Chapter 799 The Lampmaker's Son
Even the typically cautious Xu Dafu had given his approval. The commander no longer hesitated, retrieving his tinderbox to ignite the fuse on the cannon barrel, then sprinted away, putting a safe distance between himself and the weapon.
“Boom!”
With a thundering report, the small grenade was spat from the cannon, tracing a graceful arc through the sky before landing three hundred meters away, amidst the pre-arranged scarecrows.
Then came another “Boom!” The small grenade exploded, shrapnel and steel pellets spraying in all directions. The scarecrows were utterly ravaged, instantly riddled with countless holes.
The crowd paused for a brief moment in stunned silence, then erupted into cheers. “It worked! Hahaha, it actually worked! We’re going to get the Heavenly Lord Special Prize for scientific invention this year!”
“We should also be able to design large grenades, right? For use with bigger cannons!”
“Hm, we could also try replacing the shells for the Hongyi cannons with grenades, and the Frankish cannons mounted on warships could be converted to fire grenades too.”
“This technology means we can change the ammunition without needing to change the cannon barrels.”
“Let’s do it!”
...in Song Yingxing’s laboratory at Gao Family Village’s Thirty-Two Middle School, a graduate student was tinkering with the electric lamp that Song Yingxing had proposed last time.
After a large group of scientists and graduate students had collectively siphoned off electricity from the "celestial generator" last time, the team at Song Yingxing's laboratory had been diligently working on the electric lamp.
However, progress was slow!
This was because Song Yingxing was simply too busy. He was an incredibly inquisitive scientist, brimming with curiosity. No matter what scientific or technological invention emerged, he wanted to observe it, lend a hand, and meticulously sketch down diagrams.
This severely slowed down the design and research of the electric lamp.
Fortunately, while Song Yingxing was busy, not all of his graduate students were. This particular student, Ji Menghan, for instance, didn't have so many distractions. His sole focus was on developing the electric lamp; he had no interest in anything else!
As it turned out, Ji Menghan was the son of a lampmaker from Xi'an.
Several years prior, his father, the lampmaker, had fled from Xi'an Prefecture to Gao Family Village alongside the gunpowder artisan Xu Dafu and Xing Honglang. Upon arriving, Xu Dafu was given significant responsibilities, rising swiftly through the ranks to become a prominent and respected figure in Gao Family Village.
His own father, the lampmaker, though skilled in his craft and contributing to the prosperity of Gao Family Village’s commercial ventures, earning a fair amount of money, never truly struck it rich.
The lampmaker later returned to Xi'an, bringing his wife and children back to Gao Family Village. He then enrolled his son, Ji Dameng, in the Gao Family Village School, where he gained knowledge and became educated.
Ji Dameng found his name a bit rustic. After getting his father’s permission, he changed it to one that sounded more like a scholar’s, Ji Menghan.
In the years since coming to Gao Family Village, he often heard his father lament, “Your father and Xu Dafu both came from Xi’an, but our lives are worlds apart, all because of technology... the gap in technical skill! Son, you must master technology; only then can you make something of yourself in the future.”
Ji Menghan etched those words deeply into his mind!
In recent years, he had studied with an intense fervor. Though he started later than others, he progressed faster than anyone, graduating from middle school with exceptional grades. He then began self-studying high school curricula while also joining Song Yingxing’s research laboratory, becoming an esteemed graduate student.
Initially, he struggled to find a clear direction, unsure of what invention he should pursue. But when he saw the electric lamp Song Yingxing unveiled, Ji Menghan understood: a lampmaker’s son ought to make lamps!
His father possessed lamp-making skills but hadn't struck it rich because his craft was a common skill that anyone could learn; others’ lamps simply lacked the meticulous refinement of his father’s work.
Such a minor difference in precision couldn't be considered core technology.
That kind of skill wouldn't bring real wealth.
However, the electric lamp technology introduced by Song Yingxing was truly a “core technology.” If he could master and optimize such a skill, he would surely earn the Heavenly Lord’s favor and rise to a position of high standing, just like Xu Dafu.
Ji Menghan dedicated all his time to the research of electric lamps.
The two carbon rods Song Yingxing had presented earlier, while capable of emitting light, were far too dazzling to look at directly. Moreover, they deteriorated incredibly fast, burning out within a few hours and proving utterly impractical for real-world use.
What Ji Menghan wanted was an electric lamp that could be used for extended periods, much like the oil lamps his father crafted.
“The filament deteriorates quickly because of high temperatures, burning...”
Ji Menghan scribbled in his notebook: “Combustion causes the filament to burn out its lifespan quickly. If there were a way to prevent the filament from burning, it could last for a very long time. But how can I stop it from catching fire?”
He was all alone in the laboratory. Every other graduate student had rushed off to see the new grenade launchers, leaving no one to join him in his electric lamp research.
This meant he couldn't even find someone to discuss his ideas with...
Such loneliness!
Perhaps, the path of deep scientific research was inherently destined for such solitude.
Just as he felt a pang of emptiness in his heart, a small skeletal figure made of metal climbed onto his desk and settled beside his notebook.
Ji Menghan startled, then took a closer look. It was a CC02 reconnaissance Heavenly Lord, still under construction, which explained why it was just a skeletal frame.
“Encountering difficulties?” the reconnaissance Heavenly Lord inquired.
Ji Menghan quickly bowed respectfully. “Responding to the Heavenly Lord, this humble one was merely lamenting the solitude of conducting research alone.”
The reconnaissance Heavenly Lord chuckled. “All great successes often come with a price, such as... loneliness! If you truly can’t go on, you are free to give up. No one is forcing you to succeed.”
Ji Menghan shook his head. “This is what I want for myself.”
The reconnaissance Heavenly Lord replied, “Then there’s no problem! As long as it’s something you truly love, you can give it your all. Alright, that’s enough of the inspirational talk; I don’t particularly enjoy this part. Let’s get straight to the point: what specific difficulties are you encountering?”
Ji Menghan quickly elaborated on the problem of the filament burning out too quickly.
“I see,” the reconnaissance Heavenly Lord said, a smile on his metallic face. “You should know that combustion requires a very important element, right?”
Ji Menghan replied, “Air!”
“Precisely!” the reconnaissance Heavenly Lord chortled. “Now, think again: if you don’t want the filament to burn out, what should you do?”
Ji Menghan suddenly gasped. “Deprive it of air!”
“Hahaha, clever!” the reconnaissance Heavenly Lord laughed. “Keep up the good work; I’ll be waiting to present you with the Grand Prize for Scientific Invention!”
The reconnaissance Heavenly Lord then became still, unmoving...
Ji Menghan, however, felt his entire being invigorated. Something had just burst open in his mind – to put it plainly, his mind was buzzing with audacious ideas.
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