178: The birth of the internal combustion engine

Shen Xiaochuan sat at the desk and read the "Skydome City Infrastructure Monthly Report" again.

After finishing it, he stood up and walked toward the laboratory.

Before long, he pushed open the laboratory's iron door.

Lolia was squatting beside the machine, tightening screws, her face covered in sweat.

Hearing the sound, she looked up, didn't say anything, and went back to work.

"How's the progress?" Shen Xiaochuan walked to the workbench and tapped the newly installed casing.

"I've installed the piston rings three times," Lolia stood up and wiped her face. "It can turn now, but it shakes violently, the exhaust pipe is belching black smoke, and the fuel gauge is dropping too fast."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded and walked around to the side of the machine to open the detection panel.

The waveforms on the screen were jumping around; the air intake and fuel injection were out of sync.

"Did you calibrate it using the steam engine method?" he asked.

"Just about," Lolia flipped open her notebook. "I used the boiler pressure model to calculate the fuel supply, but during actual operation, the cylinder block temperature rose too quickly, causing the ignition timing to advance."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at the blueprints for two seconds. "The passage is too big. The gas flow rate is insufficient, the atomization is poor, and the combustion is incomplete."

He picked up a charcoal pencil and drew a new structure on the paper. "Narrow the intake passage by one-third and add a diversion groove so the air swirls as it enters. This will make the fuel-air mixture more uniform, increase ignition efficiency, and reduce fuel consumption."

Lolia took the paper, looked at it, and her eyes lit up. "I'll change it right now."

"By the way, tell the casting team to prepare new molds," Shen Xiaochuan pointed to the parts box in the corner. "The original metal washers won't work; they deform and leak under high pressure. Use Thunder Crystal dust mixed with ceramic powder to press into sealing rings—they'll be heat-resistant and elastic."

"That kind of Materials was only used on the outer layer of the boilers before..." she hesitated slightly.

"Give it a try," he said. "This machine needs to run continuously; it can't have any issues."

Lolia turned and walked away. Shen Xiaochuan followed her out and called out in the hallway, "The test run must happen before noon tomorrow. Don't delay."

"I know," she said without looking back. "Give me eight more people to work in three shifts to rush the job."

"Approved. Pull two skilled technicians from the forging monument site; count it as temporary support."

She paused for a moment and waved her hand to indicate she had heard.

Shen Xiaochuan walked back, crossing the main road of the factory area toward the east. The power station construction site could be seen from far away; the scaffolding was half-built, rebar was piled up in a mess, and a few workers were squatting on the ground smoking.

Zhou Mingrui was standing by the foundation pit, flipping through the construction log, looking displeased.

"Why is it stopped?" Shen Xiaochuan walked over and asked.

Zhou Mingrui looked up and saw it was him, quickly closing the notebook. "The main boiler base hasn't started pouring yet. The concrete mixer is broken; we've been repairing it for two days, but it's still not fixed."

"What about the backup equipment?"

"One is paving roads in the West District, and the other was reassigned to repair bridge piers."

Shen Xiaochuan frowned. "Didn't I talk about priorities? The power station comes first; everything else takes a backseat."

"But the bridge side is also in a rush to open the transport line..." Zhou Mingrui said quietly.

"The most urgent thing right now is winter," Shen Xiaochuan interrupted him. "In another month and a half, temperatures will drop below zero, and the residential area's heating depends entirely on this power station. You tell me, which is more important: transporting goods one day faster because the bridge is open, or the whole city freezing to death?"

Zhou Mingrui lowered his head and said nothing.

"From now on, stop all non-urgent projects," Shen Xiaochuan took out his communicator. "I'll notify the Engineering Department immediately to bring that mixer back from the West District and pull half the crew from the bridge pier construction team to support this side."

"But we've already arranged..."

"There is no 'already'," Shen Xiaochuan stared at him. "Within five days, I want to see the main structure topped off. If you can do it, keep working; if you can't, I'll replace you."

Zhou Mingrui gritted his teeth. "It can be done."

"Good," Shen Xiaochuan's tone softened slightly. "Finish on time, and I'll redeem a batch of high-strength alloy supports from the Faith Mall to reinforce your load-bearing columns. If there's another slip-up, next month's wages will be docked entirely."

After saying that, he walked away.

"Wait!" Zhou Mingrui took a step forward to catch up. "Can we really get the alloy supports? That kind of Materials is very hard to get right now..."

"I keep my word," Shen Xiaochuan didn't turn back. "The condition is—the job must be done."

It was evening by the time he returned to the laboratory. Lolia was assembling new parts with three technicians, and the freshly forged intake pipe was on the floor, its surface still glowing with heat.

"Is the test platform ready?" Shen Xiaochuan asked.

"Connecting the lines now," she tightened the last bolt. "We can ignite in ten minutes."

Shen Xiaochuan stood nearby watching them work. After the new sealing ring was installed, the gaps in the machine were much smaller. Once the startup program loaded, Lolia pressed the confirmation key.

The motor drove the crankshaft to rotate, and the fuel pump began supplying fuel. The first ignition failed, and a puff of white mist sprayed out from the exhaust port.

"Lower the air-fuel ratio a bit more," Shen Xiaochuan said.

On the second ignition, the machine jolted violently, then emitted a low roar. The tachometer slowly rose, and the sound gradually stabilized.

"Did it work?" a technician asked quietly.

"Wait for thirty minutes of stable operation before saying that," Lolia stared at the monitoring screen. "Watch the cylinder temperature, fuel consumption, and vibration amplitude."

Time ticked by. The machine continued to run; the noise wasn't loud, and the exhaust color changed from black to gray, then to light white, and finally became almost colorless.

"Fuel consumption data is out," another technician read. "Hourly fuel consumption is 18% lower than expected, and the power output meets the standard."

Lolia let out a sigh of relief.

"Take it apart and check the piston wear," Shen Xiaochuan said.

The two worked together to remove the side cover. The internal parts' surfaces were smooth, with no scratches and very little carbon buildup.

"Good," Shen Xiaochuan nodded. "This unit passes."

"Fine-grade internal combustion engine, named 'Skydome-1'," Lolia took out her notebook and wrote down the serial number. "Efficient, fuel-saving, and easy to operate; it's suitable for mass-assembling transport vehicles and mobile power stations."

"Then prepare for mass production," Shen Xiaochuan walked to the window and pulled back the curtain; the factory buildings outside were brightly lit. "Make fifty prototypes first to replace the old-style steam vehicles in the transport fleet. Collect three months of operational data, and if there are no problems, roll it out completely."

"The production line needs to be recalibrated," she said. "The molds all need to be replaced, and the workers need training."

Shen Xiaochuan said, "Everyone needs to push harder. If you can't keep up with the progress, you might have to go help in logistics. Technology is constantly upgrading; if we don't improve, we will be eliminated. Everyone needs to take initiative and move forward."

Lolia lowered her head and noted it down.

"One more thing," Shen Xiaochuan looked at her. "For projects like this in the future, report progress once a week. If you get stuck at any step or need support, say so in advance. Don't wait until the last moment to tell me 'it won't fit'."

"I..." she opened her mouth, but didn't finish.

"I'm not blaming you," his tone softened. "You're a good talent, but you're too reserved in your work. Bring up problems early; I can coordinate resources, but lost time cannot be recovered."

She nodded. "It won't happen next time."

"Go on," he said. "Let everyone get a good night's sleep tonight. Starting tomorrow, we officially enter the mass production phase."

She acknowledged him and packed up her things to leave.

"Oh, right," Shen Xiaochuan called her back. "Extra meal at the canteen; everyone eats meat tonight."

Lolia paused, the corners of her mouth twitched, and she pushed the door open and left.

Shen Xiaochuan didn't move. Only that machine remained running in the laboratory, emitting a faint, steady hum. He walked over and touched the casing; the temperature was normal, and the vibration was minimal.

He looked at the water pump improvement plan on the wall, which Lolia had submitted yesterday, detailing the adjustment ideas for the blade angle. He watched it quietly and thought for a while.

Footsteps came from outside the door, and Zhou Mingrui walked in, holding a document.

"The construction plan has been rescheduled," he handed it over. "The main construction will be completed within five days, workers will work in two shifts, and the supply of Materials has also been coordinated."

Shen Xiaochuan took it and read through it quickly. "Fine. Remember, quality cannot be sacrificed. Speed is to race against time, not to cut corners."

"Understood."

"I will follow up on the alloy supports," he said. "As long as you do the work thoroughly, I will fulfill my promise."

Zhou Mingrui took a deep breath. "Thank you."

"Go get busy."

After he left, the room quieted down. Shen Xiaochuan sat down and opened the "Skydome City Infrastructure Monthly Report." The first page read: "This month, the main road hardening project was completed, and the steam transportation network coverage increased to 82%."

He turned to the energy page. The fuel statistics column showed: coal reserves are available for forty days; if extreme cold weather occurs, it will be less than a month.

His finger stopped on the "Replacement" column.

Outside the window, the first batch of night shift workers walked into the factory, and the handover bell rang three times. The lights in the forging area turned on, and the machine tools began to warm up. New molds were being installed, preparing for tomorrow's first batch of mass-produced parts.

Lolia returned, carrying a stack of documents.

"Production schedule," she placed it on the table. "The first batch of fifty units will be off the line within ten days. The training schedule is also laid out, divided into three batches, three days each."

Shen Xiaochuan opened it and looked. "Fine. Proceed according to this."

She didn't leave, standing there hesitating for a moment. "Are we... really not using steam engines anymore?"

"It's not that we aren't using them," he said. "It's a gradual phase-out. The new district will use internal combustion power, while the old System will maintain operation, and they will be naturally replaced when their lifespan expires."

"It's just... it feels too fast," she said softly. "We just raised the boiler efficiency, and now we're switching again."

"That's how technology is," Shen Xiaochuan looked at her. "It never stops moving forward. If you don't advance, others will surpass you."

She nodded, as if she had accepted it.

"Go rest," he said. "We have a tough battle tomorrow."

She turned and walked two steps, then stopped. "Brother Shen."

"Hmm?"

"This machine... is what we built."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at her without speaking.

She smiled, a very genuine smile this time, then pushed the door open and left.

Shen Xiaochuan sat in his original spot, listening to the sound of metal clashing coming from the distant factory. The sound was rhythmic, beat by beat, like a heartbeat.

He lowered his head and continued looking at the production schedule, his finger sliding across the "First Unit Assembly Date" column.

The sun had long since set, and only that internal combustion engine remained standing quietly in the laboratory, with a bit of oil stain still on its casing.