Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Female ghost ahhhhh!"

"Malaka! Who are you? Where is the Shangluo person? I want to see him."

"Brother, this female ghost is looking for you." Han Xingzhi's voice was shaking like a sieve.

"Wait, that voice sounds familiar Victoria? Is that you?"

"Finally I found you. I was just worried about how to get through. I don't know who lifted the curtain just now. Little skinny monkey, please make way. And you tall soldier, come and lend a hand. The threshold is too high and it's hard to get in. Please help me get the cake." As she spoke, Victoria handed in a box of sandblasted frosting cake decorated with gold foil fondant sunflowers, gold foil fondant owls and a full picture of the Aegean Sea. It was Cuban strawberry flavor.

Chapter 451 Victoria

"Take the cake, thank you." Victoria came in with the cake in her hand. She asked the "soldier" to take it.

The soldiers came to take it, but reached out and grabbed nothing - Wen Yuan's hand passed through the virtual image of the cake and passed through.

Wen Yuan's expression changed immediately. He was already nervous, and even if the woman in the painting could call Shang Luo's name, it didn't completely dispel his doubts, because they were both in the painting! There was a possibility: they were both ghosts!

He took a step back to distance himself, and reached out to touch his waist.

"Okay." Victoria breathed a sigh of relief. "You are real."

"So, what's going on?" Shangluo asked again, "Why can't I touch you?"

"Because it's just a shadow, of course. How could my real body come here so easily? If it were that easy, these unfortunate guys wouldn't have been trapped here for over a month. That guy, that random soldier."

She looked at Wen Yuan. "To your left, there's a machine embedded in the wall. It's a compiler. I've already teleported the cake over here. It's not easy for living people to get here, but inanimate objects are quite easy. Check to see if the shape is correct, because sometimes parts of the bracket fall off and the shape changes."

After she said that, Wen Yuan felt much more relaxed.

"Fortunately, it's true. A female ghost wouldn't talk like that."

"How come a soldier like you keeps calling you a ghost?"

"If you don't call me a soldier, why should I call you a ghost? Okay, okay, I get it. There will be cakes in there, right?"

He opened the cabinet next to him—a different-looking cake appeared inside. The general shape and details were still the same. It just didn't look as shiny as before.

"Is it this cake?"

"Yes, it looks different because there's no gold foil. The editor can't edit gold, it's just bright jam. Bring the cake out, Apollonia will know it at a glance. Also, Shangluo, don't leave yet. I have something to tell you."

Several people looked at Shangluo strangely.

"Then take your time talking, big brother. We're leaving first." Han Xingzhi pulled the two of them and rushed out of the picture frame.

"Yeah." Next to the stainless steel kitchen table, Shangluo pulled a stool over and also pulled one for Victoria:

"Aren't you here to deliver the cake?"

"Of course, Apollonia and I aren't that close yet. If I were to deliver a cake, I'd probably send an internal guard. I came to see you for something very important, so I tried to test the waters at first."

"About what?"

"About this ship." She looked around and gestured for Shangluo to step back.

"I'll show you a video and you'll understand. Please leave the desktop free. I need to create an image on the mirror."

A blurry image appeared on the stainless steel tabletop. From the perspective of the first person—the blank frame suddenly began to shake, and then, in the blink of an eye, at 365 times the speed of a moving object, dozens of people emerged from the painting. Shangluo recognized the last person to emerge: the submarine's captain, Marcus. Before anyone in the viewpoint could greet them, dozens of people collapsed to the ground as if the power had gone out. Without a struggle, they were instantly still.

The view paused for a moment, and then blood began to flow from the eyes, then the nostrils, the corners of the mouth, and then the ears.

"Are they dead?"

"They've all reported to Cyberlania and reunited with their families. This may sound strange, but I'm describing it objectively. They've indeed been transferred to Cyberlania, and their families are indeed there. They described themselves as experiencing no pain at all, like a cutaway in a movie, straight to the 'Waiting Hall,' where we transfer souls."

"Wow, wow." He was still shocked for a moment. After all, there were dozens of people bleeding in front of him, and the scene was quite shocking. But knowing that they were all fine now made him feel much better.

After a pause, Shangluo asked, "What was the cause of death?"

"The direct cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage. The autopsy revealed that all the capillaries in the brain had burst, causing a total loss of brain function in an instant. That's why they felt no pain, because it was so fast that it even outpaced the 'expression' of pain itself. The same thing happened to other parts of their bodies: their livers ruptured, their hearts collapsed, and their lungs exploded. However, these all happened after they lost consciousness, so they didn't feel anything. That's why I came to ask what happened to them."

Victoria looked back down the hallway. "If those three don't open that passage, I'm afraid I'll come to you tomorrow morning to question you. I was sitting behind my desk, thinking, when I saw that soldier's face suddenly appear on the communication channel in front of me, along with the layout of the submarine. I knew I could come to you."

"He wasn't actually a random soldier, but we'll talk about that later. From your description, it seems they continued their current speed and sped it up 365 times, so they exploded?"

"That's right. So I want to ask, haven't you been out before? Why are you able to come and go without any problems, but our people explode as soon as they go out?"

"Eh? You're right." Shangluo touched his chin, "I've experienced this feeling before."

"What does it feel like?"

"It was the first time I came in. Phaethon and I were ejected together. She should still remember it. The world was spinning, and we both vomited in the restroom for several minutes. We felt like we were going to pass out. After we finished vomiting, we looked up and realized it was the women's restroom."

"what?"

"Well, just forget I said anything."

"What about you afterwards? Didn't you feel anything?"

"Not at all," Shangluo replied. "I didn't feel any discomfort when I left. I think it might be because of this—have you heard of altitude sickness? People living on the plateau are accustomed to the low-oxygen environment, but ordinary people who rashly take a plane there might faint as soon as they land, and it might even be life-threatening."

"I have heard."

"But if you actually walk up there, it won't trigger such severe altitude sickness."

"Ah," Victoria nodded, "So you have a transfer station?"

"Yes. Aside from the first time we ejected, we've been entering and exiting through the transfer station in the sky. Although the transfer was also very fast, the phlogiston concentration we received was gradually increasing. Also, there's another point. We stayed here for a very short time, only about a day at most. They stayed here for over a month, and there's one thing I don't know if it had any effect - they consumed foreign food. And they ate too much."

Chapter 452 Editing and Drawing

"I think the last point is very important," Victoria pressed. "Have you ever eaten it? What do people here eat?"

"They ate boiled eggs, and I ate some too, but that was just one meal. I'm afraid they ate too many boiled eggs here, and since they've been here for too long, their bodies have completely adapted to this world, so if they return to their original world..."

It would explode. It would become what he had just seen.

"However, I seem to see some potential in it - they seem to be able to bring the 365 times speed outside for a period of time. So, can they continue it for longer?" Victoria looked at him.

"Hey, Your Majesty, Emperor Victoria. They lost consciousness without any pain, which means they died in less than 0.1 seconds. They were already bleeding from all seven orifices in less than 0.1 seconds. Do you think they could have lasted much longer?"

"No, no, no. Shangluo, do you remember the Ripper incident a few months ago? At that time, we sent you a set of phlogiston stealth equipment. That was actually a miniature version of a submarine, and the two functions are the same. One can carry large weapons, and the other is for individual use. In fact, there are dozens of sets inside this ship. I think the reason they died suddenly is because the phlogiston concentration here couldn't be maintained. But if they wore stealth equipment, maybe they could extend this 0.1 second to 1 second!"

"Then one second is equivalent to..."

This thought made Shangluo ponder deeply - 365 times faster, 1 second is equal to 365 seconds. One second can do almost nothing, but if Phaethon had 365 seconds, he might even be able to cull a sheep.

"Just relying on a breath of phlogiston?" Shangluo asked.

"Yes, it relies on a breath of phlogiston. However, phlogiston is only fuel, and there are still some unresolved issues. For example, we've tried high concentrations of phlogiston before, but it only produced an accelerating effect in your world. It seems this 'spark' was ignited here. Also, their bodies have only reached 365 times their normal speed, but not their consciousness. This aspect also needs to be addressed. But if such an effect can be seen after just one month of living here, then did the natives ignite this spark from the very beginning and possess its power?"

"You also want to use Yue soldiers?"

"So you call these Yue soldiers? Indeed, they are pressed 'under the mountain' after all, the soldiers of the underworld, living in an iron box. Have you ever experimented with this?"

"I'm planning to experiment, but I haven't started yet."

Victoria said seriously: "If you need any help, feel free to contact me. We have a red line phone."

"Do you need Yue soldiers too? Where are they?"

"Tell the truth." She lowered her voice. "I'm only speaking because there's no one else here. Sometimes I wish I had my own power—not the Senate, not the Oracle, and not the Muses. I hope to have some troops I can command outside of this system. Because I really want to know what my father is doing, and other intelligence information. Intelligence is very important. Without it, I can't do anything."

"Victoria, you shouldn't talk to me about this topic. This is your internal affairs."

"But I can't talk to anyone except you. Before, there was Phaethon, but Phaethon is with you, right? Talking to her is the same as talking to you, so I might as well talk to you directly."

"Uh," Shangluo covered his forehead, "Your logic is a bit too fast. But, can you tell me what you think?"

"The Emperor of Zhendan is very familiar to you, right? You don't know my current situation, but you should know his."

Shangluo nodded. He knew Zhu Xianxun's "current situation."

The entire court was currently run by the Grand Court, centered around the Left and Right Wings. Eight Grand Secretaries—the eight cabinet elders—were responsible for the operation of the Six Ministries of Yujing and Fengjing, respectively, known as Southern Zhili and Northern Zhili. The Qinling Mountains and the Huai River marked the boundary between the two regions, with Southern Zhili extending to Zhejiang and Northern Zhili to Heilongjiang, respectively serving as the political capital and industrial heartland.

The other thirteen provinces lacked the Six Ministries, but instead had three offices: the Provincial Administration Office, the Provincial Censorate, and the Provincial Commissioner of Justice, to serve as substitutes for the Six Ministries. The functions of the Three Offices overlapped with those of the Six Ministries, but they were not subordinate to them; rather, they served on a par with them, as the heads of the Six Ministries and the Provincial Administration Office were both of the second rank. The heads of the Three Offices typically rose directly to cabinet positions or became governors of vassal states, such as the Grand Commander of Beiting or the Grand Commander of Yangzhou, serving as high-ranking officials. In daily operations, each province was also able to independently manage its own development plans.

This was the Imperial Examination Republic: all who passed the examination joined the republic. Senior officials in the two capitals were generally appointed from the first and second class Jinshi, while those in the thirteen provinces were generally appointed from the third class Jinshi. Despite the differences in imperial examination rankings, officials in the cabinet were often transferred from the thirteen provinces, while officials in the capital were more likely to remain in the same position for their entire lives. For example, the magistrate of Jiangning, now in his sixties and nearing retirement, was still only a magistrate in a capital county, while the third class Jinshi who ranked below him in the same class had even retired from cabinet posts and returned home.

So the two capitals, or thirteen provinces, operated without the emperor's involvement. The emperor could even avoid attending court. For example, Zhu Xianxun attended court as an observer, but he never attended. Yet, despite this, the emperor's absence was completely unnoticed within the court. Although Zhu Xianxun didn't attend court, he knew everything. He simply didn't express his opinions, yet he knew everyone else's.

"Intelligence. I want intelligence capabilities like his. I also want the Imperial Guard."

"He relies on more than just intelligence capabilities. The power structures of the Sun Emperor and the Moon Emperor are very different. Furthermore, intelligence capabilities don't rely solely on the Imperial Guard, but on the entire system of internal officials and censors. The Imperial Guard is only stationed in key areas, such as the Weaving General, the Casting General, the Garrison General, and so on."

"I know. But I can't cover everything right now. What I can do is expand my intelligence capabilities. Although I may not be able to interfere, I want to know the whole process."

"Okay. We can use Yue soldiers for this."

"Can you help me?" she asked Shangluo, "Or you can decide to help me, right?"

"Yes. I'll make the decision on matters concerning the Heavenly Court, although I'll still inform my senior brother. If you need Yue soldiers, they can be transferred to you once they're trained here. Besides, I do need some Yue soldiers."

"Okay! Thank you very much! Then there is one more thing, again about this ship."

"This ship? What's wrong?"

"You know, Rome is withdrawing its forces and diving into the spirit world. We can't take these phlogiston submarines in, so we have to find a place to seal them up. So, should they stay with you? Either for you to take care of them, or as a gift to you."

"Give it to me???"

"Yeah, it's useless to us, so we're looking for a place to put it. It's not a waste if we can put it here. But we removed the Vulcan core inside, which is useful. You can find a Vulcan core yourself and put it in. There are peaches here."

"Hey, hey, hey, there seems to be something wrong with this peach. When your people tried to stuff it into the torpedo, it seemed to turn around and rebel."

"Well, the Muses' opinion is that we can't use this peach because it doesn't have a keyhole and can't be wound up. But you're not under the control of the Muses, so you can research it. If you research it thoroughly..."

"Send you a copy too?"

Victoria said nothing, but nodded vigorously. She really needed this right now.

Chapter 453 Boiled Eggs

"Okay, I get it. You came here by yourself, and I know you have something urgent to do, so I'll definitely help you if I can. But how do I contact you? Do you have a Fetion card or something like that?"

"No. But I have this. Wait a minute." She reached behind her neck and untied the pendant from around her neck.

The silver pendant has small opening and closing pages.She unscrewed the bolt next to it and took out a profile portrait of a middle-aged lady from the pendant.Then put on his own.

"Take this and come to me if you need anything."

The figure in the pendant shows the same pose as Victoria herself.

"Hello, hello, hello? Can you hear me?" As she spoke, the voice came from Victoria's body and the pendant at the same time.

"Okay, you can use it." Shangluo stretched out his hand to take it - but his hand grabbed nothing.

"Oh, I told you I'm just a photo, not the real me. Go get it from the editor over there."

Victoria's image disappeared for a moment before returning to his view. "Alright, go get it."

Shangluo opened the cabinet where the cake had been "teleported" before, and this time the pendant appeared inside.

"What the hell is this cabinet?"

"The compiler, a machine that teleports things. But the order of reconstruction is random, so it can't transport living objects. After all, the soul isn't made of matter, so if you teleport it, it'll just be a soulless zombie. Don't underestimate it, it's just a cabinet; it's quite cumbersome to use. But now you can use the equipment deployed on this ship, which will make it much easier to send you something later. Oh, and it can actually make calls, it has a handset."

"Eh? So, can anything be teleported?"

"It works, but the quality is different. For example, the texture of meat is quite subtle, made up of complex components like fascia, juices, fibers, and so on. If you teleport a steak, the texture might be strange. But teleporting a cake is no problem, because cake is loose to begin with, so any disruption of the order won't be a problem. Also, elements with very high atomic numbers can't be transported; it would consume a huge amount of phlogiston."

"What is this pendant?"

"It's aluminum alloy. It's the only metal that can be teleported. Higher metals, even cadmium, nickel, iron, and cobalt, are extremely difficult to teleport. Gold is completely incompatible. Even a tiny bit of gold foil on a cake will burn out the entire graphics system. If you look closely, you'll see that quite a few items on this ship are made of aluminum alloy. Pots, pans, and the like. This is because they can't carry a lot of supplies on board, so they have to be able to teleport supplies whenever they get a signal."

"What about titanium?"

"You actually guessed the correct answer right away. Indeed, besides aluminum alloys, titanium is the most cost-effective. However, that's ideal. The current titanium smelting process itself is not sufficient, so perhaps there will be improvements in the future."

"Hmm," Shangluo looked at the pendant in his hand, "I suddenly felt that this thing might be of great use. Can it only transport things that already exist?"

"Not necessarily. But currently we don't know how to save an object's data, we can only transmit it in real time. If we can save it, maybe it will work."

Shangluo had anticipated this. It was like the live broadcast of the TV series "Wang Lingguan" filmed by Sa Tianshi. These days, live broadcasts are actually much easier than recorded ones. Live broadcasts simply require processing the camera signals directly to the television, but there's currently no way to store the captured electrical signals. While the magnetic core storage devices in the Weaving Bureau could store them, their capacity was too small to handle the high-definition signals from the cameras.

As for the data on the "object," Shangluo had no idea what format it was in, nor how large it would be. However, the magnetic core storage used for battleships likely wouldn't be able to store it.

Victoria looked around. "There's quite a few useful things in here. You could use it as a base of operations. After all, this is a new, secret weapon for us, and it should be something that will impress Aurora. I'm quite confident in Rome's technology. This ship is also very new, having been in service for only five years. If it weren't for those unexpected events, it would have served for at least thirty years. Okay, here you go."