Chapter 850: The Automobile Factory
In the evening, the Gao Family Village News broadcast began.
With the border conflicts resolved, special news reports were no longer necessary. The focus of the news broadcast shifted back to production, construction, and technological development.
Gao Yiye smiled brightly, addressing the audience beyond the screen. “This edition’s Heavenly Lord Scientific Invention and Innovation Award goes to Manager Tan Liwen.”
The announcement of his name left all the villagers utterly bewildered.
While the residents of Xi’an, Puzhou, and other cities might not know who Tan Liwen was, everyone in Gao Family Village certainly did. Like San Shier, Tan Liwen was merely an administrator; how could such a person be involved in a scientific invention?
Fortunately, Gao Yiye immediately began to explain: “Tan Liwen proposed the idea of adding a cargo bed to Young Master Bai’s steam car, allowing the experimental vehicle to finally find its place in practical application.”
The scene shifted, and everyone saw a steam-powered vehicle, now fitted with a cargo bed, winding its way along a mountain road. Inside the cargo bed sat a massive steam pump.
Gao Yiye declared, “The Heavenly Lord encourages scientists to delve into core technologies, and also urges those on the front lines of labor to use their practical experience to bring truly useful functions to scientific inventions.”
Only then did the crowd understand that technological products had two distinct aspects: core technology and practical application.
As the news broadcast concluded...
At the Gao Family Village Armory, a new department, dedicated to mass-producing “cargo vehicles,” was being established under the leadership of Gao Yiyi.
Producing these vehicles was vastly different from the manufacturing processes for their usual weaponry.
It was far too complex!
It required a multitude of parts, a vast array of tools, and an intricate production sequence—nothing like the simple creation of firearms, iron pots, or sabers.
Previously, when crafting experimental vehicles for Young Master Bai, the senior blacksmiths could treat it as “extra work,” each contributing a few strikes of their hammer without much issue.
But mass production demanded a far more rigorous approach.
“We need a factory, a colossal factory,” Gao Yiyi declared, sweeping his arm in a grand gesture as if embracing the entire world. “This factory must be at least half the size of a valley.”
Tan Liwen gasped in surprise. “That large?”
“As you know,” Gao Yiyi continued, “the Heavenly Lord has always advocated for standardization. Therefore, our mass-produced cargo vehicles should ideally have every critical component built to standard specifications. This means each major part will require its own independent workshop.”
Tan Liwen rubbed his temples. “Where am I supposed to find you such a massive plot of land? The area surrounding Gao Family Village itself has long since been completely occupied.”
This was indeed a problem!
Gao Family Village was originally just a mountain hamlet, home to only forty-two native residents. Its surrounding farmland was tiny. With the massive influx of people, the village had expanded continuously, exhausting all available land nearby. Any further out, and it was nothing but endless mountain slopes.
A colossal factory would obviously be impractical to build on a mountain slope; flat ground was essential for such a facility.
“Heyang County has large stretches of flat land,” Gao Yiyi suggested. “Perhaps we could build the automobile factory there?”
Tan Liwen shook his head. “Heyang County is, after all, just a small county town. Given the complexity of vehicle manufacturing and the sheer quantity of materials required, the factory would ideally need to be located at a transportation hub. In the future, if the Heavenly Lord no longer assists us, it would be much easier for us to source materials from various places and transport them to the factory ourselves. That leaves only Puzhou and Xi’an as viable options.”
Clearly, Puzhou was not as suitable as Xi’an.
“It’s decided,” Tan Liwen declared. “We will acquire a massive plot of land in the suburbs of Xi’an and construct an enormous automobile factory there.”
Days later, in Xi’an.
Wang Tang, the Chief Director of Gao Family Village’s Xi’an operations, straightened his long gown, making himself look presentable. He glanced at the mass-produced Heavenly Lord statue sitting in the corner. “Heavenly Lord, would you like to accompany me?”
Li Daoxuan chuckled, “I won’t be going. My mynah bird is almost out of food, so I need to arrange some more for it.”
“Then I shall proceed,” Wang Tang replied.
He exited the building and hurried towards the Prince of Qin’s Residence.
Establishing a massive automobile factory in Xi’an meant they couldn’t bypass the Prince of Qin’s Residence. Wang Tang’s visit was specifically to negotiate with them for the factory land.
Li Daoxuan knew that if he personally visited the Prince of Qin’s Residence, the matter would be settled instantly. Zhu Cunji now treated him like an honored ancestor, practically sliding to his knees to cling to his leg upon sight.
Such direct intervention wasn’t ideal.
He couldn’t always be the one to solve problems; Wang Tang needed to gain experience.
So, he leisurely carried a birdcage, strolling through the bustling streets and narrow alleys of Xi’an.
On the western edge of the city, a “Dao Xuan Heavenly Lord Cave” was currently under construction.
It had once been a grand courtyard estate belonging to a wealthy family, purchased by Prince Zhu Cunji. He then ordered all the pavilions, towers, and structures within the courtyard to be demolished and repurposed into the “Dao Xuan Heavenly Lord Cave.”
Of course, Zhu Cunji wasn’t personally managing this project; he had delegated it to his consort. His own focus remained on constructing railways and developing the “tourist attractions” that sprang up along the railway lines.
Li Daoxuan cheerfully made his way to Xi’an North Station with his birdcage and boarded the “Cunji” train. The train was quite crowded, indicating that Zhu Cunji’s tickets were selling rather well.
A group of young scholars shared the same carriage with Li Daoxuan.
These scholars clearly came from moderately wealthy families; each wore exquisite jade pendants at their waist, and some even carried warrior's swords.
No sooner had the train begun to move than the group started to posture. “Gentlemen,” one began, “this is my first time riding a train! It truly is different from a horse carriage. I wish I could compose a poem for it, but alas, my talent is lacking, and my mind is blank, oh dear...”
His companions chuckled. “Brother Li, you write it! No, no, Brother Gu should write it.”
A man referred to as Brother Gu was put forward. He wore a peculiar expression, chuckling as he said, “You gentlemen truly put me in a difficult position. My expertise lies in practical governance and statecraft, not poetry. I simply cannot produce one.”
The other scholars laughed. “You are the most learned among us! If you can’t write one, then who among us possibly could?”
Brother Gu shook his head with a smile and returned to his seat.
While the other scholars continued their animated discussions, the scholar named Gu immersed himself in writing.
This area was within Li Daoxuan’s field of view. So, even though he was seated far in the back, he didn’t need to walk over to see. By activating his “focus” function, he could instantly discern what the scholar was writing.
The scholar, it turned out, was meticulously documenting the local customs, hydrological projects, and livelihoods he had witnessed in Shaanxi. Clearly, all the peculiar innovations originating from Gao Family Village were being recorded by him on paper.—
Even the large train he was currently riding was noted down.
Comments