Chapter 151: Recruiting Soldiers and Horses
"Once the Army and Navy are formally established, not only will the demand for weapons surge, but we'll also face significant issues with training and ammunition storage," Ma Qianzhu stated during the meeting. "There are two main points to address."
First, the Industrial Department needed to quickly establish an ammunition supply system for the New Army and the coastal fortress training.
Fortunately, the supply of black powder was ample, with a 2.5-ton stockpile. The granulation treatment had greatly improved its power, making it sufficient for both training and combat. However, the stock of cannonballs and Minié balls was effectively zero—production had to be rushed.
As for weapon manufacturing, Ma emphasized focus: "Concentrate on one or two types. Don't be greedy. If the coke shortage causes a steel shortage, then focus on cast-iron cannons for now. The Trade Department will fully address the coal supply issue."
Second, they urgently needed to manufacture prime movers, including steam engines and small diesel engines, to provide sufficient power machinery for the Navy's ship construction and modification.
"Speaking of naval ships—" Chen Haiyang interjected, "currently we only have two sailing vessels. The tasks are too many. The Navy needs more ships."
To meet the current needs for fishing, patrols, and transport, the Navy required at least eight to ten sailing ships. The displacement needed to be a minimum of 50 tons, preferably over 100. As industrial demand grew, seaborne transport became critical, and small ships were simply impractical.
The transmigrators had already discovered sizable boatyards in Lingao. The largest local vessels were known as "Lingao draggers," with a displacement of over 70 tons. While usable for fishing and cargo, the transmigrators considered them slightly too small and too slow.
Building ships themselves was another option. The Industrial Department and Navy could propose countless designs—one person had even drawn the lines and structure of the Gloire ironclad. But nobody had actual shipbuilding experience. The most experienced were Director Wen and Wang Luobin—veteran ship model enthusiasts who had built countless models and possessed the deepest understanding of wooden ship structures.
Chen Haiyang proposed using Lingao's local shipbuilding resources. According to a report from the Long-Range Reconnaissance Team, Lingao's Baitu Harbor had several boatyards capable of building ordinary fishing boats and even large 400-liao ships. The 400-liao vessel was essentially the maximum legal civilian shipbuilding size in the Ming Dynasty.
Baitu Harbor didn't just have shipwrights; it also had substantial stocks of seasoned timber, some of which had been stored for three or four years to achieve the proper dryness. The transmigrators could conveniently appropriate these resources.
"I propose we occupy Baitu Harbor. Relocate all the shipwrights and materials to Bopu," Chen Haiyang suggested. "We can design the ships while teaching them modern techniques, quickly transforming these shipwrights into modern workers."
"Agreed!" Zhang Bailin immediately voiced his support, enthusiastic about any proposed military action.
"I also support the occupation of Baitu. This would give us control over Lingao's entire shipbuilding industry. Lingao's fishermen and coastal shippers would become completely dependent on us," Ma Qianzhu added.
The occupation of Baitu Harbor was approved, scheduled to commence after the Army Training Battalion was formed.
"Finally: Navy personnel recruitment and training," said Li Haiping of the Navy. "Commissioner Ma mentioned the Army handling this, but I disagree. We're the Navy, not Army Marines. The Navy has specialized needs that the Army can't truly understand—"
The Army's "young turks"—Wei Aiwen and Zhang Bailin—immediately looked displeased. The clear implication was that the Army were landlubbers.
"Let me clarify," Ma Qianzhu hastened to intervene. "The Army's responsibility is the recruit phase—the Army has the Training Battalion. Post-assignment, the Navy will handle its own specialized training. As for soldier recruitment, in the future it will be centralized under the Military Committee—unrelated to the Army or Navy individually."
"Chief." A commune member timidly entered Wu De's office at the Bairren Commune.
"What is it?" Wu De was surprised—was this another enlistment referral?
"I... I want a document." The visitor seemed afraid to address such an important chief.
"You want to join the military?"
"Y-yes—"
Wu De sighed. Today alone, over twenty people had come asking for enlistment referrals. Coupled with the recent recruitments by the Mechanical Plant and other departments, fifty able-bodied laborers were already gone. If this continued, the commune would turn into a village of women.
The military benefits were perhaps too good. Wu De calculated: a 200-kilogram rice settling allowance, a monthly salary of one tael of silver, plus room and board. No wonder the commune members were clamoring to enlist.
"Chuyu, issue his certificate," Wu De said wearily. He still had to serve the bigger picture. The current priority was military expansion.
"Yes, Master." Chuyu had become the unofficial commune secretary. After vetting and a probation period—and at her own insistence—she was assigned to Wu De. At the commune, she naturally took charge of his daily life. Finding the cafeteria food unsatisfactory, she cooked his meals herself and did his laundry, repeatedly hinting that she could do even more. Wu De hadn't expected this: a has-been middle-aged man in the 21st century was practically a celebrity here, admired by young girls. No wonder so many otaku had infiltrated the expedition.
In reality, Chuyu was only semi-literate; night school had only achieved partial literacy for her. "Documents" just meant stamping pre-printed, pre-filled forms—hence the nickname "rubber-stamp secretary."
His phone suddenly rang—it was Li Haiping calling.
"Old Wu, our Navy's recruitment isn't going well. The Army's hogging all the best physiques. Any ideas? You're a Navy veteran too—"
"Alright, I'll promote it when people apply."
"Much appreciated! When writing referrals, specify they report to the Navy."
Recruiting solely from the commune would severely deplete their labor force. Recruitment manager Xi Yazhou had established a station at the bustling East Gate Market.
The recruitment name wasn't "Transmigration Army" but the more respectable "Bairren Militia." The county authorities played completely dumb. Traditional bureaucratic wisdom dictated that when you should be an ostrich, you buried your head deep. Not knowing was better than knowing but failing to act. The transmigrators had zero concern that the toothless Lingao county yamen would take any action.
"Damn—are these benefits too high?" Dongmen Chuiyu was on site maintaining order at the East Gate Market recruitment station. He looked at the large poster hung on the screen wall: 2 dan (200 kilograms) of settling grain per soldier, room and board with a 20-kilogram monthly ration, and one tael of silver monthly.
But Xi Yazhou insisted the benefits weren't high. The Tianqi-era Liaodong garrisons were already paying two taels monthly. By the mid-Chongzhen era, new recruits' monthly pay would rise to 3.2 taels. If not for the endemic skimming in the Ming military—where soldiers barely received anything—the transmigrators would have needed to offer at least two taels to attract anyone.
Zhang Bailin stood under the screen wall recruiting locals, having picked up some of the Lingao dialect.
"Brother, join our militia. One tael monthly—even regular soldiers don't get that. Plus room and board."
"Soldiering? No way—lose your head."
"Don't leave—three meals daily, salary too. Why not consider it?"
"I have a wife and kids. Please spare me, Chief."
"Bring your family—we cover the settling allowance."
...
Per the Military Committee's plan, the Army recruited 400 soldiers and 100 cadets, while the Navy recruited 100 soldiers and 100 cadets. Soldiers were aged 17–25; cadets were 13–16. The cadets were the future technical backbone—besides military training, they would receive specialized skill development.
During recruitment, most applicants didn't know their exact ages, giving only rough years. Some were even unaware of the Tianqi era, thinking the Wanli Emperor still reigned. In appearance, they were all dark and thin, making it hard to judge their actual age. Later, the Medical Group would develop dental examination procedures, but even those were approximate. The planned youth cadet corps only managed to recruit about a dozen candidates.
The Lingao locals weren't enthusiastic. If they weren't small freeholders, they were somewhat established tenants. Though struggling, they could fill their stomachs and were naturally uninterested in soldiering. However, the "Fulao" outsiders—migrants to Hainan for land reclamation or labor—applied in greater numbers. They were mostly single men with no attachments.
Some obviously overage, destitute types also came to enlist. They were all accepted; the older ones would serve in logistics. Currently, the transmigrators just needed a population explosion. More people solved everything.
But such soldiers were universally small—long-term malnutrition and hard labor had damaged their health. Though they could endure hardship, the weight and strength tests exceeded their physiques.
"A bit short. Not sturdy enough," Wei Aiwen was disappointed. These small natives didn't match his aesthetic for a military force. The applicants from the commune, better fed and with first-rate spirit, had excellent physiques, so Wei Aiwen unhesitatingly filed them under Army enlistment.
"Short is short—but they're strong and resilient," Xi Yazhou wasn't picky. But the height standards had already been lowered to 155 centimeters—truly minimal. Many still looked bony. Would 20 kilograms of monthly rations be enough for them? Xi Yazhou worried.
The Navy discovered the Army was skimming the best physiques from the enlistees. They demanded the opening of another station at Bopu to promote Navy benefits directly to fishermen. Fishermen were clearly more adventurous than farmers. Plus, with the Navy's famed iron ship and "fast ships," recruiting over a hundred men was easy. Some even came from neighboring counties.
Chen Haiyang was initially delighted, but then he realized the truth: it wasn't the Navy's superior appeal. To these worldly fishermen, joining a maritime group for piracy was already part of their livelihood. If things went well, they would stay permanently. Joining the "Australian Baldies" wasn't any different from joining the Zheng family. Looking at these half-fishing, half-pirate recruits, he knew that future political work would require real effort.
(End of Chapter)