"I also know that in the past, your military pay was always in arrears, but isn't the official here now?"
To be honest, Li Bao really didn't want his newly promoted captains to leave. After all, whether it was training or fighting, he always needed a few trusted subordinates.
"It's not that problem. Forget it, I'll tell you the truth. General, look at this!"
After a moment of hesitation, Niu Sibao gritted his teeth fiercely, then directly took out a crumpled piece of paper from his embrace.
"What is this?"
Li Bao asked with some confusion as he took it.
"This is the offer from a newly established trading company in Mingzhou City for the brothers..."
Niu Sibao said, scratching his head with a bit of embarrassment.
"A trading company? You need to think clearly. You are eating the emperor's food in the military camp, but it's different in a trading company. If you are tricked by them, your whole family will starve!"
Upon hearing this, Li Bao quickly said.
"General, you should read it clearly first. I know you're praising me and giving me face, but they're offering too much..."
Niu Sibao lowered his head with some shame as he spoke.
Seeing his ashamed expression, Li Bao unfolded the paper in front of him with a mind full of doubts.
"Captain origin, annual copper coins 150 guan? Sign a contract and advance three years' salary upon upload?"
Even Li Bao was stunned after reading what was written.
This is too extravagant!
For a moment, Li Bao even wanted to resign.
He was now receiving the court's salary, which, converted into copper coins, was only about 300 guan per year.
According to the price offered by these people, his annual salary would triple as soon as he signed a contract with them.
As long as he uploaded, he could directly advance three years' salary, which, calculated according to Niu Sibao's income, would be 450 guan.
Even though copper coins were already depreciating rapidly, 450 guan was still an irresistible number for Niu Sibao.
Let alone just uploading to be their guard, even losing his life would be worth this 450 guan.
What's more, the contract clearly stated that if he was disabled at sea, he would be compensated with five years' salary, and if he died, his family would be compensated with ten years' salary!
If the compensation was calculated at this amount, even the most ordinary soldiers, if they died at sea, their families would receive a thousand guan.
For these ordinary soldiers, 100 guan was already enough to make them disregard their lives, let alone a thousand guan!
"What is the name of this trading company?"
After taking a deep breath, Li Bao suddenly asked.
"I can't say that..."
Although Li Bao asked, Niu Sibao still replied with some embarrassment.
"You!"
Just as he was about to get up and kick him, Li Bao suddenly remembered what Han Mo had said earlier.
Thinking of the generous and irresistible treatment, Li Bao suddenly understood many things.
"I agree to this matter. Let anyone else who wants to leave come together!"
With a long sigh, Li Bao suddenly realized that he was just a laborer.
At this moment, he also understood that if he guessed correctly, the Quanzhou navy had basically become Han Mo's training ground.
It was likely that as soon as his new army was formed, the outstanding individuals among them would be disbanded again.
"Thank you, General!"
Upon hearing Li Bao's words, Niu Sibao immediately kowtowed to Li Bao with joy.
"Alright, hurry up and get out. I get angry when I see you. Don't let me see you at sea again, or I'll definitely kick you into the sea to feed the sharks!"
Seeing his ecstatic appearance, Li Bao waved his hand impatiently and signaled him to leave.
"Thank you for fulfilling my request, General."
After Niu Sibao finished speaking, he immediately ran out of Li Bao's tent excitedly.
Not long after, the captains that Li Bao had just promoted all rushed in.
In just one morning, the 3,000 elite soldiers had all run away.
When the last soldier walked out of the military camp, Li Bao suddenly felt an emptiness in his heart.
Even he, a tough guy, felt like crying at this moment.
This was too much of a bullying!
Meanwhile, at a secluded small dock outside Quanzhou City, dozens of warships were lined up. The soldiers who had just left the Quanzhou navy excitedly lined up to collect their equipment. In the Quanzhou navy, although they were considered legitimate imperial soldiers, the armor issued to them was all paper armor and leather armor. However, today, the armor they received was all iron armor. Moreover, unlike the previous armor, these armors looked dark and did not reflect any light.
"Captain, are these armors really rust-proof?"
As Niu Sibao had just put on his newly issued armor, the soldiers under his command couldn't help but surround him and ask in a low voice.
"Why are you guys worried about that? Anyway, all this stuff was given by them. If they aren't afraid of rust, why should we be?"
Although these armors were not very thick, far from the terrifying Bu Ren Jia, they weighed about thirty to forty catties when worn. Niu Sibao was more than satisfied with these newly acquired items, because even in naval warfare, close combat was indispensable. As long as it was close combat, the difference between iron armor and leather armor was too great. Especially in rainy weather, if rust was not considered, iron armor would not be greatly affected, but leather armor and paper armor were different. Once soaked by water, the defensive capability would be greatly reduced. In battle, with knives going in and out, who wouldn't want the shell on their body to be thicker?
"Captain is right. If they aren't afraid, why should we be? But the quality of these sabers is really not bad. I feel like even the Forbidden Army would be around this level!"
"Alright, enough nonsense. They are starting to distribute copper coins over there!"
Seeing that someone on the large ship next to them had already started shouting to distribute copper coins, Niu Sibao immediately interrupted these guys' chatter.
"Sir, what do you think of these people?"
On the reef mountain behind the dock, Han Mo looked at Shao Bowen with a smile.
"This is a pack of wolves and tigers. Without the constraints of warlords, I'm afraid once they go out to sea, there will be no more peace in the entire South China Sea..."
Shao Bowen was more than satisfied looking at those soldiers with their broad shoulders and sturdy waists.
"Then I wish you a smooth journey!"
"Just wait for my good news, sir. With them and the weapons they secretly stored, which country in the South China Sea can contend?"
"That's true, but you should always be careful. The weapons you requested are already on the other side of the strait. In the future, if there's nothing important, the warships don't need to dock. Only merchant ships will enter and exit the strait!"
"Yes!"
"Sir, I'm still very curious about one thing. Why do you insist on naming our trading company the East India Company? It sounds too awkward..."
"Guess? Hahaha!"