ATPnovel Chapter 359 Immortal Master, oh~~~~ Time to sleep~~
Chapter 359 Immortal Master, oh~~~~ Time to sleep~~
"You mean... a colossal creature forged from steel, that doesn't eat fodder, only needs water and coal, and can haul hundreds of thousands of kilograms of grain, traveling hundreds of miles a day without stopping?" Ying Zheng gasped in astonishment.
"Does such a divine object truly exist in this world?"
"Travel hundreds of miles a day? Old Zheng, your vision is still too narrow."
Zhang Fan picked up his phone immediately. "Here, let me show you a real steel dragon!"
Zhang Fan typed a few words into Douyin and then shoved the screen directly in front of Ying Zheng.
The video has started playing.
With a whooshing sound, a silver-white, streamlined "steel dragon" appeared on the screen.
It sped along the long track!
The words "350 km/h" appeared prominently on the screen!
Then, the scene shifts to someone standing a coin upright on the windowsill of a speeding train carriage.
Even as the high-speed train sped along at breakneck speed, the coin remained perfectly still, like a mountain!
"This...this is an astonishing speed! Traveling thousands of miles a day is as easy as taking candy from a baby!"
Ying Zheng suddenly stood up, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the Fuxing high-speed train on the screen, his breathing becoming more rapid than ever before.
The sheer speed and stability of this combination was so astonishing that it completely shattered his worldview!
"Zhang Fan! Is this the... train you were talking about?" Ying Zheng's voice trembled slightly.
"This is called high-speed rail, the ultimate evolution of trains. Our Qin Dynasty is currently constrained by technological limitations and cannot manufacture such advanced equipment for the time being."
Zhang Fan put away his phone, patted Ying Zheng on the shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, the first-generation steam train I built for you, while not as fast as this, is more than enough to overwhelm the grain transport lines in the north!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
Ying Zheng said "good" three times in a row, his eyes blazing with fanaticism.
He turned to look at the night sky outside the window, and in his mind, he saw the invincible image of the Qin Dynasty's trains, fully loaded with grain and armor, crushing all the way to the Xiongnu grasslands.
At this moment, he was even more eager for the "steam train" belonging to the Qin Dynasty to make its official debut!
Seeing Ying Zheng's absorbed expression, Zhang Fan coughed twice, abruptly interrupting his reverie.
"Ahem, Lao Zheng..."
Zhang Fan rubbed his hands together, a rare look of embarrassment on his face. "Grand ambitions are certainly exhilarating, but... we're facing a very real problem right now!"
"You'll have to pay more."
Meeting Ying Zheng's questioning gaze, Zhang Fan helplessly spread his hands: "This process of building simple bearings, casting high-pressure boilers, and repeatedly conducting pressure tests is all just burning money!"
"Don't be fooled by the blueprints; turning them into a physical product is a real waste of money in research and development!"
Upon hearing the word "money," Ying Zheng, who had been exuding confidence, froze with a stiff smile.
He remained silent for a moment, then couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head helplessly.
"Money..."
Ying Zheng sighed deeply, walked to the window, put his hands behind his back, and said with a tone full of frustration, "Our army crossed the sea and just brought back six million taels of silver from that tiny island of Japan!"
"I thought that with such a huge windfall, the national treasury would be completely full, and I, the head of the Great Qin, would finally be able to become wealthy!"
At this point, Ying Zheng turned around and said helplessly, "Who would have thought that once we started preparing for war, the food, drink, and shelter for hundreds of thousands of troops on their long march, the laborers conscripted along the way, and the renovation of weapons and armor—everything is a money-devouring beast!"
"Now, with this steel behemoth of yours added to the mix... all this silver is just pouring out like water, I really can't hold onto it! I possess this entire empire, yet I feel poorer and poorer!"
Seeing this emperor, a figure of unparalleled power, pouring out his grievances, Zhang Fan was both amused and exasperated, and could only silently complain in his heart:
The fact that the Qin Dynasty didn't completely deplete its national treasury despite its ambitious expansion is a testament to the Qin Emperor's substantial wealth.
However, complaints aside!
Ying Zheng knew all too well that this money was crucial to the future of the empire for generations to come!
"Fine! If the money's gone, I'll just go fight! I'll go rob! I'll go earn it again!"
Ying Zheng suddenly flicked his sleeve, staring intently at Zhang Fan.
"This money is approved by me!"
"All the funds needed by the Academy of Natural History will be directly allocated from the Imperial Treasury and the National Treasury! I only want one result!"
"I want to see the steam trains of the Great Qin Dynasty crush the Xiongnu's grasslands with my own eyes!"
Upon hearing that Lao Zheng had finally agreed to give away gold coins, Zhang Fan beamed with joy.
He stood ramrod straight as if by reflex, even raising his right hand to his temple, and shouted back, "Your Majesty, rest assured! I guarantee the mission will be accomplished!"
Seeing Zhang Fan's strange actions, Ying Zheng smiled helplessly, too lazy to bother with these later etiquette rules.
He looked up at the deep night outside the window, rubbed his temples wearily, and turned to walk towards the door: "Alright, I'll cover the money for you. I'm going back to the palace to rest now."
As Ying Zheng reached the door, he glanced back at Zhang Fan, who was eagerly preparing to pounce on the bed and continue looking at his phone, and felt speechless.
This brat's schedule is a complete mess!
Their days and nights are reversed, with no discernible pattern.
As the First Emperor of Qin, I bear the weight of the world on my shoulders. I absolutely cannot blindly follow his example and ruin my health!
Upon opening the door, Ying Zheng immediately saw Eunuch Li standing outside.
Ying Zheng lowered his voice and sternly ordered, "You, stay in the Academy of Natural Sciences and keep a close eye on the Immortal Master! Make sure he goes to bed immediately and absolutely cannot stay up all night again!"
"He stays up past midnight every night, his sleep schedule is so chaotic. Think about it, how many times has he actually attended the morning court session in all this time?"
Upon hearing His Majesty's decree, Eunuch Li's fawning smile instantly froze on his face, his old face contorted into a bitter expression, his eyes filled with despair and distress.
Supervising the immortal master while he sleeps?
Ah!
me?
Faced with Ying Zheng's imposing gaze, Eunuch Li could only steel himself and bow tremblingly, saying, "This old servant...this old servant obeys the decree!"
Ying Zheng nodded in satisfaction, then with a wave of his sleeve, he set off for the palace under the protection of a group of imperial guards.
inside the house.
Zhang Fan had just happily sprawled back onto the soft bed, unlocked his phone, and was about to continue watching funny videos for a while.
Just then.
Suddenly, a mournful, hoarse voice drifted in from outside the tightly closed door, its lilt drawn out:
"My immortal master~~~~ It's time to sleep~~"
This eerie commotion, like that of a woman wronged in the deep palace, was especially chilling in the dead of night!
Zhang Fan was so startled that he almost dropped his phone on his nose.
……
The next day.
Zhang Fan slept straight through until noon.
After washing up and hastily eating a few bites of lunch, Zhang Fan wiped his mouth and headed straight for the secluded courtyard where Mi Yueyao was.
For some reason, Zhang Fan always felt uneasy if he didn't keep an eye on this scheming woman for a day. Heaven knows what kind of trouble she was up to behind the scenes.