Chapter 581 Is there anything I can do for you?
Nelia possessed the persistence and pride of the Elven race, and in her mind, the Elven ship magic arrays were far more advanced than those of the Vampire race.
But after she entered the engine room of "Dayuan No. 1", that pride quietly disappeared from her face, and the persistence in her heart also wavered.
The massive steam boiler continuously compresses steam into the cylinder, and the huge connecting rod rumbles back and forth, continuously transmitting powerful energy to the propeller, propelling this 5,000-ton behemoth forward.
Even though Nelia knew nothing about mechanics, she could tell how powerful this massive steam-powered unit was. Compared to this steam engine, the only advantage the elven magic array had was its cleanliness and dust-free "environmental" nature.
"This steam engine...doesn't need to be engraved with array patterns?"
"This isn't a magic array, so why would it have any array patterns engraved on it? As long as there's water and coal, it can keep turning!"
"You mean...we can use this steam engine to increase our speed throughout our journey to the royal court?"
"Oh... as long as there's water and coal!" Qin Mo nodded, speaking ambiguously.
Qin Mo was telling the truth. A bulky steam engine becomes a huge burden without fuel. Even the more advanced triple-expansion steam engine has an astonishingly low thermal efficiency. When the steam engine on the "Dayuan No. 1" is running at full power, it consumes several tons of coal per hour.
When the "Da Yuan No. 1" departed from Da Yuan, it was not fully loaded in order to maintain high speed under full sail power. The huge fuel tank at the bottom of the ship was only half full of coal, which was not enough to support the "Da Yuan No. 1" to return to Da Yuan in hybrid mode.
Therefore, adding coal midway becomes inevitable.
"Waaah...waaah..."
"Bang...bang...bang"
The "Da Yuan No. 1" ship entered Singapore Port with the intention of simply refueling and adding water, but when the officials of Singapore Port saw that their lord had arrived, how could they not do their best to show their loyalty?
Warships were lined up neatly in the harbor, and cannons fired in unison on the dock. From the moment Qin Mo's "Da Yuan No. 1" entered the port channel to the moment it arrived at the dock, it took less than half an hour for Singapore Port to create such a grand scene, fully demonstrating its outstanding "rapid response capability" to Qin Mo.
"Are these ships and troops yours, or the Great Xia Empire's?" Nelia asked Qin Mo with some surprise, looking at the massive fleet and infantry formation.
"They're my people, my ship, of course. Hmm? Why do you look so strange?"
"Aren't you a prince of the Great Xia Dynasty? How large is your territory? Can you support so many people?"
"Oh! My territory... is vast!"
Qin Mo couldn't very well say, "The two sides of the strait and that mainland are all within my sphere of influence. I lack everything except money!" Of course, even if he said that, Nelia probably wouldn't believe him. She'd probably think he was just bragging and going off on a tangent again.
The "Da Yuan No. 1" needed to be resupplyed with thousands of tons of coal and fresh water. Even with the help of steam pumps and simple cranes, this was a long process. Finally, Nelia, a big shot in the royal court, couldn't resist the common ailment of all women—shopping addiction—and expressed her desire to go ashore and take a look.
"Of course! We still have a few hours before we set sail. There will be a whistle then, that 'whoo-whoo-whoo' sound. Come back when you hear it!"
Nelia nodded and turned around, then heard Qin Mo say, "Hey? You probably don't have any money on you! Wait a moment, I'll get you some, buy whatever you like!"
Nelia shook her head slightly and disappeared from the spot. How could the patriarch of an elven royal family be poor?
From the very beginning of its construction, Lion City Port was positioned by Qin Mo as a transit and distribution base. A large amount of goods were transported from Da Yuan and Da Xia, and stored, transited and distributed here. Both the buyers and sellers were development companies under the Da Yuan Development Administration.
Singapore is not what it used to be. Back when the Development Authority first held an "Investment Promotion Conference" in Singapore, the stage was a makeshift stone platform, the seats were made from stools and benches, and the managers of every company were stingy people who could squeeze every last drop of money out of their pockets. It was common for them to fight over a few gems.
But what about now? Those dozens of pioneering companies that settled in early on have long since become behemoths, capable of stirring up waves in Southeast Asia with a stomp of their feet. The conservatives who were late to the game arrived, but after seven or eight years of reaping the benefits, they have all become extremely wealthy. Even the Singapore Fleet has its own "security" business. Under their leadership, the residents of Singapore are all relatively well-off households with some assets.
With such a high average income per capita, how could Singapore not be prosperous? It's definitely prosperous. You can buy all sorts of novelties from all over the world here, and you can meet girls of all skin colors.
Nelia wasn't interested in girls, but she was drawn to many unique little gadgets. It wasn't until she paid for them that she realized the meaning behind Qin Mo's words.
"Sir, this gold coin cannot be used directly. You need to go to a VIP bank or a shop with a currency exchange license to exchange it for VIP currency!"
Nelia walked into a luxuriously decorated shop, where an exquisite watch (wristwatch) caught her eye, but she ran into trouble when it came time to pay!
"Gold coins can't be used? Then these should be enough, right? Keep the change!" Nelia frowned, then took out a dozen more elven gold coins and placed them on the counter, making a clinking sound.
"Esteemed guest, I believe you have misunderstood. We are not a shady shop that overcharges. It's just that Singaporean law prohibits the direct circulation of other currencies, and our shop is not authorized to exchange currency..."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com