Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"So, that car needs two people to drive it? Is that a weakness?"

"It may or may not count. Because they have been observed more than once to have direct 'synesthesia'. The two of them work together like left and right hands. They can't even play rock-paper-scissors because they know exactly what the other is thinking."

"Ah, where's the weakness?"

"I don't know." Zhang Baoling shook his head. "To be frank, the only weakness is that both of them must be present at the same time. Otherwise, I really can't think of any weakness. Although it is true that I can defeat them with a chin bean, this method of winning is meaningless."

"That's true. My moral standards aren't that low."

"That's not what I'm talking about." She looked at Shangluo. "Although I have great faith in your character, Lord Chishi, what I'm saying is that the powerful beings who can trace cause and effect will be responsible for maintaining the fairness and justice of this competition. Anyone who wants to break the rules must first consider their own weight."

"So that's how I understand. Next one."

"So, finally, let me talk about their record. Each province usually has five preliminaries, and [Xuantan Tiger] has won all five, with a total points lead that's a full double over the second place. And then, the second-placed team is your Tiandao Shadow Puppet."

"What is our record?" he asked Lu Liang beside him.

"We have four wins, one to go. But this ranking isn't based on results, right?"

"Of course not. We're counting on the potential to win. The Heavenly Dao Shadow Puppet is more like a car than the previous one. Honestly, in the entire finals, you're the only ones truly building cars. Your technical approach is very clear, and every aspect has been improved upon in previous years. From the powertrain, suspension, transmission, and so on, you've integrated state-of-the-art industrial design, and your integration capabilities are also quite outstanding. Most importantly, we didn't even observe whether you were using your spiritual energy mechanism. Did you?"

"No," Qi Yuan replied, "None of our institutions use spiritual energy."

She wasn't kidding, because the Tiandao Shadow Puppet didn't have any mechanisms inside it, just a natural intelligence built into the vehicle. It wasn't "used" in, but rather "appeared" there from the beginning.

As for the hatch, it's just a display - and it can't be seen from the outside.

"As for how you'll perform next, I don't know. I think your chances of winning are greater than in previous years. In previous years, the preliminaries in Yujing would force each team to reveal all their cards, but you've remained calm and composed until now, so you must have hidden quite a few good things. So, I won't continue introducing yourselves. Next."

The screen switched, revealing an eight-wheeled racing car. Its gold-plated exterior reflected the blazing sunlight, revealing eight wheels—four in front and four in the back—a pair more than the Tiandao Shadow Puppet. Each of the four pairs of wheels made a different steering motion, and the car spun around the curve in a strange arc, leaving the other cars far behind.

"Neptune IV, a familiar face. Compared to previous years, it has an extra pair of wheels. But before I talk about its performance, I'd like to introduce its results. The rankings in the five races are 16th, 1st, 1st, 1st, and 1st."

A rather bizarre result. He came in last place in the first race, but he took first place in all the others. It looked like the driver had eaten croton in the first race.

"Why is that so?"

"Because Team Neptune's routine is highly automated. And this year, they received the blessing of a Divine General-level Tianyi Noble. See for yourself."

Zhang Baoling adjusted the zoom of the projector and focused the image on the rear wing: the left and right rear wings were divided into three sections, and each section made different movements. There were even speed brakes on the car body that were as dense as scales.

"A total of 306 movable parts." Zhang Baoling pointed at several areas. "This means that Neptune 4 is carrying more than 300 Tianyi nobles, and every part of its body is operating automatically. But these Tianyi nobles need to learn, and they need to learn through 'pursuit'. So in the first game, they followed the cars on the left and right from a distance to analyze the battle situation. Starting from the second game, no one can surpass them, and their enemies become themselves. The performance of each race is steadily improving at a rate of 11%. In fact, its maximum lap time has already surpassed the Tiandao Shadow Puppet."

"Then why is it ranked last?"

Chapter 333 Supreme Absolute Dust

"Because the finals will only be held in Yujing, with one match deciding the winner, their performance will be quite volatile. If they don't complete their studies in the finals, their results will probably be quite low. But if the course conditions are not complicated and they can complete the data collection, I think they have the potential to compete for the championship."

"Hmm" Shangluo stared at the screen for a while.

He'd done this before, optimizing his route by running circles repeatedly. However, the Tiandao Shadow Puppet didn't have that many moving parts, and even optimization had its limits. There was no way to push performance to its limit with over 4 moving parts like the Neptune did.

His head ached. Indeed, as Zhang Baoling had said, it seemed they were the only ones seriously working on building cars.

"Next one." Zhang Baoling cut to the next one - it appeared.

The paint job resembles a patchwork quilt, with layers of trademarks piled on top. The entire car is painted so thoroughly that the base color is almost invisible, with only the faint traces of green electroplating visible beneath the trademarks.

Not only the anodized exterior, but the entire car looks very similar to the Neptune IV, with its aggressive front and rear wings, numerous moving parts, and the entire car sitting low to the ground. It also has four wheels in the front and four in the rear. It's just that the car itself appears even thinner than the Neptune IV.

The wings of the Neptune IV looked like the wings of a roc, while the wings of this car looked more like blades, even as if they were sharpened.

"Is this the banana?"

"[Lan Fang Pharmaceuticals sponsors the Sanbao Bawang Jiaohao]. Actually, it was originally called Bawang Jiaohao, but the naming became this through layers of sponsorship."

"Why do they look so similar to the Guangzhou team?"

"Because the Guangzhou team and the Lan Fang team have a very close relationship, both sides use the same series of prototype vehicles and make modifications based on the prototypes. However, in the end, the two sides will show very different performances, completely taking two different paths."

"Their characteristics this year are..."

Zhang Baoling pointed to the rear of the car. Shangluo also saw that there was no exhaust pipe there.

“It’s an electric car.”

"What the hell? An electric car? Does this thing work? How long do they take to charge?"

"This thing is truly a ghost—and the weird thing is, no one has ever seen the Overlord Banana recharge, not even once. From the start of the race, it sprints forward with a sharp beep like a dental drill, without ever recharging once, from beginning to end. And the weirdest thing is, it doesn't even change tires! It's like a ghost."

"You ranked this thing fourth?"

"Because its results weren't very good." Zhang Baoling also shook his head. "I don't know why, but it's really not very good. Its ranking in five games was 5, fluctuating around the top five. It only barely made it through the FJ Province preliminaries. Yes, the Lan Fang team represented Fujian, because, just like the imperial examination, overseas Chinese had to return to their place of origin to compete. Guo Xing and his family were only Hakkas in Southeast Asia, and their registered residence was still in Fujian. As for this result."

She thought for a moment. "Although I'm not entirely sure, the reason for their poor results is actually speed. This thing is a scam in every way, except for its speed. Although it doesn't require tire changes or recharging, and it doesn't require a pit stop, its top speed is quite limited, slower than that of an average race car. So the Lan Fang team's place depends on how many mistakes they make during the race. Judging from the results, they shouldn't have been ranked first, but this thing is so tricky that we feel we must be vigilant."

"That makes sense. Don't you have any clues at all?"

"Absolutely nothing, nothing at all. We had investigators visit the scene, even went into the garage for an on-site visit, and were even received by the Lan Fang team, but they still couldn't see anything. So in the end, we still put it in fourth place."

"I'll investigate later. Now, it's your turn."

"Well, it's our turn now. But there's really not much to say. You'll know when you see it."

She showed the next photo:

A car appeared above it. A standard second-generation Formula One car, with four normal open wheels and flat front and rear wings.

It is exactly the same as the prototype provided by the race organizers, and it is the most classic appearance of this generation of Formula One racing cars.

"Wait, isn't this a prototype? You haven't even painted it yet? Why is it still white?"

"The paint job of the [Taishang Juechen] is white, that's it." Zhang Baoling replied.

"Didn't you say that only the Longjiang team was building cars properly? Didn't you also build ordinary cars?"

"No, we didn't build a car at all. This is just a sample car that was ordered. We just painted it white. There is no process for building a car at all. You are the only ones who build cars seriously."

"Then how did you put yourselves in Class A?"

“Because the grades have met the standards.”

She showed the results of this "white model car" -

Two, two, two, two, two

In five games, all were second place.

"Look, we've met the standards, haven't we? Our scores for advancement are pretty high."

"What's your plan?"

"Well, we're not competing in car manufacturing, it's that simple. There are no garages in Wudang Mountain. We're competing in people. All members of the Wudang team are Qigong practitioners, so we can maximize the basic performance of this car. Furthermore, we will investigate the situation of each opponent and implement targeted tactics."

"No, no, no." Shang Luo shook his head. "Your performance is quite impressive. I'm afraid it's not just as simple as using Qigong practitioners. Because the engine is there, the engine won't change. No matter how much performance is squeezed, it can't win. So, do you have any tricks?"

"Well, there is. You want to know?"

Zhang Baoling smiled slightly, a smile that made him feel a little uneasy.

Shangluo looked at her, "What's your secret?"

"We're gambling."

Shangluo asked, "What are you betting on?"

"We're betting—all your cars will explode! Bang~~~"

"what?"

"As Qigong practitioners, we understand the limits of these spiritual techniques best—they are all miraculous, but miracles don't last forever. Therefore, we adapt to ever-changing circumstances, using our most classic prototype to compete against all competitors, knowing that this battle-tested race car will never fail. We don't compete on performance, but in the end, everyone has flaws. We simply need to avoid them. This is the way of Heaven: victory without contention."

After saying this, she looked at Shangluo and said, "The Tao Te Ching, Chapter 22, says: 'It is because one does not contend that no one in the world can contend with him.' Believe it or not, we are actually here for the championship."

Chapter 334 Competition

After the Wudang people left, a few people from Shangluo stayed here.

A copy of the information has been placed on the table, but their impressions are still strong, so there is no need to review it again.

"This is serious, very serious." Shangluo leaned back in his chair. As the technical director, and the "captain" of the other teams, he understood exactly how troublesome the situation was.

"How serious is it?" Qi Yuan asked. Her knowledge had to stop there; Han Xingzhi knew more than she did.

"Let me put it this way—they ranked Xuantan Tiger first, but even Xuantan Tiger can hardly guarantee a win. The odds of winning aren't even very high. Aside from that completely confusing [Taishang Juechen], every other player clearly has a chance of winning, and they all have a few bombs hidden. Who knows, who even has a trump card?"

"Like you?"

"I do have one. But we can't rely entirely on cards like 'bombs', because if we play the bomb first, we'll be in a passive position. It's like a reserve. Only those who have enough energy to push the last reserve can win the battle. And..."

He took the document and flipped through it again, turning to the last page:

"In the end, I still don't trust Wudang. I don't believe they can win with just a prototype."

"You mean, they're not using a prototype?"

Shangluo shook his head. "I believe in their sincerity in this regard. If they say it's a prototype, then it must be a prototype. I'm worried about them using Taoism in the competition—it's obvious that we and Wudang are at opposite ends of the spectrum. We're here to build cars, and we're the only ones building cars. And they're probably here to compete with each other."

"This actually presents a problem," Qi Yuan said. "I'm certain that Wudang lacks the Celestial Beings. Without them, it's difficult for the Dao to manifest externally. It seems impossible to close the gap in performance with the Dao of Qi training."

"But they didn't 'tie,'" Shangluo flipped over the information in his hand. "I think the key point is this: 2, 2, 2, 2, 2. They've taken second place in all their previous competitions, which means they didn't tie, but were able to consistently trail first place. Here, their Taoism wasn't externalized much, and their brilliance wasn't revealed, but in the end, they won."

"Hmm," Qi Yuan thought for a moment, "Have you ever heard of a running style called 'windbreaker'? It's seen in horse racing, running, cycling, and even Formula One racing here. But it's more common in other sports, because in horse racing, running, cycling, and other sports, they often send several athletes to participate in the same race, and then someone will break the wind in front of them to reduce resistance."

"I know that," Wen Yuan added. "As cadets at the training center, we have to participate in some very historical, semi-ritualized military training. This includes 'bicycle marches,' where we go to scenic places like Huizhou and Hangzhou, camp for a day, and then come back. From my personal experience, once a bicycle hits a paved road, the biggest resistance it faces is wind resistance."

"What if the wind resistance is removed?" Shangluo asked.

"After removing the wind resistance, some good bikes can reach speeds of 100 kilometers per hour and maintain this speed. We were a whole team of cyclists traveling along the national highway, and we would take turns to break the wind, while the others followed behind. At that time, it was basically only the group breaking the wind that was expending energy, while those following behind felt as relaxed as if they were on a picnic."

"Is there such a tactic in racing?"

"Yes," Qi Yuan replied, "but generally not. Although the rules don't stipulate that you can only field one car, you can see that we have absolutely no spare capacity to organize training for a second car. The competition in Formula One is very fierce, and every car has to go all out. However, Lan Fang did send a three-car team to participate a few years ago, and they did use a wind-breaking strategy. Of course, the effect was not very good. That year coincided with the debut of Neptune IV, and there were not as many moving parts as there are now, but it still destroyed all three Lan Fang cars and all other teams."

"Which company did Nanzhili enter back then?"

"Team Rocket, Team Rocket has the potential to win. But you can see that in just a few years, Neptune IV has increased the number of movable parts to 300, and each company's technology is also undergoing explosive iterations—this day was bound to come sooner or later. The fierce competition in racing has exceeded the organizational capabilities of a county. Even though we are in the heart of Yujing, next to the Longjiang Shipyard, we are still clearly lagging behind."

She looked at Shangluo and said, "If you weren't here, we wouldn't even be ranked 'A' this year. All of Yujing's teams are only ranked B this year."

"Because it's time for the duel now. Are there any rules for this in the competition? Like, restrictions on the use of supernatural powers?"

"Not really, because in the early years, the power of magic was actually quite limited. However, supernatural technology has gradually matured, and third-generation racing cars using spiritual energy as a foundation have also been born. The first generation of Formula One racing was the golden age of Nanzhili, but the second generation showed signs of decline. By the third generation, as you can see, we can no longer keep up."

"Well, even I find it a bit strenuous. We're in a rather chaotic period right now. The competition in the mortal realm has become somewhat clear, but the battle in the extraordinary realm has only just begun. We don't yet know each other's cards, which makes this competition even more uncertain. Perhaps next year, everyone can prepare well based on sufficient intelligence. But this year, all we're fighting are encounters. Before the last car crosses the finish line, anything can happen."

"Well, do you have any ideas?"

"Call someone. I roughly know who to call, give me some time—also, it's best for us to act separately. I'll go call my people, and you guys continue to gather intelligence."

Although he didn't have to worry too much about the qualifying rounds, the [Heavenly Dao Shadow Puppet], which used Torch to resist alcohol, had already demonstrated considerable dominance. However, next week's finals were the most important, and he still had a week to prepare.

"I plan to explore several possibilities and seek all possible help. Also, you should investigate Wudang. If I can't find any clues, I can go directly to Zhang Tianshi and ask. That's it, no need to practice anymore. See you tomorrow morning at the qualifying round. I'll call Victoria first."

I'll take a short break today after updating once, and there will be three updates tomorrow, and it will be earlier.

Chapter 335 Shake people

At 3: p.m., Shangluo entered the room promptly. Three minutes later, Phaethon, who had been working all day, returned and brought him dinner, as well as some toothpaste, tea bags, instant noodles, and toilet paper.

Dinner consisted of a chicken burger, roast duck rice, a bowl of soup, a cup of Coke, and two bags of French fries.

"This is the change for today's living expenses." She placed 61 coins in front of Shangluo. This was what was left from today's 100 coins for living expenses.

"Huh?" Shangluo was stunned for a moment. "Today's expenses, including shopping and dinner, are just this much?"

He'd given Phaethon some extra money, and his own daily expenses usually didn't exceed 20. After all, he could walk to school and eat in the cafeteria morning and night, so the rest of his expenses were just pocket change. He'd occasionally go shopping, but that only cost him around 100 a week.

After Phaethon moved in, although her salary was low, her living expenses had been raised to 100 per day. However, Phaethon seemed to have a "discount radar" and always found discounted items. But this time was even more outrageous. She brought home dinner and three large bags of food, and surprisingly only spent less than 40.

He glanced at Phaethon, then lowered his head and looked at the invoice. It was real, he really bought it.

"But these are almost 30, right? How did you manage dinner with ten dollars?"

"Dinner? I didn't pay for dinner."