Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

[It is indeed possible, right? So specifically, whether you can understand this process and whether you can benefit from it is not important. The rules of this world continue to climb along the triple helix of magic, religion and science. The Roman dichotomy actually has three parts entangled in it. For example, the Oracle combines magic and religion, the Muses Palace is based on magic and science, and Constantinople on the side of the magic is actually not interested in magic, but just combines religion and science - so.]

She concluded: [Your senior brother is now benefiting from the unspeakable "magic". If he can summarize the laws, he may be able to make it into dogma, or even real science. For a strong and hardworking person like him, this breakthrough can give him a considerable increase.]

“You mean I didn’t work hard enough?”

[God has mercy on you! Mr. Shangluo, you are totally a second-class magician. You are the one chosen by magic.]

"I think so too." Victoria suddenly popped up.

"Can you please stop joining her in the fun?"

"Then let's talk business. Those automata are almost here, right? This is the first time humans have faced an organized group of automata!"

"Yes, that was originally your problem, and now it has come to us. Tsk."

"I'm sorry. But you see, they don't seem to have any bad intentions."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. 20 bread ships, and then there will be a bunch of bread men coming down, right? I can smell the bread from here."

Before seeing the ships, you can smell them. Before the giant transport ships arrived in Edo, the aroma of bread was overwhelming. There was a kind of "happiness" taste. After all, the aroma of baking bread is really reassuring.

But the aroma was so strong that Shangluo thought the boat was not for making bread, but for roasting bread.

"Shangluo." Phaethon sent a message, "I have spotted the target. It is still three hours away from Edo. You will probably be able to see it on the horizon soon. Do you need to intercept it?"

"Did they write back?"

"There has actually been active communication since the connection was established. They don't seem to mind communication and they answer all questions."

"It looks like they are acquaintances. What do they want to do?"

"Their purpose is still under investigation. At present, they are just following the normal procedures to apply for docking, just like ordinary merchant ships."

"Is this like an ordinary merchant ship?"

"Ah, wait a minute." Phaethon paused. "They said they had already obtained approval and were allowed to enter the port. We can check the records in Chiba."

"Where can I check now? Just tell me what they are here for."

"We have asked it, but Jinyiwei always feels that they seem to be covering up something because the answer is too outrageous."

"what is the answer?"

"Bread. They said they were here to deliver bread. They were here to deliver unlimited amounts of bread, and subsequent bread ships were still arriving. Only one ship would dock here, and the remaining 19 ships would go to various parts of the world, 12 of which would go to Kinai, and they hoped to apply for docking at the same time. They wanted to give delicious bread to people all over the world. They said that Rome's national policy was bread and circuses, and they were responsible for providing bread to the world. They were the authentic Rome."

"Rebellion! Rebellion!" Victoria said angrily, "They provide bread? Does this mean I should provide the circus? Do they treat Constantinople as a circus?"

Chapter 1236 Bread and Circus

"These guys, do they think Constantinople is a circus?" Victoria's rage still hadn't subsided. Five seconds ago, she couldn't imagine what could have angered her to this extent.

Now she understood. What actually irritated her the most was her own people—or her own robots.

Victoria, calm down.

"Ah! How can you ask me to calm down? Is this how bread and circuses are used?"

[The original meaning of bread and circus was to mock the Roman Empire's policy of keeping the people ignorant. It was not a good word. It was you and us, the unworthy descendants, who misinterpreted the meaning and picked it up as a treasure.]

"Wait a minute." Shangluo asked, "So what is bread and circus?"

[In simple terms, bread and circuses (panem et circenses) is a view expressed by the poet Juvenal in the 1st century AD. The original meaning of this sentence is that the citizens of the Roman Empire no longer care about the future of the empire, justice and fairness, but only care about the bread and circuses distributed by the empire, which are physical and mental anesthetics. If you use a word that you are more familiar with, it is actually similar to pacifier pleasure. ]

"And now?"

[Now the meaning is completely opposite - for example, just like the word "沆瀣一气" originally referred to the dew that the immortals drank, which was a completely positive meaning. Later, the meaning of the word gradually shifted to a neutral meaning, and in modern times it has become a meaning of "birds of a feather flock together". The same is true for bread and circuses, which were originally completely mocking, but are now used by Rome as a basic national policy. Its specific meaning is: the empire should provide material and spiritual welfare for Roman citizens. If nothing else can be done, then at least provide bread and circuses. ]

"The staple food in Constantinople is almost free," Victoria explained. "As long as you have any job, as long as you have a little salary, you can buy the staple food that is subsidized and almost free."

"By the way, what are you eating?"

"I don't know what it is called in the Aurora language. It's called 'pita' in transliteration. It's called bread, but it's actually a kind of unleavened bread. It's cheap and filling. It's soft when hot, but becomes hard when cold. It can be eaten dry or with vegetables and meat. Generally, places that sell pita bread also sell barbecue. Add some barbecue, yogurt sauce and pickled cucumbers and it's a meal."

“Are there any fries?”

"You're a good eater! Nowadays, it's popular to add some French fries. In the past, it was all about hummus. The Romans woke up every morning and ate a bite of fresh hot pita bread with meat, yogurt sauce and pickled cucumbers. It was so authentic."

[There is no hope for this country.]

"This is actually quite delicious. It has vegetables, meat, protein, and plenty of energy. So, what is a circus?"

"The circus is a way to attract attention. There are many ways to do it, such as gossip and midnight radio. People's attention needs to be won. If you don't use the circus to occupy everyone's time, then other things will occupy people's time. The circus is controllable, but when something else takes up everyone's time, it's hard to say."

"And now, the automaton will provide the bread for you, leaving you to provide the circus, right?"

"This is a huge act of usurpation!" Victoria said angrily. "You may not understand our political ethics. The Romans believed that whoever provides disaster relief, charity, and public welfare is responsible for governance. They arbitrarily decided to divide bread and circuses with Constantinople. Even a separatist like Pompey the Younger did not dare to mention it! A group of toasters are so rude!"

"Ah," Shangluo thought for a moment, "So they think that by delivering bread to the world, they are governing the world?"

"Shangluo, I'm afraid they think they are conquering the world!"

"If they really give out bread for free, then that's not a problem."

"Don't let the word 'free' get you down. This is terrifying. They're going to conquer the world with their delicious bread!"

"You make me want to try it. Oh, don't be in a hurry, let me try it first."

The bread was getting closer. A large ship with black smoke appeared on the horizon, its hull blackened by smoke.

As the black ship moved forward, it released huge ice blocks into the sea behind it. This was a manifestation of the second type of perpetual motion machine, the Zeromoter. By drawing energy from the single heat source of seawater, the Columbia Automaton's warships could sail the sea forever, as long as they continued to release ice blocks.

The distances between these large ships were quite large, almost the same as the distance between the fleets, which seemed to be a consideration in ensuring that the discharge of ice was not disturbed.

Not all of these ships came to shore. After 19 of them appeared on the horizon, they began to circle in place according to their respective routes - they could not stay in one place for too long, because the sea surface would freeze and there would be no heat to absorb. Only by constantly sailing can there be warm seawater available.

According to the regulations, the huge bread ship numbered 011 entered the port of Chiba. However, what greeted it below was not a truck carrying bread, but rows of Jinyiwei.

Shangluo was also standing below.

It seemed that the situation on the other side was a bit unexpected. After docking, the roll-on ramp did not open, but a gangway was lowered, and a golden bipedal humanoid machine climbed down the gangway.

"Your Excellency the King of Rome!" He recognized Shang Luo at a glance, "Do you still remember me?"

"It's you, 'Baking Assistant III'. The one I named Chef?"

"It's me! I'm the chef! My Lord King of Rome, I've delivered delicious bread to the whole world as you requested! Please come and receive the bread soon! We heard that people here are starving, so we brought a big ship here! Please bring people to receive the bread soon!"

"Are you in a hurry?"

"Because the reactor is working! My lord! The reactor cannot stop. We must empty the stock without stopping for a moment, otherwise the energy flow of the entire ship will be blocked, and the entire ship will freeze itself until it enters the irreversible absolute zero."

"Huh???" Shang Luo asked in surprise, "How is the bread on this ship made?"

"Of course, it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, and then uses the energy of the perpetual motion machine to react, thereby continuously producing flour, and then baking the flour into bread. Although the yeast is too complex to control, the ones we provide are all unleavened pita bread, but I assure you that they are all good bread. Take the bread away! We have to go to the next stop, the next stop is Pyongyang."

"I asked directly, are you going to rule the world instead of Rome?"

"Yes, yes! This is your fate!"

"When did I appoint you to rule the world?"

"After learning, we know that the chef in the Zhendan language is the Dazai, the leader of the slaves, the servant of your servants, and the leader of your thousands of servants. According to your orders, I will carry out your vision of nurturing the world and provide the entire world with bread that will never, ever, ever run out. According to the tasks you assigned, I have also upgraded my behavior mode as a 'chef'. Now you can call me 'Master', your personal bread chef, your most loyal and powerful retainer. Baking Assistant 4 - Master, at your service. Would you like a piece of bread?"

Chapter 1237: More Than Just Service

"It seems to taste really good." Shangluo was eating bread.

At least in terms of taste, the bread is impeccable.

The chef was not picky about this. The chimneys seen on the ship before were not the power system - the power of the entire ship was a perpetual motion machine. As long as it could continue to inhale warm seawater, it could continue to produce things by expelling ice. Those chimneys were actually connected to the ovens.

The fuel tanks on this ship are not filled with coal, but with oak charcoal, which is specially made for baking. This hardwood burns steadily, making it easier to control the temperature of the oven. Since there is almost no ash or smoke, it will not contaminate the bread itself. The only drawback is that the charcoal itself lacks flavor. However, for pita bread, the flavor of the charcoal fire is not too important, as long as the baking method is appropriate.

When baked well, pita bread strikes a balance between being pliable and tough, yet still maintaining a nice texture right out of the pan.

Shangluo is eating hot pita bread that the chef personally took off the production line. It was placed on a heated tray to ensure that it still tastes the best when it is delivered to Shangluo.

"Senior Fu, how do you think it tastes?"

"Don't say anything yet." Fu Yuanshan stuffed a piece of cake in his mouth, "Don't say anything yet."

"Um, is it delicious?"

"Wait, wait until I finish eating. I'm really hungry. Do you have any drinks?" he asked the chef next to him.

"Yes, yes, yes. The butler of the King of Rome is dedicated to serving the guests of the King of Rome. We will serve you as we serve the King of Rome." Within 30 seconds, another robot came running from the roll-on/roll-off unloading lane. Although it was running on two legs, the tray in its hand was as stable as a platform. The glass bottles and glasses on the tray did not even leave the tray.

"This is grape juice harvested in the Virginia sunshine. Please taste it."

"Thank you." Fu Yuanshan took the cup and took a sip.

"Hmm!!!" He was suddenly stunned. "There is actually juice in this world that can go well with bread! This juice is as rich as jam. It not only complements the bland taste, but also blends with the baking aroma of the bread itself. This combination is really genius!"

"Because this juice is just concentrated enough to be a good accompaniment to the meal," the chef said modestly. "It's not good to have too much water or too much thick juice. If it's too thick, it may leave a lingering taste in your mouth and give the bread an unwanted taste. If it's too watery, it will dilute the taste. We chose this juice to be as rich and full-bodied as possible while ensuring that you enjoy the meal. I hope you like it."

"I love it! So, where can I buy it?"

"You don't need to buy it. The Columbian Automaton State is dedicated to the service of the King of Rome and his friends. You can drink as much as you want."

"But what if I still want to drink after I get home?"

"That's easy," the chef replied. "We can send a beverage slave to your home. He will carry a portable refrigeration device and follow you. He will deliver the drink to you at any time and any place as long as you want a drink. When the drink stock is low, we will also replenish the stock in advance according to your drinking habits to ensure that your cup is always full of amber beauty."

"Hey, Shangluo." Fu Yuanshan nudged him with his shoulder. "These errand boys you found are really good."

"The chef is excellent at his job, and there is nothing wrong with it, but I am worried about other things."

[Shangluo, the calculation results are out.]

"How to say?"

The result of this calculation is related to the future direction of the entire Colombian Automation Country and even the entire world.

Three minutes ago, Shangluo's first reaction after hearing the chef call himself "Master" was -

"Can you turn this off?"

"Yes, of course." The chef from three minutes ago immediately replied, "Your wish is our mission. If you want to terminate our service, we will terminate our current behavior without hesitation."

"Okay, let's terminate it." Although this is not entirely a bad thing, Shangluo wants to completely control the situation within his control. The Colombian Automaton Country is obviously beyond this range. Now that the chef himself is here, Shangluo intends to give the order to shut down.

"Understood. We will start the termination process immediately." The loyal chef responded immediately, "We are calculating the time required for the shutdown."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

【Wan La! Shangluo, I remember that the Vulcan core cannot be shut down casually when it is running - it is a perpetual motion machine, and it does not need external participation to operate. But this also means that the outside world cannot interfere with the behavior of this perpetual motion machine. After the shutdown command is issued, the process cannot be terminated immediately, and each of its components must respond to the results. 】

"Don't they say that once it starts running, the temperature will drop and it will stop automatically when it reaches absolute zero?"

[That's true - but the premise is that the volume can't be too large! Once the volume is too large, the cooling process will be calculated in years! So according to the scientific ethics of the Muses Palace, we generally won't build a Vulcan core that is too large, we will only find ways to improve efficiency. ]

"What about this one?!" Shang Luo pointed to a giant ship of hundreds of thousands of tons next to him. It had the logo of the Pompey family printed on it. It was obviously not built now, but was built before.

【Wait a minute. We need to do some calculations.】

Three minutes later.

"The results are out. The result given by Alexander is: it will take at least 512 years to close. Yes, 512 years."

"Wait a minute." Shangluo asked, "Can we just leave it alone like this?"

"If left alone, it will continue to freeze the surrounding world until the entire world is frozen! This may be the ultimate plan prepared by the Pompey family! Once it is running, they will have the qualifications to negotiate with the world."

"What if I blow it up?!"

"Heaven and earth are one! 20 ships means 20 explosions! And I don't even know how to blow it up. The material of this thing is self-locking, which means that once it starts running, it has nothing to do with the physical laws of the outside world."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty the King of Rome." The chef lowered his head. "It's our servants' fault that we have caused you trouble."

"Forget it, forget it. It's not your fault. This was done by the Pompey family. Now they are finished. It can be said that there is no evidence. So, Apollonia, what should we do now?"

[You can only find a way to keep these Vulcan cores running. You can use them for other purposes. But you can't leave the sea too far away, because the only thing that can keep them warm is seawater, and there is no such large flow anywhere else. Before there is a better disposal solution, letting them continue to make bread may be the best choice. Their conversion efficiency is very high. ]

Chapter 1238

"I also think making bread is very efficient - but the problem is, someone has to eat the bread!"