Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 792 Stop talking nonsense, just do it.
Train, a noble and magical word, needs no further description, for it is itself a symbol of an era.

It is a masterpiece that combines all the top wisdom of an era, and no language can accurately describe the dazzling brilliance it brings.

It ended humanity's millennia-long era of horse-drawn carriages and ushered in a true super-evolution belonging to the terrifying upright ape. Since then, no other invention has so directly and thoroughly changed the course of world civilization, while also making the uncertain world concrete.

Now, Xia Lin is doing just that. He needs a symbol to separate the old and new eras. He had many alternatives before, but neither electric lights nor tractors have any real epoch-making significance because those things can be replaced and are not unique.

Ultimately, he decided to use the train as a dividing line between eras, but given the current overall technological capabilities, it would be difficult to create one.

But so what? It's all about overcoming difficulties, my friend. The leader of the Asia region was born to overcome challenges.

So Xia Lin went into seclusion. He personally coordinated with several big shots to set up a separate area to work on this thing. The conditions were actually quite tough, because the place didn't even have a roof; it was practically an open-air environment. But so what if it was open-air? He and a group of students pitched a tent and lived there.

What is the most crucial part of a train? It's the boiler power system. The boiler already exists, but that thing can be seven or eight meters tall. What they need to do is to miniaturize these things as much as possible.

Xia Lin's initial idea was good, but after implementing it for a while, he started scratching his head in frustration. The famous saying by Qian Lao kept echoing in his ears: "Even if a person is stupid, can he not learn calculus by the age of fourteen?" But the reality was that he really didn't know it. He taught him many things without reservation, but when he practiced it the next day, he still made many mistakes. Either the pipes were connected incorrectly or the sealing line could not be properly secured.

Xia Lin cursed all day, and by evening he was covering his face and almost cried.

A new-era Bai Qi whose hands are stained with the blood of hundreds of thousands of people, a super minister who controls the rise and fall of dynasties, a living legend whose biography is commemorated, whose statue is cast and whose temple is built, almost made to cry three times in one day by the students he personally mentored.

"Tolerances, tolerances, tolerances! How many times have I told you? The tolerances for castings must take into account thermal expansion and contraction. Before you put a copper pipe into an iron pipe, you must make sure to account for the differences in the properties of the two different materials!"

Xia Lin said to the students through gritted teeth, "Let me tell you, if anyone makes this kind of low-level mistake again, I'll throw you into the furnace as a sacrifice to the heavens!"

The next day, however, the update issue arose.

Now Xia Lin was fully experiencing just how big a mess a person could make. Because he misread the decimal point on the scale, the diameter of the steam outlet was seventeen times smaller than the inlet. When the steam shot out, it flew more than thirty meters away. And because it was extremely dangerous, no one could approach the furnace except to immediately shut it off to cool it down. So the continuous stream of steam scalded the ox that the villager was tethered to to haul parts for him to death...

When Xia Lin arrived, he saw that the cow was about 70% cooked. He sat on a stone bench next to it, lit a cigarette, silently looked up at the sky, and then said to the students with some confusion, "Tell me, who sent you to jinx me? It's such a small thing, and you've come up with all sorts of tricks for me."

But what could he do? He took his students and some money to the villager's house, apologizing and offering compensation. He really lost all face for the rest of his life.

Although this allowed him to finally eat beef, he really felt that this was all there was to his life, considering that these people were all considered geniuses at the Academy of Sciences.

They were once so talented that younger students would exclaim "Wow!" when they walked around, but now they're all as stupid as pigs.

Now Xia Lin had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue, because these people were all people he had personally selected and trained. If he released them now, they might not have any impact on Xia Lin in academia, but in the education field, they could ruin Xia Lin's reputation.

It was agonizing. As the sweltering summer arrived, they had to spend their days huddled around several, even a dozen, large boilers of varying shapes, all wearing only a pair of shorts, including Xia Lin. Their research wasn't the dignified affair one might imagine, where people would sit around a table exchanging pleasantries. Instead, they were constantly juggling hundreds of pounds of castings and cartloads of coal, their bodies tanned and muscular like those of boatmen.

However, Xia Lin was also relieved that, despite the hardships, not a single person gave up halfway. Although these people were a bit slow, their perseverance was amazing. They were originally delicate and tender students, but now they have become muscular and rough men, yet they do not complain much.

The steam train that Xia Lin originally thought he would never be able to build in his lifetime is now one-third complete, and it can even be said that it is already quite promising.

Because the project was top secret, even their families couldn't know what they were doing or even their exact location. They were completely isolated from the world, almost cut off from all contact with the outside world. Even Xia Lin missed the day Dou Ya Zi gave birth.

During this period, the boiler exploded 30 times, injuring 70 people to varying degrees. Three people were crippled, and even Xia Lin had three toes broken by a cast iron part.

But they overcame all of this, and the train gradually began to show its magnificent potential through their painstaking efforts, like ants carrying grains of rice.

And so autumn arrived again. From spring to autumn, they had been confined here for more than half a year. However, the train project was still far from being completed. But at least now everyone could remain optimistic because the crankshaft driven by the boiler was running very smoothly. They were confident that they could get this huge iron lump moving.

The problem is that something of this weight could not possibly rotate on ordinary land, so railway tracks also needed to be built.

Once this infrastructure construction phase begins, the amount of investment is enormous. All the steel plants in Fuliang immediately enter a wartime state, and the steel that has been prepared for a long time begins to flow out continuously through the scorching furnaces.

As workers began laying the rails, ordinary people were baffled. They didn't know why the ground was suddenly piled with gravel, nor why a not-so-cheap steel section was to be placed on top of the thick timber.

This was no secret project. The round trip from the test site to Leping Township was about a hundred miles. The engineering team of tens of thousands of people worked there day and night in shifts. Anyone who wasn't blind could see what they were doing. Although they didn't understand, they were very curious.

But people aren't made of iron after all, and Xia Lin wasn't a teenager anymore. Perhaps it was due to overwork or perhaps it was because of the idiots around him that angered him, but he fell ill after the first autumn rain this year.

He had a high fever and was also experiencing convulsions. When he was sent to the medical school, he had become like a red-hot shrimp and his body was in an arc shape. It was clear that he would die if he was not treated soon.

Upon entering the medical school, almost all the top doctors came out to consult on his case. Even Dr. Sun, who was focused on writing medical books and proving his skills, came over. In the end, it was determined that the cause was septicemia due to the neglect of wound infection. After a lot of trouble, his life was indeed saved, but he was ordered to undergo mandatory treatment in the medical school for 100 days. Otherwise, his internal organs would be damaged and he would really not be able to be saved next time.

On the second day after Xia Lin woke up, he tried to escape by climbing over the wall, but he was caught and brought back. The people who caught him were on the orders of His Majesty to keep a close watch on Xia Lin. Moreover, the orders were very firm: no matter what he said or how he threatened, he could not be let out, and all possible escape routes were to be blocked.

"You still want to run?"

Dongniang walked in and looked Xia Lin up and down: "Do you know what day it is today?"

July 27th.

“It’s August 6th.” Dongniang sneered, “You’ve been lying there for nine whole days, unaware of what’s happening to you. If your parents knew in the afterlife, they’d have to pull countless strings to wake you up.” Xia Lin was clearly taken aback. He looked up at Dongniang, “Nine days?”

“Yes, Jiutian. Countless people have come to see you during this time, and countless people have asked me when you will wake up.” Dongniang shook her head helplessly, but seemed a little angry: “I can’t answer that. I don’t know if you will die. Pus and blood entering the brain is almost a terminal illness. You are lucky, but if it is not cured now, you will die.”

At this point, Dongniang, who was usually cold and aloof, silently shed tears, but she still stubbornly turned her head away, which was quite in line with her usual persona.

Xia Lin sighed. Only now did he realize that he had absolutely no strength left in his body, and his veins were all shriveled. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and disoriented. At that moment, he suddenly doubted whether the world was virtual. Just ten minutes ago, when he was caught and brought back, he was struggling to climb over the wall, and he hadn't felt any of this then.

Obsession, yes! It must be obsession. That kind of power of will that transcends life and death can truly bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, because the moment he awoke, all he could think of was "Damn it, the project is going to be delayed." It was this feeling that made this man, who was already half-dead, unleash unimaginable power at that moment.

After realizing his physical condition, he felt deflated and even found it difficult to sit up.

Fortunately, he is not in his seventies or eighties, and his recovery is progressing relatively well, although life in the isolation ward is somewhat lonely.

On the first night after waking up, he still couldn't eat normal food; the things that were mashed into a paste made him feel like he was in heaven.

However, around midnight, he suddenly heard rustling sounds outside the courtyard. When he realized what was happening, he saw a figure climbing in through the third-floor window.

The man tiptoed to the door, making sure all the people looking for rooms had gone to rest, before cautiously returning to light the kerosene lamp. Once the light came on, Xia Lin realized that the man was none other than Emperor Jingtai.

He was carrying roast chicken and wine, as well as roast pork wrapped in lotus leaves. Xia Lin could smell the aroma even through the packaging.

"Shall we get up and eat something?"

Upon seeing Xia Lin awake, Emperor Jingtai waved the object in his hand, then glanced anxiously out the window: "Want something to eat?"

Seeing Emperor Jingtai's state, Xia Lin was both angry and amused. This guy didn't treat himself as a patient or even as a human being. He was still eating liquid food, while over there he was drinking wine and eating meat.

"You knew I was awake?"

"Of course, the people outside are all my men." Emperor Jingtai pointed to the people outside the medical school wall who were dressed in plain clothes but were constantly patrolling back and forth: "They said you were caught climbing over the wall today. I thought that if you could climb over the wall, you should be fine after drinking a little wine."

Xia Lin wanted to refuse, but he was fed up with those dark green goo that even pigs would hesitate for three seconds before looking at. So he sat up on the bed with his hands propped up on his back, took the wine gourd and chicken leg handed over by Emperor Jingtai, and started eating.

“These past few days, your two wives have come, and Li’s emperor has also come. The seven armies on the border are all on high alert, ready to fight at any moment. The scene is as if Qin Shi Huang has passed away.”

"how do you know?"

"The seven border armies have sent a letter to the imperial court. Zhang Zhongchun has already led people to appease the restless border troops. Let me tell you, if you really die now, all the feudal lords and powerful families will have to be buried with you."

"Well, I see."

Xia Lin nodded but said nothing, because this was the safeguard order he left behind. If he didn't personally issue the order to lift it, and he died prematurely, all the noble families across China would be buried with him, not a single one could be spared. This included the Li family of Longxi and the Tuoba family of Heluo. In other words, perhaps the Tuoba Jing family and the Li Yuan family could survive, but the other members of the royal family would also be wiped out.

This is the last line of defense, a truly terrifying switch.

"It's over." Xia Lin suddenly slapped his forehead: "My strategic intentions have been exposed."

"Actually, you almost died." Emperor Jingtai chuckled and glanced at Xia Lin. "I should thank you on behalf of my people for sparing your life."

"What can I do?" Xia Lin helplessly spread his hands: "If I really die in this in-between situation, guess what will happen?"

Emperor Jingtai said nothing, but this recent disturbance at the border made him fully understand Xia Lin's intentions and strategic plans. This guy really had no intention of letting anyone go...

"I beg you not to die." Tuoba Jing clasped his hands in a fist salute: "At least give me some time, don't just wipe out the whole clan at the drop of a hat."

Xia Lin just smiled awkwardly. After all, the other person treated him like a brother, and he was thinking about killing an entire family every day. It was a bit embarrassing to talk about it.

"I'll be going back tomorrow," Emperor Jingtai said with a long sigh. "I mainly came here to say goodbye to you."

"Weren't they so stubborn that we couldn't get rid of them? Why do they suddenly want to go back?"

"Go back and find a way to break up the Tuoba family." Emperor Jingtai lowered his eyes: "I am not ordained by Heaven, but even an old ox has the deepest affection for its calf. I cannot watch my clansmen fall in front of me."

"You are destiny."

Tuoba Jing pursed his lips but said nothing. He simply waved his hand and pointed to the roast chicken in Xia Lin's hand, signaling him to eat quickly.

To be honest, Xia Lin was indeed somewhat shaken at this moment, but he had no choice but to pat Emperor Jingtai's hand.

Don't get your oily hands on me!

(End of this chapter)