The burly pirate looked at Marvin and raised an eyebrow. "You're the chef?"
It was no wonder that he was suspicious. Marvin's attire was a far cry from that of a chef. The farmer's son looked rather upper-class. He wore a wig, embroidered cuffs and collar, and a jacket that fit tightly around his waist. Now, however, he only had white silk stockings on his feet. His beautiful boots were counted among the spoils of war when they searched him.
He nodded hurriedly. "My … my mother runs a small inn in Canterbury. I help out when there's a shortage of manpower."
The burly pirate looked a little skeptical, especially when his eyes moved to Marvin's wet crotch. A look of contempt flashed across his eyes.
Marvin obviously knew that he didn't leave a good first impression. He quickly added, "I cook very well. The chef would ask me when we were on the ship. If you don't believe me, you can ask your … friends. I was in the kitchen when they found me."
"That's true." The two pirates who saw Zhang Heng and Marvin nodded in agreement.
Marvin looked at the burly pirate nervously. The latter rubbed his chin for about half a minute before saying, "Try it then. But let me warn you, if it doesn't taste good, or if we get a stomachache, even if I'm willing to forgive you, they won't let you go." He pointed at the pirates around him as he spoke.
Marvin thanked him profusely.
"Alright, gentlemen. The quota has been filled. Recruitment is over. I wish you a pleasant journey." The burly pirate was about to leave with the three of them.
However, at this moment, another voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Wait."
The burly pirate stopped in his tracks. He didn't notice that Marvin's face suddenly tensed up when he heard the voice. Marvin looked up in the direction of the voice, his eyes filled with a pleading look.
Ignoring the farmer's son's hint, Zhang Heng got up and said, "I'll join you too."
The risk of drifting on the sea was too high, and there was a severe shortage of food and water. If he was alone, he might have chosen to take the risk, but with so many people, the situation would instead become complicated. Not to mention that he still had items on the ship, and once he left, he wouldn't be able to retrieve them.
The burly pirate frowned. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, really. But as I said before, there are only three slots for this recruitment, and we're already full."
Faced with the rejection, Zhang Heng said calmly, "Give me a gun."
Perhaps he was moved by Zhang Heng's confidence, or perhaps it was because of the surrounding pirates' jeering, but in the end, the burly pirate handed a musket to Zhang Heng.
After going through the Soviet-Finnish War, he had also done some homework on firearms. He was no longer the ignorant kid he used to be.
Now, he was holding a flintlock in his hand. Compared to a matchlock, it simplified the shooting process by using flint to ignite the gunpowder. It had a faster firing speed, less recoil, and higher accuracy. It was developed in the middle of the 16th century, and by the mid to late 17th century, it was widely distributed in European armies. Later, the American Revolutionary War was also the stage for the flintlock.
But at the end of the day, this thing was still the tears of the times. Not to mention modern firearms, it was far inferior to the M28 he used in the Soviet-Finnish war. The so-called simplified shooting process was only relative to matchlock guns. At this stage, the bullets and gunpowder were loaded separately. After firing a shot, it would take a long time to reload the bullets and gunpowder, and the range was only about 80 meters.
Zhang Heng took a good look at the gun, and after a full minute, the surrounding pirates began to clamor. The burly pirate in charge of recruiting began to look impatient.
Just then, Zhang Heng suddenly raised the flintlock in his hand and aimed at Marvin. The latter was shocked, thinking that Zhang Heng was going to kill him. But the next moment, the bullet flew past his ear and hit the apple core in the hand of a pirate at the stern, scaring the latter out of his wits.
At first, the pirates were stunned, but then they burst into cheers.
The distance between Zhang Heng and the pirate who ate the apple was more than 40 meters, and the hull of the ship was tossed about by the waves. It was difficult to shoot, and the set of rapid shooting movements that Zhang Heng learned from Simon was so seamless that it looked like he wasn't even aiming. In the end, his god-like marksmanship won the applause of the pirates.
In a sense, most pirates were quite simple people. On the sea, where the law of the jungle was practiced, they never lacked respect for the strong. No one knew who started it, but the pirates around him shouted in unison, "Accept him! Accept him!"
The burly pirate in charge of recruiting frowned, but in the end, he couldn't go against the overwhelming public opinion. "Well, I don't think anyone can reject a sharpshooter. Anyway, we've already recruited three people. One more doesn't matter. Come with me."
The four of them followed the burly pirate down the deck. The latter introduced himself as he walked. "My name is Owen, the boatswain of the Sea Lion. No matter what you've done in the past, or what your background is, you're now a member of the Sea Lion. Of course, we can't trust you like we trust others, but it doesn't matter. Time will speak for itself."
Owen paused for a moment, then continued, "But there are some things you need to know in advance. Listen, gambling, theft, and personal fights are strictly prohibited on the ship, unless there's a notary present. Desertion during a battle is a capital offense …"
When he said that, he deliberately looked at Marvin, who was wiping the sweat off his forehead and smiling apologetically.
Owen continued, "When looting, it's strictly prohibited to keep any loot. Other than the enemies you've killed, you can choose one item first. In the end, all the loot will be divided equally. The captain and the helmsman will get a double share. The doctor, the carpenter, the gunner, the cook, and the boatswain will get one and a half each. Those who perform well in battle will also receive additional rewards. If you're injured or disabled, you'll receive a pension. The amount of pension depends on the number of years you've been on the ship.
"Oh, and most importantly, everyone has an equal right to vote in all the daily affairs of the ship, including the appointment and dismissal of the captain and helmsman."
Owen then looked at the four of them. "That's all for now. Do you have any more questions?"
Marvin raised his hand and smiled. "Let me make this clear. I'm not trying to shirk my responsibilities. I just want to know, um … does the cook have to participate in the battle too?"
"Under normal circumstances, you don't have to. But when it comes to a crisis, everyone has to pick up a weapon. Speaking of which, you should look for Dufresne later. Ask him to equip you with a gun. I will tell him about this as well." Owen's last words were directed at Zhang Heng.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
