The red silk jewelry box was opened, revealing a slender hairpin inside.
The hairpin has a teardrop-shaped ruby at the top and a slender silver tip at the bottom.
Shen Qing took it out of the box and examined it carefully in his hand.
The more I looked at it, the stranger the blade seemed. It was only sharpened on one side, and the blade edge was quite thick, unlike the sharp blade of a normal knife, which is easy to pierce.
The blade itself is also dark in color, unlike ordinary blades which are light silver; it has an overall matte tungsten gray hue.
It seems to be made of a different material than ordinary blades.
Shen Qing held it in her hand and weighed it in her hand.
It's a bit heavier than the previous one.
The difference in density and composition must be due to the change in weight.
She carefully broke it in half; it was very hard, unusually hard!
The material has such high hardness because other components have been added to increase its toughness, allowing it to penetrate objects more quickly.
Shen Qing couldn't help but examine the hairpin knife more closely once again.
The eye falls on the teardrop-shaped ruby at the top, which serves as decoration.
Although the hairpin knife is actually a knife, it was originally inserted into a hairpin. As an object that also serves a decorative purpose, its aesthetics and design cannot transcend the era.
Women's hair ornaments in this era were all about various kinds of flowers. For example, the hairpin knife in front of us was decorated with a lotus flower.
So it was an ordinary, normal hairpin knife.
But this hairpin knife now looks rather foreign.
First of all, people in the Qing Dynasty would not stick a stone in their hair, even though it was a rather beautiful ruby.
Only in Europe has the tradition of consistently wearing gemstones of various colors as ornaments, and teardrop-shaped gemstones have long been popular in Europe.
So this is a hairpin knife from Europe.
Is Cheng Zhiwen in Europe right now?
Shen Qing immediately pulled back the curtain and asked Old Xu, "Did Boss Cheng go to Europe?"
Old Xu shook his head: "I don't know."
"All right."
Shen Qing sat back in the car.
Cheng Zhiwen had previously learned that her hairpin knife was stuck in the body of a Japanese man, so this time he bought her a new hairpin knife.
Or rather, it wasn't bought, but rather made with special materials.
Giving a girl a hairpin knife implies that she should use this knife to protect herself.
They still meant well.
Shen Qing was stunned for a moment, then inserted the hairpin knife into her hair bun.
She sat quietly in the carriage, waiting for the results of the down-proofing test on the fluffy bag.
Her thoughts, however, had already drifted to Cheng Zhiwen.
I just arrived in Shanghai today and haven't seen him yet. I was worried that he might be in danger because of the shooting of the Japanese, but instead I received a hairpin knife from Europe.
The fact that they could still deliver things to her at least shows that Cheng Zhiwen's safety should be fine.
But where did he go?
Shen Qing sat back in the car, hugged the down bag that was being tested for down leakage, and sat back down by the car door.
However, she didn't lift the curtain this time.
We must not let Schmidt's people see that the new material contains a light and bulky substance.
Schmidt's curiosity about her raw materials indicates that he has already taken an interest in her new project.
We might have to send someone to secretly follow her and see what she does.
Shen Qing held the velvet bag in both hands and spun it around, creating a dynamic effect so that the velvet would have a better chance to emerge from the fabric.
While chatting with Lao Xu, he said, "Lao Xu, you've been working for Boss Cheng for many years, right?"
Outside the curtain, Old Xu said, "I only started working for Boss Cheng after he returned from studying abroad, but later he made me your driver."
Shen Qing recalled the bandits he encountered on his way to Tianjin last time, and how incredibly calm he was.
Bandits wielding large scythes were fighting right in front of him, but he squatted to the side, utterly unafraid. Though his hands were over his head, his expression remained calm.
If it were an ordinary rickshaw driver, he would probably have fainted from fright or fled in a panic.
But Lao Xu remained firmly squatting there, and later even sent Cheng Zhiwen's bodyguard to the foreign concession.
How could someone who could closely follow Cheng Zhiwen and have contact with Cheng Zhiwen's bodyguards be an ordinary coachman?
Would Cheng Zhiwen let someone she doesn't trust or who has no ability drag her all over the world?
If the enemy infiltrates him, they could potentially drag him away and kill him.
Therefore, Lao Xu must know some things about Cheng Zhiwen!
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but tentatively ask, "Old Xu, can you contact Boss Cheng's bodyguard?"
The last time she saw a man in black appear by the carriage, Cheng Zhiwen later said that the man was her bodyguard. Presumably, he appeared by the carriage to communicate with Lao Xu.
Therefore, Lao Xu might be able to contact the bodyguard and thus learn about Cheng Zhiwen's whereabouts.
Outside the car, Old Xu choked and remained silent.
Shen Qing added, "Could I meet with Boss Cheng's bodyguard? I just want to ask Boss Cheng what the current situation is."
Old Xu, recalling the elusive Jiang Shen, said uncertainly, "Next time the bodyguard comes, I'll ask him. If he agrees, I'll take him to see you."
A huge weight was lifted from Shen Qing's heart.
Now, Cheng Zhiwen is no longer just someone who can help her in business.
After the incident of shooting the Japanese, she felt that her bond with him had deepened.
Putting everything else aside, just the fact that he risked having a sword pointed at his throat to save her is enough to convince him.
...
Shen Qing sat in the carriage for several hours, constantly turning the velvet bag over and over to speed up the movement of the wool.
Taking advantage of the last rays of sunlight before sunset, she carefully observed the situation of the downy feathers escaping.
The surface of the velvet bag is perfectly smooth and tight, with no lint protruding.
It was a success!
Shen Qing was overjoyed. He cut open the velvet bag, poured the velvet inside back into the bucket, and hid it under the stool.
She lifted the curtain and got out of the car, saying to Old Xu, "Let's go! Let's find Schmidt!"
Old Xu hurriedly asked, "Boss Shen, how is it? Is the material usable?"
Shen Qing smiled and said, "Okay. Now we need to tell Schmidt that the machine doesn't need to be modified and to just give it to me as it is."
"Mr. Cheng has found another place for you to put the machine. You can tell Mr. Schmidt later that we will send someone to pick up the machine today."
Shen Qing was surprised, but not unexpected.
Since reconciling with Cheng Zhiwen, that sense of certainty and security has returned.
So even though Cheng Zhiwen wasn't there this time, and only Lao Xu was with her, she wasn't flustered at all.
Re-enter the room where the machine was located.
When Schmidt saw her return, he immediately greeted her with a smile and asked in simple English, "Chen, how's the machine? Does it need any modifications?"
"The machine is excellent; I'm taking it with me today."
Upon hearing this, Schmidt slowly suppressed his smile, glanced at Old Xu's hand, and said something to the translator.
Shen Qing glanced at Lao Xu and saw the same worry in Lao Xu's eyes.
This machine might not be so easy to take away...
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