NOVPUBChapter 63: Chapter 62: Never Outspoken by Others
Chapter 63 -62: Never Outspoken by Others
The attention of everyone present had focused on him in an instant.
“Cough… What can you solve? Are you going to replace those foreign tribes and mine for us?” Probably judging by Chaoyang’s plain dress, the merchant’s tone towards him was clearly not as polite as towards others.
A burst of laughter rose from the crowd.
“If we can create wonders like steam locomotives, why do we always think about using manpower for mining?” Chaoyang boldly looked at the people, “The power of machines is always stronger than humans, and their efficiency is astonishingly high, capable of working day and night without stopping. Once such wonders become widespread in the mines, the amount of minerals we obtain will also increase exponentially, so everyone need not worry about missing out on the conveniences that wonders bring—not even if we don’t consider capturing wild Seaguardians as a source of forced labor, the situation can only get better, not worse!”
The woman’s expression eased considerably, and she nodded at Chaoyang before agreeing, “He makes sense! Such machines can theoretically be built.”
“It’s not that simple!” The merchant glared at Chaoyang and snapped, “I think neither of you have been to a mine. Inside it’s dark and damp, and the dust is choking—ordinary machinery simply cannot be used in such harsh conditions. Especially the gearboxes, they’re easily jammed by rock debris.”
This man knows quite a bit… Chaoyang was somewhat surprised, he actually had some understanding of mechanical devices, it seemed he was not an ordinary merchant.
“These are technical issues you’re raising, which of course can be solved through technology.”
“As if you’d know—”
“Of course, I know,” Chaoyang replied without politeness, “For example, adding a water injection device to the excavation part can effectively reduce airborne dust. You all should have experience with that, like sprinkling water before sweeping the floor.”
The onlookers nodded together.
They might not understand mining machinery, but cleaning a house was something they had either done or seen.
“Or, for instance, we could do away with gears and instead change the transmission to a hydraulic system, using oil to drive the machines, thus resolving most of the sealing issues.”
“Hydraulic… What is that?” someone asked.
“Liquids are difficult to compress, which I think everyone knows. If you don’t believe it, you can take a water-filled leather bottle and no matter how you squeeze it, the water will only spray out from the mouth of the bottle,” Chaoyang said with a smile, “Hydraulics utilize this characteristic to transmit the force applied on one side completely to the other. Of course, if you change the size of the two containers, it can even generate multiple times the force, similar to a lever…”
This example was much harder to understand, and everyone was clearly a bit confused.
Only the woman suddenly furrowed her beautiful eyebrows, as if she had fallen into deep thought.
Chaoyang didn’t intend to delve deeper into technical issues because he knew that once the power source problem was solved, a variety of machinery for rough and tough work would inevitably be developed sooner or later.
“What’s worse, the misuse of foreign tribes as laborers would actually delay the advent of new wonders. The reason is straightforward—if something is sufficient for current use, why bother with additional costs to try new things?” He raised his hands, a gesture in speech that usually represents openness and candor, which could effectively boost persuasiveness, “Therefore, what the shipping companies are doing is not only unhelpful but actually harmful to the popularization of new technologies! It may seem to have no impact on everyone, but in reality, it casts a dark cloud over the future of everyone!”
“Hmm… He seems to make some sense.”
“But, the wonders that could replace manual mining don’t exist yet, who knows how reliable it could be.”
The bystanders were no longer unequivocally on the merchant’s side, and some began to support the woman again, but Chaoyang was clearly not satisfied with just that. He clenched his fists and said in a firm and powerful tone, “But that’s not even the main reason!”
“We don’t support the shipping companies, nor do we support taking Seaguardians as slaves, because the main reason is that everyone here is civilized!”
He admitted that saying this was somewhat against his conscience, but at least it didn’t violate his true feelings.
“What is civilization but the perpetual willingness to extend a helping hand to the weak? Can wild Seaguardians not be civilized? Of course, they can—some are even living amongst us! If so, why can’t we give a little more kindness and save those pitiable lost ones?”
“In the Old Continent, we have gradually abolished slavery, and this is indeed a symbol of civilization. Could it be that when switched to the new continent, the civilized should revert to barbarism? When I look at everyone here, I know that the answer must be no!”
The men and women around were visibly moved.
Chaoyang knew victory was tilting toward him, “Similarly, these bloodstained lapis lazulis wrapped in layers of lies by them do not belong to the civilized! When you think to keep them as mementos or gifts, thinking of the stories behind them will make you realize these stones are nothing but deception, enslavement, and money. How could you keep such an ugly thing by your side like a flower?”
“No! I refuse ugly things!” Judy was the first to shout out, “Praise civilization!”
Well shouted, truly worthy of you! Chaoyang praised in his heart.
With her taking the lead, it wasn’t long before other tourists joined in.
“Exactly, we are all civilized people, I don’t want it either!”
“I… I too…”
“Boss, can I return the item?”
“Hey, you can’t do this! Sold items are non-refundable! Hey, don’t throw my stuff!” The merchant tried to rebut, but his words were quickly drowned out by the calls for refunds.
Such is human nature, Chaoyang contemplated, whether these wealthy youths were truly good or not, once they had no worries about food and clothing, they were still willing to expend the effort to maintain their good image, or to put it bluntly, they were concerned about face. Moreover, many were traveling with companions of the opposite sex, and leaving a good impression on them was undoubtedly more important than a mere souvenir.
If it were residents of the lower classes, these remarks surely would not have had such a strong effect.
“Thank you for your support, your public speaking style is quite unique.” At this point, the woman with the orange hair approached, offering her hand to Chaoyang, “My name is Elise, and yours?”
“Chao.” Chaoyang shook her hand, the touch not of the soft kind but distinct, firm, and full of strength.
“A single character? I think it must be an alias. Are you a learned scholar?”
“Uh… probably not.” Chaoyang tilted his head—what was a learned scholar?
“Mr. Zhao, you’re quite humorous,” Elise laughed, “Not a learned scholar, yet you have a deep understanding of machinery… Your experiences genuinely pique my curiosity.”
“I prefer self-study.”
Skepticism was clear in her eyes, yet her smile remained undiminished, “Mu Er.”
The attendant by her side immediately stepped forward, his left hand producing a card and placing it in his palm, and his right hand drawing a pen from his breast pocket—he proceeded to write elegantly on the spot. Even while writing, his posture remained perfectly erect, like a tightly drawn longbow.
“Please accept this.”
He quickly finished writing and presented the card to Chaoyang.
Chaoyang somewhat bewilderingly accepted it.
“I know a place better suited for conversation than here. This is an invitation; I hope you can join us at the specified time. I’d like to properly hear about your self-study experiences,” said Elise, gesturing before turning and heading towards the carriage ready to return.
Chaoyang looked at the card, which indeed listed an address and a time, 19:30, “What does she mean by this?”
“What she means is that she’s taken an interest in you!” Judy exclaimed excitedly, “Didn’t I say? Public speaking not only promotes one’s ideology but can also attract like-minded people. With this opportunity, you can enter her circle and become one of them!”
“Lord Chao doesn’t need to elevate himself in such a manner…” Dane coughed twice.
“Oh my, I was just giving an example!” Judy pouted, “Besides, this invitation could be beneficial for Lord Chao, as you could use the upper social circles to spread the Paradise Master’s gospel. Whether to go or not is up to you. If it were anyone else, this would certainly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“We’ll see… after all, we will be quite busy these next few days.” Chaoyang packed away the card noncommittally. He didn’t help Elise to catch her attention, but rather because if the event was going to be reported in the newspaper, then he preferred if the content would be more favorable to the Seaguardians.
Who would have thought his first pot of gold came from Haiya, consider it a small token of gratitude.
