61: Steam engine drawings

Everyone gathered around, carefully studying this magical map.

The topography of the Chaotic Continent was clearly divided into four major regions: the Emerald Forest in the east was the territory of the Elf Race, the scorching sand dunes in the south were occupied by the Centaur Race, the vast plains in the west were the domain of the Human Alliance, and the Dragon Valley in the north was shrouded in a mist, marked only with the crimson characters: "Dragon Clan Habitat."

"The Elf Race, in all game settings, loves peace. We can trade magic spring water with them," Wang Hao said, pointing to the Elf territory.

"The Dwarf Race is the key!" Chen Xu's finger heavily tapped the location marked "Furnace City." "Their forging technology is the best in the world; we must win them over! Our future technological development needs their assistance!"

Although the Orc Tribe had been established for decades, it was foul-smelling, dirty, and chaotically planned, making it unsuitable for building a city.

Chen Xu, escorting over a thousand slaves, returned to the original safe haven. Chen Xu planned to expand the safe haven into a small city.

Thirty wooden grain carts, pulled by war wolves, drove into the haven. The carriages were piled high with smoked meat, oatcakes, and fermented fruit wine accumulated by the Orc Tribe, enough to feed the slaves for at least two months.

"Xu Yao!" Chen Xu dismounted. "Register these slaves, categorize them by physique, gender, and age, to make it easier for everyone to choose."

Xu Yao felt awkward; she used to be an accountant, managing office supplies, and now she was managing slaves.

Xu Yao worked very efficiently, quickly registering and marking the thousand slaves, even assigning them numbers.

For example, the three hundred slaves Liu Yang took were mainly for construction work, numbered [Construction 1] [Construction 2] ... [Construction 300].

Chen Xu took one hundred young slaves to form a Guard Squad, numbered [Guard 1] [Guard 2] ... [Guard 100].

Cheng Xue took two hundred slaves, responsible for mining, transporting, training, and other production work, numbered [Production 1] [Production 2] ... [Production 200].

Others included those responsible for sanitation work, [Sanitation 1] [Sanitation 2], and those responsible for kitchen work, [Kitchen 1] [Kitchen 2], and so on.

Chen Xu praised repeatedly: "As expected of an accountant who's been to prison, your professional skills are excellent."

Xu Yao was torn between laughter and tears: "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't go in! When the police came to arrest me, I jumped off a building!!"

What a Hell of a joke.

The next day, Liu Yang led three hundred slaves to begin the expansion project.

First, they built granaries: three circular structures dug deep underground, built with clay and stones, capable of storing hundreds of carts of grain captured from the Orc Tribe.

Next was the living quarters for the slaves.

During his inspection, Chen Xu told Liu Yang: "Remember, the slave quarters should be simple; just enough to shelter them from wind and rain. Don't make it too comfortable. 'A grain of rice is kindness, a bushel of rice is enmity.' Too good treatment will only make them have improper thoughts."

Liu Yang looked at Chen Xu in disbelief: "You truly are a born capitalist!!"

Meanwhile, Cheng Xue was experimenting with new forging techniques in her workshop.

The clang of metal was incessant, and sparks flew everywhere.

She improved the design of various tools, such as axes, steel saws, and pushcarts, increasing the slaves' labor efficiency by several times.

Su He expanded the planting area by a hundredfold, even selecting ten relatively intelligent slaves to be his students, teaching them how to farm.

Chen Xu warned Su He many times not to be so intimate with the slaves, but Su He refused to listen, insisting that people are mirrors, and if you treat them well, they will feel it and truly repay us.

Chen Xu shook his head, helpless.

After all, Su He was in charge of the most important matter of food in the camp, and he was also an old professor with his own stubbornness and persistence, so Chen Xu let Su He manage it himself.

Everyone had their own responsibilities, striving to develop and strengthen the camp.

Chen Xu formed the first Guard Squad! Numbered Guard One, Guard Two, Guard Three... Guard One Hundred.

He selected one of the most diligent and intelligent young slaves, number 15, Guard 15! He appointed him as the Vice Captain of the Guard Squad to assist in management.

Chen Xu also called him Yaowu!

Yaowu was so grateful that he was even more proactive than Chen Xu.

Chen Xu dared not hit them during training; after all, he was a civilized person.

But Yaowu, on the other hand, was domineering; whoever trained poorly or performed actions incorrectly would be whipped, greatly improving training efficiency.

Chen Xu was very satisfied.

Ten days later, Chen Xu led the Guard Squad, bringing cannons and ballistas, and marched grandly towards Furnace City.

The Dwarf King had already received word, and the entire city was on high alert.

When Chen Xu's team appeared below the city, the city walls were instantly lined with ballistas and trebuchets.

Furnace City was not so easy to attack.

Chen Xu shouted loudly: "I am not here to fight! I am here to discuss cooperation!"

"Hahaha!" The Dwarf King's loud laughter came from the top of the city wall, his stout and short figure appearing at the parapet: "You underestimate our Dwarf Race too much! We would rather starve to death or die in battle than surrender!"

Chen Xu calmly pulled out a scroll of blueprints from his Huai: "I've long heard that the Dwarf Race is obsessed with forging. Don't you want to create something that will change the world?"

When the blueprint of the steam engine, filled with intricate parts, unfolded in the sunlight, the Dwarf King's breathing clearly quickened.

Although he couldn't immediately understand the complex mechanical structures, his intuition as a top craftsman told him—this was absolutely a groundbreaking invention!

"This... this is..." The Dwarf King's voice trembled.

"Once successful, you will be the one who changes the world," Chen Xu said meaningfully.

The Dwarf King's beard bristled with excitement: "Our Dwarf Race is willing to cooperate with you!"

"Don't worry, we will pay you at market price," Chen Xu smiled.

"Money?" The Dwarf King waved his hand disdainfully. "Although we love money, we love forging even more! Quickly show me the complete blueprints!" His eyes were fixed on the blueprint, like a hungry wolf seeing a fat sheep.

Hu Zhenxing, as the technical Great Master, remained in Furnace City.

After all, no matter how superb the Dwarf's craftsmanship was,

They simply couldn't understand the principles and structure of a steam engine.

And Hu Zhenxing, as an expert academician, had unparalleled instructional ability.

Hu Zhenxing stood in the center of Furnace City's huge forging hall, surrounded by dozens of bearded Dwarf craftsmen.

Although each of these Dwarves was a forging Great Master, they now gathered around him like elementary school students, eagerly looking at the blueprints in his hand.

"Please look, everyone," Hu Zhenxing pushed up his glasses, pointing to the complex mechanical structure on the blueprint. "The core principle of the steam engine is to convert heat energy into mechanical energy. Water is heated to produce steam, the steam pushes the piston, and the piston drives the flywheel..."

The Dwarves looked at each other, confused glances flickering beneath their thick eyebrows.

Grom, the chief craftsman, scratched his beard and mumbled: "This... this is completely different from our usual blacksmithing!"

Hu Zhenxing picked up a teapot and a reed pipe: "Watch closely, guys!"

He filled the teapot with water and placed it on the fire, inserting the reed pipe into the spout.

When the water boiled, steam shot out of the pipe, making a "puff puff" sound.

Hu Zhenxing aimed the reed pipe at a small pinwheel, which immediately began to spin.

"When water boils into steam, the force of the steam rushing out can do work. A steam engine is just putting this force into an iron can, making it push a piston back and forth, and then driving a wheel to turn."

"Heavens! It moves by itself!" the Dwarves exclaimed with wide eyes.