Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 205: Miscalculation?
The boys’ performance ended quickly, but bicycles had begun to “catch fire.” Too many people had realized the benefits of bicycles—they were simple, inexpensive, and could be used for transportation!
Xiao Liming, despite being the Governor of the Northwest, disregarded his status and squeezed forward like an eager youth, wanting to try a bicycle himself. To be fair, cultivators had long lifespans, and although Xiao Liming’s cultivation was profound, his face still looked like that of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old.
Relying on his superior cultivation, Xiao Liming forced his way to the front of a bicycle and immediately examined it carefully. Though small, the bicycle’s design was exquisite—hollow iron tubes, straight spokes, nearly perfect rims, a delicate braking system, and a finely crafted chain. This seemingly simple design showcased the industrial strength of Anyang.
And yet, such a finely crafted bicycle was sold for only one tael of silver!
To put this into perspective, Anyang had previously sold just a single bearing for one tael of silver. And for a bicycle to function properly, at least six bearings were needed—three pairs for the front and rear wheel axles and the pedals.
Although five thousand bicycles had been made available, the crowd was far larger, and in just a moment, they were snatched up completely. There were even minor disputes and quarrels. Fang Shijing, however, remained smiling the entire time, seemingly pleased to see the commotion.
Seeing that all five thousand bicycles had been taken, Fang Shijing immediately waved his hand, signaling the surrounding soldiers to separate the remaining people from the participants.
Fang Shijing then spoke again, “Everyone, you have one quarter of an hour. If you cannot learn how to ride the bicycle within this time, you must leave and give others a chance. No using magic!”
Xiao Liming looked at the bicycle, thinking it was a simple thing—what need was there to learn? He wasn’t the only one with this thought; most of the others believed the same. The moment Fang Shijing finished speaking, laughter erupted from the crowd. “How hard can this be?”
Xiao Liming was the first to mount a bicycle. However, in the next moment, his face turned pale—
The bicycle showed no mercy and threw him straight to the ground!
In fact, across the entire site, all five thousand bicycles had toppled. Anyone who tried ended up falling embarrassingly, making those who hadn’t yet attempted hesitant to try.
Yet Fang Shijing simply had someone start counting down, continuously provoking the participants’ determination. Meanwhile, the surrounding spectators shouted and laughed, gloating over the scene.
“I refuse to believe this!” Xiao Liming snorted angrily and mounted the bicycle again. This time, he slowly began to grasp the technique.
After all, he was a highly skilled cultivator. In no time, Xiao Liming managed to figure out the mechanics and was able to wobble forward shakily.
Instantly, applause erupted around him. It was the boys from Anyang—having struggled greatly to learn bicycles themselves, they naturally understood how difficult it was to master cycling in such a short time.
At this moment, Xiao Liming, a grand expert and governor, felt a genuine sense of joy welling up inside him. After another quarter of an hour, he fully mastered the bicycle. Raising one hand, he waved to the crowd.
A bold young man rode his bicycle over and greeted him, “Hey, how about joining our team? In three days, we’ll have a bicycle race. It’s an internal competition in Anyang, but anyone is welcome to participate.
The winner will get a chance to make a wish.”
“A wish?” Xiao Liming laughed. “What if someone wishes to become an immortal? Are you saying they could really ascend to the heavens?”
The young man gave Xiao Liming a disdainful look. “My greatest wish is to join the navy! You’re an outsider, so you probably don’t know what’s happening in Anyang right now.
These days, many of my friends have their own dreams. Some want to join the navy and command ironclad ships to conquer the seas. Others want to fly airplanes and rule the skies. Some even dream of becoming great merchants. And as long as we win the bicycle race, we get the chance to make a wish. If our skills aren’t up to par, the officials will personally train us!”
Xiao Liming heard too much information from these words. “What if an outsider participates and wins?”
“It’s simple. Anyang welcomes anyone with ability. As long as they swear to become an Anyang citizen, they will be treated equally.”
Xiao Liming refused the invitation but rode away on a bicycle. The surrounding soldiers let him pass without obstruction. Anyone who could ride away on a bicycle within one moment’s time could fully own the bicycle.
Ji Yunya sat on the luggage rack at the back of the bicycle like a young girl, gently leaning against Xiao Liming’s back, as if reminiscing about her youthful feelings. Meanwhile, Xiao Liming was deep in thought—Anyang’s development seemed to hint at an unknown future!
This future, which he could not fully grasp, gave Xiao Liming an inexplicable sense of unease.
After riding around the exposition for two days, Xiao Liming became even more certain—a great era of change was approaching, and its prelude had already begun in Anyang!
In just these few days, Anyang had received orders for a staggering 100,000 internal combustion engines, with orders lined up for the next ten years! Whether merchants or ambitious individuals, everyone had recognized the potential of the internal combustion engine. Unlike array engines, which did not require fuel but were limited by the availability of Sea Soul Silk, the internal combustion engine had a much more practical solution—fuel.
In Dingshan Prefecture, Li Xian looked at the documents in his hands and couldn’t help but sigh once again. The world of cultivation truly couldn’t be underestimated. The internal combustion engine had only been on display for two days, yet someone had already found alternative fuel sources.
For instance, there was a tree called the “oil pine,” which produced large amounts of resin. By slightly heating the resin or mixing in certain strange spices, it could be turned into liquid fuel.
Additionally, some alchemists had figured out how to refine alcohol and produce industrial ethanol. Others discovered that edible oils could be slightly modified and used as fuel for internal combustion engines.
Even more extreme, some dark cultivators had devised a way to refine corpse oil from animals… Seeing this, Li Xian broke out in a cold sweat, his hair standing on end.
Indeed, the world of cultivation was full of unimaginable possibilities.
Just as Li Xian frowned in contemplation, another piece of news arrived. A Taoist priest had performed “divination” and concluded that Anyang’s fuel was extracted from “underground miasma.”
“What the hell? You can divine this kind of thing?” Li Xian was utterly dumbfounded. This really was a world of cultivation—ordinary people wouldn’t understand.
Xu Ren smiled slightly. “It’s probably not divination but an observation. After all, our fuel has many similarities to crude oil.”
Li Xian nodded. “It looks like our plan to control internal combustion engines through fuel has failed—we miscalculated this one.”
“There was no miscalculation.” Xu Ren gave Li Xian a firm response. “Young Master, you should know the principle of ‘too much is as bad as too little.’ If we controlled everything too tightly, we would become the target of everyone. A calculated ‘misstep’ is actually a flawless strategy.”
Li Xian was stunned. “You anticipated this from the beginning?”