Chapter 18: The Long Road to Tool Upgrades – The Dwarf Deception in Progress…
After the five-star eco-friendly luxury dry toilet at Lin's Restaurant successfully passed the inspection by the otherworldly city management, the restaurant's life finally calmed down for a while... or so it seemed.
At least, Lin Yue no longer has to worry about being randomly punished by the system for having an ugly toilet. He can devote more energy to greater endeavors—like figuring out how to have meat to eat every meal.
Potatoes are good, they're filling and you can cook them in a variety of ways, but eating only potatoes can get really boring! Besides, whether it's Little Finn who's still growing, Gray who's doing the main physical work, or Stonefist who's recovering from his injuries, they all need a lot of protein to maintain their bodily functions!
Where do proteins come from?
hunt!
However, ideals are often grand, but reality... remains harsh.
Although Gray is a natural hunter, agile and experienced, his tools are simply inadequate!
Their best hunting weapon right now is Gray's bone spear, which has been initially modified according to the blueprints for the [Reinforced Bone Spear].
Although it was much stronger than the old wooden spear, it was still not enough against prey that was slightly stronger or faster.
If you manage to bring back something on three or four out of ten hunting trips, you're considered very lucky. Usually, it's just small animals like silly birds or rabbits.
As for Lin Yue himself? With his rudimentary skills, he could at most skin prey with a modified stone knife. Expecting him to hunt? That's no different from delivering takeout to wild animals.
Logging and reclaiming new land also faced tool limitations. Although the [effort-saving lever stone axe] was better than the old-fashioned stone axe, it still took a long time to chop down those hardwoods that were as thick as a person's embrace, and it didn't produce much sawdust.
Needless to say, stone hoes and shovels were incredibly inefficient at turning the soil, and they wore out very easily.
"To do a good job, one must first have the right tools!" Lin Yue sighed deeply as he watched Gray return empty-handed once again, having only brought back a few beautiful bird feathers that Xiao Fen had snatched away to use as toys.
"Without good tools, given our current level of productivity, it's simply a pipe dream to achieve the goal of having meat at every meal and quickly entering a moderately prosperous society!"
His gaze involuntarily fell once again on the dwarf uncle, Stonefist, who was sitting in the doorway basking in the sun. His leg injury had mostly healed, and he could even stroll around a few times with the help of a cane.
This uncle has recovered quite well since he was rescued and started enjoying special meals for patients.
Her complexion became rosy, and she spoke with more confidence. She would even occasionally offer some pointers to Gray on polishing his stone tools, though she usually started with, "Idiot! You can't even smooth this!"
But as soon as Lin Yue mentions the topic of smelting or forging, Uncle Stone Fist immediately bristles like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, sticking his neck out and shouting, "Don't even think about it! Dwarf techniques! Not to be passed on to outsiders!"
Lin Yue was absolutely overwhelmed.
This dwarf old man is like a rock in a latrine—stinky and hard!
But there's no other way. At present, he is the only hope for the small restaurant to upgrade its tools and enter the Iron Age!
We have to find a way to get him to talk!
Forcing them won't work; dwarves are notoriously stubborn. Coercion and bribery? The lure of salt seems to have been used to its fullest extent; adding more wouldn't be any new tricks.
It seems the only option left is to win hearts and minds!
Lin Yue decided to change his strategy! Instead of rushing to ask about technical details, he would start by cultivating a relationship, showing sincerity, and... subtly probing!
Step 1: Demonstrate respect and a thirst for knowledge.
Lin Yue no longer directly asked "how to smelt iron" or "how to forge iron," but instead used a different approach. He would take the iron ore samples he had found earlier, or the stone tools that Gray had failed to polish, and humbly ask Shi Quan for guidance:
"Uncle Stone Fist, look at this stone. Don't you think the patterns inside are a bit off? Does it have a low iron content?"
"This stone knife is always hard to sharpen. Is it a problem with the stone itself? Or am I sharpening it at the wrong angle?"
"I've heard that a good flame is important for smelting, so what kind of wood makes the best fire?"
He adopted a humble attitude, as if to say, "I'm just a complete novice who knows nothing, and you're a seasoned expert who can offer guidance."
At first, Shi Quan was indifferent and kept grumbling. But Lin Yue was persistent and kept asking him questions every day, and the questions were quite insightful. Gradually, he started to open up.
Occasionally, he would impatiently offer a few criticisms: "This damn stone! Too many impurities! You won't get any good iron!" or "Angle! Wrong angle! You idiot!" or "You need hardwood! That'll make the fire burn brighter!"
Although his tone was still harsh, at least he was willing to speak! That's a huge improvement!
Lin Yue quickly took out the small charcoal stick and smooth stone slab he carried with him, carefully writing down every word Shi Quan said, and occasionally asking about a few details, showing great interest and respect.
This thirst for knowledge seemed to have given Stone Fist, the dwarf blacksmith whose skills had nowhere to be used, a sense of accomplishment as a teacher. His expression softened considerably.
Step Two: Food Guide and Warm Care.
Asking questions is not enough; material support must also be provided!
Lin Yue prepared various dishes for Shi Quan. In addition to ensuring a supply of salt, he also made a point of reserving the small amount of meat he hunted for Shi Quan, euphemistically calling it a special supply for the wounded.
We also strive to diversify the ways to cook potatoes, including roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, and even tried making a different kind of dumpling soup with potatoes and wild vegetables!
During each meal, Lin Yue would make a point of chatting with Shi Quan. It was mainly Lin Yue who would talk, talking about the daily life of the restaurant, telling stories of common interesting things on Earth in other worlds, creating a warm atmosphere of "we are a family".
He would even subtly probe into Stone Fist's past:
"Uncle Stone Fist, you seem to know a lot about ore and blacksmithing. Were you a very skilled blacksmith back in your family?"
"You said your dwarf tribe...does everyone live deep in the mountains? What's life like there? Is it very cold in winter?"
“You kept saying ‘the mines are depleted’ and ‘we can’t go back’… Is there some kind of hardship at home? If… I mean, if you still have family or relatives, how are they doing? Do they need help? We’re poor here, but at least we have food, shelter, and salt! If they need anything, we can help them too…”
Lin Yue spoke with utmost sincerity, his eyes filled with concern, and of course, a hint of longing for potential labor and technology.
As Shi Quan listened to Lin Yue's words, especially when he heard about "family" and "clan members," his eyes dimmed noticeably, and his hand holding the bowl trembled slightly.
He remained silent for a long time, and finally said in a muffled voice, "...It's none of your business."
But Lin Yue could sense that Shi Quan's defenses seemed to have been touched.
His ramblings about "cold," "hunger," and "being unable to go back" were probably not unfounded. There must be a painful story hidden behind this dwarf uncle.
Lin Yue's offer to "bring his family and clansmen to live with him, and provide food and salt" undoubtedly touched the softest and most worried part of his heart.
[System Notification: Trust with 'Stone Fist' has slightly increased. Its defenses have begun to weaken. Its need for 'food,' 'salt,' and 'safe shelter' has been detected to be extremely high. It is recommended to continue providing care and emphasize shared interests when appropriate.]
Step 3: Emphasize shared interests and future vision.
It's not enough to just appeal to his emotions; we also need to make him realize that helping Lin's Restaurant improve its facilities is beneficial to him and to everyone else!
Lin Yue would seize any opportunity to complain to Shi Quan about the various inconveniences caused by the outdated tools:
"Hey, Uncle Stonefist, look, Gray came back empty-handed again today! If we had a good bow and arrow, or a sharp iron spear, we might be able to hit that big guy! Then we could eat roasted whole lamb and stewed bear paws!" (He was just making empty promises.)
"This land is too hard! It's too much work to dig with a stone hoe! If we had an iron hoe, we could clear the land ten times faster! Then we could plant more potatoes and wheat! We could eat white flour buns and drink beer!" He continued to paint a rosy picture.
"This wood is too hard! Even a stone axe can't cut it through! If we had a steel axe, wouldn't it be much easier for us to build houses, make furniture, or even build a waterwheel?" He was just making empty promises.
As he spoke, he observed Shi Quan's reaction.
At first, Shi Quan was full of disdain, but after hearing more, especially about things he might have only heard of in legends or had once owned, such as "roasted whole lamb," "beer," "steel axe," and "waterwheel," a hint of longing and... itching to try his hand at it gradually appeared in his eyes.
After all, for a true craftsman, watching others use such terrible tools is pure torture!
Finally, under Lin Yue's continuous appeasement policy and bombardment with empty promises, Uncle Stone Fist's heart, as stubborn as granite, began to show signs of softening.
One day, when Lin Yue, looking distressed, approached Shi Quan with a piece of mediocre iron ore and asked, "Can this stuff actually be smelted into iron?", Shi Quan finally couldn't hold back any longer and exploded:
"Idiot! How many times have I told you! This broken stone has too many impurities! The heat isn't right! The furnace is no good! What you'll get is just a pile of waste!"
He launched into a tirade of abuse, then snatched the ore from Lin Yue's hand, glaring at him fiercely. "...Fine! Since you've shown some sincerity...I'll...give you a little pointer!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yue almost burst into tears of joy.
Heavens above! Earth below! This dwarf has finally relented.
The dawn of the Iron Age seemed to be just around the corner.
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