Becoming an Emperor Starting from the World of The Wandering Earth

Chapter 72 Science and Technology

Submicron-level machining precision means that things that were once just a dream can now be actually done.

Gun barrel rifling can be made more precise, exoskeleton joints can be made smoother, and even some more technologically advanced instruments, equipment, and weapons are worth trying to tinker with.

Full automation means that as long as you feed the raw materials and instruct the SkyNet to set the parameters, it will do the rest on its own, running 24 hours a day without making any mistakes.

In fact, after exchanging for this behemoth, Murphy couldn't wait to test it out.

The exoskeleton components produced by them have a 10% higher precision than before, a 5% increase in overall performance, and a 3% reduction in failure rate.

If no other parts are produced, and the A1-1 exoskeleton is used solely for production, combined with the original factory's production line, the monthly production capacity would soar to 30 units, with a stable yield rate of 92%.

And this is still limited by energy.

If Murphy manages to redeem the high-efficiency chemical battery technology package after some time, production capacity might be able to increase to 50 per month.

Tool.

Standing in front of that huge, silver-white machine, staring at the mechanical components that were performing self-checks behind the transparent panel, Murphy felt a mix of emotions.

150,000 faith points, just like that, gone.

It would be a lie to say I'm not heartbroken. I've saved up for so long, and now I'm back to square one.

But looking at the machine, he felt that the money spent on his faith was worthwhile.

Murphy looked away and took a deep breath.

"Skynet!"

"Yes, Master."

"Notify all department heads to attend a meeting."

In the conference room on the third floor of the factory, apart from Long Anyi, who went to Lone Star Agriculture to learn technology, all the heads of Mo's Energy department were present.

The team includes: Johnson from Production Research Department, Marian from Transportation and Supply Department, Bobby Rodriguez from Raw Material Recycling Department, Oscar Taylor from Administration and Logistics Department, Hannah Stone from Finance and Legal Department, Maren from Security and Audit Department, Wilson, the chief instructor of the Wolf Pack Squadron, and his old butler and head of Media and Public Relations, Garcia.

Murphy took a deep breath as his gaze swept over everyone present.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news to announce first. Just yesterday, the company's current number of employees officially exceeded 3,220, and the company's scale has been completely expanded to the entire city of Houston and three surrounding satellite towns. From now on, Houston belongs to us."

The meeting room was silent for a second, then a low commotion arose.

"God help me, I knew you could do it."

"Yes, the boss is the greatest."

Even the composed Murphy couldn't help but smile slightly when he heard his subordinates' praise, but he quickly changed the subject.

"but."

Murphy stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to everyone.

"Do you think that's enough? You should know Chevron. Although they moved out 12 years ago, the factories they left behind still have as many as 1900 full-time employees, and the number of full-time employees worldwide has remained at 15298."

"And ExxonMobil, which has also moved away, still has a factory that is 1.1 times the size of ours. Moreover, they even have their own private army and their own military factories. Unlike us, they don't need to rely on the Texas emergency law. They exist openly and legitimately."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the conference room tensed slightly.

"Jansen, you know the company best. Tell me, how many times has the company's production capacity increased? But what about the technology?"

-

Old James paused for a moment, then stood up and cleared his throat.

"Sirs, everyone, things are indeed a bit difficult for the Production Research Department."

He picked up the tablet in front of him, tapped it twice, and the screen on the wall switched to several charts.

"Among the forty-seven companies we acquired, there were indeed many valuable assets. The twenty-three machine processing plants brought us eleven new processing technologies, including three basic special alloy processing technologies that we didn't have before."

.

"The fourteen companies in the materials processing category contributed eight technologies related to metal surface strengthening and heat treatment."

James's finger tapped on the chart.

"However, most of these technologies are fragmented and lack a coherent system."

Old James paused, then looked up at Murphy.

"Sir, I currently have fewer than seventy engineers at my disposal. Of those seventy, fewer than twenty are truly capable of tackling tough challenges."

"The rest are either young people who have only graduated a few years ago, or they are from those small factories that have been merged in. Their technical levels vary. At the current rate, it will take at least a year and a half to digest the technical reserves brought by these 47 companies."

A year and a half.

The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds after the number was announced.

Murphy didn't speak, but turned around and his gaze swept over everyone.

"So, everyone, starting today, no one should get cocky. Do what you're supposed to do, and keep an eye on what you're supposed to keep an eye on. Hannah, keep enough cash on hand for three months of operation, and put the rest into strategic reserves. Stockpile as much material as possible, and use equipment to offset debts whenever possible. Credits might buy a bag of rice today, but only half a bag tomorrow."

Hannah nodded vigorously: "Understood, sir."

Murphy turned to Mullen and Wilson.

"You two can speed up the expansion a bit, but you both need to keep a close eye on it."

"Understood, sir!"

"What I want to tell you, you should all know, Bobby, Marian, Oscar—I hope you will be on your guard."

"Did you understand everything?"

"clear."

"That's all for now, meeting adjourned."

As everyone left, Murphy got up again and went to the window.

Looking out the window at the factory that operates 24 hours a day, Murphy couldn't help but take a deep breath.

From the beginning of his transmigration to now, in just two years, he has managed to turn a factory on the verge of bankruptcy into what it is today. Even with the existence of the online mall, this is still quite remarkable.

But it still wasn't enough. Murphy still felt that the pace of development was too slow. The most obvious problem was the slow pace of technological advancement and the imperfect industrial system.

First, there's technology. To understand what technology is, we need to first understand what science is.

In short, it's about observation and interpretation.

Observe natural phenomena, and then try to explain why they happen.

A scientific theory is one that can be explained, predicted, and repeatedly verified.

If it doesn't make sense, then keep observing and thinking until you can make it work.

For example, why do apples fall downwards instead of flying upwards? Newton observed for a long time and explained that it was because of gravity.

This is science.

Once we understand gravity, we can calculate parabolas, ballistic trajectories, and satellite orbital parameters based on the laws of gravity. Then we can build cannons that can shoot farther and rockets that can fly into the sky.

This is technology.