Chapter 938: An Extraordinary Life Marches On
Padi Tu’s awkward rambling had everyone shaking their heads.
Yet, from his chaotic remarks, Sun Chuanting discerned something profound.
He cleared his throat. “Everyone, gather around.”
The students on the training ground immediately converged.
Sun Chuanting produced a long spear, trailing it behind him in a relaxed manner, then leaped beside the Heavy Armored Car. Pointing at the vehicle, he declared, “Observe, this machine is impenetrable to blades and spears, truly formidable. However, it also possesses a glaring weakness.”
The crowd questioned, “Where lies this weakness?”
“Its bulk!” Sun Chuanting proclaimed. “During its last engagement on the vast steppes, the open, flat terrain allowed the Heavy Armored Car to rampage freely. But its performance in the Central Plains would be far from as simple.”
With his spear, he quickly sketched a few casual diagrams on the ground. “In mountainous terrain, or on uneven ground riddled with crumbling walls and debris, the Heavy Armored Car’s movement would inevitably be hampered.”
Having spoken, Sun Chuanting used his toes to push off the ground, leaping high in a flash. With one foot planted on the Heavy Armored Car’s front, he instantly vaulted onto its roof.
He swept his spear, knocking the Heavy Armored Car's forward-mounted gun aside. “Once an enemy warrior boards, the vehicle's gun becomes ineffective against them. Such a warrior could leap around on the roof, and finding the hatch mechanism would be a simple matter. Should they pull open the hatch, the soldiers inside the Heavy Armored Car would be in grave danger.”
At his words, the driver of the Light Armored Car flinched, a chill tracing its way down his spine.
Padi Tu burst into laughter. “Therefore, this Heavy Armored Car must first be manned by yours truly, the Rabbit Lord! If an enemy dares to leap aboard, I shall leap down from the vehicle and strike with a single sword!”
Sun Chuanting conceded, “While this Rabbit Lord spouts endless nonsense, he did get one thing right. This Heavy Armored Car requires protection from our infantry. Should an enemy attempt to board, our infantry will eliminate them. From today forward, let us, teachers and students alike, dedicate ourselves to researching methods of coordinated combat between infantry and armored vehicles.”
Padi Tu raised his hand. “Headmaster! I have a question.”
Sun Chuanting replied, “Ask away.”
Padi Tu inquired, “When do we all get to study swordsmanship together?”
Sun Chuanting commanded, “Go run fifty laps!”—
Chang'an Automobile Factory, Armored Forging Workshop.
Chen Ergou, exhausted like a dog, lay sprawled on a long workbench in the workshop, resting with his tongue lolling out.
Qi Cheng approached him and gently patted Chen Ergou’s back. “Hey, brother, break time’s almost over. Let’s get back to it.”
Chen Ergou sighed. “Whew! Another task from the higher-ups?”
“Indeed!” Qi Cheng confirmed. “You must understand their position. The world is in turmoil, wars are erupting everywhere. Our Gao Family Village Militia bears the revolutionary mission of saving the common people from suffering. And we, in turn, bear the mission of providing weapons and equipment to the militia’s soldiers. Though we are weary, our lives are not in peril.”
Chen Ergou pushed off the workbench with both hands and sprang to his feet. “Qi Ge is right. We need to redouble our efforts. Let’s get back to forging armor plates.”
The two returned to the production line, supervising the workers as they forged armor plates...
They hurried back and forth.
Watching the workers frantically hammering at iron plates, a peculiar thought suddenly struck Chen Ergou. “Qi Ge, do you recall the steam textile machine we saw back in Gao Family Village?”
Qi Cheng nodded. “Of course.”
Chen Ergou elaborated, “The steam engine drives the axle, keeping the textile machine turning with a consistent motion. I’ve been thinking, what if we attached a colossal hammer to the axle? Each rotation of the axle would lift the hammer, then let it fall...”
Hearing this, Qi Cheng suddenly enlightened, “By the Heavens! Wouldn’t that mean the hammer could strike endlessly, without requiring human effort?”
Chen Ergou chuckled. “Heh heh heh, it would definitely save our workers a great deal of effort. They’d only need to place the iron under the hammer, let it strike, then pull out the hammered piece, reposition it, and let it strike again. That’s all there’d be to it.”
Qi Cheng exclaimed, “Genius! Damn it, you’re an absolute genius!”
Chen Ergou burst into hearty laughter. “I told you, Chen Ergou’s prodigious life has only just begun! Qi Ge, let’s go tinker with this machine together. If we succeed, everyone will save so much effort.”
Days later, the duo’s first “Steam Forging Hammer” was born.
Its design was incredibly crude. They had simply removed the steam engine from a steam textile machine and attached an oval-shaped rotating shaft to its axle. When the long side of the shaft rotated upwards, it would lift the hammer; when the flat side rotated, the hammer would fall.
And so, it would relentlessly, ceaselessly swing its massive hammer down, striking again and again.
Though it was so rudimentary, its debut was met with universal praise from the workers in the Armored Forging Workshop. Everyone could now conserve a significant amount of energy; they merely had to position the armor plates beneath the hammer and let it do the striking.
When the hammer lifted, they would simply shift the armor plate slightly, or flip it over, ensuring the hammer struck all parts of the plate evenly.
The Armored Forging Workshop’s efficiency instantly soared, far surpassing that of other workshops. This allowed them to complete a phase of their tasks several days ahead of schedule, granting all workers a three-day holiday until other departments caught up.
This achievement quickly piqued the curiosity of Factory Director Gao Yiyi, who personally led an inspection team to the Armored Forging Workshop.
Gao Yiyi, himself a blacksmith by trade, erupted in excited shouts upon seeing the ceaselessly striking hammer. “By the gods, which genius came up with this?”
“Reporting, Director,” a worker announced, “it was Chen Ergou.”
Gao Yiyi demanded, “You rascal, you designed something this brilliant and didn’t report it? You’ve been secretly using it in the Armored Forging Workshop?”
Chen Ergou stammered, “Huh? A little thing like this needed to be reported?”
Gao Yiyi could only offer a wry smile. “Are you still unaware of the rules of our Gao Family Village? Had you reported this, you’d be rich!”
Chen Ergou stared blankly. “???”
It was a few days later that he finally understood.
The “Heavenly Lord Special Prize” for major scientific and technological innovation, personally bestowed by the Heavenly Lord, was presented to him: a Silver Ball the size of a human head. Even Qi Cheng received half a Silver Ball, a reward for his assistance in this significant innovation.
Chen Ergou, a “Blue Hat” senior technician, instantly ascended to the rank of “Red Hat” senior technical engineer.
With great fanfare, he married Xiao Cuihua, the secretary who had followed him from the steel transport factory to the Chang'an Automobile Factory, marking yet another major step forward in his life.
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