Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"Uh..." Shangluo didn't know how to explain, "Anyway, I promise you, there will be no problem. There can't be any problem."

"Alright." Qi Yuan nodded. "I believe in the promise of a compatriot. But I must warn you, although our dynasty treats its people well, we use harsh punishments. If you're reborn in the capital, cherish this life and don't mess around."

"What happens if you break the law?"

"Take theft, for example. The first time you're caught, you'll get 20 lashes. Twenty lashes at once is enough to kill you. So, when you're caught, you can have it divided into four lashes, with 20 days between each. If you're caught theft a second time, you'll be exiled 4 miles to Haozhou to watch giant kangaroos baring their teeth, for a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years."

"The second time, he was exiled directly to the Southern Continent? Is it possible to come back?"

"Of course you can come back. The court is very disciplined. If you're exiled, you're exiled. You won't die there. You'll be guaranteed to return healthy. But once you get there, you'll either be herding sheep or growing wheat. You'll have to support yourself."

"Ha people."

"So I'm telling you, if this matter has nothing to do with you, you'd better not get involved next time. Who knows what they might ask you to deliver? What if it's smuggled ivory or rhino horn? Then you get the beating, or him?"

Shangluo thought for a moment: He really didn't know what this thing was. Forget it this time, but next time he'd have to confirm what it was before giving it to him. Although Zhu Xianxun seemed like a kind person, some things might only weigh two ounces without being weighed, but on the scale they could weigh over a thousand pounds.

"Understood. I'll ask next time."

After delivering the goods, the important matter of this afternoon is also the first "job" assigned to him by Daozu.

The National Middle School Student Formula Racing Championship will be held three months later, concurrently with the Imperial Examination. The timings will be slightly staggered, as many competitors will be traveling to Yingtian to take the exam, while others will watch the races while preparing for the exam.

This is one of the three major annual events in the education system, the others being the imperial examinations and the chariot races at the training academy. Technically, these events are for civilians, military officers, and artisans, respectively, but all three groups can apply, so there's no problem. It's normal for artisan students to apply for the imperial examinations, and everyone does. However, without attending the training academy, it's unlikely they'd be able to form a racing team at this age.

Not far from the garage and school building, there's a small racetrack, used solely for testing. Wutai Mountain doesn't have much land to spare, even for schools in the garrison. However, since the Wutai Mountain Racetrack is right next door, students here can practice directly at the "finals venue," which is a significant advantage.

However, even with the right time, place and people, the last time the Longjiang team reached the finals was decades ago, which was completely a thing of the previous generation.

"The exact time is 29 years ago," Apollonia added, though Shangluo was a bit annoyed by her tone. But 29 years isn't just one generation; it's almost two generations.

"Squad leader, I'm a little panicked. Can we win?"

"Hmm" Qi Yuan fell into a long silence.

The two of them walked for more than ten meters until they were around the corner from the garage. She suddenly stopped.

"Considering you've just returned, let me explain some details that aren't on the flyer. Once you understand what's going on, you'll understand. First, do you know the purpose of the competition? The fundamental purpose of the National Formula Student Racing Championship."

"Is it about building cars and then inspiring automotive technology?" Shangluo remembers this as the thinking behind Formula One racing, something he'd seen in the past. While not entirely the original intention, F1 racing did play a significant role in the advancement of automotive technology.

"No, car technology is nothing. It's not important at all. The fundamental purpose of the National Junior High School Formula Racing Championship is to cultivate a skilled technical team from a young age. This team must not only be technically proficient, but also able to handle the various situations faced when organizing a racing team. That's why, you see, even students like me are the team managers. In other words, this test not only tests technical prowess, but also organizational and creative abilities."

“Then our question is”

"Our technical prowess and creativity are absolutely among the best in the country. Wutaishan Training School is located in Nanjing. Thirty percent of the students here, including you, come from families of artisan supervisors. Their fathers and brothers are all sixth-, seventh-, or even eighth-level artisans, all capable individuals. Just look at the three who offered you Wangzai milk today. They are cousins: two from the Ministry of Works' Construction Office, and one from the Artisan Supervisor. They have to pass the exam and are terrified to pay their respects to you. A fleet of us, assembled by so many people, theoretically represents the highest level of technical proficiency attainable by middle school students of this age."

"In fact, every time we participate in a competition, we always have at least one Qigong practitioner on the team. In the past, we had Qigong practitioners as pilots, Qigong practitioners as maintenance technicians, and so on. This time, our technical director is a Qigong practitioner. I even added him on Fetion. His name is Han Xingzhi, and he's in the same grade as us, Class C."

"Then why can't we win no matter what? Is it because we are just the Jiangning Longjiang team?" Shangluo remembered that Lu Huaiyang seemed to have told him the reason.

"Ah!!!" Qi Yuan held his head. "That's why! We can't even get help from Shangyuan County, which is right next door to us, because Shangyuan County has its own fleet. Wuhu and Hangzhou to the south, Zhenjiang to the east, and Zhenjiang, Songjiang, Suzhou, and Yangzhou all have their own fleets. I don't understand what these people are doing. Why do they always have to resort to such a showdown in the qualifiers? They force us to reveal all our cards in the qualifiers, only to be left exposed in the finals."

Chapter 89 Racing

"Why don't we all form a team?"

"Yeah, I don't understand it either. The Guangzhou team is clearly a team formed by the entire province, and the Shuntian team is even better, as they are a team formed by Northern Zhili. But we haven't reached an agreement here in decades, so no one can qualify. There are few spots, and if you don't want to share them with the other side, then why don't you just not enter?"

"What about this year?"

"Haha, haha, haha," Qi Yuan sneered, lowering his head. "This year, just like every year, we're bringing a secret weapon to the competition. You're about to see it. Several of us are graduating this year, so if we don't succeed this year, we'll die. We must get it! What should I do? I'm thinking of going next door to give the people in Shangyuan County a laxative. What do you think? It's only a half-hour subway ride anyway. If they all poop their pants, they won't be able to compete, haha, haha."

"Captain! Calm down, Captain! The imperial court has a strict criminal code. 15000 li, 15000 li."

"A laxative won't take 15000 miles. But I...but I also want to be a Jinyiwei. To be a Jinyiwei, you have to practice thunder magic, and you can't do anything wrong when practicing thunder magic. Otherwise, if your Tao heart is not stable, you will definitely not be able to enter the door."

"Yes, yes, that's right. Don't start a fight!"

"Why do you sound like you want to force me to fight with them?" As she said that, she took out her wallet and walked to the vending machine on the side of the road.

"Why, do we have to do it now? It's in the vending machine?"

"You really thought I was going to drug you, didn't you? I'm only saying this because I'm forced to." She put in coins and took the drinks out of the vending machine. She bought 12 bottles at once and lined up outside.

She threw a bottle of iced cola to Shangluo: "Here, this is yours."

"Why is this given to me?"

"This isn't a tribute. The first thing a team manager has to do is buy everyone drinks every day. I'm in charge of the expenses, and one iced drink a day is a fixed expense, and you're also responsible for it. Don't just drink it, get me a few bottles too, so I don't have to come back again."

"So that's how it is." Somehow, this was the first time today that he didn't eat for free, and he actually felt a sense of joy in labor.

A man was holding 6 cans, and two people turned the intersection, and there was a garage in front.

The garage is quite spacious and has three workshops in a row.

"The garage is in the middle, with the activity room on the left and the storage room on the right. We'll go in through the activity room."

She led the way to the side door of the activity room. With her drink in her hand, she kicked the iron door a few times.

There's no one inside.

"Open the door!" She kicked again. The door suddenly flew open—a second-year student rushed out. Seeing Qi Yuan, he didn't even turn around, but simply pushed past him and walked straight out.

"Hey!" Qi Yuan turned around suddenly, "Where are you going?"

"Squad Leader Qi, I quit! It's just one exam, why are you playing with your life? I'm not playing anymore! Whoever wants to play can play!"

"I" Qi Yuan wanted to spit out the elegant Jinling dialect as soon as she opened her mouth, but there was Shangluo who came for the first time, so she swallowed it back.

Shangluo looked back at the one who left, then looked at Qi Yuan: "Who was that just now?"

"It's the driver. We're in big trouble. It's not just one person missing, it's two. Let's go in first." She used her foot to pry open the closed door, and she and Shangluo entered the door one after another.

Inside the door was the team's activity room. The large warehouse was mostly empty, with a dressing room and restrooms on one side, and a long table with an attached blackboard in the center. On the well-lit side, there were sofas arranged around the sides. The entire team was sitting all over the place: some standing against the wall, some standing in front of the blackboard, some sitting at the table, some leaning against the sofa. Everyone kept their heads down and remained silent.

Qi Yuan slammed his drink down on the table. "Someone, tell me what happened?"

No one answered.

"There are new people here, and new people are brought in."

The man in the round glasses in front of the blackboard suddenly became excited: "Which one! It's that one! He really came, right?"

"Yes, that's him. Shangluo."

"Ahhh! Savior! I've been waiting for you for so long!" Round-eyed, he rushed over, snatched the drink from Shangluo's hand, and hastily placed it on the table. Then, grabbing his hand and shaking it violently—his grip was far stronger than it appeared, as if his control over his strength was far inferior to Wen Yuan's. But it was clear that he was indeed a Qigong practitioner.

"My last name is Han"

"Ah, hello, Director Han, this is..."

"Let's not talk about this for now. Car! Look at the car first! Squad Leader Qi, come too!" He pulled Shangluo and walked towards the garage next to them.

As the garage door opened, the stench of engine oil wafted out. A silver-white, streamlined racing car sat quietly in the center of the factory—but Shangluo noticed something was amiss. The car lay low, almost to the ground, with front and rear wings, and the sides of the cockpit also close to the ground. Yet, it possessed four front wheels, each seemingly entwined with complex mechanical components. There was also a nozzle-like cylinder at the back.

"This is our team's car," said the technical director, Han Xingzhi, with arms wide open. "This is an unprecedented performance monster! The performance of this car can be described as unprecedented!"

"Wait, Director Han, that nozzle on the back, isn't it a rocket?"

"No, booster rockets belong to the Wuhu team, we don't play with that. Our Longjiang team has always had a tradition of aerodynamic design and control. The nozzle you see is a fan used to create a low-pressure area under the car. Once it is running, combined with the aerodynamic structure, it can generate up to 1000 kilograms of pressure, pressing the entire car firmly to the ground. That was the previous design. This year we have installed active suspension on each wheel. As long as you predict before turning, you can actively corner by adjusting the hardness of the suspension. The suspension of all six wheels can be controlled independently, maintaining the best condition in any corner."

"Who was that just now..." Shangluo still hadn't figured out what the person who just shouted "risking your life" meant. At the moment, although the operation of this car was complicated, it didn't seem to be any life-threatening danger.

"That guy has no courage at all." Han Xingzhi pointed above his head, "He's afraid of that."

Shangluo also looked in the direction of his finger.

That's one.

Hatch cover. Hatch cover that fell on the crane.

The hatch is shaped to match the cockpit, so it can be sealed by simply lowering it from a crane, creating a superb aerodynamic shape.

"Wait, Director Han Han, isn't that hatch dangerous? What if it flips over, deforms, and catches fire, and we can't open it?"

"Then why not just not flip it over? I have no choice. The design of this car is impeccable. But the other cars are also impeccable. No venture, no gain. Come on, Shangluo, I heard you are auspicious. If it were you, you would definitely not flip the car over. If I could, I would have driven it myself a long time ago! But I can't. As long as you are willing to drive, I can give you the top job of technical director. I'll screw in the screws, and you can be the director. As long as we can get the Longjiang team into the finals, as long as we can win, we don't care about anything else now!"

Chapter 90 Test Drive

After a round of persuasion of "give it a try, give it a try", Shangluo got into the car.

This was the first time in his life he'd sat behind the wheel of a car, and he hadn't expected it to be this special—buttons, buttons, buttons, buttons all over it. There were buttons on the panel, buttons between his legs, buttons and levers on the side armrests, and buttons on the levers. And yet, he hadn't even seen the steering wheel. The cockpit was barely wide enough for people to get in and out, and the steering wheel alone would have taken up a small portion of the width.

After I sat down, Han Xingzhi outside handed me the steering wheel, which was also covered with buttons on both sides.

In this small space, he was surrounded by buttons. The density of buttons was even higher than that of the Ninghe passenger plane.

"Let me explain. Most of the controls are integrated into the steering wheel, but you need to check before starting. There are two battery switches on the right-hand control panel. Then turn the ignition switch and lift the fuel shutoff valve. On the left is the rear wing and front wing adjustment lever, and on the right is the throttle push rod. The six suspension levers are on the control panel in front of you, with three settings: single, single-sided, and unified. Before starting, turn on the oiler switch and fill the oil for at least 5 seconds."

"Wait, wait! What are these? An oiler? A suspension lever? Are there any instructions?"

"No." Han Xingzhi shook his head. "This car was built by 18 of us together. Except for the wheels, everything else was made by hand. If we couldn't build it by hand, we sent the parts and reassembled them. Where would there be a manual?"

"Let's not discuss whether I'm a lucky sign or not, just assume I am for now—I don't mind sharing my luck with everyone. But if I can't even open it, how can I help you run?"

"How about you go out for a little run? There's a small parking lot at the door for us to test drive. We can't use the throttle push rod yet because a key component isn't in place. First, use the gear lever next to it. Keeping it in first gear shouldn't be a problem. How about it? Just think of it as an amusement park go-kart, only a little bigger. If you're okay with it, give it a try. We won't need the canopy this time."

"Hold on."

He lowered his head and asked Apollonia for her opinion.

【Hehe. Hehehehe】

"What are you laughing at? That's scary. Why are you laughing for no reason?"

Freedom~ It's the feeling of freedom. I can feel the power surging through this machine. Let me try it! Let me try it!

"."

Please, let me try! I want to experience the feeling of freedom!

"Didn't you just play with trains this morning?"

"Trains are a spiritual enjoyment, because I love trains. But after all, trains have tracks, while cars can drive themselves!"

"But this car can only be driven on closed roads, like the go-kart track next door. It's no different from a track."

But this is the breath of the wind. They are different. Please! Please! Please!

"Okay. Then we can only drive in first gear."

[No problem, first gear, I'll definitely drive slowly.]

Shangluo gave a thumbs up to indicate that everything was fine.

Han Xingzhi immediately opened the garage door and went to the intersection to get a small flag to clear the way.

"We're about to start driving," he reminded Apollonia, "how are you going to get on?"

"Just turn on the flight mode and put me on top of the console, behind the windshield."

Shangluo let her go——

【Wait, a little to the left.】

"Do you have any special requests?"

Apollonia was silent for a moment. "I suddenly realized I can't see the road, so I asked you to point the camera forward. But it's still not quite right. This windshield is curved, and I feel like a goldfish in a fishbowl. It's also not very stable. You might want to make a bracket to secure me above the panel later."

"A phone holder, right? That's easy."

[But I also need to modify a rotating mechanism. I can't just look in one direction, I need to rotate it to observe the road conditions.]

"I don't mind, but there's an extra strange organization that needs explaining. We'll talk about it later."

[Okay, then I'll test drive the car today.]

In front, Han Xingzhi, standing at the intersection, was waving a flag to the left, and the road ahead was ready.

Shangluo was also ready—he took his hands off the steering wheel. His willingness to listen to the advice of professionals was a consistent strength of his.

The car started moving. The indicator lights flashed several times like a marquee, and the various switches jumped in a circle according to what Han Xingzhi had just said.

The engine started up, and the 12 cylinders roared out a low roar, which didn't sound like the sound a car should make.

[Twelve-cylinder turbocharged aircraft engine. Where did these students get such a powerful thing? This is the engine used in main fighter jets.]