In the impression of many people, Ireland is associated with the "Republic Army" and "Explosion Case". In Xia Shu's mind, the first connection of Ireland is the steep cliff with rugged rocks and wind and grass. There is a kind of stubborn vitality in the desolation. This is the sensory impression obtained from TV screens as a child.

The coast of Cork is neither steep nor deserted. Here, dark green coastal vegetation, blue sea water and blue sky form a unique picture. There are many ships to the port and the peaceful and peaceful port, which is in sharp contrast to the busy and hustle and bustle of Thames. On the hillside near the port stands a series of stone castles with unique appearance. The monotonous or full outlines are a significant difference between different construction ages. In the eyes of Natsuki, it is like a seaside street town in Miyazaki animation, outlining a beautiful world with simple lines and colors, and giving people a warm and intimate feeling.

The German businessman who warmly invited the naval cadets to visit was named Hank Fitles, 55 years old and is the chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce in Cork. The chamber of commerce has only seven merchants, operating small factories and workshops. The Fitles family owns a hotel, a cafe, and also engages in some trade import and export businesses. It is the strongest. Half a century ago, he moved here from Holstein with his father. At that time, the Schleswig-Holstein region is equivalent to Alsace Lorraine between Denmark and Germany. The two countries fought two battles around this region. The struggle was until it became a province in Prussia in 1867 and was merged into the unified German Empire in 1871. For this reason, Fitles' nationality changed three times. Although he lived abroad for a long time, his Germanic national sentiment only increased and felt sincerely proud of the prosperity of the German Empire. Because of this, Xia Shu and the Navy students found the warmth of their homes at the Fitles Hotel. They cleaned themselves comfortably and chatted happily with Fitles, their families and local German expatriates. The unexpected episodes during the voyage made a relaxed and happy time.

Fitles' granddaughter Kelly is a young and beautiful blonde girl. She quickly became the target of the Navy cadets. After learning about the prince of Nakashu and Christian, her attentiveness and initiative made her companions jealous. Although she was not interested in a dewy relationship, Nakashu gradually felt that the strange experience in Sweden awakened the lust buried in her heart. Seeing a girl with a beautiful face and a stunning figure, it was difficult for him to be as calm as before. The prince's identity made him more likely to be favored by the opposite sex than ordinary people, and the troubles of adolescence followed.

Unlike other students who are only on-site vacation leisure mentality, Xia Shu has an agreement with John Holland to invest in the establishment of a shipyard in Ireland, and is particularly concerned about this "place of right and wrong" with unique geographical location and political atmosphere. Given that the docking and maintenance of the "Charlotte" and the crew's landing visits were approved by the port authorities, the local Irish people are not as resistant to Germans as residents of the British Islands. After lunch, he wandered alone on the street in front of the Fitles Hotel.

In this lively neighborhood, the figures of the police are easily found. Their uniforms belong to the same system as those of the police on the streets of London. However, the jackets and shirts are neither straight, and their expressions are not as serious and rigid as the police in the capital. They bask in the sun with their hands behind their backs, chatting and laughing at each other very comfortably.

When he walked to a street intersection, Xia Shu noticed a young man wearing a stern-topped cap on the corner of the street, dodging and sending flyers to pedestrians. Some passers-by deliberately avoided it, and some people quickly put it in their pockets after taking the flyers. Xia Shu was about to walk over to get a picture to see what happened, but he caught two policemen walking along the street. The young man skillfully ran into the alley. The police just chased after a few steps symbolically. Seeing that Xia Shu was looking at this side, wearing the clothes of German naval cadets, they walked over curiously, looked him up and down, and asked in English: "German seaman?"

As a legal entry, Natsuki replied calmly: "It is a German naval cadet. Our training ship is repaired at the port, and we are allowed to land for two days."

"Oh, great German Navy." The tone of the tall policeman was not like a sarcastic taunt or a vicious attack, but a humorous joke.

Natsuki smiled meaninglessly and was about to turn around and leave when the short policeman reminded: "Hey, Mr. German, listen to me, no matter what purpose you are doing, I suggest you not have any form of contact with those anti-government elements, otherwise we have the right to detain you for review. If this causes unnecessary diplomatic disputes, we can only express our deep regret."

Like a double act, the tall policeman followed and said, "If you just walk around casually, then stay away from Chunshu Street and away from Blue Heart Cafe."

Although he was not entangled by the police, Xia Shu felt that his naval cadet uniform had become the object of their special attention, so he quickly returned to the Fitles Hotel. Some of the other cadets took naps in the room, some played cards in the restaurant, and some were diligently helping Kelly clean. In the corridor back to the room, Xia Shu met Mr. Fitles' youngest son, Leo, a bachelor in his thirties. He was dressed very gentlemanly, carrying a straight and slender brown wooden stick with him, with a light smile and a cunning look. Seeing that Leo's figure was similar to his, Xia Shu had an idea and asked him if he could lend his outfit for the time being.

Leo agreed without hesitation. He took Xia Shu to his room and opened the wardrobe door happily. The clothes inside were full of dazzling, which probably made many actors sigh. Xia Shu chose an inconspicuous plaid suit and asked for a brown hat. Leo curled his lips and saw that he chose it, but he did not make any dressing suggestions.

Back in the room, Xia Shu took a shower, took a comfortable nap, and wrote a postcard to Louise and Charlotte at the table. It was almost dusk that he went out in his clothes borrowed from Leo, and then learned from a seemingly honest uncle about the way to Chunshu Street. Turning through two alleys, Xia Shu came to this quaint and short street. There was no Chunshu tree on the street, but there were several tall apple trees. None of the shop signs on the crossbar along the street said "Blue Heart Cafe". Following a few young men who looked like workers, Xia Shu quickly found an inconspicuous door, with a blue heart-shaped sign on the lintel. However, a stout man blocked his steps towards passing the threshold.

"Hey, stranger, it's not open to the public." He said in a muffled voice.

"Hmm, I look like a plainclothes policeman?"

Xia Shu tried to resolve the embarrassment in this humorous tone, but this did not work. The strong man hugged his chest with his hands, and his cold eyes also made Xia Shu carefully consider the possible reactions caused by bribery methods. At this moment, a sharp voice came from behind:

"Hey, Robbie, see who you have turned it out! This is our distinguished guest!"

Xia Shu turned around and saw that it was Leo.

"I guessed that you were coming here, why didn't you tell me in advance?" Leo walked to Xia Shu with a smile, and saw the strong man making way without saying a word. This guy is definitely not an ordinary character.

Walking into Blue Heart Cafe from the weird side door, Xia Shu realized that the environment here was no different from the popular cafe. Because it was off work, more than half of the seats had already sat, and the air was filled with the aroma of cheap coffee and bread. Leo took him to a private room with a window near the sea, asked the waiter for two glasses of sherry, and said slowly: "Your Highness the Prince seems to be interested in the sacred cause of the Irish people's resistance to the rule of England?"

Xia Shu smiled indifferently: "If I said this was a kind of emotion of respecting the brave, would you think I was hypocritical?"

"No, of course not." Leo replied very simply, "Don't forget, I'm German, not Irish."

"Sooner or later, the Irish people will get the independence and freedom they deserve, which has no necessary connection with the opposition and competition between Germany and Britain." Natsuki said, "but this road is destined to be full of hardships and requires countless pioneers to sacrifice their lives."

Leo did not respond, and waited for the waiter to start an aperitif, he raised his glass and said, "Respect the brave and fearless Irish."

Because he encountered a scent trap in Karlskruna, Natsuki had to be vigilant in such a strange occasion. He took a sip and spit out the wine by wiping his lips with a napkin.

Leo seemed to see this, and he smiled: "They don't think that kidnapping a German prince can win anything. At the same time, they don't think that praying for others to mercy can bring freedom."

This made Natsuki slightly relieve her vigilance: "They need friends and sincerely help their friends."

"They are used to loneliness." Leo said this with admiration.

"Does Mr. Fitles know about your political tendencies?" asked Natsuki.

"He knew more or less, and he neither agreed nor opposed it, and was a kind-hearted bystander." Leo commented calmly.

Natsuki asked again: "So, what kind of way do you usually support them? Funding, relationships, or other ways?"

Leo drank a sip of wine alone: ​​"Actually, I am just a kind bystander, and the help I provide is minimal."

Natsuki pondered the meaning of the words.

"I heard that a special friend has come." A slightly hoarse voice came from the door of the box. Xia Shu looked up and saw that the person was a well-dressed middle-aged man. He had a rich atrium and a kind face, like a successful capitalist rather than a dangerous anti-government element.

"I'll introduce you to you," Leo stood up and said to Natsuki. "This is Mr. Gibson. I often pay on credit here. Mr. Gibson is a very good person. He never counts my interest, nor will he drive me out because I haven't paid the bill for two consecutive months. It will never be harmful to know such a broad-minded friend."

This exaggerated humor eliminated the embarrassment caused by the two of them due to their identities. Xia Shu got up and shook hands with the middle-aged man, and then the three of them sat down separately.

"I heard that Your Highness is a genius of the Hohenzollern family. The revolutionary design in the field of speedboats is changing the traditional ocean pattern. It is a great honor to see it today!"

Faced with the praise of middle-aged people, Xia Shu did not show the humility of the Eastern style as usual. He thought about the meaning of the other party's words: Due to religious beliefs (the opposition between Catholicism and Protestantism), national status and national consciousness, since modern times, most Irish people have hoped to establish an independent Irish country, and they are roughly divided into two types of people: one advocates seeking autonomy through non-violent means. These people are represented by the Irish Parliamentary Party and have a high social status, and some even serve as members of the British Parliament.

The result of their efforts was that in May 1914, the British House of Representative Law was prompted to pass the "autonomous law", which gave Ireland a high degree of autonomy, including the formulation of the constitution, but World War I delayed the entry into force of this law; the other category was the "anti-government elements" in the eyes of the British government, who tried to establish an Ireland without British rule and oppression through force. They launched the Easter Uprising in 1916, and devoted themselves to the Irish War of Independence from 1919 to 1921, which eventually led to Ireland's independence.

In the history that Xia Shu knew, from 1921 to 1948, Ireland existed as an autonomous confederacy in the United Kingdom. It separated from the Commonwealth in 1948 and became a completely independent country. However, the six northern Ireland counties, dominated by Protestants, remained in the British territory forever. Because of opposing the division of North and South Ireland, the Irish Republican Army had long sought the complete unification of Ireland through armed struggle, and gradually became a notorious terrorist organization at home and abroad. It was not until the end of the 20th century and the early 21st century that Ireland gave up unification and the Republican Army disarmed the armed forces and ended this decades-long violent dispute.

"In fact, in order to fulfill the agreement of the same friend, I am planning to set up a shipyard in Ireland within two years," said Natsuki.

Mr. Gibson was immediately delighted: "Ha! That's so good! That's so good!"

Xia Shu said gently: "However, this friend asked me to build the shipyard in his hometown, County Clare, to help the people there get out of poverty. It's in southeast Ireland! I've never been there yet."

The middle-aged man seemed a little disappointed, and he slowly curled his smile: "Oh... Claire, the land there is very barren, and it is indeed a place with relatively difficult living conditions. There are not many people willing to invest there."

"The business conditions in Port Cork are much better than Claire," Leo interrupted.

"If the conditions are right, I will consider investing in another shipyard branch here." At this point, Natsuki changed his tone and asked Gibson: "Please forgive me for taking the liberty, do you have a political party?"

The middle-aged man looked at Leo and narrowed his eyes and smiled, "We are freedom fighters. Even if there are parties, they are our own party. It may be that our mysterious cafe organizational form has misunderstood His Highness. In fact, we are not revolutionaries secretly planning riots. Apart from a few knives, we don't even have a decent weapon. Our philosophy is to free the Irish people from the oppressive rule of Britain. This oppression is the most unbearable thing for us, both politically and economically, that the huge Ireland cannot even create a rifle."

According to Xia Shu's understanding, Gibson's exaggerated statements were to reflect the reality of the weak industrial economy in Ireland. In fact, in Belfast, northern Ireland, there is not only a relatively complete industrial system, but also a leading European shipbuilding company like Harlan Wolf Shipyard. It can build world-class warships and merchant ships. The Titanic cruise ship in history, the Queen Elizabeth-class battleship Trafalga, and the glitter-class aircraft carrier Krassia were all born in its modern docks.

Before leaving Cork, Xia Shu did not reach any agreement with Irish Gibson, nor did she promise anything to them, but during the brief contact, they saw hope and value of further cooperation, and there was a person like Leo who had Germanic descent and English-German nationality to make a bridge and match. As long as the time was right, they could carry out in-depth cooperation that was in the interests of both parties.
Chapter completed!