Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 310 Steam Creation
The workshop area on the west side of the main city of Zhongchichao was still shrouded in mist in the early morning.

As the morning light slowly streamed into the factory area from the east, it illuminated the billowing white steam and furnace smoke in the air, transforming the entire forging workshop into a faintly breathing steel monster.

The gate creaked open, and Louis and his group slowly stepped into the pilot area.

He walked at the front, followed by Mike, Hillco, Bradley, and Hamilton, the bright-eyed young genius carrying a tube of blueprints.

Upon entering, a wave of scorching heat hits you, mixed with the smells of coal charcoal, machine oil, and red-hot iron ingots, making your eyebrows burn.

"What a warm welcome," Hilko muttered, shielding his eyes from the steam with his sleeve.

But no one responded to him, because everyone's attention was drawn to the huge, roaring steam forging machine.

"Click, click, click..."

That is the beating of an iron heart.

The improved steam engine was running at an extremely high frequency, and the flywheel beside it was spinning rapidly, causing the huge connecting rod hammer to slam down.

Amidst the sparks flying, the red and gold metal on the anvil was repeatedly flattened, rolled, and then hammered solid again.

Blocks of iron are taking shape at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The craftsmen were already in position, but seeing Louis arrive, they worked even harder.

A strong, fit worker held the control lever firmly, his eyes never leaving the main shaft.

Another tall, thin man knelt to the side, rapidly copying down the air pressure and rotation speed records; the pages were already damp with steam.

Two apprentices took turns running forward to apply alchemical lubricant to the piston, their movements swift yet composed, their faces even flushed with excitement.

The old craftsman standing behind the main valve had beads of sweat on his forehead as he turned the valve ring from time to time to adjust the steam injection rhythm.

Amidst the roar of steam, the forging hammers thundered like war drums, and the air itself seemed to be heated by the rhythm.

McMed stepped forward, his voice brimming with pride, and introduced him to Louis:

"Lord Louis, please look, this is 'Heavy Hammer No. 1'. It has a linkage structure, with power coming from a steam piston pulling a flywheel shaft, which then transmits the power to the forging hammer joint."

He gestured with his hand to illustrate the connection between the piston and the flywheel, his voice louder than the steam: "It can strike metal at a stable frequency, with an efficiency about twelve times that of human power, and it never tires or stops."

Louis turned his head to look at the rapidly spinning flywheel and connecting rod.

He didn't speak immediately, but simply watched quietly as the iron monster hammered the red-hot metal into shape, one blow at a time.

Hamilton, who was standing to the side, straightened his back subconsciously when he saw Mike's gesture, as if he had mustered up some courage.

"I...I drew its gear structure," he said nervously, his voice low, but his eyes gleamed.
"The engagement precision between the piston and flywheel has been optimized. At the third scale of steam pressure, it can... can operate stably for more than seventy consecutive times... with almost no stalling."

After Hamilton finished speaking, he lowered his head slightly, his hand unconsciously gripping the drawing tube behind him, and the tips of his ears turned red.

Despite having met this legendary lord who was said to be rebuilding the North several times, he still wasn't used to how to get along with him.

Louis turned slightly to look at the still-naive boy and smiled gently: "Well done, Hamilton, better than I expected."

The boy was taken aback, as if he hadn't realized that the comment was directed at him.

“The fact that you can think of reducing the burden on the structure instead of simply increasing the pressure shows that you truly understand how it works,” Louis continued. “That’s not something you can do by rote memorization; it’s something that’s your own.”

The steam engine has only just begun; the future is long, and it requires you young people to continue pushing forward. You've done a great job, Hamilton.

At that moment, Hamilton opened his eyes wide, as if sunlight had shone into the deepest corner of his heart.

"Yes, yes! I will definitely continue to work hard!" Hamilton hurriedly bowed, his voice filled with excitement and slightly cracking, as if he was about to ascend to heaven on the spot.

Mike nodded in agreement, very proud of his protégé.

After watching Hammer One, Mike led the group to the furnace on the side.

It was a black, cast-iron-cased crushing furnace embedded in the foundation, running at full speed.

"call--!"

The vents roared like a dragon's mouth, and scorching air waves swirled up dust and debris from the ground. Flames danced wildly inside the furnace as blacksmiths pulled out iron billets while the temperature was at its highest.

“The steam pressure goes through this connecting rod,” Mike said, pointing to a set of steam pipes and gears, “which drives the bellows to draw in air and precisely control the temperature fluctuations. Now, it’s what maintains the overall furnace temperature.”

He grinned: "No more four big men taking turns operating the fan. It saves manpower, and the temperature is more stable."

Bradley nodded: "If this thing were rolled out to every foundry, production capacity would more than double."

Louis took two steps closer, and a wave of heat hit him: "Constant temperature, stable wind, higher efficiency, and greater safety."

Mike nodded vigorously, "That's right! In the past, we relied on manual blowing, which often resulted in uneven airflow, either not burning through or causing the billet to burst."

Things are different now. According to our previous tests, this steam blower can complete the temperature rise curve within ten breaths, and it almost always stays within the optimal temperature range!

“In other words,” Bradley interjected, glancing at the craftsmen throwing iron, “the same amount of coal, less material; the same amount of manpower, can produce more.”

“Yes.” Mike smiled, his eyes crinkling. “And it can also connect multiple air vents, one furnace can power three units.”

Louis remained noncommittal, only nodding slightly before slowly turning to look at Hamilton: "This...you were also involved?"

"Uh, I only did some auxiliary calibration on this one," the boy replied shyly, his voice low. "I changed the gear ratio of the blower intake valve to make the airflow changes smoother..."

Mike couldn't help but add, "Don't let his modesty fool you, he drew all the blueprints for those key parameters himself! I never expected him to be able to adjust them so precisely!"

“Very good,” Louis simply commented.

This made Hamilton's shoulders twitch and his ears turn red again.

Louis didn't notice and just nodded slightly: "Isn't there another one? Take me to see it."

So Mike led everyone to the back, where there was a brick and stone well house with mottled walls and a metal roof.

Pushing open the door, I saw the steam pump running at full speed, the piston clicking and clacking rhythmically as it rose and fell.

Thick copper pipes spiraled up the wall, the sound of water roaring. An iron pipe emerged from the bottom of the well and connected to an elevated water storage tank. Clear water gushed out like silver snakes, shimmering softly in the morning light.

“This… I designed the most,” Hamilton said, mustering his courage and speaking with a hint of shyness.

“I readjusted the valve flow ratio and the check valve structure... so that one person can operate it.”

“We can draw water from a well that's six zhang deep.” Mike stood to the side, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

"I just tried it this morning, and it filled all the water tanks in the workshop in one go. What used to take six watermen a whole morning to do, now only took a few minutes!"

Louis watched quietly as the water pump, still spewing steam, gazing at the clear water churning in the elevated tank.

She glanced back at the boy who stood ramrod straight, yet was so nervous that he was clutching the hem of his clothes.

He reached out and gently patted Hamilton on the shoulder: "You are the future of this city."

Hamilton was stunned, his face flushing red. After several seconds of struggling, he managed to squeeze out, "I...I...I will continue to work hard! I will definitely not let you down...!" "Alright," Louis interrupted him with a smile, turning to Mike and saying, "Record a first-class merit for him, award him a 'Red Tide Craftsman Medal' and five hundred gold coins."

Mike paused for a moment, then nodded with delight: "Understood!"

“Furthermore,” Louis looked at the boy again, “from this day forward, you are hereby granted the title of ‘Master Craftsman’.”

Upon hearing this, even Bradley raised an eyebrow.

What is the status of a "master craftsman" in the Red Tide?
Fewer than five people in the entire territory have this honor; most of them are veteran craftsmen of Mike's caliber.

And now this sixteen-year-old boy has not yet grown any stubble.

Standing amidst the roar of the steam pump, it earned the same title.

"I...I will try my best!" Hamilton finally managed to say after a long pause.

Several young craftsmen had already cheered and gathered around Hamilton to celebrate.

Louis, standing at the edge of the crowd, simply smiled and looked at the steam pump that was still groaning and clicking.

He gestured to Bradley, his tone revealing a clear determination: "Immediately begin drafting standardized workshop specifications and operating manuals for these three devices: the hammer, the water pump, and the blower."

“Mass replication.” Louis’s tone was calm but firm. “Prioritize deployment in areas with a high concentration of blacksmith workshops, well districts, and casting furnaces. Start with Red Tide’s main city and gradually expand to all major territories.”

“Okay.” Bradley took out his notebook and wrote it down.

Louis then gazed at the still-gushing spring at the water pump, pondered for a moment, and finally spoke: "Quiet down for a moment, I'll just say a few words."

The sound wasn't loud, but everyone present fell silent and looked at Louis. Even the roaring water pump in the well house seemed to quiet down a bit.

“The potential of this thing,” Louis said, his gaze sweeping over the flywheel, piston, copper pipes, and blast furnace, “is far more than what we see here.”

"What I want is a path. A path of our own technology."

Louis's tone was calm, yet carried a kind of oppressive force like thunder sweeping across a mountaintop.

"You must try, build, and verify what steam can actually do."

We could try turning it into a power source for forging... a workshop that doesn't rely on human or animal power.

It can also be used to make irrigation devices for farmland, which can replace the water carrying loads of more than a dozen people.

Try making transport carts, using steam instead of horses, and imagine a team that can cross the snow track without horses.

Even something used on the battlefield. Make it move, turn it into… a roaring iron beast.”

“If you can do that,” he looked around and paused, “then in the future, the Red Tide won’t have to depend on anyone else.”

Mike was already fired up, and Bradley nodded silently, as if he had already written these words into the "Red Tide Future Plan".

The boy behind them was completely stunned.

Hamilton stared at Louis with wide eyes and slightly parted lips, as if hearing some divine revelation for the first time.

At that moment, countless structural sketches, gear assembly, valve iterations, pipeline guidance... erupted in his mind like a volcano...

"It can not only drive the hammer... but if we connect a split-drive flywheel as well..."

"If it could turn, and respond to commands... wouldn't that be..."

"If we add a bias valve... perhaps... perhaps we can make..."

He unconsciously gestured with his hands in the air, muttering to himself as if in a dream, or perhaps creating a god.

"I must try. I must create something that has never existed before for Lord Louis."

Louis watched the boy quietly.

Hamilton was standing in front of the steam pump, immersed in a world that belonged only to him and the machine.

“This is genius.” Louis murmured softly, then turned around, his tone steady yet firm: “Effective immediately, the ‘Red Tide Mechanism Team’ shall be established, directly under the Craftsmen’s Bureau, and shall be responsible for the research and development of steam-powered mechanisms.”

Mike was the team leader, responsible for overall coordination. Hamilton was the deputy team leader, involved in design, verification, and model prototyping.

This is one of the key priorities for the Red Tide Territory's future; resources will be prioritized and full support will be provided.

The moment the words were spoken, the entire workshop exploded as if a piece of burning coal had been thrown into a furnace.

"We're finally about to do something big!"

"Oh my god, can I design a textile doll that can weave cloth on its own?"

"I want to build an iron bird that can fly, the kind that won't die if it jumps off the city wall!"

"Don't be silly, why not build an Iron Claw Beast that can dig the ground and drill ten wells a day!"

"Get lost! I still want to be a working beast of burden!"

The craftsmen huddled together, as if liberated from their repression, letting their wildest imaginations run wild, though most of them were unreliable.
Mike grinned, his wrinkles crinkling with laughter: "Understood! I'll personally lead the team to set it up. Anyone who dares to slack off, I'll personally smash their head in!"

Bradley raised an eyebrow, a rare look of satisfaction on his face: "The future of the Red Tide... may truly be hidden in this cloud of moisture."

Hamilton, who was thrust into the spotlight, was still reeling from the shock.

He still stood by the water pump, one hand tightly gripping the blueprint tube, his gaze drifting into the distance, as if chasing a monster steam-powered war machine yet to be born.

It was as if all the cheers and announcements had no effect on him; he remained immersed in that world full of gears.

Just as the craftsmen were excitedly shouting, high-fiving each other, and talking about their ideas for "fire-breathing iron chariots" and "flying water birds," a series of rapid hoofbeats rang out from the stone path outside the workshop.

"Da, da, da—!"

The laughter stopped, and everyone turned around.

The iron gate creaked open, and a Crimson Tide Knight, covered in dust, entered.

He strode up to Louis and handed him a sealed letter with the wax still wet: "Lord Louis, urgent news from Frostspear City!"

Louis stopped smiling and steadily took the envelope.

On the snow-white letter paper, a gray-blue frost halberd emblem was quietly imprinted.

He lowered his head, tore open the sealing wax with his thumb, and pulled out the letter.

Sunlight fell on his eyelashes, but it couldn't hide the slightly constricted light in his pupils.

The day has finally come.

(End of this chapter)