"Two masters of the Mohist school, you've finally arrived!"
The wicked man personally went to the gate of the Grand Commandant's mansion to greet Xiangli He and Zizhen.
Before dawn, he sent someone to invite the two of them, clearly indicating that it was something important.
"Grand Commandant, you summoned us so early, is there something important?" Xiangli He asked with a smile.
As soon as he and Zizhen entered the study, they saw that the desk was covered with drawings, each one densely covered with various lines and annotations.
"Please take a look, gentlemen." The wicked man took out the largest blueprint and unfolded it. "I have a question for you. Can we build a ship like this?"
Zizhen leaned closer for a closer look, and his eyes widened in surprise: "This..."
The blueprints depicted a massive warship, divided into five levels.
Each level was designed with unique openings, and there were also crossbow platforms on the deck. Most remarkably, there were fin-like devices on both sides of the hull.
Not only that, the bow of the ship was also made into a sharp wedge shape, making it look majestic.
"Grand Commandant, your design is truly ingenious." Xiangli He carefully examined the blueprints. "The idea of these fins is novel, but..."
"But what?"
"But that's not enough," Zizhen continued, "To ensure such a large ship remains stable at sea, we need to address the root cause. Look here..."
He picked up a pen and began sketching on the drawing: "First, the hull should be rounded, like the belly of a fish. This will not only increase buoyancy but also reduce water resistance."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Xianglihe exclaimed excitedly. "And this rudder needs to be made bigger and thicker. We can design a new servo mechanism that can rotate more flexibly. That way, even in big waves, we can control the direction with ease."
The wicked man nodded repeatedly: "The two masters are right. These are precisely the problems that trouble me. The knowledge of water is quite different from that of land!"
"Grand Commandant, you are unaware of this," Zizhen laughed, "Actually, boats and carts are similar in principle. They both rely on the art of balance. Take these two fins of yours, for example; they are like wheels, used to maintain stability."
"However..." Xianglihe pondered, "This ship is so big, it would be difficult to control it by manpower alone. Why don't we install some mechanisms on the ship?"
"A mechanism?" The wicked man became interested. "Tell me about it."
"Look here," Xiang Lihe said, pointing to the blueprints. "Install several sets of pulleys in the cabin, along with a winch. This will save a lot of effort. Especially when pulling the sails and turning the rudder, one person can do the work of ten."
"Brilliant!" The wicked man's eyes lit up. "And this crossbow platform..."
"I have an idea," Zizhen said. "We can modify the crossbow. What do you think..."
He took another piece of paper and quickly drew a mechanism: "This is a rapid-fire mechanism. Just turn this wheel, and it can fire ten crossbow bolts in one go. Even if it's tossed about at sea, it won't affect the accuracy."
"Excellent!" the wicked man praised repeatedly, "As expected of a master of the Mohist school, I could never have imagined such things."
"You flatter me, Grand Commandant," Xiangli He waved his hand. "However, your ship still needs some additions. For example, fire prevention equipment is very important."
"Fire prevention?"
"That's right," Zizhen explained. "In naval warfare, fire attacks are the most effective. We need to coat the outside of the ship with a special material that is fireproof and waterproof to ensure safety."
"This process is not simple," Xiang Lihe added. "It involves repeated soaking, drying, and soaking. If one layer isn't enough, apply two; if two aren't enough, apply three. The key is to ensure the hull is both fire-resistant and water-resistant."
The wicked man nodded repeatedly. Without the guidance of the Mohists, he really wouldn't have been able to think of these professional things.
"And another thing," Zizhen added, "we need to add more bulkheads to the cabin. That way, even if water gets in, the whole ship won't sink. We also need to add a few pumping mechanisms..."
"Wait a minute!" The wicked man suddenly remembered something. "Does that mean every ship would have to be equipped with a lot of machinery?"
"That's for sure," Xianglihe said. "Just the steering gear, winches, and crossbows alone—each ship needs at least a dozen sets. Add to that the pumping mechanisms and fire-fighting equipment, and you'll need manpower for all of that."
"Manpower is easy to arrange," the wicked man said, stroking his chin. "I've already sent people to the South Sea County to recruit fishermen. But these institutions..."
"Don't worry, Grand Commandant," Zizhen laughed. "My Mohist disciples are all experts in mechanisms. We'll have them teach them personally, and I guarantee they'll be trained into skilled craftsmen!"
"That would be wonderful!" the wicked man exclaimed joyfully. "By the way, how long do you two think it would take to build such a ship?"
Xiangli He and Zizhen exchanged a glance and began to calculate. Taking into account factors such as material preparation, the complexity of the process, and manpower allocation, they finally concluded:
"If we work at full speed, we can build five ships a month."
"Only five ships?" the wicked man said anxiously. "That's too slow!"
"Grand Commandant, you are unaware of this," Zizhen explained, "This boat is no ordinary fishing boat. The curvature of its hull alone requires specially made molds. Add to that the mechanisms, each one must fit perfectly, allowing no room for error."
"Yes," Xianglihe added, "If we rush too much and something goes wrong, it could be fatal. At sea, even a small broken part can capsize the entire ship in a big wave."
The wicked man understood after hearing their explanation. Such a large ship couldn't be built with haste and greed; otherwise, it would only lead to disaster.
"Then we'll do it your way." He nodded. "But we'll need to open several more workshops. That way, we can operate simultaneously and avoid being too slow."
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