Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The news of Ji Shan and Jackson's temporary detention swept through Foshan like a whirlwind. The common people were overjoyed, while the foreign merchants' association was in uproar, and the consulate lodged a strong protest with the county government. Zhao Guodong felt like he was sitting on a volcano, each day dragging on endlessly. Wang Huanbo, however, knew that he had to strike while the iron was hot and demonstrate enough "strength" to make the foreigners hesitate before they could exert even greater pressure.

He proposed an idea to Wong Fei-hung: leveraging the public sentiment sparked by this incident, they could unite local artisans and merchants in Foshan to attempt technological improvements in industries vital to people's livelihoods, increasing efficiency, reducing costs, benefiting the people, and enhancing the resilience of the local economy. Although Wong Fei-hung initially had reservations about "extraordinary skills," after witnessing Wang Huanbo's many extraordinary abilities, he expressed his support and used his reputation to help make connections.

Wang Huanbo chose a starting point: silk reeling workshops. Foshan is a raw silk producing area, but the local silk reeling workshops are inefficient and of unstable quality, making it difficult to compete with the "foreign yarn" produced by foreign machines, and many silk workers are struggling to make a living.

He took Yacha Su (who had a basic understanding of arithmetic and physics) with him and visited several workshops on the verge of bankruptcy. In these workshops, female workers sat before scalding hot stoves, manually reeling silk—a laborious and inefficient process, prone to burns. After careful observation, Wang Huanbo had a solution in mind. Using his advanced mechanical expertise and combining it with locally available materials (iron and wood), he drew up a set of improved blueprints for a foot-operated silk reeling machine. This machine had a simple structure, using foot pedals to drive rollers to reel and wind the cooked silkworm cocoons, increasing efficiency several times over, maintaining uniform silk threads, and greatly reducing labor intensity and the risk of burns.

At first, the experienced craftsmen were skeptical of the blueprints. Wang Huanbo didn't say much, but personally rolled up his sleeves and, in the backyard of Baozhilin, led several hired blacksmiths and carpenters to build a prototype. His superb hands-on skills (blessed by the super serum) and thorough understanding of mechanical principles left the craftsmen speechless. A few days later, a brand-new foot-operated silk reeling machine was assembled.

On the day of the trial run, Huang Feihong, Aunt Thirteen, Toothbrush Su, and several invited workshop owners were all present. Wang Huanbo invited a skilled silk worker to operate the machine. The female worker stepped on the pedal, and the machine ran smoothly, drawing out and winding the silk threads evenly, at a speed far exceeding that of handwork, and producing silk with a smooth and lustrous finish. Everyone watched in amazement.

"Wonderful! Mr. Wang! This machine is truly a marvel of craftsmanship!" An old workshop owner exclaimed excitedly, his beard trembling. "If this technology were widely adopted, Foshan silk might very well rival imported yarn!"

Wang Huanbo humbly said, "This is a minor approach, merely a slight improvement on the work of our predecessors. The key is that we can build our own usable machines and don't have to rely on foreigners for everything." He took the opportunity to suggest that a "Craftsmen's Association" could be established to share technology, unify standards, reduce costs, and jointly cope with the market.

Meanwhile, Wang Huanbo did not forget the "military" backing. He secretly approached Pork Wing and several trusted disciples, selecting a group of strong, loyal militia members left behind by the Black Flag Army. Under the guise of "protecting the courtyard and strengthening their bodies," Huang Feihong taught them martial arts, while Wang Huanbo began very basic military training—formation, discipline, and simple coordinated actions. He even secretly modified a batch of powerful bows and crossbows and simple catapults using tools and materials in the system space, hiding them in a secret room in Baozhilin. He knew that in the face of real guns and cannons, these were primitive, but at least they were a posture, a symbol of organization, which could serve as a deterrent in critical moments.

Thirteen Aunt was deeply impressed by Wang Huanbo's many "ingenious ideas," often taking photos to record them and meticulously noting them in French in her notebook, saying it was "proof of the rebirth of this ancient country." Her interactions with Wang Huanbo increased, ranging from technology and Western experiences to their views on current affairs. Wang Huanbo's forward-thinking insights often amazed her, while Thirteen Aunt's kindness and deep patriotism earned his profound respect. A sense of mutual understanding and camaraderie developed between them. Huang Feihong observed this, feeling a subtle bittersweetness, but mostly admiration for Wang Huanbo's talent and relief that Thirteen Aunt had found someone who resonated with her.

However, the peaceful days were soon shattered. The British consulate exerted enormous pressure on the Viceroy's Office of Guangdong and Guangxi, accusing the Foshan magistrate of detaining British residents and demanding their immediate release and severe punishment of the "rioters." The Viceroy's Office issued a reprimanding document, ordering Zhao Guodong to release the residents immediately and to investigate Huang Feihong and Wang Huanbo for "inciting a popular uprising."

The storm has returned. Zhao Guodong, unable to withstand the pressure, is preparing to give in.