Chapter 810: Shi Kefa's Further Studies
When everyone asked about his lamp, Ji Menghan suddenly snapped back to attention. "Oh dear, I almost forgot the main event! The atmospheric pressure issue was just something I stumbled upon while researching my lamp. The real focus is the lamp itself!"
Everyone exchanged confused glances.
Ji Menghan waved his hand. "Students, quickly, bring out what we prepared earlier!"
A group of graduate students playfully scurried into an adjacent room. Moments later, they emerged, trailing a long electrical wire behind them. It turned out they had already run the wire to this spot and hidden it in the room. Along with the wire, they brought out a peculiar, round "glass bottle," inside of which were strange, thin carbon filaments...
The graduate students placed the strange "glass bottle" on the table and connected the wire.
Ji Menghan announced excitedly, "This is my invention!"
The crowd watching understood absolutely nothing.
Ji Menghan knew they wouldn't understand, so he wasted no more words. He located a switch on the wire, and with a soft click, pressed it down. Instantly, the peculiar carbon filaments inside the "glass bottle" flared to life, illuminating the entire surrounding area with a brilliant glow.
The crowd gasped, "Wow!"
Though the onlookers didn't fully grasp the mechanics, they were profoundly impressed. This device was far brighter than any oil lamp, and it seemed incredibly convenient.
Xu Dafu clapped Ji Menghan's father on the shoulder. "Old friend, your Ji family has an heir to its craft! To create such a remarkable lamp, this time the Heavenly Lord Special Prize is surely yours for the taking!"
Ji Menghan's father laughed heartily. "My son, he's brought such honor to my name, hahahaha!"
Just then, the Village Chief squeezed through the crowd, raising his hand. "How much is one of these lamps? Oh, never mind the price, just come install one in my house right away!"
"I want one installed in my house too!"
"And me!"
The wealthiest residents of Gao Family Village immediately began placing orders.
Ji Menghan replied with a touch of embarrassment. "Not so fast, not so fast. I... I'm still contemplating setting up an electric lamp factory. Mass production of these will take a considerable amount of time, so please, don't rush."
A few days later, the Ji-style Electric Lamp began construction.
Ji Menghan used a large silver ingot from the Heavenly Lord Special Prize as startup capital. He found an empty plot of land and began constructing the factory buildings. He commissioned specialized "glass bottles" from a glassworks, hired workers to produce the filaments, and even built a large batch of "vacuum manufacturing machines" to evacuate the air from the bottles.
Once everything was established, Ji Menghan returned to school to continue his studies and research, entrusting the lamp factory to his father.
Ji Menghan's father finally held his head high, feeling he had at last caught up to Xu Dafu. It seemed their journey years ago, following Xing Honglang from Xi'an to Gao Family Village, had not been in vain.
Early one morning, a somber man arrived at Gao Family Village.
It was Shi Kefa.
Shi Kefa's expression was far from cheerful. He disembarked slowly from the train, each step deliberate. His gaze swept over the bustling, vibrant Gao Family Village, before he turned and walked, with a heavy gait, towards the Thirty-Two Middle School.
"Ah, it's Master Shi, from Shi Kefa's Legal Enlightenment!" someone called from the roadside, waving at him. "Master Shi, I love watching your program!"
Shi Kefa managed a strained smile. "Glad it helps."
The passerby tilted their head. "Huh? Is Master Shi feeling unwell?"
Shi Kefa offered an awkward chuckle. "No, no, I'm fine."
He waved goodbye to his admirer and continued on, eventually reaching the school gates.
The gatekeeper immediately recognized the host of Shi Kefa's Legal Enlightenment and greeted him with extreme solicitousness. "Master Shi is here? Oh my, I never thought I'd see such a celebrity from the mirror in person! Could you possibly sign an autograph for me? My child absolutely loves your program."
Shi Kefa casually signed his name.
The gatekeeper was instantly overjoyed. "Ah, Master Shi, what brings you all the way from Xi'an to the Thirty-Two Middle School in Gao Family Village today?"
A self-conscious smile spread across Shi Kefa's face. "Well... I actually came here to... hmm... to learn some things." He felt a pang of awkwardness just saying it. To be a man in his middle years, showing up at a school wanting to study, truly felt profoundly embarrassing.
The gatekeeper stiffened for a moment, then replied awkwardly, "Master Shi, you jest. You are a man of great learning yourself."
Shi Kefa sighed deeply. He knew he couldn't explain himself to the gatekeeper, so he simply shook his head, entered the school, and headed towards the principal's office.
He knocked on the principal's office door. Principal Wang opened it from inside and, seeing Shi Kefa standing outside, was taken aback. "Oh? Master Shi!"
Shi Kefa cut straight to the chase. "Principal Wang, does Thirty-Two Middle School still accept students? I wish to study here, to gain some practical skills."
Principal Wang jumped in surprise. "Master Shi, are you...?"
Shi Kefa explained, "After watching 'A Minor Soldier of the Daling River Border Army,' I became single-mindedly devoted to serving the nation. Yet, no matter how much I pondered, I couldn't identify any area where I could genuinely be of help. The more I thought, the more it seemed I, Shi Kefa, simply lacked talent. I'm inept at civil administration, and equally unskilled in military strategy. All the innovations coming out of Gao Family Village—the things that boost grain yields, invigorate commerce, and enhance military equipment—I understand none of them."
Principal Wang murmured, "Ah, I see now."
Shi Kefa's face flushed slightly. "I just don't know if Thirty-Two Middle School accepts students of my age."
Principal Wang reassured him, "On that, Master Shi can rest easy. Since its founding, our school has had a rule set by the Heavenly Lord: no matter one's age, as long as there is a desire to learn, this school will admit them."
Shi Kefa was overjoyed. "That's wonderful! Then... getting back to it, I shouldn't have to start from the lowest grade, should I? I wish to study practical knowledge for governing the world directly."
Principal Wang nodded. "Practical knowledge for governing the world, you say? In this school, such profound subjects are typically tackled directly by our graduate students."
Shi Kefa pressed on, "Can I enroll directly into graduate studies?"
Principal Wang cleared his throat. "Ahem! That, Master Shi, isn't entirely my decision. The Heavenly Lord keeps a very close eye on this school. No matter who you are, everyone must follow the school's regulations. Otherwise, violating the Heavenly Lord's decree would be..."
Shi Kefa flinched. Violating a divine decree felt far more terrifying than violating an imperial edict! After all, the Emperor was easily deceived, but the Heavenly Lord was omnipresent; nothing could be hidden from him.
"Then I, of course, must also abide by the rules," Shi Kefa quickly affirmed, his expression solemn. "What are the rules?"
Principal Wang, with a swift movement, produced a thick stack of examination papers. "Entrance exams. Whichever level you pass, that's the level you may study at."
Shi Kefa extended his hand. "Bring me the graduate studies exam!"
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