almost a week," Lu Ming said to the soon-to-be teachers as he led them to their dormitory, "I will be responsible for everything in this school. In the morning, the students will attend theoretical classes with you, and in the afternoon, they will go to the shipyard for practical training. In the evening, they will study political and cultural knowledge. In the next few days, I will train the students in discipline and physical fitness. Please prepare the textbooks as soon as possible. Classes will start in a week, and I hope you won't disappoint me."